RetroN 3 Score: 72% Developer: Hyperkin Device Type: Console

Function: Are you an old-school gamer with stacks of NES, SNES and Genesis games in your attic, but no working console to play them on? Perhaps you have working old-school consoles, but they're crowding your entertainment setup? The RetroN 3 retro console gives you the convenience of three old-school consoles - two Nintendo systems and a SEGA one - in a single unit about the size of a Super Nintendo... with a pair of wireless gamepads, to boot.

Performance: One slick little unit with three cartridge slots in the top, and you're ready to play games from three different consoles. The NES cartridges fit in a console slot towards the back of the top, the SEGA Genesis cartridges fit in the middle, and SNES cartridges fit near the front of the RetroN 3. You can even insert one of each, leaving all three cartridges in the system, then switch between them with the rotary system selector switch. I played several different games on each system and the RetroN 3 worked well with all of them. I didn't attempt to play any games with a light gun, as I didn't have one available and, even if I had, I was playing on a flat panel television, so it wouldn't have worked. I did play StarFox on the SNES, a game which some emulators have problems with, and it worked without any issues. The RetroN 3 includes a pair of wireless (IR) gamepads which are designed to allow you to play all three of the different systems with the same controllers. The mapping is a bit confusing, if you read the labels, but if you simply don't look and just sort of play by feel, it's easy to catch on pretty quickly. One of the coolest features of the RetroN 3 wireless controllers is that they support the ability to reset the system, if you hold down on the (START) button for a while. I remember, back in the day, playing some games on the NES, ending up in a place where I wasn't doing so good and wishing I didn't have to stand up and walk over to the system to reset it. RetroN 3 not only solves this problem, it does it wirelessly. If you long for the feel of the old-school controllers from yesteryear and you can actually get your hands on some, you can plug your own NES, SNES and Genesis controllers into the RetroN 3 for a more accurate rendition of your childhood gameplay experiences. I tried out all three consoles with both the included wireless gamepads and some original controllers for each system, and the controllers all worked with the system; there were some *initial issues with getting the SEGA Genesis controllers to work with the system, but after some experimentation, I was able to get them to work just fine, as well.

Features: Compatible with Games For: Nintendo NES Nintendo SNES SEGA Genesis Includes 2 Wireless Gamepads InfraRed (Directional) Wireless Require 2x "AAA" Batteries Each - Not Included Two Controller Ports Each For: Nintendo NES Nintendo SNES SEGA Genesis*

Drawbacks & Problems:: The idea of a generic wireless controller for controlling all three systems is a great concept, but, in practice, IR is not the best technology for the job. If you've ever used an IR remote control... and missed... you understand the problem here. Infrared remotes are directional, meaning that you must have the gamepad pointed toward the RetroN 3. While this might not sound like an issue, I found that when things got exciting, I have a tendency to tilt the controller upwards, much like if I were holding a steering wheel. At around 30 degrees or so, I found that the console wouldn't reliably get the signal. With some training, I restricted myself to keeping it angled correctly, but this wouldn't have been an issue if the controllers were radio-based. Another thing that worries me a bit is the number of warnings the RetroN 3 has. The back of the box warns: (1) Only one game can be played at a time, (2) Do not rapidly switch among systems, (3) Do not place the SNES cartridge in backwards, (4) Handle with care, and (5) Do not use both s-video and video AV at the same time. I was surprised to see that number 3 above was even possible; it seems that the RetroN 3 has a cartridge slot that fits the SNES games, but which doesn't have the tabs to prevent them from being inserted backwards. (The correct orientation is with the SNES game's front label towards the front of the console.) *I also found that, while the NES and SNES controller ports worked fine, I couldn't get the old-school SEGA or SEGA Genesis controllers to work with the system at all - at first. I found that the Genesis controller ports wouldn't work if I had an NES and SNES cartridge in the system as well. I turned off the unit, removed the Nintendo cartridges and turned the system back on and the Genesis controller worked fine. I don't know if this is a glitch in the design or something strange about the unit I reviewed, but if you find you have the same issue using the RetroN 3 with Genesis controllers, you might want to try the same thing I did. Mind you, the included IR remote gamepads worked perfectly fine with any and all of the consoles, even while I had a game in each cartridge slot. I would love to see pretty much the exact same thing as the RetroN 3, but with the included controllers upgraded to, perhaps, radio-based wireless and the issue with the Genesis controller ports ironed out a bit. While the RetroN 3 isn't for everyone, there are a few good situations where it really fits the bill. The RetroN 3 has a suggested retail price of $69.99, but you might be able to pick one up for a bit less than that on Amazon... and let your Nostalgia stretch its legs a bit.

-Geck0, GameVortex Communications AKA Robert Perkins

Related Links: Retron 3 on Amazon.com