Lifesperience

WIP Logo Concept It may seem that I have disappeared and abandoned this blog, but in all honestly, that isn't the case. For those wondering, (and thanks for not forgetting me!) I am quite alive and what some would call "well" at the moment.   So... what have I been up to, and why hasn't the blog received an update ?

Nostalgia is a powerful force, and with the Nintendo Entertainment System past its 30th anniversary, there are now more choices than ever to play those classic, over-sized cartridges from your youth.  With numerous clone systems out there ranging from under $20 , and all the way up to $500, how does the RetroUSB AVS stack up to the competition coming in at $185 before shipping/taxes?  Let's find out. Upon receiving the RetroUSB AVS , the first noticeable characteristic is that the box itself looks and feels like some cheap Chinese product that you'd likely find at a site like Aliexpress, or in your local Chinatown. Upon opening the box, the experience isn't particularly elegant. It took some work to get the inside cardboard to come out of the box.  The strong suction kept a tight grip and almost made me rip the cardboard in an attempt to get the AVS out of its own packaging.  Once it was finally out, the contents were an HDMI cable, a Mini (not Micro) U...

As I waited anxiously this week for 8bitdo's retro receiver to arrive, I looked over at my old wireless solution for the NES; The Acclaim Wireless Nes Infrared Controller .  The old controller still works decades later, but is hampered down by its infrared technology.  The range is limited to a few feet, and even worse, line of sight between the controller and its huge sensor is a must for it to work at all. 8bitdo has answered the call with its Retro Receiver  adapter.  This modern take on wireless uses modern bluetooth technology.  The adapter itself is about the size of the average adult thumb, and powered directly from the NES port itself.  No controllers come with the $20 adapter, but it does work with all of 8bitdo's controllers and joysticks in addition to the Wiimote, Wii U pro controller, PS3, & PS4 controllers.  The contents of the box are sparse, and only contain the adapter, a usb cable for connecting to your PC/Mac, and what...

Lifesperience is now Raycommend, which can be found here:    Ray Commend   8bitdo, the creators of the Nes30 and other clone gamepads , have recently released a firmware updates that allow them to directly link to Hyperkin's Retron 5 system wirelessly via bluetooth.  If you have a Nes30 pad, then simply update your firmware by following the directions via this link , and start playing!! You can see the official Retron 5 controller default to Player 2, while the Nes30 is Player 1. Due to the Retron 5 gamepad having more buttons than the Nes30, mapping isn't absolutely perfect, but works well enough with the NES, SNES, Sega Master System (with adapter), Gameboy, and Gameboy advance systems.  The Genesis mapping is missing buttons " ^ " and " > " which would correspond to "C" and "Z" buttons on the official six button Sega Genesis controller.  Fortunately, there are options to remap gamepad buttons via the Retron 5's set...