General Emulation chit chat

Retr0gamer

Analogue stick and d-pad might be assigned to the same buttons?

I'd give Yoshi's Story a skip and just play Yoshi's Island. Much better game. Story isn't bad but you need a faq to know how to play it properly otherwise you will breeze through the 6 stages in about 2 hours and miss all the content in the game. It's weird and not intuitive.

um7y1h83ge06nx

Yoshi's Island is excellent. I have a 100% save file, unlocked all the extra levels and bonus games. The only criticism I could aim at it is that it is a little easy.

I'm delighted that more will get to play it when the SNES Classic is released, it didn't get the limelight it deserved at the time as it was at the end of the SNES lifecycle and people were focused on the PS1, Saturn and the hype around the upcoming N64.

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Analogue stick and d-pad might be assigned to the same buttons?

I don't think so but must check it again. Lots of people with the same problems with this game and also Wave Race 64 for some reason.

CiDeRmAn

Much of the problem with the N64 games is the issue writ large for most emulated systems, there are always going to be compromises, sometimes big ones, sometimes not so big, but they are almost always there, nothing replaces original hardware.
The N64 in particular was always a poor system to emulate, at least in the past and, from what you report, it hasn't changed in the decade since I was trying it.
If cost/storage is going to be an issue, better to forgo the emulator route and buy a classic console or two, and then the appropriate Everdrive.
You've probably got the files you need to populate it already, but this is possibly the best way bar spending the time collecting the carts over time.
Most TV's retain a AV input and a Scart, so you are not going to be out of luck hooking it up to your tv.

Retr0gamer

I'd go so far as to say N64 and PS1 emulation is rubbish. It's just so off from original hardware.

The Last Bandit

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I'd go so far as to say N64 and PS1 emulation is rubbish. It's just so off from original hardware.

Bit harsh.

N64 emulation is still far from perfect but PS1 emulation has improved a lot and most games are well playable. They may not be pixel perfect but still very playable.
I'm using ePSXe on a Nvidia Shield with the Shield controller and experienced very few problems.

CiDeRmAn

The Last Bandit wrote: »

Bit harsh.

N64 emulation is still far from perfect but PS1 emulation has improved a lot and most games are well playable. They may not be pixel perfect but still very playable.
I'm using ePSXe on a Nvidia Shield with the Shield controller and experienced very few problems.

Ps emulation on my RPi is pretty much spot on, Einhander, Raiden DX and Harmful Park running well on the cab.

Retr0gamer

The Last Bandit wrote: »

Bit harsh.

N64 emulation is still far from perfect but PS1 emulation has improved a lot and most games are well playable. They may not be pixel perfect but still very playable.
I'm using ePSXe on a Nvidia Shield with the Shield controller and experienced very few problems.

The fancy N64 hardware effects are just way off in emulation and the filtering on textures is totally different. On a good emulator the games run well but they look totally different to me, like the base game engine has been plopped into a modern renderer.... which it probably has just been.

It's kind of the same with PS1 emulation, things are just way too clean for my liking. Things like the lack of z buffer clipping and affine texture warping are kind of what defines the PS1 visually for me and losing just doesn't feel right. Also the fact you have to rely on plug ins specific to games is a sign of very inaccurate emulation code.

Some people like their games prettier but I like my old games warts and all.

Skerries

is there such a thing as a cabinet (table top or freestanding) that you just install a pc and screen or it comes with screen that you can buy or what is the lazy man version of getting a MAME cab?

eddhorse

Yep but it wont be cheap.

You could purchase the cabinet kinda like ikea and make it.

Then put in standard pc monitor or cheap tv and retropie or mame pc.

Lots of options really.

CiDeRmAn

Skerries wrote: »

is there such a thing as a cabinet (table top or freestanding) that you just install a pc and screen or it comes with screen that you can buy or what is the lazy man version of getting a MAME cab?

Mozie81 has this for sale
http://www.adverts.ie/13332934
Wouldn't take much to change it to whatever you want, plenty of advice here.

Inviere

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I'd go so far as to say N64 and PS1 emulation is rubbish. It's just so off from original hardware.

There's been a significant renewal of interest in the emulation of those systems relatively recently, and they're coming on well I must say. Further, for that generation of consoles in particular, I don't want emulation to just ape those systems, I want it to surpass them. Early 3D is truly horrendous, and unless you wanna play OoT at the N64's 20fps and laughable 320 x 240 resolution, then you'll want those emulators to significantly clean up the video output, drastically increase the fps, and allow those games to be played as they were intended, not how they were originally presented to us.

OoT at x4 internal resolution, and buttery smooth, is how to play that game...not on an N64 Conversely, the 3DS version is probably the definitive version now, and even that emulated with internal resolution bumped, it looks gorgeous.

The PS1 still lags behind though in terms of emulation, it's a system that really needs the graphics to be bumped in resolution.

CiDeRmAn

Inviere wrote: »

OoT at x4 internal resolution, and buttery smooth, is how to play that game...not on an N64 Conversely, the 3DS version is probably the definitive version now, and even that emulated with internal resolution bumped, it looks gorgeous.

I used to know who you were, but now you're a stranger to me....

Might have to do with the name changes though....

And the fact that I sometimes forget.... most things...

Inviere

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

I used to know who you were, but now you're a stranger to me....

Might have to do with the name changes though....

And the fact that I sometimes forget.... most things...

I'd never dream of using filters or tinkering with graphics on any other systems...the N64 and PS1 though really do benefit from actually looking better than they originally did. The N64 in particular, it's games look fantastic, and play so much better when run at higher resolutions and frame rates. I mean cmon like...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUEjdFI3utA

CiDeRmAn

Somebody has this little emu project for sale on Adverts
Link
It looks pretty nice tbh, though at €300 a bit fanciful, more like €150, €200 max if it works well.

