Jagasian

Some pictures of the upcoming NES PowerPak were leaked a few days ago, at NES Dev. It is the first flash cart for the NES. Not very many details are known, but those interested should keep track of this product, as it will definitely sell out fast. Below are the currently known details. Note that none of these details are set in stone, and EVERYTHING can change, as the NES Power Pak is being developed by a single person, bunnyboy, working out of his home. 1. This cart allows you to play NES ROMs on a real NES system, by loading the ROMs onto an inexpensive compact flash card, which is then inserted into the NES Power Pak cart. In a sense, the NES Power Pak lets you burn NES ROMs to a real NES cart! 2. The NES Power Pak works with official Nintendo made NES systems, such as the toaster and the top loader. However, it does NOT work with NOAC based Famiclones such as the NEX, Yobo, FC Twin, and others. This is not surprising considering that these clones don't work with many official carts, especially carts with more sophisticated circuitry such as MMC5 based games. 3. The boot ROM is upgradable, but since it does not contain the code used for supporting mappers, it most likely will not need to be upgraded. However, bunnyboy said that he would offer an upgrade service if some critical bug was found in the boot ROM. 4. Mapper support can be upgraded via files loaded on the CF card. This is important as game compatibility problems will be due to mapper support. In other words, game compatibility bugs can be fixed via easily installed software upgrades. 5. A complete game compatibility list has not yet been put together. Not every game will be compatible, but most games will be compatible. Also, compatibility can be improved over time with user installed upgrades. 6. The NES Power Pak will go on sale in roughly a month. Quantities will be limited, and demand will be high, so get in line. 7. The NES Power Pak will cost somewhere around $120 to $140 (USD). While the price may seem high to some, it is important to realize how expensive it is to get custom electronics made in small numbers. Large businesses can minimize the cost of a piece of electronics by manufacturing a large number of units, which drives down the price of each individual unit. However, since the NES Power Pak is being developed by a single person using money out of his own pocket, a large number of units cannot be manufactured. Also, keep in mind that there is no other flash cart for the NES, because developing a flash cart for the NES is an extremely difficult task due to the large number of different "mapper" chips used in official NES carts. Each chip must be supported by a flash cart in order to be compatible with every game.

I also agree. Get working original Nintendo brand hardware. The cost is roughly the same, and the end result is much better.

The pins in one of my SNES systems have become bent. It is an early model SNES that uses a different 62-pin connector than the one available from MCM Electronics. I am interested in buying such a connector.

I miss lik-sang

I've been using my softmodded Xbox with a host of emulators for the NES, SNES, Genesis, and more. However, I am very picky when it comes to games that I have been playing for, literally, decades. If the emulation or controllers don't match the original close enough, it drives me mad. Hence the original hardware is usually the only satisfying fix for my classic gaming tastes.

I'll do some more extensive comparisons of my SNES and Super Famicom systems to see if they all have the problem. I have several official variations of the system. Though if the SNES2 has the problem and my original version SNES (external APU module) has the problem... then maybe it is the cables or the TV.

The original Famicom also has relatively short cables for its controllers, which could be a problem considering that the controllers are permenantly attached to the system. Though that could be addressed with another hardware mod.

I've never noticed it with composite, but then again, it is so much blurier that it would be hard to notice. I wonder if there is a hardware mod that would fix the problem. Does the problem occur with a mini-SNES that is modded for S-video?

I suggest taking fewer games. You can't really enjoy so many games at a time. So pick a variety of games that represent the best of each genre. Here is my pick: 12. Contra 19. Final Fantasy 30. Mike Tyson’s: Punch-Out!! 37. R.C. Pro-Am 47. Super Mario Bros. 3 49. Superspike V’Ball 52. Tetris 55. The Legend of ZELDA

Morrowind is simply awesome. The GOTY version for the PC, with a handful of the best mods installed, is great, great, great! My suggestions for mods: 1. unofficial patch: fixes tons of bugs not fixed in the official patches 2. Better Bodies: makes the bodies in the world more realistic looking 3. Less Generic NPCs: makes every NPC's dialog unique, making the game much more emersive. This mod is actually a collection of 10 or more mods. Install them all. 4. Morrowind Comes Alive: Adds tons of new NPCs all over the world. Adds bandits in the wilderness, etc. 5. Children of Morrowind: Adds tons of little kids throughout the world. How can a society exist without children? 6. Cyrano's Traveling Merchants: Ever wonder how trade exists between cities in Morrowind? Well this mod adds the backbone of inter-city trade. 7. GhanBuriGhan’s The Regulars: Every wonder why nobody uses the chairs in the taverns? This mod places new NPCs in a few chairs in each tavern. There are more mods here: http://www.mwmythicmods.com/realism.htm

Every SNES and Super Famicom that I have ever used with S-video has a vertical band roughly in the middle of the screen, which is slightly lighter than the rest of the screen. It happens on every TV that I've tried, but it doesn't happen when using the composite video games. Is this a universal problem with the SNES? Why won't more people complain about it? Great Hierophant, definitely test out both composite and S-video cables with your SNES. The issue is easier to see with games that use darker colors, such as Chrono Trigger in the opening title screen. I own the official Nintendo RGB cable for the SNES, but I don't have a TV capable of handling the Japanese SCART RGB. My hope is that with an RGB cable, the aformentioned problem does not occur.

