Has anyone here purchased a SNES handheld? I would love to play them on the go, but the two models I have seen make me just a little hesitant to purchase. Would like to hear opinions on those that have one and what model.
I have purchased 2 Supaboy handhelds. You have to go into this expecting some disappointment, unfortunately. The build quality just isn't good enough for long term use.
The earlier version of the Supaboy (packaged in a large clear plastic box), had horrible speakers, crashed or did not boot games with FX chips, had screen flickering issues, and caused many lost saves due to random crashes on most games. There were pretty bad manufacturing problems. I returned this version after getting confirmation of the issues from Hyperkin customer service.
The newer revision of the Supaboy (inside a smaller, black, cardboard box) is a bit better. I've been able to play games with chips, like Starfox and Yoshi's Island. I haven't crashed like with the older revision. The LCD screen is simply "OK"; not super crisp, not too much lag but a bit ghosty, pretty bad viewing angles, just barely gets the job done.
The buttons and Dpad are a bit tight feeling, and the dpad doesn't have the center bump pivot that prevents you from pressing all directions at once. (Though that can be
hack-fixed) Playing RPGs is fine, and I've been able to get through a lot of Super Mario World on it, after some time acclimating.
The speakers are still pretty bad, mostly because what sounds like poorly shielded electronics creating noise/hiss.
TV output ranges from poor to ok, and you can't use the actual system as the controller when hooked to a TV. You must plug in additional SNES controllers and use those when in TV mode. Similarly, you can't connect a SNES controller and play off the Supaboy screen. Both these limitations feel like missed opportunities.
Overall, a fun little toy to fool around with maybe play once in a while.... I mean, it's this crazy oversized SNES controller with a screen in the middle and a full sized cart sticking out the top... And it (technically) works! Nostalgia-cool! But it's in no way a proper SNES replacement.
I think you'll most likely be better off with a
Retrode and a
GCW-Zero. Currently, I'm playing a similar setup, using my Retrode to move my saves/games between my carts for home TV use and my iPad for portable emulation, and then back again to keep my Chrono Trigger progress up to date on my cart. I plan on doing the same with the Zero when its released later this month.
):
