It has been over thirty years since the Super Nintendo was first released, and so much has changed since then in terms of the price and rarity of important electronic components that are used to build consoles. The graphical power of video game machines has also doubled many times over the last three decades. The phones that we carry in our pockets are many times more powerful than the NES, Super Nintendo, and Sega Megadrive. However, that does not mean that a ‘retro’ console can’t win us over with good presentation, high-quality style, and perhaps most importantly, good reliability. I’m referring to ‘clone’ consoles that are modern, but made to play retro games from consoles such as the Super Nintendo. Retro-Bit and Hyperkin have developed a rivalry for the top cheap clone console manufacturer. The great thing about many of these machines is that some of them can play games from two, or even three, four, or five different consoles. I’ve picked up the Retron 2 HD from Hyperkin. This console plays cartridges from both the NES and Super NES. Read on for a short review of this gorgeous little machine.

Clone Consoles

The fact that clone consoles exist and sell well shows the passion and love that people have for retro games from the NES, SNES, and Genesis/MegaDrive. While clone consoles have existed for decades, in the same way unbranded PC’s have existed, the newer generations of clone systems are particularly attractive, to me at least. By this, I mean Hyperkin, RetroBit, and Analogue systems. Consoles like the Analogue Pocket are great, but are premium options. The Hyperkin Retron 2, is a budget console. I got mine for slightly less than £60.

The way these clone consoles work differs between each one, even within the same brand. For example, on the Retron 2, you can use a flash cart on the SNES side, but not the NES side. This is because the NES side dumps the ROM from the cartridge into memory, and as a flash cart includes many ROMs, it won’t work. Yet, the SNES side works more similarly to an actual SNES, so a flash cart will work. The same is true of many of the RetroBit and Hyperkin consoles. However, I’m very happy with the functions of this Retron 2. I’m using an FX Pak Pro Everdrive and am having loads of fun playing Zelda, Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country 2, Castlevania: Dracula X, and much more. It feels just like playing it on SNES. Plus, it connects to my HD TV very easily with the HDMI option. It runs silky smooth.

Setup

The console comes well packaged and includes the actual unit, a SNES style controller, a NES style controller, a HDMI cable, and a Micro-USB cable. That is all that is included in the box. There’s no huge power pack like old consoles usually had. Instead all you need is a Micro-USB cable that plugs from the unit into a power outlet. I think it would have been better if it used USB-C, but I’ve had no problems with the Micro-USB way of powering the console. The unit can use AV cables, but the HDMI option is a lot more convenient if you are using a modern, HD TV. Once you have plugged your unit into the power outlet, connected the HDMI cable, and connected your controllers, all that’s left to do is put a game in and power on the unit. You have tom shove the game into the console. It is quite a tight fit and you sometimes have to insert it at an angle but usually you can tell when the game is nicely wedged in there. It could have been designed better to be honest. However, it works and the power light is nice to see when youre ready to play some games.

Performance

I’ve had the Retron 2 set up now for about two weeks and must have already put in tens of hours. As I’ve said, I’m using an FX Pak Pro Everdrive, which has given me access to many of the great games available on the system. I’ve had no problems with the system in terms of it freezing or unexpectedly shutting down. The only slight issue is how you have to wedge the carts in for the system to work. I also have a Retron 1, which only plays NES games (and doesn’t play Everdrive N8), and similarly you have to wedge the cartridge in for it to work. I’ve been playing a lot of Super Mario World, Super Mario Bros 3, and Zelda: Link to the Past. There are also lots of ‘hidden gems’ on the system (mainly in the form of role playing games) that I’ve downloaded but haven’t sunk my teeth into yet.

There is no lag when playing (which is expected as the controllers aren’t wireless), and speaking of the controller, the SNES style pad is super comfortable and a joy to use. It’s compact and I’ve gotten so used to it that I’ve begun to prefer it to the much more expensive Hex Gaming controllers that I also use. I haven’t used the NES pad for a extended length of time so can’t comment on that yet. Overall, I’m very surprised with how well the Retron 2 is performing.

Conclusion

The Retron 2 is a beautiful system from an aesthetic perspective. The casing is semi-transparent. It resembles a Super Nintendo but is different enough to look like a unique product. It plays NES and SNES games. The Retron 3 plays NES, SNES, and Genesis/Megadrive games. However, the Retron 2 is significantly cheaper than the Retron 3, and the fact that the SNES side plays flash carts was a big draw to me for buying the system. I am not disappointed with it as it is simple to connect to an HD TV, it plays games with silky smooth frame rates, and it just does what it is meant to. The only slight downside to the system is how you have to wedge the carts in for the system to work. Furthermore, the SNES-style hyperkin controller that comes with it looks great, and once you’ve played it for a while, it’ll grow on you and may even become one of your favorite controllers for 2D games. If you get a chance to pick up a Retron 2 at a good price, don’t pass it up as this system is a real gem, and a great way to play NES or SNES games.

BongoBongo123

BongoBongo123 is an avid Zelda fan who also likes the odd game of Smash. His interests in gaming are broad but he loves a good Metroidvania or action RPGs.