There, you have your proof. This discussion is now over. Mods, please lock this thread immediately as to prevent any further attempts at a flamewar in my direction. Regarding my "hardcore" comment, I meant that as a compliment. I think that many people around here would agree with me, considering that this is a classic gaming forum. When it comes to the NES and SNES, I consider myself a hardcore fan. Regarding my comparison of classic Famicom games to an aged bottle of wine, I was trying to make a point that such games are best experienced using the more pricey hardware. I was trying to justify the AV Famicom's higher price. In all honesty, did anybody else interpret either of those sentences as "insulting banter"?

I totally agree about the labels... the same applies to box art and manuals too. The original NES system gets a bad rap for reliability, but I bet after 20+ years you won't see very many Wii systems fully functional, due to a dead motor or laser. The NES is, however, easy and inexpensive to refurbish. Does anybody have any critiques of the quality of the Wii's emulation for any of the games supported by the Virtual Console? I've seen complaints about incorrect aspect ratios, but nothing else.

Judging by the discussion in this thread: http://nesdev.parodius.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=601 ...a modded top loader still has inferior quality video, when compared to a toaster or an AV Famicom. However, the video quality should improve somewhat. There are multiple different variations of the mod, with some techniques being better than others. OSG may mod top loaders. Drop them a line to see if they offer such a service: http://www.oldschoolgamer.ca/ However, a refurbished toaster will be less expensive and it will produce higher quality audio and video than a modded top loader. You also can't beat that classic NES look

I've re-read my previous replies in this thread, and I cannot find a single sentence that could possibly be construed as offensive. Can you please quote an offensive sentence of mine, from this thread? If not, your personal attacks against me are unwarranted.

Are you being serious?

When I get some time, I will reseat my APU. It is my original SNES from my childhood, so I will never give up on it. Of course, I own about 7 other SNES and Super Famicom systems. I think that the systems that use the detachable APU are less reliable because the APU can become unseated. Does anybody else agree?

Anyone who wants to enjoy classic Famicom games on original hardware is hardcore in my book. But let me rephrase. If you are going to drink an old classic bottle of whine, don't use cheap glasses to drink from, use the fine crystal instead.

I personally prefer to repair the original Nintendo-made 72-pin connector, but other people prefer to simply replace the connector with a new third-party part. If you do choose to replace the connector, I suggest that you keep the original connector because it can be repaired and some people believe that the a repaired Nintendo-made connector works better than a new third-party connector.

There were several different versions of the official Nintendo-made SNES, with only the earliest version using the removable Audio Processing Unit. (quote taken from this thread http://nesdev.parodius.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=1692) By the way, how did you figure out that the APU was dead? My original SNES, which uses the removable APU no longer works. I've checked the fuse, cleaned the cart port, and many other things, but no audio or video is output from the system. I just get a blank screen. I wondered if this was a sign that the APU needed to be reseated or replaced. Any ideas?

Before the Wii was released, there were people talking about getting rid of their classic game systems because the Wii would support emulation of said systems. Of course, I was first to point out that the number of games supported and the quality of the emulation on the Wii may not result in an experience as complete and true to the original as many people assumed would be the case. So now that the Wii has been released, people can get a taste for exactly how many classic games will be supported and how well they are emulated. So what is everybody's verdict? Is anybody still considering ditching their original SNES, Genesis, or TG-16? It seems like a bad idea, considering that the Wii will only support a fraction of the games for any given classic system.

The A/V Famicom is compatible with most NES peripherials, as it uses removable controllers, unlike the original Famicom. Also, unless the original Famicom is modded to support composite RCA A/V, it will have inferior audio and video compared to the A/V Famicom. I'd go with the more expensive A/V Famicom. I mean, you are talking about playing a game system that is around 20 years old, which means that you are a hardcore fan. So why cheap out and buy something less than the best, when it comes to something that you obviously care allot about?

I'd admit that I am wrong, but I need some pretty strong proof, especially considering that there are people who claim that the NOAC plays most NES games perfectly There is a local store that might be selling these, as they sell the Yobo NES, so I will drop by the mall to see if they have it. Then I will test it out there. If it is good enough, I will bring one home for testing. Considering that I have just about every SNES and SFC game, I can do some serious testing.

Sweater, I couldn't have said it better. Some people don't really care about inaccurate audio and video. To others, especially fans that have been playing the real thing for 15+ years, incorrect A/V is a killer. Regarding Zelda, the map is messed up in Zelda when playing it on a NOAC. Regarding the Gamestation, it is the same exact clone that resides in the SNES2 clone, but it also has a Game Doctor SF7 built in too. I use a Game Doctor SF7 all the time with a real SNES, and it doesn't have any of the described problems. For those that don't know, the Game Doctor SF7 is a device that lets you play on a real SNES, ROMs saved on floppies or CDs. You can still buy such devices at: www.tototek.com The problem with the Gamestation is in the SNES chipset that was cloned by XGA. Judging by the pictures of the FC Twin's circuit board, it uses the exact same XGA chipset. Again, the XGA chipset has appeared in many unlicensed SNES clones, including the SNES2 clone. Games have been known to lock up after hours of play on an XGA based clone. Imagine losing hours of gameplay due to a crappy clone that costs as much as a real SNES.

It is definitely an analog issue, and most likely a power issue. Do you have an official SNES AC adapter? I think you can still buy them from the official Nintendo site. Properly taken care of, a SNES and accessories can last an extremely long time, so investing in an official SNES AC adapter isn't too high of a cost. If you can't figure out how to get it to work, don't throw it away. At least sell it to somebody that will use it for something.