FPGA Based Videogame System

[kevtris]

So, with this new interpolation feature I can basically scale the image however I want without worry about shimmering? I don't mind a very slight softer look if it means I can get closer to true aspect ratio I see from a CRT.

This is correct. The look is softer but it's very very slight and you might not even notice it except by toggling it on/off. I personally leave horizontal interpolation on.

[snatcher1996]

 

Unique is a curious word to use. The game.com could be called unique. The hyperscan is "unique".

 

I walked into a mom & pop game store back in 1995 and they had Metal Head setup for demo. I was immediately turned off by the chunky framerate and boring gameplay. I walked over to the regular genesis games and picked out something. People have the tendency to look back on the past with rose-tinted glasses. The 32X is a perfect example of that. We wanted the PSX and Saturn, not that hot garbage. Those "unique" games were quickly discounted and moved out of retailer stock as the hardware went belly up. This reverence for the 32X now is going to be looked at with a raised eyebrow by folks who actually remember the experience at the time.

 

Any Sonic game on the Genesis is better than Knuckles Chaotix.

 

Saturn got better Virtua Fighters.

 

In the pantheon of Sega racers to choose from, Virtua Racing is certainly not at the top of the list.

 

Well I am one of the folks who played the 32X when it was released and apparently did so with a more open mind that you did.

 

Of course the Saturn had better Virtua Fighters than the 32X but what's the point? The port of the first one for the 32X is easily as good as the Saturn port. Well worth playing.

Virtua Racing for the 32X is a lot better than the Genesis port which interestingly is ways better than the outsourced port for the Saturn.

 

Unique is a term I'd like to use for games like Kolibri, Motherbase or Star Wars Arcade that really feel a lot different than anything else and can only be played on this obscure piece of hardware.

 

 

Should the 32X be a high priority to be implemented in an FPGA? Certainly not. Does the 32X's library deserve more praise than it is given by the uninformed, regurgitative crowd? Absolutely. The same holds true for the Atari Jaguar, 3do etc. To put them in the same category with the game.com really doesn't do them justice and just goes to show how little exposure people had with anything else but the major systems.

[Shadowgate]

 

 

 

You guys clearly never played any of those games of which some are actually quite unique.

 

I like the games and system from a collectors view point but I sure wouldn't tell someone I like to go out and get one for all the games they missed out on. If Analogue does a Analogue Megadrive I would be extremely disappointed if 32x wasn't included but I wouldn't be on here saying no one should buy it cause they are missing out on the best port of Virtua Fighter.

Edited February 9, 2018 by Shadowgate

[SegaSnatcher]

This is correct. The look is softer but it's very very slight and you might not even notice it except by toggling it on/off. I personally leave horizontal interpolation on.

What a handy option. Just one last question. Some guy was having trouble with his repro cart of Star Fox 2 that he says works on every other system he has. I don't know if this is a more widespread issue, but he says he has to remove the controller for the game to load. Perhaps this is an issue you already have put on a list, but if not thought you'd might want to know.

 

Edit: To clarify, Star Fox 2 keeps giving him the "This game is designed only to play with a normal controller" error when he has his official Super Nintendo controller plugged in

Edited February 9, 2018 by SegaSnatcher

[kevtris]

What a handy option. Just one last question. Some guy was having trouble with his repro cart of Star Fox 2 that he says works on every other system he has. I don't know if this is a more widespread issue, but he says he has to remove the controller for the game to load. Perhaps this is an issue you already have put on a list, but if not thought you'd might want to know.

 

Edit: To clarify, Star Fox 2 keeps giving him the "This game is designed only to play with a normal controller" error when he has his official Super Nintendo controller plugged in

I heard about it, but I would have to get ahold of the repro to test it out.

[Atariboy]

I don't yet own a 32X, but have played it extensively in emulation and have bought the five cartridges that stood above the rest for me enough to want them in my collection for the inevitable day when I do own a 32X.

 

It's not a spectacular add-on. Then and now, it's disappointing how underutilized it was. And many of the few games that it did receive were either poorly done or did an underwhelming job of taking advantage of the hardware. But there are several classics in the mix, even if it's not enough to make a 32X be a quintessential add-on for a Sega Genesis fan.

