RetroN 5 $129.99 with free shipping @ ThinkGeek - The RetroN 5 deals thread

Drclaw411

Drclaw411

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CURRENT DEALS:

$129.99 with free shipping at ThinkGeek


Important Information
​Warranty registration - http://www.retron5.com/warrantyregistration_/
Patch Notes / How to Update (Last update 6/10/2014) - http://retron5.in/?src=98f13708210194c475687be6106a3b84

I've included the text from the pre-order era of this OP in spoilers for reference.
UPDATE 5/27/14: It's real this time. Hyperkin's June 6 release date is happening. Many mom and pop stores that have received their units have started selling them already, and many people who have ordered from Amazon (myself included) are reporting getting emails from Amazon notifying them that their orders qualify for release day delivery and are updating estimated delivery status to June 6th, no longer showing the "we need more time" placeholder. It's worth noting that so far only people who have ordered the grey unit from Amazon are receiving order updates (which coincides with Hyperkin reporting on their facebook page that they had shipped Amazon's grey preorder units, but Amazon had yet to place an order for the black units). All consoles that have been shown off online by reviewers, people who have been able to buy them before the street date, or Hyperkin themselves have all been grey consoles to this point. No word on black consoles. Another note: Chris Gallizzi of Hyperkin responded to an inquiry about Newegg orders by saying that he is not aware of any issues with Newegg's preorders, and they should be good to go for the launch.

UPDATE 5/22/14: Just one day after IGN and Polygon reported that Hyperkin would begin shipping units to retailers on May 22 (today as of this writing), Hyperkin essentially confirmed that. They have announced that the launch date for the long overdue RetroN 5 is June 6th, 2014. In a much quieter fashion (just by responding to a random person's comment) they confirmed this would be for North America only and that the console would launch in the UK in September. There is also one more small hitch. The rumor that the first batch of units would be only for mom/pop B&M retailers and that NO units from this batch would go to Amazon or Newegg has been gaining some serious steam. While Hyperkin has been responding to a decent amount of comments on their facebook page from excited fans, they continue to ignore questions about when Amazon orders will ship. So it seems those of us who preordered on Amazon still don't have a solid release date. Fulfillment could happen any time between June 6th through September or beyond.

UPDATE 5/21/14: IGN today reported that the RetroN 5 would begin shipping out on May 22 (tomorrow, as of this writing)! This coincides with Chris Gazzilli, Hyperkin's project manager, posting a picture on his facebook page of a massive shipping container full of RetroN 5 units. Ladies and Gentlemen, it seems hell may have just frozen over.

UPDATE 5/13/14: Hyperkin has listed the RetroN 5, and it's controllers, on their company wholesale store for authorized retailers to buy. The console (both colors) and controllers (both colors) are listed as sold out. I'm not sure if they were in stock and sold out quickly, or if they haven't been made available yet. Regardless, it's good news that the system is listed for the first time ever. Additionally, reviewers such as GameSpot and several youtube reviewers have received their review units, which appear to be retail units. The RetroN 5 seems to finally be around the corner. We'll see, but things look promising right now. One thing to note: the listing for the console on Hyperkin's wholesale page indicates that each wholesale box contains six units. If this is the case, it would seem to debunk the previous report of the console being shipped in quantities of four per retailer.

UPDATE 4/25/14: While this hasn't technically been confirmed by Hyperkin, I take it as fact. It's worth remembering that NOTHING has been officially confirmed by Hyperkin. Hyperkin has remained silent until unofficially confirming almost all known info in random interviews with various youtubers and forum members. Therefor, again, I take this as fact:

I spoke to Hyperkin today.

Here are the "unofficial" details.

The "end of May" release is a "soft" release. Meaning they really are waiting for the next batch due in the summer for the official real release. Amazon is NOT getting any of the units released at the end of May. Each retailer is only getting 4 units. Retail on the unit is $139.99 and $39.99 for the additional controller. The reasons for the price increase are both cosmetic and technical but if it works as it should then it should be a great retro system.

