Recent posts
#41
PC Rigs, Builds, and Peripheral Devices / Re: PC RAM Prices Are Now Insa...
Last post by retro junkie - December 07, 2025, 03:31:26 PMHow will this effect the prices of game consoles? Maybe the question should be rephrased. How badly will this effect the prices of game consoles?
#42
Retro Gaming and Hardware / Re: The Hyperkin RetroN GX - A...
Last post by retro junkie - December 07, 2025, 11:04:54 AMThe controller port on the PC Engine and the Turbo Grafx 16 are incompatible, a totally different configuration. The US Turbo Duo's controller port is the same as the PC Engine. Go figure.
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#43
Retro Gaming and Hardware / Re: The Hyperkin RetroN GX - A...
Last post by retro junkie - December 07, 2025, 10:09:57 AMMy old PC Engine has an outdated RF output. I use a homemade converter coming out of the back of the console to yellow-white-red RCA connectors.
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#44
General Discussion / Re: Binge-Watching Shows Threa...
Last post by retro junkie - December 06, 2025, 06:04:41 PMI have started watching Star Trek: Enterprise and Deep Space Nine. One episode back to back. On the weekends I have started Star Trek the original series.
#45
Retro Gaming and Hardware / The Hyperkin RetroN GX - A Tur...
Last post by retro junkie - December 06, 2025, 05:03:09 PM@BLUEVOODU I put away my PS3 and replaced it with the GX and the Evercade VS....
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I'm in a happy place right now, don't disturb me.........Aaaiiiiigh!! I LOST MY SPACESHIP!!
My love for the TG16/PCE console is rooted in its heavy library of shmups. I own the TG16, PCE, Turbo Express, Duo, and the Turbo mini. Yeah I know, this review is going to be long.
The Prelude:
Early builds of the RetroN GX were sent to various popular game reviewers on youtube like MetalJesus, Game Sack, etc, for their take on the console. Among the issues they found, the console was only compatible with a handful of games. The controls were laggy. Audio delay that was so obviously bad during gameplay. Animation was missing frames that resulted in choppy gameplay. Artifacts could be seen at the top and, or, bottom of the screen. Those that received the console gave it very bad reviews. One could consider it dead on arrival. It would have been a complete disaster if it had been released at that point. What was Hyperkin thinking? Thankfully they delayed the release. Here we are months later, and Hyperkin, after many conversations with those early reviewers, finally released the console, and things are supposed to be fixed. We will see, because I will put it through the gauntlet.
I did not have any high expectations when I first considered purchasing the RetroN GX. No one wants to be beta testing a console. A gamer just wants to play games. You expect a console to be ready to go out-of-the-box and to be the finished product. There are just too many people out here that do not have the tech skills to update their firmware. At least I think so......
You cannot view this attachment.
The Console:
The aesthetic design is a head nod to the NEC & Hudson Soft's PC Engine. And the dark gray with its offset cartridge slot is an acknowledgment of the Turbo Grafx 16, a simple symbolic merging of both consoles.
You have four controller ports on the front, two Turbo Grafx style and two USB, and the on/off switch. The back of the unit has the Micro SD card slot, USB-C power input, HDMI output, and the aspect ratio switch. One controller is included, Hyperkin's $30USD controller with a 10 foot reach, including the controller in that measurement. I know I measured. My own setup is the original TG16 controller with the extension cord giving me 10 and a half feet reach, not including the controller............. mine is longer.
I personally do not like the Hyperkin controller. The directional button feels like the membrane is not right. You feel like you are popping a bubble in each direction. I will be using the original TG16 or the Turbo Grafx mini controllers when gaming on the GX.
Out of the box it is a simple set-up and play. Easy when you consider the hurdles you have to jump over to use the original hardware in this present generation of gaming.
Firmware Software Info: 2025-07-09. This is the official release of the console.
You cannot view this attachment.
The Screen Image:
It says it is HD. You have an HDMI 720p output with a choice of 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio. You have several options that are to enhance the image for your gaming pleasure. There is a smoothing effect, scan lines, and a black & white picture effect. Those are the only choices. You access these options in the menu screen by simultaneously pressing both run and select buttons. From there you can save games at the point you are wanting to stop playing, and want to come back to later, up to four saves per game. Any game saves are saved to the SD card. There is a reset button. A rewind of 12 seconds in the gameplay. So if something just blew you up, you can recover and dodge. You cheater.
