Retro Gaming at its Finest

Source: Hyperkin

by Greg Woolston

With all of the great news coming out of the Game Developers Conference about the PS4, a third party hardware developer, Hyperkin, recently announced their new console.
Hyperkin is known for making various consoles to play retro games from some of the greatest systems of the past including: NES, SNES, Genesis, and Game Boy. Their latest reveal gives us the new RetroN 5. This new system features cartridge slots for NES, SNES, Genesis, Game Boy Advance, and Famicom all in one system. This will be exciting news for old school gamers who are looking to play all those old games from the past.

Hyperkin also recently announced their RetroN 4 console, but at this years Midwest Gaming Classic surprised everyone by announcing this new RetroN 5 model. The console will feature wireless controllers, but will also have ports for the original NES SNES and Genesis controllers to plug in. Details on the Hyperkin blog explain how they were able to accomplish such an impressive feat.

Source: Hyperkin

​“The reason why we are moving on from the RetroN 4 to the RetroN 5 is that we found that we could incorporate one more cartridge slot without hindering our current developmental cycle. The fifth slot in mention would be for the Famicom system. We know that there are numerous retro enthusiasts around the world, and we wanted to allow for everyone to play their favorite, retro games.
The RetroN 5 will have 5 cartridge slots allowing you to use original NES, SNES, Genesis, Famicom, and Game Boy Advance cartridges. You will also be able to use Super Famicom, Mega Drive, Game Boy Color and Game Boy cartridges as well. Because we have created a new chipset, it allows us to ensure that region locks and compatibility are no longer an issue, and the RetroN 5 will play both PAL and NTSC cartridges. CIC lockout chips and FX chips are no longer going to be an issue, as we aim to achieve 100% compatibility with all cartridges.”

Even for those looking to play some of the great games that made this industry what it is should be excited about this announcement. This is also a great way to start building a retro game collection for future generations to learn what gaming was like before 3D graphics, and online multiplayer.

Written by Greg Woolston
Junior Tech Editor