Pandora's Box 4S

As I mentioned in another thread I made on here, I recently picked one of these up using some money I had gotten back in Christmas. I had wanted one ever since I saw Techmoan’s review of it. And being that I can just hook it directly into a TV input, I don’t have to worry about trying to make room on my computer desk and just use it as a regular arcade joystick for things like MAME, and I just play it right in the living room. There are 800 games on here from companies like Capcom, SNK, Konami, Namco, Taito, Irem, Technos, Atlus, Data East, and a few others. Some of the games on here are duplicates of one another though. Like for instance, it has both the english and japanese versions of the Street Fighter Alpha/Zero series, and this weird bootleg of Capcom’s beat 'em up Warriors of Fate that I had previously made a post about in another part of this forum. It’s been giving me a few issues, but aside from all that, it was a neat little purchase. The price varies depending on who you buy it from. Luckily, I bought mine from a place right here in PA, so it only came a day or two after I placed the order via FedEX. It’s too bad you can’t add any games to it though. It can also plug into a USB port on a computer and be used as just a regular arcade stick such as the HotRod SE or the X-Arcade sticks. Here is Techmoan’s review of it:

Nice, but the Raspberry Pi/DIY geek in me finds this abomination highly blasphemous. To each their own I guess.

Tech Moan is great, but he more of a Tech reveiwer that tends to focus mostly on audio equipment with a specialty on old and obscure formats.
He also does decent reviews on Dash board cams and his kitchen appliance reviews are entertaining; but keep in mind (and Techmoan does admit this) the guy has no sense of taste.

As for anything gaming, I would take is reviews with a slight grain of salt, he not really a gaming channel.

Yep. That said though…it’s great that devices like these are in the market—for those who don’t want to break out tools and start downloading (and installing) software.

For me though, this kind of stuff is ‘where it’s at!’

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Hmm the 4s definitely seems a lot better than previous version at running Third Strike. We have an older version, prolly the 3 where I work and it can’t run SF3 full speed. I’m pretty sure it just used Final Burn Alpha as the emulator, but the older hardware just doesn’t have the power.

I’m the same. However, the pb4s and other multigame cart device just makes things a whole lot easier. For most people, they want that plug and play component. I suppose you can buy an “all in one” pack for a pi to make it plug and play, but I found with my pi, I was tinkering more than I was playing :smiley: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

The new Pandora 5 I think will be much better than anything previous. The new hardware trumps all previous and I believe they’ve fixed a lot of the issues from previous versions.

I’m personally waiting for a Pandora 5 jamma cga compatible box. The cost is way cheaper than purchasing a raspberry pi to jamma style equivalent board.

I already have a tablet and I can’t afford to get another one right now. The Pandora will have to do.

Tablets? Who mentioned anything about tablets?

The Pi is a tablet like the iPad, is it not?

Uh…no. It isn’t.

Educate yo’self.

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The Raspberry Pi is nothing like a tablet.

Its like comparing a Pick up truck to a F1 Formula racer

[edit]
Better comparison is A tablet is a Brand new, hi-tech but cheaply made Waffle Iron, While the Raspberry Pi is your grandma’s old Copper mixing bowl and oak wooden spoon.
Both can be used to make waffles, but Grandma’s bowl and spoon can do so much more, whole the waffle iron can only make waffles.

Or in our case despite the CPU power the Raspberry Pi is 1000% more computer than a Apple iPad ever will be as it has 1001 utility uses while the iPad is just a iPhone minus the phone.

I have a pretty nice Raspberry Pi 3 set-up and still dig the Pandora’s box. Its worth it simply for it’s awesome game selection and slick menu interface. And aside from the 3D titles, it otherwise seems to have every notable arcade game from 1980 to 2006 on it.

Sure you could (sorta)achieve the same thing with a Pi but, it would take forever and a day to download, collect, test, artwork for everything, etc. Plus setting up a similar menu presentation with video snaps for everything. The beauty of the Pandora Box is it’s all done for you and the emulation on the latest Pandora Box 5 is pretty good from what i’ve seen in reviews.

My only gripe with these pre-made emulator boxes is there doesn’t seem to be a gamepad option. You HAVE to use their Arcade sticks. This is annoying but isn’t a deal breaker. And at least their sticks are easy as hell to upgrade with Sanwa. Since they primarily use Sanwa ko parts, it’s just a simple swap-in to replace it.

You don’t need to go the giant 2P arcade stick route either. They also sell ‘consolized’ versions with one(or two) single-player wireless sticks.

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/group/Pandora-Box-5-Wireless-Console/937838_511573305.html?spm=2114.12010612.0.0.188aec2aF8xKTU

Although some of the 2p sticks do look pretty slick. I especially like this Blue one:

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Pandora-s-box-5-960-in-1-Red-Blue-Stickers-arcade-console-2-players-pandora-box/937838_32839274990.html?spm=2114.12010612.0.0.427c3cadnKUAoq

Very well done. Recalbox or Retropi? The only use I can really see out of Pandoras Box is using the board only versions to hook via jamma (and adapter) to use on an arcade cabinet that is already built.