Super Cassettevision Review

[@littlemac62]

I'n French and I'll explain to you why there is only a RGB port In Japan/USA, the video standard is NTSC, in Europe (except France), Australia and South America, it's PAL. Then , in France, Russia and Democratic Republic of Congo (Formely Zaïre) the video standard is SECAM (Séquentiel Couleur A Mémoire - Color in sequences with RAM). Specific RGB lines into SCART connector is required by the French SECAM protocol, it's why it's so difficult to find video cables and SECAM compatible TV outside of France for the first version of Sega Megadrive, it's also why the French Megadrive (1600-01 and 1601-09) was sold with RGB cable

[@relo999]

Wasn't the reason France adopted RGB so quickly due to SECAM and bringing out hardware in France a load easier? Not because it's required. Like I know the French Atari was just an American or European model slightly converted to it output RGB so it could be released on the French market (as Atari 2600 colors are reliant on video standard). While later models did have just an RF out (but just piped through the RGB through a RF converter). I do know that TV's where required to have RGB SCART, however consoles weren't required to have it. It was simply easier to convert a console to RGB or convert a PAL composite signal to RGB than making custom SECAM RF units only usable within the French market.

[@bartsimpson83]

It's always fun to learn about obscure consoles like this. I imagine that as the series goes on and you run out of mainstream consoles, obscure ones will become the primary focus.

[@ReplayRetro]

i try to mix up the mainstream, the relatively unknown and the downright obscure where possible, it doesn't always happen like that but yeah . . . . . glad you've enjoyed learning anyway :)

[@martindejong3974]

In France only SCART would have worked as France uses the SECAM video technology, which is incompatible with systems outputting PAL or NTSC (RF) video signals, with an (SCART) RGB output that doesn't matter, and would produce a colour picture on a French TV. Its why other RGB supporting computers like the Amstrad and Oric systems were also sold in france, as they could support a SCART video input.

[@cristianmastrocicco4552]

I own a Super Cassette Vision (In great conditions, I bought it during a trip in Japan, back in the early 2000s), and I play some of the games. They are very archaic, but they still have some charm. I'm also developing homebrew software, and one of my bigger projects is Super Mario Bros. The cartridge will also include 8K RAM and 2 sound channels to expand the console's capabilities

[@kodyballard49]

I've love to see updates on this project, love cassettes and a cassettes based console would be awesome to see more off

[@rodolfovalentini9089]

one of the best reviewers! congrats!

[@colonelkomarov622]

yeno is a french company and this machine was sold in France, RGB scart was standard in France since 1978, for that there is no RF :)

[@TheThatEthanGuy]

Good to see this series coming back. Really excited for more. :)

[@ReplayRetro]

thanks, i'm looking forward to making more too!

[@spyrogyro3390]

RGB (RVB) was standard in France for all console systems. The French government made Peritel (SCART) with RGB a legal requirement on all consumer video devices. Hence, if a company wanted to sell their console in France they had to comply. This console you've reviewed as well as others- Intellivision, Colecovision, NES, Atari 7800, Master System Model II all had RGB out. In all other parts of the world those consoles (except the NES) only had RF. Although some of those like the French NES and 7800 did not have true RGB. It was more like an RGB to Composite converter.

[@ReplayRetro]

Yeah i'm aware of that requirement but the standard Japanese console had RGB Scart and RF so that would have been fully compliant with the french regulations, seems like a silly idea to go to the expense of retooling to get rid of the RF port altogether. As for the true RGB thing i'm not very good with video formats and signals but i'll assume this is why i couldn't get my capture card to decode the video from the SCV, obviously it doesn't have a scart socket so i used a scart to composite cable which i'm assuming didn't transmit all the required signals? would i have been better with scart to S-Video or scart to component maybe?

[@relo999]

@@ReplayRetro Reason is quite simple, all french TV's had SCART and converting a system to RGB was generally cheaper than building production line for RF units. On top of that every French TV had SCART meaning an extra RF unit was at best redundancy and a cost sink most consumers didn't use anyway.

[@christians.7599]

Great, you and your channel are back! Congrats for starting the new season :-)

[@ReplayRetro]

thanks hope you'll enjoy whats still to come

[@comppstin7458]

Awesome review, thanks.

[@sa3270]

1:17 That explains why we never heard about this in the United States.

[@PlayerOneStart]

Wow, I have never heard of this console. Cool design and graphical style. Good video!

[@ReplayRetro]

thanks for the kind words

[@Sonic1994PL]

Great review, I looking of it with that style and details. Can I use your show with console and cartridge boxes to my video in future about Super Cassette Vision? I recording my series in Polish to Polish audience about consoles and it's history. Glad to see answer :)

[@HiNRGboy]

This was not a bad system at all, I enjoy it. Of course it's not as good as the Famicom so if you can get past that, it's decent in its own way. It has plenty of exclusive games found only on it, and for that reason alone is pretty cool. The SG1000 was a cool little system too.

