Nintendo Archives - Dan's Best Tech

The Best Signal from the N64? – N64RGB + RetroTINK 2X Smoothing

Introduction

A few months ago, I wanted to try and get one of the best signals from my N64. Rather than purchasing the UltrHDMI, I purchased the Tim Worthington N64RGB with Deblur Mod Kit. After many hours of install, I finally got it working. The Tim Worthington N64RGB with Borti4938’s Deblur Mod Kit produces a clean RGB analog signal from the N64. This is the best option for users who want RGB rather than HDMI. That is when I heard about the RetroTINK 2X. The RetroTINK 2X is a zero lag converter that converts Composite, S-Video, and YPbPr signals to HDMI. It can be used with almost any retro console. Reviewers have said many great things about the RetroTink 2X when using the N64’s native S-Video and Composite output, but now let’s check out the N64 when using the much cleaner HD signal from the N64. In this video, I am showing you the RetroTink 2X’s smoothed vs unsmoothed settings.

Games and Examples

I tested Zelda (Ocarina of time), Zelda (Majora’s Mask), Star Fox, Double-O Seven (Golden Eye), and Super Smash Brothers. In Zelda, Majoras Mask, the textures on the ground are smoothed, aliased edges on mailboxes and stairs are smoothed, Link himself is smoothed, and 2D objects like the on-screen display and menu screen are smoothed as well. In Zelda (Ocarina of time), you can see how the low resolution railing jaggies are smoothed when the filter is applied. In Super Smash Bros, the edge of the top surface of the building is smoothed, both link and kirby are smoothed, and even small items like link’s sward look much better to me. By the way, I recommend you view this footage on a tv or monitor. I don’t think you’ll see much difference on a phone or tablet. In star fox, you can see a big difference even in the main menu; focus on Fox’s ears. During game-play, you can see the best improvements in the Airwing’s wings. Finally, in 007, Golden Eye, you can see the difference in the gun you are holding as well as the objects on the ground in front of you. The bridge looks way improved in my opinion.

The Setup

Let’s talk about the Setup. The N64RGB mod gives a clean RGB analog signal from the N64. The install is difficult, but install services are available. The firmware from Borti4938 introduces a de-blur functionality. I highly recommend this firmware, as it removes the horizontal blur from the N64 signal. The next item in the line is the Shinybow SCART to HDTV Converter. This converts the RGB signal into YPbPr component signals. It is a fully analog converter which is said to have zero latency. Now we can use our N64 on American TVs. The last item in the chain is the RetroTINK 2X, which converts the YPbPr component signal to HDMI. The good news is that it is plug and play and can be used with almost any retro console. As I said before, reviewers have said many great things about the RetroTink 2X when using the N64’s native S-Video and Composite output, but I really care about using it to convert HD N64 signal to HDMI, and then filtering it. The settings I use with the N64 is the Line-Doubling mode that outputs 480P over HDMI to the TV. Regrettably, there are some key shortcomings of the Retrotink 2X, though. There is some distortion during loud, low frequency sounds and the filter between the different inputs of the RetroTink 2X is lacking. For example, my NES plugged into the Composite input of the Retrotink 2X would cause static in the N64 signal plugged into the component input, even when the NES was turned off.

Worth it?

Is this setup worth it? If you want the best picture (in my opinion) when playing N64 games on original hardware and on an HDTV, I think so. The picture is sharp at 480p, the lag is nonexistent, and to me, the filter feature creates one of the cleanest signals generated from the original N64 hardware. Just remember, there exists a sound glitch, there is a problem with multiple inputs, and the picture will never be as good as it would on an emulator. Would you purchase the RetroTink 2X to get HDMI from the N64? What do you think about the filtered look of N64 games?

Game Boy Micro – Worth it in 2019?

January 16, 2019 No Comments

Intro:
In 2005, Nintendo released the Game Boy Micro. Unlike the Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance SP, the Game Boy Micro lacked backwards compatibility for Game Boy and Game Boy Color Games. As a result, the Game Boy Micro was not very popular. Is it worth it to buy a Game Boy Micro in 2019? What if there was a way to play Game Boy and Game Boy Color games on the Game Boy Micro? Is it worth it then?