Our 4 are already taken with pre-orders. If you know any stores locally that are getting units, and you want one for end of May, then i suggest you contact them and put money down. Keep in mind that each store is getting 4 units only for the soft launch.
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UPDATE 4/17/14: Hyperkin has increased the price of the RetroN 5, saying "north of $100, between $129.99 and $149.99". Alll pre-orders from Amazon should be honored via their pre-order price guarantee. I believe Newegg has the same guarantee, I am not sure about Stone Age Gamer or 8 Bit Classics. Think Geek still hasn't opened pre-orders on the unit, instead offering a link to be signed up for email notifications as to when it will be available. Also on the Amazon front, they have sold out or pre-orders. Furthermore, it is more likely you'll learn the ETA from Amazon, Newegg, or whoever you ordered it from. Hyperkin has gone on record of saying they will never again announce a hard release date for anything.

UPDATE 4/12/14: After Hyperkin denied the console was delayed again and vigoruosuly shoved the month of April up everyone's ass for half a year, today they delayed the vaporware console yet again. At the Midwest Gaming Classic, they did their annual presentation. They ignored the planned April 2014 release, but finally somebody in the crowd asked about it. The Hyperkin rep said it was releasing in "30 days, guaranteed". This is not the first time they used the word "guaranteed", last time was about April so this doesn't mean jack shit. So maybe it'll randomly show up at people's houses at the end of may, maybe it wont, and maybe my ass will fly out of my ass.

Retron 5 Delay History:
-Summer 2013 (which they continued to say after summer was over, claiming they meant "Indian Summer" or "California Summer"....i'm not making this up)
-December 10 2013
-Quarter 1 2014
-Quarter 2 2014
-First two weeks of April
-April 2014, guaranteed
-Gauranteed within 30-40 days of April 12, 2014
-June 6 2014

DELAYED. ANY UPDATES FROM HYPERKIN WILL COME ON THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/HyperkinGames

UPDATE: In a recent interview, Hyperkin confirmed that the initial batch of units WILL NOT BE ENOUGH to meet day ome demand. Also confirmed was the ability for the system to act as a multitap. Example: in a four player SNES game, two players could use snes controlles, one player could use the retron controller, and one player could use a genesis controller. Interview can be found here.


Pre-order at Amazon (SOLD OUT)
Pre-order at Newegg: Black (SOLD OUT) or Grey (SOLD OUT)
Pre-order at Stone Age Gamer (DUE TO HIGH DEMAND, RELEASE DAY DELIVERY NOT PROMISED)
Pre-order at 8 Bit Classics (DUE TO HIGH DEMAND, RELEASE DAY DELIVERY NOT PROMISED)





UPDATE: Hyperkin claims that they opened up some packaged retail units and discovered some units had faulty pins. because of this, the Retron 5 has been delayed. No new release date has been announced, although Hyperkin has stated the unit will release in 2014 and that they are aiming for Q1. This is the Retron 5's third delay.

EDIT: Preorders are sold out at Amazon and Newegg.

Retron5 pre-orders have finally (about damn time) opened.

For those of you who have been following this console, you know it's quite highly anticipated and looks to be far better than any clone system released before.

For those unfamiliar, here's a little info:

