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Andromeda Stardust

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Posts posted by Andromeda Stardust

  1. Posted

    I found this thread because I was having the same problem with my Tac-2 and 4-switch 2600. I thought your capacitor idea was interesting but I wondered if maybe it would be easier and better to put the cap inside the joystick itself instead of modding the console, so I found a small cap and temporarily placed it across the contacts for the left fire button. Maybe it's just a placebo but it seems to have had an effect, the sparkling and interference is almost completely gone now. It couldn't be that simple could it?

     

    doXgiha.jpg

    Vintage dome switches contain two plates of conductive metal placed in close proximity which may act as a tiny capacitance. Pressing on the dome bridges the connection by completing a circuit.

     

    Modern microswitches as well as vintage leaf switches lack this effect. Carbon dots like the NES pad or the Atgames joysticks have a small resistance (tens of ohms) as well, so they may be immune.

     

    Mind I ask what value cap you used? .1uF? A series resistance (or even the internal resistance of the console) combined with a small cap across the button will essentially create a "latch and hold" effect. The cap instantly discharges upon contact, then continues to conduct for a smallish time interval (less than one frame) after release.

     

    This virtually eliminates contact bounce, which may be the culprit for audiovisual artifacts produced by some tia chips but n pit others. Remember, the fire button and paddles connect to the tia. The stick connects to cpu inputs.

     

    So I don't think it's a placebo effect. My Atari isn't affected by this bug so I couldn't test it. Thank you for your independant verification.

     

    Putting the cap on the controller port is convenient if you have multiple sticks, though it could potentially interfere with keypads, atarivoxes, or other device that are timing sensitive or bidirectionlly communicate with the controller port.

    • Like 1

  2. Posted

    So someone can't go back to their initial post in a topic and change a list or something? I know I've seen that on these forums .... Weird.

    If you have a need to edit the original post of a thread permanently, pm Albert or CPUwiz or one of the other mods with a brief explanation why you need to edit the post (for instance to post updated info or consolidate information from a very long thread) and they can unlock it.

     

    Other than that, the open window for editing posts is 1 hour, which should be long enough to fix typos or other errors, unless you subscribe, then it becomes one month.

     

    Albert modified permissions long ago so users could not retroactively delete or modify content.

  3. Posted

    Since editing your own posts doesn't seem possible...

     

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/gxj2i5rzc2hrnw3/rv_boss_nes.mp3?dl=0

    Thanks. Any one of these could make an awesome retro inspired ringtone. 8)

     

    Also thanks for providing the nsf. Playing back nsf files on my powerpak (using either stock hardware or the fpga avs) is one of my guilty pleasures... 8)

     

    And agree with others sentiments about ignoring the naysayers. I will gladly buy this amazing homebrew day one! 8)

  4. Posted

    Heyyy the TIA can sound OK. I made a couple short renditions of Rikki and Vikki songs for the tia just as an experiment a while ago.

     

    Sand

     

    Metal

    This "downmixed" TIA soundtrack is amazing! I almost wish it were selectable as an option, or placed in an easter egg somewhere. Like how Nintendo made "8-bit" remixed tracks of overworld music in Mario Odyssey. Nevermind the faux 8-bit sprites and music had more colors and audio channels than is possible on a stock NES. :P

     

    I am also glad you used an encoder for the arm coprocessor that simulates chiptune music instead of streaming compressed audio recordings like so many games do.

     

    Flash rom is so dirt cheap enough that you could have certainly afforded say 512mb of storage for compressed sound. One reason I dislike 90s era cd games. The soundchips of consoles were part of their signature aesthetic. Ripping all bgm tracks to cd deprived users of this.

     

    One reason I liked Nintendo games. No canned sound. Everything was originally composed for the game, even on later systems, then fully orchestrated soundtracks in the Wii era, starting with Super Mario Galaxy.

     

    Nintendo game scores were treated with the same care as hollywood movies, not "let's license or commission music from some random no-name artist because it fits the mood." So many PS1 and PS2 era games just filled in a bunch of crap from c-list bands, it's painfully hard to stomach now... :razz:

  5. Posted

    Wasn't complaining, just asking. I'm also use to boxes being an additional $15 to $20 cost to a homebrew. While the boxes are nice if they cost as much as a cheaper homebrew I would rather get two games. The set up does look nice and I'm digging the orange cart.

