Retro Gaming

[Black Valkyrie]

 

 

http://www.seganerds.com/2018/01/10/retro-bits-bluetooth-genesis-saturn-and-dreamcast-accessories-revealed-at-ces/

 

 

Edited January 10, 2018 by Black Valkyrie

[Black Valkyrie]

 

Shovel Knight, SNES cover.

 

[SuperDimensionalDave]

You guys should check out the RetroBit RetroCade. Can be had on Amazon for $59 and is an Android based Mame home console. Playing Macross SDF, Macross II and Macross Plus on it. As well as about 250 other arcade games I loaded onto it via SD card. This has. now trumped the RetroFreak as my go to retro system. Also plays SNES and Genesis and a few other home console ROMS. Like every version of Mame it doesn't play EVERY game perfectly or even at all but it plays about 88% of roms perfectly. Macross Plus is a little choppy due to the rendered graphics but plays ok. 

[Axelay]

Aaaargh. C'mon, Retrobit, give me a new Dreamcast! I'm gonna buy those wireless controllers even if that's all they have up their sleeves. I wonder how they will work with VMUs? And supposing that a new Dreamcast is forthcoming, I wonder if original VMU savegame files would be compatible with it? That would be AMAZING.

[TheLoneWolf]

Good question about the VMU's. I'll bet they were originally programmed to transfer data as efficiently as possible to the console, so I doubt there will be any problems using Bluetooth instead. Purists may scream, but I hope that RetroBit tightens up the controller's d-pad. It always felt too mushy to me. I was always surprised how Sega went from the godly Saturn d-pad to the Dreamcast's d-pad.

[JB0]

VMU protocol is definitely doable. Given they could also be used for VMU-VMU connections, the protocol had to be both computing-light and power-efficient.

And yeah, I don't think anyone has ever figured out what happened between the Saturn controllers and the Dreamcast controller. They coulda just stuck a new cable on the Saturn analog pad and no one would've minded. Instead they re-engineered it, cut some buttons off, ruined the d-pad, and made the cable come out the bottom instead of the top.

[Black Valkyrie]

 

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/01/rumour_sega_and_retro-bit_might_actually_be_working_on_a_secret_retro_console

 

[Axelay]

I can't believe that I got all hopeful for a new Dreamcast, and instead the teasers were for some sim game of which I have never heard before... I guess that's what I get.

[JB0]

3 hours ago, Axelay said:

I can't believe that I got all hopeful for a new Dreamcast, and instead the teasers were for some sim game of which I have never heard before... I guess that's what I get.

Welcome to video game news.

[Black Valkyrie]

 

Now available for the SNES Classic Edition  , 

 

[Black Valkyrie]

 

More custom covers , 

 

 

[JetJockey]

On 1/9/2018 at 9:17 AM, Black Valkyrie said:

 

Made some custom covers for my SNES CE / Mini, 

 

I never got Wild Guns back in the day for SNES. I vaguely remember a space western type game in arcades but I don't think it was Wild Guns. I see it is one of those expensive titles now. But luckily for me they made a remastered version and released it physically. I hope the game is as cool as it seems.

[dizman]

I didn't play much of Wild Guns on the SNES but from what I remember it was pretty fun. I do have the PS4 remake and that game is excellent. 

 

[davidwhangchoi]

got some games in the mail today:

[dizman]

Ooh wow that's a nice haul, great selection!

[David Hingtgen]

If you want import 2D Saturn fighters, just ask me.    (Probably better prices, too!)

[Black Valkyrie]

 

Some custom covers, this time for the NES Classic. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 9, 2020 by Black Valkyrie

[Black Valkyrie]

 

 

[Scyla]

So recently I came across the concept of playing ROMs from an SD card on an original console. I'm probably the last person on earth that learned about that but I tried to do some research and I'm unsure what to think about it. 

I came across an article that warned about using one of those "Everdrive" cartridges since they can damage the gaming systems due to a higher voltage needed to read from the SD card (thats what I understood about it).

