This thing feels cheap. Well, it is cheap. But it works fine enough, just be gentle and don't jam your carts in there too hard. I'm not a fan of the controllers but I use the original NES pads (its compatible) so it isn't a big deal. If you want a cheap system that can play your NES carts then this one does the trick.

It works! So after 25+ years in storage Mario Bros is working. This system is very cheap in construction. My only caution/complaint is with the pins (the ones the cartridge slides in). You have to be very careful when installing the games. I bent the pins after one install. I fixed them but now it's just a matter of time before they fail. The price is 5 stars the quality is 3. I gave it a 4.

A little fragile, the shell of the system isn't as robust as the original NES. So the motherboard can warp when moving it. It gives that authentic NES playability where you have to move the system around and pull the cartridge in and out to get the game to work right. But the system is great other than that. I bought classic controllers, I don't like the 4-button that this comes with. It feels like you're going to push your thumb through the back of the controller every time Mario jumps.

Be very careful with this console -- it's super-delicate. When you put your game cartridge in and out of the slot, you need to gingerly and slowly push and pull. I can totally imagine the plastic console top cracking under the pressure of pushing and pulling because the game doesn't easily slip in and out of the slot. You first have to stick it into the red flaps.. then it stops and you think it's "in" but it's not.. it's really wobbly because you're not done putting it in yet. you have to first make sure the cartridge's electronic strip is lined up with the matching slot inside and then really push down hard (but carefully!) to officially have the cartridge "in" the slot. If you can do that without breaking the thing, then you'll have a great tim playing your old school NES games!

This Nintendo clone console is probably my favorite that I've yet checked out. It's made me completely forget my old, real-deal Top Loader and Front Loaders (I have two from back in the day), which is good, because I got this to replace those as well as both the N3 I got for my sister and the RetroDuo I got for a cousin.

The build quality & general design of the console is top-notch, so long as you're a fan of Japanese-style gaming hardware from the 90's. It's got some style & color, and is more interested with blending the aesthetic qualities of a high-tech device ("high-tech" for the 80's) with a family friendly toy than trying to look sleek or edgy, and it's beautiful. I MUCH prefer this to the looks of the Generation NEX, for instance, and the boxy, sharp original NES front loader.

The N1 is very compact and light - it's barely bigger than an NES cart, and I'm pretty sure it weighs less! The plastic is solid though, and while lightweight, it doesn't feel cheap. Which is good because you're gonna have to push down on your games to get them to click into the slot; if it were cheaper, it'd probably break after a few times doing this. The controllers too feel light, but solid, and are also compact. For an adult with big hands, this might feel too small - it felt a little too small to me, but also something that I got used to pretty quickly (though I certainly don't have huge hands). Unlike the N3's junk wireless Infrared control pads, these work pretty brilliantly! The circular disc-style dpad is less precise than the traditional cross pattern, but it also feels a lot better than you'd think. All the buttons are really responsive and feel great. Overall, the controllers work really well and you'll totally be fine if you don't have - or don't want to go look for - old NES controllers (though they're compatible here like with other RetroN systems; along with any clone controller, such as the Retro Bit Wired Dogbone controller). Finally - and pretty importantly - the power supply and the A/V cables are things of beauty! Mostly because I've recently seen the old "Power Bricks" and the RF-to-TV hookup -- those old components are gross. I can't imagine how inefficient that Power Brick must be nowadays. That's actually a pretty big reason why I've gotten clone consoles; it's just nicer to have modern components powering these things. And the RetroN1 has simple, reliable, modern parts that work. What more could you ask for?

Finally, I really gotta mention this again: the thing is gorgeous. It's got smoothed/rounded edges to accent it's simple block forms, and the white with red trim just looks fantastic. It just looks really great overall - very much in line with the aesthetics of 80's/90's Japanese game consoles like the Famicom or the PC Engine.

In terms of compatibility, I've not had a problem yet. It's good with all the officially released games I've tested, as well as Reproduction Carts like the English version of Yume Penguin Monogatari and Earthbound Zero. I'm feeling good about getting an English fan translation cart for Capcom's Sweet Home now. The only question mark I guess might be Tengen carts? Hmmm... the ONLY one I own is Gauntlet, so even if it doesn't work, I likely won't care :P And I don't feel like looking for it anyway. Maybe multi-carts too are worth testing, but I don't have ANY. Sorry readers; guess I'm not super thorough with cart checks here.

That aside, the point I'm trying to make is that this thing is quality! It's nice and compact and brilliantly replaces the real-deal Nintendo Entertainment System if you need it for that. Or just want a console that plays old games and are not going to go looking for something so old as an actual Nintendo Entertainment System. It's a real beauty too; a lot more aesthetically pleasing than U.S. machines from back then, that were always darker and angular.

Especially for this price, the RetroN1 is an excellent clone retro console that I would recommend wholeheartedly, so long as you are only looking at a system that plays NES games. If not, you may be better off spending more money on a RetroDuo, a RetroN3 or N5 now, or waiting for the Retro Freak (which plays 11 different consoles' games)