FPGA Based Videogame System

[Jakir]

On their Super Nt page it says,"We're preserving video game history.","We're preserving history with FPGA hardware.",and,"The Super Nt is designed to preserve video game history, with the respect it deserves."

 

It isn't preserving video game history if after the Nt Mini and Super Nt are discontinued they are so rare that most are still playing on the original NES and Super NES while waiting for someone to actually preserve video game history with long term solutions for both for the majority and not just collectors with limited edition clone consoles.

If cores come to the jailbreak I would say that has sufficiently preserved those systems. Others may disagree with me and complain about the need for currently unreleased cart and controller adapters but as long as I can use the oem controllers for the system eventually I'm happy with the state of that system's preservation.

 

That actually comes from the Zelda manga for Link to the Past. Not sure if the mangas are canon but they do flesh out the storyline and characters quire a bit.

The official answer to that is no, but that isn't the full answer. In many cases ideas that start out as non-canon get incorporated into future games years or even decades later. Take the mechanic from A Link Between Worlds where you go in and out of pictures, that was first seen in one of the early Zelda comics or the tv show in the 1990s (can't remember exactly which one I saw it in after all these years. I just remember an enemy became a painting on the side of a bridge and then waited for Link to pass to sneak attack him) Also in several cases the creators have said they consider the non-canon manga events to be canon to themselves such as many devs considering the Majora's Mask origin story by Himekawa to be unofficially official and even things as major as the Rito race first appearing in their Ocarina of Time manga.

Edited March 1, 2018 by Jakir

[Jakir]

 

 

 

 

I'm glad some people are enjoying the injected music and cutscenes, but IMO this is not how the games were developed and injecting these additional audio/visual features into the game is kind of garing. The cutscenes don't serve to to enhance the game experience but rather remove the feel of playing an actual SNES game.

 

Cutscenes in games are largely an invention of 5th generation and beyond. Injecting them into 4th gen games that were never meant to have them just seems out of place. Like suppose I'm reading a novel, ie harry potter, lord of the rings, or whatever, and someone just inserts random snippets of fan fiction in between the individual chapters in the book. The author of the fan fiction neither has the same writing style as the original author nor doe these injected stories make sense.

 

This is basically what injecting cutscenes into vintage games using romhacks feels like. If someone wants to create an original homebrew game with injected scenes specifically designed for said game, that would be fine. It would be no different than say a Sega CD game that had cutscenes built in and incorporated into the game by the original developers.

 

I think cutscenes can be great, especially if they match the graphical style of the original system. But inserting B class material into a triple-AAA game, just breaks the flow and continuity of the game. It ceases to be an individual great work of art, and instead feels like a patchwork quilt of hodge podge.

And you not liking it is YOUR opinion, as is you feeling it doesn't match the tone because as I said, that cutscene perfectly matches the feel of what the original work intended IMO and the cd quality audio was excellent.

 

Just because you feel a certain way about something doesn't invalidate how anyone else feels.

[CZroe]

lol you guys act like you have to pay for the MSU1 stuff.

 

As something entirely optional & extra to shove on my sd2snes (in addition to the various other hacks of LttP), I for one like that it's around.

Then look at it this way: The people doing this wasted a lot of time and effort better spent on something else.

 

 

I think of the MSU-1 more of an alternate-reality version of the game. One where Nintendo released a SNES add-on like they planned, kinda like the Sega CD.

 

Sega CD games can come off like this too - Lunar/Lunar 2, for example, definitely looks like a 16 bit game with voice acting and cutscenes dropped into it.

 

In the case of Chrono Trigger, the cutscenes are from the PS1 version of the game, which is great except for the horrible lag times. It's kinda like retrofitting the PS1 video to the superior SNES performance.

Except that’s exactly what makes it stand out even worse. You KNOW they didn’t make the game like that when the screw up the Yoshi’s Island music box. You know they didn’t make the game like that when the music in Mega Man X completely drowns our everything else (yes, using the proper levels for Rev H SD2SNES and not the “boosted” one for earlier revs). It sticks out like a sore thumb.

 

As for Chrono Trigger, it seemed pretty gratuitous and out of place there too. They knew it didn’t feel like a proper PSX game which is probably why it was a value release in Japan, delayed for years in the rest of the world, and eventually released in a collection/bundle. Actually, Sony had some egregious licensing requirements for the PSX that required most 2D games to have something 3D so that it wouldn’t look like it belonged to the previous generation in comparison to the N64 so that probably had a lot to do with the delay as well.