    Beleive me, I have faced this cunundrum many times in Albert's shop. Do I buy two brand new boxed homebrews for $100 or do I wait 6-7 months and buy 3-4 games for the same price?

     

    Usually I take a middle of the road approach. I'll decide what are the must haves and buy them immediately, then wait a few months to a year until the "wants" go on sale as cart+manual.

     

    For instance in Xmas 2017, I bought Draconian and Super Cobra immediately, then waited until mid summer 2018 to get loose copies of Assembloids and Lunar Lander. :P

     

    I wasn't griping at the cart-only camp (I often buy cart-only when available) but rather griping about the gripers because they had to purchase a box.

     

    This is perhaps one of the best homebrew packages I have ever seen, for any system. We are getting a 16-bit style game in an 8-bit package.

  6. Posted

    Hoooo boy, you guys are going to have a field day when you see "Update #10". Lol.

    Yeah, all that free swag those three winners got is a drop in the bucket to the millions they stole. Still no actual update on console development. Have they even started? Or are they living high on the hog??? :ponder:

    • Like 5

  8. Posted

    Question regarding the Sega Sg.

    It should be compatible with PAL/NTSC-U/NTSC/J SegaCD/MegaCD, model 1 or model 2 should not be any difference?

     

    Also a general question regading this CD addons, the thing that is difference with theese are which bios it's in them? So booting up a bios with an Everdrive makes it region free?

    I belive there is a 68k inside the sega cd, but its on the main consoles clock?

    Some Google-Fu netted this:

    US Genesis + PAL Mega CD 2 BIOS = ERROR

    PAL Mega Drive + US Sega CD 2 BIOS = ERROR

    PAL Mega Drive + PAL Mega CD 1 BIOS = works

    Italic text examples below uses a Region modded PAL Mega Drive

    PAL Mega Drive with language switch to US or JP + US Sega CD 2 BIOS = works

    PAL Mega Drive with language switch to JP/US/"PAL" + JP Mega CD 2 Bios = works

    PAL Mega Drive with language switch set to JP/US + PAL Mega CD 1 BIOS = ERROR

     

    Can a CD console be modified to play any game regardless of region? Yes, a region free BIOs mod exists.

     

    https://kb.speeddemosarchive.com/Sega_Console_Region

     

    I am guessing the Mega SG can be made to presemt itself like either a PAL or NTSC console with region switch. You might need to modify the BIOS on the CD drive as well.

  10. Posted

    I'm assuming the price has a lot to do with the custom sound chip. That's really more Atari and GenCom's fault for designing the 7800 with 1977 audio technology. If the system had shipped with an internal POKEY like it probably should have, this wouldn't even be an issue.

    Put a sock in it already. This game has more than just Pokey capability. This cart has what basically amounts to a 16-bit era soundchip in it.

     

    Also the complaints in this thread about boxes are dumb too. I don't get boxes for every homebrew, but the nicer packages are worth it. This is definitely one of the "nicer packages" if not the nicest I've ever seen. :grin: :thumbsup:

    • Like 1

  12. Posted

    Assuming official carts work on all systems, this sounds very likely to be ROM speed issues. This is the same sort of behaviour you see putting fast EPROMS into an old revision ST for a TOS upgrades. Dodgy signal integrity causes all sorts of problems when you're using fast (like 60-70ns) EPROMS when the original system had 200ns. Glitches on the address or data bus which were effectively ignored by the slower ROM would actually be honoured with faster ROMS and cause incorrect data to be read.

    If it really is the EPROMs responding too fast causing errors, perhaps an rc filter circuit could be used on the inputs of the chips to delay the response time. This rc filter could then be tuned with a trim pot. The trim pot could be exposed to allow user adjustment.

     

    A middle range setting that works with most hardware could be used, with instructions on how to "tune" the device to be compatible on troublesome consoles. Especially if too fast or too slow response times produce unique symptoms, then the user will know whether to tune it clockwise or counter.

     

    Better yet, if there is any way for the flash cart to detect the response time of the console, it could calibrate itself and make the necessary timing adjustments.

     

    There is something these flashcarts do differently because every homebrew or commercial game I have ever tested worked, but I got corruption everytine I attempted to load a rom, with or without a Pokey. The Pokey worked however on mine. Others could load roms without corruption, but pokey was broken. Still others could not boot to menu at all.

