FPGA Based Videogame System

[Atariboy]

I get that it sucks to pay a bunch of money for shipping for that composite adapter from Monoprice, but if you really have 3 Framemeisters and 2 NT Minis, you probably should just bite the bullet and order the adapter.

 

And then enjoy NES games in glorious 240p composite video on your $450+ fpga NES console through your $300-$400 upscaler, lol.

Edited February 2, 2018 by Atariboy

[brentonius]

Man I am just not paying attention.. I totally also didn't realize that the Super NT doesn't come with the 8bitdo controllers.. wtf.

 

No biggy as most of us probably have a small collection of SNES pads, but did I read it right that SuperNT purchasers would get some kind of discount in some way? Is there any info on that (that I probably missed again)?

Ah, I totally thought it came with a controller too. The way that the console is displayed on the site, with the controller in front of it, made me assume that it would. I see now that I did not order a controller, just the console. Ah well, no worries.

[Laner]

So he can plug the NT mini through composite to one of those framemeisters? This is surreal.

 

The mind wobbles </kellybundy>

[Laner]

First review must have broken the embargo. Read it or cache it before it's removed!

 

http://uk.pcmag.com/review/93169/analogue-super-nt

 

Gotta love it when they mis-state facts in within the first two sentences:

 

 

 

Calling Analogue a niche retro gaming company undersells what it does. The company's first product, the Analogue Nt, was a game system that could play Nintendo Entertainment System games and output them at 1080p over HDMI.

[F34R]

 

The mind wobbles </kellybundy>

Wish you hadn't put that lol. Memories are flooding in!! lmbo

[jamon1567]

I'm curious, has anyone here actually purchased the 8Bitdo SNES classic set? I actually purchased their standard (bluetooth) classic receiver and used it with one of the, now discontinued, older style SF30 controllers. It worked great btw and if anyone has a need and a traditional bluetooth controller I'd recommend it, but it seems like they created a lot of confusion by releasing that particular set and I wonder if it's any good. I guess for the discounted price of the set I understand why they did it, but it's pretty confusing to have multiple versions of the same thing. You can tell the difference on the controllers given the color scheme, but the receivers otherwise look identical.

 

Edit: Actually, the SF30 controllers have an identical color scheme and the only way you would know the difference is one says bluetooth and the other 2.4 Ghz. At lease the SN30 ones are slightly different (at least from the pictures on Amazon) with the bluetooth ones not having the dark grey colored face. Regardless, it's all needlessly confusing. On a side note, it's too bad you can't get the other colors with all convex buttons. I rather prefer them all convex like the Super Famicom pads. Although I guess you can't tell from the pictures what the clear ones are....I assume they're styled after the North American controllers?

Edited February 3, 2018 by jamon1567

[Toth]

I hope they release the new controllers separate from the receiver at some point. I have a receiver already but would like to pick up a black controller. A lot of people just want these as bluetooth controllers as well and have no need for the receiver.

Edited February 3, 2018 by Toth

[jamon1567]

Yea, given that they discontinued their prior standalone controllers I would agree with you. Although considering prices (on Amazon anyway) for the old style controllers are only $5 less than the package theyre currently offering, I guess it isn't too bad. Worst case you and a friend can play wireless

 

Everything else aside though, I also just got one of the new sets (in black to match the Super NT ) and they work great. I had no issues with my older style SF30 either, but it's worth pointing out because the controllers that came with the NT Mini were sadly absolute trash.

Edited February 3, 2018 by jamon1567

[Nomenclature]

Everything 8bitdo makes is garbage. Original SNES controller is the best 2D controller of all time. Why fix what ain't broken? But to each their own...

Edited February 3, 2018 by Nomenclature

[Kismet]

To say original hardware is always better because it is under 22ms more responsive (in most cases) when most people aren't even playing on a crt or using an ossc to even be able to experience the difference is just stupid when you could experience things like 60fps 4k graphics with a deblur filter on a system that used to run in 480i at 30fps.

 

I paid money for Componet cables. I have a CRT reference. People playing with framemeister/ossc on a HDTV are obviously going to have at least one frame of latency. But this argument was about software-emulator fans not knowing how to A/B test a software emulator against hardware, which is misleading or lying at worst.

 

When I get my SuperNT I'll compare it to the real hardware and we'll find out just how much a difference exists.

[Kismet]

Everything 8bitdo makes is garbage. Original SNES controller is the best 2D controller of all time. Why fix what ain't broken? But to each their own...

 

I somehow doubt that to be true. The original SNES/SFC controller's have the right size/weight balance. Bluetooth controllers tend to feel light, cheap and flimsy if they are like the junk Hyperkin sells. The Xbox360/PS4 controllers feel too heavy when they have batteries in them. So I use a wired xbox 360 controller on the Xbox 360 and Windows machines. The wireless controllers are in the drawer for when someone else comes over. However I haven't tried the 8bitdo controllers, but have seen them at BestBuy. I've been tempted to buy at least one, but I can not get over my hate for needlessly wireless stuff.

