Blue Protoman
January 10th, 2009, 17:53
A famiclone is a clone of the NES/Famicom. There are so many, they have their own name. I have two Famiclones, and I'm going to be reviewing both. Enjoy.
Oh, and I can't provide pictures right now because I'm using a Wii. I'll update with pics when I get a chance.
Game Player 7600X1
Imagine a PSOne. Now, scrap the disc drive and replace it with a cart slot. Make the plastic cheap as hell. And give it 9-pin controller ports. That's what this thing looks like.
Pros
+System is cheap, I got it for $20.
+Will work on modern TVs, includes standard red/yellow AV plugs
+Cartridge slot for Famicom games
+Has built-in games
+Controller is good
Cons
-Plastic is flimsy. Do not drop this thing. I mean it.
-7600 games? Nope. Just 21 repeated hundreds of times. Even then, two games are divided up.
-Included light gun sucks. It controls well, but the cord is too short, and it breaks easily. I barely used it, and now the thing doesn't work.
-All the controller cords are only 3 feet long, so you must sit close to the TV.
I'm not going to review the games, because this is not a unique console. I will list the games, though.
-Pocket Monster (an original platform game)
-Super C (you can start with a different weapon or with 30 lives in this version)
-Super Mario Bros.
-Duck Hunt (split up, Game B is absent)
-Magic Carpet 1001 (listed as Aladdin III)
-Track and Field (split up)
-Yie Air Kung-fu
-Road Fighter
-Battle City (different levels, listed as Tank A 1990)
-Lode Runner
-Adventure Island (unlimited lives, start on the wrong level)
-Soccer
-Galaxian
Get it if:
-You want a budget game system
-You want classic games, but don't have a Wii
-You have young children. This will entertain them.
Don't get it if:
-You already have an NES
-You rely on the Wii for classic games.
-You have a habit of abusing your consoles when you do bad.
Overall, I give it a 7/10.
Power Joy
Take a N64 controller. Make the middle prong longer. Get rid of the L and R buttons, and build a light gun into it, with Z as the trigger. Now, combine the SNES and SFC color schemes. Add a cart slot on the underside. On the bottom of the middle prong, add the AV wire and a controller port for Player 2. You now have a Power Joy. Basically, it's a console in a controller.
Pros
+Plastic is decent. Better than a Game Player, worse than any official Nintendo hardware.
+System is portable. You can run it off 4 AAA batteries, or an AC adapter.
+Battery life is good. I've played with it frequently, and I have yet to change the batteries.
+Has built-in games which are decent. The menu for selecting said games is also pretty, and has catchy, festive, not-crappy music.
+Usually includes a multicart with 84 games. Luckily, I own said multicart, and may review it later.
+Light gun responds well.
+Long cord, so you don't have to sit close to the TV.
+You can actually use the "analog" stick. So you effectively have two D-pads.
+Isn't too expensive, got mine for $25.
+Obscure enough so you can count on winning it in an auction.
+Surprisingly, having the P2 controller port on bottom creates no problems. You can play with your brother without worrying about him yanking your controller.
+Having a cart inserted in the bottom won't make the controller hard to handle.
Cons
-Battery cover sucks. You will find yourself using tape to keep it down.
-If the AV wire breaks, it's Game Over. The wire is built in, so you can't replace it.
-Built in light gun has no sights. Aiming will be difficult if you're too far. (The Zapper was never designed with distance in mind, anyway.)
-Trigger feels a little weird.
-Reset button is where the Start button is on the N64. If you're used to N64 games, you could accidentally reset your games when you meant to pause.
-Does not include an AC adapter (to my knowledge), and has no indication as to what kind of adapter it takes. Have fun experimenting.
Built in games are all hacked versions to change graphics (and gameplay in two cases) They are:
-Shoot Copter/Shooting Glass (Duck Hunt, split up)
-Falling Block (Tengen Tetris, different blocks)
-Debar Bomb/Shooting (Hogan's Alley, split up)
-Future Tank (Battle City, different levels)
-Panzer Fly Car (Road Fighter)
-Space War (Exerion)
Get it if:
-Same reasons as the Game Player
-You want video games on vacation but must pack light
Don't get it if:
-Same reasons as the Game Player
Overall, this thing gets a 8/10.
