Retro-Bit Super Retro Trio Review

If you were to tell me 18 years ago that someday I would be able to get a single game system that could play NES, Super NES, and Sega Genesis games all in one box, and that it would cost as much as a game cartridge, I'd have asked if you were a wizard. Yet that's the case today with cartridge game systems for classic game collectors. Two companies, Retro-Bit and Hyperkin, each offer systems that can play old cartridge-based games. The newest, Retro-Bit's Super Retro Trio, can play NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, and with an optional adapter Game Boy and GBA games (its predecessor, the Retro-Duo, could only play NES and SNES games, and Hyperkin's competing version, the Retron 3, doesn't feature a GBA adapter as an option). For $69.99, it's a retro gamer's dream that doesn't require the cash, legwork, or space that finding each individual older game console in working order does.

Yes, this is legal. These retro cartridge systems do not emulate software or claim to represent any major game company. They only offer support for a legacy media format that the original manufacturers no longer support. This of course means you'll have to get old cartridge-based games, and you can't pick those up at GameStop or Best Buy. Smaller, independent video game stores often carry old games, and you can find some real gems at thrift stores and flea markets, especially in rural areas where fewer classic game connoisseurs regularly hunt. Failing that, eBay and Craigslist are always good for finding cartridges, and you might find a treasure trove in your or your friends' basement, attic, or crawlspace. If the physical game doesn't interest you, most NES, SNES, and Genesis classics are available to download on the Nintendo Wii($315.81 at Amazon) and Wii U($900.00 at Amazon) Virtual Consoles (and the Wii U can access both libraries), but there's a certain appeal to having the cartridge in your hand and playing the game as it was originally made. There's also an appealing permanence to your physical game purchase, considering Nintendo's awkward (and barely existent way) of tracking the games you download from its online store.

Design
The Super Retro Trio comes in black with red accents, and at 2.4 by 8 by 9.2 inches (HWD) is necessarily bulky to accommodate the cartridge slots and controller connections. At 1.3 pounds, it looks and feels a bit cheap. It's not poorly made and the moving parts don't wiggle, but the entire body is built out of a very light plastic. The electronics are small, simple, and not particularly power-intensive, so holding it almost feels like picking up an empty shell of a device. Fortunately, it's functionally much sturdier than it initially seems, and its utilitarian design is certainly well thought-out.

The top of the Super Retro Trio holds the three cartridge slots for NES, SNES, and Genesis games, along with a reset button, a four-way power switch, and colored LEDs to indicate which mode it's in. The front panel sits under a large lip formed by the top of the case, and pops open with a small press. The door hides the system's myriad controller inputs and switches. While the older Retro-Duo only accepted SNES controllers, the Super Retro Trio can connect NES, SNES, and Genesis controllers, with a pair of ports for each design. A three-way switch flips between which of the ports are active and a four-way switch selects what region cartridges it can play. The back of the system holds composite and S-Video ports and a power port. A built-in HDMI upconverter would have been appreciated (and is planned for Hyperkin's upcoming Retron 5), but it would have made the Super Retro Trio both more expensive and more fragile. If you really want to play your classic games through HDMI instead of composite video, a composite-to-HDMI upconverter can be found online for around $30.

Controllers
Two SNES-style controllers with Genesis-like plugs come with the Super Retro Trio, and while they're functional, they don't feel quite as satisfying or responsive as the original controllers. Thankfully, the ports worked flawlessly with my own gamepads. You can use the included controllers with games for any of the systems. You can also use a Genesis controller to play NES and SNES games, albeit with mixed results depending on the game, and you can't use NES or SNES controllers to play Genesis games.

Compatibility
Compatibility for games is impressive. The Super Retro Trio can play NES, SNES, and Genesis games out of the box, and it handled a wide swath of my collection with ease, loading Little Nemo, Dragon Spirit, and Batman for the NES; Strider, Revolution X, Sega 6-Pack, and Super Street Fighter II for the Genesis; and Killer Instinct, NBA Jam: Tournament Edition, and Super Wrestlemania for the SNES with no cartridge-wiggling or tinkering with the system.

An optional $45 Super Retro Adapter turns the SNES cartridge slot into a Game Boy and Game Boy Advance system. It takes power and controller inputs from the SNES cartridge slot, but it requires its own composite cable hook-up through a 3.5mm port on the side. The opposite side of the adapter holds a port for the GBA link cable, if you want to connect three GBAs to it. I had very good success getting most of my GBA collection to work—and the ones that didn't I'm fairly certain are simply dead or their contacts are too corroded to function, so it's not necessarily a fault of the adapter.

The Super Retro Trio will tickle the nostalgia of anyone who grew up in the 8- and 16-bit eras. Video games on cartridges might seem like ancient technology now, but back in "the day" they were vital, and the ability to play them today is extremely appreciated. If you still have some video games from when you were a child, or are looking into collecting classic games now, the Super Retro Trio is a valuable tool and earns our Editors' Choice for offering so much gaming fun for such a small price, even if you have to hunt for the games yourself.