Cost:
Let’s first talk about the cost. Due to its rarity and age, the Game Boy Micro is currently available new and used on Amazon for $449 and $125 respectively. That’s pretty expensive considering it’s launch price was only $99. The funny thing is $99 in 2005 is now $128 after adjusting for inflation.

https://amzn.to/2MaexHc

Games on the other hand are relatively cheap. Approximately $10 to $35 for very good condition used games. See the link in the description below:

https://amzn.to/2sv3Plz

https://amzn.to/2ALQyJE

https://amzn.to/2ANFFXS

Overall Size:
The Game Boy Micro’s dimensions are 4″ in width, 2″ in height, and 0.7″ in thickness, and it only weighs 2.8 oz. So if you care for ergonomics, the Game Boy Micro will feel more cramped than the alternatives. That said, I don’t have very large hands, so it feels just fine to me.

Screen:
The screen is also very small at only 2.9 in. In my opinion, though, this screen is even better than the AGS-101 screen on the Game Boy Advance SP. Both of these screens are backlit, which makes colors pop similar to what we’ve grown accustom to on our smart devices, but the pixels per inch or PPI on the Game Boy Micro is higher than the Game Boy Advance SP due to the smaller screen. Everything looks super crisp and sharper on the Game Boy Micro’s smaller screen. As a result, the PPI increased from 99 to 144, creating the illusion that the games “look” higher resolution. The drawback is that text will also be smaller. The font size of Game Boy games has never been that small, though, like you see on games today, so I would say that text is still readable.

Faceplates:
The faceplates are replaceable if you’re into that sort of thing. I suppose it’s a good thing since the screen is exposed at all times unlike the Game Boy Advance SP screen. Multiple variants exist if you’re into that sort of thing. Removing the faceplate is very easy.

D-Pad:
The D-Pad feels mushy to me. Over the past few years, I have gotten used to the Xbox One tactile D-pad and the firm PS4 D-pad. That said, it only took me a few minutes to get used to the Game Boy Micro’s D-pad again. If you want a more tactile d-pad, I would recommend going with the Game Boy Advance SP AGS-101.

Shoulder Buttons:
The shoulder buttons feel great through! They are tactile, and you can hear them when you click them. My only complaint, though, is that you have to press the shoulder buttons near the center of the unit. This is opposite for how the original Game Boy Advance shoulder buttons are pressed. Those are activated when pressing near the sides of the unit. Due to its small size, the Game Boy Advance Micro also isn’t as ergonomic when using the shoulder buttons than the larger Game Boy Advances.

Battery:
Like the Game Boy Advance SP, the Game Boy Micro includes a built in rechargeable lithium ion battery. The battery lasts five to eight hours depending on the screen brightness.

Headphone Jack:
I’m happy to say that the Game Boy Micro DOES include a headphone jack. Apple wasn’t the first company to get rid of it and then try to get you to buy their adapter. Nintendo got rid of the headphone jack on the Game Boy Advance SP and sold a proprietary adapter. Following the outrage, Nintendo reintroduced the headphone jack on the Game Boy Micro despite it’s size reduction, and then Nintendo included it on every handheld console since. So yes, it’s ridiculous that I even have to talk about the fact that the Game Boy Micro includes a headphone jack, but yes, the Game Boy Micro includes a headphone jack. Yay! That brings me to the one thing that Nintendo didn’t include in this version, compatibility with all Game Boy games.

Backwards Compatibility:
Regrettably, the Game Boy Micro is not compatible with Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. There currently exists only one workaround.
Goomba Color is a GBC emulator for the Game Boy Micro and Nintendo DS, which will require you to purchase a flashcart. It won’t play your physical cartridges through. Maybe a future update to Goomba Color will allow hot swapping between the Game Boy Advance flash cart (which boots the emulator), and the physical copy of the Game Boy or Game Boy Color game that you want to play, but that may be wishful thinking for a 14 year old handheld. Let me know in the comments below If you’d be interested in seeing a tutorial for loading Game Boy Color roms onto the Game Boy Micro using Goomba Color.

Conclusion
In conclusion, if you want the best screen quality for GBA games, you want the highest pixels per inch or PPI, and you want a headphone jack when playing your GBA games, then the Game Boy Micro is for you.
Just remember, it is a little more expensive, it is a little less ergonomic, it has a mushy D-pad, and it lacks compatibility with physical GB and GBC cartridges.