Mikebloke
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Posts posted by Mikebloke
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On 11/1/2022 at 12:01 PM, jgkspsx said:
Ack! I was, uh, in the Marshall Islands. Submitted now!
I was this close to being top of the AA board! Haha! Nah well done. I'm gutted I didn't recognise morrowind I should have got that one at least but I've never played it that much.
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Had a go, expecting to get roasted. If I don't get at least 3 I'll be super ashamed!
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I'm producing a rom pack which is nearly complete (not a lot to look for to be fair!).
I might contact a few developers to make sure they are OK with some of their work being included as there is quite a bit of in progress stuff or things which might not have been 100% public but will ask first. I'm happy to keep this regularly updated as new works are completed, we might even start seeing new faces looking to program for the system if they can easily test on real hardware.
Being privileged enough to have one of 3DMAZEs prototypes, being able to take advantage of the unique controller with real hardware has been a massive bonus in taking advantage of all the inputs that you don't get on a traditional controller or keyboard through emulation!
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The 1292 line is a franchised 70s console which had the same rom file games but marketed in different ways through box and manual. There is three main cartridge sizes as they didn't all use the same and if you have the right cartridge with the right cartridge slot you can mix and match.
However, when Database made their system with their own size, they also produced an adapter so the mainline acetronic systems could play database games, including some unique games produced only for database.
So it's a strange peripheral, in the sense that it is literally converting the pins to a new layout, for what is technically the same roms and the same systems, just a different cartridge slot size - not unlike sega mega drive region locking.
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There's no card games on the 1292, does any similar system has any? It does look that level of technology and resolution though, so 1978-1983 sounds about right.
It could well be a simplified clone of a 1292 and they developed cartridges for it that would work with a simplified controller. It would be interesting to see if any of the other games matches the 1292 or VC4000 line, there is certainly some unique games that didn't go beyond 1 family (database has 3 games, VC4000 has 3 or 4 unique games too, all of which roms plays on a standard 1292 if you have the method).
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This is what my 6 year old is currently on:
Fairchild channel F: Pinball challenge (that's the breakout game!), and the maze game, he amuzes me with my homebrew a little too when he can stand it.
Master system: Phantasy Star
NES: Dragon Warrior / Quest
Final Fantasy 2 pixel remaster
Switch: pokemon shining pearl
Ocassional mario kart and Minecraft, but he seems to be sidelining these for the above. A true child of a retro gamer.
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11 hours ago, e5frog said:
I was playing around with the ports, there's 0 and 1 on the CPU and 4 and 5 on one of the 3851 PSU:s (with firmware).
As the ports are latched you have two bytes, a nibble and a bit extra memory that you can use, if needed.
Enabling port 4 using "outs 0" with $40 or other data with bit 6 active will make it available (port 5 is ready to use).
The upper four nibbles of port 0 are free to use and the top bit of port 1 can be toggled.
Nice thing about it is that they stay there after a soft reset (pressing reset button or jumping in program), only the registers are blanked. If there's RAM it would of course be unchanged as well.This is my ignorance showing again, is there any code examples of how to write and read ram, and any examples of your port discoveries. I should probably learn how to use channel f ram...
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Got a couple of new games for everyone, the first I released on itch.io after seeing Arlasoft use it... (hope its ok me following you there XD)
Check here if anyone is interested in what I upload there though I'll pick and choose what ends up here or there first: https://mikebloke.itch.io/
This is my interpretation of the Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device, a thing that never actually got produced properly in the end, only a concept one I believe. Like with Bucket Filler, I'm basing this on my interpretation of what it might look like, obviously Channel F'd as well. Its not easy to understand so I'll link the itch.io page for more info. Basically you can either randomise target position or place it, then you can change the angle (represented by a plain number) and the delay timer for detonation. I do plan on improving this at some point, but it is "basic" on purpose for acting as a simulation.
https://mikebloke.itch.io/cathode-ray-tube-am
The second game is something I've been working on the last few days, its a port of Speed Race, a 1974 arcade game by Taito, and obviously a big influence on later titles. A lot of 2nd gen consoles have this type of racer because its really quite basic, 2600, 1292 etc all have some kind of version of this for better or worse. It does slow down for 3 or 4 cars, but hopefully still enjoyable. I imagine a bit of optimisation might happen. Its got an instruction booklet too, just like I did for Boxing. Note that I have 2 versions, one is a d-pad version probably better for emulating with keyboard. The "T" version is for twist - for those with the ability to play with real controllers, twisting it right and left will move left and right, I had a go with it and it works quite well I think.
Oh, I realised I hadn't even uploaded the Squash game I showed earlier - I'll put that up here too. Basic, conceptional, not really a game.
