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The Top Loader Is Top Notch

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: June 04, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Playing classic video games on their original system is like playing an old vinyl record. Sure you could listen to it on an CD or MP3 player...but it just doesn't have that same feeling of nostalgia. That is how I feel about video games. There are all kinds of roms out there, and the Nintendo Virtual Console is a great way to play the classic Nintendo games of yore, but you can't beat the original games on the original system. This would be great if the original Nintendo wasn't prone to break down so easily.

The original Nintendo "toaster" model represented the late 80's and early 90's through it's VCR like qualities. Much like a VHS tape, these cartridges got put into a slot and pushed down into the system to play for hours on end. However constant use would cause the Nintendo to malfunction unlike any other console I have encountered. The constant blinking of the red light...or the graphics falling apart in the middle of the game so that Mario no longer looks like Mario, but rather a pixaleted amoeba. The Nintendo top loader is a great alternative to extend the life of you classic Nintendo games, all while still getting the feel of the original.

The Nintendo Top Loader (or NES 2) was released towards the end of the 8 bit era. It was smaller, sleeker, and had a much better top loading design. However, due to everyone evolving to a Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis the Top Loader never got a true chance to shine. Not only that, but it used the old RF plug ins, and some cartridges had annoying vertical lines that could be seen every now and then in the background of a video game. Not only that but it didn't support the original Game Genie. Also since Nintendo games were never meant to be loaded from the top, if the system was bumped or barely moved, the game would freeze. These technical flaws made it somewhat of a failure..in fact I never knew it existed until almost 15 years later!! Now it is a rare collector's item to find, and is the best way to cling onto the games of yore.

Going on the information I shared above, I finally broke down and ordered one. My original Nintendo was a severe pain with constant blowing, ejecting, resetting, blowing, resetting..etc. I had a mountain of old games and nothing to play them on. When the Top Loader arrived I was amazed with how small it was. It hardly takes up any space. I dare say its about the same size of the Game Cube..maybe smaller. After admiring the new design, I popped a game in and it started up without me having to blow into the cartridge. I was amazed. This doesn't work for every game, because dust still gets in them causing a blank white screen to appear instead of the flashing screen that the old Nintendo annoyed us with. Cartridges now require one or two blows and that is it. It is a helluva lot more convienent than the original Nintendo model. People have complained about the vertical lines that occasionally appear in the background, but I don't notice them at all. Sometimes if i look hard enough for them, but even if I do see them it never distracts me from actually playing the game. I always make it a point to never bump my consoles or move them during play. It just seems to make common sense, ecspecially with an older console so that hasn't been a problem for me either. The last thing I will mention is the dog bone controller. The original Nintendo controller is the perfect controller to me. There has never been anything like it, and it will always fit nicely into any gamer's hands. The dog bone design is the offspring of a nintendo controller and a Super Nintendo controller. My girlfriend actually likes it better than the original. I prefer the old controller but I can't deny that the dog bone is pretty nice fit.

So overall, this is still an original Nintendo system, just with a top loading design. Not only is it better looking and more practical, but it extends the life on your classic Nintendo games and it's a collector's item to boot. So if you like the classics and like to play them the way they were meant to be played, then the Top Loader is top notch for you!

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