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Gaming Minute

Gaming Minute: Giant Bomb Gaming Minute 07/10/2014 - Retron5

One device that can play NES, SNES, Genesis, Game Boy, and Game Boy Advance games? Jeff Gerstmann quickly talks about the Retron 5.

Jul. 10 2014

Posted by: Jeff

53 Comments

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dwgill

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This minute is so produced it sounds violent.

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Durre

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I'll take one.

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FLStyle

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Hurray Gaming Minute is back!

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Fitzgerald

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It's really, really hard to find and sold out everywhere. Can only find it on Amazon but it's at a huge premium. I also hear it has issues and there are a lot of defects.

Sucks because I want/need one REALLY BAD but don't really want to pay more than retail.

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csl316

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So fancy.

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Viqor

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huh. They changed the Playstation ding that used to be at the end of every episode.

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BonOrbitz

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Edited By BonOrbitz

@fitzgerald said:

It's really, really hard to find and sold out everywhere. Can only find it on Amazon but it's at a huge premium. I also hear it has issues and there are a lot of defects.

Sucks because I want/need one REALLY BAD but don't really want to pay more than retail.

Why do you "want/need one really bad" if it has issues and there are a lot of defects? We saw it ourselves with Jeff's system during the Freedom Stream. That changed my mind and I really wanted one myself.

Edit: Check any local game shops besides Gamestop. I have a place called Mega Media XChange near me in the Milwaukee area that sells lots of used media, but random new accessories and some unique video game related stuff. They had a Retron 5 for $140 a couple of weeks ago.

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monkeystick

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GIANT BOMB DOT COM

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ripelivejam

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Uno minute por faver

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Fitzgerald

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@fitzgerald said:

It's really, really hard to find and sold out everywhere. Can only find it on Amazon but it's at a huge premium. I also hear it has issues and there are a lot of defects.

Sucks because I want/need one REALLY BAD but don't really want to pay more than retail.

Why do you "want/need one really bad" if it has issues and there are a lot of defects? We saw it ourselves with Jeff's system during the Freedom Stream. That changed my mind and I really wanted one myself.

As far as I know it's the only way to play famicom/super famicom games that can be passed into a Hauppage PVR via HDMI.

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thewonderwaffle

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Jeff Gerstmann speaks with such passionate authority, I'm pretty sure he could sell me my own shirt.

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xanadu

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Jeffy G layin' it down like it iz.

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ultrapeanut

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God I love these.

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cloneslayer

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These are amazing. Production is the best.

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ColdsnapBryan

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What's the catch? PCs do all this for free and can upscale games.

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GalacticPunt

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This minute is so produced it sounds violent.

blap blap muthafuckas

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Qjt

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Like a boss!

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Karishin

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From what I saw on that stream, I can't believe he can't still recommend this thing.

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benitobb

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I ordered my Retron5 on amazon maybe over a year ago for less than $80, never cancelled my pre-order even through the delays and got it for that price thanks to Amazon's price guarantee nonsense. The nights spent with buddies, just smoking and trying to beat Kickle Cubicle, Marble Madness and playing Nintendo World Cup have made it well worth it. The controller is pretty bad, but it's worked perfectly well so far. Good console.

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hunterob

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This is the first I've heard him advise not to pay a premium, and that was my gut feeling, though I was tempted anyways. I think now I'll definitely wait for a restock. Thanks, Jeff.

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BlaineBlaine

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@hunterob: wait... So we should stop subscribing?? I thought premium was good!

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mr_creeper

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Waiting it out until I pull all my old crap out of storage before I buy one of these.

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EvilGreenDevil

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It's really, really hard to find and sold out everywhere. Can only find it on Amazon but it's at a huge premium. I also hear it has issues and there are a lot of defects.

Sucks because I want/need one REALLY BAD but don't really want to pay more than retail.

Issues and defects is an understatement....I just had to return my Retron 5 for the second time. The console is so cheaply made its ridiculous. Every time I remove a game I felt like I was going to break something no matter how gentle I was pulling a cartridge out. My issues have centered around the Genesis slot that was a big reason why it was delayed in December. Love retro gaming, can't stand Hyperkin.

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Fuwano

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I wonder how many people check out the site after hearing these on the radio.

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MeAuntieNora

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@fuwano: Hopefully at least one? Welcome!

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bybeach

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Good quick practical info for somebody

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Centurion73

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Got my black one at retail. My fiancee stopped in at VideoGamesNewYork during a NYC trip. Thanks to Vinny and The Wolf for that tip! Really enjoying it so far!

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Sbaitso

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What does Rush Limbaugh think about it?

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inflagrantedelicto

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@sbaitso said:

What does Rush Limbaugh think about it?

I can only assume he thinks it's Obama's fault.

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blackpuddytat

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Wow, that sounded like a radio segment. Professional, condensed and polished, like a small cut diamond.

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mrsmiley

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Wow, that sounded like a radio segment. Professional, condensed and polished, like a small cut diamond.

It is a radio segment.

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CaliforniaPants

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Edited By CaliforniaPants
No Caption Provided

My retron's SNES port started to bend the contacts on itself today after about twenty times of putting a cartridge in and pulling it out. The cartridges fit way too tightly and you have to exert a terrifying amount of force to get them back out. And on top of this the first player NES controller port is broken out of the box. I really wanted to like this even after seeing jeff's issues on UPF, but man its not really worth it.

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dr_mantas

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@slindz: ??? I think you replied in the wrong thread.

Finally Gaming Minutes are back.

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courage_wolf

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If only it had an N64 slot.

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HisHeroIsGone

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Emulate those games! If you get busted by the cops blame Giant Bomb!!

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slindz

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PandaBear

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Why don't people just use a Raspberry Pi?

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Pop

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That ding at the end always makes me laugh.

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Jonny_Anonymous

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Man I fucking loves these things

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metalliccookies

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Edited By metalliccookies

Yey I forgot about these... should really check the tab more

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ahtlas

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This Retron 5 ad brought to you by Giant Bomb, brought to you by Retron 5, brought to you by Giant Bomb. Don't not go out to not buy one today!! Here's the link <link missing>. :)

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Jodski

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Edited By Jodski
@ahtlas said:

This Retron 5 ad brought to you by Giant Bomb, brought to you by Retron 5, brought to you by Giant Bomb. Don't not go out to not buy one today!! Here's the link <link missing>. :)

Ha! Love it. Pimp it, but be a good consumer watch dog in such a way that will hopefully raise and results in some competent competition.

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dasakamov

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Yow, that Retron 5 controller DOES look awful. Did they make by taking a Dremel to a VHS cassette?

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vigorousjammer

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The Retron 5 just... doesn't seem like it's built well enough for me to care about it.
After hearing about all of the problems people have been having with the cartridge ports, it makes me not really want to get one at all.
Also, This might just be silly nostalgia, but for these classic games, I kind of just want to pop in a game and hit "power", and not go to a menu and wait for it to dump the game to the internal memory first.
If it could dump the games and keep it on the memory permanently, giving me a big list of games to select from, that'd be much cooler, but I can understand why they couldn't do that, for legal reasons and whatnot.

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Accolade

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Edited By Accolade

Need more of these.

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jimmyfenix

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Edited By jimmyfenix

Spilling Pepsi on the Retron made it better!

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namco51

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Does average joe know WTF a GBA is?

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CaffeineOD

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Oh, it's literally a minute. I s-see...