Zoga NES-101 Nintendo clone - review and tear down with surprise inside

[@tkmedia3866]

"Mattel version" is in reference to the european NES as there were two diff nes released.

[@SuperFriendBFG]

Yup, in 1987, Mattel was handling manufacturing and distribution of the NES in UK, Australia, Canada and Italy. That is up until the early 90s when Nintendo of Europe took over that duty.

[@paranoidgenius9164]

I liked this video, been trying to find a Famicom to NES cartridge adapter for ages! Now I know where to look🤗 Thankyou

[@MTS_IT]

Famicom part is if you want your cosole to have preloaded games (some clones have it) so that way you can play games without having nes games. Any when you load nes game (as you did) nes is loaded

[@emmettturner9452]

As soon as I saw that it defaults to the 72-pin slot with the Famicom slot populated, I knew exactly what the Famicom slot was for. There are a TON of clone consoles that have built-in games which default to the cart slot. Those Genesis clones come to mind. This was built so they could sell a version with built-in games without losing the cart slot.

[@duodream]

That was exactly my thought. I don't have any clones with slots, but I have clones with chips for built-in games.

[@emmettturner9452]

duodream Around 2001 I saw N64 controller-shaped NES clones with built-in games that also had a slot on the bottom being sold at malls in the USA (despite the games not being legal). I don't know if the slots were 60 or 72 pin. I'm guessing that they worked like this does.

[@duodream]

I meant internal slots, sorry. I do have one of the N64 controller style clones with a 60-pin on the bottom, a genesis-look-alike gamepad NES with no slots at all, and I think some odd little box version without a slot. There have been SO many clones.

[@emmettturner9452]

duodream Yeah. Any with internal slots was probably available in two configs. Others probably had internal traces for an optional ROM or ROM board, much like the early Atari Flashback consoles and those Genesis clones. FYI: the first Atari Flashback was actually an NES clone. :)

[@duodream]

I have a couple of those keychain micro Atari clones too! They had 2-3 games in them each and a single 1/8" AV jack.

[@Chriva]

That notification signal as he uncoiled the controller cable -Perfect timing lol

[@battmann7089]

My Pal NES as purchased in 1989 was a Mattel version and since I modded it it will play any NES cart I throw at it- including ones which say “Not for the Mattel” version! Good video btw👍

[@DannyCD]

This is the only console I'd let Drakon mod

[@lukasperuzovic1429]

No, Drakon will still goof it up with a metric ton of hot glue and tape. I don't trust Drakon with legos.

[@infinidominion]

he's now drakoff

[@death2all79zx]

What about Duplos?

[@lukasperuzovic1429]

Duplos? The little kid legos? He might try to eat them.

[@DannyCD]

I just found out about this recently. He modded a Twin Famicom, a Twin Famicom!! That poor console. It was 4 years ago, here's the topic: atariage.com/forums/topic/213030-modified-sharp-twin-famicom/ As usual, Drakon's cockiness is in his posts in that topic, but he stopped posting after somebody posted GameTech's first video on Drakon's RGB mod work.

[@duderobi]

the UK, Australia and Italy had the mattel version.

[@medinachete73]

Spain too, Portugal probably...

[@codenamegamma]

ok, but you forgot the best part, ignoring the label and sticking the clone cart in a real machine to see what happens or if the famicom adapter works for any other games.

[@PixelOverload]

CodenameGamma it probably wouldn't due to the lack of certification chip, hence the notice

[@ToploadedGaming]

As long as you bypass the lockout chip, it should work. Did the tooloader have a lockout chip? I seem to remember it didn’t because the game genie couldn’t fit the toploader so i think they didn’t bother with the lockout. I’m not sure here. Don’t quote me, pure conjecture on my part.

[@xalalalala]

@@ToploadedGaming it works ok. In fact every bootleg NES multicart works on the NES console if you disable the lockout chip.

[@ToploadedGaming]

Xalalalala's Attic Treats Yea thats what I would have thought. But I thought the toploader didn’t have a lockout chip at all.