  • It's one system that plays games for the following systems: NES, SNES, Genesis, Mega Drive, Famicom, Super Famicom, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance.
  • Two controller ports for each console will be built in with the system. It will also come with one wireless universal controller.
  • Outputs in HDMI and upscales for HDTVs. Early impressions and videos of this have been extremley postive. From the website: "The RetroN 5 will up convert the video signal to show clearer and cleaner images, with vibrant colors on an HDTV with a resolution output of up to 720p through the use of shaders. You will also be able to select the aspect ratio in our GUI, from the standard 4:3 to the HD ratio of 16:9."
  • Features a user interface (dashboard. Somewhat similar of the PS3 interface in appearance, in my opinion).
  • Features save states. From the website: "Most games did not allow for you to freely save your games. The RetroN 5 will allow you to save their games at any point during gameplay, and will feature an autosave feature upon shutdown. You will be able to load your saves at anytime during gameplay."
  • Button reassignment supported. From the website: "Users will be able to program the controller to assign buttons to their preference. In turn, the RetroN 5 will save these custom layouts, so that users will not have to constantly reconfigure the button configuration. This feature will also be available to people wanting to remap their buttons on their original controllers."
  • 100% game cartridge compatibility, without lag.
  • Sega Power Base Converter compatible, allowing Sega Master System games to be played.
More information is here. It may be a bit dated since this was from back when they first announced the console, but I figured it was the best site to link since it also featured some screenshots as well. http://hyperkin.com/blog/2013/03/retron-5-details-revealed-from-the-midwest-gaming-classic/ There is also plenty of info on Hyperkin's facebook page.

I've been looking forward to this for a long time, and i'm extremley excited that pre-orders are finally open. For one console that not only plays all of these console's games, but upscales them and features save states (either to the cartridge (if supported) or the console itself)...this seems like a great deal. And if you've been following the hype for the console, there is a good chance it could end up selling out. Hyperkin isn't a huge company and this thing has a TON of pre-release demand (just check out the comments on the facebook page). I like the look of the black one a bit better, because it seems to be the traditional console color nowadays. But I opted for the grey model because the black console and controller seem like they'd be fingerprint magnets.

Preorder either color here at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hyperkin-RetroN-Gaming-Not-Machine-Specific/dp/B00DZIX3CQ/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1378958043&sr=8-13&keywords=retron+5 or here at Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=retron%205&N=-1&isNodeId=1&RandomID=65244712392254220130925161655

Here are pictures of the two consoles, since the pictures on Amazon aren't that great:

Grey:
Retron-5.jpg


Black:
e3_retron5_03550.jpg

 
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deathfromace said:
My order is still up as well. I wonder if it was put up on Amazon without their knowledge so it was taken down?
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Doubtful. In one of the interview links posted earlier in the thread, one of the head honchos at Hyperkin was asked about the Amazon pre-order release date and he said it was a placeholder.
 
It's possible that there is some manner of problem. But if I had to guess, I would say that it was probably taken down in preparation for updating the entry with the official information. It could be that Hyperkin is getting close to announcing the actual release date and final specs for the Retron 5. The Amazon entry that was there for the pre-order was extremely bare-bones, with rendered images of the system instead of photos, and a non-official release date. (basically, a wild guess)

But maybe this is just wishful thinking on my part. Hopefully we'll get official word soon from the Hyperkin facebook page or twitter feed. They seem to update those a lot more frequently than their website.

 
Sludgepond said:
Dec 10th is the official release date!
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Called it.

Also, it's kind of awesome that they are redesigning the system to allow for the Power Base Converter. I wasn't expecting a development like that. Master System fans will have a means of enjoying their games on the Retron 5. (though it will require a hard-to-find peripheral) It's still a pretty clever move from Hyperkin, and one that will make a decent chunk of fans happy. (especially in South America)

 
Hello,

Unfortunately, we don't have any more stock of Hyperkin Retron 5 right now, and we're not sure when we'll be able to get more.

I'm sorry I don't have better news. We hope to see you again soon.
Best regards,
Julian A.
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Whelp, here's to not getting a retron 5.

 
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Booj said:
Yeah, Amazon support. Seems odd that they would be sold out, my thinking is they just don't know how many they're getting and looking to get that straightened out before allowing more.
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But why wouldn't they just leave the product page up, and put "unavailable" as the status? They could also add the "sign up to be notified when this item becomes available" to continue to solicit order interest. Makes no sense that they'd completely remove the listing, lock stock and barrel.