     

    These issues spanned across all revisions of hardware with seemingly no ryme or reason. Two consoles same moboard revision, one works, one doesn't. Is your 7800 posessed with a voodoo demon that refused to work? Mine was.

     

    Leave it to SainT to make a "voodoo proof" 7800 flashcart. Fresh start, no need to build upon the heels of Harmony like Batari did. Which btw Harmony Encore (as well as the Concerto loaded with Harmony firmware) ran flawless. :P

  13. Posted

    I was recently sent a Marsback by GameSir. It is described as a unit that can change your smart phone in to an arcade machine. Of course it can't but it is a reasonable little device.

    Or I could cut a slot in one of my cigar box controllers and slap my 7" tablet in there. Or simply use my 8bitdo pad with it. Novel idea... :thumbsup:

    • Like 1

  14. Posted

    I hope his trend of mini-arcade machines ends soon ...they're simultaneously bulky and un-ergonomic and I fart in their general direction.

     

    For useability they get a big fat F. They are cute and son likes to play with them, so we have a few. He likes to take a Godzilla toy and make him play Rampage.

    I woke up this morning and took another whack at Galaga. I made it to stage 5 this time, high score of 30k.

    post-33189-0-57031700-1549210387_thumb.jpg

     

    Still a far cry from my 100k top score on the 1up cab but improving. Starting to warm up to this little device despite it's shortcomings. The patterns and behaviors are different enough from the arcade that I have to retrain my muscle memory.

     

    Anyway fun little device. I love collecting multiple vintage arcade ports across platforms and these are no exception. Sure they aren't 100% accurate, but do they need to be for enjoyment? No. Does it make me a collectard for buying them. Again no. It's only "colldctard" if you never play them... ;-)

    • Like 1

  15. Posted

    He's just joking. You know, like how a dragon who kidnaps your children is making your life "more inconvenient," rather than committing a rather terrible crime.

    Yes, I get the irony.

     

    Some 60hz trash bins are not rated for 50hz duty and will roll or possibly explode if operated out of their operating parameters.

     

    Heaven forbid someone puts lovingly crafted cardboard boxes in the glass bin, or plastic in the aluminum cans bin. My recycled beer bottle tastes like paper... :o

  16. Posted

    They've been tested with both NTSC and PAL waste receptacles to ensure you can dispose of them regardless of your local garbage standard.

    NTSC and PAL waste recepticals? A garbage bin or recycling bin is just a bin.

     

    Also why would collectors do that? To save space? :???:

  18. Posted

    I have a few, though it's hard to find stuff in 3x. 2x tees tend to ride up my beer gut, though I still have a few in my closet. Hopefully I lose some weight and eventually can wear them again.

     

    I'm 5'11" but my armspan is 6'4", because I have an elongated torso, so I tend not to wear tees that often anymore, since almost noone makes graphic tees in a tall size. :roll:

  20. Posted

    So I played Basic Fun Galaga for a bit. My observations:

     

    Yes, it is more difficult compared to the arcade, despite being slower. Enemy bullets don't shoot diagonally in the arcade, however they do have some lateral movement. The only time diagonal shot sprites appear in the arcade is when your ship is being pulled by the tractor beam and you fire shots in an attempt to destroy the capture ship.

     

    Overall this Basic Fun port plays better than the Tiny Arcade version, however the enemy movements and formations aren't arcade accurate.

     

    A bigger issue is bullet spam and the large amount of lateral movement of the shots. The enemy bullets travel much farther laterally in this port than they do in the arcade, making them harder to dodge.

     

    It isn't "unfair" on the level that Tiny Arcade Galaxian is (can't move while firing for instance), or choppy and unplayable like Tiny Arcade Galaga, but has other flaws.

     

    I've attained the double ships which works as expected. I've also killed the capture ship while in formation. The captured ship flies offscreen on stage 1 and sits out stage 2 before returning in stage 4. This is true to arcade behavior, I think. Player bullets can fire at multiple angles during capture only. If you're lucky, you hit some stuff.

     

    In stage 4, the enemy formations mercilessly spam bullets towards the bottom of the screen, with the enhanced spread patterns being difficult to dodge. This is especially true when they fire at the bottom of their attack spread, leaving no time to dodge. It also appears that the hitbox on my ship is taller than the arcade, though it may be just the aspect ratio pulling me closer to the action.