Edited February 9, 2018 by Atariboy

[Kismet]

On a serious note though, consider that the playstation's serial port never had any official addons, but more recently a flash cart was developed that utilized it. Not including that SNES expansion port has kinda got me wondering what we could be missing out on in the future.

 

The L+R audio and the B bus pins are also available on the cartridge bus, so no, we're not missing anything.

 

 

At least as far as I know. The only two things on that block diagram that suggest otherwise is the direct connection between the expansion connector and the WRAM, and the L+R audio going to the RF modulator as well as the amplifier.

 

I know there is an actual pin-by-pin schematic done out there, I'm just pointing out that the way things are in the SNES, the only thing that used the expansion bus was the BS-X and the SNES-CD (SuperDisc/Playstation prototype), and none of that functionality actually needs to to be on the expansion connector since the SD2SNES can do the BS-X features from the cartridge bus side. It's more likely that at least with the SNES-CD/BS-X devices, the actual power supply, for the cd-rom and satellite were designed to not be the mess the SegaCD and later 32X wound up being with the daisy chained power supply and video/audio connectors.

 

That said, you could probably emulate the SuperDisc on it with the SD2SNES if you really really wanted to. http://problemkaputt.de/fullsnes.htm#snescartcdromdrive, not much point since the MSU-1 can do it better and only people with the SD2SNES can use the MSU-1 on real hardware anyway.

 

Which is why a similar idea would likely be doable on a theoretical MegaNT. If you look up the pinout for the Sega Genesis expansion port, the pins all correlate with the cartridge bus (but not all the address lines.) Which also explains why the SegaCD and 32X have the rats nest of cables, they don't have any way of passing stereo audio through the cartridge connector (apparently those pins aren't used?) But since we're talking about a FPGA, yes a FPGA console could in theory be made to connect to a "sega cd cartridge" though the cartridge port at some point if the expansion bus doesn't exist. I'm not aware of any Sega CD games that also require a game cartridge, just a few games that can use the 32X if plugged in.

[Fafner]

Dunno if its been discussed already but would it be possible to add the interpolation to the Mini?

Or would the hardware not be able to handle it?

[snatcher1996]

 

I like the games and system from a collectors view point but I sure wouldn't tell someone I like to go out and get one for all the games they missed out on. If Analogue does a Analogue Megadrive I would be extremely disappointed if 32x wasn't included but I wouldn't be on here saying no one should buy it cause they are missing out on the best port of Virtua Fighter.

 

Sure, but I never gave a recommendation to buy the system.

 

I was discussing the quality of some of its games, which does not reflect the poor reception and meager sales of the hardware.

 

If there is one thing to dislike about the 32X, it is the stupid way it has to be hooked up and the resulting visual noise.

[SegaSnatcher]

I heard about it, but I would have to get ahold of the repro to test it out.

Perhaps I could get him to send you his copy?

[F34R]

I'm so disappointed right now. So.. someone in Europe pays the $40 shipping and gets the SNT in two days, and I'm paying $37-$43 and it takes a week! This is the last I'm bringing the shipping issues up, but I can't relay in a post how disappointed I am with Analogue at this point.

[Eicar]

If it makes you feel any better....

I payed 55.31 USD for the shipping, and I pre-ordered the super NT the same day it was announced.

I've not received a shipping confirmation yet.

[Kismet]

I'm so disappointed right now. So.. someone in Europe pays the $40 shipping and gets the SNT in two days, and I'm paying $37-$43 and it takes a week! This is the last I'm bringing the shipping issues up, but I can't relay in a post how disappointed I am with Analogue at this point.

 

They probably were earlier up in the order list. Mine's in the 5000's and still nothing.

 

(Let's see if it gets here before the games I ordered off eBay last night do )

Edited February 9, 2018 by Kismet

[F34R]

If it makes you feel any better....

I payed 55.31 USD for the shipping, and I pre-ordered the super NT the same day it was announced.

I've not received a shipping confirmation yet.

Doesn't help at all lol. I ordered an hour after the pre-orders went live, and still haven't received shipping notice. I can still see it in my ups account though.

[F34R]

 

They probably were earlier up in the order list. Mine's in the 5000's and still nothing.

