FPGA Based Videogame System

[keepdreamin]

I think you're just personally obsessed with me.

Oh, I think someone's obsessed alright.

 

[cfillak]

 

I don't have a problem using NES controllers or 8bitdo controllers for Atari games on the NT Mini. I use the NES Advantage quite a bit for Atari games. At the moment, we can't use paddle controllers on the NT Mini. For that reason, I still keep an Atari 7800 around with the 2600 paddles and paddle games. I need to get my 7800 modded too.

Maybe the Arkanoid/Vaus NES controller support can be added to those cores.

[Tusecsy]

 

I don't have a problem using NES controllers or 8bitdo controllers for Atari games on the NT Mini. I use the NES Advantage quite a bit for Atari games. At the moment, we can't use paddle controllers on the NT Mini. For that reason, I still keep an Atari 7800 around with the 2600 paddles and paddle games. I need to get my 7800 modded too.

 

Nothin can replace the feel of the 2600 joystick sweetness for Atari games imo. Kinda surprised nobody on this site has put a converter out by now. Can't be too hard?

[Schizophretard]

I thought Kev just pulled cores out of his ass.

 

Yeah same here.. that's the ONE thing taking away from the 2600 experience on the NT Mini, because as is.. it's amazing. But I need my VCS joysticks action

 

Or he just goes down to his local Core Store.

 

For me it isn't just the experience but because it is pretty much unplayable with a D-pad. My thumb can't make the same movements at the same speed as my wrist. Then there are paddle games.

[Schizophretard]

 

I don't have a problem using NES controllers or 8bitdo controllers for Atari games on the NT Mini. I use the NES Advantage quite a bit for Atari games. At the moment, we can't use paddle controllers on the NT Mini. For that reason, I still keep an Atari 7800 around with the 2600 paddles and paddle games. I need to get my 7800 modded too.

 

I suck at using the NES Advantage even with NES games because I'm right-handed.

[cfillak]

 

I suck at using the NES Advantage even with NES games because I'm right-handed.

Maybe you could use it upside down if you switch the wiring internally from left->right, right->left, up->down, down->up etc

[cfillak]

 

Nothin can replace the feel of the 2600 joystick sweetness for Atari games imo. Kinda surprised nobody on this site has put a converter out by now. Can't be too hard?

 

Get to work bud, we're counting on you!

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

Get to work bud, we're counting on you!

One thing I just randomly thought about:

 

NES/ SNES uses a 4021 chip with direct wired inputs for buttons. A cheap converter for single button Atari controllers could map pins 1234 to the Dpad inputs and pin 6 (Fire) to the A button. B could possibly connect Pin 9 for Genesis/SMS compatibility with second button (though the order would be reveresed). Start/Select/anciliary B button could be placed on the converter box to navigate menus. A button on NES automatically maps to B button on SNES, so an Atari joystick to NES/SNES pinout adapter could be fabricated which connect to 6-pin Atari joystick cables.

 

Alternately a 9-pin male Dsub could be built into the bottom of an NES controller to directly interface the Atari joystick and still access all of the buttons on the NES controller. Perhaps a DPDT switch swaps pins 6 & 9 so the FIRE button could alternately be used with B button if desired, and the SMS joystick have the buttons oriented correctly when plugged into the dsub header.

 

Somewhat useful tool for jailbreak firmware. I'm competent I could mod an NES controller by adding the Dsub controller port while maintaining access to the NES controller functions.

[gulps]

I did write the code for the menu and implement the functionality. That has something to do with it. The extra font was my idea actually. I did not design the menu, however (or its font).

 

I'm one of those guys that prefer the usability from the NT Mini menu compared to the design of the Super Nt. Good work at the NT Mini

 

Duality: Usability vs. Design

 

 

But I recognise that I love the boot up logo and that sound work of Squarepusher. Great music artist, good team.

 

 

I do not have a genesis or pce core at this time. I don't even know much about the hardware of either, except that the pce is very similar to an NES. It took most of this year just to do the SNES core, so while I am fairly quick in implementation, I am not magic. I am not sure how long a genesis core would take, but probably the better part of 5-6 months. I have to write a complete 68K core for it. There ARE 68K cores, but from what I gather they don't match the timing of the real chip and there may be other incompatibilities. PCE would be easier; I have the CPU and I read through the technical documentation so I have a good idea what it'd take to implement it.

 

 

I hope the PC Engine / Turbografx-16 will be ported to the NT Mini.

 

I have a RGB modded "PC Engine CD" (the japanese TurboDuo) but for sure your "core" will have better analogue output and quiet sound like all of your cores to replace it.

