Retro Duo

Yesterday, I finally acquired the Retro Duo by Retro-Bit.  After over 20 years of faithful service, my original Super Nintendo console have been giving me issues with reading the game cartridges.  It probably just needed some cleaning of its contacts.  My even older Nintendo Entertainment System have had issues with reading games for over a decade now.  Hence the reason for me getting a replacement in the meantime.

As we all used to do as kids, when a game doesn't load, we blow into the opening of the cartridge to try to get the games to work.  Everyone did this and this is one thing that should not be done. Ever.  While blowing into the cart, particles of saliva, and even the moist warm breath would deposit water droplets onto the contacts and over time would cause the corrosion on the contacts and cause the game to not work.

Anyway, moving on to the Retro Duo, I bought this system on Amazon for $87 CAD.  It arrived on the same day for an extra $7 as I have Amazon Prime.  There is an updated console called the Retro Trio which added a Sega Genesis cartridge slot to the system but since I don't collect for the Genesis, I went with the duo which plays NES and SNES cartridges and their Japanese counerparts.  From several review online, it seems like this system is also compatible with Super Gameboy and Super FX chip games.

All my games was able to play on this console, both SNES and NES.  I cannot find my Super Gameboy to test it.  Operation is quite easy, the power slider sits in the middle for the OFF position.  To play a SNES game, you simply move the slider down, and in turn will turn on the red power light.  Sliding up turns on the NES mode with a green light.

The console came with two SNES type controllers but I plugged in my own original anyway.  There is no slot for the original NES controller so you had to play them using the SNES controller.  The package also included an AC power adaptor and the normal AV cables, which has S-Video too if your television set support that.

I am very happy with this system so far and I hope that I can use it for many years to come.