Analogue NT Mini Review by RetroRGB

This is a review of the Analogue NT Mini NES / Famicom console. I wanted to take a different approach with this review and invite the main developer Kevin Horton (Kevtris) on to discuss it. There are also appearances from Phonedork and Marc from My Life In Gaming. Here's links to everything relevant:
If you liked this video, please consider supporting in any way: www.retrorgb.com/support.html
www.analogue.co/products/analo...
/ mylifeingaming
/ phonedork
www.retrorgb.com/analoguentmin...
#retrorgb, #MyLifeInGaming, #The_Phonedork, #analogue_co, #kevtris,

[@kevtris]

I didn't know that yellow box was going to show up on the video. I'm such a n00b. lol

[@thomas83lin]

I wonder why bob from retrorgb didn't mention it to you during the interview??? whats up with that bob.lol :)

[@medicwheat69]

kevtris I was wondering why the facial recognition box was on your face. We had to verify you were the real Kevtris.

[@h0laPlaneta]

Hi there kevtris, as usaul your work is nothing short of amazing. I was wondering if you are planning to add a PC Engine (Turbografx) Core to the NT mini? Since it is 8bit too.

[@coderkind]

kevtris PC Engine support would be amazing; hopefully the full spectrum (CD-ROM titles). Also, how likely is Neo Geo Pocket Color? I haven't seen your todo list on AtariAge yet.

[@SirTonk]

love it

[@tonyescobar3866]

I know this came out years ago, but I found it incredibly helpful and I loved the format.

[@RanyBx]

What an excellent video! Your website got me into the world of RGB and I got RGB output out of all my consoles, pretty much thanks to you. I'm always on the lookout for modern solutions applied to retro consoles so this channel is right up my alley, might as well be my favorite channel currently. Keep up the great work and I loved the format of this episode!

[@frankstrasser6108]

I loved this style of review very thorough and the cameo interviews where a great added touch I would like to see a review this way again in the future

[@buzzmx]

great work, loved the interviews and the segmented structure. Also any chance to look though Kevtris's glasses is welcome :P

[@romevi]

Wathcing this now in 2019. Excellent video. Didn't realize how much information was included in this video that I've been searching for in forums, etc. Also, really cool to see phonedork. Miss his videos.

[@RetroRGB]

Thank you!

[@CanadianFuzzy]

I loved the way you did the review. I didn't plan on watching it right away when I saw it was over an hour but then the next thing I knew it was over. Great job. Only problem I had was Try's mic level seemed too loud.

[@salva_75]

I've been tempted to get it, but then heard about the jailbreak which is terrific news. Unfortunately (or fortunately for my wallet), it's now sold out. Also, this is by far the best review I've seen of the unit since you've gone into such great detail with the assistance of other retro experts and Kevtris himself. Great presentation, Bob!

[@iCach0]

Nice work chiming in on the light gun compatibility issue with SMS, it would be awesome if Kevtris can get it working. I would also love to hear Analogue's take on the "premium-only" issue. I get that they make high quality products and maybe they don't want to give the impression that the quality of their products is diminishing. On the other hand it seems like they're missing an opportunity by not making a more cost-effective and durable version, like you propose, or at least sell user-replaceable cases in materials other than brushed aluminium. Loved the review. Lots of useful info and super interesting interviews.

[@franklinbrown7389]

I loved this panel type of review. Great job.

[@Elrinth]

great video. love the interviews. keep up the great work

[@michaelquattrocchi1757]

Great video Bob! Thank you for taking the time and effort to make this. One concern I had was about your repeated mention of describing the HD15 connector as a "VGA connector" in the first part of the video. We all know people call that connector by that name ("VGA"), and that is probably the most common thing it is used for in the world, but in this case the wiring pinouts are different, and plugging an actual VGA-compatible monitor into that port likely will not deliver results anyone might expect. It's obvious Analogue used it because it is widespread, cheap, and easy to procure, but the side effect is that it also opens the door to people connecting inappropriate peripherals to that port just because they happen to fit. Just thought that should have been hammered home a bit more. I also heard you say this unit "could have been cheaper". Without knowing their manufacturing or engineering costs, I'm not sure if that really is true. I know I'D CERTAINLY LIKE IT to have been cheaper, but whether it could have been is a different story. Look at the engineering side alone -- Kevtris isn't JUST doing bugfixes on the final shipping code -- he's expanding and continuing to roll out new functionality. How is he getting compensated for expanded work done after the initial box gets sold? Kevtris deserves real compensation for his work -- I'm hoping he is coming out on top and doing well by the projects he is bringing to life for all of these other companies. For a low-yield, niche product like this one, it would be hard to see how they could make it for $100 or $200, like I hear some people say they wish it were priced. I guess it is a case of looking at that curve of demand vs price and determining whether enough people can buy it at the price they need to produce it at in order to make it worth their while. Keep up the great videos!