 

I mean it makes sense why companies are making them, people are playing on 40"+ screens in their living room where the SNES would have never had long enough cables to reach (we often had the SNES sitting in the middle of the living room as kids, otherwise the cables wouldn't reach the couch, and this was back with smaller CRT's) A gumstick sized battery is cheaper than an 8'+ cable.

 

What I would like to get modular controllers where the transmitter is turned off when connected by USB-c, but whatever.

Edited February 3, 2018 by Kismet

[jamon1567]

Everything 8bitdo makes is garbage. Original SNES controller is the best 2D controller of all time. Why fix what ain't broken? But to each their own...

 

That's a bit harsh. The 8Bitdo SNES controllers do a good job. They aren't and cannot be expected to be as good as a "real" controller, but as Kismet alludes to, they have a place in a modern setup and do a pretty damn good job approximating a real controller. As I said though, the NES one that came with the NT Mini (and even the NES Pro controllers too....I bought one for my sister and it didn't perform well) is trash and really is unusable.

[SegaSnatcher]

Ok, am i hearing this correctly. Someone wants to take an HDMI console, but convert it to composite so he can plug it into a Framemeister to convert to HDMI out? Something has to be wrong here. That makes zero sense.

[SegaSnatcher]

 

That's a bit harsh. The 8Bitdo SNES controllers do a good job. They aren't and cannot be expected to be as good as a "real" controller, but as Kismet alludes to, they have a place in a modern setup and do a pretty damn good job approximating a real controller. As I said though, the NES one that came with the NT Mini (and even the NES Pro controllers too....I bought one for my sister and it didn't perform well) is trash and really is unusable.

I've heard those 8-bitdo controllers add almost a frame of lag.

[jamon1567]

I've heard those 8-bitdo controllers add almost a frame of lag.

 

Maybe, I don't have the tools to test it and am not gonna sit here and pretend like I could tell the difference. The only thing I will say is that I play a lot of Mega Man. Using the bundled 8Bitdo NES controller that came with the Mini renders it unplayable. Using the SN30 controller it plays fine. Take it for what it's worth I guess.

[Andromeda Stardust]

That's a bit harsh. The 8Bitdo SNES controllers do a good job. They aren't and cannot be expected to be as good as a "real" controller, but as Kismet alludes to, they have a place in a modern setup and do a pretty damn good job approximating a real controller. As I said though, the NES one that came with the NT Mini (and even the NES Pro controllers too....I bought one for my sister and it didn't perform well) is trash and really is unusable.

Have you tried the FC30 8bitdo controller? It is the same layout as the NES30 but with rounded edges. To me, the FC30 just plays like butter in my hands compared to the NES30. The SNES30/SFC30 (old style) are pretty good recreations of the traditional SNES controllers, with concave buttons with purple accents on the SNES30 and the multicolor on the SFC30. I like the FC30 for playing NES games and actually reverted the firmware on my NES Retro Receiver to an early beta so I could use B/A buttons, because using Y/B to play NES games just feels wrong to me. Look at how Nintendo designed the dogbone NES2 controllers and the Gameboy.

 

I also own the NES Classic receiver and downloaded a firmware update to use it with the SNES Classic. I have no reason to buy one of the proprietary SNES Classic wireless controllers when it won't work with older 8bitdo gear.

 

Also thanks for the people who chimed in stating the new SNES controllers are standard BT and not proprietary.

[Wolf_]

 

I paid money for Componet cables. I have a CRT reference. People playing with framemeister/ossc on a HDTV are obviously going to have at least one frame of latency. But this argument was about software-emulator fans not knowing how to A/B test a software emulator against hardware, which is misleading or lying at worst.

 

When I get my SuperNT I'll compare it to the real hardware and we'll find out just how much a difference exists.

I specifically said that the minority of gamers that still use crts or an ossc with a >17ms of input lag display were the few that would actually get slightly faster response times from using original hardware over emulation. I also said that the number of games where you absolutely need those literal thousandths of a second of response time is almost nonexistent. Meanwhile the graphical improvements are something everyone can appreciate all the time. It is a clearly and obvious tradeoff with nothing to debate.

 

I've also said 4 times now that fpgas coded by Kevtris offer superior performance to emulators...

[jamon1567]

Have you tried the FC30 8bitdo controller? It is the same layout as the NES30 but with rounded edges. To me, the FC30 just plays like butter in my hands compared to the NES30. The SNES30/SFC30 (old style) are pretty good recreations of the traditional SNES controllers, with concave buttons with purple accents on the SNES30 and the multicolor on the SFC30. I like the FC30 for playing NES games and actually reverted the firmware on my NES Retro Receiver to an early beta so I could use B/A buttons, because using Y/B to play NES games just feels wrong to me. Look at how Nintendo designed the dogbone NES2 controllers and the Gameboy.