[gulps]

Maybe you could use it upside down if you switch the wiring internally from left->right, right->left, up->down, down->up etc

 

 

 

I suck at using the NES Advantage even with NES games because I'm right-handed.

 

Like this mod: Goofy Foot - NES Controller Mod Kit by Steve DeLuca

 

I have my own mod over an arcade controller like NES Advantage with a 6-wires-toggle-switch (DPAD + START + SELECT) to flip it. Is very easy to do.

[Deltax5]

I am going to wait for reviews before getting it. I don't want a unit with flaws. maybe get it if it's acceptable with everything fixed. I think they learned from the analogue nt mini so it may be good first go. Otherwise it's a instant buy even without the extra cores. Hope it's actually better then Snes mini rbg mod or around the same. But very tempted to reserve now.

Edited December 18, 2017 by Deltax5

[Atariboy]

I thought Kev just pulled cores out of his ass.

 

Yeah same here.. that's the ONE thing taking away from the 2600 experience on the NT Mini, because as is.. it's amazing. But I need my VCS joysticks action

 

Ralphnet makes a Genesis to GameCube controller converter. If that converter is then connected to one of their GameCube to NES converters, it might possibly get the job done for 2600 joysticks.

 

They make solid products that have very low latency. And I've seen other people successfully string more than one of their converters together to get to their desired combination.

Edited December 18, 2017 by Atariboy

[Deltax5]

 

I see, how much work would a potential neo geo core take compared to a genesis one? I hear they are similar somehow?

The way I heard it was that the neo geo would require more ram than came with the system, but I'd be eager to hear Kevtris weigh in on this.

 

the neoSD which is a flash card with 3 fpga boards put together. I think it basically loads the rom into flash to make it work like a neo geo cartrage. It's the best cart out but only draw it takes around 4 min to load the rom but I hear you can store over a dozen games to boot normally after loaded. So I seen on youtube.

If you want it would be best just to get a consolized neo geo mvs with replaced resistors and capasaters and that replaceable battery and you really don't need a fpga anymore since the console nativly does rgb just get a good converter box for scart (framemister, OSSC, amazon box if you have to or those component cables if your tv supports 240p over component). Or go the super gun rout if you want other arcade systems also.

Should last a long time after. Even getting a regular neogeo avs would be good. I would get a rgb installer to replaced resistors and capasaters and that replaceable battery thou also.

But can be pricey thou but seeing one neo geo game can be 3 grand it's a bargen.

 

Seeing it took so much effort just to make a flash cart, it would make it difficult to make the whole system that plays the roms also.

Edited December 18, 2017 by Deltax5

[Tusecsy]

 

the neoSD which is a flash card with 3 fpga boards put together. I think it basically loads the rom into flash to make it work like a neo geo cartrage. It's the best cart out but only draw it takes around 4 min to load the rom but I hear you can store over a dozen games to boot normally after loaded. So I seen on youtube.

If you want it would be best just to get a consolized neo geo mvs with replaced resistors and capasaters and that replaceable battery and you really don't need a fpga anymore since the console nativly does rgb just get a good converter box for scart (framemister, OSSC, amazon box if you have to or those component cables if your tv supports 240p over component). Or go the super gun rout if you want other arcade systems also.

Should last a long time after. Even getting a regular neogeo avs would be good. I would get a rgb installer to replaced resistors and capasaters and that replaceable battery thou also.

But can be pricey thou but seeing one neo geo game can be 3 grand it's a bargen.

 

Seeing it took so much effort just to make a flash cart, it would make it difficult to make the whole system that plays the roms also.

 

The new darksoft cart is way faster. Would be interesting to see how their implementation compares to a potential Kevtris core, he makes it sound like it's not too complicated.

[Deltax5]

 

The new darksoft cart is way faster. Would be interesting to see how their implementation compares to a potential Kevtris core, he makes it sound like it's not too complicated.

Is that even out yet? going to check it out. How much is it and where to buy

[Tusecsy]

 

I'm one of those guys that prefer the usability from the NT Mini menu compared to the design of the Super Nt. Good work at the NT Mini

 

Duality: Usability vs. Design

 

 

But I recognise that I love the boot up logo and that sound work of Squarepusher. Great music artist, good team.

 

 

 

 

I hope the PC Engine / Turbografx-16 will be ported to the NT Mini.

 

I have a RGB modded "PC Engine CD" (the japanese TurboDuo) but for sure your "core" will have better analogue output and quiet sound like all of your cores to replace it.

 

Ya I agree the NT mini menu is way slick once you get the hang of it. It looks like the only thing holding back the Super NT menu is that blocky font though.

[Tusecsy]

Is that even out yet? going to check it out. How much is it and where to buy

I thought it was or maybe just preorder. Could be wrong though. Personally waiting on the Omega to come back in stock anyway.