[@RetroRGB]

You're right, I should stop saying "VGA". It DEFINITELY could have been cheaper: Remove the NES30 controller. Anything other than that is debatable, but people that don't want one or already own one just lost a bit of money.

[@TheKafairy]

Great job Bob, I loved hearing impressions from the stars of retro RGB in a your review. I agree the cost could probably be reduced, as I already own an AVS $500 is just too much to justify. Here's hoping for a cost reduction down the road.

[@toolb0xPC]

A good thorough review. I was on the fence on whether I wanted to get one but I think I may go ahead and purchase when they come back available.

[@toolb0xPC]

@@SumDumGy Decided to nesrgb mod a top loader, and then went the MiSTer route and I'm very happy with the decision.

[@biggshasty]

Great show, great guests. Thanks. Good point at the end on having a stripped down model for cheaper. Don't get me wrong--I love Kevtris and all the work he's done and I really hope this product does well, but it's still a little high for someone who's put a lot of money and time into collecting a bunch of carts and just wants to play them in HD (I could live without being able to play roms and not having an included controller, for example). This would still probably leave the cost pretty high, so maybe what we need is to just wait for the tech to get cheaper so guys like Kevtris can do cooler things at lower cost.

[@maarekstele2815]

Great vid man.!!! mine on the way

[@matthewdavis5486]

I noticed Kevtris did not answer your question when you asked about why BIOS are not included. Has anyone established this?

[@EvilWaysGaming]

love your channel, keep it up!

[@SmokeMonster]

Such a gorgeous device. Great review, Bob! With Kev's jailbreak out, I really want one some day. Also, a little birdie told me that someone behind the scenes is hard at work on a Colecovision Pack for the NT.

[@thefifthdoctor6780]

Getting the new and improved v2 😎

[@RayCommend]

Are you able to test a few Green strip NES carts to see if they work correctly? The 1st revision of the AVS has an issue making proper contact with these games so they have issues. Great format btw, and you got the perfect guests for this.

[@ToolShopGuy]

I could hear Kevtris talk all day. Love it

[@megamancards]

I'm really enjoying mine. I have the Mist FPGA and it's pretty exciting as well and currently has a decent PC Engine core.

[@RetroGamerBB]

I like how you did this

[@keithblanchardedward9424]

I can't get the game "To The Earth" to work even though it is a first party Nintendo game. They don't seem to believe me at Analogue. The game comes on, but won't start. I have tested both original and Everdrive carts. I have even updated the bios. Can someone please test the game and let me know? Thanks

[@TheGeoffers08]

Fantastic review. would be superb if the Colecovision core supprted the Super Game Module....

[@tjanas]

Does the jailbreak support .FDS roms too or just NES/Famicom cart roms?

[@broznar1019]

I'm having trouble with my NT mini where display is offset about 1 inch to the right of the screen, never seeming to be correctly centred. anyone have any experience with this; moreover tweaking the horizontal, 4x 5x whatever I do never seems to make a difference in the overall display of my games.

[@strygo]

What SCART switch is shown? It looks like it is an 8x2.

[@namdor0746]

Great video and interviews Bob!Thanks for putting the idea into Kevin's head to allow the zapper for the SMS games.Do you think the Famicom glasses would work as a possible substitute (like the zapper might for lightgun games) for the SMS 3D games also or do they use different tech? I don't currently own any at all so I am not sure how they workOh by the way did your FDS adapter work when you plugged it into the top or did you have to adjust it at all? If yours worked I am going to buy another one or dig around as I might have a 2nd one at my house somewhere.I am trying to find a place that would sell me a very short famicom/neo geo controller ext cord so I don't have to put any stress on the usb power input. The shortest I can find is 6 feat currently though. do you know anyone by chance that currently make or could make a few short ones?

[@RetroRGB]

Good question about the SMS 3D using Famicom 3D. I think Kevin was going to look into it, but I'm not sure the timing. Also, the FDS adapter worked perfect with the Magic Wild card (My FDSStick is currently in storage). Not sure on the shorter extension cables. Sorry.