[@xalalalala]

@@ToploadedGaming oh, I was referring to the regular NES version. I think it's curious how they warn us about the NES and Mattel versions but they work just fine. I have 6 of these new bootleg multicarts and no problem whatsoever. Some of the carts require the 5 or 6 reset pushes "trick" to switch between PAL and NTSC. Interesting stuff 😂

[@CommodoreFan64]

Might be worth it if I can ever find one for $40 - $45 with the cart to keep in my RV encase it rains while camping, and the kids have something to play besides their phones, and 2DS games.

[@diamondgeeza06]

In the UK, Italy and Australia which share thePAL A region, two versions of the NES were released; the "Mattel Version" and "NES Version".[85] When the NES was first released in those countries, it was distributed by Mattel and Nintendo decided to use a lockout chip specific to those countries, different from the chip used in other European countries. When Nintendo took over European distribution in 1990, it produced consoles that were then labelled "NES Version"; therefore, the only differences between the two are the text on the front flap and texture on the top/bottom of the casing.

[@UltimatePerfection]

18:44 Maybe that fami thing is for built-in games? I've seen some clones that do it by having essentially a second cartridge port connected to built-in cartridge and when you put a cart into user port, that builtin port is essentially cut out so your game plays instead of built-in one. And since most multicarts I've seen are famicom boards (and many nes ones just have fami converter on the inside), that's may be why.

[@nicholsliwilson]

Oh hay, that's just how Parcel Force deliver parcels in the UK?! It's quite well known that you *NEVER* mark a package as "Fragile" if you're sending by Parcel Force because you write/label it "Fragile" and they read it as "Soccer Ball." Great video, thanks. 😊

[@nesmaster14]

Wow, never thought I'd see a direct clone of the toploader design. That internal FC slot is hilarious

[@guspaz]

Others have said why the famicom slot is there (for having a built-in multi-cart), but that's actually pretty common. That's exactly what the Kong Feng GB Boy Colour has inside, a gameboy multi-cart soldered to the cart connector.

[@joseluki]

I have seen the two ports famiclones before, usually they have an "internal" japanese 100 in 1 cartridge that pops up if you connect the console without any cartridge, then if you insert a european or american cartridge it loads it.

[@franksmith7271]

Now I must have one, the games built in, the bonus adapter, and the available top loading slot without having to ad any switches... I'm impressed at the lingths they went to to cobble together a bootleg... And a bootleg nes cart... What crafty little bastards...

[@cueball1897]

Found these listed on Aliexpress under "NES-108 Clone." I'd probably go for the 154-1 cart bundle if I were to get one.

[@RetroAges]

I remember having the Mattel NES when I was young. I think it was for the UK (and maybe EU) market. I remember it being a pain as not all games would work on the Mattel version with some games having both a NES and Mattel version being sold, making trading games with friends more hassle than it should have been.

[@gmcnewlook]

My nes says Mattel on the bottom I'm guessing they meant the ones Mattel distributed for Nintendo?

[@BeatlesCuber]

gmcnewlook over in PAL countries they were for a little, then they were distributed by Nintendo hence nes version and Mattel

[@efwefwef4747]

Canadian distribution was done by Mattel. Every system box has the big ugly red logo on them. www.8bitnes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/-206052908828199630.jpg

[@lukasperuzovic1429]

Yeah Mattel distributed the NES in most markets Nintendo themselves had no presence in. Mostly Europe and Canada. Also Hyundai was authorized to manufacturer and sell the NES in South Korea under the name Comboy as South Korea at the time had an anti-Japanese inport law. Having Hyundai make and sell the console was the loop hole.

[@BeatlesCuber]

Lukas Peruzovic yes you are correct Lukas.

[@abymondesir23]

Interesting

[@mani5446]

there is a famicon connector insite so they can put "internal" game when you boot up without any cartrige in the normal slot

[@montiseas919]

Intresting clone. Only other clone I have seen which had a second cartridge slot is a Mega Drive clone called Scorpion.

[@Lord_Nightmare]

Mattel sold one of the two PAL versions in Europe, the one with the PAL-MTL sticker inside (and 3197A CIC). So the 500-in-1 pirate cart label actually does make sense, in that regard.

