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Warning: Legit-looking NES Classic Mini console knock-offs appearing

L

Lupin the Third

Member
UPDATE: Someone finally got one over on FamicomWorld and did a great breakdown of it in action:

http://www.famicomworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=13636.msg177262#msg177262

Summary of key findings:
Lupin the Third said:
Yeah, definitely check out this link, everyone. It even has a detailed test video by the poster:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9iqjHwKU8U

It has a weird latency in the menu that persists for about half the audio loop, then comes back to normal. It also is missing the crazy CRT filter and replaced it with a different scaling/AR option. Great link, I'd been meaning to catch up on that thread. Thanks, PCESlayer.

Also, the user, obirux, tested games for about 5 minutes each and found these quirks:

Mega Man 2 (Missing Sounds/SFX)
Super Mario Bros 2 (Faster Speed)
Super Mario Bros 3 (Faster Speed)

Hooking it up to USB shows an unusable drive/device, and hakchi doesn't work. Who knows how hackable the device will be discovered to be in time.
Click to expand...



Recently a GAFer spotted an NES Classic Mini clone from a seller on AliExpress (update: the AliExpress listing has vanished) which more closely resembled a legit NES Classic Mini than others had before, complete with Wii Classic Controller connectors and Micro-USB inputs. AliBaba has similar listings, but for ones with legit-looking NES Classic boxes included. Now those versions appear to have made their way to eBay. Here's some photos taken from a listing by an eBay seller with only 1 feedback:

LHUGpPc.jpg
GchFQT0.jpg
Click to expand...

Box looks good.

0C6JOOp.jpg
Click to expand...

Huh. Logo looks kinda crooked, and the grey color looks a little more tan than expected (could be lighting, though).

IFMUvjO.jpg
Click to expand...

Made in China, just like the official ones, okay.

KgYI7xY.jpg
Click to expand...

Why are there prominent extra ridges around the A+B button squares?
And that Nintendo logo looks a little rough. Let's check out how it compares to the official...

4Ve22Eo.png
Click to expand...

Yeah, the Nintendo logo looks way cleaner and more accurate on the official controller.

Here's the real kicker, though. Check out the menu:

vlKg0iM.jpg
Click to expand...

Looks legit at a glance. But compared with the official, note the following telltale differences:
- Game title font size is smaller
- Different spacing above the icons at the top
- 1P/2P boxes use a different pixel-font.
- Font on SELECT and START button icons is different
- 5 full game boxes are visible at once instead of only 4 with 2 cut-off on the sides.

Screengrab of the Official NES Classic Mini's menu:

E0MOx8r.jpg
Click to expand...

Anyway, just be aware. If you're still in the market for an NES Classic Mini and stumble across these as either US or European units, and the price seems too good to be true...it might be!

Now someone do a teardown and performance comparison please

UPDATE:
I found a couple of videos of the device in action linked on what looks like a Spanish-speaking forum:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3hdFn-I-eA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9x6LUNNELY[/QUOTE]

Note the first video claims it used the "kachikachi" emulator, which is the name of the emulator used in the NES Classic.
 
T

Toparaman

Banned
Interesting. Would love to know how the button-feel and emulation compares to the real thing.

There are some real crappy NES Classic look-alikes with composite inputs (no HDMI). This looks hella better than those.
 
S

Shiggy

Member
The box looks pretty much like the real one, I don't see anything wrong with the seal of quality there.
 
U

ubiblu

Member
If it plays as well as the original, cool. I don't see a drama with providing imitation supply where the genuine article can't be procured.

However, at this stage, if you have any remote interest in something that lacks the official Nintendo seal, a retropie setup with an image from Arcade Punks is an infinitely better value for money proposition.

Hell, I have a NES Mini and pre-ordered a SNES Mini, but still rock an amazing retropie 3 with all NES/SNES/MS/MD/GBA/PSX/NeoGeo/Arcade games. One I take with me everywhere, the others just look/will look nice next to my tv.
 
L

Lupin the Third

Member
By the by, the listing on AliExpress selling them is asking more than the NES Classic MSRP (~$75), so unless these things have something amazing under the hood, these are definitely being inflated to take advantage of the thirsty market conditions.

I don't know how easy this version will be to modify and replace the on-board games to match your own cart library, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's an easy modification. I would wait for a hands-on before trying to acquire one as an emulation machine.

Shiggy said:
The box looks pretty much like the real one, I don't see anything wrong with the seal of quality there.
Click to expand...

