FPGA Based Videogame System

[Pixelboy]

They are keeping their options open, but I just do not get a sense of any enthusiasm by Analogue for another run of the Nt Mini. It would not be unreasonable for them to believe that the NES has been over-exposed of late and the numbers of new buyers at the $450 price point are just not there.

Pretty true, but a HDMI-only device reduced in size, with only one cart slot for USA NES cartridges (with an adaptor for Famicom carts) and a plastic casing, would probably get noticed at a lower price point. How much attention it would gather is anyone's guess.

 

 

A HDMI Genesis device? If they do that, will they be able to distinguish themselves from the second-rate alternatives already on the market?

There are enough Genesis/Mega Drive cartridges out there to make an HDMI FPGA Genesis an enticing option for Analogue. The "second-rate alternatives" you speak of wouldn't weight much in the balance against Kevtris/Analogue's reputation.

 

 

A handheld console? Good luck finding an affordable screen manufacturer, and anything beyond the 8-bit stuff may be too complex for an affordable FPGA and also will require BIOS ROMs, which bring legal issues with them.

I'd be more interested in a console version of handhelds, which would allow the player to play handheld games on his/her TV. Maybe not the Game Boy or Game Boy Color because they're already supported by the jailbroken NT Mini, but the FPGA equivalent of the Game Cube's Game Boy Player would be a good start. And it could be later jailbroken to play Atari Lynx games and Neo Geo Pocket games from the SD card, together with the existing GB and GBC cores. I think it would make a pretty nice little console, which could possibly use the same Super-NES controller port as the Super NT. But such a console would require an advanced FPGA solution, and of course, it could take Kevin a pretty long time to creates the cores.

 

 

An FPGA TG-16 or Neo Geo? A niche market and a tough crowd, and for the latter Chris Taber burned a lot of bridges with the Neo Geo community several years ago.

Yeah, I agree. Too much of a niche market for an FPGA console dedicated to either of those. They wouldn't sell nearly as well as the NT Mini, Super NT or even a Genesis FPGA clone console. They should be reserved for the Zimba 3000 solution, which is designed to be a true universal solution.

[Thrakk]

 

Hi Smokemonster. I don't know if you are reading this but I was wondering if you are going to attempt a core store jb on the Super Nt. This is the only reason I haven't purchased the Super NT. Anyways, good luck and thanks for your work and dedication.

[Riptide]

Pretty true, but a HDMI-only device reduced in size, with only one cart slot for USA NES cartridges (with an adaptor for Famicom carts) and a plastic casing, would probably get noticed at a lower price point. How much attention it would gather is anyone's guess.

 

 

http://www.retrousb.com/product_info.php?cPath=36&products_id=78

 

I'd be more interested in a console version of handhelds, which would allow the player to play handheld games on his/her TV. Maybe not the Game Boy or Game Boy Color because they're already supported by the jailbroken NT Mini, but the FPGA equivalent of the Game Cube's Game Boy Player would be a good start. And it could be later jailbroken to play Atari Lynx games and Neo Geo Pocket games from the SD card, together with the existing GB and GBC cores. I think it would make a pretty nice little console, which could possibly use the same Super-NES controller port as the Super NT. But such a console would require an advanced FPGA solution, and of course, it could take Kevin a pretty long time to creates the cores.

 

 

 

If memory serves, which it may not, kevtris previously stated that a GBA core would be very difficult, ps1 may even be easier.

[D3ltax55]

 

http://www.retrousb.com/product_info.php?cPath=36&products_id=78

 

 

If memory serves, which it may not, kevtris previously stated that a GBA core would be very difficult, ps1 may even be easier.

 

It's been mentioned that a GBA core may be not possible on the super nt since it's more powerfull? IDK I would like to actually see it thou if he can possibly do it. Only cause the gba games feel like a snes games. So many gems on that system. THou a add on that allows for carts would be even better if they can put link cable on it to.

He did stat a fpga ps1 is possible but that would be a new system. I bet even more expensive.

