Part of what I want to do here on VintageComputing.com is to share my experiences with certain products and services related to the vintage computing or gaming communities, so that other enthusiasts might know who to trust and who to avoid (if you trust my opinion, anyway). That's why I'm devoting this mini-review to AtariAge's online store. Yes, to the store itself and its service.

I have ordered twice from AtariAge over the last year and a half. First, I ordered a SIO2PC cable kit and a Hollex Cartridge, both for the Atari 800, and also a Redemption 5200 joystick adapter. Then, earlier this year, I ordered a version of M.U.L.E. adapted to the Atari 5200 (pretty awesome, by the way) and a homebrew game called Skeleton+ for the Atari 2600 (each of these items might be subject to their own reviews in the future). Both times I was very satisfied with every aspect of AtariAge's service.

First of all, the store's design and functionality is excellent. It is organized in a relatively easy to understand and navigate manner. If I ever ran an online store, I'd probably shamelessly pattern it after AtariAge's store/shopping cart software (whether custom or a modified package, it's still good). AtariAge's checkout process integrates seamlessly into the PayPal system and payment via credit card is easy and fast (AtariAge also accepts check/money order payment, but I haven't tried that). Their shipping options (typically USPS First Class and USPS Priority Mail) are realistic and actual-cost — no shady handling fees padded onto the total. After waiting a week or maybe less, depending on which shipping method selected, your package arrives. I personally was very happy with the speed at which the products got here, and the professionalism with which they were packed (the padding seemed adequate for the items inside), complete with a packing slip / receipt inside the box. The items that I ordered were exactly as described, obviously handled with care and in excellent condition.

All in all, if anyone is reticent about ordering from AtariAge, don't be. I highly recommend their store and personally consider it a service to the vintage gaming community, not some over-commercial exploitation of the "retro" market. They're the Real Deal, as I like to call it, doing it for the love of the game (those phrases might become VC cliches soon if I keep saying them). So what are you waiting for? Order a homebrew 2600 game now!

Over the past 6 years I have been looking for an easy way to interface my original NES pad with my PC so I could play NES games on an emulator with an authentic feel. There was only one realistic option I knew of: a parallel port interface hack that had spread around the Net over the years, but I never quite got around to doing it. Then, early this year I stumbled across RetroZone's site. There I found an array of different vintage controllers available for sale with USB (!) interfaces. Now we're talking! USB is the way of the present and the future — I don't want to be saddled with having to hook up parallel port stuff to my circa 2010 PC (which almost definitely will not have a parallel port). All of RetroZone's USB controllers apparently use a specially programmed microcontroller to convert the original pad's signals into a USB signal that a PC can understand. After browsing the options (a converted NES controller for $26 and a $17 do-it-yourself kit among them), I settled on the FourScore USB model, which seemed like a great deal to me at $60. Sure, I've seen some people balk at these prices, but I think they're really cheap for saving me the labor and sheer mental strain of devising and doing such a mod by myself. With the FourScore one, you can use up to four NES controllers on one USB port. And even better, you can use any NES controller you want — you don't have to be stuck with a converted one that might have bad conductive rubber pads in it. So I ordered it via PayPal, and a week or so later, it arrived.

The arrival of this product was one of the most exciting things that happened in a long time, having recently acquired, through BitTorrent, an archive of all known 10K+ NES and Famicom ROM files (the legality and morality of doing such will probably be debated in a future entry). I opened up the box and plugged it in. The FourScore was in pristine condition (no surprise, since I have about five unopened FourScores in boxes that I bought for $5 a piece in 1995), with a mint-condition USB cable. The craftsmanship was flawless, with the USB cable coming out of the FourScore as if it were meant to be there, complete with molded USB connector and all. I plugged it in and Windows 2000 instantly recognized it. I plugged in a NES pad into port one of the FourScore and Windows 2000 also instantly recognized it as a joystick (which is great, because it means you can use it with anything that supports Windows joysticks). I fired up FCE Ultra, my emulator of choice and configured the pad. In no time, I was playing Super Mario Bros. full-screen on my PC just as if it were a real NES. The pad had incredible response time — no noticeable delay — and flawless performance. Since then I have played a hundred games with the pad and adapter with no problems. I've also plugged in a 2nd pad into port two of the FourScore and played some Bubble Bobble with a friend, without a hitch. I'm sure it would work with four pads if I tried it, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

All in all, I am extremely impressed with this product and recommend it highly to anyone who plays emulated NES games on their PC. There's nothing quite like playing a NES game with the original controller — it will never feel authentic otherwise. RetroZone is the real deal, doing their service for the love of the game. My next project will be making a dedicated NES emulator machine to hook up to my TV for the complete experience, which I will detail in a future entry.

I received my Generation NEX two days ago via FedEx, part of the first shipment of a new NES clone console from Messiah Entertainment (the self-proclaimed saviors of "gaming"). My initial impressions were good, because the packaging is pretty nice. But once you open the clear plastic box and plug it in, things get a little ugly.

First off, the included tiny, corded controller is terrible. The buttons are laid out in a slanted pattern (which I hate.. more on that in another entry) and their feel is mushy. No, not "Excellent Official NES Controller Mushy," but a very bad kind of mushy. And another note about the controller: look at the picture. See those two black buttons above the red ones on the right? Those are the Select and Start buttons. The two in the middle are "Slow" and "Turbo." Also, the controller has two shoulder buttons like a SNES, except in this case they function like the regular "B" and "A" buttons. All in all, very awkward. Of course, you can plug in your original NES controller to the unit (a must), but I thought I'd mention the pack-in controller, since, after all, it is part of the package.