[@sinredzone]

good to see Phonedork again

[@Lambby]

great vid, thanks

[@fandenivoldsk]

Great video!

[@extremawesomazing]

Is it possible to use third party microphones for Famicom games?

[@Chevyfanusa1]

Well done review! Love how you mixed up the interviews with the break away video showing hook ups etc. So it seems the Mini is no longer available for sale. How long does one have to wait to order would you think? Do they do batch orders like SuperG with a waiting list?

[@gregtommers4368]

They're supposed to be back in stock in about a week

[@triple_lei]

So is the NT Mini still slightly underclocked like the Hi-Def NES even when outputting analog? And has anyone done any head-to-head tests with the NT, Hi-Def NES, Wii U VC, and NES Classic to see if one of them gets slightly out of sync when leaving a game in its demo mode? Loved this star-studded review, by the way...

[@RetroRGB]

When outputting analog, the NT Mini outputs exactly the same as an RGB-modded NES. When outputting HDMI, it's clock speed matches HDMI spec. Actually, Josh does comparisons on his KZbin channel, for the purpose of testing for speedrunning: kzbin.info As an FYI, for 99.9% of all other users, it's not a noticeable difference.

[@crayelliott4894]

Just wanted to chime in that the only difference I could find between the digital simulated FDS and the actual FDS Ram adapter sound is that the former does not have a low pass filter, leading to the 'harsher' sound as Mark described it(which is fitting). The low pass filter unfortunately would take up too many logic elements on the FPGA and won't fit, however you can just pass through cartridge audio if you want the low-pass filter sound. Depending on the game, I actually swap between the two preferences. I find the low pass filter to be great for Zelda, but actually prefer the cleaner sound of the no low pass filter in a few other games. I'm sure opinions will vary! I'm incredibly impressed with the digital sound chip accuracy this time around. I own a hi-def nes and I felt like a few of the chips were a little bit lacking, but this time around everything sounds absolutely fantastic. I did need to crank up the volume a bit on the FDS and turn down the Sunsoft 5b chip because it was much louder than the cart + av famicom sounds, but with those tweaks, it sounds perfect to my ears. The lowpass filter thing is the only reason I even use the cartridge audio passthrough feature!

[@RetroRGB]

Thanks for the input. I'll ask MLiG to give that a try in their video.

[@kmg3144]

Hi retrorgb this is without a doubt the quintessential review of the nt mini. Thank you for de mystifying what it can do. I wondered if you wouldn’t mind sharing your professional opinion of pairing a sony kv-40xbr800 with an analogue nt mini? I really want a bvm or even a pvm but all I have found are north of $1k I have a line on an this 40” 4:3 sony and my hope is to use it with an analogue nt mini but I can’t seem to find if the unit will process 15khz signals nor if it will basically just be like using my nt mini with my sony projector hw40es.

[@RetroRGB]

It it's an "HD CRT", you might have issues with 240p...however if you use the NT Mini in 480p mode with scanlines turned on, that might be an excellent option.

[@ruitunes1703]

Hi Bob, Fantastic review. I think Mark got it wrong with the audio chips. If you have the original cart you don't need to select any because the sound will be from the chip in the cart. If you are playing from a rom then you need to choose the chip that you want the NT to emulate. I tested both options with Castlevania 3 and they sound very different. The audio chips emulation is not 100% accurate.

[@madmad7540]

wait so something confuses me about the NT Mini, I understand its an FPGA-based system which makes it a "hard" emulation baswd system for Nintendo games but how does that work for the other systems it began to support? Are the GameGear and Collecovision games considered "soft" on the hardware and are there noticable differences when using these? eg. Gamecube on Wii vs SNES on PSP. Its a great system and I'd love to get one if they release a cheaper model but I'm curious about this.

[@RetroRGB]

Nope, all consoles that are emulated are full FPGA cores, just like the NES. That's why I was so exited about this...it's like you're getting each individual console that outputs both RGB and HDMI!

[@nhutchins]

Great video, really liked this style of review, thanks! One question that I can't seem to find an answer for anywhere: with jailbroken firmware can you play FDS roms off an SD card? I just placed a pre-order for a black one, is there still a need for me to buy an Everdrive N8?

[@RetroRGB]

Not at the moment. You can get a FDS RAM adapter and a Magic Wild Card / FDSstick though: www.retrorgb.com/romcarts.html Some people have reported problems with that, but I just used a MWC with mine for a few hours strait and didn't have any issues.

