FC Twin

The FC Twin (also known as FC X2) is a combination Famiclone and SNES clone console manufactured by Qi Sheng Long that can play Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) games. The system has been well received due to the increasing scarcity of original hardware. The system has been followed by a number of similar console "remakes": the Retro Duo Twin Video Game System for NES & SNES games, the SG Twin Video Game System for Sega Genesis & NES games, Gen-X Dual Station Video Game System for Genesis and NES games and the Yobo FC 3 Plus for Genesis, SNES and NES games.

In the US the console was released on the November 20, 2006 by Yobo Gameware. It is claimed to have sold 1.3 million units between its release and early 2009.

Compatibility

The FC Twin has separate circuitry and cartridge slots for the NES and SNES. With the Super Game Boy adaptor, Nintendo Game Boy cartridges can also be used. It features a single-pole, double-throw power switch with open position; the switch can be thrown to 8-Bit (NES) or 16-Bit (SNES), or set to off.

NES compatibility

The FC Twin console uses SNES compatible controllers and devices such as the Super Scope and Konami Justifier light guns, but cannot use NES compatible controllers and devices such as the NES Zapper peripheral for Duck Hunt. The Super Nintendo controller buttons otherwise map to the NES controller inputs (B maps to Y, A maps to B. A maps to turbo B, X maps to turbo A; L and R serve no function). When using any controllers besides the actual FC Twin ones, the A and X buttons do nothing during 1-player or 2-player NES play. Gauntlet II pauses when L or R is hit.

The FC Twin connects through an RCA connector, and can be hooked into a surround sound system. When using stereo and surround output from these systems, NES sounds and music may seem very different from their typical mono output. Using output modes that properly generate mono sound, either through a single center speaker or cloned to multiple speakers, the sound output sounds mostly identical to the original NES. The FC Twin does not produce some sounds faithfully, even with mono output; sound effects in the Super Mario Bros. series games will for example immediately seem different. Nevertheless, some later models of the console produce NES sound much more faithfully than units made closer to launch. Recent models produce sound with complete fidelity.

FC Twin with two games in it

The FC Twin uses a card slot reader rather than a ZIF connector. The second-generation NES also used a card slot reader, and featured no 10NES lock-out chip; however, unlike the top-loading NES 2, the FC Twin is completely compatible with the Galoob Game Genie without the use of an adaptor. Both the official NES 2 and the FC Twin capitalize on the card slot reader's greater reliability; games rarely suffer from bad connections as they did with the original ZIF socket. In the FC Twin, the NES cartridge still has to be reseated occasionally. The pins can misalign and short across each other or otherwise fail to connect properly, requiring users to maneuver the game cartridge until it works.

As tested by consumers, the following NES games are not compatible with the FC Twin

• After Burner
• Athletic World (cannot use Power Pad)
• Bandit Kings of Ancient China
• Battletoads
• Captain Planet and the Planeteers
• Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
• Cheetahmen II
• Challenge of the Dragon (by Color Dreams)
• Crystal Mines (by Color Dreams)
• Dance Aerobics (cannot use Power Pad)
• Dirty Harry
• Duck Tales (no B button)
• Dragon Warrior 2
• Gauntlet (by Tengen)
• Gyromite (cannot use R.O.B.)
• Gemfire
• Laser Invasion
• L'Empereur
• Mad Max
• Miracle piano teaching system
• Paperboy
• Pipe Dream
• Rad Racer II
• Rolling Thunder (by Tengen)
• Short order-Eggsplode! (cannot use Power Pad)
• Stadium Events
• Stack-Up (cannot use R.O.B.)
• Street Cop (cannot use Power Pad)
• The Krion Conquest
• The Last Starfighter
• Uncharted Waters
• World Class Track Meet (cannot use Power Pad)
• 4-in-1 Quattro Arcade (by Codemasters)

At times different copies of the same game can behave differently in the FC Twin. This may be explained by a malfunction with the cartridge itself. Some copies of Dragon Warrior or Super Mario Bros. 2 for example will not work in the FC Twin; while other copies of the same games will operate in the same machine. In other cases, the system simply does not function with certain expansion chips, such as those in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse.

SNES compatibility

The FC Twin uses Super Nintendo compatible controllers and devices, and can thus connect to specialized input devices such as the SNES Mouse for Mario Paint.

The FC twin reproduces SNES sound very well for a clone. Some find that the audio has too much treble at times though most agree that the sound quality is true to the original. The SPC700 in the original SNES used a sample-driven mechanism similar to a type of instruction-driven MOD file. Reproducing the sound from these systems simply requires playing back clips of sounds with mathematically-defined effects and loop points. As long as the CPU can read the instruction language or run a program to emulate it, this task presents no difficulty.

Problems have been known with the controllers that come with the FC twin. The quality isn't the same as the Super Nes and a lot of consumers report that the FC twin controllers wear out quickly. Also, during two players games on the 16 bit side of the FC twin you have to have either one of the two situations to happen for it to work correctly. The first is you can use two FC twin made controllers for the FC twin to play games like Street fighter II OR one super nes controller and one Fc twin controller. You can not use two Super nes controllers at the same time to play a two player game on the 16 bit side. There is a compatibility problem. However, this problem doesn't exist on the 8 bit side of the system.

While the FC Twin is Super Famicom compatible, two plastic tabs in the cartridge slot prevent them from fitting. These tabs must be removed- or otherwise worked around- to play Super Famicom titles. Similar tabs are used in the American Super NES. PAL games work just fine.

As tested by consumers, the following SNES games and peripherals are not compatible with the FC Twin:

• BatterUP
• Star Ocean - Another S-DD1 dependent title.
• Kirby Super Star - Due to Nintendo SA-1 Coprocessor built (disputed) into the Cartridge (Compatible with Retro Duo system)
• Kirby's Dream Land 3 - Another title with the Nintendo SA-1 chip (disputed)
• Super Scope 6 - Gun will work, however you cannot use the controller: For it won't let two player mode work on such titles as Terminator: Arcade, Metal Combat, etc.
• Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts - Everything works up until the 3rd level boss which is incorrectly invisible.
• Super Mario RPG - Another title with the Nintendo SA-1 chip.
• Dragon Quest I & II
• Doraemon - Nobita to Yosei no Kuni - The over world map doesn't appear, just the sprites appear.
• Dragon Quest III
• Terranigma - The game has a special lockout chip which prevents use on famiclones
• Front Mission: Gun Hazard
• Star Fox - The game uses the Super FX chip which is incompatible with the FC Twin
• Stunt Race FX - Another game that has the Super FX chip.
• Doom - Another game that has the Super FX chip.
• Winter Gold - Another game that has the Super FX chip.

Light gun

A light gun was recently released specifically for the FC Twin, modeled closely after the NES Zapper (but smaller, with a more ergonomic handle), with a black trigger, dark gray stock/handle and orange plastic mount on the top (and missing the familiar noise maker that the NES version featured) and a SNES style plug. This lightgun is billed as being compatible with all NES Zapper games on the FC Twin console.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yobo_Gameware_Co.

External links

• FC Twin - Ultimate Console Database
• VideoGameCentral Presents:The Gamer's Voice: New System for the Super Nintendo.
• Polystation Brasil - FC Twin

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