Flashcarts & Clones ? what should I buy, if I want to play my own games on a console clone? (SOLVED)

method72

New member
So I just started working with NesMaker, and still going thru all the tutorials.
I am looking for advise on the correct combo of hardware to purchase, so I can play on a physical hardware clone.

I am trying to find the right combo of Nes clone console that can work with Everdrive or similar flash cart.
I would like it all to work with HDMI, but if AV cables are the only option, that's fine too.

I see Retron and RetroBit have multiple options when it comes to console clones, but looking for advise from those that may already know, first hand, what works together.
My goal would be able to make my game in Nesmaker, and play the Rom on a clone console using a flash cart. From what I have read, it seems the HDMI clones will
not work with everdrive, but the AV models might? Or perhaps a refurb NES off ebay is the best option?

If anyone has solid experience with this, and is aware of a working combo, please let me know, or perhaps there is some other option i am not aware of
to simply play your self-made-game-roms on a physical console.

Thanks
 

dale_coop

Moderator
Staff member
I don't know which clone would supports the Everdrive or not...
But here's a topic about clones that can play nesmaker games:

My advice would be to get a real NES console! It's one of the best, of course. (And if you want a HDMI console... the RetroUSB AVS and the Analogue NT Mini are the best choices).
 

Jonny

Well-known member
I've been thinking about this too recently. I have a further question if anyone knows...
Is there any point to buying a NTSC and PAL original NES for testing? Will the experience be much different, could anything not work?

If you can't cover all bases with hardware for testing, I'm sure there are people in the NM community who would flash and test for you on more obscure systems.
 

dale_coop

Moderator
Staff member
PAL and NTSC would work the same, for NESmaker games... except that on PAL consoles, it will run slower.
It's not a real big problem for the gameplay itself, but it could be a little annoying for the music, for some people (I guess the composer might not appreciate to hear his music played slower >_<).

(my NES is PAL... and when I play NESmaker games on it, everything is slower, haha).
 

Jonny

Well-known member
(my NES is PAL... and when I play NESmaker games on it, everything is slower, haha).

So if Mesen was changed to PAL emulation rather than NTSC, that would give a more accurate experience? (for PAL consoles)
I think I'll give that a try tonight, see if I notice a difference.
 

dale_coop

Moderator
Staff member
Exactly.
You can also rename your rom file adding " (E)" at the end for that file to be automatically loaded as PAL game in the emulator.
(For example, "game.nes" -> "game (E).nes" and it becomes a PAL game)
 

method72

New member
So what about this thing? The NESmaker Hardware Kit from www.infiniteneslives.com
Is this basically a cartridge, I can flash using NEsmakers MakeCart option, over and over again , and play an individual rom/game on a physical console?
 

dale_coop

Moderator
Staff member
Yes, of course, it's the official NESmaker kit (many of us, use it).
It's made to flash your NESmaker game on a NES cartridge (mapper30 from INL or BrokeStudio or Maramusa...), to test your game on the real hardware console... or even to make NES carts for sale.

I would recommend it, it's really useful.
 

method72

New member
Yes, of course, it's the official NESmaker kit (many of us, use it).
It's made to flash your NESmaker game on a NES cartridge (mapper30 from INL or BrokeStudio or Maramusa...), to test your game on the real hardware console... or even to make NES carts for sale.

I would recommend it, it's really useful.

So this kit from ( www.infiniteneslives.com) can be flashed/re-flashed over and over? it's not a one time Rom-Burner thing?
And it all works from within nesmaker using the make-cart option?
Do these flashed games generally work correctly on clone consoles like the RetroN 1?
 

Jonny

Well-known member
So this kit from ( www.infiniteneslives.com) can be flashed/re-flashed over and over? it's not a one time Rom-Burner thing?
And it all works from within nesmaker using the make-cart option?
Do these flashed games generally work correctly on clone consoles like the RetroN 1?

I've heard a few people mention that the board can be flashed more than once. Some PCBs have solder bridge jumpers to stop the board being flashed again, but they're manually soldered onces. You'd only really want those if you really really like soldering. Not really needed but it confirms that they can be re-flashed. The InfLivers and BStudio boards are a super simple way to just click the button in NM and flash your own game. In a few of the tutorials, Joe shows that process and makes a cart.

This may be useful to you...

 

dale_coop

Moderator
Staff member
The mapper30 boards you will find at InfiniteNESLives, BrokeStudio... are ALL flash cartridges. That means they can be flashed and re-flashed and flashed again... hundreds... thousands... hundred thousands of times.
I have dozen of those boards (from INL and BrokeStudio) and I have the flasher from INL (the one from the NESmaker kit). Yeah, it works perfectly.
And yes, it is meant to work with NESmaker, the button "flash to cart" (it's THE NESmaker official flasher), and that flasher is made by INL (InfiniteNesLives).

It works with the RetronHD, but don't know about the Retron 1. If that console is NES chip hardware based (NESonChip) it should work, if it's emulation based it will not.
I share it again, because... yes, it's the third time in that topic:

Fell free to help to maintain that list, if you have the opportunity to test on a different hardware.
 

PasseGaming

Active member
The AVS is the best affordable HD console on the market that doesn't emulate games. It's real hardware. As opposed to Retrons that are actually just emulators.
 

dale_coop

Moderator
Staff member
All the Retron are not emulator based. The Retron HD also the Retron 3 (and maybe the Retron 1 and 2?) are hardware ("NES-on-chip")... it's just their are not perfect, usually the sound is not really good and for the case of the RetronHD, the color palette is weird. The Retron5 is emulation based.

But yes, I would recommend the AVS, the NT mini or just a Original NES (The composite output with maybe a converter like the retrotink 2x mini to have an HDMI output is great enough).
 

PasseGaming

Active member
I could of sworn they all were. Either way I stand corrected. Perdonally, I'm not a fan of the retron at all. Modding a NES isn't all that hard, plenty of videos to show you how to do it. If you look around you can even find kits or people sitting to do it for you.
 

dale_coop

Moderator
Staff member
Yeah, I don't really like the Retron, either. But modding a NES costs (too much) money... in that case, an AVS is a good choice ;) Else, just the regular NES is doing perfectly the job (even more if you can get an old CRT to play with ;))
 

PasseGaming

Active member
Can't lift a CRT anymore, lol. The AVS is definitely the way to go. You can always use original hardware and pick up one of those cheap HDMI converter boxes. I have one for my SNES and it works fairly well. Not as good as true HDMI but looks pretty good on a flat screen.
 
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