Retro-Bit RDP 2 in 1 Portable Handheld Console System – for NES and SNES Games – Black

Only down side I have to this, is with the adapters for Genesis and NES, it is comically tall. Like balancing the entire Sega “tower of power” in your hand. Another small quirk is that the volume adjustment is very sensitive, a small tap on the slider will take it from silence to “I hope that didn’t wake up the kids”. With a light touch, you can get it where you want.Other than that, the emulation is spot on and the battery life is great (I have yet to run it out). The buttons are very response and I have had no issues. The screen is nice and bright, although with Genesis games, a little harder to read. The screen size is a little on the small size coming from a smart phone, but large enough. The device is very comfortable to hold for long periods (SNES games), and is great for old RPGs.For SNES this device is pretty much as good as it gets to play the real carts on the go. Complete FF4 (US) beginning to end with no issues. As a 40+ gamer, I love the looks I get from the kids when they see me playing this thing.

Just to clarify something: This particular system is the Retro Duo Portable Core Unit. The cartridge slot is only compatible with SNES games. This unit comes with an adapter you plug into the slot that allows you to play NES games. It isn’t like the Retro Duo traditional console that has two separate slots, one for each cartridge.When I first stumbled across this product I thought that the Retro Duo Portable was the answer to my prayers. I always wanted a portable system capable of playing SNES games. I purchased the “core” version of the system which came with an A/V cable, an adapter that allows the user to connect two original SNES controllers, a stand, and an adapter that makes it possible to play original NES cartridges.The stand, A/V cable, and controller adapter are so you can use this portable system like a traditional console and hook it to a TV and play with another person or even just two players on the unit’s screen. If this is your only Retro system then this is great news, however, being a portable SNES/NES is its true selling-point.First off, this system is solidly built. It’s from RetroBit, famous for their consoles that allow you to play NES, SNES, and even Sega Genesis carts in one system. There are still some compatibility issues and the console might not play ALL SNES or NES carts you load. I haven’t seen this issue in any of the titles I own, but I have heard of complaints about some titles not working correctly.The screen is a fair size, roughly a 3.75” diagonal. It provides a sharp, clear picture. Again, RetroBit shows their stuff. It’s not very expensive, but it’s a fine quality screen.The sound is equally good. These are 16-bit era titles so the sounds they make aren’t exactly going to surpass your gaming PC, PS4, or XBone. The sound is clear and doesn’t have that tinny, cheap rattle that can so often be an issue on any smaller speakers. Considering the nature of the sound in these games this accomplishment cannot be understated.The D-Pad and action buttons feel sturdy, sure to stand up to lengthy gaming sessions drenched in nostalgia. I’ve had issues with trying to press a single direction and the pad rocking over to make me tap a diagonal, but I’ve had that problem with every controller I’ve ever used. On games where precision controls are important, exercise caution.Now for the flaws:The unit feels bulky and more than a little awkward. Hitting the shoulder buttons is fairly difficult. Even with short runs my hands felt like they were cramping. I’m not a hardcore gamer who logs more hours a week playing video games than I do working (I’m applying that to the gamers who do work 40 hours a week), but I’ve not experienced cramping issues like this playing other systems or using other controllers.The volume slider was kind of stiff, at first. It loosened up after several seconds of playing with it, but it still struck me as odd that it first felt like a two-position switch. I honestly thought that the volume control was an On-Or-Off kind of thing, until I felt the slider loosen up.My biggest gripe, this wonderful system’s Achilles’ Heel, if you will, is the cartridge slot located on top of the back side of the unit. The cartridges nestle firmly enough in the slot, but they stick up out of the top of the unit quite high. Any of you Kartridge Kids who played with these relics of the by-gone age when they were new know that they’re incredibly sensitive to shock. If you bump or jostle the system, even slightly, it is enough to disrupt the connections in the unit. This flaw is woefully, PAINFULLY clear with the RDP. SNES cartridges sit in there well enough, but I haven’t had a complete run through any of my games yet, because at some point I will nudge the cartridge with my finger, and BOOM, it locked up. When I say nudge, I mean nudge. I am referring to the kind of slight contact you can make with the cartridge very easily when you’re trying to do something like press the L and R shoulder buttons (which sit extremely close to the slot), or even adjusting your grip when your hands start cramping.This becomes a MASSIVE problem if you try to use the adapter to play NES cartridges or an old Game Genie. It all sticks up out of the top of the unit so far that it’s next to impossible to keep it from shifting in the slot more than enough to crash a game. At that point it’s so high and unstable that merely shifting the system will make it crash. It is a serious weak-point in this system.This one weakness is, in my opinion, a fatal flaw. I, personally, will not recommend it. From what I’ve seen of compatibility issues I would suggest you stay away from any portable that plays cartridges until they work out this bug. Just get a Retro Duo or Retro Trio and hook it to your TV to scratch your retro-gaming itch.However, if you’re determined to get yourself portable console that can play SNES and NES games then the review didn’t help. If you’re going to get one, no matter what, then get this one. From what I’ve seen of things like the Supaboy, you could do a heck of a lot worse than the RDP. Just be wary of what I’ve set down here.

This product gets a 5 star rating because, it’s SNES in the palm of your hands! It comes with: charging cord, A/V cord(red, white, yellow), 2nd controller adapter, NES adapter that allows NES cartridges to be played(I haven’t tried yet). The cartridge pictured contains 110 SNES classics. Battery life lasts quite awhile, so it turns long, boring car trips into short, fun trips. I am super pleased with this purchase!

I bought one of these and a supaboy – the supaboy was sturdy and the cartridge sat in the unit in a nice solid way. But, it was too big, the screen wasn’t as nice, and as others have mentioned, the resolution is stretched. The rdp is big, but much smaller than hyperboy. The cartridge flops around which I really didn’t like, but a little piece of the loop (soft) side of something Velcro tape was the perfect fix. Cartridges now sit nice and solid in the rdp. As for the sound, it is a bit low, but I found the supaboy to be about the same. Note that the rdp core edition mentions on the website that the speakers were improved, so some reviews talking about very low sound may be for previous versions. Lastly, the rdp worked fine with super famicom games.

I got this after doing my research and comparing all the portable SNES options that would let me continue my Super Mario RPG save from my bed. I was tremendously disappointed when (after the obligatory initial charge) I put my cart in, flipped the switch, and… nothing happened. Well, there was a white flash on the screen, then nothing. No sound or anything. I charged the device for a while more and still saw nothing. I tested with different carts, tried different levels of pushing the cart in (softly and more aggressively) with no luck. I even tried playing Advance Wars 2 with the Super Retro Advance adapter (foolishly thinking maybe it would play nice with a fellow retro-bit product) but got nothing. Side note- pulling carts out of this thing can’t be good for either the cart or the device, it’s like pulling teeth. But I didn’t find any eject button on the RDP or in the manual, so away I tugged.After an hour or two of fiddling around, I give up. Obviously this device works for some people, I can see the photo and video evidence. The one I got is just a dud. Take that for what you will.