Hyperkin RetroN 77: HD Gaming Console for Atari 2600 (Retro Amber) - Not Machine Specific

The media could not be loaded. This is a really good unit and will play 80 - 90 percent of the the 2600’s library. But if we update firmware is a great unit and will play 100 percent of the library.1 I would recommend getting a couple of smaller sd cards smaller than 4 gigs. I would install the Stella build 6.6 as it will have the greatest capability to all games and homebrew games. But here is the catch, this build is not so good for paddle games as they are very glitchy.2 use the second sd card and install Stella 6.5.1 as it works really well for paddle games. The only catch here is that it may not play all games like 6.6 can.3 keep your stock sd card back and leave it be. Use it if you have have a problem with the other 2 cards or if ya decided to sell the retron 77 later.Closing thoughts, it a great emulator and does not take up space. It has a super clean crisp picture over HDMI. The controllers are great too. And the stock paddles and joysticks will work with the retron.All info is on YouTube and on atariage web site and really easy to do with a computer just follow along with the directions and you have a super Atari emulator machine with all the games you’ll ever wanted and your finger tips. Happy Gaming!!!

Spider Fighter, Enduro, Megamania, Starmaster, Ice Hockey, Sea Quest, Pitfall, River Raid, Skiing, Chopper Command. All worked no problems. Kaboom, however did fail (can play as R0M tho).Some Parker Bros carts don't like to stay inserted (unless you carefully open them and nix the springs), Return of the Jedi won't load period.Mattel Bump n Jump wont play (again, will load as R0M).I have a hundred or so carts and besides the few mentioned everything is just pimpy. I think some of these reviewers just have dirty contacts in their carts. Ain't hard to clean, people.This is with the shipped firmware (which is fine). A community build firmware is available (g00gl it) which allows one to load more than the default 17 r0mz. Be aware the community build does stress the system and it's pot luck if you will benenefit from its improvements or experience crashes and freezes.Paddle games with Hyperkins Ranger controller work great, strongly recommend (it did take me a bit to adjust but absolutely worth the effort). With their controller my average score on Millipede & Spider Fighter sky rocketed.Not having to boot a PC just for Stella, amazing joyticks, thumbsticks, and paddles, HD TVs with no adapters or lag ...Hyperkin has made me a HUGE fan.

I used to play my original Atari 2600 on a boxy CRT TV, but that finally gave up on me, so I picked up this console so I could play games on a modern display. The package comes with the console itself, power and HDMI cords, and a joystick with a nice 10ft long cable. On the front are buttons and switches that are adaptations of what you'd find on an original Atari 2600 with the addition of a "save" and "load" button. The console feels well made and the buttons are solid, not too spongey or cheap feeling or anything like that. On the back are the power and display ports as well as a fry, aspect ratio, and color button, and a micro SD slot. I actually like the translucent orange look although it's more reminiscent of 90s era Nintendo devices than it is the Atari 2600.For the most part, the console is plug and play and works similar to an actual Atari. You put your cartridge in, turn it on, and it boots the game. I have to say the image quality is almost perfect. It's strange seeing Atari games reproduced so clearly in high definition, but once you get used to it the games play pretty much exactly as they always have. Now, this console is NOT reproducing Atari's hardware, it is actually emulating the game via software. So I would say the experience is like 95% of what it is on an actual Atari. There may be some input delay depending on what display you use, so a monitor or TV set to game mode will be best. And all games may not emulate perfectly. For example, I had some lines on the side of the image in Ms. Pac-Man, and Kaboom! had some screen tearing at the higher speeds. In River Raid the helicopters sometimes looked like they were cut in half. If you're a die-hard Atari fan and are switching to this from a CRT with original console, you will likely notice some of these things. But if your collection has been in storage for years or you're introducing someone to Atari 2600 for the first time, you likely will not notice these issues. Honestly it plays much better than I expected.Cartridges have to be pretty clean to work on the console. I have some really dusty ones that work fine on the original console but wouldn't start on here. Cleaning them helps. My original paddle controllers worked fine as well and with Kaboom! they had some jitter like usual, but operated smoothly and it felt pretty much like it does on the original console.The "save" button allows you to return to a specific moment in any game. So you can hit it at any point and then return to that point by pushing "load." Kind of cool especially if you are practicing a game and want to skip the early parts.The joystick that comes with it is pretty nice, and feels better than an original due to the double sided buttons and rounded off corners. It works on the original console as well.I have not yet dove into homebrews, or modding, or anything that the micro-SD slot unlocks. I'm happy with the stock software so far. But you can add roms and change the software. There is a lot of info on this at AtariAge, if you're interested.My main complaint is that it outputs 16:9 by default. You have to push the 4:3 button every time you change cartridges. If you don't mind the stretched image, this won't be a problem for you.So in conclusion, this device works well enough to reproduce Atari 2600 over HDMI. Most of my games and controllers worked, but some needed to be cleaned up. The console feels well made and works well to extend the life of your vintage game collection. I will be sure to update this review if I ever run into any major problems with it, but so far so good.