Has anyone some experience about the Everdrive cartridges and what is a good cartridge to buy (I'm looking for a PAL cartridge)? 

I found a few shops selling those but most were out of stock. Are the SD2SNES cartridges any good?

[JB0]

SD2SNES is the best Spper Nintendo flash cart. Everdrive is a good brand, though. Super Everdrive's limitation next to SD2SNES is mainly in coprocessor support. 

I believe the 3.3-5v mismatch is universal across all flash carts, though. 

 

 

[davidwhangchoi]

i'd just get a super nt at that price point, can do all that and more 

[JB0]

There's an argument to be made there, now that you can run ROM images off a Super NT. Personally, I prefer an original console and a CRT TV. I don't like playing games from that era on LCD.

[mikeszekely]

1 hour ago, JB0 said:

There's an argument to be made there, now that you can run ROM images off a Super NT. Personally, I prefer an original console and a CRT TV. I don't like playing games from that era on LCD.

There's an argument for that, sure. But when you've got a wife, kids, in-laws, and a Transformers collection vying for space in your house there's something to be said for the ability to play on the modern TVs I regularly use instead of keeping a CRT around for whenever I get a hankering for a SNES game.

[davidwhangchoi]

2 hours ago, JB0 said:

There's an argument to be made there, now that you can run ROM images off a Super NT. Personally, I prefer an original console and a CRT TV. I don't like playing games from that era on LCD.

yeah i have original hardware too a 1-CHIP and SNS-001 model and in the market for an everdrive but may stoop for a super NT as i heard they will release one that can output RGB to CRT which may suit my needs. 

especially for games such as x2 x3 and star ocean with the FMV's  

[JB0]

4 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

There's an argument for that, sure. But when you've got a wife, kids, in-laws, and a Transformers collection vying for space in your house there's something to be said for the ability to play on the modern TVs I regularly use instead of keeping a CRT around for whenever I get a hankering for a SNES game.

That is definitely a concern, and I judge no one for playing old games on new displays. CRTs take up a lot of space, even the smaller ones. 

But there are definite issues caused by the mix. Old systems do things that modern displays don't expect to happen, and vice versa. And that "old system on modern display" situation is exactly what the Super NT is designed to handle.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, davidwhangchoi said:

yeah i have original hardware too a 1-CHIP and SNS-001 model and in the market for an everdrive but may stoop for a super NT as i heard they will release one that can output RGB to CRT which may suit my needs. 

especially for games such as x2 x3 and star ocean with the FMV's  

The SD2SNES simulates the C4 chip used in the Megaman X sequels, actually.

Star Ocean is playable if you have the decompression hack that turns it into a 12 megabyte Super Nintendo game, but removes the S-DD1 chip from the equation.

 

The Super NT doesn't simulate the S-DD1 either yet, though it is a distinct possibility for future "jailbreak" development(if you own an original cartridge, it will work fine inserted in the Super NT, but it'll work fine in a real Super Nintendo too).

SD2SNES development has largely stalled due to ikari's real life situation, so it's unclear if it will ever see more coprocessor support than it already has. Which is not to say the current support isn't pretty good, but it doesn't include the high-profile SuperFX or fairly prolific SA1(and it isn't clear that the cartridge's FPGA actually has room to support the SA1. ikari suspected it would be a very tight fit).

[Black Valkyrie]

 

 

[ScrambledValkyrie]

On 4/1/2018 at 6:54 PM, JB0 said:

There's an argument to be made there, now that you can run ROM images off a Super NT. Personally, I prefer an original console and a CRT TV. I don't like playing games from that era on LCD.

When started to rebuild my retro game collection a few years ago, I went with a Retron 5, mainly for cost and convenience reasons. Now that I have an original GameCube (w/ GBA player), N64, SNES (1-chip), and NES, I'm giving some thought to going back to a CRT for those. Though I'm not really sure CRT makes sense for GameCube. All my consoles are stock, and I'm currently using DVDO upscalers for these machines into modern LCDs. (Two different rooms with two different setups.)

