Wil A Famicon To NES converter work on FC Twin Clones?

[okame]

I recently got a 41 in 1 Famicom cart and a converter for $15 at a pawn shop, but I don't have an NES system on me now. Would I be able to use an FC Twin or other clone system to see if the game and converter work? I have NES games I'd use the clone for. I wanted to play some Famicom games I've seen on eBay, but I won't buy them if I can't play them.

[nintendodork]

You can try it.  The worst that could happen would be that it just doesn't work.  It should work, but you never know how compatible clones are.

[okame]

If all else fails, I have a DS Lite. I could always get this: http://www.ncsxshop.com/cgi-bin/shop/CY-DLFML-RE.html

[Xious]

Proprietary power and video out ports for a NOAC dongle? That's pure greed, and fully absurd. In a few years, when the company is out of business, good luck replacing your cables with broken stress points. There is no reason to design a custom connector for either of these functions other than to force customers to buy them from you and from no other source. (Look at the Atari 7800 for a good example of why this is a bad idea.)

It also looks rather uncomfortable to hold, but that's an expected bitter poison if you want to plug a FC cart into a Gameboy DS. Honestly, every NOAC-clone system like this that I've seen is so glitch-ridden that it's painful, so I doubt this is any better.

That website is a press release trying to read like a product review: I hate that nonsense.

Will NCS stock the other versions of the Familator such as the self-contained units?
Been there, done that. At least in a wholesale distribution capacity. Sales weren't that great back then and the expected sales volume now wouldn't be enough for us to justify another foray.

If you want something like this, look for one of these mentioned self-contained units. They'll work without becoming a life-support system and probably have spiffy features such as normal A/C adapter and video ports, basic controller ports for using external controllers (e.g. player-II) and a built-in display.

Lastly, I don't see any Nintendo or Famicom badges on the unit, so I see no evidence of being officially sanctioned by NCL.

Notes on handheld systems:

I have tried several handheld Famiclones and hates most of them virulently... Here are the ones I suggest everybody to avoid:

FamiZero: This unit is a solid-feeling block, but the control kills it... Placing the reset button right next to A+B is simply idiotic, and I've lost many a game because of it: It's simply too easy to hit it in error, and the A+B placement is at an odd angle as well. Additionally, it has enough glitches to build a castle: It doesn't even have the right colours on SMB, and SMB3 is a scrambled mess. One-and-a-half thumbs down.

Game Theory Admiral: Mystery made it, and it's a mystery why I thought it'd be any good whatver. This system uses a thin plastic cartridge adapter that, whenever you move the system around causes games to freeze/crash. It's horrible, and only works well when sitting on a table, but the lack of a controller port makes it useless. Besides which, what is the point of a portable system if you need to use it on a table? It does run FDS titles though, for whatever that's worth, as they'll crash the first time you sneeze. 'What were they thinking?' Two-and-a-third thumbs down. 

Good Handheld Candidates?
Some systems may be better offerings. I'll list a few that I plan to try over time and add my comments accordingly.

Game Axe Colour: This is an older system, and as I recall less glitch-y, but it's huge, eats batteries and uses older LCD technology, much like the Sega Game Gear.

Fami-Eight: This is essentially much like the Familator handheld dongle, but for the Gameboy SP. Unlike the Familator, it has normal A/V out and power cords, plus controller ports and is easily usable as a stand-alone product as well as a traveling companion. (It's also only 2/3 the price, assuming you can still find one.)

Pocket Retro Game Emulator: Possibly a far-better solution, as Famicom and NES carts don't lend well to travel, this may be an ideal way to play vintage games on the go. Naturally, it's a ROM-based device, sort of like a Retrogaming iPod, but at least it may be more accurate than the cheap-o Chinese NOAC-based Famiclones.

The Pocket Famicom: This one last entry may be a cut above the rest, but as the distributor (Liksang) had gone south, it's nearly impossible to find. There is a newer revision that I don't like circulating: it's of a less-quality--enriched build and the button arrangement is horrible.

That's all for now. I'm still searching for the perfect pocket Famicom, and I may never find one, but at least I have a selection of terrible options. Yes, there are certainly more types of units out there than you can shake a mushroom at, but for the most part, in my experience they are just rehashes of the same old leftovers in a new canister. (Sort of like the Swedish meatballs at convention banquets.) Your battery-life may vary.