Edited March 28, 2018 by D3ltax55

[Guspaz]

Do you necessarily need to? You can't buy the ARM7TDMI anymore, AFAIK, but the ARM9 is still readily available, so assuming the GBA's ARM7TDMI was bog standard, and that the ARM9's backwards compatibility is close enough, you could always put an actual CPU on the board and just use the FPGA for everything else.

[Prodigal Gun]

Has anyone else had a problem going into the Super NT menu while playing Super Bomberman US.) The game pauses but the menu will not pop up. It's been this way from the beginning but I never brought it up because of more pressing bugs. This is on jailbreak firmware by the way

[NE146]

Has anyone else had a problem going into the Super NT menu while playing Super Bomberman US.) The game pauses but the menu will not pop up. It's been this way from the beginning but I never brought it up because of more pressing bugs. This is on jailbreak firmware by the way

 

I haven't tried changing the hotkeys, but yes.. I see that behavior using the 8bit do wireless controller. The game just pauses and the menu never shows up.

 

However using a standard SNES pad, I can reach the Super NT menu ok in Super Bomberman. Go figure.

[Prodigal Gun]

Sorry. Double Post

Edited March 28, 2018 by Prodigal Gun

[Prodigal Gun]

Ok, thanks for testing that. I appreciate it!

[cacophony]

 

Hi Smokemonster. I don't know if you are reading this but I was wondering if you are going to attempt a core store jb on the Super Nt. This is the only reason I haven't purchased the Super NT. Anyways, good luck and thanks for your work and dedication.

Smokemonster didnt code the jailbreak and has no control over what gets implemented in the future.

[cacophony]

Yeah, I agree. Too much of a niche market for an FPGA console dedicated to either of those. They wouldn't sell nearly as well as the NT Mini, Super NT or even a Genesis FPGA clone console. They should be reserved for the Zimba 3000 solution, which is designed to be a true universal solution.

A sub $200 TG-16 or sub $300 Neo Geo would sell in significantly higher numbers than the Nt Mini IMO (which only sold a couple thousand units). The demand for the Neo Geo would be especially high because of the anticipated ability to run roms off the sd card via an unofficial firmware.

Edited March 28, 2018 by cacophony

[ginoscope]

Anyone on the new jailbreak v6.6 having any issues loading the Super Everdrive. I was having a blast playing Star Ocean on the new firmware but when I went to load my Lufia 1 save on my Super Everdrive I got a black screen.

 

I tried several different games on the super everdrive and it just went to a black screen. My original Lufia cart loads fine as does straight from the sd card.

[Forsaken]

Anyone on the new jailbreak v6.6 having any issues loading the Super Everdrive. I was having a blast playing Star Ocean on the new firmware but when I went to load my Lufia 1 save on my Super Everdrive I got a black screen.

 

I tried several different games on the super everdrive and it just went to a black screen. My original Lufia cart loads fine as does straight from the sd card.

In the hardware settings menu (settings>system>hardware), make sure "launch system timing" is checked.

Edited March 29, 2018 by Forsaken

[ginoscope]

In the hardware settings menu (settings>system>hardware), make sure "launch system timing" is checked.

Thanks for the reply I tried that and that did not make any difference. I set the settings then saved it and then rebooted. Same black screen with the super everdrive.

[Forsaken]

Thanks for the reply I tried that and that did not make any difference. I set the settings then saved it and then rebooted. Same black screen with the super everdrive.

Sounds like it might be a new bug then. I don't have an everdrive to test it myself.

[Thrakk]

Smokemonster didnt code the jailbreak and has no control over what gets implemented in the future.

I’m not stupid. I chose to address my message to Smokemonster because I felt it more appropriate to have people read between the lines. Anyways I’m not going to let myself get negative. There’s been too many menial arguments in this thread already.

[cacophony]

I’m not stupid. I chose to address my message to Smokemonster because I felt it more appropriate to have people read between the lines. Anyways I’m not going to let myself get negative. There’s been too many menial arguments in this thread already.

 

Wow, a whole lot of defensiveness for absolutely no reason, lol

[Jagasian]

FX chip support has been added to sd2snes:

https://twitter.com/smokemonstertwi/status/978875015402872833?s=21

[Toth]

Well, it looks like it is more in an alpha state right now but hopefully in the future it will be perfect.

