You might have seen
one of these before. The all-not-to-uncommon Super
Joy III TV Game is surely one unique console. It
comes with controller-console, separate controller
you can plug into the front of the
controller-console, light gun, AV cord, and AC
adaptor ready for US use.
These types of game systems are usually referred to
as plug 'n' plays, because they have games loaded
into it.
The Super Joy II might not look at all like a console
at first glance. That's why, thus far, I've referred
to it as a "controller-console."
That's an N64 controller, right? What the heck!
If you ask me, it doesn't look like a console
at all. It looks like an N64 controller. But you
simply have to flip it over to find the pins
connector, where you can plug in your Famicom games.
Whoa, right? Underneath the N64 controller are
the contacts where you insert your Famicom game! And
surprisingly, it's not hard to comfortably hold the
controller while a game is inserted. I didn't
attempt any converted NES games.
You may wonder
how reliable this console would be. Maybe you
noticed in the above picture: MADE IN CHINA. And if
we know anything about Chinese toys, it's that
they're cheap. The light weight of the
controller-console lets me know there isn't much
going on inside of it. So, I decided to test it out
with one of my more reliable Famicom games, one that
boots up every time I turn on my Famicom: Galaxian.
Here's what happened:
This is Galaxian as seen through the Super Joy III
TV Game.
I tested the console with more than one game,
with no success. The console, though 100% compatible
with US power outlets and NTSC televisions, simply doesn't work.
The image is scrambled. Maybe I just bought a bad
one.
So, before you give up on this
controller-console, take note of one more thing I
mentioned briefly above. The
Super Joy III comes with 76,000 games preloaded!
Yep, that's right -- 76,000. And I kid you not...the
makers of this controller-console actually loaded a
list of 76,000 games, you can scroll through
hundreds of screens, seeing every game. Of course,
76,000 games were never made for the Famicom. And
I'd be safe saying, I think, that 76,000 games have
simply never been made in a format that could be
loaded into this controller-console's board.
How many games are actually on this controller?
Well, it's tough to say without actually scrolling
through and selecting to play every game on it.
There are a lot of name variations of the same games
(such as "Exerion QEE" and "Exerion FHJ"), but if I
had to make a guess, I'd say there's about 60
different games preloaded. Included is Contra,
Super Mario Bros., Burger Time, F-1
Race and Tetris, to name a few. There's a
game on there called "Monkey" that I've never seen
before, and some interesting names, like "Toy Story"
and "Tekken," which have nothing to do with the
known Toy Story and Tekken hacks.
And just so you know, not even the preloaded games
work well. There are glitches, and sometimes the
screen just freezes.
The console also comes with a pistol-looking
light gun and an extra
controller.
The pistol includes an orange cap, so it's not
mistaken for a real one!
That's a lot of damn buttons for an 8-bit
controller!
Expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $35 for pirate
consoles, depending on how closely it mimics the
Famicom. Don't pay but pennies for this piece of
crap.
The front of the box with the goodies inside.
The
back of the box.