[@nhutchins]

Awesome, thanks for the tip!

[@caseycane2721]

I have the original NT...Is there really any reason to keep it with the NT mini so full of additional features?

[@grimmbilly9263]

The main reason to keep it is that you paid $600 for that bitch and now you're stuck with it. I'm in the same boat. :(

[@eduardovelazquez6013]

Kevtris said nothing about the zombi 3000. Will that project be worked on?

[@avavii]

Is it know wether there will be updates on the Original Analogue NT with Kevtris' board? That's what I got and I think especially scaling, color palettes and interpolation could still be better, if work would continue.

[@RetroRGB]

No, I think the Hi-Def NES (which is what's in the original NT) is at it's limit.

[@avavii]

Well too bad. Thanks for the reply :)

[@OrangeGeemer]

how does scaling works on a crt??? shouldn't it be a 1x options for analogue input?? does it look "real 3:4" when plugged to a crt??

[@RetroRGB]

There is no scaling on the analog output, as it's not needed. When plugged into a CRT, it looks just like the original.

[@OrangeGeemer]

nice, thanks.

[@CookieMonsterJams]

Marc mentioned that for TV standard settings you should just set it at your TV standard and then forget about it, but that's incorrect! This is the setting you use to switch regions, means you can finally play NTSC/PAL games on the same system. Great for exclusive gems like Turrican that only came out in Europe!

[@djcalle1975]

06:40 regarding the famicom extension port and the poor fit of the 3d adapter, I think a Neogeo controller extension cord could fix this issue, assuming all 15 pins are wired on the extension cord. worth a try for 12$ usd

[@lukilladog]

Look for vga cables with big ferrite cores at its ends!.

[@DougPlummer]

Does the Sega Master System games have FM audio?

[@RetroRGB]

Some do: www.retrorgb.com/fmaudio.html

[@DougPlummer]

I know the games have FM, does the NT Mini play the FM music when playing the roms.

[@RetroRGB]

Yeah, it's a selectable option.

[@Perkinson78]

They make famicom/neo geo extension cables that would work for the 3d adapter to avoid tension on pins or plugs.....

[@RetroRGB]

Thanks for reminding us about this! I totally forgot. Do you have a link to one you've tested and like?

[@Perkinson78]

www.ebay.com/itm/SNK-Neo-Geo-MVS-AES-Controller-Joystick-Joypad-gamepad-Extension-Cable-6-Foot-/222336245914?hash=item33c445e09a:g:4AYAAOxyQfJTfDkY It just extends same pins so it will work for the famicom (neo geo and famicom has different pinouts from the console)

[@PersianImm0rtal]

What is D Sub? never heard of it lol.

[@RetroRGB]

Just a way to describe the connector that is often used with VGA signals.

[@OrangeGeemer]

so I google zimba3000 to know what it was and it is an awesome project (16bit and 8bit consoles in one box, both digital 1080p and analogue rgb, sd card to load roms, .... ufff). Do you think it'll be possible to get Kevtris again to do an interview about specifically the zimba3000??? Best regards

[@RetroRGB]

He talks about it during the interview I did last year, but yes, I'll DEFINITELY have him on again soon to talk about all the awesome projects he's working on.

[@OrangeGeemer]

oh, I'll check that interview. It'll be great to hear about the developments because, just like myself, there must be a lot of people that haven't heard about the zimba3000. Maybe we can support him by signing up to a waiting list, early buy or something like that.

[@viciousvictortee1298]

I love my NT! Hey Kevtris! Is the NT mini capable of SNES if the core was created?

[@RetroRGB]

No, 16-bit consoles can't be supported.

[@viciousvictortee1298]

RetroRGB Thanks for the Reply... I feel a bit silly... Respect for the reply! Keep up the good work!

[@RetroRGB]

Don't feel silly, it was a valid question. The FPGA used in the NT mini can do a LOT, but 16-bit consoles are just out of it's league.

[@elmalloc]

why kevtris have orange box

[@VideoGameVictims]

Is the NT worth spending the extra cash on when the RetroUsb AVS is much cheaper? If so, why?

[@RetroRGB]

So, clearly you didn't actually watch the video....

[@VideoGameVictims]

Oh, I did watch the whole thing. I just asked the question like a moron before I had finished watching it all and didn't remove the comment afterwards. Great review. Including the interviews was a very good idea. If they did have a less costly model with a cheaper case like you mentioned, I'd grab one for my PVM. I'll stick with the AVS for now though.