[@sparkles122]

the warning on the label refers to the uk where we had 2 types of the console

[@eugenegrebionkin]

they put the second slot for "built-in" games. Possibly there is another version of this console with a regular Famicom cartridge PCB inserted there

[@sandplasma]

That is freakin awesome! Makes me want to get one to give as a gift.

[@guarapo66]

Back in the 90's I had a NASA nes clone. It has games built in and it worked the same as you did at the end with the zoga, when it died I took the famicom game inside, I still have that game pcb , only 32 games but no doubles, great

[@WRDaleGameplayArchive]

I saw Legend of Kage in there twice so I have my doubts it's really 500 games.

[@SuperSilvertron]

In Brazil, we had several Nintendo clones. The Nintendo So officially arrived here in 1994. Before that, many companies made their own versions with reverse-engineered console. There was no rule about copyright. Sega was officially represented here by Tec Toy. The company did not escape a clone of the Mega Drive / Sega Genesis. The name was Megavision.Excelent video!

[@HostiaRecords]

Maybe you can put a famicom (or famiclone) cart into the 60 pin secret slot, i bet your 500 in 1 cart has a 60 pin board with a converter

[@sirMAXX77]

Real 'love' and 'care' went in to the handling of that package.

[@ichigo3223]

I think Mattel distributed NES to other regions.... like Australia.

[@paranoidgenius9164]

How many NES consoles?!😱

[@patrikw25]

isn't the FC connector there so if the seller wants he/she could put in a free inbuilt game? I now there was a Sega Megadrive/Genesis clone that workt like that

[@mirabilis]

patrikw25 does the 72 pin connector work when the 60 pin connector is in use?

[@patrikw25]

Yes he shown that in the video Rikard

[@PablojRomero402]

It is. It was pretty common to see that on older clones.

[@ApemanMonkey]

Isn't that what he said?

[@johndee759]

I am curious whether you can install a high def nes Kit to it.

[@Henners]

A lot of old pirate consoles would do this and put a cheap multicart on the Famicom slot to play with no cart in. And then go to the US cart when you had something in it. Eventually they went to using a glob top but they might just do this now

[@g6qwerty]

Wow the audio at the end picked up some high frequency like a old CRT TV.

[@dav3yb]

seems like a good shell to build a retro-pi system into.

[@asiintrospect6229]

Best idea IMHO

[@YselaCreyoStudios]

19:10 And that's the reason why it has a Famicom Pin Adapter too. Notice that when you put the NES Cartridge the console ignores the famicom 60 pin game. So I guess is a cheap way to put "Built-in" games (the seller will just open up the shell and put a cheap 99999 in 1 famicom game on it).

[@HayabusaPaul]

The Mattel version was just the NES distributed by Mattel in Canada

[@srslash901]

"In the UK, Italy and Australia which share the PAL A region, two versions of the NES were released; the "Mattel Version" and "NES Version".[67] When the NES was first released in those countries, it was distributed by Mattel and Nintendo decided to use a lockout chip specific to those countries, different from the chip used in other European countries. When Nintendo took over European distribution in 1990, they produced consoles that were then labelled "NES Version"; therefore, the only differences between the two are the text on the front flap and texture on the top/bottom of the casing."

[@TechHowden]

So the one that says NES version just has just has a different case plastic texture?

[@CSIG1001]

I'd still take this over a retron v

[@_OOTP_]

The Mattel version of the NES was here in the UK at the launch of the product here :) It used to say "Mattel Version"on the flap at the front. I guess Nintendo used Mattel as a distributor here before setting up shop here themselves!

[@KlingonCaptain]

When I bought Mega Man Legacy Collection for 3DS, I was surprised to see the Mattel logo on some of the box art in the museum.