The sound on most of the games I've tried so far (SMB3, Pinball, River City Ransom, etc.) is off and not accurate (compared to being played on an original NES). The colors, too, on all games seem a little strange. Huge bummer. Also, certain games like the aforementioned River City Ransom do weird stuff when you play them, including messing up the menus, changing colors, and generally not working properly. Castlevania III doesn't even work at all (just a blank green screen). And yes, I cleaned all my games thoroughly before trying them on the NEX. I need to test more games with this, but it feels like it would just be a waste of time. So what on earth could have led me to believe that my games would actually work on this console? Oh. Here's an excerpt from their July 29th, 2005 Press Release:

8-bit Software Galore: Enjoy all your favorite NES and Japanese Famicom games using one console.

Also, there's this from their Official NEX FAQ:

Q: Does it contain custom ICs, or is it based around the NOAC [NES-on-a-chip] that most "clone" consoles are based around?
A: Our IC is a custom designed IC that is built on the NES algorithm. Every attention to detail has been spent on compatibility.

Did they even test this thing? How hard could it be to make a 100% compatible NES clone in 2005? And how could they possibly say it's truly compatible with any game? Sigh. Marketing "oversight," I guess.

I recently have been alerted to the fact that Messiah has posted a game compatibility list on their site — conveniently long after I committed my money to the NEX (I pre-ordered in August). It makes me think Messiah themselves didn't get their hands on the final NEX hardware until about a week before I did. If I had seen the list beforehand, I definitely wouldn't have ordered one. Also note that a game like River City Ransom (the first game I tested with it, incidentally) shows up on their list as working (as of this writing.. they may change it once they see the criticism), but in fact if you play it, the first intro-stage has really weird colors, THEN it shows the title screen, and then you start playing. God knows how else it's garbled up if you keep going. So I think we can tell that their game compatibility list isn't accurate.

The compatibility problem brings me to another issue. I suspect that the Messiah guys didn't do the hardware development on this machine. I think they probably repackaged the latest Asian gray-market Famicom clone, perhaps adding the built-in wireless controller functionality themselves in the process (supposedly its best selling point, although I have not tested it). If anyone can find some hardware design credits on their site (There are none in the system manual, only to the "President" and some marketing guys), let us all know. This whole thing stinks like fish. And speaking of the President, here's an inspiring word from the man himself, direct from their May 23rd, 2005 press release:

Brad Strahle, Messiah’s President, considers the Generation NEX to be one of the most important retro products available. “With the release of Generation NEX, we want the core gamer to know that we have not forgotten our roots. Classic gaming is where it all began and with Generation NEX the classics will live on.” Strahle continued, “All gamers will love playing their favorite retro games on the Generation NEX and enjoy them with a new passion.”

Safely considering myself to fall under the banner of "all gamers," as mentioned by Mr. Strahle in the release, I am sorry to say that I don't love playing my favorite "retro" games on the Generation NEX. The only new passion it has inspired in me is a distrust and dislike of a company known as Messiah Entertainment. I highly recommend staying far away from this me-too capitalize-on-retro-craze rip-off. It has game compatibility akin to, or even worse than, a $10 Chinese Famicom clone. For $60 you could probably get an original NES with a new 72-pin connector in it, some real NES controllers, and ten or more decent games. Avoid the NEX and get the real thing (Ebay is calling). With all its problems, it would have more appropriately been named the Generation SUX. Yeah, I know; that's hitting below the belt. But I never promised a civil review.

By the way, if anyone is lured by the pseudo-stereo capability of this thing, don't be impressed. Just use an RCA 1 Male to Two Female Y-cable on a normal NES. It splits the mono signal into two channels so you can easily plug it into both your left and right audio input on your TV or receiver.

With this thing being such a bust, check out my article on replacing the 72-pin cartridge connector on your NES and eliminating the blinkies.

Review Update (11/10/2005): A few people have told me that I didn't mention that the NEX plays original Famicom carts as well as regular NES games (through a slot on the top of the unit), and that this is a strong feature of the unit. My review was originally targeted at people who were already familiar with the system's features, hence the oversight. But it is worth mentioning, and it does play them — I tried the only two Famicom games I have (Robocop 2 and Zippy Race) the first day I got it, and they worked, although Robocop 2's music seemed a little messed up. The Famicom cartridge slot is a nice extra, but I reviewed this system from the standpoint of a complete NES replacement system, as it is primarily marketed. Unfortunately, the NEX fails miserably at this task. I suspect that the attractiveness of the NEX for most people (the general gaming public) would be as a replacement for an old, unreliable front-loading NES, for which they might actually have games. It's highly likely that only the most dedicated of NES fans have Famicom carts they want to play. But if Famicom compatibility is your thing, go for it. Nobody's stopping you but your own wallet.

Second Update (11/14/2005): If anyone wants to know more about Famicom to NES converters inside copies of Gyromite, check out my new article on it here.

Third Update (12/21/2005): What's up with IGN's weird Generation NEX review? I don't know. My comments about it are here.