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FPGA Based Videogame System

kevtris

By kevtris
in Classic Console Discussion

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Interest in an FPGA Videogame System  

682 members have voted

  1. 1. I would pay....

  2. 2. I Would Like Support for...

  3. 3. Games Should Run From...

    • SD Card / USB Memory Sticks
      584
    • Original Cartridges
      442
    • Hopes and Dreams
      65

  4. 4. The Video Inteface Should be...

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Atariboy Quadrunner

Atariboy

Posted
Posted (edited)

Is dithering really a big issue on SNES games?

 

No, it's not a big issue. But it's also far from uncommon, so why not if Kevtris has developed a solution?

 

Analogue and Kevtris have built this business around quality rather than settling for something that's merely good enough, so we've seen no shortage of fixes and attention spent on more minor things. That attention to quality and detail is why we're here after all, and why so many are eagerly anticipating the Mega SG.

 

Assuming there are few negative effects, I'd love to be able to enable it for something like Star Fox or the Lion King. And if it's almost perfect, just keep it enabled permanently since there are tons of more isolated instances of dithering on the console (Like the walls on some structures in Zombies Ate My Neighbors for one I just noticed earlier tonight).

Edited by Atariboy
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CZroe Stargunner

CZroe

Posted
Posted

 

No, it's not a big issue. But it's also far from uncommon, so why not if Kevtris has developed a solution?

 

Analogue and Kevtris have built this business around quality rather than settling for something that's merely good enough, so we've seen no shortage of fixes and attention spent on more minor things. That attention to quality and detail is why we're here after all, and why so many are eagerly anticipating the Mega SG.

 

Assuming there are few negative effects, I'd love to be able to enable it for something like Star Fox or the Lion King. And if it's almost perfect, just keep it enabled permanently since there are tons of more isolated instances of dithering on the console (Like the walls on some structures in Zombies Ate My Neighbors for one I just noticed earlier tonight).

Again, the blending feature is already there in some way. I know it works for the simulated transparency in Kirby’s Dreamland 3, which uses a dithered checkerboard pattern over solid graphics with composite blending to simulate transparency. Turning it into more of an actual transparency is one of the “Quality of Life” features Kevtris talked about. It may only work with a layered checkerboard instead of all dithering in sprites/backgrounds, but did you try it for those games too? Simulated transparency is one of the biggest uses of dithering on the Genesis.
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Atariboy Quadrunner

Atariboy

Posted
Posted (edited)

I've always kept it enabled. Why not go fire up your Super NT and see for yourself? Insert Sim City or select it on your multicart or from your SNT's SD card, and you won't even have to go past the title screen to see dithered patterns that are clear as day.

 

While I don't own Kirby's Dreamland 3 and don't yet own a SD2SNES, my impression is that this solution was game specific or close to it, while the Mega SG manual suggests the dithering solution present is much more. If accurate, hopefully it gets back ported to the Super NT in time.

 

titlecomparison_02.png

Edited by Atariboy
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Atariboy Quadrunner

Atariboy

Posted
Posted (edited)

Patterns such as this.

 

post-2825-0-18904900-1553365249.jpg

 

On a CRT, it blends together. But with the clarity of high-definition and with the large displays many of us play on, it shows up clearly and can look a bit strange at times with a result much different than the developers intended. It's a very common technique over on the Genesis, so Kevtris has implemented some sort of blending feature to remove the checkerboard pattern.

 

And while I'm not aware of many SNES games that made heavy use of it, many did make use of it more sparingly. Sim City that I pictured for instance utilized the technique a lot in the title screen. But during gameplay, it only saw minor use such as for ground cover in the lower development tiers of the industrial and commercial zones.

 

Hardly an issue even on the Genesis, but if Kevtris has a solution, even better and I hope it's brought over to last year's Super NT. It's like the uneven pixel scaling on NES games with the Retro USB AVS or NES Classic Edition due to 240p not evenly upscaling to 720p horizontally, causing a shimmering effect when games scroll horizontally. I could see it in videos such as on Austin's YouTube channel, but it didn't bother me and it doesn't bother me in person on my NES Classic Edition.

 

But now that the AVS was patched to do interpolation to conceal it with some subtle blurring of pixel edges, I see no reason not to enable it when I buy an AVS.

Edited by Atariboy
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brentonius Chopper Commander

brentonius

Posted
Posted

Yay I’ll be getting mine from Fedex on Monday.

 

All you Americans, enjoy your no duty and taxes! Haha... I had to pay $41 bucks extra today. While this extra fee was unexpected slightly, it’s the best extra fee or tax I’ve ever paid.

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CZroe Stargunner

CZroe

Posted
Posted

wtf is dithered pattern.

Very good demonstration/explanation:

https://youtu.be/x0weL5XDpPs

 

It made a world of difference for the Genesis, since it couldn’t handle as many colors as the SNES it needed dithering and made heavy use of it.

 

I wonder when the YouTube reviewers got theirs? No reviews up yet that I see.

I’ve heard the review embargo lifts on the 25th.
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sofakng Space Invader

sofakng

Posted
Posted

fyi - I'm not sure if everybody is in the same situation, but those on the US east coast might not receive their package until later than Wednesday.

 

Mine "shipped" on Friday but only a label was created and FedEx didn't actually pickup the package so the Wednesday delivery date is probably not accurate.

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Hydro Thunder River Patroller

Hydro Thunder

Posted
Posted

Just pre-ordered my Mega Sg about a week ago and no confirmation as of yet (I assume I'm late to the party). Really kicking myself for not pre-ordering sooner, as each day I'm getting more obsessed with this "new" genesis coming. Super jealous of you guys who are getting yours earlier, good on you for putting in your pre-order early. :)

 

And speaking of late to the party / Jealousy, damn I wish I'd have known about the Nt Mini when it was available. I never have had interest in NES, but the jailbroken version playing 2600 / 7800, and Odyssey2? Daaaaang. So kudos to you lucky ducks that were in the know and grabbed these while they were available.

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Razzie.P River Patroller

Razzie.P

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Posted

fyi - I'm not sure if everybody is in the same situation, but those on the US east coast might not receive their package until later than Wednesday.

 

Mine "shipped" on Friday but only a label was created and FedEx didn't actually pickup the package so the Wednesday delivery date is probably not accurate.

 

 

Mine was like that as well -- US East Coast, label created but not picked up, showed Wednesday. BUT.... :-D Now that it's been picked up, the delivery date shows Tuesday.

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cacophony Dragonstomper

cacophony

Posted
Posted

 

 

Mine was like that as well -- US East Coast, label created but not picked up, showed Wednesday. BUT.... :-D Now that it's been picked up, the delivery date shows Tuesday.

 

Did it show the picked up date retroactively? (ie on Sunday it suddenly revealed that it was in fact picked up on Friday?)

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