[CZroe]

And you not liking it is YOUR opinion, as is you feeling it doesn't match the tone because as I said, that cutscene perfectly matches the feel of what the original work intended IMO and the cd quality audio was excellent.

 

Just because you feel a certain way about something doesn't invalidate how anyone else feels.

Right back at you. I don’t see where he implied that everyone felt the way he does.

 

Anyway, I don’t see how anyone could say it “matches the feel” when Link starts out with some inflated ego about “his” apples and his uncle is treating him like a 3-year-old.

Edited March 1, 2018 by CZroe

[Jakir]

Right back at you. I don’t see where he implied that everyone felt the way he does.

 

Anyway, I don’t see how anyone could say it matches the feel when Link starts out with some inflated ego about “his” apples and his uncle is treating him like a 3-year-old.

He has been saying ridiculous stuff like the msu-1 isn't a "real" expansion chip. I'm just pointing out my opinion is a valid one, not trying to force it on other people like he is.

[Keatah]

Without analogue, my FPGA stuff might never have saw the light of day. They provided an outlet for my cores and other work so that thousands of people can use it, so I think that counts for something. What's a "long term solution"? emulators and ROMs?

 

For the game programs/cartridges it will be ROMs. Absolutely no questions. ROMs can be preserved bit for bit relatively easily. Physical cartridges will continue to diminish in numbers through loss, damage, attrition, wear/tear, electronic failure, and more. ROMs are different because they can be migrated across new media as needed. Every game cartridge ever made is someplace on the internet, many in thousands of places.

 

As far as the console itself? A multi-pronged approach seems to be happening. We have accurate software emulation like Stella and Higan. We have new replacement consoles built on ASICs & SoCs, and better replacements built on FPGA.

 

Just as ROMs are migrated from an old hard disk to a new hard disk, the same concept will need to be applied to consoles. While you can't migrate or extend the life of any one specific individual console, you CAN apply those concepts to the design, you can make new consoles, new hardware, new display technologies.. Do it right with attention to detail and all is good.

 

Preserving designs and data is what needs to be done.

[CZroe]

He has been saying ridiculous stuff like the msu-1 isn't a "real" expansion chip. I'm just pointing out my opinion is a valid one, not trying to force it on other people like he is.

???

It isn’t a real expansion chip (more of a specification for a mapper on steroids), so how it that “ridiculous?”

 

Yes, it’s a valid opinion, but defending an opinion by pointing out that it’s an opinion is never going to convince anyone to share it. [emoji6] You have to convince us that it’s more than an opinion by sharing the logic that informs your opinion.

 

I’d also like to note that he didn’t call your opinion about the cut scenes and audio “ridiculous,” so it seems that you might be the one over reacting to his opinion here. I mean, he even said “IMO...”

 

I already admitted that my opinion on the existing MSU-1 ROM hacks was overbearing and unreasonable. [emoji6]

Edited March 1, 2018 by CZroe

[Keatah]

That's too funny. Anything other than a ROM chip *IS* an expansion chip.

[CZroe]

That's too funny. Anything other than a ROM chip *IS* an expansion chip.

With that loose definition, my V64jr is an “expansion chip” for the N64 and all the RAM-based Everdrive are “expansion chips.” [emoji6] The original Doctor V64 too, and that can play CD audio!

 

The mappers were never considered “expansion chips.” If MSU-1 doesn’t do any processing for the SNES and only works like a mapper as far as the SNES is concerned, then it is not an “expansion chip” in that sense. Because it DOES generate audio and mux it with the analog audio pins you could call it an audio expansion chip, so I can why people would call it that. The fact remains that the SD2SNES’ logic is not simulating a chip for the SNES and is, instead, mapping a huge ROM to the SNES’ address space almost exactly the way a mapper always has.

Edited March 1, 2018 by CZroe

[Jakir]

???

It isn’t a real expansion chip (more of a specification for a mapper on steroids), so how it that “ridiculous?”

 

Yes, it’s a valid opinion, but defending an opinion by pointing out that it’s an opinion is never going to convince anyone to share it. [emoji6] You have to convince us that it’s more than an opinion by sharing the logic that informs your opinion.

