The Hyper Blaster HD Finally Works on the Retron 2 HD & Retron 3 HD Thanks To a $6 Adapter

In this video, we finally got the Retro Blaster HD to work on Duck Hunt with the Retron 2 HD and Retron 3 HD, and all it took was a $6 adapter.

For retro gamers, one of the Holy Grails has been trying to get light gun games to work on flat panel televisions. The argument has always been that this is why CRTs are still superior for retro gaming. Hyperkin announced and launched their Hyper Blaster HD in late 2019, promising to solve this dilemma at least for Duck Hunt. The results to this point have been mixed, even among Hyperkin's own systems.

To date, the best results I have had with the Hyper Blaster has been with the Retron HD NES clone system from Hyperkin. Any other systems are, no pun intended, hit and miss. shortly after the announcement of the Hyper Blaster, Hyperkin also announced the Retron 2 HD, which plays Super Nintendo and Nintendo games, and the Retro 3 HD, which adds in a Sega Genesis port. The Hyper Blaster did not work with either of these systems in my tests, and others have experienced the same issue.

Enter in the Hyper Blaster adapter cable for the Retron 2/3. I found this cable completely by accident while on the Castlemania Games website, and for six bucks I figured I'd give it a try. Opening up the shell, I expected to see a PCB or something that would help with compatibility, but there's nothing here. I am not sure if this cable simply adds impedance or resistance to improve performance, or there is speculation that the pinouts have now changed through this cable.

First up was the Retron 2 HD, and from the word go, it was terrific. With the sensitivity settings in the middle position on the Hyper Blaster itself, I felt like I was getting honest and accurate results. I did have a few occasions where my screen would go completely blank, but I attribute this to my capture card being between the system and my television. Bypassing the capture card entirely eliminated this problem for me.

With these very positive results, I hooked up the Retron 3 HD, and the results were just as good! Shots were registered properly, I never felt like I was cheated if I missed, and the overall performance was exceptional. I never had the black screen issue like I did with the Retron 2 HD and my capture card, but to eliminate it from consideration, I bypassed it with the Retron 3 HD as well.

Out of curiosity, I tested the adapter cable with a few other systems, including my HDMI mounted top loader and a Super Retro Trio 3 Plus. In both instances, I did not register any trigger pulls whatsoever when using this adapter cable on either system. That was very eyebrow raising to me.

Why it RoX:
- Only $6
- Game changing performance that actually works
- Best experience so far with the Hyper Blaster HD

What could be improved?
- Include with the Hyper Blaster HD to begin with moving forward
- Should have been available when the Hyper Blaster launched

Should you buy one?
If you own a Hyper Blaster HD and one of these two systems, this is a must own. It takes the experience from terrible to wonderful, and it's only $6. We talk about game changers, for this device on these systems, it is truly a game-changing addition. It is so simple in it's design I wonder why this could not been available when the Hyper Blaster launched and why it was not simply packed in with the product. I don't know what Hyperkin's plans are moving forward with the Hyper Blaster or this adapter, however, I would implore Hyperkin to provide these adapters to consumers who have had negative experiences at no charge as a customer service. Having dealt with things like this in my day-to-day job, we have done this before, and it is the right thing to do. I would also like to see them advertise this products availability to raise better awareness, because quite frankly it takes a terrible experience and makes it wonderful. Kudos to Hyperkin for going back and revisiting the Hyperglycemia and getting it right for those who own Hyperkin's own systems. They definitely deserve credit for that.

#HyperBlaster #Retron2 #DuckHunt

The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.
(Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2546; Pub. L. 101–650, title VI, § 607, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5132; Pub. L. 102–492, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3145.)