Downloads here:
crtag2.bin - Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device
speedracet.bin - Speed Race Twist version, for real controllers
speedraced.bin - Speed Race D pad version, for alternative controllers / keyboards
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SPEEDRACE.docx - Instructions for Speed Race you can download and print
squash.bin - Squash game I tested on flashcart above
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I lurk the forums occasionally, I think for me the priority would be : securing any downloads people have made available and anything relating to programming for the system. I started some tests myself to try it out and I think that forum has a few things that helped.
It sucks to hear its on the way out, even though I'm not a member, Google sends me there on a regular basis.
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19 hours ago, e5frog said:
My guess is an as cheap as possible box used by Zircon - same thing as with the game boxes.
That's interesting I never really thought that Zircon was selling consoles, I presume there was no further production but perhaps there were some units sold to them with the acquisition that they boxed up for sale. It might explain the wording!
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3 hours ago, jgkspsx said:
Has anybody seen this style of box before? Was it indeed used for refurbished units as the person auctioning it for charity donations on Facebook guesses?
The Magnavox Odyssey has an outer cardboard box when it was initially released, this might be something similar, pretty much everyone threw it away as soon as they got it in the odysseys case. It would make sense why other countried didn't have it too, unnecessary extra packaging.
Video system F is a curious term to use, could it be third party?
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Just want to say love the concept, will try and back it if I can. I have plenty of game boys I could use XD.
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So I've tested elevator events on it, and had the first row chopped off, however when I tried it with an rf to hdmi converter, whole screen is there, so it's my TV interpretating the signal more than any particular rom. I'll probably try and be careful with my games to ensure they are visible either way, but good to know that it's not a console, pal, or cart issue, just a TV one!
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So it arrived today, @3DMAZE has done a fine job, I've tested a few games, looking at what he has on screen for Centipede I think there is a slight difference for PAL hiding a few pixels on some or all sides when I tested it.
Here is an image of a rom I haven't released yet of a squash game, working better on romcart than it does in emulator!
Had a go at boxing v3 with it too, sound at end issue to fix but other than that working perfectly, shark is pretty close too just need to adjust for resolution crop.
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On 9/6/2022 at 11:28 PM, Chris+++ said:
Production of the Odyssey actually began on January 27, 1972. So did I. I've always been fond of that coincidence.
I believe a couple of demo units that were offered out was made earlier in the year and dolled out in May, but the sales run started in August, though there is some suggestions the dates on the models aren't always correct! Its the problem with the odyssey timings, there isn't a traditional 'day of release' that we get now. Whether it's January, May, August or September though, the odyssey's 50th hasnt made big news!
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28 minutes ago, 3DMAZE said:
How could I go mad listening to such great tunes!
That's exactly what I'm working on atm! Here's a look at the recent prototypes:
And here's Centipede running on my Channel F via the flashcart (seems to run without any issues):
Life's been busy busy busy, but both prototype units are out. @e5frog @Mikebloke expect to get them in ~6-10 business days according to USPS. I'll PM you guys the tracking numbers. I didn't want to make any updates until I at least had made more progress and had shipping sorted.
As for where we're at now:
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Power consumption was lowered to ~79 mA with a high of ~125 mA on boot. I should be able to lower it further by lowering the clock frequency.
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The Channel F should be able to handle the above current, but if I'm wrong your system gets fried. @e5frog, I've included the diode and some other parts that you can solder yourself if you're feeling brave :). Otherwise it runs from micro USB as normal. @Mikebloke, it doesn't sound like you can solder, so I've included a wire with a header that one end of the diode could be placed in. Your unit has the old chips and runs at ~136 mA. It might be safe to run on internal power, but best not try until it's confirmed to be safe.
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The .bin to .chf converter script was completed and is described here. This is the first version, so bugs are always possible. I'll add multi-cart support in the next update.
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The flashcart can now run .chf files generated by the script above, as well as the original .bin file support.
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For the videocart itself, I've sourced some screws that seem to fit perfectly, and have got a decent label design. For the release version I'll probably go with a different cart colour and Glossy label. Also, I've noticed my github repo calls it the picoVideocart, the label says Flashcart-pi, and the PCB says Videocart-pi. Might need to finalize a name for this thing, lol.
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The cache(?) bug still exists, but I'm gonna get in contact with the guy (Earle Philhower) who developed the pico core I'm using. He should have some interesting insights since he knows the system far better.
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I think I've done my best to debug with the regular games, but it's hard to spot the exact issue. If I learn F8 assembly I can make my own test ROMs to try and pinpoint the issue. Does it occur on a memory boundary, a specific instruction, etc... This'll also let me start work on a rudimentary multi-menu. I've written x86 assembly before, so the F8 shouldn't be too bad to pick up.
