Gearbest.com recently reached out to me if I want to review their Go Comma Retro FC Plus 168 in 1 Game Console. And since I’ve already done a cooperation with them before with my review of the Motospeed Inflictor CK104 Mechanical Keyboard, I figured, why not do another one right?
Gearbest is a very popular e-commerce site based in Shenzhen China, they are basically a Chinese online international store serving customers around the globe. I personally think that Gearbest is a legit online shopping website.
What we have here today is very interesting because the Retro FC game console has a ton of nostalgic games built-in that will bring us back down memory lane.
MY EARLY BREAKDOWN
Pros: Nostalgia, Good for pastime, Removable battery
Cons: No external storage, No save option
SPECIFICATIONS
Screen:3 Inch
Languages: English, Chinese
Games: 168
Battery type: rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
Battery volume: 850mAh
Charging mode: USB
Working time: 6 hours after a full charge
Product weight: 0.1000 kg
Product size: 11.60 x 7.80 x 2.00 cm / 4.57 x 3.07 x 0.79 inches
Package weight: 0.2780 kg
Package size: 14.50 x 10.00 x 6.00 cm / 5.71 x 3.94 x 2.36 inches
Main Features
Built-in 168 classic games
Can be played on TV
Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery and USB cable, 6 hours of continuous gameplay after a full charge
Small size and light weight, suitable for traveling
Perfect gift for children, retro game lovers, collectors, etc.
WHAT’S IN THE PACKAGE
Retro FC Plus Game Console, BL-5C Battery, Mini USB charging cable, A/V cable, User Manual
Mini USB Charging Cable.
Audio and Video out cable.
User Manual.
FULL REVIEW
Design and Construction
In terms of design, it’s very evident that it looks pretty much like a GameBoy classic, although a bit smaller and thinner in size.
The construction is made of hard plastic materials and the overall build quality is surprisingly good. It’s lightweight at 106g (my own measurement) and is quite nice to hold in the hands.
In front, we have the 3.0-inch screen, which I think is a TFT display. The image quality is ok and nothing to write home about, which is perfectly fine since we’re talking about 8-bit retro games right here.
We also have here the buttons, all the buttons are tactile and responsive and I didn’t encounter any issues with it. The Y and B buttons are your normal buttons while the X and A buttons are the turbo ones.
At the center, we have the reset button and at the bottom left, we have the select and start buttons.
The speaker on the bottom right corner is functional, it’s not the best as you might expect but again, it fits perfectly with the retro vibe we have going on right here.
At the back, we have the battery compartment, we’ll talk more about that later.
At the top side, we have the power switch, the mini USB port for charging, and the TV out port.
And lastly, on the left side, we have the volume knob.
Battery
The Retro FC Plus uses a Li-Ion BL-5C battery that is also used in some Nokia phones. This is actually pretty nice since you can easily find a replacement just in case. The only downside is that the packaging did not include a power adapter, but since it’s USB, you can pretty much use any standard wall adapter that came with a smartphone and similar devices.
Although it is a BL-5C battery, the rated capacity on this one is only 850mAh, which is still quite decent and can last up to 6 hours give or take. I did a quick research and the BL-5C capacity actually varies depending on the manufacturer, especially with the generic ones.
Performance
Input Lag
I tested the Retro FC Plus in both the handheld console itself and connected to a TV and there’s basically no noticeable input lag. All the inputs where detected and the actions were performed as soon as I press a button.
Screen
The screen as I’ve mentioned earlier is ok, it’s functional and fits perfectly with the retro vibe.
The colors of the games included are obviously off or washed out which I think is intentional due to copyright issues. Regardless, you’re not buying this because of the image quality but for what it’s worth and that nostalgic experience.
TV Out
The TV out is also functional but the Audio/Video wire is a little bit short if you want to lay back on your couch from afar.
Games
The Retro FC Plus includes a whopping 168 in 1 games built-in with it. It includes popular titles such as Contra, Double Dragon, Super Mario Brothers, Adventure Island, 1942, Tanks and a lot more.
It also comes with several unusual and weird games such as Kung Fu Panda, which is basically Super Mario Brothers but with a freaking panda! Plants vs Zombies, Angry Bird, Harry Potter and a lot more.
This goes without saying, but these are obviously knock off ROMS from the original NES but it’s still certainly fun to play with. The only downside and might be the deal breaker is that it doesn’t allow you to save your game. It doesn’t have any storage option to save your progress, so you pretty much have to start from scratch everytime you lose all your life. With this, I think the Retro FC Plus is more of a toy and a device for pastime, rather than a legit game console that you can put hours of playtime to complete the game you want.
VERDICT
To conclude, the Go Comma Retro FC Plus 168 in 1 Game Console is such a novelty device that will certainly bring you back down memory lane. It will definitely fill you with lots of nostalgia with tons of retro games that pretty much sums up your childhood. Whether you’re a millennial or not, as long as you were introduced to these games, you will certainly love this cute little console. The only downside really is the inability to save your progress which ultimately makes this as a toy for pastime rather than a legit game console. Regardless, for the price of only around 781 pesos or 15USD, the Retro FC Plus is certainly worth the fun.
Thanks to Gearbest for making this review possible, you can get this keyboard from their official website, link below.
Retro FC Plus 168 in 1 Game Console Review – Nostalgia!
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