[@The_Real_DCT]

Yeah the SG 1000 was despite being a sega branded Colecovision. seriously, the SG 1000 is just a colecovision. You can even run colecovision roms in it and vice versa so long as you patch them for the difference in timing since Colecovision is NTSC and SG 1000 is NTSC J

[@antonnym214]

I never heard of this console. Thanks for the info! That single-channel sound gets pretty monotonous (literally). The Z-80 cpu was the best of the 8-bit processors (I used to program in z-80 and 8080 assembly), and the range of colors was nice. You can do a lot in 4K RAM with assembly language, so really, the sound seems to be the major limitation.

[@sanicyouth6540]

That second hole sure did spook you when the screen started flashing red and made a beeping sound.

[@ReplayRetro]

i was trying to figure out why the controls had suddenly changed completely and then i didn't expect it to start having a tantrum, i don't need this high pressure stuff when im playing bloody golf

[@aurathedraak7909]

Finally gawd. My favorite British person that's third in line

[@ReplayRetro]

curious to know whose got the 1st and 2nd positions? thanks for watching :)

[@FIXTREME]

Probably Clegg & Compo

[@aurathedraak7909]

@@ReplayRetro lmao good question, probably sada from sada plays and jackfrags.

[@StRoRo]

I don't know but the Rough, Vert at Bleu port made me chuckle. Its actually a nice looking console, very 70s, it wouldn't look out of place as a computer panel on the Death Star on Star Wars.

[@ReplayRetro]

the form factor really is nice, especially as the controllers tuck away neatly (with a little effort)

[@notsoslimshady8691]

Feels like I've been waiting for a new vid for years lol

[@ReplayRetro]

Sorry buddy, i hope it's been worth the wait :)

[@zaxxon9662]

RGB vs composhite of NES/Famicom is a massive difference in quality. Hell even the 1982 C64 had S-video, the PAL version did from day one in November 1982. Which is why in 1985 I got a SCART cable for my 520ST and Amiga 1000 and a brand new Trinitron 14" TV (a country mile better than the goldfish Phillips and Commodore efforts for sure).

[@JasonVectrex_187]

I will have to find this console! :)

[@ReplayRetro]

+Jason Rotbergs I'd recommend finding one with a bundle of games as the games aren't cheap by themselves, they're not crazy expensive but they're not cheap either

[@BITPLAKIS]

Cool! I never heard about that console til now. Very interesting. Thank You^^,)

[@ReplayRetro]

Always happy to educate :) glad you liked it

[@CommodoreFan64]

very cool stuff, as I thought I knew at least a little about every game console that's been released, but I'm proven wrong, as I've never heard of, or seen this one before. Again very cool stuff, and hope you have a great Christmas.

[@ReplayRetro]

collecting is definitely a learning adventure, for example i didn't know about the Epoch Pocket before working on this episode and now its on the list of systems to track down

[@MaxW-er1hm]

I mean you CAN splice the wires and replace the controller....if you also bought a dead unit to take the controllers from....

[@1sibbo]

Great vid of an underated system. many thanks

[@ReplayRetro]

thanks, glad you enjoyed it. Yeah i first saw it at an event a few years back and was immediately drawn to how sharp the image is

[@sa3270]

The graphics look very Commodore-like to me, like halfway between VIC-20 and Commodore 64. The font looks identical to the one used in the VIC-20.

[@electricadventures]

For when this system was released it was quite behind on the technical specifications of it's competitors. Quite an interesting oddity in the console market. I have ended up with two titles for it (numbers 2 and 6) if you are interesting in trading something for them (I am not going to get the system).

[@jaxnean2663]

Great episode, I never heard of this system before!

[@ReplayRetro]

thanks, it's a really underrated system the first time i got to play on one i was really impressed with the sharpness of the image and i had to have one

[@johnsquarez6806]

Welcome back, ol chum

[@ReplayRetro]

good to be back batman ;)

[@brianoconnell6459]

I wonder if they were planning to have a keyboard at one point.

[@intel386DX]

in France all old consoles uses RGB, only Atari 2600 have RF but with awful 8 colors

[@paulk7772]

The japanese box has the english title too: Supa kassetto bizion.

[@romanrm1]

Could you please show games in original 4:3, and not stretched to 16:9? Thanks

[@ReplayRetro]

Hi there, sorry you're not happy with the way i show the games, it's a bit of a catch 22 situation really because if i don't show them in widescreen then i'm not using the whole screen which is a big problem for anyone watching on a mobile device, some systems really do look distorted and awful when stretched so i'd make the sacrifice and keep them native but with the SCV i felt it actually held up really well, probably as testament to those super sharp graphics, it really does depend on how i think it looks at the minute, though if enough people took issue with it then it might change Thanks for watching and i hope this hasn't ruined your enjoyment of the show

[@romanrm1]

Here's one way to show games with a different proportion display: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGncmoihr8xrbLs Have a background layer of the same gameplay stretched and blurred, and the actual display on top in original proportions. Creates something passable looking around the display area instead of black bars, and doesn't stretch the actual game, best of the both worlds. But in my personal opinion simple black bars are OK too, if the choice is between them and the stretched version.

