FC Twin..pretty neat

[Rangers]

I was at the used game shop today and I saw something pretty neat called an FC twin. Basically it appeared to be new Super NES/NES combo. It has dual cartridge slots. This was clearly new boxed hardware. It's nicely compact and modern looking. It uses SNES controllers and amazon says it even comes with two. It was priced a little gougy at ~65, I see it's only $45 at Amazon, but it'd probably be worth the extra 20 for instant gratification for me.

Amazon says all the SNES patents ended in 2005, so this the videogame equivilant of a generic drug.

http://www.amazon.com/Console-Plays-Nintendo-Super-Games/dp/B000L4Y5IS

I didn't actually but the thing yet mind you, but I probably will at some point. The purpose of this thread was to just let people know or see if anybody has one.

I guess a downside is, it's not original hardware. And as I said, I sure wish the price at retail was more like $40.

Edit#1 Here's review with more info that claims the SNES patents are not actually expired and Nintendo will put the kibosh on this system: http://www.destructoid.com/the-fc-twin-console-play-nes-and-snes-games-on-one-box--28357.phtml
Edit: Never mind, in destructoid comments system appears fully legal (in comments section).

bluefoxicy says:
01/05/2007 18:26
"As far as I know, The FC Twin console is illegal."

The NES and SNES are covered by a number of patents. The NES 10NES lock-out chip patent expired in 2005, but the lock-out chip is not as old as the NES itself; the rest of the NES patents expired in 2003.

The SFC was released in Japan in 1990; being that it's pretty much identical to the US SNES released in 1991, the patents theoretically expired in 2004. If we assume the US 1991 release had new patents that the system uses, then we can say the patents expired in 2005.

This system just now appeared in late 2006, after all those patents were gone. It's pretty much legal, as long as it doesn't say Nintendo, NES, or Famicom. SNES and Super* are all registered trademarks too, separately registered oddly enough

Wiki FC Twin

 

[pakotlar]

yeah, i read that article a while back. this thing is such a great idea. good find.

 

[AzBat]

About a year or so ago I bought a Yobo FC Game Console(pictured below) for my wife. I found it at my local Game Xchange(small chain of used game stores). It was really small, lightweight and had very little circuity. It worked great up until the power connector crapped out on me. Good thing the wife had found a genuine NES at a yard sale for a back-up.



Anyway, I seen the FC Twin next to the Yobo FC at Game Xchange. Might be nice to have, but I totally skipped the whole SNES generation. So I'm not sure what games would be worth playing. My wife probably likes those games better me anyway.

BTW, maybe these systems are the reason why the SNES is selling better than the PS3 at Amazon? LOL

Amazon: SNES Selling Better Than PS3

Tommy McClain

 

[pakotlar]

Snes is 2nd only to Genesis imo. Though it was better in some regards (genesis had more oomph ). The system is fantastic. Im going to pick one of these up. I still remember having, "no mine's better" fights with my next door neighbor. He had the SNES

 

[Crayon]

I just found these for sale today at a new game shop in San Lorenzo. $49 bucks new. It's a great shop I reccomend it to anyone in the Bay Area.

I also got Shinobi Legions there (saturn) for 5 bucks! And they import Wii remotes so their always in stock. Great place, I hope they make it. Called Play N Trade.

 

[Rangers]

FC Twin is $65 bucks at the place I went to, which is called game exchange. Just a bit too expensive imo.

Game exchange, I dont know if they are a chain. They are pretty cool, they have racks of used games for every system, and used systems from, NES through Xbox (though used systems seem to sell super fast). They also carry stuff like those Yobo NES.

It seems retro gaming is almost getting too popular. They used to have about twenty used Genesis systems for $20 a pop, now I dont see any, and used SNES are rarely in stock any more. Also, the games looked a little picked through, and the good ones are high priced (LTTP was 19.99).

Since the gamestop chain basically stopped carrying any non current gen used games a couple years ago, game exhange really fills a nice niche though.