Retro gaming

[exdeath]

My first NES program faking parallax scrolling BG layers. Give it a try in an emulator.

http://forums.nesdev.com/download/file.php?id=42

Used MMC3 mapper to bank switch a chunk of CHR-ROM where the tile patterns are stored with 8 copies of the BG tile rotated within themselves.

Also manipulated the attribute table to achieve a sorta shadow/translucency effect as well.

New version with better BG tiles:

http://forums.nesdev.com/download/file.php?id=43

 

[Nemesis13]

anyone no if these might be worth anything? i will probably keep them i just dont play them on my nes and never really did. Im mainly mario,Zelda and tmnt.

 

[exdeath]

$5-$10 each probably. Metroid isn't a original silver box release, and Excitebike is one of the more common black box releases; might be worth $20+ if it's a 5 screw cart in a hang tab box. The rest are common and non exceptional.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

My first NES program faking parallax scrolling BG layers. Give it a try in an emulator.

http://forums.nesdev.com/download/file.php?id=42

Used MMC3 mapper to bank switch a chunk of CHR-ROM where the tile patterns are stored with 8 copies of the BG tile rotated within themselves.

Also manipulated the attribute table to achieve a sorta shadow/translucency effect as well.

New version with better BG tiles:

http://forums.nesdev.com/download/file.php?id=43

For lazy people, can you provide screens ;-)

 

[exdeath]

Picked up a boxed SNES and N64 for $40 for both

N64 is already RGB modded in less than 24 hours :awe:

 

[exdeath]

For lazy people, can you provide screens ;-)

Nope. Because the whole effect involves perceived relative motion, so a static screen capture would be meaningless

 

[ghost recon88]

Picked up a boxed SNES and N64 for $40 for both

N64 is already RGB modded in less than 24 hours :awe:

Both were still sealed? Or just included the original box?

 

[exdeath]

Just original box and paperwork. Boxes are a little beat up, but the systems are practically new. No yellowing on the SNES anywhere, brand new looking controllers with non broken L/R buttons, etc, and not a scratch or spec of dust on the 64.

I was like WTF when I RGB modded the N64 and got a black screen when I tested it and couldn't get it to work on RGB or composite anymore with the board only. Them I'm like "oh yeah... jumper pack....". Stupid RDRAM.

 

[fatpat268]

So, I just went a little apeshit in spending money. Retro gaming can be expensive. I could've just hooked up everything via composite, but nah.

-Just bought an SNES Jr... rgb modded. Could've done this myself, but I'm lazy, and I know I'd take forever to get around to it. ~$70

-Then, because I don't really have the space for a CRT, I'll be hooking it up to an LCD via VGA with the SLG-in-a-box. It's no xrgb, but it's also half the price. ~$240

-Got a couple of games, since I have none. Picked up the US FF3, but the label isn't so great. Gonna swap the cart with a SFC FF6 cart (love how SFC games are dirt cheap) and also picked up the SFC Super Metroid. Has the option to be in english, cheaper, and the cart looks better. ~$65 for all that, including shipping.

-THEN... not convinced I spent enough money yet, I started browsing some repro sites. Basically they're all games that are hacks and translations flashed onto donor carts. Found a site that sold them for $50 each (www.ocdreproductions.com if anyone is interested), and ALMOST bought some. I realized this was an expensive proposition, so I didn't. So I did something even more stupid. I bought an SD2SNES. The top of the line flashcart available for the SNES right now with the best compatibility. Yea. ~$215

So yea, that's a lot of money. Good thing I just got a ~$500 bonus, because that's where all the money went.

And now, I just realized I still need to buy a SCART cable.

 

[exdeath]

I'll have an SD2SNES as soon as as the SuperFX, SA1, and SDD1 firmware for the FPGA is confirmed at least in progress and not "to be determined". Until then I've got a Super Everdrive Ultimate DSP1. I already have most of those original games complete in box anyway so it would just be for the novelty. If SA1 isn't implemented, I probably won't be interested, being that it's very a common co-proc (games like Mario RPG, and a few other big games).

I'd help but my VHDL isn't quite up to speed yet. I've got the hang of passive logic like address decoders and memory mappers, but not experienced enough to write entire CPU cores yet.

I recently picked up a NES PowerPak. God I love FPGAs. Infinite support for any custom hardware, now and forever. The save state mappers are incredible. Instant save/load of save states in game, reset the console from the controller, etc.

If you're serious about this you NEED a 20" or larger professional grade RGB monitor. Nec XM series, Sony PVM, etc.

 

[pandemonium]

This thread just rubbed my memory cortex the right way.

For the life of me, I remember liking Faxanadu, but don't remember the game at all, lol. I have Dragon Warrior IV chillin' at home. ^^

 

[fatpat268]

I'll have an SD2SNES as soon as as the SuperFX, SA1, and SDD1 firmware for the FPGA is confirmed at least in progress and not "to be determined". Until then I've got a Super Everdrive Ultimate DSP1. I already have most of those original games complete in box anyway so it would just be for the novelty. If SA1 isn't implemented, I probably won't be interested, being that it's very a common co-proc (games like Mario RPG, and a few other big games). I'd help by my VHDL isn't quite up to speed yet.

