Hello everyone,
As you might have noticed I am doing major changes to the blog and it involves reviews being slowly coming in and layouts changing a lot.
I will design a whole new look for the blog as well as start video reviews soon. Until then, I hope you enjoyed my first review about the Nintendo Top Loader just under this post.
Let me know of any comments/suggestions regarding my next reviews.
Hint for the next Gem : LCD
A little story...
Let me take you back to 1988 when I was a small kid running around pissing my brother off. It was a cold winter morning when I ran into my brother's room and felt face to face with what I would love forever. My brother had bought the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), one of the greatest video game console of all time. I was so excited that I nearly cried! (Ok.. maybe not that much).
The original NES...
At the time when the Nintendo Entertainment System was launched (in 1984), there were games by the hundreds coming out every year and some that made the video game industry take a major leap in home entertainment. Games like Contra, Double Dragon, Super Mario Bros., Zelda were, and are still today, icons of their genre.
The NES in all it's beauty
The RF Output (with an awesome Channel 3-4 selector (old school!!)) as well as the AC Adapter plug in.
Today...
I, as a big retro-gaming fan, have been keeping my old Nintendo 8 Bits console for almost twenty years and have been playing it all along. The problem that I have with my system is that playing my old cartridges is kind of hard due to blinking. This kind of problem occurred on almost every Nintendo Entertainment System back in the day because of some manufacturing issue with the 72-pins connector. As I started some research, I saw some new system playing the old games without this effect. These so called "Replica" have between 70 to 85% compatibility with the old games. The problem is that they are not licensed by Nintendo wish explains their compatibility issue. Sure, these systems are "ok" for non retro fans, but these persons usually find themselves playing the old games on emulators or buying them on the Nintendo Wii virtual console. Playing the games on the Wii with the classic controller is not that bad of a thing, but to be honest, the feeling isn't quite as the same as with a good old squared shaped NES controller.
The Gem...
The Top Loader, as it's known now a days, was the Nintendo model 2 system released in 1993 just around the Super Nintendo release date. The system was built with a huge improvement in having a robust 72-pins connector and cartridge being loaded on the top of the console (thus the name "Top Loader") and was sold, at the time, for a very small price of 49,99$(MSRP).
The Top Loader (NES2)
What led the NES 2 to death was the young and almighty Super NES. Even at the starting 199,99$ (yes... this is not the PS3 era), the SNES was so much improvements and high expectations killed the hype behind the Top Loader.
The only downside from its older brother (the original NES) is the fact that there is no Composite output (the yellow and red connectors on the side). Apart from that, the system was a great improvement and I bought mine off of eBay for around 70$ (CAN). I use it on a daily basis and even some really damaged games work in it. It has a 100% compatibility with all NES games since this is an official Nintendo product and is already considered a collectible.
The RF Out and DC power input of the Top Loader
Side by side comparison of the original NES controller and NES Top Loader's Dogbone controller
Size doesn't matter and that proves it!
Front loading way of inserting a cartridge in the original NES.
Final Fantasy as inserted in the almighty Top Loader
Double Dragon fits in as well!! (And it kicks ass)
Overall, I'd say that this system is worth your money if you are a retro gamer. This is a well built system and I highly recommend you get one as soon as you can (no, I don't work for Nintendo, and if I did, they aren't doing a penny on these anyway today!)
Pros :
The original NES...
At the time when the Nintendo Entertainment System was launched (in 1984), there were games by the hundreds coming out every year and some that made the video game industry take a major leap in home entertainment. Games like Contra, Double Dragon, Super Mario Bros., Zelda were, and are still today, icons of their genre.
The NES in all it's beauty 
The Composite Output of the original NES, which were removed from the Top Loader sadly.
The RF Output (with an awesome Channel 3-4 selector (old school!!)) as well as the AC Adapter plug in. Today...
I, as a big retro-gaming fan, have been keeping my old Nintendo 8 Bits console for almost twenty years and have been playing it all along. The problem that I have with my system is that playing my old cartridges is kind of hard due to blinking. This kind of problem occurred on almost every Nintendo Entertainment System back in the day because of some manufacturing issue with the 72-pins connector. As I started some research, I saw some new system playing the old games without this effect. These so called "Replica" have between 70 to 85% compatibility with the old games. The problem is that they are not licensed by Nintendo wish explains their compatibility issue. Sure, these systems are "ok" for non retro fans, but these persons usually find themselves playing the old games on emulators or buying them on the Nintendo Wii virtual console. Playing the games on the Wii with the classic controller is not that bad of a thing, but to be honest, the feeling isn't quite as the same as with a good old squared shaped NES controller.
The Gem...
The Top Loader, as it's known now a days, was the Nintendo model 2 system released in 1993 just around the Super Nintendo release date. The system was built with a huge improvement in having a robust 72-pins connector and cartridge being loaded on the top of the console (thus the name "Top Loader") and was sold, at the time, for a very small price of 49,99$(MSRP).
The Top Loader (NES2) The only downside from its older brother (the original NES) is the fact that there is no Composite output (the yellow and red connectors on the side). Apart from that, the system was a great improvement and I bought mine off of eBay for around 70$ (CAN). I use it on a daily basis and even some really damaged games work in it. It has a 100% compatibility with all NES games since this is an official Nintendo product and is already considered a collectible.
The RF Out and DC power input of the Top Loader The controller coming with the system is in a Dogbone shape. It is almost the same size as the original controller but fits nicer in the hands. The design has clearly resemblances with the younger brother of the NES, the SNES. The Top Loader is also compatible with any accessories that worked with the old NES such as the Zapper, the Power Pad, the NES Advantage and even the unholy Power Glove (priest music going on...).
Side by side comparison of the original NES controller and NES Top Loader's Dogbone controller 
Size doesn't matter and that proves it! 
Front loading way of inserting a cartridge in the original NES. One of the cool feature about the Top Loader (NES2), aside from playing all classic games flawlessly, is that when you insert the cart in the system, you can see the actual front label of it. You can now enjoy the beauty front cover of Double Dragon or even the original Squaresoft epic title : Final Fantasy while you are playing the game.
Final Fantasy as inserted in the almighty Top Loader 
Double Dragon fits in as well!! (And it kicks ass) Overall, I'd say that this system is worth your money if you are a retro gamer. This is a well built system and I highly recommend you get one as soon as you can (no, I don't work for Nintendo, and if I did, they aren't doing a penny on these anyway today!)
Pros :
- No blinking due to great 72-pin connector quality (comparable to the SNES)
- Compatible with 100% of the original NES games library
- Compatible with every NES accessories
- Collectible
- Very compact
- No Composite Output
Greetings ladies and gentleman,
This is my first ever blog and I will get you to new and old stuff surrounding our great world. As I am a self proclaimed "techno-geek", mainly my articles will be about technological gadgets or as some would say : "Mean toy for grown boyz".
I shall start really soon by giving you hints and reviews of what I think is hidden, and not so much hidden, gems around technology and hardware that you can get a hand on.
I have been looking everywhere on the Internet about gems and things seems to be dispersed and it's getting hard to find the good stuff. That is mainly the reason that brought me to writing on that very blog. So without any further introduction, I shall give you my first finds and/or reviews in the coming days.
Beware that the opinion expressed in my reviews and posts are strictly personal but I greatly would appreciate any comments on them.
The crazy fool,
Breezy Traycon
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