#retron3

I’ve owned my RetroN3 Tri System for almost 2 years and I thought I should do a review.

The Hyperkin RetroN3 is a clone console which allows you to play original game cartridges for the NES, Super NES (in addition to Super Famicom), and Sega Genesis (in addition to Mega Drive).

The console itself is very lightweight and comes with the console itself, two wireless infrared controllers, a composite stereo cable, an S-video cable, and a power adapter.

The RetroN3 has controller ports on the left, front, and right which can be used with your original NES, SNES/SFC, and Genesis/MD controllers. (NOTE: The NES Zapper will not work with newer HDTVs.)

The RetroN3 has three cartridge ports for your NES/SNES/SFC/Genesis/MD cartridges. It has a power on/off button, a reset button, and a system select dial-type switch which is used to choose which game/system to play. (You must turn the system off before switching the system select dial switch.)

On the back of the system, you have your composite stereo audio/video ports, your S-video port, the power adapter port, and an O/J switch.

NES games can be used only with composite video, meaning that S-video will not work with NES games.

SNES/SFC and Genesis/MD games will work with composite and S-video, but for the best possible video quality, go with S-video.

The SNES cartridge port will accept most game cartridges. (Since this is a clone console, some games will most likely not work. (I have heard conflicting reports about compatibility with Super Mario RPG.) The Super Game Boy and the Japan-exclusive Super Game Boy 2 will work with the RetroN3, but I have noticed that Super Game Boy audio with the RetroN3 is much louder than on an official SNES/SFC.

The RetroN3 works with the Everdrive N8 flash cartridge which can be purchased from Stone Age Gamer as well as Retro Towers. Sound quality on NES games is pretty good but at times you can tell some differences compared to an original NES. In addition, Famicom Disk System games can be loaded on the Everdrive N8 and played if you have the FDS BIOS included on your SD card. However, you will not have the Famicom Disk System’s expanded audio capabilities for games such as Zelda no Densetsu

Most Genesis/MD games will work with the RetroN3 with some obviuous exceptions. (Don’t expect to play the Genesis/MD version of Virtua Racing on the RetroN3. It won’t happen.) Sound quality on Genesis/MD games is surprisingly good for a clone console.

Some Genesis/MD games have built-in region lockout. If you try to play a region locked out Mega Drive game on a Genesis, it will tell you that the game can be used only on an NTSC Mega Drive console. Remember the O/J switch I mentioned earlier? The O setting is for Genesis, while the J setting is for Mega Drive. So if you want to play a locked out Mega Drive game, the switch must be on J. If you want to play locked out Genesis games, the switch must be on O.

The only major gripes I have about the RetroN3 are the following:

Cartridge ports are very tight

NES games cannot be played on S-video

The included wireless infrared controllers feel cheap, and because of the infrared, you have to have your controller perefectly aimed at the console otherwise it will not work.