Convert CD-Games to Cart. ?

[+CharlieChaplin]

Well,

I am talking about a dream here... maybe someone (Songbird ?!? anyone else ?!?) can make it come true. Since a lot of Jaguar owners don`t have a CD-ROM unit, it would be very nice to have some Jag-Cd games on cart. IS 2 is a good example of what is possible... I am thinking about the following games:

 

- Hoverstrike U.L. (better than the original cart!)

- World Tour Racing

- Blue Lightning

- Battlemorph

- Baldies

- and maybe some more games...

 

If one (really cool programmer) could a) remove all movies / cinepak sequences / animations and b) remove most still pictures (especially in WTC) and maybe c) reduce the levels or missions (especially in Hoverstrike U.L., maybe also in Blue Lightning) this would *maybe* be possible... Think that the mentioned five games are not that big in size (or resolution) that they would not fit on a cartridge...

 

Of course none of the Adventures (Myst, Highlander, Dragons Lair, Braindead 13, Space Ace) nor the music-video-puzzle-game (Vid Grid) would fit on cartridge...

Now the question is: a) is it possible to convert these five (or more) CD games to cart. and much more important b) who can do it ?!? greetings, Andreas Magenheimer.

[The_Laird]

Don't think that Battlemorph would be possible on a cart because its to big with 3D textured graphics and the animation is superb to. World Tour Racing - probaly is, Hoverstrike - maybe on a big enough cartridge if you took out the movies. But it does have extra textures and a better frame rate/animation too. Baldies - yes. Blue Lightning - If you took out the music and movies it would be. Primal rage - you didn't mention this but it could probaly go on a cart too.

Edited December 18, 2005 by mr.kizza

[Ze_ro]

If you add up the prices, I'm thinking that buying all these games as cartridge remakes would likely be fairly close to the price of buying a JagCD with the regular CD games.

 

Also, there are a ton of licensing problems that would probably completely railroad any attempt to do this I'm afraid.

 

--Zero

[theprophet0]

Well,

I am talking about a dream here... maybe someone (Songbird ?!? anyone else ?!?) can make it come true. Since a lot of Jaguar owners don`t have a CD-ROM unit, it would be very nice to have some Jag-Cd games on cart. IS 2 is a good example of what is possible... I am thinking about the following games:

 

- Hoverstrike U.L. (better than the original cart!)

- World Tour Racing

- Blue Lightning

- Battlemorph

- Baldies

- and maybe some more games...

 

If one (really cool programmer) could a) remove all movies / cinepak sequences / animations and b) remove most still pictures (especially in WTC) and maybe c) reduce the levels or missions (especially in Hoverstrike U.L., maybe also in Blue Lightning) this would *maybe* be possible... Think that the mentioned five games are not that big in size (or resolution) that they would not fit on a cartridge...

 

Of course none of the Adventures (Myst, Highlander, Dragons Lair, Braindead 13, Space Ace) nor the music-video-puzzle-game (Vid Grid) would fit on cartridge...

Now the question is: a) is it possible to convert these five (or more) CD games to cart. and much more important b) who can do it ?!?  greetings, Andreas Magenheimer.

984893[/snapback]

The original fmv game draon's lair was ported to the snes. Ironically the controls sucked as bad as the original arcade. It look completely different but played like crap.

 

I hate fmv games, but it would be worst on a cart.

[Vic George 2K3]

I'm not sure I'd qualify the SNES version of Dragon's Lair as a port. More like a typical run-and-jump platform game using characters and stuff from the original FMV game. Was fun to play once, though I didn't like the cheesy synth soundtrack music.

[theprophet0]

I'm not sure I'd qualify the SNES version of Dragon's Lair as a port.  More like a typical run-and-jump platform game using characters and stuff from the original FMV game.  Was fun to play once, though I didn't like the cheesy synth soundtrack music.

996601[/snapback]

The bottom line you can't port a fmv game to cart.

[atarifan49]

Just not feasible. Flash technology would easily make it possible to store an image of a Jaguar CD on a card like a SD or Compact Flash. But the problem would be having the hardware needed to emulate the Jaguar CDROM Butch chip. The Butch chip isn't documented nor any sources exist of its design, that anyone knows of.

 

It would take way too many man hours to go through code and circumvent routines just to get a single game to run without a CD unit without the need to access graphics, FMV's, and/or music. What may easily work for the Dreamcast just doesn't work for the Jaguar CD.

 

Your better off to just keep searching for someone selling a Jag CD unit and acquire the games for it.

 

Glenn

[LanDi]

From what Ive seen of Blue Lightening who'd want it on cart? Make a good frizby, but to coin a phrase "unless you can do better, keep your mouth shut." !!

Baldies and Primal Rage could definately fit on a cart. And aren't Primal Rages graphics awesome?

 

CD units are expensive( I havent got one) but they are looking more and more essential.

[Goochman]

Any way of dumping the butch chip and making copies on to a custom flash cart?

[Vic George 2K3]

I'm not sure I'd qualify the SNES version of Dragon's Lair as a port.  More like a typical run-and-jump platform game using characters and stuff from the original FMV game.  Was fun to play once, though I didn't like the cheesy synth soundtrack music.

996601[/snapback]

 

The bottom line you can't port a fmv game to cart.

997215[/snapback]

 

Tell that to the people who converted the FMV version of Dragon's Lair to the Gameboy Color.

Edited January 10, 2006 by Vic George 2K3

[theprophet0]

I'm not sure I'd qualify the SNES version of Dragon's Lair as a port.  More like a typical run-and-jump platform game using characters and stuff from the original FMV game.  Was fun to play once, though I didn't like the cheesy synth soundtrack music.

996601[/snapback]

 

The bottom line you can't port a fmv game to cart.

997215[/snapback]

 

Tell that to the people who converted the FMV version of Dragon's Lair to the Gameboy Color.

997842[/snapback]

I played the one on snes and it aint nothing like the original. I suggest you play the arcade/laser disc or cdrom and get back to me on you gbc version.

[atarifan49]

Any way of dumping the butch chip and making copies on to a custom flash cart? 

997788[/snapback]

 

Short Answer: No. Butch isn't a ROM chip that contains computer code.

 

Reason: Butch is a custom built Application Specific Integrated Circuit or a.k.a. ASIC. It contains the circuitry to bridge the gap between the Jaguar cartridge bus and the Philips DSA bus that the CD unit has. The Jaguar CD unit is based around a Philips CD mech and set of control chips to operate the CD unit. Butch is how the CD BIOS interfaces and commands the Philips CD controller.

 

Some detailed info about the DSA bus: DSA communication protocol

 

Regards,

Glenn