Inviere

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

It looks pretty nice tbh, though at €300 a bit fanciful, more like €150, €200 max if it works well.

Wouldn't pay a cent over €70/€80 for something like that

CiDeRmAn

Inviere wrote: »

Wouldn't pay a cent over €70/€80 for something like that

:eek:

It's a nice homemade arcade casing and control panel, and the innards as well, maybe €100 for materials and €50 for the effort?
My gods, heartless you are!

Inviere

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

:eek:

It's a nice homemade arcade casing and control panel, and the innards as well, maybe €100 for materials and €50 for the effort?
My gods, heartless you are!

A Pi3, a wooden box, & a few buttons...I dunno man, can't see €150 or near it

When I see these kind of ads I can't help but get the impression that it never started off as a labour of love, it's someone who realised they possess the ability to knock together a get rich quick machine and they test the waters to see if it's worthwhile.
Or maybe I'm just a bit cynical during my quarter life crisis

brianregan09

Is that just a plug in one like those team retrobox ones ?

CiDeRmAn

brianregan09 wrote: »

Is that just a plug in one like those team retrobox ones ?

No, those have zero creativity.
They are from a group of chancers who did all their shopping for all the parts on AliExpress, before flogging it to the weak minded and ignorant, frequently both at the same time.

Skerries

The Recreated ZX Spectrum is on sale for €33.59, is it worth it?

https://www.zavvi.com/games/the-recreated-sinclair-zx-spectrum/11092093.html?utm_source=DDEN-_thg-deals/thg-deals-23-8-17-wednesday&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DDEN-_thg-deals/thg-deals-23-8-17-wednesday&affil=thgemail&utm_content=TCMemail&widget_id=725467

CiDeRmAn

Skerries wrote: »

The Recreated ZX Spectrum is on sale for €33.59, is it worth it?

https://www.zavvi.com/games/the-recreated-sinclair-zx-spectrum/11092093.html?utm_source=DDEN-_thg-deals/thg-deals-23-8-17-wednesday&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DDEN-_thg-deals/thg-deals-23-8-17-wednesday&affil=thgemail&utm_content=TCMemail&widget_id=725467

It's a glorified Bluetooth keyboard and relied on the processing of your smart device or computer to do the emulation.
If that's cool, then go for it.
The Vega at least has the device doing the work while it doesn't look quite as authentic.

Firefox11

Skerries wrote: »

The Recreated ZX Spectrum is on sale for €33.59, is it worth it?

https://www.zavvi.com/games/the-recreated-sinclair-zx-spectrum/11092093.html?utm_source=DDEN-_thg-deals/thg-deals-23-8-17-wednesday&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DDEN-_thg-deals/thg-deals-23-8-17-wednesday&affil=thgemail&utm_content=TCMemail&widget_id=725467

I was thinking of getting one and sticking a Pi Zero into it.

super_furry

Steve X2 wrote: »

So GPD XD is still my goto portable emulation system(with the legacy rom of course). Big fan of it actually and I hope they bring out a new version that runs android

Finally got around to putting the Legacy ROM on yesterday and am annoyed I waited so long. It's suddenly such a better device, quicker, more stable and I can now download all my Android games from the Play Store.

It's a must for anyone with a GPD XD.

The Last Bandit

super_furry wrote: »

Finally got around to putting the Legacy ROM on yesterday and am annoyed I waited so long. It's suddenly such a better device, quicker, more stable and I can now download all my Android games from the Play Store.

It's a must for anyone with a GPD XD.

Bought one last week.. so just waiting for it to turn up. Thinking of running ARC Browser on it as well, probably won't have too many roms on it as I like the GCW Zero for the old 8/16bit stuff.

Hellrazer

Here's a question that maybe some of you more informed people can answer.
I'm looking at building a bar top with some bits I have lying around.
Preferably for SNES,megadrive,mame etc.
So I have the following left over from some builds and just generally lying around gathering dust.

I've a media PC separate to my gaming one with an i3 2100 @ 3.3 GHz,8 GB ram.A gtx 560.
I also have a Wii..original one soft modded.

Also a Windows 10 tablet with an atom z3735 I think.
A Windows 10 mini pc same specs as above.

Oh yeah also an android box quad core ,4gb ram etc.
So question is : given what I've listed above which one would you use or recommend in the bartop??
About the only one I don't have is pi.

I know probably the media PC but it's quite big unless I took it out of the case and mounted it directly in the cabinet.
Thanks.

CiDeRmAn

If you could get the PC size thing worked out that's the way I'd go.
Just so much choice there, into terms of front ends, emulators and ease of linking with any number of displays, monitors and so on.

Los Lobos

Managed to put custom firmware, and update the version of a psp I had lying around, today.

Probably easy for most here, but it took me a few hours to get it all sorted. Just not great at all the unzipping (matron) and file placement stuff.
Anyhoo, sorted now with an excellent choice of megadrive, snes, gameboy, lynx games etc.

I think half the fun is figuring it all out, it'll probably end up in a drawer again in a few days

CiDeRmAn

There's a nice version of Cave Story for the PSP, no need to use CFW either, also try converting PS games to PSP format, it's a great way of expanding the library.
Why play the PSP Gran Turismo when you can play GT2.

ironictoaster

Inviere wrote: »

I'd never dream of using filters or tinkering with graphics on any other systems...the N64 and PS1 though really do benefit from actually looking better than they originally did. The N64 in particular, it's games look fantastic, and play so much better when run at higher resolutions and frame rates. I mean cmon like...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUEjdFI3utA

I wonder what setup he's using to run that. Also building a pc for a bar top.