You cannot view this attachment.
The Games:
Just the fact that it is designed to play both TG16 & PCE games with HDMI capabilities is a big plus to me. Here, take my money.
The console dumps the games from the HuCard to the console in order for you to be able to play the game. This is an emulation gaming console. Many gamers find these types of consoles disturbing. Whether all this is a pro or con is left to the individual gamer. I would, personally, rather have a hardware gaming console myself and play from the game card. I do not know why Hyperkin chooses this type of method in manufacturing some of their consoles. I am sure that it is cost effective for them.
[Just a side note, the roms are downloaded from the game card and dumped onto the SD card. After the initial download, just by inserting the card again tells the system to search for that particular rom to play from the SD card. Just like you would play roms in an emulator on your PC. The game, or rom, is not downloaded again unless you delete it from the SD card on your PC. Due to the nature of how this plays games, the Turbo Everdrive will not work.]
The Gameplay:
I thought the smoothing effect worked well on Alien Crush. And it looks good on a lot of the games. The scan lines caused issues on the background of Air Zonk. The scan lines were glitchy. I never tried using it again. I prefer playing many of the games without any of the filters. The colors are rich and vibrant. The animation and side scrolling is smooth during play. I had several games that had no audio when first inserting the card.Taking it out and reinserting it resolved that issue. (really it was actually just rebooting the game) All of my TG16 game cards loaded with no issues. The PCE games had issues which were resolved by cleaning the pins. Some cards took more than one cleaning to load. (To clean the pins I used a pink eraser and lens cloth.) Inserting the card into the console feels the same as it does on the original hardware, no death grip. Thank you Hyperkin.
The TG16 controller multitap is not recognized. With four controller ports it is enough for the few games that have that option? (Truth is that you cannot use over two controllers at one time and they must be the same type of controllers.) The con is that you need two different types of controllers for those ports. [Major Update: You cannot use a regular controller and a USB controller at the same time.]
I had no trouble playing any of my games. Control was tight and satisfying. For all the horror story reviews, Hyperkin heard their cry. I would consider this console fixed in my experience.
I found very good compatibility with all my 74 HuCards with one exception. Wonder Momo has graphical issues with the opening graphic screen to the level and the ending graphic screen. But the game itself is still very playable. I would say that is a very good percentage rate, 99.9%? Whether or not there is something later in any of the games that is an issue I will find out in the future. This was a hard review. I just wanted to keep playing many of the games and not stop..
You cannot view this attachment.
My puzzlement over the TG16 Hyperkin clone console:
The first thing I must do is to ask myself, "Who is this for?" If one is heavily serious about the actual physical games then the Duo by Analogue might be the route to consider for a clone console. That is if you find that the original hardware is difficult to integrate into your TV set up and you don't get the experience that you are looking for. (The original hardware and a CRT is the best experience.) But seeking a solution to the modern flatscreens option may not be easily available as it can be expensive.
So this really does not answer the question, "Who is this for?" The RetroN GX is the first low-end budget friendly clone console for the Turbo Grafx/PCE gaming system. But if you don't already have a library of games it would be a major investment to start now. Some games pack a heavy price point to acquire, $50 and up. I have one game that is priced at $500 on eBay. I personally have 74 games and I purchased them at a time when the prices were very low. All of my Turbo Grafx games I got when the console was on the shelf at Toys-R-Us. My PCE games were purchased some years later when I purchased the PCE (the Japanese version of the console). If I can play both on one console, HDMI hook up, and have fun doing it, with the games I like, and it fits within my budget, I would be satisfied and pleased.
So to answer the question, maybe this would be a low cost entry point for someone wanting to "get back into" playing the Turbo games. And don't mind peeling off the money to have that childhood gaming experience again. Maybe someone that wants to get into collecting games for the console, this might be a good beginning, or entry point. I cannot see a casual gamer being interested. It would be best for the casual gamer to pick up the Turbo mini, even though it has a high price tag now. But it would be a much cheaper route for anyone wanting to get a taste of the Turbo experience. It contains a lot of the high dollar games that are a must play. This is a very niche product that will generate limited interest to a specific group of gamers. Possible collectors? Don't know. Gamers, like me, that may be an avid fan but are willing to make allowances? I don't know if any of this answers the question.
You cannot view this attachment.