All that's left until official release is:
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Multi-menu (some basic text drawing with up/down controls)
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Fix the cache(?) bug so I can get 100% compatibility with no issues (ideally done before your prototypes arrive, then you can just update the firmware)
Stretch goals like save files, interrupts, timers, etc. Can be done after official release
Super excited, I'll try my best to wait! Ironically my wife can solider and she tells me many times, but she hasn't jumped at the chance to show me yet (and I have a game gear that's needed sorting out for years!)
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It occurred to me after I wrote this that augmented reality is just as viable as virtual reality. Perhaps AR when fully realised will simply replace VR, the headset issue if we can get past it might open it up to more people. I know plenty who just feel sick trying anything with a headset, perhaps if it's more natural to look at then it'll get a wider audience. I think price point helps too, the wii revolution was an ease of use and a price winner. I don't think most VR sets fit either of those yet.
Forgive my rambling in the original post. I started and couldn't stop, I wanted to talk about the odyssey given the anniversary and it became commentary on the entire history of the industry.
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I wish I could do something more dramatic for this historical event, but this September marks the 50 year anniversary of the home video game console. Like a lot of these things, there is no real set date, in May of 1972 there were a few demo units used to promote the upcoming Magnavox Odyssey and it appears the serial first production run began in August, with a September release. Its very likely that across the US release dates were local and when supply arrived at stores.
Magnavox originally pushed exclusive access in their own stores with a number of complications as inidividual stores tried to claim it specifically required magnavox televisions to work, but the system still made its mark. With an extra set of games and the shooting gallery sold separately the same year, and a second extra bundle of games sold in 1973, it pails in comparison to later system offerings, but outside of the dedicated pong systems that followed its production continued into 1975 pretty much exclusively until 'console in a cartridge' systems like the Coleco Telstar arcade, pc-50x line and the Philips telepiel line arrived to little fanfare.
1976 Fairchild beat RCA to the punch of the first ROM based cartridge console system. RCA was one of the companies originally approached for the Odyssey but rejected it and went ahead with their own system. Fairchild itself had pinched a number of experts in the field and some later moved on to found or join companies like Intel. In 1977 the atari 2600 was of course launched and undeniably changed the face of gaming, now considered on par if not surpassing other media industries. Nolan of course was sued by Baer for Pongs resemblance of the odyssey, starting a number of trials that shaped the landscape of copyright of the industry.
Magnavox was just the company with the cash to get the odyssey produced though, and it was Baer that was the mastermind of the home video game console on consumer televisions. Magnavox would be bought out by Philips around the time of the development of the Magnavox Odyssey 2 / Philips Videopac G7000 which had superficial similarities in style to the original console. A failed deal between Nintendo and Philips led to the CD-interactive with some Nintendo licenced characters. Common for the time, electronic companies tried to bridge the gap between a gaming device and other functions but like Panasonic and Commodore the CD-i failed to make a huge dent into the market.
Sony broke that mold when it broke into the market and famously unseated long time Nintendo rival Sega. The PlayStation 2 stepped up once again with its inclusion of a DVD player that played commercial film releases, and while many consoles before it had CD support, its simplicity and the emerging market for DVD videos replacing VHS finally broke video game consoles into the true complete home entertainment market. Sony tried to do the same next generation with its proprietary blu ray medium at great financial cost, but the generation alongside the Xbox 360 made Internet connection and immersion with live and recorded TV programming standard which continues to this day with Sony and Microsofts ongoing rivalry.
But while those two fight amongst themselves, Nintendo finally succeeded in merging handheld devices and home gaming with the release of the Nintendo Switch, gaming has been handheld nearly as long as the Odyssey, but the merging of both systems at an acceptable consumer level had finally arrived.
Its difficult to tell what the next 50 years hold for home gaming, but often failed concepts such as Internet connection and downloads, handheld gaming, merging of functions with other consumer products and wireless controllers found their way into the mainstream gradually. Virtual reality has been tipped as the next best thing for decades and has been a viable idea since at least the Atari Jaguar for those lucky enough to have tried it, but has still yet to fully break out and is often a niche interest. The television still has its place... But for how long!
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On 8/31/2022 at 1:43 AM, teknohed said:
Ah, that is good information. My assumption was that since the price guide was published in the us, the games listed would be teh US versions. I will be sure to mention that for each of those games as I discuss them in the video.
There is no difference, you plug a game in and it works whatever the region. Some of the later European releases designed for the 7400 work just fine on the 7000 / odyssey 2 - only about 3 are not optimised for the original console and I think only one is completely unplayable, and some of the Wikipedia mentions of it is wrong, keep meaning to edit it but too lazy.