 

I’d also like to note that he didn’t call your opinion about the cut scenes and audio “ridiculous,” so it seems that you might be the one over reacting to his opinion here. I mean, he even said “IMO...”

 

I already admitted that my opinion on the existing MSU-1 ROM hacks was overbearing and unreasonable. [emoji6]

I'm not trying to convince him to share my opinion, I'm pointing out that it IS an opinion so he will realize it is a two way street and that people can feel either way about it so he shouldn't force his opinion on people or make crap up like what is and is not an expansion chip when it clearly is an expansion chip. Redefining stuff to enforce your opinion is the definition of bias.

[CZroe]

I'm not trying to convince him to share my opinion, I'm pointing out that it IS an opinion so he will realize it is a two way street and that people can feel either way about it so he shouldn't force his opinion on people or make crap up like what is and is not an expansion chip when it clearly is an expansion chip. Redefining stuff to enforce your opinion is the definition of bias.

He didn’t force his opinion.

He didn’t say anything to indicate that he doesn’t already know other opinions exist and that opinions are a two way street (on the contrary: “IMO” implicitly acknowledges other opinions).

He didn’t “force” his opinion.

 

That VAST majority of times I see conversations devolve this way, the person saying this is the one who is unable to tolerate the opposing opinion.

 

...but that’s just my opinion. [emoji6]

 

Bias is a predisposition toward supporting evidence and a disregard for contradictory evidence.

 

Now, if MSU-1 were really “very clearly” a real expansion chip then we wouldn’t be debating that, would we? [emoji6] I take issue with someone mischaracterizing our opinions. Rather than accepting our opinions as opinions, you have rejected them as “made up” and “redefined.”

 

See how that works? Defending your opinion as an opinion pretty much never helps the conversation. It’s almost like admitting that you have nothing else to back up the opinion so you just attack anyone who disagrees for not accepting your opinion. How can that ever end well?!

Edited March 1, 2018 by CZroe

[Keatah]

Might be a loose definition. But if it adds new or different functionality to the console, then it has somehow someway expanded the capabilities of the console.

 

Might even be a simple 74LS series part acting as a bank-switch to map in a 2nd rom chip. That sort of thing was done on early 8-bit machines. Might be as complex as a SuperFX co-processor.

 

Additional new chip = additional new functions = expansion chip. What else could it possibly be?

Edited March 1, 2018 by Keatah

[Jakir]

He didn’t force his opinion.

He didn’t say anything to indicate that he doesn’t already know other opinions exist and that opinions are a two way street (on the contrary: “IMO” implicitly acknowledges other opinions).

He didn’t “force” his opinion.

 

That VAST majority of times I see conversations devolve this way, the person saying this is the one who is unable to tolerate the opposing opinion.

 

...but that’s just my opinion. [emoji6]

 

Bias is a predisposition toward supporting evidence and a disregard for contradictory evidence.

 

Now, if MSU-1 were really “very clearly” a real expansion chip then we wouldn’t be debating that, would we? [emoji6] I take issue with someone mischaracterizing our opinions. Rather than accepting our opinions as opinions, you have rejected them as “made up” and “redefined.”

 

See how that works? Defending your opinion as an opinion pretty much never helps the conversation. It’s almost like admitting that you have nothing else to back up the opinion so you just attack anyone who disagrees for not accepting your opinion. How can that ever end well?!

Both Kevtris and Krikzz consider the msu-1 to be an expansion chip, if you have any further questions debate it with them.

[SubElement]

@SmokeMonster

 

any further news on updating the JB firmware?

[nonosto]

Without analogue, my FPGA stuff might never have saw the light of day. They provided an outlet for my cores and other work so that thousands of people can use it, so I think that counts for something. What's a "long term solution"? emulators and ROMs?

Hello World

 

I'm sorry to bother you for my first post and I'm assuming it's not the first time you've this request. I am the proud owner of a NES PAL HI Def HDMI up-to-date last FW (XMAS 80's gift). However to have the ultimate NES missing an element: new FPGA PPU improve sprite display (no flickering/lag ith lot of sprite in same scrren) and good speed for any region.

One guy begin a project called Universal PPU but never finished (see youtube link below). All code/scheme is avallable I can send it.

Please someone can see this project for help NES community.

