Old Skool Classiq 2 HD - Gray/Purple

This system is great; you just need to know what you're buying. This is a no frills/no nonsense NES & SNES clone console. No built in games, no rom support, no save states. It plays your old cartridges and does it well! I guess it wasn't fair to say "no frills." There's a couple nice features worth highlighting. Using switches on the console, you can switch between NTSC and PAL so you can use cartridges from other regions. You can also switch between 4:3 and 16:9 perspective. It has both HDMI and RCA outputs. When i get close to my TV, I do notice a slight softness/blur in the SNES image but its completely undetectable (to me) once I'm sitting an appropriate distance away on my couch. It has four controller ports on the front (Two NES, Two SNES) and comes with one controller of each type. Truth be told, I haven't tested those because i'm going to be using original controllers and 8bitdo wireless controllers. Once nice touch is that you CAN use the SNES controller to play NES games if you want, so no need to switch between controllers when you go from SNES to NES. I'm really enjoying this console. As long as you know what you're buying, you should be happy: A simple, plug and play, cartridge accepting NES and SNES clone console for your HDTV. This doesnt have the bells & whistles of a fancy emulator, and its not the high-end luxury boutique item like the Super NT. But it gets the job done, and I appreciate that.

I grew up with NES and SNES games so this was the ideal retro gaming system for me as I still owned some old game cartridges. I was initially intrigued by those mini versions of the NES and SNES with a built-in and non-expandable selection of games but ultimately decided against those because (a) they were expensive and (b) I didn't have some of my favorite games. I am so happy I found this old skool classiq system as it allows me to play all my old favorites. What's great about this system, as I learned from a little research, is that it plays the games off the cartridge itself, so the gameplay is as close as it can get to the original. Some retro gaming systems actually download the game off the cartridge and then run it off its own internal hardware, which means that a few games might not work and that there may be some subtle differences in how the game is interpreted. The benefit of this download approach is that once the game is downloaded into the console, it runs smoothly. As you might expect then, the con of the approach of playing directly off the cartridge is that you sometimes get some video glitches due to dust in the connectors. But honestly, I like this because this is exactly what it was like growing up. Nothing a little blowing in the cartridge and re-inserting can't fix! I think blowing in the cartridge is an indispensible part of the experience. Now some people have said that the sound is a bit distorted and that the video is a little dark on the SNES, or things like that. I personally have not experienced this as long as I am using the old school A/V connectors to my hi-def TV. Maybe there is a *tiny* bit of sound distortion on the NES where the lower range of the sound is a bit lacking. But honestly, unless you are a really picky audiophile type, I don't think it's a big deal. When I use the HDMI connector, then yes, there is a bit more change in the sound. I prefer using the old school A/V connectors. I think the crispness of the image when using the HDMI connectors takes away a little from the nostalgia of it. But what's great is that you can choose (if your HDTV has the old school A/V connectors)! Oh, one more note: there is the switch that lets you change aspect ratio, but that only works if you use the HDMI connector. It does not work if you use the old school A/V connectors. However, most HDTVs have an option to re-size the image, so I'm still able to play games in the old-school square format OR in full widescreen. Remember--on your HDTV, turn on "Game Mode" so that there is no lag between a button press and the corresponding movement on the screen. Once you do this, there should be no issues with lag. A few minor issues: (1) the cartridge cover gets stuck open sometimes on the SNES slot. If I jiggle it a bit, it does close. It's a minor annoyance but not too bad. I saw some reviews online that had the same issue with the exact same flap, so maybe there's a slight manufacturing defect with the door, or a bad design of the spring mechanism or something. (2) the unit comes with one SNES controller (A,B,X,Y buttons) and one NES controller (just A and B buttons). I would have preferred two SNES controllers. You can use the SNES controller to play all NES games, so I am not even going to use the NES controller. (see side note below) (3) there is no eject button, so removing games requires a bit of work. There is a method though that you get better at with practice--it's a bit of tugging with a gentle slight side-to-side wiggle action while holding the console down with your other hand. Putting games in too requires a similar technique but you get better at it with time. I have read some reviews about pins breaking as people insert and remove games, but I think if you are gentle and don't force anything too hard, you should be fine. Take a bit of time to learn the subtle art of inserting and removing a cartridge. A side note about the SNES controller: when playing SNES games, the buttons are mapped as they should be. When playing NES games, the system is smart enough to re-map the buttons. Thus, pressing Y on the SNES controller translates to B when playing NES games. And, pressing B on the SNES controller translates to A as well. This way, the grip on the controller is natural when using the SNES controller for NES games. Why did I write such a lengthy detailed review? Because these were all questions I had before I purchased it. I took a small leap of faith and I am generally pleased. Hopefully this review will help you make a decision!

The Old Skool Classiq 2 HD really got my attention due to its HDMI output right out of the box and decent reviews by various YouTube personalities. My original SNES started having trouble working so I opted for this as my replacement console. The Classiq 2 works well and produces a clean, crisp picture quality and sound to match. It's smaller than either the NES or SNES so that's a plus for space saving as well. The controllers have a solid feel to them with buttons that are close matches their original counterparts. The build quality is more than adequate and while the cartridge slot holds the carts firmly, it's not an inconvenient vice grip. Sometimes the cartridge slot remains open after removing a cartridge but it's simple enough to tap it back to its normal closed position. Overall, the Classiq 2 HD is a solid clone console that was worth the wait this holiday season.

EDIT TO REVIEW: 1/3/19- About a week ago the NES side just stopped working. OldSkool was very rude about it and refused to help stating that they only have a 90 day warranty. It was a great product while it lasted. My Review unfortunately went from 5 to 1 Star. Original Review: This is a very solid option for an hd way of playing your original cartridges. Clone consoles of the past tend to be cheap plastic but the construction of this system seems very solid. I have tested special chip games like Yoshi’s Island and Star Fox which work well. Both the official Krikzz and Chinese Knock off work for Super Nintendo. Super Nintendo works amazingly well. I have played over 40 different cartridges with no issues. I don’t have a lot of experience with the NES side of this console but the 143 in 1 multicart will work. The NES Everdrive N8 does not work, however. The sound does seem a little high pitched on the NES side.