All first wave pre-orders shipped already. Mine shipped on the 7th, and will take a week to get here. While someone in London ordered and received theirs today; and payed less for shipping.

[cfillak]

People should chill about differences in shipping times based on location. It's pretty much all out of Analogue's hands at this point. You haven't known true shipping anxiety until you've ordered multiple Everdrives directly from Krikzz on Black Friday. Ordered on 11/24, pretty much as soon as the deal went live, was basically one of the very last orders to ship (have they heard of this cool data structure called a queue?), shipped on 12/27, didn't receive until 1/24.

[F34R]

People should chill about differences in shipping times based on location. It's pretty much all out of Analogue's hands at this point. You haven't known true shipping anxiety until you've ordered multiple Everdrives directly from Krikzz on Black Friday. Ordered on 11/24, pretty much as soon as the deal went live, was basically one of the very last orders to ship (have they heard of this cool data structure called a queue?), shipped on 12/27, didn't receive until 1/24.

I'm not going to chill. I'm going to take my legitimate frustration out on them. This is just increasingly getting to me lol. I'm going to ask for a refund on the shipping charges and go from there.

 

 

My delivery has just beeen confirmed tmr morning, also only took 2 days from the US to HK! Their shipping is indeed lightning fast!

 

Edited February 9, 2018 by F34R

[SegaSnatcher]

I'm so disappointed right now. So.. someone in Europe pays the $40 shipping and gets the SNT in two days, and I'm paying $37-$43 and it takes a week! This is the last I'm bringing the shipping issues up, but I can't relay in a post how disappointed I am with Analogue at this point.

I get your frustration, but first world problems man. It will come and when you get it, you'll forget about the week you had to wait because you'll be too busy enjoying the product. Just chill for now.

[SegaSnatcher]

Dunno if its been discussed already but would it be possible to add the interpolation to the Mini?

Or would the hardware not be able to handle it?

I'm pretty sure Kevtris said he pretty much ran out of space on the FPGA used on the NT Mini. They would have to upgrade to a more powerful FPGA for more features.

[F34R]

I get your frustration, but first world problems man. It will come and when you get it, you'll forget about the week you had to wait because you'll be too busy enjoying the product. Just chill for now.

I have many more problems to deal with than this, but that doesn't mean I'll put it to the side and not address it. I sent them a request for a refund for the shipping. If you don't try and and address these problems, then you can't complain about them not being fixed.

[gojira54]

I have many more problems to deal with than this, but that doesn't mean I'll put it to the side and not address it. I sent them a request for a refund for the shipping. If you don't try and and address these problems, then you can't complain about them not being fixed.

 

Get a refund for shipping of a product they've sent?

Don't be such an arsehole...

I'm order # 57xx paid $51.73 for express shipping to London, eta is 13th..chill

Looking forward to the cores

[Wolf_]

My product isn't shipping fast enough so I'm complaining to the guy that wrote the code for it.

 

[Fafner]

I'm pretty sure Kevtris said he pretty much ran out of space on the FPGA used on the NT Mini. They would have to upgrade to a more powerful FPGA for more features.

Thats what I figured...

Thanks for the confirmation!

[F34R]

 

Get a refund for shipping of a product they've sent?

Don't be such an arsehole...

I'm order # 57xx paid $51.73 for express shipping to London, eta is 13th..chill

Looking forward to the cores

You've never got a refund for poor shipping tied to extraordinary shipping costs? Any time amazon doesn't hit the ship to home date, I get a refund. I don't agree with paying $40 for a week of ground shipping for a 3.10lbs package. Then add to that, people in other countries are getting their packages already. So, if you're ok with it, that's on you. I'm not and I'll deal with it how I see fit. I was going to drop mentioning it in this thread, which I said I was, but people keep replying lol. So, let's just leave it be, and it won't be mentioned by me again here.

[Kismet]

All first wave pre-orders shipped already. Mine shipped on the 7th, and will take a week to get here. While someone in London ordered and received theirs today; and payed less for shipping.

 

I ordered on October 16th Thank you very much. No shipping notice at all yet.

 

It's very likely whoever got their systems already in 2 days, ordered it first. Go check your order for a tracking number if it's been sent.

 

My order was "Shipping method DHL Express 2" , but if I am to assume that means 2 days, then it's obviously not shipped yet.