[@shades23]

In Europe, Australia and Canada, the system was released to two separate marketing regions. The first consisted of mainland Europe (excluding Italy) where distribution was handled by a number of different companies, with Nintendo responsible for most cartridge releases. Most of this region saw a 1986 release. The following year Mattel handled distribution for the second region, consisting of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Italy, Australia and New Zealand. Not until the 1990s did Nintendo's newly created European branch direct distribution throughout Europe

[@EmilePolka]

i think that hidden cartridge slot is where the built-in game cards are installed, you see a lot of this in clone nes with built-in games.

[@brudog56]

In terms of the Famicom port - I'm willing to bet that these things were assembled using left-over parts from an older Famiclone release. The "designers" probably didn't want to take the time to test the units with the Famicom port removed/replaced, so they left it in there and bolted on the US port.

[@brandon9271]

Mike Bruno I'm sure it's there to accommodate a built in game since it was designed to be at that angle. The cart connectors aren't free and would've been eliminated as cost saving if it didn't serve a purpose.

[@MaximRecoil]

@@brandon9271 "The cart connectors aren't free and would've been eliminated as cost saving if it didn't serve a purpose." Except, it doesn't serve a purpose here, at least not a purpose authorized by the manufacturer. It doesn't come populated with a game PCB and they didn't intend for the customer to open it up to put a game PCB in there either, since in the instructions that came with it, it says, "Never disassemble the computer body" - 6:32

[@brandon9271]

@@MaximRecoil Bro.. the cart connect on the PCB does have a purpose. It there for a built in game. Period. Just because they didn't populate it with a game doesn't mean that's not the whole purpose of it being there.

[@MaximRecoil]

@@brandon9271 You're not the fastest car on the lot, are you? Again, I said: "Except, it doesn't serve a purpose here, AT LEAST NOT A PURPOSE AUTHORIZED BY THE MANUFACTURER" Do the all-caps help? Your assertion was: "The cart connectors aren't free and would've been eliminated as cost saving if it didn't serve a purpose." Since it doesn't serve a purpose FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE MANUFACTURER (again, do the all-caps help?), your assertion is refuted. In other words, they didn't eliminate the Famicom connector as a cost saving measure even though it served no purpose TO THEM (again, do the all-caps help?).

[@brandon9271]

@@MaximRecoil They left it on their either because the PCBs were already manufactured and were left over, or because they put the same PCB in a different package that did include a built in game. You keep saying manufacturers purposely add components that serve no purpose, purely for the fuck of it. That's just not true at all. Chinese manufactures are NOTORIOUS for omitting parts that ARE needed. lol

[@rtv190]

the clone you were thinking of when you saw the Famicom slot with the NES slot was the Generation NEX system

[@shawnkelly2643]

I have a few clones and the famicom cart slot is common for the pre loaded games

[@emmettturner9452]

You seriously don't know anything about the Mattel Version and NES Version NES consoles? They aren't USA, but I thought you knew everything! ;) A similar disclaimer can be found on most European carts produced after Nintendo began selling their own version there.

[@adilator]

he doesn't know much about video games or he would know that internal cartridge slots are there for versions of the console that have built in games.

[@emmettturner9452]

adilator He figured that out by the end of it. The Mattel thing is more weird because that's not obscure pirate/clone stuff. There's even a big Mattel logo on one of Nintendo's games in the NES Classic Edition menu (StarTropics).

[@cubecast1]

Emmett Turner that was a pretty amusing mistake on Nintendo's part, some of the box arts on the NES classic are PAL.

[@icedlain]

The cartridge is very interesting, it's from the later years with flash memory and no repeated games.

[@LeftyPem]

Internal connector is for a loose multicart board. So you can have built in games. My Famiclone has a secondary slot inside just like that, and had a bare pcb inserted.

[@yandman26]

I have both the Mattel and the NES versions of the NES , so yes that makes perfect sense.

[@juanbermudez964]

Mattel versión it’s what we got up here in Canada, Nintendo was distributed by Mattel

[@ElModistoDeConsolasRetro]

Who needs a mini NES? I want a Zoga top loader :V

[@rs.matr1x]

This shell would be nice if someone made an FPGA NES board that fit in it.

[@Merl-co2nd]

Nice, such a double-slot model I have too. But mine is the "Super Com 72". After opening the case, I also saw the 60pin slot connector and tried my Famicom games with success.