On closer inspection, you are right. It looked worse to me at a glance.
 
ST2K

ST2K

Member
This... seems like a good enough knock-off to be worth it? Assuming you are actually going to use it and not just have it sit on a shelf.
 
LQX

LQX

Member
Yeah, been seeing a bunch of those UK box editions on Ebay shipping to the US and thought it was strange.

Meh, Nintendo really fucked over many that really wanted this thing so I'm not sure we can fault anyone for buying it, but I would hope they at least know it is "fake".
 
Haunted

Haunted

Member
Licensing and legality issues aside - you know you fucked up when cheap chinese knockoffs manage to match all of the "real" product's functionality and quality :lol


If it looks like the real thing and plays like the real thing... I mean, it is illegal, but they are serving a starving market here. Supply and demand, capitalism at work.
 
ULTROS!

ULTROS!

People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
RadioJoNES64 said:
Seems like a good imitation. If the emulation is actually decent I wouldn't mind having one.

At least it's not this.
Click to expand...

I remember seeing a bootleg game called "Dick Dug" in a 500 in 1 NES compilation bootleg console.

Imagine Dig Dug but replace it with dicks. lol
 
T

TSM

Member
I'd imagine these guys will have snes classics available to buy before Nintendo even launches them. Good luck to anyone buying either of them on ebay.
 
F

friskykillface

Banned
Looks pretty good for a knock off
Thought it'd have like stupid games found in other plug in play systems

I'd buy this since Nintendo stopped making their classic system
 
F

Fularu

Banned
I could be wrong but on the real classic, when you're at either ends of the game lists, you see 5 boxes.

But I could be remembering it wrong
 
L

Lupin the Third

Member
Booker.DeWitt said:
I can't find the seller on aliexpress. can somebody post a link ?
Click to expand...
The listing linked in the other GAF thread has been taken down, but the AliBaba one may still be up (their minimum order qty was surprisingly only 1). I'm on mobile or I'd verify.

I'm not thrilled about the game piracy aspect or how this will affect the collector's market, which is why this thread has a warning tone. But if it's any good, I still want one (I actually lucked out and scored an NES Classic proper so it would just be redundant ROMs for me). So if anyone would give a review on it and/or attempt modifying it, I'd love to see a thorough breakdown.
 
B

Booker.DeWitt

Member
Lupin the Third said:
The listing linked in the other GAF thread has been taken down, but the AliBaba one may still be up (their minimum order qty was surprisingly only 1). I'm on mobile or I'd verify.

I'm not thrilled about the game piracy aspect or how this will affect the collector's market, which is why this thread has a warning tone. But if it's any good, I still want one (I actually lucked out and scored an NES Classic proper so it would just be redundant ROMs for me). So if anyone would give a review on it and/or attempt modifying it, I'd love to see a thorough breakdown.
Click to expand...

can you post the link?

ps: I found it

http://www.alibaba.com/product-deta...086.html?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.155.12fRcq
 
C

Chesskid1

Banned
imagine if china releases the SNES mini knockoff before it even officially releases

they are going to make so much money
 
L

Lupin the Third

Member
Chesskid1 said:
imagine if china releases the SNES mini knockoff before it even officially releases

they are going to make so much money
Click to expand...

I think they would have a harder time finding venues to sell it at if they put it out before Nintendo's. Nintendo probably won't be so active squashing these NES units since the original is now out of production.
 
T

Teh Lurv

Member
Lupin the Third said:
Looks legit at a glance. But compared with the official, note the following telltale differences:
- Game title font size is smaller
- Different spacing above the icons at the top
- 1P/2P boxes use a different pixel-font.
- Font on SELECT and STAR button icons is different
- 5 full game boxes are visible at once instead of only 4 with 2 cut-off on the sides.
Click to expand...

I find it weird the software would be any different at all from the real NES mini. Hardware differences I can understand (cutting corners, different factories & materials), but if their goal was a knockoff, shouldn't the software be a 1:1 rip from a real unit?
 
M

Marcel

Member
Hard to feel bad for Nintendo about this. If they're not going to provide it themselves then bootleg/knockoff manufacturers will take up that demand instead.
 
N

nycgamer4ever

Member
Nintendo's own fault. They don't want to make the money then someone else will at Nintendo's expense. If this works like the official one then why not. It's the only way to get one without paying scalper prices, which is a tragedy.
 
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