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27 minutes ago, Arlasoft said:
New game for you, pretty simple but good fun, even against the CPU.
https://arlagames.itch.io/fnvader
Thanks this was pretty fun!
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If anyone wants to sell me those Absolute games at those listed August 2022 CIB I'll pay right now! 😜
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1 hour ago, Crimefighter said:
Question has been raised - how can a recently made homebrew game be played on original hardware? Been looking for anything to load ROMs from an SD card (like the recently made Centipede) but no luck thus far...
@3DMAZE was working on a solution check a little back in the thread, there is a working prototype, but hasn't updated us in awhile. That would likely be the closest to a regular consumer product so far. E5frog has examples of the next best thing from a technical perspective, flashable roms / multicarts, though only multicarts have traditionally been on sale. Also note that Centipede is on offer with the Arlasoft collection found here:
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.. To start a topic covering a vast array of games covering completely different consoles, include self promotion, heavy use of double posting, and advertising paid features such as patreon for extra features?
I'm finding that I want to expand out of the fairchild channel F topic as I'm looking into other systems now, but feel that doing a new topic for each game might be overkill. There is probably 2 types of homebrewers, those that make quality games over months and years, and those that make broken rubbish in hours and days that are just about passable. I'm in the second section!
The other reason is sometimes even in the channel F thread I might have a new game or release ready days after my last post when nobody has read or downloaded that either (hahaha! guess that says something right!)
I would like to have one topic for all my stuff, perhaps even mentioning things I did 20 years ago too, while pushing my badly designed website and never supported patreon. This also means if there is anyone who is genuinely interested in stuff I make there is a one stop place here on AA they can find it, rather than me posting it everywhere else on the site and it getting lost.
I'm conscious that in some cases, it might just be me posting to myself about any new releases but I'm happy to keep it to a set limit (1 a day, 2 a week or whatever) and edit the first post as a form of directory for the thread.
I also want to branch out into perhaps livestreaming or recording coding, perhaps even doing examples of code for the obscure systems like the channel F so there is some more reference material on how things practically work for people like me that find the original documentation a bit dense sometimes, and although I would like to promote patreon pretty much everything I've been doing and will do will still be free to download.
My concerns are:
1) It might seem spammy if its just me messaging every update I do
2) It might look like I'm trying to push my topic up to the top of the front page for exposure
3) "The blog feature is the better place for this" but I find its too hidden and I'll forget about it myself
The benefits might be:
1) My sanity of keeping everything in one place (perhaps just a benefit for me, not for anyone else)
2) People who are interested in obscure consoles or things I've made have a one stop thread to see it all.
3) People can see it was started by "Mikebloke" and tap the ignore thread button so they never have to see it ever again
4) There might be more but I don't see it.
Thanks.
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17 minutes ago, Charlie Cat said:
Hi guys,
This evening, were back with CasaVerde showing us more with the Analogue Pocket. Thank you Verde we enjoy seeing these videos from you.
From the description,
"In this video I'm going to show the Alpha 0.6 version of a Neo Geo openFPGA for the Analogue Pocket playing Neo Geo Games ============================================= What you need: Alpha_0.6.0_2022-15-08.zip Bios: "uni-bios_1_0.rom" or "uni-bios_4_0.rom" (some edited needed to get BIOS 4 to work) Lo Bios: "000-lo.lo" Games: Darksoft Neo Geo 2020-05-12.zip"
Anthony...
Honestly doesn't feel like it plays too bad, I think there is some games, like the puzzle games I'd definitely love to play on the move - I might be convinced in playing some of the fighting games as well!
Another great reason to have an Analogue... just a shame they aren't available...!
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The other reason is sometimes even in the channel F thread I might have a new game or release ready days after my last post when nobody has read or downloaded that either (hahaha! guess that says something right!)
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FS Console and PC Games (Mostly UK PAL)
in Buy, Sell, and Trade
Posted
Hi Everyone, I didn't get rid of much initially so I'm trying again on ebay.
You can see NES games (all PAL) for sale here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/acebloke1986/m.html?item=265986232978&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m3561.l2562
I am also selling my set of 6 Magnavox Odyssey games, so that is on there too.
I have tried to price with similar condition goods that have sold in the last month, and tried to offer free delivery in the UK. I have put international delivery at £15 more for the high valued goods but got lazy and didn't reduce it down for the lower priced ones. In all honesty if anyone outside the UK was to buy any, please message me first and I will sort out a reasonable price for delivery based on number of games (£15 might be a good steal!)