[@RoomerJ]

Ya the post office treats packages like stress relief balls

[@nomisastro2000]

I have a Mattel NES and a Mattel version of Super Mario Bros that runs at half speed, anyone who grew up with that version of Mario will have a unique way of remember the music/tunes as they play at half speed too.

[@makinjica]

i remember SNes clones with nesclone inside yea ! nes system, one of them got the same solution as yours in video , but it was populated with 100 games cartridge. one versions sucked others were a bit better. Name was SuperCom.

[@nbchowning]

I'm curious to see if that 500-in-1 cart works on a real NES. I almost bought one of these in hopes to try to steal parts from it. Glad to see a video about it!

[@mwk1]

Och, tak... romantyczne czasy fajnych famiklonów/nesklonów ;-) Coś co dla nas - wychowanych w postsowieckim bloku - było normą (Pegasus, rozmaite chińskie wynalazki, konsole z 2 gniazdami), dla reszty świata były czymś nieprawdopodobnym 😎 Pozdro Ziomuś, szkoda, że już nie nagrywasz, uwielbiałem Twój kanał.

[@MrJR2309]

Thats quite a nice stack of NES' back there!

[@tails64dsntchannel8]

Mattel was distributing the nes in europe.

[@FinalLuigi]

This is one of the more popular videos on this clone, but I came across one video where someone got an Everdrive to work on this machine, versus the PowerPak failing on this particular one. It's interesting, I guess the Everdrive is engineered differently.

[@user-zq6pj5jo8j]

Looks like a great case for a Raspberry Pi build..:)

[@HylianOverlord]

The stood over cartridge slot could be for adding built in games using a multicart.

[@pasu2k]

The Famicom connector is probably tilted because that one was used for top loading, while the NES connector was front loading, if I had to guess

[@andyeldemire67]

that was the reason for the extra connector to seat the circuit board with the multi-game inside it thats how the ones i knew had it

[@TheTurnipKing]

5:51 Pretty standard for 4-button famiclones to have turbo buttons. 18:03 Sometimes those 60 pin connectors are used to supply "built in" games by just shoving a board in there with no shell. Clone game boards tend to be tiny relative to the original cart sizes. That's why the system defaults to the 72 pin connector, and falls back to the 60 pin if there's nothing present.

[@TheIrishAmish]

Famicom connector is in there because a different housing used both connectors in a clone that had the Famicom and Nintendo 90 degrees from each other. ie, Nintendo top load, Famicom front load.

[@thebaa24]

I know this video is old, but I believe that board may be from the GENERATION NEX. It's a dual NES/famicom system where the NES games slide in the front and the famicom games go in on the top.

[@icedlain]

I have a famicom clone console with 2 60pin slots, the second one is a internal (not accessible) with a 64 games PCB.

[@Kumimono]

I still remember the classic "Zooogaaa!" voice from the nineties. Ah, console wars. I guess Nontenda won that one, huh?

[@CanadianRetro]

Matel released NES consoles in Canada for sure my boxed action set has a matel logo on it beside the nintendo seal of quality in the bottom corner

[@jeremiahratliff4332]

Funny knock off. I think it would be nice to have just to have it. Thank you, enjoyed your video.

[@RococoAlmanegra]

That Famicom conector might be there probably because that board is originally from a different Famiclone model. I got my first NES almost 30 years ago and my dad being so cheap instead of buying me the real thing he got me a Famiclone that looked very similar to the original NES but smaller. It came with 140 games or so pre-installed. After a year or two it started failing, the cartridge slot would work fine but the pre-instald games weren't working properly, so I decided to open it up, even though I had no clue about electronics, and what do you know, there was this famicom connector inside positioned similarly to the one you show on the video, and there was a famicom cartridge circuit board connected to it and that's where the pre-instaled games were, I just removed it and put it back on again and the problem was fixed.

[@blackflagqwerty]

Im from New Zealand and I had a Mattel version NES, It said mattel version below the nintendo entertainment system on the cartridge door. I have also seen asian version written on some as well.