The Final Word:
I purchased this so you don't have to. If you can, just saying, find this marked down from its standard price point, I got mine for $68.99, I wouldn't pay full price. This is budget friendly for a gamer like me. But then again if you are leaning toward wanting to play the game cards, this is the cheapest option. Even at the $99 price tag. And I have seen some sellers offering it for a much higher price.
There have been so many negative reviews about this console that I am afraid it has tarnished many gamer's perspective of even considering a purchase. I am personally impressed and it has performed above any expectations that I had due to the many reviews that stomped all over this console and kicked it to the curb.
I have never seen any of my TG16/PCE games looking this great on any of the modern flatscreens. I am totally sold on the Hyperkin RetroN GX. The high cost of the HuCards is the only thing I can see that would cause anyone to be hesitant to purchase a RetroN GX. I am thinking that the only place you can find HuCards is either eBay, a gaming convention where you can haggle the price, or some obscure Game Store. I am presently considering purchasing some games that I don't have, the mood has struck. I will have to give this console a thumbs up. But you already knew that.
You cannot view this attachment.
I'm in a happy place right now, don't disturb me.........Aaaiiiiigh!! I LOST MY SPACESHIP!!
My love for the TG16/PCE console is rooted in its heavy library of shmups. I own the TG16, PCE, Turbo Express, Duo, and the Turbo mini. Yeah I know, this review is going to be long.
The Prelude:
Early builds of the RetroN GX were sent to various popular game reviewers on youtube like MetalJesus, Game Sack, etc, for their take on the console. Among the issues they found, the console was only compatible with a handful of games. The controls were laggy. Audio delay that was so obviously bad during gameplay. Animation was missing frames that resulted in choppy gameplay. Artifacts could be seen at the top and, or, bottom of the screen. Those that received the console gave it very bad reviews. One could consider it dead on arrival. It would have been a complete disaster if it had been released at that point. What was Hyperkin thinking? Thankfully they delayed the release. Here we are months later, and Hyperkin, after many conversations with those early reviewers, finally released the console, and things are supposed to be fixed. We will see, because I will put it through the gauntlet.
I did not have any high expectations when I first considered purchasing the RetroN GX. No one wants to be beta testing a console. A gamer just wants to play games. You expect a console to be ready to go out-of-the-box and to be the finished product. There are just too many people out here that do not have the tech skills to update their firmware. At least I think so......
You cannot view this attachment.
The Console:
The aesthetic design is a head nod to the NEC & Hudson Soft's PC Engine. And the dark gray with its offset cartridge slot is an acknowledgment of the Turbo Grafx 16, a simple symbolic merging of both consoles.
You have four controller ports on the front, two Turbo Grafx style and two USB, and the on/off switch. The back of the unit has the Micro SD card slot, USB-C power input, HDMI output, and the aspect ratio switch. One controller is included, Hyperkin's $30USD controller with a 10 foot reach, including the controller in that measurement. I know I measured. My own setup is the original TG16 controller with the extension cord giving me 10 and a half feet reach, not including the controller............. mine is longer.
I personally do not like the Hyperkin controller. The directional button feels like the membrane is not right. You feel like you are popping a bubble in each direction. I will be using the original TG16 or the Turbo Grafx mini controllers when gaming on the GX.
Out of the box it is a simple set-up and play. Easy when you consider the hurdles you have to jump over to use the original hardware in this present generation of gaming.
Firmware Software Info: 2025-07-09. This is the official release of the console.
You cannot view this attachment.
The Screen Image:
It says it is HD. You have an HDMI 720p output with a choice of 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio. You have several options that are to enhance the image for your gaming pleasure. There is a smoothing effect, scan lines, and a black & white picture effect. Those are the only choices. You access these options in the menu screen by simultaneously pressing both run and select buttons. From there you can save games at the point you are wanting to stop playing, and want to come back to later, up to four saves per game. Any game saves are saved to the SD card. There is a reset button. A rewind of 12 seconds in the gameplay. So if something just blew you up, you can recover and dodge. You cheater.
You cannot view this attachment.
The Games:
Just the fact that it is designed to play both TG16 & PCE games with HDMI capabilities is a big plus to me. Here, take my money.
The console dumps the games from the HuCard to the console in order for you to be able to play the game. This is an emulation gaming console. Many gamers find these types of consoles disturbing. Whether all this is a pro or con is left to the individual gamer. I would, personally, rather have a hardware gaming console myself and play from the game card. I do not know why Hyperkin chooses this type of method in manufacturing some of their consoles. I am sure that it is cost effective for them.
