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FPGA Based Videogame System


kevtris

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
    • Original Cartridges
    • Hopes and Dreams
  4. 4. The Video Inteface Should be...


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14 hours ago, Kosmic Stardust said:

AVS, Super NT, and Mega SG are the trifecta of Console gaming. The Super NT was an awesome spiritual successor to the AVS. The AVS imo looks great next to the Super NT and Mega SG, awesome retro styling. Famicom carts top load whereas NES carts side load.

 

AVS have less customization options, no jailbreak, and only outputs 720p, but otherwise is equally good to the Analogue systems. If you got an everdrive N8 or Powerpak, they will work flawlessly on the AVS. There are several palettes as well the ability to add your own with the most recent firmware. PC required to update firmware.

 

4x3 pixel aspect (center) works well enough for me if slightly stretched. Since they added interpolation there is no shimmer or distortion at all using 3.5x3 (two clicks left of center). You can also do full stretch 5x3 (hard right) which look perfect on 4x3 aspect HD CRTs.

^ I agree.

I grew up with the original '85 NES and can appreciate the style of the AVS. Brian did an excellent job with it, and for much less cost than the Nt. I like having the cartridge inside of the console. It keeps them free of dust. It also keeps the carts from wobbling and causing the game to glitch out. Just a thought.

 

The AVS and an N8 toghether were cheaper than the Nt.

He also only charged $12 for USPS 2 day Priority shipping to NY. ;)

RetroUSB-AVS_NES30_Pads-05-vgo.jpg

 

I do recommend stickers though. It gives it some personality. :)

RetroUSB_AVS-TengenTetris-01-vgo.jpg

 

The Famicom Disk System module also fits nicely, and works like a charm on the AVS.

That, along with the FDS Stick is a nice way to experience FDS games IMO.

zzFamicomDiskSystem-vgo-03.jpg

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Krikzz's update on his Mega EverDrive Sega CD core. "Graphics core and memory management system is complete".

He also estimates a 2020 release, and at "UNDER $200". If he can match TerraOnion's features, and come in $75 or so less it could really give them some serious competition, and as we know..that's always good for the consumer!

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If it can do all the same stuff the Mega Everdrive X7 can do I don't there there is any chance it will be less than Mega Everdrive X7 price so maybe between $165 and $185 if we're lucky.  I wouldn't be surprised if it launches at $199. If it is just an add on that requires the use of a previous Everdrive then I could see it being sub $100 but he would have said sub $100 if it was really going to be that low rather than sub $200.

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12 hours ago, spoonman said:

^ I agree.

I grew up with the original '85 NES and can appreciate the style of the AVS. Brian did an excellent job with it, and for much less cost than the Nt. I like having the cartridge inside of the console. It keeps them free of dust. It also keeps the carts from wobbling and causing the game to glitch out. Just a thought.

 

The AVS and an N8 toghether were cheaper than the Nt.

He also only charged $12 for USPS 2 day Priority shipping to NY. ;)

 

 

I do recommend stickers though. It gives it some personality. :)

 

 

The Famicom Disk System module also fits nicely, and works like a charm on the AVS.

That, along with the FDS Stick is a nice way to experience FDS games IMO.

 

Gonna have to disagree on the FDS ram module fitting nicely.  It was super inconvenient in the way you had to make sure the cable wouldn't get pinched because of the stupid lid design and also even when you seat the FDS ram module it sits on a slight angle.  It is not ideal at all.  Well, thankfully I sold my AVS and got back most of what I payed for it.  Hoping that 8 materializes at some point, until then I have plenty of other options to play NES.

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22 minutes ago, SegaSnatcher said:

Gonna have to disagree on the FDS ram module fitting nicely.  It was super inconvenient in the way you had to make sure the cable wouldn't get pinched because of the stupid lid design and also even when you seat the FDS ram module it sits on a slight angle.  It is not ideal at all.  

HUH????

 

IMG_E9318.thumb.JPG.0a1ae20e2f433aa8a0e36d0f4fe37628.JPGIMG_9319.thumb.jpg.56f82128e0d96d4e929c0e4b1cd2c8ca.jpg

 

I get that it's not as easy to install as on my Nt Mini or an original Famicom, but it works just fine with no real issues at all. 

 

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1 minute ago, TPR said:

HUH????

 

IMG_E9318.thumb.JPG.0a1ae20e2f433aa8a0e36d0f4fe37628.JPGIMG_9319.thumb.jpg.56f82128e0d96d4e929c0e4b1cd2c8ca.jpg

 

I get that it's not as easy to install as on my Nt Mini or an original Famicom, but it works just fine with no real issues at all. 

 

Yes it works once you seat it, but I just didn't like the cable being pinched.  I wished Brian went with his initial design where Famicom carts loaded on the top and NES carts slotted in the front.  

 

DYSgKmlW4AAE12w.jpg

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8 hours ago, SegaSnatcher said:

Yes it works once you seat it, but I just didn't like the cable being pinched.  I wished Brian went with his initial design where Famicom carts loaded on the top and NES carts slotted in the front.  