Oh, and I can't provide pictures right now because I'm using a Wii. I'll update with pics when I get a chance.
Game Player 7600X1
Imagine a PSOne. Now, scrap the disc drive and replace it with a cart slot. Make the plastic cheap as hell. And give it 9-pin controller ports. That's what this thing looks like.
Pros
+System is cheap, I got it for $20.
+Will work on modern TVs, includes standard red/yellow AV plugs
+Cartridge slot for Famicom games
+Has built-in games
+Controller is good
Cons
-Plastic is flimsy. Do not drop this thing. I mean it.
-7600 games? Nope. Just 21 repeated hundreds of times. Even then, two games are divided up.
-Included light gun sucks. It controls well, but the cord is too short, and it breaks easily. I barely used it, and now the thing doesn't work.
-All the controller cords are only 3 feet long, so you must sit close to the TV.
I'm not going to review the games, because this is not a unique console. I will list the games, though.
-Pocket Monster (an original platform game)
-Super C (you can start with a different weapon or with 30 lives in this version)
-Super Mario Bros.
-Duck Hunt (split up, Game B is absent)
-Magic Carpet 1001 (listed as Aladdin III)
-Track and Field (split up)
-Yie Air Kung-fu
-Road Fighter
-Battle City (different levels, listed as Tank A 1990)
-Lode Runner
-Adventure Island (unlimited lives, start on the wrong level)
-Soccer
-Galaxian
Get it if:
-You want a budget game system
-You want classic games, but don't have a Wii
-You have young children. This will entertain them.
Don't get it if:
-You already have an NES
-You rely on the Wii for classic games.
-You have a habit of abusing your consoles when you do bad.
Overall, I give it a 7/10.
Power Joy
Take a N64 controller. Make the middle prong longer. Get rid of the L and R buttons, and build a light gun into it, with Z as the trigger. Now, combine the SNES and SFC color schemes. Add a cart slot on the underside. On the bottom of the middle prong, add the AV wire and a controller port for Player 2. You now have a Power Joy. Basically, it's a console in a controller.
Pros
+Plastic is decent. Better than a Game Player, worse than any official Nintendo hardware.
+System is portable. You can run it off 4 AAA batteries, or an AC adapter.
+Battery life is good. I've played with it frequently, and I have yet to change the batteries.
+Has built-in games which are decent. The menu for selecting said games is also pretty, and has catchy, festive, not-crappy music.
+Usually includes a multicart with 84 games. Luckily, I own said multicart, and may review it later.
+Light gun responds well.
+Long cord, so you don't have to sit close to the TV.
+You can actually use the "analog" stick. So you effectively have two D-pads.
+Isn't too expensive, got mine for $25.
+Obscure enough so you can count on winning it in an auction.
+Surprisingly, having the P2 controller port on bottom creates no problems. You can play with your brother without worrying about him yanking your controller.
+Having a cart inserted in the bottom won't make the controller hard to handle.
Cons
-Battery cover sucks. You will find yourself using tape to keep it down.
-If the AV wire breaks, it's Game Over. The wire is built in, so you can't replace it.
-Built in light gun has no sights. Aiming will be difficult if you're too far. (The Zapper was never designed with distance in mind, anyway.)
-Trigger feels a little weird.
-Reset button is where the Start button is on the N64. If you're used to N64 games, you could accidentally reset your games when you meant to pause.
-Does not include an AC adapter (to my knowledge), and has no indication as to what kind of adapter it takes. Have fun experimenting.
Built in games are all hacked versions to change graphics (and gameplay in two cases) They are:
-Shoot Copter/Shooting Glass (Duck Hunt, split up)
-Falling Block (Tengen Tetris, different blocks)
-Debar Bomb/Shooting (Hogan's Alley, split up)
-Future Tank (Battle City, different levels)
-Panzer Fly Car (Road Fighter)
-Space War (Exerion)
Get it if:
-Same reasons as the Game Player
-You want video games on vacation but must pack light
Don't get it if:
-Same reasons as the Game Player
Overall, this thing gets a 8/10.