[Just a side note, the roms are downloaded from the game card and dumped onto the SD card. After the initial download, just by inserting the card again tells the system to search for that particular rom to play from the SD card. Just like you would play roms in an emulator on your PC. The game, or rom, is not downloaded again unless you delete it from the SD card on your PC. Due to the nature of how this plays games, the Turbo Everdrive will not work.]
The Gameplay:
I thought the smoothing effect worked well on Alien Crush. And it looks good on a lot of the games. The scan lines caused issues on the background of Air Zonk. The scan lines were glitchy. I never tried using it again. I prefer playing many of the games without any of the filters. The colors are rich and vibrant. The animation and side scrolling is smooth during play. I had several games that had no audio when first inserting the card.Taking it out and reinserting it resolved that issue. (really it was actually just rebooting the game) All of my TG16 game cards loaded with no issues. The PCE games had issues which were resolved by cleaning the pins. Some cards took more than one cleaning to load. (To clean the pins I used a pink eraser and lens cloth.) Inserting the card into the console feels the same as it does on the original hardware, no death grip. Thank you Hyperkin.
The TG16 controller multitap is not recognized. With four controller ports it is enough for the few games that have that option? (Truth is that you cannot use over two controllers at one time and they must be the same type of controllers.) The con is that you need two different types of controllers for those ports. [Major Update: You cannot use a regular controller and a USB controller at the same time.]
I had no trouble playing any of my games. Control was tight and satisfying. For all the horror story reviews, Hyperkin heard their cry. I would consider this console fixed in my experience.
I found very good compatibility with all my 74 HuCards with one exception. Wonder Momo has graphical issues with the opening graphic screen to the level and the ending graphic screen. But the game itself is still very playable. I would say that is a very good percentage rate, 99.9%? Whether or not there is something later in any of the games that is an issue I will find out in the future. This was a hard review. I just wanted to keep playing many of the games and not stop..
You cannot view this attachment.
My puzzlement over the TG16 Hyperkin clone console:
The first thing I must do is to ask myself, "Who is this for?" If one is heavily serious about the actual physical games then the Duo by Analogue might be the route to consider for a clone console. That is if you find that the original hardware is difficult to integrate into your TV set up and you don't get the experience that you are looking for. (The original hardware and a CRT is the best experience.) But seeking a solution to the modern flatscreens option may not be easily available as it can be expensive.
So this really does not answer the question, "Who is this for?" The RetroN GX is the first low-end budget friendly clone console for the Turbo Grafx/PCE gaming system. But if you don't already have a library of games it would be a major investment to start now. Some games pack a heavy price point to acquire, $50 and up. I have one game that is priced at $500 on eBay. I personally have 74 games and I purchased them at a time when the prices were very low. All of my Turbo Grafx games I got when the console was on the shelf at Toys-R-Us. My PCE games were purchased some years later when I purchased the PCE (the Japanese version of the console). If I can play both on one console, HDMI hook up, and have fun doing it, with the games I like, and it fits within my budget, I would be satisfied and pleased.
So to answer the question, maybe this would be a low cost entry point for someone wanting to "get back into" playing the Turbo games. And don't mind peeling off the money to have that childhood gaming experience again. Maybe someone that wants to get into collecting games for the console, this might be a good beginning, or entry point. I cannot see a casual gamer being interested. It would be best for the casual gamer to pick up the Turbo mini, even though it has a high price tag now. But it would be a much cheaper route for anyone wanting to get a taste of the Turbo experience. It contains a lot of the high dollar games that are a must play. This is a very niche product that will generate limited interest to a specific group of gamers. Possible collectors? Don't know. Gamers, like me, that may be an avid fan but are willing to make allowances? I don't know if any of this answers the question.
You cannot view this attachment.
The Final Word:
I purchased this so you don't have to. If you can, just saying, find this marked down from its standard price point, I got mine for $68.99, I wouldn't pay full price. This is budget friendly for a gamer like me. But then again if you are leaning toward wanting to play the game cards, this is the cheapest option. Even at the $99 price tag. And I have seen some sellers offering it for a much higher price.