 
Power Base Converter? Possibly sold-out pre-order? The plot thickens. I bet this thread alone moved tons of those things. I've been building up my cart library in anticipation. 

 
I'd already had a list of what I want my core collections for the systems this played to consist of. Looks like I'll need to pick out a small library of Master System games as well. It plays 10 consoles now...holy shit.

Also, that press release said they contacted Amazon about correcting the release date. I wonder if that has anything to do with the listing's removal.
 
Did anybody here preorder the PS3 when it was available for a short time around Feb or March? When they put ps3 back up for preorder, was your preorder still valid or did you need to reorder?
 
Vinny said:
Not to mention that they're probably going to keep releasing updated versions. I mean, this is the 4th release of the Retron.
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This is a bit different than any other famiclones, including retron consoles. When has a famiclone offered a user interface, master system converter compatibility, save states, built in cheat code entering, hdmi up converting, or bluetooth controllers? It's almost to the point where there are famiclones, and then there's the retron 5.
 
 
Oh, and the system is confirmed for a December 10th release.

http://hyperkin.com/blog/2013/09/hyperkin-to-release-retron-5-on-december-10-2013/

EL MONTE, CA (SEPTEMBER 2013) – Hyperkin has set December 10, 2013 as the official release date for the RetroN 5. The RetroN 5 plays NES, SNES, Genesis and GBA cartridges all in one convenient console. The US release will coincide with the European release, with the MSRP set at $99.99 in the US and €89.99 in the European territories.

Hyperkin explains the delay in release was due to several key modifications made to the console shown at E3. The shell design was changed to allow for better ventilation, as well as accommodations to use the Sega Power Base Converter allowing users to play Master System cartridges on the console.

All versions of the RetroN 5 will come with an AC adapter with four variable head sockets to fit multiple regions with the voltage ranging from 110 to 240 volts.

Hyperkin also confirms that the release date of October 31, 2013 listed on Amazon was a placeholder, and that Amazon has been contacted to correct the release date.

“Retron 5 will be the most amazing classic game console.” said Steven Mar, Hyperkin’s Executive Director. “We thank everyone who has been patient and supportive of Hyperkin during development.”

For more information or media requests, please contact: [email protected]. Follow Hyperkin on Twitter and like their Facebook page for the latest news and information.

 
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My 10 year-old son was just asking me yesterday for an SNES.  So I might have to look into one of these.  The problem is that I don't own a single SNES cart.  I do have a few NES and lots of GBA ones though.  For SNES it is probably just more cost efficient for me to stick to the Wii U Virtual Console.

But I did tell my son I had an NES and he was shocked - he never knew we had one.  I got it in like 1988 or so when I was out of commission with a knee injury and haven't played it much since then.  I think the last time I tried it was in the early 90's.  We'll have to see if it still works.  I'm not even sure I have any TV's it will hook up to though - didn't those use the RF adapter thingies?

 
Drclaw411 said:
This is a bit different than any other famiclones, including retron consoles. When has a famiclone offered a user interface, master system converter compatibility, save states, built in cheat code entering, hdmi up converting, or bluetooth controllers? It's almost to the point where there are famiclones, and then there's the retron 5.
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So what? My point was that each iteration keeps adding more and more. They can keep adding slots for other old systems, like the Game Gear... or maybe even a optical drive for disc based systems like the Sega CD/Jaguar/3DO. Holy shit... that would be awesome. The system would probably look like an abomination but hell, I'd buy it.

And even if they don't add more systems, they could easily just release more colors or re-decos.

 
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io said:
I'm not even sure I have any TV's it will hook up to though - didn't those use the RF adapter thingies?
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You could use the RF adapter that the NES came with. But most models of the NES also had a composite out for video and mono audio. If your screen has composite inputs, it should still work on it.