I recently picked up a NES PowerPak. God I love FPGAs. Infinite support for any custom hardware, now and forever. The save state mappers are incredible. Instant save/load of save states in game, reset the console from the controller, etc.

If you're serious about this you NEED a 20" or larger professional grade RGB monitor. Nec XM series, Sony PVM, etc.

I kinda went back and forth between the Super Everdrive and the SD2SNES, but the SD2SNES had faster loading and MSU1. There isn't much MSU1 stuff out there (yet), but I wanted to give it a shot. Besides, I mostly got it to play hacks and translations. I plan on picking up any commonly available games anyway. Also, afaik, the SD2SNES does support SA-1. Nope

But yea, you're right about the display. Ideally, if I had the space, I'd have bought a monitor like the one you have, but for the moment, a decent scaler and proper looking scanlines with good color accuracy will suffice.

 

[exdeath]

What I do like about the SED is the Flash ROM and FeRAM for saves. Basically it stays as whatever game is currently loaded and just acts like a commercial cart until you change the game; plug it in and go instantly with no loading or selecting anything to run the currently flashed game. It's really awesome for RPGs where you play the same game for days on end without reflashing to another ROM and it just saves like a real cart with no intervention or having to reset and save.

I have all original RPGs, but I play them on the SED for the permanent saving of the .srm file to the SD card, no 20 year old batteries to die and corrupt your saves. And I want to keep my boxes mint and not open them 15 times a week

Definitely want to get a SD2SNES for the 96 Mbit capacity and/or SDD1 support for the translated Star Ocean though.

 

[exdeath]

My first NES demos:

http://forums.nesdev.com/download/file.php?id=69

http://forums.nesdev.com/download/file.php?id=72

I'd recommend the Nestopia emulator if you don't have a NES + PowerPak. It's smooth as silk.

Having just finished Dragon Warrior II, the next project I've became interested in is the 4096x4096 world map. Or just scrolling impossibly large levels forever in general. Thus I have discovered the necessity for compression on these systems. Even indexing metatiles (1 byte per 4 hardware tiles) the map would still be 64k. NES can only bank 32k of program ROM at a time... and not all of it can be the map for obvious reasons (duh where does the program code go?) I've managed to get it down to < 8k with RLE compression. Or basically from 240 bytes per screen to < 40 bytes and fast enough to decompress individual tiles real time during row/column updates while scrolling. Demo soon.

 

[Socio]

I don't do it often but I do play my old Neo-Geo console games, I hooked it up with a scaler to play at 1080i.

FYI: SNK is releasing a 20th anniversary reboot of the retro gaming system in December;

"Neo Geo X Gold gets worldwide December release date"

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/13/neo-geo-x-gold-release-date/

 

[pandemonium]

I don't normally console, but when I do, I use a DOS emulator. Ah hah!

 

[exdeath]

Not a bad day today:

I already have a mint complete in box Secret of Mana, so that will pretty much cover what I paid for everything pictured.

 

[fatpat268]

Wow, nice where'd you pick up all that stuff from?

 

[HeXen]

I don't do it often but I do play my old Neo-Geo console games, I hooked it up with a scaler to play at 1080i.

FYI: SNK is releasing a 20th anniversary reboot of the retro gaming system in December;

"Neo Geo X Gold gets worldwide December release date"

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/13/neo-geo-x-gold-release-date/

i always wanted a Neo Geo, but kinda pricey when you figure in buying some games.

 

[exdeath]

Normally just sleep in Sunday, glad I didn't.

$40

 

[fatpat268]

Dammit, I hate hearing how people pay so little for these awesome finds.

All the usual avenues are pretty much a no go in my area. Garage sales? Nope, all baby clothes and shit. Goodwill? Nope, they ship anything interesting off. Craigslist? Nope, a search for SNES will only get you modding services to put 1000+ games on your xbox.

Blah, I hate this area.

 

[Doppel]

This thread just rubbed my memory cortex the right way.

For the life of me, I remember liking Faxanadu, but don't remember the game at all, lol. I have Dragon Warrior IV chillin' at home. ^^

Damn now faxandu that is a word I've not heard in a long time, like I'm guessing two decades. I remember liking it, too. I think I've even tried to recall it to memory from time to time but never could quite remember its name.

 

[Flash1969]

Great thread! I love seeing all the old games again. I just started getting into the retro games again and forgot how fun they really are. I haven't seen it mentioned here, but there is an active retro gaming community on youtube. The videos are great and show game hunting "in the wild" at thrift stores, flea markets etc. Check out some of these youtubers..

The Game Chasers first episode
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDYhMBSCODI

Gamester81
http://www.youtube.com/user/Gamester81

MetalJesusRocks
http://www.youtube.com/user/MetalJesusRocks

 

[HeXen]

I'm playing Metroid on my Ipad. the emulator actually works pretty darn good, more playable than i thought considering the controller in on the screen

 

[exdeath]

Dammit, I hate hearing how people pay so little for these awesome finds.

All the usual avenues are pretty much a no go in my area. Garage sales? Nope, all baby clothes and shit. Goodwill? Nope, they ship anything interesting off. Craigslist? Nope, a search for SNES will only get you modding services to put 1000+ games on your xbox.

Blah, I hate this area.

Patience and perseverance.

My first month resulted in absolutely nothing but wasted time and gas. This after seeing a guy on Youtube find like 90 boxed SNES games. Grr