Anyone remember these? I like how the year is going to end without even a release date. Retro-bit sure is coming off as incompetent to me.
Retro-bit are at CES currently and have been showing off the finalised SKUs for their retro SEGA line. Their Twitter account has seemingly confirmed a February release for Mega Drive pads (original port only, no word on USB). Here's a promo image featuring renders of the gamepad lineup: Here's a couple of shots from the show floor, featuring a tease of the clear blue Mega Drive/Genesis 6-button pad: Lastly, they had a surprise in the form of prototype for a new SEGA Nomad system: All images are courtesy of their Twitter account.
Thanks for posting the update. The new Nomad system looks particularly awesome. Even a connector for HD out.
I like the fact that they think that by moving the mode button on the MD pad, they're doing you some kind of favour, but you're buggered if you wanted to use it for the vulcan cannon on After Burner Complete now. According to Amazon, along with the wired pads coming in February, the Bluetooth pads are due at the end of this month, with the receivers for the MD and Saturn coming in April. Apparently, the Bluetooth controllers will be cross compatible for all the receivers, So you can, say, buy a Saturn one and use it on the MD (And the Dreamcast, according to the box, but Retro-Bit still haven't announced a release for their DC controllers or receiver, yet.) No news on if those analog sticks will work on Saturn games that support the 3D Control Pad, or if they'll only work if used on a PC, though
You always were - After Burner Complete is a 32X game However, with a reset button you'll finally be able to finish X-Men on it... assuming it's a real Mega Drive reset button and it's not set to be loaded up custom UI gubbins.
I wasn't talking about the Nomad, I was talking about the controllers... You never know though, maybe they'll make it 32x compatible... That'd be a thing. The Neptune reborn as a handheld.
Considering how hard the 32X is to even software emulate, I doubt very much we'll see that here. A shame in a way, it's bloody hard to find a working 32X now.
Well you could say it's step above Mega Drive emulation... and Sega struggle to emulate the Mega Drive. I can't see it happening. I think they'd more likely go the "Taxman remake Chaotix" route first, and I can't see that happening either.
I'd like to see them actually implement a Dreamcast controller. They'd also have to ensure compatibility with an original Dreamcast VMU, and long ago, when I was a young man and I tried to tinker with such things, I remember how hard that was. If they pull it off, it would make full, and complete Dreamcast emulation possible. You would be able to play with your Chao on the VMU once more.
They said they were going to a year ago, but haven't said anything since. They've been pretty unprofessional in the way they've handled information honestly.
Summer 2019. Seeing dual analogs grafted onto the standard controller is strange. But the aforementioned article stating a repro 3D Control Pad gives me confidence.
Those dual analog Bluetooth controllers (and the receivers) have both had their release dates on Amazon changed in line with Retro-Bit's announcement. They are all stating 2nd August 2019 now.
Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like transparent controllers are a fad that should have died in the 90s/early 2000s. I would have much preferred a more accurate japanese flash saturn controller, or japanese grey controller, rather than the see-through option they're providing. Looks like I'm sticking with black.
Transparent controllers are rad as hell, but I understand being miffed about getting them over official colours. If they had the original controllers there at CES for people to directly compare with, that's a good sign that they're confident in their quality at least. Fingers crossed.
I suppose the problem with a transperent Retro-bit controller is that it clearly says RETRO BIT on the board, which kinda ruins the illusion that it's a Sega product. But it's still amongst the more classy transparent pads (unlike that blue Mega Drive one which from here looks cheap as hell). I think the semi-transparent N64 consoles/controllers (especially the two-tone variants) have aged better than the solid red/yellow/blue ones, but it's a difficult art form. Some look tacky against green PCBs, some just serve to highlight the empty space, and some are just unpleasant colours (like, ironically, a lot of the Game Boy Color variants). The pastely colours of the GBA don't do much for me either - I prefer the prototypes.
