Since Fami-clones are legal to make...

[dave4shmups]

Why haven't we seen any NES-SNES adapters? Especially given the more direct cartridge connection on the SNES.

[lordbritish]

There are NES to SNES adapters, got one myself. Real old though, bought it like 10 years back, it's called tri-star. works great!

[Ed Oscuro]

Systems that emulate the NES are legal to make, but you can't reverse engineer the FC or NES to make one, you can't use Nintendo marks, and design patents still apply. So the only groups making them are either semi-underground...or very cautious.

[dave4shmups]

There are NES to SNES adapters, got one myself. Real old though, bought it like 10 years back, it's called tri-star. works great!

Yeah, I know about that one, but I'm just wondering why there aren't others??

@Ed, I thought the patent on the NES technology had run out? The Messiah isn't underground or semi; GameCrazy sells them.

[8 1/2]

There are NES to SNES adapters, got one myself. Real old though, bought it like 10 years back, it's called tri-star. works great!

Yeah, I know about that one, but I'm just wondering why there aren't others??

@Ed, I thought the patent on the NES technology had run out? The Messiah isn't underground or semi; GameCrazy sells them.

The Messiah emulates the hardware. That's why some games don't work or have funky side-effects. It's not a 1-1 hardware remake.

[Ex-Cyber]

The Messiah emulates the hardware.

Not really. It's just a different implementation that doesn't quite have all the same quirks/features, sort of like the difference between the 6502 and 65C02. New design, new manufacturer, same essential programming model, but some undocumented and/or rarely-used stuff changed.

It should be legal in the US to sell flat-out copies of the NES chips (except the 10NES, but that's not actually needed), but it wouldn't be practical because they were designed for an obsolete manufacturing process (and probably even optimized for Ricoh's process specifically).

[dave4shmups]

So why the lack of NES-SNES adapters, other then the tristar? The SNES surely has a better cartridge connection then the NES.

[8 1/2]

Seems like the rise of these duo machines has something to do with it. Also, most people forgot about the NES for long time. Ten years ago I could walk into a video store and pick up a stack of NES carts for a few bucks apiece. Now, even the mom and pop shops are charging collector prices. The interest just wasn't there during the time when it would have made sense for someone to make such an adaptor.

[Ed Oscuro]

Oh hey, 8 1/2 just reminded me of another reason:

There's already a ton of (flaky and crappy) famiclones out there, and the ill-starred Messiah NEX episode has turned a lot of people off putting money into 'clones.

Sad because the U.S. release of the toploader has glitchy video while the toaster is a logistics nightmare.

Also, by 2002 things were starting to heat up with NES pricing, I think. At that time (when I started posting at Digital Press) there was definitely a feeling that the time for deals was the 90s and had come and gone.

Of course, the N64 has (for the most part) been a great system to collect for, price-wise, same for PlayStation. I think that N64 in particular still today has many bargain bin deals to be found on eBay..

[Ganelon]

What's wrong with getting a JP AV Famicom and just using a converter? That's how I play NES games nowadays.

[Ed Oscuro]

Nothing, really.

[sven666]

i have a clone much like the one in teh pic (everything looks exactly alike but mine has a different name, forgot it tho).

its brilliant, S-vid, games work perfectly fine and even the controllers that come with are really good (tho the chord is so short you practically have to have the console in your lap while playing).
plugs in original SNES controllers anyways so its hardly a problem, good stuff.

but yeah there are NES to SNES adapters anyways, theyre kinda rare tho as the NES is so easy to pirate its proboably easier and cheaper to make a famiclone rather than a converter..

[Jockel]

I gave up playing my NES and SNES on my HDTV.
The picture was just too crappy.
So right now i am using my Wii with emulators and enjoy those games in perfect picture quality and with a SNES controller that's connected to the wii via an adapter. Win.