 

Wow, that would be a much better design.  While in the end it's just a minor annoyance, i've never heard anyone say anything positive about the extra long door that doesn't close for famicom stuff and heard plenty of people make negative comments about it.

 

If it was designed like in that picture and each slot had cartridge flaps that pushed in, that would be a much more ideal design.

 

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On 11/7/2019 at 5:41 PM, SegaSnatcher said:

Yes it works once you seat it, but I just didn't like the cable being pinched.  I wished Brian went with his initial design where Famicom carts loaded on the top and NES carts slotted in the front.  

 

DYSgKmlW4AAE12w.jpg

No thanks. That looks like the awful NEX Generation FOAC system. As if someone force fed it through the front and the system gave up part way through. 

messiah-generation-nex-20051220054829657

 

It's supposed to be a throwback to both the Nintendo AVS prototype, as well as the '85 NES design. The visual design is likely better appreciated by those who owned the front loading NES in the mid 80's, so that is all opinion, but it's a fact that it's a far more stable system than the Nt Mini, who's design is prone to "cart wobble", which often leads to the game glitching out. Many owners also throw an Everdrive N8 in it and call it a day so it's a non-issue.

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It can't even properly fit the system's major add-on, so between that and the lack of a microphone input, the AVS is a travesty of good design in light of how the prototype got it right. Who cares if it resembles a long-forgotten NOAC?

 

Also, is there any word of a Mega SG jailbreak firmware update to match the official update that just came out?

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1 minute ago, GarrettCRW said:

It can't even properly fit the system's major add-on, so between that and the lack of a microphone input, the AVS is a travesty of good design in light of how the prototype got it right. Who cares if it resembles a long-forgotten NOAC?

 

Also, is there any word of a Mega SG jailbreak firmware update to match the official update that just came out?

No word on it, but the delay is likely because Smokemonster is out of town.

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20 minutes ago, spoonman said:

No thanks. That looks like the awful NEX Generation FOAC system. As if someone force fed it through the front and the system gave up part way through. 

messiah-generation-nex-20051220054829657

 

It's supposed to be a throwback to both the Nintendo AVS prototype, as well as the '85 NES design. The visual design is likely better appreciated by those who owned the front loading NES in the mid 80's, so that is all opinion, but it's a fact that it's a far more stable system than the Nt Mini, who's design is prone to "cart wobble", which often leads to the game glitching out. Many owners also throw an Everdrive N8 in it and call it a day so it's a non-issue.

Well you can see the prototype design for the AVS wasn't going to have nearly as much of the NES cart hanging out as that Nex clone.

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I love the AVS but that prototype design looks awesome. My biggest issue with the AVS is that you can't close the lid when using Famicom carts—in fact, I ended up getting a second (NES style) Everdrive just so I could keep the AVS closed haha.

 

Incidentally, my first attempt at solving this issue was to get a honeybee converter so I could just plug the Famicom Everdrive into the NES slot, but it caused a ton of problems with certain games. I dunno if the honeybee converter was bad or what, but it made a good number of games unplayable.

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4 hours ago, GarrettCRW said:

It can't even properly fit the system's major add-on, so between that and the lack of a microphone input, the AVS is a travesty of good design in light of how the prototype got it right. Who cares if it resembles a long-forgotten NOAC?

The system's major add-on? The FDS RAM adapter fits perfectly (as seen above). Unless you are speaking of something else. 

 

The microphone/jack is a waste of money. I used it on the Famicom for all of 10 minutes.. I shouted in SMB and Zelda and then never bothered with it. In fact I found R.O.B. to be far more entertaining, if that tells you anything.

 

I would certainly rather pay less than $200 for a microphone-less AVS than I would paying more than $480 for an Nt Mini.

 

RetroUSB_AVS_vs_NtMicro-vgo.png

 

Brian made good design choices with the final incarnation of the AVS. It pays homage to the original NES, while keeping your game free of dust. 

I rarely play Famicom carts, but I don't mint the flap open while playing them.

RetroUSB_AVS-Parodius-01-vgo.jpg

 

It's also a perfect hiding place for a Disk-Kun mascot sticker. :)

 

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I am surprised there isn't an Famicom to NES adapter that can use the NES pins in the AVS.  You know those old NES carts that have an adapter built in?  I am surprised no one has rigged up a 3D printed shell to put one of those inside so you could use it with the AVS lid closed.  Unless an adapter doesn't work like that with the AVS?   Or maybe it would still stick out too far?

 

gyro7_big.jpg

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I am surprised there isn't an Famicom to NES adapter that can use the NES pins in the AVS.  You know those old NES carts that have an adapter built in?  I am surprised no one has rigged up a 3D printed shell to put one of those inside so you could use it with the AVS lid closed.  Unless an adapter doesn't work like that with the AVS?   Or maybe it would still stick out too far?

 

gyro7_big.jpg&key=cec24b3d4f166ae3170a26b4c2427d2f1e05b74068d56bd2dbb68d716f17adcf

They have. I've 3D printed several. atariage_icon_smile.gif

 

With standard Famicom carts they're actually a bit shorter than a normal NES cartridge so it should work fine but I don't have an AVS to try it. The model on Thingiverse needs work for other reasons tho'! Also, Famicom carts come in various shapes and sizes and I'm sure some would be problematic. :(

 

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6 hours ago, spoonman said:

The system's major add-on? The FDS RAM adapter fits perfectly (as seen above). Unless you are speaking of something else.

 

THE CORD IS PINCHED. Period. That's not perfect. And that's without even considering that you can't fully close the large door when playing Famicom games, or how this all fails to take the short cord length of the RAM adapter into account.

 

And come to think of it, wasn't there some issue with the cart slots that required replacement parts to be sent out? Complain as you will about the Nt Mini's cart doors scuffing games, having to send replacement parts to buyers is generally a sign that something got messed up.

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THE CORD IS PINCHED. Period. That's not perfect. And that's without even considering that you can't fully close the large door when playing Famicom games, or how this all fails to take the short cord length of the RAM adapter into account.

 

And come to think of it, wasn't there some issue with the cart slots that required replacement parts to be sent out? Complain as you will about the Nt Mini's cart doors scuffing games, having to send replacement parts to buyers is generally a sign that something got messed up.

The issue had more to do with some games having shorter pins so the low-profile connector couldn't reach them as well. It has to do with PCBs from the edge of the panel or something where the contacts were forced to be shorter to make room for a strip of connecting copper for electroplating or something. It's reasonable that a one-man operation like that would not have encountered these when developing/testing.

 

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8 minutes ago, GarrettCRW said:

THE CORD IS PINCHED. Period. That's not perfect. And that's without even considering that you can't fully close the large door when playing Famicom games, or how this all fails to take the short cord length of the RAM adapter into account.

 

And come to think of it, wasn't there some issue with the cart slots that required replacement parts to be sent out? Complain as you will about the Nt Mini's cart doors scuffing games, having to send replacement parts to buyers is generally a sign that something got messed up.

Exactly, yes we can agree it does work, but its not ideal to be pinching your ram modules cable like that.  Objectively speaking the lid design was a bad choice from a user standpoint and was only chosen because it was cheaper than dust flaps, this is from Brians own words.  I asked why he didn't go with that prototype design and he literally said because of the extra cost of the dust flaps.  

I know it adds up, but how much would dust flaps really cost?  Was it really worth it to sacrifice better design to save maybe $1 per unit sold.  

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45 minutes ago, GarrettCRW said:

THE CORD IS PINCHED. Period. That's not perfect. And that's without even considering that you can't fully close the large door when playing Famicom games, or how this all fails to take the short cord length of the RAM adapter into account.

The cord is not pinched on my AVS.  I'm not even sure why this is a thing being discussed. Maybe I don't understand what you mean, but from what I'm looking at, and in the photo I posted above, my cord is not pinched. 

 

Here's my take on the whole AVS thing....

 

While I obviously use my Nt Mini as my "daily use" NES device, especially when making videos, etc, and I have it hooked up to my main consoles that I use regularly, I actually DO have an AVS currently hooked up to my other TV that is more for "casual use" when friends come over and I don't want to swap out the Nt Mini to use on my bigger TV.  And the AVS works PERFECTLY FINE in that situation.  Would I recommend the AVS over the Nt Mini?  No of course not.  But is the Nt Mini currently available to purchase?  No.  But the AVS is and if someone were to be looking for a solid NES HDMI replacement console that is affordable and available, that's what I would recommend. Especially to the more casual fan.

 

I would love nothing else to see Analogue re-release the Nt Mini.  And I do hope that happens at some point soon!

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1 hour ago, TPR said:

The cord is not pinched on my AVS.  I'm not even sure why this is a thing being discussed. Maybe I don't understand what you mean, but from what I'm looking at, and in the photo I posted above, my cord is not pinched. 

 

Here's my take on the whole AVS thing....

 

While I obviously use my Nt Mini as my "daily use" NES device, especially when making videos, etc, and I have it hooked up to my main consoles that I use regularly, I actually DO have an AVS currently hooked up to my other TV that is more for "casual use" when friends come over and I don't want to swap out the Nt Mini to use on my bigger TV.  And the AVS works PERFECTLY FINE in that situation.  Would I recommend the AVS over the Nt Mini?  No of course not.  But is the Nt Mini currently available to purchase?  No.  But the AVS is and if someone were to be looking for a solid NES HDMI replacement console that is affordable and available, that's what I would recommend. Especially to the more casual fan.

 

I would love nothing else to see Analogue re-release the Nt Mini.  And I do hope that happens at some point soon!

No doubt, if you are in the market for a quality HD NES system that plays original carts then AVS is a really good option.  Hi-Def NES is another good option that is still availble to purchase as well if you already own an original NES system.  

 

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