Super Retro Trio Console

Ahh…the games of my youth, Sonic, Mario, Donkey Kong Country, Mortal Kombat, they ruled my childhood. Racing home from school every day just so I could try to beat world 8 on Super Mario Bros 3. Those were the days and with the releases of console after console since then, those games just gather dust. Until now that is. Retro-bit’s Super Retro Trio, which can be found and purchased from the guys at Funstock, is a retro all in one games console which plays all your PAL NES, Super Nintendo and Sega Megadrive game cartridges. Time to dig out those relics!

The console itself is nicely crafted in black and red which takes the shape of the Super Nintendo console but instead of just the SNES cartridge slot on top, there is the slots for the Megadrive and NES in front and behind it. The front of the unit is its biggest marvel. A red lid pushes in to release the ports for all of the consoles and each has two ports for multiplayer gaming. You can of course use the two Super Retro Trio controllers provided or you could use the original controllers for each of the consoles if you still own them, sweet! There is also a switch to change regions, that’s if you have NTSC or JAP games.

Hooking the Super Retro Trio up to your television is easy; it uses the standard yellow, red and white AV and S-Video cables which every television has. The plug requires a travel converter which you can buy for pittance anywhere. Once this thing is hooked up, you’re good to go.

I tried Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Super Mario All-Stars on the Super Retro Trio and although the games played magnificently, I encountered a little problem. Playing this on a large screen TV is not recommended unless you have the option to decrease the size of the display, mine unfortunately doesn’t so the games were stretched, slightly distorting the image although it was still perfectly playable. Another issue was the input. There seemed to be a very slight but noticeable delay with button inputs. What I mean is, when I pressed jump, Sonic or Mario wouldn’t jump the very instant I pressed the button but after a nanosecond pause which may not be a problem for most but it distracted me as it caused a few unnecessary deaths.

The console is a lovely piece of kit which smartly squeezes in three of the most iconic consoles in video game history. One big box full of nostalgia which can be switched between using one little switch on the front. Retro-bit have created a monster. A monster which takes any cartridge you throw at it and plays them beautifully in all their goodness. Whooping Shang Tsung’s backside has never felt so good, it brought back memories of the gamer rage I had trying to beat the Endurance Matches in Mortal Kombat, those were the days that are brought right back thanks to the release of this beast.

Pros

Nicely fits three of the most iconic consoles in one box

Solid design

Two controllers comes with it

Easy setup

Cons

Slight delay in input

If your TV cant decrease its display, your games will be a bit stretched

Summary

Dig out your old games as the Super Retro Trio can play em all! Easy setup and a smart solid black and red design make this thing a thing of beauty. You may still need to blow on them beforehand though.