Be warned. Classic consoles that get hooked up to fixed-resolution screens via composite look like ass. Just terrible. This is a big reason why the Retron 5 is so attractive to a lot of us collectors. Having effective HDMI out and scaling for these classic cartridges is a big selling point.

 
I'd love to get one of these and I'd preorder the first chance I get, if their previous edition of the Retron wasn't such a mixed bag of positive and negative reviews. I keep reading about garbage controllers and systems that are basicially dead after a short period of use.

As soon as it's back up on Amazon, I'll put it on my wish list, but I won't be buying it until a decent number of reviews are in.

 
Richard Kain said:
Be warned. Classic consoles that get hooked up to fixed-resolution screens via composite look like ass. Just terrible. This is a big reason why the Retron 5 is so attractive to a lot of us collectors. Having effective HDMI out and scaling for these classic cartridges is a big selling point.
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Exactly. I already own an NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, GBA, GBA player for Gamecube and many more. The RetroN 5 will be a single console so that I don't have to have a spaghetti bowl of wires to have them all hooked up. The HDMI output, instant saves, and cheat codes just can't be ignored.

 
[twitter]Hyperkin[/twitter] posted this earlier tonight:

"All Pre-Orders on Amazon for the #RetroN5 will be honored. Have a nice weekend everybody!"

 
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SolidSnake86 said:
Damn, can't believe they're already out of stock? I still need to order one!
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Hyperkin is just not that big of a company. Even they have mentioned being a bit overwhelmed by the pre-release hype and demand. It's not something they're used to. Their older Retron systems didn't come close to having the features that this one does, and the Supaboy received next to no pre-release advertising. This is all new to them. They've never even had to announce a release date for a product before. Based on that, I'm guessing they simply had to cut off orders because they don't have the monetary or physical means to produce the amount of product one of the Big 3 console manufacturers would. I'm sure they'll have some number available for non preorderers though, and i'd still bet they'll open preorders up again once they have a better idea as to how many units will be ready for launch.

binaryboxcutter said:
[twitter]Hyperkin[/twitter] posted this earlier tonight:

"All Pre-Orders on Amazon for the #RetroN5 will be honored. Have a nice weekend everybody!"
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Excellent news!
 
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Got an email today from Amazon.
-------------------------
Hello,

We have received new release date information related to your pre-ordered video game in the order you placed on September 12, 2013. The release date for the video game listed below has been changed by the publisher, and we want to provide you with a new delivery estimate based on the new release date:

"Hyperkin RetroN 5 Retro Gaming System - Gray"
Estimated arrival date: January 03, 2014
 
Awesome. I have way too much to buy in the next couple months with the new consoles releasing. I may just keep my preorder for both instead of picking one.

Edit: Anyone else order one of each and see that the black one's release date hasn't changed?
 
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Chrono Gear said:
Awesome. I have way too much to buy in the next couple months with the new consoles releasing. I may just keep my preorder for both instead of picking one.

Edit: Anyone else order one of each and see that the black one's release date hasn't changed?
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I only ordered the black one, it hasn't updated yet.

 
i'm confused... Why is everyone saying emulator. DOn't you need the actual physical games to play them? You can't add roms or anything and just use roms. You have to actually own a game to play that game. This means that you own an actual game, so no piracy involved. Piracy tends to not include consoles since the console itself can't do anything, which is why software is pirated

 
I only ordered the black one, it hasn't updated yet.



That's what I had assumed. I figured it was that or they got less black preorders and could keep those on the original time table.
 
