Nintendo clone systems have been popping up like crazy over the past few years. It started with the birth of the C2 and Retro Duo to play SNES and NES and the GenX to play Genesis and NES games. For a while I, like many, was waiting for the day that a good working system would come out with the ability to play SNES, NES, and Genesis games all in one. Well that day is finally here with the release of the Retron 3.
Now if you’re a big retro collector or gamer you’ve probably heard of these clone systems before. What you have is a system that can emulate the original hardware and allow you to use the original cartridges much like you would with the original system, this way if you are having a hard time finding a working Nintendo, Super Nintendo or Genesis you can simply purchase a clone system and effectively own all 3 systems with one purchase. The Retron 3 is the clone system to own if you want a quality product that offers a lot of features for the price.
Right off the bat you will notice that the Retron 3 has controller ports all around the system. There are 6 controller ports over all that will allow you to use original controllers for the Nintendo, Super Nintendo and Genesis games. This is by far the biggest advantage the Retron 3 has over its competitors and is a welcome feature for retro gaming purists. The system does come with 2 wireless controllers that are not ideal for playing any game. The wireless controllers operate on IR lights much like your TV remote and because of this the controller must be pointed at the system when pressing a button. The need to always point the controllers at the system and its constant need for AAA batteries made me put the wireless controllers to the side and dust off my SNES controllers.
The infrared controllers don't work well at all
Operating the system is easy, simply insert the cartridge into the correct slot and choose the system you want to play with the front knob by turning it either left or right. Overall I tried around 30 games for all three systems supported and every game I tried worked fine. It’s also worth noting that the few Super Famicom games that I tried also worked.
The Retron 3 can use all of the original controllers
I can say that this system is definitely the best retro clone system I have ever used. The added controller ports around the system are a great idea and were pulled off without a hitch. As stated before, don’t bother with the wireless controllers just buy controllers for each system online since they’re so cheap and only use the wireless controllers if you have no other choice. For the price, around 60 dollars on Amazon, you really can’t go wrong with this system. If you are looking for a way to save space around the TV, or just want to pick up where you left off in the 90s, pick up a Retron 3 and you won’t regret it.
