Analogue Nt
DeveloperAnalogue
ManufacturerAnalogue Inc.
TypeHome video game console
Release date2015 (2015)
Introductory price$499.00[1]
DiscontinuedBy July 2017
MediaNES and Famicom cartridges
CPURicoh 2A03[2]
GraphicsRicoh 2c02 PPU
Input3.5mm microphone jack[1]
Controller inputUp to 4 NES controllers[3]
Dimensions1.7 by 9.7 by 5.7 inches (43 mm × 246 mm × 145 mm)
Marketing targetRetro gamers
Backward
compatibility		NES and Famicom game cartridges
PredecessorCMVS[4]
SuccessorAnalogue Nt Mini

The Analogue Nt is a home video game console designed and manufactured by Analogue,[5][6] designed to play games for the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Famicom.

History

In March, 2014 the system was announced.[7] Analogue began accepting pre-orders for the system on May 5, 2014.[8]

Pre-orders began shipping in June 2015.[9]

A limited run of 10 24 karat gold plated special edition systems were produced by April 2016, and were available for sale at a price of $4999.[10][11]

In 2016 Analogue announced a followup system, the Nt Mini, a smaller model which includes RGB & HDMI output in the base model and uses an FPGA as a processor.[12]

By July 23, 2017, the Analogue Nt had been discontinued.[13]

Hardware

Instead of software emulation or an FPGA, the original Analogue Nt uses parts sourced from damaged Famicom HVC-001 systems.[3][8] In particular the system incorporates a Ricoh 2A03 CPU and an NTSC[4] Ricoh 2c02 PPU, on a custom printed circuit board.[2][14][15] A notable original chip which was omitted included the lockout chip used on the NES.[3] The system was designed to be compatible with NES, Famicom, and Famicom Disk System titles.[2]

The default model was released with RGB (RGB, Component, S-Video, Composite, VGA, and SCART) video outputs,[1] with an additional "add-on" for 1080p HDMI output and other digital features.

The Analogue Nt's enclosure is solid aluminium unibody enclosure manufactured from 6061 aluminium in China, and assembled in the United States of America.[2][3][8] Casing could be anodized red, blue, or black for an additional fee.[1] The system dimensions are 1.7 by 9.7 by 5.7 inches (43 mm × 246 mm × 145 mm).[1]

Reception

The Analogue Nt received positive reviews, with critics praising performance on HD TVs, while noting an unusually high price for the system. Will Greenwald's PCMag review gave the Analogue Nt a 4/5, praising the graphical output of the system as "simply the best-looking direct feed of an NES cartridge I've ever seen.", while noting that the price of the console with HDMI output was "tough-to-swallow".[1] Vice praised the Analogue Nt's build quality and video quality saying, "the Analogue Nt is a gorgeous machine...The Analogue Nt makes NES games look phenomenal.", while also noting that NES games may have limited appeal to gamers not nostalgic for them.[16] CNET.com said "In an age where retro games just don't look right on modern HDTVs, the Analogue Nt is a magical piece of hardware." while noting that "At $500 the Analogue Nt is obviously not for everyone."[17] The high price of the system was noted by many, such as Kyle Orland of Ars Technica, who noted that "it's hard to recommend to anyone besides the most committed 8-bit retro gaming addict".[18]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Greenwald, Will (September 28, 2015). "Analogue Nt Review". PCMAG. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "Inside the $499 aluminum NES that's crafted like a Leica". 26 June 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d "Analogue Nt: Classic NES Reborn as a $500 Luxury Machine". Time. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Behold! The upcoming $499 1080p NES remake". Eurogamer.net. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  5. ^ "Analogue Nt Information – Analogue". Archived from the original on 2016-08-21. Retrieved 2016-08-03.
  6. ^ "If Jony Ive Designed The Original Nintendo, It Would Look Like This". 2014-05-05. Retrieved 2016-08-03.
  7. ^ Hollister, Sean (13 March 2014). "The beautiful aluminum NES that Nintendo didn't build". The Verge. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  8. ^ a b c "Building a perfect, no-compromises aftermarket NES... for $500". 5 May 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  9. ^ McFerran, Damien (29 June 2015). "Analogue Nt Starts Shipping To Buyers, Pitched As "The Leica Of Home Consoles"". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  10. ^ Macy, Seth G. (4 April 2016). "This 24-Karat Gold NES Is the Stuff of Retro Dreams". IGN. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  11. ^ Matulef, Jeffrey (4 April 2016). "This is what a $4999 24-karat gold NES looks like". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  12. ^ "Analogue Nt Mini – Analogue". www.analogue.co. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  13. ^ McFerran, Damien (23 July 2017). "Analogue NT Mini review". TechRadar. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  14. ^ McWhertor, Michael (13 January 2015). "The $499 aluminum NES is pretty on the inside too". Polygon. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  15. ^ Belland, Christian (June 26, 2015). "Take A Peek Inside This $499 NES". Game Informer. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  16. ^ "We Asked VICE's Interns What They Thought of Video Games Released Before They Were Born". 16 October 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  17. ^ "Analogue NT is 8-bit NES perfection - Video". Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  18. ^ Orland, Kyle (9 July 2016). "The Analogue Nt is the best NES that (a lot of) money can buy". Ars Technica. Retrieved 17 May 2022.

External links

Analogue
Nintendo Entertainment System
Categories