I too have all of them hooked to 1 tv and it looks awesome... but with xbox one coming and in a year or 2 ill get a ps4... i will need the space... and this right here, if it works flawlessly for all games, would help me to put my nes, snes, and genesis away (although i have a sega cd and a 32x hooked up too so maybe its not as much space saved as i thought) im gonna wait i guess. But id get grey cuz it reminds me of the snes
 
GrimmTrixX said:
i'm confused... Why is everyone saying emulator. DOn't you need the actual physical games to play them? You can't add roms or anything and just use roms. You have to actually own a game to play that game. This means that you own an actual game, so no piracy involved. Piracy tends to not include consoles since the console itself can't do anything, which is why software is pirated
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The Retron 5 is an emulator. It does not use original system hardware to run the games, it uses an ARM chip and their own version of the android operating system and emulation software. The carts act as the ROMs. No piracy, but it is still an emulator.

From wikipedia:

In computing, an emulator is hardware or software or both that duplicates (or emulates) the functions of one computer system (the guest) in another computer system (the host), different from the first one, so that the emulated behavior closely resembles the behavior of the real system (the guest). This focus on exact reproduction of behavior is in contrast to some other forms of computer simulation, in which an abstract model of a system is being simulated. For example, a computer simulation of a hurricane or a chemical reaction is not emulation.

 
Im glad I got my order in.  I pre-ordered the gray one.  Looks like the SNES a bit like someone said earlier.  I only have about 20 total games for all of these systems.  However, I have about 5 shops (Max 30 mins away) that carry TONS of old games.  Plus alot are wicked cheap on amazon.  And used lots on ebay are always good.  

I am now getting 2 consoles this winter.  PS4 and Retron 5

 
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I'll have to put in an order for one when Amazon reposts it. Love they are making the system the accessibility to allow Sega's Powerbase converter to be used. So many good things so hopefully everything turns out well.

 
im just nervous it wont work right. like can i play rarer titles like Mario paint since i have a mouse controller and it can take original controllers? Obviously no gyro GBA games too. But I mean i own a GBA player, and i own all of those systems in working order. I just dont know if its worth it. but if it performs flawlessly as if I am using the old consoles then maybe itll be worth it. it'll allow me to put my NES and SNES away at least (i want my genesis up still cuz I have a sega cd and 32x). Which shoul clear room for me to put my Xbox One when that arrives.

 
So Amazon took down the entire page for this thing or what. I never knew sucha  console or company that made these existed until now.

 
KillerRamen said:
The Retron 5 is an emulator. It does not use original system hardware to run the games, it uses an ARM chip and their own version of the android operating system and emulation software. The carts act as the ROMs. No piracy, but it is still an emulator.
Click to expand...
...and this is exactly why I refuse to buy one of these without some lengthy hands-on impressions: I want to read that the software emulation is truly as spot-on as they claim it to be; otherwise, I'll just buy up the old consoles for cheap, which is actually not very difficult.

 
AwRy108 said:
otherwise, I'll just buy up the old consoles for cheap, which is actually not very difficult.
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It's not impossible, certainly. But it depends on your location and availability. And even then it's not going to be $100 cheap. The cheapest I've seen a SNES in my area is $50, and I actually have a pretty good selection. Trying to get a NES, SNES, Genesis, Famicom, and a GameBoy Advance all together is definitely going to run more than $100. And if you really want to play your GameBoy Advance on a TV, you're going to be needing a GameCube and a GameBoy Player to attach to your GameCube. And you would have to mod your SNES to play Super Famicom games.

I fully endorse waiting for hands-on impressions. That's just prudent. And there will be plenty of people picking one of these up, so there will likely be plenty of reviews, unboxings, and first-hand impressions to peruse.

 
The fact that this is an emulator is awesome. I use to be into emulators but eventually started to feel not so good about downloading ROMs. This gives us the emulator good stuff (state saves, filters, etc) without the downloading ROMs part. Plus searching for carts, and good deals on them, out in the wild can be pretty fun. It's the best of bother worlds. I don't have the funds right now, but it doesn't matter anyway since pre-orders are over.

 
I have 10 consoles hooked up to my hdtv in my living room and 1,000s of games on shelves but still I like the idea behind this. Recently though I've been getting into the sega master system and man I just love playing games like zillion on the original 1987 system. 

 
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