 

I also own the NES Classic receiver and downloaded a firmware update to use it with the SNES Classic. I have no reason to buy one of the proprietary SNES Classic wireless controllers when it won't work with older 8bitdo gear.

 

Also thanks for the people who chimed in stating the new SNES controllers are standard BT and not proprietary.

 

I've not used the FC30 but the problem I had with the NES30 was not the feel of the controller itself. The problems I had with the NES30 (and I seem to recall several others having this issue as well) is that the directional pad was spotty and the feel (I would miss button presses sometimes because the 8Bitdo controllers seemed to need the buttons pressed harder) of the buttons wasn't right. I'd say that maybe they just have quality control issues because some folks have had issues with the SNES ones as well, but it certainly seemed like a lot more people had issues with the bundled NES30's that came with the NT Mini. I had the same issues with the N30 Pro as well.

Edited February 3, 2018 by jamon1567

[leods]

I've heard those 8-bitdo controllers add almost a frame of lag.

The new 8bitdo controllers witht he analogue sticks seem to have a frame of lag. The old ones were tested to have no lag compared to originals.

 

The Super NT models should be the exact same as the old ones, but with a different shell. I can't confirm that though.

 

edit: Every single tear down I've seen of the 8bitdo SNES controllers show the plastic parts as being exactly the same as the original SNES controllers, except for the battery compartment. The membranes are different, more stiff and clicky, but besides that it really is an accurate representation of an SNES controller. Maybe it's just the rubber contacts giving people problems. I wish someone would work on spot on replacements for the rubber pads.

 

edit: these new bundle 2.4 ghz controllers for the minis also seem to have lag BTW.

Edited February 3, 2018 by leods

[brentonius]

I thought all 8bitdo controllers have more lag than OEM wired controllers. Am I wrong here?

[Wolf_]

I thought all 8bitdo controllers have more lag than OEM wired controllers. Am I wrong here?

All wireless controllers (with the exception of 1 logitech gaming mouse which has faster response times than wired mice) have more lag than wired controllers (With the exception of the switch pro controller which was measured to actually respond slower when plugged into the console, idk why). The question is, does that amount of latency add up to anything you will notice/have a negative impact on your gaming experience.

 

tl;dr with only two exceptions I can think of wired is always faster but wireless can be "fast enough" if it uses a decent enough signal and isn't getting interference.

Edited February 3, 2018 by Wolf_

[Schizophretard]

Everything 8bitdo makes is garbage. Original SNES controller is the best 2D controller of all time. Why fix what ain't broken? But to each their own...

 

I haven't tried these new controllers but I agree about not fixing what isn't broken. I have always used extension cords with Super NES controllers.

[SegaSnatcher]

All wireless controllers (with the exception of 1 logitech gaming mouse which has faster response times than wired mice) have more lag than wired controllers (With the exception of the switch pro controller which was measured to actually respond slower when plugged into the console, idk why). The question is, does that amount of latency add up to anything you will notice/have a negative impact on your gaming experience.

 

tl;dr with only two exceptions I can think of wired is always faster but wireless can be "fast enough" if it uses a decent enough signal and isn't getting interference.

I'm using a 1080p Panasonic Plasma with my AVS and the lag is just fast enough where I can beat Mike Tyson using OG controllers. So, an extra frame of lag would be a no go for me with SNES games, so probably just stick with OG wired controllers.

[D3ltax55]

Whats this I hear about the clear model. I hear it's more of a smoky white transport then a more clear blackish transparent and more clear as it shows on the site. Was it a color calculation mistake or something when manufacturing. Lucky I didn't get that version, I kinda wanted the color they show on the site not the transparent smoky white.

Maybe it's that color for the review copys IDK we gotta wait and see. I dought it.

[leods]

All wireless controllers (with the exception of 1 logitech gaming mouse which has faster response times than wired mice) have more lag than wired controllers (With the exception of the switch pro controller which was measured to actually respond slower when plugged into the console, idk why). The question is, does that amount of latency add up to anything you will notice/have a negative impact on your gaming experience.

 

tl;dr with only two exceptions I can think of wired is always faster but wireless can be "fast enough" if it uses a decent enough signal and isn't getting interference.

 

This is just wrong. As usual TBH. But seriously. It's just plain wrong. PEople tested lag back in the day for the xbox 360 wireless controller and found none.

 

PS3 and xbox 360 controllers were tested back in the day and people found about 1ms of lag. That means none. People have tested the 8bit do controllers too, and found no lag on their origial wireless bluetooth SNES controllers with the SNES receivers.

 

People found lag on the newer models with snes style and analog sticks, and also on the ones that come bundle with receivers for the SNES and NES mini.

 

Tons of wired controllers have lag too. So this wired vs wireless is complete bullshit. You have to look at for each single controller. on PS4 people found out using the controller over USB was lagging MORE than the wireless. I think they fixed that now though. Still, it's same lag now.

Edited February 3, 2018 by leods