[@RetroRGB]

LMAO...fair. So my direct answer to your question is this: If you have a 4K TV (720x3), then the AVS will fill the screen properly and work GREAT. If you already own a ROM cart (or all the games you want to play), then that's the MUCH cheaper way to go. You'd only want the NT Mini if: - You want to play the other consoles it supports. - You'd like to use it's built-in ROM cart. - 5x scaling is really important to you - having analog and digital outputs is important to you There's a ton of people that only need the AVS and will be completely happy with it. Being the giant nerd that I am, I want every feature imaginable and want the NT Mini.

[@VideoGameVictims]

I'm happy with the AVS and Everdrive, but had I not already bought them, I'd go for the NT Mini instead. Even if you don't care about the analog signals, Kevtris' support for other consoles makes it the better investment I think. Thanks Bob.

[@eduardovelazquez6013]

Playing NES/famicom games on the SD card is nice but with no save states it's a deal breaker. I would need a flash cart anyway with the NT for that making the value $550+ Stepping down to an AVS sounds better

[@NightSprinter]

*looks at his seven different 240p-capable CRTs of different sizes* >.> Strangely, despite having the Noir, it does NOT like my Datapath E2S card. I'm contemplating a Magewell Pro Capture AiO to see how it handles that.

[@dougdabandit2003]

so what is better? the hi def nes mod or this? i prefer the hi def nes because its o.g hardware.

[@gregtommers4368]

Nt mini is a significant upgrade from hi def nes. More compatibility with both accessories and games. Significantly more useful scaling mode (5x height), way more customization options (custom palettes, hotkeys, etc), rom support, ability to simulate 20 other 8 bit systems (eventually), both hdmi *and* rgb/svideo/composite, ...

[@elmalloc]

I prefer hi-def NES.

[@DougPlummer]

I have to agree with Reuben, the Hidef NES if better just because its real hardware.

[@elmalloc]

Kevtris is the bomb. Once I found out the NT Mini was FPGA and not original parts, it stopped me from clicking buy. The item was in my cart. I really like my Hi-Def NES 001. I still might get an NT Mini someday, Kevtris deserves millions for his work...I know it's his FPGA work in the NT MIni too, but nothing can top putting a cartridge into an original NES. If i was that dude, I'd want 80%+ profit of every hi-def NES/NT Mini sale. He's the brains behind everything else. It's apparent he excels and is determined to get the best out there.

[@thomas83lin]

I'll know soon enough, I've had the hi-def kit installed now for about 6 months but just recently sold it to put towards the Nt Mini. See I've got a few games that don't play nice with the hi-def kit's despeckle options, so I'm hopeful this won't be a issue on the Nt Mini. But honestly if its original hardware you want to use, I'd say go with the hi def kit. I played on mine for about 6 months with little issue except on a few obscure titles that interest me.

[@Waifu4Life]

Hey Bob, do you think any CD-based consoles can have a disc drive emulator like there are for the Dreamcast and Saturn? If not, do you know why it wouldn't be possible? For example, why don't we have one for the PS2? I know you can run some games from the HDD, but that's not 100% compatible.

[@RetroRGB]

It's possible for each console, but more complicated then a ROM cart. I've always had great luck running PS2 games from my hard drive...although some require patches to work properly.

[@CedricsSpecialLP]

23:56 That is actually not true. In fact, the music in the PAL version of Super Mario Brothers is faster than the NTSC ones.

[@retractingblinds]

an hour long mini review. Or wait, a review of the analogue NT mini.

[@ABrag4]

Nice review. I loved the console but is too bad there is no poor man's edition analogue nt mini. I would love to pay 300 - 350 USD on a version with plastic or acrylic case without the shitty 8bitdo controller. I own a NES with Hi-Def NES and when I activate all the expansion audio chips options, a hum noise start to appear.

[@akxmedia0]

The only things wrong with this device as present are A) It's price and B) it's availability. Like the HD Retrovision cables, they have fallen in the hands of scalpers. Hell even the RetroUSB AVS has suffered the same fate.

[@PersianImm0rtal]

Will super nintendo be added? If it is, I am sold.

[@RetroRGB]

No, 16-bit consoles can't be supported.

[@PersianImm0rtal]

Lmao, why is there a square on his face?

[@ReviewUSA-ri5dv]

I can EMULATE all this shit on my computer for free!

[@ReviewUSA-ri5dv]

NOT an official Nintendo product. DISLIKED.