A Review of the Hyperkin RetroN 3

By: Superman

You might recall that the NES Classic Mini caused quite a stir last year before immediately being sold out everywhere. 30 classic Nintendo games for $60? The deal seemed almost too good to be true, and for many (like me) it was. Many of us were all too willing to fork over the cash for the system, but we couldn't find it ANYWHERE. I even tried buying it online when I heard that they would be available from a certain retailer at a certain time. The system sold out within seconds.

Since I was unable to attain this awesome retro console, I bought myself an alternative system instead, the Hyperkin RetroN 3. The system does have some benefits when compared to the NES Classic Mini, but there are also some drawbacks.

Pros

It plays not only NES games, but also SNES and SEGA Genesis games. With three different systems worth of games, you can definitely get a lot more out of it than you can with the NES Classic Mini.
You can play a lot more than 30 games on it. Whereas the NES Mini Classic limits you to the 30 games loaded to the system, you can play almost any NES, SNES, or SEGA Genesis game imaginable on this system.
I heard that the NES Classic Mini had a short cable. No such problem with this system. The controllers that it comes with are wireless, and you can also use your old NES, SNES, or SEGA Genesis controllers with it.

Cons

It doesn't come loaded with 30 games. Whatever you play, you have to either own already or be willing to buy it. That obviously gets pretty pricey, especially if it's your goal to play all of the 30 games that were available on the NES Classic Mini.
The controllers it comes with are modeled after the SEGA Genesis controllers. If you aren't used to playing with that system, it can be difficult. Fortunately, you can use NES or SNES controllers with it, but you will have to either own those already or be willing to buy them.
The materials it is made from are cheap. I've heard some stories from people that said that the controllers it came with broke. I didn't have this problem personally because I mostly have used my old SNES controllers with it, but if you don't have the original controllers or don't want to pay more money to buy more controllers, it's definitely something to think about.

Personally, I found the system to be a fine alternative to the NES Classic Mini that I was unable to find. It's not perfect, but neither is the NES Classic Mini. With the follow-up to the NES Classic Mini coming out soon, I would recommend looking into this system if the same problems arise as what happened last year. Supposedly, the supply isn't going to be nearly as small as what it was with the NES Classic Mini, but you never know.

Looking for more from Superman?

READ 97133 TIMES

Benjanime Posted on Jan 10, 2019 at 10:46 PM

i've heard mixed opinions over the retron 5, but i'm still getting one regardless.

5 Best TV Cars of the 80s

Cars were always a status symbol in our favorite TV shows of the 20th century. Depending on the type of vehicle appearing in a scene, you could easil...

Rick Springfield’s futuristic ‘Human Touch’ video takes place in 2016

Back in 2015, there was a lot excitement surrounding and attention paid to the date in Back to the Future Part II of October 21, 2015 and how that fut...

Being The New Kid

Being the new kid in school is sometimes hard for children. Many of you probably moved several times during your childhood and had to start over mak...

Bunk Beds

Recently my son graduated from the slatted bars of his baby crib, to the wonders of a “Big Boy Bed”. During the experience of selecting and asse...

Miss M's Top 10 Retro Toys of 2015!

Happy New Year everyone! While it has been awhile since I last posted an article on Retro-Daze, I could not let a new year slip by and not recap some ...

MOST RECENT RETRORATING FEATURED OFFICIAL

Go to page: