FPGA Based Videogame System

[Zonie]

The case is absolutely something that should be optional for the "pro" model but all the analogue outputs are accomplished via a single connector and that is actually a big selling point for a ton of people that either want to play on a crt or need to because they are playing lightgun games.

Fair enough on the ports, I thought I saw a VGA and Composite ports on the back though. Earlier version? And yeah, a pro model makes sense, but that further reduces the volume of that edition which increases it's cost, however, that may be spread across more plastic bodied model sales which could work.

[NE146]

Also in this day and age, HDMI is sufficient. Doesn't really need all the other formats.

 

Are you kidding, that's like half the appeal of this thing..

[cacophony]

 

This could be a $100 console with a decent margin...

 

 

How do you figure that? IIRC, just the FPGA chip itself was ~$40-$50 at the time this was released, and that doesn't include the board or any of the other parts. Even with a plastic casing there are surely more than $100 in parts costs. Once you factor in all the development costs and business costs it's hard to imagine it making any profit at all under $200. The AVS is priced at $185 but it has significantly cheaper and fewer parts.

Edited September 5, 2017 by cacophony

[Keatah]

We should be looking at ways of making it even "more premier" even more better, rather than cost-cutting options.

 

I'm also of the school that Composite and HDMI are all that's needed. No need to mess with the in-between crap.

[Skins4thewin]

I seriously doubt there would be a way to make it cost 100... the FPGA in it isn't cheap, although I do agree with the whole solid block of aluminum thing, I could live without that. A nice solid plastic case would do just fine. Could also do without the clear bottom. An option to have the entire unit be clear would be pretty awesome though. It is meant to be a complete unit, with all outputs and features included. I for one love the fact that it has just about every type of output included, makes it very versatile.

Edited September 5, 2017 by Skins4thewin

[Zonie]

That FPGA would be cheaper at higher volumes...

[cacophony]

Slightly cheaper sure, but there would be no way to get it near $100 without cutting so many features that it turned into just another cheap nes on a chip or software based emulation clone

[Keatah]

Pricing shouldn't be an issue on a premier console. $100 or $500. I'll go with the $500 - because you know it's going to be better.

[Wolf_]

Pricing shouldn't be an issue on a premier console. $100 or $500. I'll go with the $500 - because you know it's going to be better.

That isn't the ....case here. Injection molded plastic would be considerably cheaper and the only "feature" you would lose is you couldn't drive a tank over it.

[Andromeda Stardust]

...buy the n64 or gamecumbe models...

Love your enthusiasm man, but cows will fly south for the winter before we ever see a Game Cube on a chip. N64 slightly less improbable, but FPGAs will need to become orders of magnitude faster and larger than what is currently affordable.

[Wolf_]

Love your enthusiasm man, but cows will fly south for the winter before we ever see a Game Cube on a chip. N64 slightly less improbable, but FPGAs will need to become orders of magnitude faster and larger than what is currently affordable.

Oh yea, I wasn't saying I'm expecting those to come out tomorrow or even in the next few years. I'm just saying that if we have a universal slot that we can insert whatever cartridge slots we choose to buy into then that would futureproof any cartridge slots we choose to invest in across all future models because they would simply need the same universal slot. Also it would cut manufacturing costs down because one console wouldn't need 20 cartridge slots on it, just a single universal port.

[Andromeda Stardust]

We should be looking at ways of making it even "more premier" even more better, rather than cost-cutting options.

 

I'm also of the school that Composite and HDMI are all that's needed. No need to mess with the in-between crap.

24k gold plated for 5 grand not enough to wet your appetite? Limited edition of 10; too bad it's sold out...

[Keatah]

That'd be cool. I might feel bad about playing with it and pushing it around and stuff. It'd be a shelf-queen for sure.

[StopDrop&Retro]

Anyone mention this yet?

 

FPGA add-on for RaspberryPi. SNES and NES in one module. [Kickstarter]

 

Thoughts?

[Andromeda Stardust]

How do you figure that? IIRC, just the FPGA chip itself was ~$40-$50 at the time this was released, and that doesn't include the board or any of the other parts. Even with a plastic casing there are surely more than $100 in parts costs. Once you factor in all the development costs and business costs it's hard to imagine it making any profit at all under $200. The AVS is priced at $185 but it has significantly cheaper and fewer parts.

Just wait for the Zimba3000. Bare board no problem. Stuff it in a cigar box if you want. He'll probaly have some medium cost option with low startup cost for the case. Laser cut acrylic. Multiple color options, clear or opaque. Still more per unit than ~10,000 injection molded plastics but way cheaper than the start up cost of injection molds. Case ships as a DIY kit with nuts, bolts, Acrylic panels, the motherboard, and an optional HD or analog AV output module (or both). Buy cartridge/controller modules from Kevtris "Core Store" or use an SD card to load ROMs.

 

And Kevtris would earn way more nickle and diming me over months or years on cartridge add-ons than Analogue would on a single NT Mini purchase!

[Andromeda Stardust]

Anyone mention this yet?

 

FPGA add-on for RaspberryPi. SNES and NES in one module. %5BKickstarter%5D

 

Thoughts?

At best the FPGA is a glorified Retron style cart dumper for Pi; at worst a total scam so the creator can pad his collection. Also he is based in Hong Kong so very little legal resourse if something goes south. I think the gravy train has long departed for Pi add-ons. This one seems likely to fail unless a dubious last minute super-backer steps in...

 

My Kickstarter quote of the year nominee:

I also want funding to increase my collection of SNES library so I can do more testing on different games and perfect the design.

[Keatah]

Just use software emulation. Higan. I am not spending $200 on this shit.

Edited September 6, 2017 by Keatah

[kevtris]

We should be looking at ways of making it even "more premier" even more better, rather than cost-cutting options.

 

I'm also of the school that Composite and HDMI are all that's needed. No need to mess with the in-between crap.

 

I am glad I got the chance to make the hardware as spiffy and complete as I could without any cost cutting. If it cost less, it would've had a lot of features removed. As it stands, it has literally everything I wanted the project to have. If it had cost less, features and things would've had to have been removed to make the cost.

 

As others pointed out, the FPGA alone was around $50 and there's not really any quantity discounts. The FPGA makers aren't interested in giving discounts until you buy 100K pieces or something huge like that. They see their products as kind of a niche and charge accordingly.

[Laner]

 

Are you kidding, that's like half the appeal of this thing..

 

Agreed. The fact that I can hook it up to a PVM via RGB or a CRT TV via Component in addition to HDMI for modern displays was a huge selling point for me.

[Skins4thewin]

Kevtris, I would still very much like to know if the 5V issue can be diy fixed with a resistor soldered on to the board, or is it more complex than that? I would also like to know if the issue affects Framemeisters or PVM's as that is what I primarily use for RGB. Please let me know, thanks

[bateman82]

Hi,

 

I'd like to buy the Nt Mini but I have a pair of questions:

 

1)Master System core: is it possible to use the Fm Sound with every game compatible?

 

2)Video output: does the analog connector works only with nes/famicom or with other core? Because I'd like to play Master System and Game Gear on my Pvm.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Sneakyturtleegg]

Hi,

 

I'd like to buy the Nt Mini but I have a pair of questions:

 

1)Master System core: is it possible to use the Fm Sound with every game compatible?

 

2)Video output: does the analog connector works only with nes/famicom or with other core? Because I'd like to play Master System and Game Gear on my Pvm.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Answer to Question 1: Yes. The Master System core supports FM sound for the compatible games. You have the choice to turn it on or off.

 

Answer to question 2: The NT Mini outputs analogue or digital (depending on how you have it hooked up) for all cores.

[bateman82]

Thank a lot for your fast reply!

 

So the Nt Mini is the only way to play Game Gear games on a crt (with the Beharbros consolized unit)?

 

Are the cartridge adapters for master system and game gear ready? Where can I buy them?

Edited September 6, 2017 by bateman82

[Sneakyturtleegg]

Thank a lot for your fast reply!

 

So the Nt Mini is the only way to play Game Gear games on a crt (with the Beharbros consolized unit)?

 

Are the cartridge adapters for master system and game gear ready? Where can I buy them?

 

The Master System core also supports the SG1000. I've also had some luck running GG games with the MS core. However, there is a dedicated Game Gear core that works great.

 

In previous posts, Kevtris advised that the cartridge adapters will be available at a time and date to be determined, but are on the short list. As far as we know, they have been designed, just not produced. Take a look through Kevtris' YouTube channel. I believe there is more information about the adapters there.

 

If you do get a NT Mini, I highly advise using he Smokemonster Rom Pack. It is all you will need, except for any newer rom hacks, if you are into those.

[Wolf_]

Just curious as the nt mini has nes controller inputs but has anyone tried using a nes zapper to play any master system lightgun games? Wondering if the technology is compatible.