 

THX all

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/UniversalPPU

Edited March 1, 2018 by nonosto

[kevtris]

Both Kevtris and Krikzz consider the msu-1 to be an expansion chip, if you have any further questions debate it with them.

Where did I say that? I might've implied it, but I have always thought of it as more of a system, since on the sd2snes it isn't just a "chip". It's a combination of FPGA, microcontroller, and other things to make it work. I consider SA-1 to be an expansion chip, since it is a purpose-designed ASIC for the system itself and is a single chip.

[haightc]

My earlier comment about SMS compatibility was based on another user saying there was a problem with wonderboy III that Kevtris got a bug report on and and was going to fix but apparently never.

It might nice to see the 8 bit cores ported to the Super NT, but if it take a long time to load back into a SuperNES mode I would likely not even bother. For those people that do work hard on software emulation your work is still greatly appreciated. In the long term it's hard to say if a hardware or software emulator will ultimately live longer. Many software emulators have been long abandoned but still enjoy by 100's of thousand of people. It'll still likely be a long time before original hardware is no long sustainable, I am not worried about passing my SFC off to my non existent children.

[Jakir]

Where did I say that? I might've implied it, but I have always thought of it as more of a system, since on the sd2snes it isn't just a "chip". It's a combination of FPGA, microcontroller, and other things to make it work. I consider SA-1 to be an expansion chip, since it is a purpose-designed ASIC for the system itself and is a single chip.

Pretty sure you have called it an expansion chip multiple times now, it is buried in all the posts but I could probably dig up you referring to it as such at least once if it really mattered to you. At the very least you said something about expansion chips and mentioned msu-1 at the same time. It certainly gave me the impression you were calling it an expansion chip multiple times.

[NE146]

Then look at it this way: The people doing this wasted a lot of time and effort better spent on something else.

 

Ok.. and what?

[Andromeda Stardust]

Something awesome came in the mail today from Retrocircuits!

[D3ltax55]

Something awesome came in the mail today from Retrocircuits!

Star_Fox_2_Super_NT_Med.JPG

Seems good. They had a 3 in one star fox cartridges before that was also overclocked. Looks like they don't have that anymore. Enjoy.

[saftle]

The Super NT now has an unofficial community discord group! This was posted on the SmokeMonsterPacks/Super-NT-Jailbreak github. Quoted from Source:

 

Not an issue just wanted to post the creation of a Super Nt Community Discord server.

https://discord.gg/EX57xnF

That link will never expire. Feel free to share it.

It was created today (March 1st) so is still in the early phases of being setup properly. Would love some help with that if anyone has the drive for it.

Feel free to let KEVIN LEE know if you're one of the people behind the jailbreak firmware and I'll be sure to make tags for those of you contributing to the Super Nt community. The end goal is just to have a place outside of Github / Reddit / various forums to discuss the Super Nt and anything related to the hardware.

May as well get all of us in one location if we can.

 

[nonosto]

nobody for universal PPU.....

[Loukey]

Kevtris, is there any concern damaging the console playing cheap chinese repros on the super NT? I don't really know if they exhibit the voltage mismatch previously discussed, but am sure they utilize whatever the cheapest components that they can find. I purchased a half-dozen repros of cost-prohibitive games off of ebay and want to make sure I'm not slowly destroying my console.

[Riptide]

Hello World

 

I'm sorry to bother you for my first post and I'm assuming it's not the first time you've this request. I am the proud owner of a NES PAL HI Def HDMI up-to-date last FW (XMAS 80's gift). However to have the ultimate NES missing an element: new FPGA PPU improve sprite display (no flickering/lag ith lot of sprite in same scrren) and good speed for any region.

One guy begin a project called Universal PPU but never finished (see youtube link below). All code/scheme is avallable I can send it.

Please someone can see this project for help NES community.

 

THX all

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/UniversalPPU

Sorry if this is a dumb question but what is the use case for this? Would you swap out the ppu in a NES/Famicom with this FPGA just to increase the maximum number of sprites?

 

 

Kevtris, is there any concern damaging the console playing cheap chinese repros on the super NT? I don't really know if they exhibit the voltage mismatch previously discussed, but am sure they utilize whatever the cheapest components that they can find. I purchased a half-dozen repros of cost-prohibitive games off of ebay and want to make sure I'm not slowly destroying my console.

He stated in the MLIG interview that those carts wouldn't hurt the Super NT.