
The Super 8, also sold under the title Tri-star or Tristar, is an unlicensed
video game peripheral released in 1995 for the
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly shortened to Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in No ...
designed to allow the system to run games developed for the
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
. The Super 8 utilized an
NES-on-a-chip integrated circuit to duplicate the functionality of the original NES hardware, and connected to the SNES's own cartridge slot.
Design
The Super 8's appearance is a light grey, squarish adapter that is plugged into the SNES so that the user is allowed the playing of 8-bit NES and Famicom games on the device. It has an RF out and a SNES type multi-out connector providing
RCA output. A lead goes from the Tri-Star to the SNES' multi-out port, and then the user is able to plug the SNES A/V lead and/or RF lead into the Tri-Star. When playing a SNES game, the Tri-Star passes through the SNES composite video picture.
The Super 8 features three cartridge ports. Two of these ports connected to the onboard NOAC, and were designed to fit NES and Famicom cartridges, respectively: despite otherwise featuring exactly the same hardware,
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
n and
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
an NES game cartridges used a 72-
pin design, resulting in slightly larger cartridges than the Famicom, which used a 60-pin design. The third port was designed to fit standard SNES cartridges, and merely connected with the SNES's native hardware, so that the user would not have to remove the Super 8 in order to play SNES games.
A similar idea was later employed for the
Tristar 64, an accessory for the
Nintendo 64
The (N64) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, in North America on September 29, 1996, and in Europe and Australia on March 1, 1997. As the successor to the Super Nintendo E ...
console with the ability to play both NES and SNES cartridges.
Operation
The main purpose of the Super 8 is to provide the ability to play both SNES and NES games with one single console. There are three ports: one for standard NES cartridges, one for the Japanese
Famicom
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
cartridges, and one for SNES cartridges. Only one cartridge can fit in each slot at a time. After the peripheral is attached and the device is turned on, a menu will appear on the television screen; giving the user a choice between an 8-bit or 16-bit game. The user is able to play any one of the cartridges plugged in the system at a time.
SNES games operate identically to their original versions. NES games, however, have their controls revamped for the SNES controller. The Super 8 also plays Super Famicom games, as there are no tabs to block the insertion of the flat back cartridges.
Limitations
There are quite a few issues present within the system that affect gameplay. Some games are unable to function properly when playing on the Super 8 (One example would be in the compilation cartridge ''
Super Mario All-Stars + World'' there are many occasions in which the screen rolls, rendering gameplay practically impossible). The Start and Select buttons on the second controller do not work at all, likely a relic of the
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
ese
Famicom
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
which had hard-wired controllers, only the first of which had Start and Select buttons. The use of specific NES joysticks and other controller peripherals that were meant for the original consoles usually do not work when connecting it to the Super 8. European model SNES users are only able to play European SNES games, other overseas games were incompatible. There are also brightness issues present in some games.
However, there has been much controversy over a misleading piece of information that was included with the system. The instruction booklet for the Super 8 apparently claims that the Super 8 provides
RGB output, however this is actually false. There is no RGB-support for the peripheral at all—as the pass-through lead that is plugged into the SNES multi-out only carries composite video and stereo audio.
[SNES: Tri-Star/Super 8 Adapter FAQ by MKnibb]
Accessed on 3 April 2013
See also
*
Tristar 64
*
Famiclone
*
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly shortened to Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in No ...
References
*SNES: Tri-Star/Super 8 Adapter FAQ by MKnibbs
. Accessed on 3 April 2013
*Super 8 peripheral, Gamebits
. Accessed on 3 April 2013
* Marcus and Mattias Liedholm.
Super NES AccessoriesNintendoLand. Accessed on 12 April 2005.
{{Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Game console intercompatibility hardware
Unlicensed Nintendo Entertainment System hardware clones
Unlicensed Nintendo hardware