[JB0]

My personal breakover point is "does the console do HD". Though I used to play my 360 on a VGA CRT. The assumption of widescreen ended that.

[F-ZeroOne]

This will probably mean more on my side of the pond, but former Sinclair industrial designer Rick Dickinson has died. He designed the case for the classic, rubber-keyed ZX Spectrum home computer (for the UK, the NES of its day). The Spectrum was the right computer at the right time at the right price, but its Dikcinsons design that made it an icon here.

[JB0]

As hard as I rag on the Spectrum, I've got nothing bad to say about it aesthetically. He contributed the best part of that system, as well as the other computers he worked on. Rest in peace, good sir.

[ScrambledValkyrie]

On 4/21/2018 at 3:32 PM, JB0 said:

My personal breakover point is "does the console do HD". Though I used to play my 360 on a VGA CRT. The assumption of widescreen ended that.

That makes sense. For me, the clear CRT candidates are the 240p consoles. I think the questionable era is with the 480i/p consoles (6th gen). I played plenty of PS2 and GameCube on a 27" Trinitron. It probably depends on what size CRT you're using. The SNES would be fine on a smaller PVM, but I'd think the GameCube would warrant a much larger screen.

The PS2 is tricky, since it has a couple of games that do 1080i but also supports PS1 games that run in 240p. 

[JetJockey]

I wish Sony still made CRT TVs. Considering that they are in the video game industry you would think they would make one good set for us. But their last PlayStation LCD display had all kinds of problems from what I read. I think the last really good CRT TV for systems right in the middle of the SD / HD age was a Sony XBR Widescreen CRT TV. It was expensive back then but I would like to find one now.

 

On another game note, I finally finished a game I never beat in arcades. Nor did I see anyone finish it and now I understand why. The game is cheaper than that second to last NES Ninja Gaiden stage with the repeating bird. Anyway, that game is Rolling Thunder. I played the PSP version on Namco Museum Battle Collection which I believe is the arcade version. There is a stage near the second run through (you have to beat the game twice to get the ending) with jumps and fire characters which drove me crazy. Plus the final boss just charges you and absorbs bullets. Add in that on the last stage you really can't get hit and you are against the timer, makes it one of the toughest games I've ever played. Maybe it would be a bit easier if I played it on a bigger screen with a real controller. I was so tempted to throw my PSP which is why I don't get shooters on it. But still I'm happy I finally finished it. I love the design and aside from the difficulty, the first two games in the series are pretty cool. I haven't played the third one on Genesis yet. But I always played Rolling Thunder 2 on Genesis. I like the James Bond feel of that one.

 

I didn't see anyone post this as a topic. I'm sure someone posted the original version somewhere around here. But it's been updated. This guy did an anime Star Wars TIE Fighter battle as well. But this R-Type one is cool. I can't remember beating the first one but I think the SNES version was a favorite. I might go over the series and see which titles I missed.

 

 

[Black Valkyrie]

 

 

[JB0]

http://www.lcv.ne.jp/~mgs1987/gimic2c/x68ver2z2.html

 

Long, painfully babelfish'ed story short, this dude took a chiptune board, mounted it in a custom case so it looks just like a real(ly small) X68000 computer.

...

And then he created a box and manual and tiny little replicas of 5¼" disks to go in the tiny little floppy drives with working tiny little eject buttons, and a tiny little LCD monitor attached to tiny little speakers, and ... yeah, you get the idea.

The chiptune player is actually controllable with a real X68k gamepad/joystick. The keyboard port only has power pins, so while an X68k keyboard will light up when connected, you can't actually use it for input. The mouse port is purely cosmetic.

Someone needs to teach this guy FPGA programming and reverse-engineering so he can make an actual computer. It would be awesome.

[Mazinger]

 

An RT coleco game machine?  Hmm, depending on the price point might be best to just root these suckers, install mame, and get Macross DYRL running on them instead.

As seen on:

http://www.actionfigureinsider.com/rainbow-brite-and-robotech-coming-to-coleco-evolved-mini-arcades/

Edited May 8, 2018 by Mazinger