The booth at CES for Hyperkin upon first glance looks more akin to a store than a booth at a convention. When looking deep I found two accessories worth a mention.
SupaBoy
When handling the system, the first thought is how light it is for the size. The system is a tad bit on the bulky side, but not unmanageable. Due to the bulk, it does take a moment to adjust when playing a game. Pressing each button, shoulder or otherwise, gives a decent feeling against the fingers. The unit itself houses a 3.5″ LCD screen which is adequately bright. Speakers are also present and have enough volume to even be heard at a noisy convention hall.
Other options include two ports for SNEs controllers, which allows for multiplayer on the system. It also includes a volume slider which is easy to adjust. In case you don’t want to bother those around you with sound, there’s also a headphone jack available. For those who think the screen might be a bit on the small side, there’s always the option to use cables to connect it to a TV.
The system looked to be a decent way to play old SNES games. Those who have larger hands may feel more comfortable with the system than those with tiny has as I do. This point is nullified slightly if you happen to have a few SNES controllers laying around however.
Game Genie For DS
I only had a brief chance to go hands on with the Game Genie For DS. The cheat device is compatible with Nintendo 3DS, DSi, and DS systems, although it will only work for Nintendo DS games. To use it, you simply plug a DS cart into the unit, then place the other portion into your game system.
Upon powering up the system, it boots to the Game Genie menu where cheats can be selected. Although not all games will have codes, the individual I spoke to about the product said that new codes are added constantly. Each game that is in the database has numerous codes. When browsing the list for Mario Kart DS, I had to scroll quite a ways to see all the cheats available.
Although I wasn’t able to sample the feature, the Game Genie also has the ability to allow users to listen to MP3s and watch movies. The unit will also allow for save games to be swapped and backed up. For those who keep their systems up to date, the Game Genie can be upgraded via a built-in Wifi receiver.
Datel used to make a similar product, though their support was lacking. If Hyperkin can keep their cheat databases up to snuff and push out updates when needed, they’ll have a winner on their hands.
As for the Game Genie, what about Nintendo supposedly bricking your system?