[@sergex85]

Back in the day, you could find Famicom clones in my country, that had a second cartridge slot like the one from this video to have built in games.

[@Merrulas]

The warning on the cart has something to do with the region lockout chip used in this particular revision. Disabling it should in theory, allow the game to run.

[@Renatodonadio]

3:35 The Mattel version was the one that was sold in Italy, I think the difference was that it had the RF out like the american top loader instead of having only the A/V out like other slot loaders

[@beastoldone7623]

Now we know why the extra internal connector. As you opened that thing, I was wondering where are the working guts.

[@Metal-Possum]

Dude, Mattel distributed NES consoles in the PAL regions, before Nintendo picked up distribution themselves in its later years... I suspect the Famicom slot is for selling it with built-in games, with the option to use external cartridges too when you needed to.

[@josephbradshaw6985]

There is a clone system that'll play both famicom and nes. The Nes top loads and the famicon inserts horizontally, sorta like how that is set up.

[@alex_zhak]

8:00 that's for integrated games. On later versions they just install a flash chip on the board.

[@Henners]

Worth it for the multicart alone

[@BrandonFreemanAwesome]

I've seen some Genesis clones that had a hidden secondary slot where you could install a cart pcb. I believe it was used to include 50 games on the console without cart. It would work kind of like the AT Games Genesis clone. I don't think that famicom slot was intended for a cart slot, but for a famicom pcb-only version of that cart that they sent you. So, I imagine there is a model of that console somewhere that has 500 games built in, and a famicom pcb closed up inside. Since it defaulted to the top load card when both were in, I'd consider this evidence towards my theory.

[@jimreid5]

I got one thing to add about fixing nes clones. I got an nes clone, only works sometimes. But i figured out if i turn it on and it has a messed up screen. If i leave it on for 5 hours like that, then turn it off and on again it will work. Temporarily though. I guess it getting warm helps or what not.

[@Bylga]

Please post close ups of the PCB.

[@AnubisWithCoffee]

The 2nd Fami connector is if the seller wants to do a "999999 built in games" or what ever they chose to do, and it gets left in the connector. The console defaults to the US cart really kinda confirms that as a lot of clone consoles bypass the Fami cart if it detects the US one

[@flyguille]

the problem of those kind of cheap, is that the blob chip will malfunction easily as soon as you connect the TV in hot, or by thermal throtling. I have an idea, set it turn on 24/7 and see how much last.

[@cutemimi25]

I think what the cartridges saying what you mentioned are there any video was referring to the Pal version of the Nintendo Entertainment System since theirs say "NES Version " or "Mattel Version " below " Nintendo Entertainment System", overall the ZOGA looks like a very good NES clone, compared to most clones, I would recommend the NASA Entertainment Computer System but that's not common to find.

[@ARMODILLOXX]

One cool thing about this, it's that it can work with any USB 5V HDMI tv out there and a normal usb cable RIGHT! :-)

[@chrisxdeboy]

I think the famicom slot is for retailers that want to add built in games and slap a sticker on the box stating that. EDIT: Left comment before finishing the video, but that's pretty common for clone consoles.

[@digital_underground]

I think the factory for this used parts for clone famicoms they had left over, folded the connectors all down, then attatched the US connector. It would have been quicker than detatching it, and cheaper because it would be faster.

[@pekholtz]

i guess the famicom slot is there in case they decide to include a console with "built in" games... kinda makes sense

[@rzeka]

I think the Famicom connected is in there to add built in games when there's no NES game in there

[@Jose-op8rk]

a good video would be what type of parts to look for... like what's good and bad.... bc this hole video you were naming parts I didn't know what's good or not

[@jeff97ish]

Mattell was on the UK NES consoles, if I am correct. Just what I saw on a video.

[@SharifSourour]

To me this is better than the original. It's region free, costs less, plays originals and comes with way more games.

[@71dembonesTV]

All things considered, seems like a pretty good deal if you didn't already have original hardware. Basically, I see a free reproduction donor cart shell and famicom cart converter right off the bat