[@aidan192]

Finally your back

[@ReplayRetro]

what about my back? ;) only playing, hope you enjoyed the show

[@ff_crafter]

Always like your video ♥

[@ReplayRetro]

very nice of you to say, hopefully you'll continue to do so

[@ff_crafter]

I love video about retro gaming

[@ComputerAndTechnologyChannelTM]

The name of it is in French. All of those words in the name are French. They are only loanwords to English.

[@ReplayRetro]

ahhh that explains it, thanks, i thought "Cassette" was probably a loan word as it sounds very similar to a number of french words but i'd never have suspected "Super" and "Vision" thanks

[@kekeke8988]

Half the English language is French thanks to Harold getting his shit pushed in.

[@pablorai769]

They are all Latin words or derivatives thereof.

[@GeirEivindMork]

it is french, they had to output to rgb scart. probably had RF in rest of europe. Not the first console to have a special french version in that case.

[@ReplayRetro]

yeah i get that as it was a legally required thing in france, but the standard model had RGB and RF so i don't see why they'd go to the trouble of removing the RF when they could just have both and still meet the requirements, seems a silly thing to go tot he expense of retooling for

[@GeirEivindMork]

Could be the opposite, save a few pennies on losing the RF modulator? Who knows. I never thought I would see a mid 80s console that had a worse soundchip (according to the time it was released) than the atari 7800, though. Knowing atari had the pokey is the worst part of the 7800 experience.

[@Crazy_Borg]

I heard that if your device happens to have an RF out, you need special certificate (since technically, you are broadcasting) in France. In the 80s, France and Germany had very strict laws to electronic emissions, so the removal of it may also be the cause. Amstrad GX4000 and even as late as the Atari Jaguar, both had versions for France without an RF unit. In case of the GX4000, the internal circuitry also differs.

[@ReplayRetro]

in that case france would definitely have missed out on electrotennis lol, thanks for the input

[@alivestudiostube]

Why no Amiga reviews ?

[@the-birbo]

all your stuff is gonna fall off the shelves if there's a small earthquake

[@LGP82]

Nice video: By the way my NES also was not connected to scart back in the good old 80's ;)

[@ReplayRetro]

Thanks, glad you liked it. Yeah when i was growing up only our living room TV had a scart socket and we weren't allowed to use that for games so all our consoles for years were connected via RF. I think it was halfway through the playstations lifespan that this changed and i finally used scart

[@johneygd]

That it had RGB out was realy really ahead of it's time, most tv's at that time didn't had even composite out. But aside from that i can’t believe that the super cassette vision really compeated against the famicom because 1, it didn’t had killer apps on it like pac man,space invaders or donkeykong etc,,, it only had a seemingly pac man clone punch boy and the seemingly donkeykong clone 2049 minor but that’s it, btw i found the game super golf just a joke because to me theres nothing super about it,i can see senior people playing it together and talking about the past but that’s it, 2,the technology of the super cassette vision seems to be very outdated at the time, because the graphics & sound don’t look much better then that of the atari 2600. 3.that epich picked the idea to put a door on there console to store those hardwired controllers into it(just like the atari 5200) may ask why,were people back then more dignified to don’t wanna see controllers laying around the floor after playing and did game companies playing on that mindset by putting a controller storage compartment on their systems??? On the famicom you could store those controllers on the side,on the intelevision and colecovision you could store controllers into it,and on the atari 400 theres a door on it so you can keep the inserted cartride away from the naked eye,it makes me wonder were the 70’s & 80’s more dignified or were japanese people more dignified then americans? I would be not surprised if that’s the case.

[@ReplayRetro]

yeah it's pretty amazing really and the image is so perfect as a result, nothing else of its era comes close

[@Retroman8077]

No pink unit

[@belstar1128]

Super cassettes WOW!!!

[@ReplayRetro]

i wonder if they planned "ultra" cassettes next, they could have followed those with a "cassettecube"

[@ff_crafter]

Don't forget cassette 64 & cassette u

[@dallase1]

The Graphics are not better than NES, SNES, Genesis or Master System. It looks like systems between Fairchild Channel F and Atari VCS, systems like Arcadia 2001, APF-MP1000, CreatiVision and Odyssey².

Darn it, just another boring cartridge based system. I was hoping it would use Audio Cassette to load in games like the Speccy and the C64 used to. am guessing it was called cassette because of the cartridge being translated as the cassette in Japanese.