[Toth]

I wonder how much it costs them to have the molds made for the shells? It seems like they could easily use the Super Nt guts and put them in a new shell and call it the Nt Mini v2 or whatever and sell it alongside the Super Nt. I suppose that would mean Kevtris would need to update the nes core to work on the current hardware but it seems like it would be worth it to Analogue. They could be selling both generations at the same time for a similar price.

 

I am so glad I happened to find out about the Nt Mini when I did. It's a bummer something so completely awesome is so limited.

Edited March 29, 2018 by Toth

[phoenixdownita]

...

I am so glad I happened to find out about the Nt Mini when I did. It's a bummer something so completely awesome is so limited.

 

I may be too optimistic but I am certain that if not on the SuperNt maybe on the next one or the next after that but the CoreStore will return and allow anyone to play all awesome kevtris creations on one box ... controller issues aside (need a keypad for some cores, no question about it) just the sheer joy of sharing all the HDMI controls (scaling etc...) and audio goodness (filters and whatnot) across all the cores makes it perfect.

 

I don't think kevtris intended for his CoreStore v1 to be for the few and at that even the last we heard of it.

[Odin Belmont]

I may be too optimistic but I am certain that if not on the SuperNt maybe on the next one or the next after that but the CoreStore will return and allow anyone to play all awesome kevtris creations on one box ... controller issues aside (need a keypad for some cores, no question about it) just the sheer joy of sharing all the HDMI controls (scaling etc...) and audio goodness (filters and whatnot) across all the cores makes it perfect.

 

I don't think kevtris intended for his CoreStore v1 to be for the few and at that even the last we heard of it.

A all in one super console would be awesome. I’d preorder day one. In the mean time wished nt mini was produced again.

[Shadowgate]

Nt mini is an incredibly difficult and time consuming product to manufacture. We're currently focused on Super Nt and we don't have the manpower to produce another run at this time. Nt mini unfortunately requires a borderline unreasonable amount of oversight from our best people. We appreciate your understanding and please know we're bummed we can't make it available at this time, too.

 

 

I wonder what requires the increased oversight. All aluminum shell related? I can't even imagine what they went through when producing the wooden shell Neo Geo consoles. They conquered wood, aluminum, gold, and now plastic.

Edited March 29, 2018 by Shadowgate

[Mattelot]

They are keeping their options open, but I just do not get a sense of any enthusiasm by Analogue for another run of the Nt Mini. It would not be unreasonable for them to believe that the NES has been over-exposed of late and the numbers of new buyers at the $450 price point are just not there. Even though they probably do not make as much profit on a Super Nt as they did on an Nt Mini, they sold thousands and thousands more of the former than the latter. Not only do they make more money from the increased overall sales, that brings them many more new customers who would likely be very interested in purchasing their next product.

 

As Analogue is a small but growing company with an increasing reputation for making excellent FPGA consoles, they must be looking to the next product. What will that product be?

 

The Super Nt DAC? Let's hope kevtris' theoretical ability of sending raw digital video information through the HDMI transmitter works.

 

A HDMI Genesis device? If they do that, will they be able to distinguish themselves from the second-rate alternatives already on the market?

 

A handheld console? Good luck finding an affordable screen manufacturer, and anything beyond the 8-bit stuff may be too complex for an affordable FPGA and also will require BIOS ROMs, which bring legal issues with them.

 

An FPGA TG-16 or Neo Geo? A niche market and a tough crowd, and for the latter Chris Taber burned a lot of bridges with the Neo Geo community several years ago.

 

Perhaps at the $450 mark but at a cheaper mark using a plastic shell could suffice. Sure, we still have the option for the AVS but that still doesn't have the functionality of the NT mini.

[Jagasian]

Stop bugging Kevtris about the core store. Quality is more important than quantity, which is why Kevtris is focused on fixing even the most obscure Super NT accuracy issues. Id rather have a perfect HDMI SNES than a core store.