     

    So far my top score is 21660, and I can't seem to beat stage 4, even with the aid of an extra ship, so go figure.

     

    Ranking (from best to worst) Galaga ports:

     

    Cass of '81 Reunion (commercial arcade)

    1UP Galaga/Galaxian (home 3/4 arcade)

    My Arcade Gaming (NES Rom)

    Basic Fun (port)

    Tiny Arcade Galaga (port, standalone or the Ms Pacman combo unit)

     

    When I finish my 1up arcade Galaga video (I have recorded pieces of it but procrastinated for months now), I'll do the mini arcade ports.

  21. Posted

    I am a huge pac-man fan, but didn't really consider the VFD versions. Now that they are so cheap $10-$15, will probably

    get it at some point.

     

    But first, I'm getting ms pac-man, because it has the changing mazes, which is great.

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxiHASewL_Q

     

    later

    -1

    I haven't picked that one up yet, thanks. The intermissions were a bit weird. The 3rd was a repeat of the 1st, and what's up with not having two pac sprites onscreen? Also the fruit reusing the dot. How can you tell where it is if you haven't eaten them yet?

     

    Also in other news, I finally picked up the Basic Fun Galaga at Wally World today. I'll be playtesting it later. I got like around 5 Galaga machines now, including the Walmart exclusive Arcade 1UP.

  22. Posted

    No quantity limits, no maybes. We'll have 550 copies available for purchase on launch and will manufacture more if there's demand. Ideally the game would be available on the Switch, PlayStation 4, and XBOX One. But whether or not any of these ports happen is highly dependent upon how well the Windows / Steam version does. We've been getting the most requests for the Switch.

    I would love a digital Switch release in addition to physical 7800, thank you! :grin: :thumbsup:

  23. Posted

    Couldnt stand playing Cosmic Ark on my NT Mini with a D-Pad so I hacked a 9 pin port onto a NES controller.

    Its not super pretty but it works great!

    2600 controllers make all the difference!

    I have thought of doing this before. The Atari sticks pads are direct wired so easy to hook up to the cd4021 inputs. If you need two buttons, hook pin 9 up to A and pin 6 up to B. This will mirror the SMS pinout.

     

    Add a 10k pullup resistor between pin 9 and 5, and a diode between pins 7 and 5 (positive side faces pin 7) and you have a universally compatible sms controller that behaves like a genesis pad when connected to an Atari.

     

    Or just build an NES arcade stick! :grin:

  24. Posted

    Not so much erotic, than a dirty joke. I own cib Beat em and custer's. The extreme crudity nudity makes it hilareous. And the wanker in Beat em totally ripped off the Pacman death animation. I see him in my mind every time I play 2600 Pacman. Cheers... :P

     

    But if you are asking if straight men (or women) actually get off to this stuff, I highly doubt it. Now, there's a lot of weird fetishes in this world, so it's at least plausible someone out there has pixelphilia and may become aroused by 8-bit porn. If so, nothing inherently wrong with that either.

     

    But it isn't the norm. The X-games like Mystique Atari or Panesian NES are just dirty jokes or novelties, at least in the 8-bit era. And yeah, pr0n games are nothing new. Far more immersive mmorpgs exist with genuinely erotic cgi characters.

     

    But that realistic or fantasy portrayal of gratuity isn't for me. I'll take the 8-bit nonerotic pixel humor, thank you. It's like when Randy Marsh tried unsuccessfully to get off to stick figure pr0n in Southpark. Some adult concepts simply do not excite the arousal centers in the male brain, but they often do excite the humor areas. It is hilareous specifically because it is so absurd. Toilet humor if you will.

     

    Either way you interpret it; it's still entertainment. Does playing Mario or rescuing Peach give players a hard on? According to Rule of the Internet #34, "Yes..." :ponder:

    • Like 3

  25. Posted

    Anyone who questioned the power of the 7800 needs to play this game.

     

    I do not question the power of 7800 (Not after Draconian and Super Cobra's CDF bankswitching on the 2600 at any rate) but I still needs to play it. Can i's have mah cake and ate it too?

     

    2600 games look like 7800 now, and 7800 games looklike 16-bit wars... :lol:

    • Like 2
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