There have been so many negative reviews about this console that I am afraid it has tarnished many gamer's perspective of even considering a purchase. I am personally impressed and it has performed above any expectations that I had due to the many reviews that stomped all over this console and kicked it to the curb.
I have never seen any of my TG16/PCE games looking this great on any of the modern flatscreens. I am totally sold on the Hyperkin RetroN GX. The high cost of the HuCards is the only thing I can see that would cause anyone to be hesitant to purchase a RetroN GX. I am thinking that the only place you can find HuCards is either eBay, a gaming convention where you can haggle the price, or some obscure Game Store. I am presently considering purchasing some games that I don't have, the mood has struck. I will have to give this console a thumbs up. But you already knew that.
#46
PC Rigs, Builds, and Peripheral Devices / Re: PC RAM Prices Are Now Insa...
Last post by Grindspine - December 06, 2025, 04:48:19 PMAll of this as the billionaire tech bros race to create Skynet....
#47
General Discussion / Re: Binge-Watching Shows Threa...
Last post by BLUEVOODU - December 06, 2025, 09:59:53 AMIt's been awhile since the last post here.
We have been binge watching Hawkeye again! Such a good series!
Hawkeye topics:
https://www.chickendinnergaming.com/forum/general-discussion/hawkeye!/
https://www.chickendinnergaming.com/forum/general-discussion/hawkeye-revisited/
We have been binge watching Hawkeye again! Such a good series!
Hawkeye topics:
https://www.chickendinnergaming.com/forum/general-discussion/hawkeye!/
https://www.chickendinnergaming.com/forum/general-discussion/hawkeye-revisited/
#48
General Discussion / Hawkeye revisited
Last post by BLUEVOODU - December 06, 2025, 09:59:43 AMWe have been re-watching Hawkeye as posted in the Binge Watching shows thread. It's very hard to believe this was 4 years ago already. It is such a great series and hoping they do more with it. This was truly a different time in history and this show was unique.
Have you revisited Hawkeye?
Other topics incuding Hawkeye:
https://www.chickendinnergaming.com/forum/general-discussion/hawkeye!
https://www.chickendinnergaming.com/forum/general-discussion/binge-watching-shows-thread/
Thoughts, comments, post it up!!
Have you revisited Hawkeye?
Other topics incuding Hawkeye:
https://www.chickendinnergaming.com/forum/general-discussion/hawkeye!
https://www.chickendinnergaming.com/forum/general-discussion/binge-watching-shows-thread/
Thoughts, comments, post it up!!
#49
PC Rigs, Builds, and Peripheral Devices / Re: PC RAM Prices Are Now Insa...
Last post by CreepinDeth - December 05, 2025, 01:19:30 AMQuote from: BLUEVOODU on December 04, 2025, 10:01:15 AMHoly crap @CreepinDeth I missed that...
No worries, that news broke just yesterday so it's cool if you hadn't found out yet.
Quote from: BLUEVOODU on December 04, 2025, 10:01:15 AMJust a heads up, your link is not working.
Thanks, should be fixed now.
Quote from: BLUEVOODU on December 04, 2025, 10:01:15 AMI haven't built since 2013... and looks like I won't any time soon. I know @SpartanEvolved just built. GPU prices were stupid insane when he was telling me about it LOLI'm like.... No
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lol, yep. I'm Bugs Bunny too. Although, I did end up getting the 9060XT 16GB as it finally hit MSRP and had some Best Buy rewards to make the cost even better.
At this point, I don't see myself upgrading for a long time. Going to make due with what I have now and enjoy the games that I have.
#50
General Discussion / Re: The Concert Thread
Last post by BLUEVOODU - December 04, 2025, 11:36:55 AMQuote from: Grindspine on November 27, 2025, 04:15:02 PMFear Factory and Cavalera performing Demanufacture and Chaos A.D. was the only 2025 concert I attended. 2024 was Babymetal playing in Indianapolis.
You went to both of those with me, BV!
Both were great concerts. Fear Factory Demanufacture and Cavalera Chaos AD... man what a dream. Hearing those songs live in 2025. What are the chances and in the same concert?! One heck of an awesome concert... one of my favorites to date.
Baby Metal was cool... some great songs.
I also saw Dream Theater in Columbus. What a great show. It was literally 2hrs and 40 minutes of just Dream Theater playing. They played pretty much their entire new album, took an intermission and then continued playing tons of songs from their older albums. Wow... it was great.