NES On a Chip and Famiclone Buying Guide

So, what is an “NES On a Chip” (NOAC)? Without getting into too much technical detail, they’re single chip implementations of original Nintendo Famicom hardware. Of course, here in the US the Famicom was known as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The NOAC is also classified as an ASIC, or “Application Specific Integrated Circuit”. In a nutshell, they contain clones of the 6502 processor core, PPU (Picture Processing Unit), sound chip, etc. that existed in the original Famicom, this is why many of the units powered by these NOAC’s are also called “Famiclones”.

Thanks to modern manufacturing and miniaturization, the core hardware that powered the original Famicom/NES can now fit into a space smaller than a dime and be powered by a battery or phone charger. Many of the 8-Bit “cheap emulation devices” you’ll see me cover on here, and those for sale on sites like Amazon and Wish are all powered by an NES On a Chip. The technology isn’t new, and it’s flooded the market with very cheap 8-Bit consoles and handheld devices you can often buy for between $10 on the low end and $35 on the high end.

There is a great video on YouTube by Jeremy Parish that covers some of the history of the NES On a Chip, explaining pretty much everything you need to know to understand what they are. I highly suggest checking it out if you’re interested in the subject or plan on buying of these cheap Famiclone devices.

 

As I mentioned about, today’s the market is still flooded with these NOAC clones of widely varying quality. The “1000 Games in One!” deceptive marketing they Jeremy talks about in his video is also still commonly used in most listing for these devices. Unlike the early days, many of these modern clones contain more licensed games, all be it of questionable legality, and compatibility has improved a lot since the early NOAC days.

That being said, most of the games included in many of these are either hacked legit titles, cheap rip-offs, or homebrew style games. Many others are either not in English, barely work, or are just plain horrible to play. Still, you can often expect to get around 50 or more legit working Nintendo/Famicom games buried in the massive list of junk titles.

Another drawback to these cheap clones is their widely varying quality, and I’m not talking about the product itself, but the NES On a Chip inside. Since there are so many on the market, and almost all of them are hidden under an epoxy blob, you can’t see what you’re getting. Most NOACs are copies of copies, and many not only have the same issues as the original Famicom/Nintendo hardware they are cloning, but many still have their own compatibility problems.

Still, there are value in these NOAC powered devices if you know what to look for and know what you’re getting into. I compiled a few general rules I use that may help when you’re looking at these types of devices.

1. Whenever possible, buy them on Amazon!

You may pay a little more, but Amazon has a very easy return policy should you receive a dud or don’t get what you’re expecting. Many other sites have return policies as well, but I have yet to find a site that makes it’s as quick and easy as Amazon. I consider the few extra dollars I pay on Amazon over a site like Wish or AliExpress as a bit of a warranty, if I am not satisfied with the product, I can almost always expect a hassle free return.

2. Read the reviews!

Again, one reason I prefer Amazon is the fact they have great reviews. If you can’t find it on Amazon and have to look on a site like Wish, even their limited review section is better than nothing. You can also Google the item you’re looking to buy and see if you can find reviews elsewhere online. A few minutes of research can save you a lot of headache and disappointment.

3. NEVER trust the listing information, company name, or product photos.

Just about all of the listings are misleading, and some are outright lying. You’re not getting 1000 legit “good” games for $20, remember, no matter what crazy high number they list, the real count is almost always much smaller, often closer to around 50.

The company names are also almost always something nonsensical, the reason behind this is becasue many of them are fake. If an account gets too much negative customer feedback or legal feedback, they will just popup under a new name. This is very common on Amazon and Wish, and in most cases, the same exact device is sold under multiple different "company" names.

Many of the product photos also misrepresent the products size, and what’s on the screen is almost always just a stock photo trying to make it look as cool as possible to get you to buy it. Screenshots of the included games can also be misleading, just because you think you see a game you recognize, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s included. Most of the time they don’t list the actual games included because that list includes games they don’t have the legal right to sell. In fact, some listings you see here in the US will actually have the screenshots blurred out or edited in some way because they show licensed games they have no rights to sell. Here are some examples I copied directly off Amazon listings that show how some listings don't bother to hide anything, while others will try and hide what they're actually selling.

 

Here is an example of a listing making no attempt to hide what they're selling.

This listing has blurred out the character in each frame in a small effort to hide.

This listing blurred out the screen on the unit and doctored the larger screen.

4. Temper your expectations.

These things often cost somewhere between $10 and $35, you’re not paying for quality, you’re buying a cheap knock-off clone of a clone from China to have some fun playing 8-Bit games from the 1980’s. If you’re looking for something more, something better, then you’re going to have to pay more and look elsewhere.

5. Don’t overpay! 

There are many variants of these devices being sold online, and many of them are nearly identical, and almost always contain the same basic list of games. Do a bit of searching around, you can often save a bit of money by choosing a different seller because as I said above, the exact same devices are often sold under different names, but they often sell them for different prices. Many people think if you pay a little more, you have a better chance at a something a bit higher quality, but when it comes to these devices, that’s rarely the case.

Even with all their drawbacks, I still think these NOAC powered devices are pretty cool. They offer a way for people to enjoy some of the classic 8-Bit NES/Famicom games of the 1980’s at a very reasonable price. They don’t require any special hardware or technical skills, you just turn them on and play. Also, since they’re so cheap, if they get lost or broken, it’s much less of an issue than with much more expensive multi-system emulators.

Thanks for taking the time to read all this and I hope the gaming gods smile upon your Famiclone search!