[Sneakyturtleegg]

Maybe the Arkanoid/Vaus NES controller support can be added to those cores.

 

I thought about that. But the Vaus controller is a bit rare and a lot of them don't work correctly anymore. Mine stops short of going all the way to the right of the screen. Every so often I lose a ball in Arkanoid because of that. This is a common problem with the Vaus controller. And they aren't very serviceable either. I am still hoping for the Kevtris Atari cartridge adapter with the proper controller ports. That would be a more accessible solution for everyone.

[cacophony]

A new Polygon article has example footage of the Super Nt's pseudo-hi-res blending feature:

 

https://www.polygon.com/2017/12/15/16780526/super-nt-interface-ux-phil-fish

[Kismet]

Regardless if it would be an FPGA or not, yeah, I have to wonder why AtGames hasn't looked into producing a modern Lynx portable yet, with 20+ titles built-in. Given the complexity of the hardware, an emulator-based solution would do quite nicely in this case, if it can fit inside a portable casing with a standard rechargeable battery. I know the Lynx's screen resolution is a little weird (160x102) but they could just use a bigger screen and add a decorative border, which could be turned off if players prefer a black border.

 

EDIT: A quick search revealed that small 160x128 color screens are still available today. That would do nicely.

 

There needs to be a demand before there is investment.

 

In the case of the FPGA consoles, a lot of the demand is driven by the 8-bit Nintendo, 16-bit Super Nintendo, 16-bit Sega Genesis (Mega Drive) in the US because these are the only consoles that were popular here, and nostalgia will color that demand. As a side-effect of implementing those consoles, anything else with the same parts (eg 6502 = Apple II, C64, Lynx, PCE. 68K = Amiga, Mac Classic, Z80 = Sega Master System, Game Gear, SG1000, Coleco, Gameboy) becomes much easier to implement.

 

Portable units add additional complexity since you can't just slap a 3.6V lithium ion battery pack and a LCD panel and call it done. In theory, at least, you can reduce the complexity of the video driver if you make it use a COTS LCD panel (eg 320x240 panel would only require line doubling, and window-box the rest of the screen)

[Deltax5]

isn't there a darksoft cart for cps2? Are there any other flash carts for arcade boards? Just caries. I really want to know the offical site for those carts so I can have it book marked and watched.

Im going to wait a year or 2 and check back about the neo geo cart and others if the cart isn't even out yet.

Final burn alpha isn't that bad with input lag. It just lags when it gets intense. IDK if that is normal. I never played the real thing. ill stick with that for now I guess.

Edited December 19, 2017 by Deltax5

[Bratwurst]

 

I thought about that. But the Vaus controller is a bit rare and a lot of them don't work correctly anymore. Mine stops short of going all the way to the right of the screen. Every so often I lose a ball in Arkanoid because of that. This is a common problem with the Vaus controller. And they aren't very serviceable either. I am still hoping for the Kevtris Atari cartridge adapter with the proper controller ports. That would be a more accessible solution for everyone.

 

Open the vaus and change the value of R1 to a higher resistance. Usually it is 10k ohms and you put in a 15k to 20k ohm resistor and it will fix it up. Even better is to put a 20k pot in line as a variable resistor to dial it in while running a game. Simple fix overall.

 

Also I can't help but be greatly amused at the poll that initiated this thread, you folk who bothered to answer basically did market research for Analogue for free, and they still decided they weren't happy with the answers and decided to overcharge you on 'shipping and handling.'

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

I thought about that. But the Vaus controller is a bit rare and a lot of them don't work correctly anymore. Mine stops short of going all the way to the right of the screen. Every so often I lose a ball in Arkanoid because of that. This is a common problem with the Vaus controller. And they aren't very serviceable either. I am still hoping for the Kevtris Atari cartridge adapter with the proper controller ports. That would be a more accessible solution for everyone.

You need to calibrate it by tuning the set pot.

 

EDIT: Bratwurst beat me to it.

[Beer Monkey]

Regardless if it would be an FPGA or not, yeah, I have to wonder why AtGames hasn't looked into producing a modern Lynx portable yet, with 20+ titles built-in.

I think 'Atari' owns all the first-party Atari 2600 games outright, but I don't think 'Atari' owns much of the Lynx library at all. Almost everything was licensed. Most of the 'Atari' games on Lynx were owned by Tengen which I think would be Midway now.

 

Anyhow, the Lynx has no mainstream recognition, unlike all the other plug 'n play systems. As much as I love the Lynx.

[Bratwurst]

You need to calibrate it by tuning the set pot.

 

EDIT: Bratwurst beat me to it.

 

Not all vaus controllers have the tuning pot by default, the black famicom ones generally don't.