ROMs/emulation

[GenetixJ]

I've been wanting to get into the rom/emulation gameplay, but I have trouble finding a 'how-to' guide here on the forums. Is there an idiot's guide out there for intellivision?

[mr_me]

What computer and operating system do you want to use?

 

edit:

I use jzintv in Windows, but another good Intellivision emulator is MAME/MESS. It even emulates the Keyboard Component. There is one with a nice integrated UI here. http://messui.1emulation.com/ You can get the system roms specifically for mame at one of those paradise emulation rom sites. Put them in the roms subfolder.

 

There is a jzintv howto here. https://www.reddit.com/r/intellivision/comments/4etfy4/howto_use_jzintv_emulator_the_easy_way/

 

For Macs, you can get MAME and jzintv emulators but some people like 'openemu'. I think its emulator is based on 'Bliss'.

 

edit 2:

just checked, MAME/MESS crashes with Ms. Pac-Man and DK Arcade. The newer jzintv runs them fine.

Edited December 15, 2016 by mr_me

[Games For Your Intellivision]

Download an Intellivision emulator here:

 

http://spatula-city.org/~im14u2c/intv/

 

Do a search for Intellivision roms on Google.

 

You'll need the Exec and GROM files in order to run a lot of the games.

[ZillaRUSH]

I love OpenEmu for the MAC

[+DZ-Jay]

I love OpenEmu for the MAC

 

Yes, but it requires the latest operating system. If you're stuck on Mountain Lion, like I am, you're screwed. I use MAME OS X, which at least works fine.

[GenetixJ]

For someone trying to figure this out, would you suggest that running a ROM off the computer is easier?

[mr_me]

For someone trying to figure this out, would you suggest that running a ROM off the computer is easier?

Not sure what you're asking. An emulator is software that runs on a computer that mimics the intellivision hardware. The rom files represents the game cartridges, and in the case of Intellivision, the intellivision system software known as the exec and grom. You need both emulator software and system rom files and game rom files to emulate intellivision as well as your computer. The emulator software eg. jzintv has to be compatible with your computer and operating system. The rom files are system independent.

[GenetixJ]

Sorry, I meant to ask if playing the downloadable games off the computer was easier than getting a LTO cart or ultimate FB. I'm leaning towards trying on the computer first before I move to more advanced topics.

[mr_me]

Using a computer you already have and know might be simpler. An ultimate flashback is just a Raspberry PI computer runnin Raspbian operating system, EmulationStation for a front-end interface, and jzintv emulator. Using an LTO Flash is even better than emulation but you're using 35 year old hardware that may not be compatible with newer TVs.

Edited December 20, 2016 by mr_me

[Byte Knight]

To play Intellivision games properly you need to use an original or Flashback controller. And if you're going to play in emulation on a computer you'll need an Ultimate PC Interface or Raphnet Adapter to hook up that controller.

[mr_me]

Or a Vision-daptor. http://www.2600-daptor.com/Vision-daptor.htm

 

Or a Retronic USB adaptor. http://www.retronicdesign.com/en/

 

They're all reasonably priced and support jzintv combo vurtual buttons and come with jzintv button mapping hackfiles. Did I miss any others available now.

[freewheel]

Sorry, I meant to ask if playing the downloadable games off the computer was easier than getting a LTO cart or ultimate FB. I'm leaning towards trying on the computer first before I move to more advanced topics.

 

An LTO is about a hundred times easier than an emulator. Emulators require configuration and know-how (to varying degrees). And the controller situation is never simple.

[+DZ-Jay]

 

An LTO is about a hundred times easier than an emulator. Emulators require configuration and know-how (to varying degrees). And the controller situation is never simple.

From what I hear, so does the LTO Flash! Don't you have to import your ROMs, then organize them, then transfer them to the cart, and then hook up your Intellivision to your TV and hope you get a good signal?

 

dZ.

[Games For Your Intellivision]

It is dead simple to import roms.....'organizing' them is quite automatic... hoping for a good signal? Has that been a problem with real Intellivisions?

 

 

[m-crew]

Oh did I ever mention how much I luv my LTO flash !!!! lol

[+DZ-Jay]

hoping for a good signal? Has that been a problem with real Intellivisions?

 

Compared to the crisp colours and noise-free signal on a computer monitor? Yes, I think so. Especially when trying to hook up to a modern LED or Plasma TV. I know I'm not the only one who could not get his Plasma TV to render the Intellivision signal without passing it through a VCR first.

[Games For Your Intellivision]

A VCR is a good solution for some difficult to connect to HDTVs.....early ones had over the air NTSC channels so had fewer issues than newer ones that lack the older SD channel input.

 

An SDTV however, is the easiest way to play Intellivision, but if you insist on using an HDTV and it has a composite input, upgrading your Intellivision to a composite output is an option. I agree with Freewheel though. These are small issues for a lot of people, compared to configuring an emulator to work with real hand controllers.

 

For real Intellivisions, LTO Flash! is the ultimate way to play Intellivision games.

 

Otherwise, I highly recommend the Ultimate Intellivision Flashback if you are going the emulator route, because it comes to your door pre-configured to use the Intellivision Flashback controllers which are quite excellent, and of course works flawlessly with HDMI cables and looks amazing.

[mr_me]

Using real intellivision controllers with emulators is very easy. Each usb adaptor has a jzintv button mapping keyboard hackfile already done. It is just a matter of following simple setup instructions for jzintv under Windows. I understand that some people might have a bit of technophobia but if you can figure out LTO Flash software you can create a launch script for jzintv. If not just ask one of your kids for help.

 

Edit:

Using an emulator or flash cart are both easy. Its a matter of preference.

Edited December 24, 2016 by mr_me

[GenetixJ]

I will buy ordering my LTO Flash! Mid January. Thanks everyone!

[+DZ-Jay]

Using real intellivision controllers with emulators is very easy. Each usb adaptor has a jzintv button mapping keyboard hackfile already done. It is just a matter of following simple setup instructions for jzintv under Windows. I understand that some people might have a bit of technophobia but if you can figure out LTO Flash software you can create a launch script for jzintv. If not just ask one of your kids for help.

 

Edit:

Using an emulator or flash cart are both easy. Its a matter of preference.

Agreed. Although I would add that both have their own set of challenges and trade-offs. I didn't mean to suggest that the LTO Flash is not good, obviously it is good; just that it is not the end-all-be-all platform, nor an automatic drop-in replacement for an emulator, as it seems to have been presented.

 

dZ.

[snarfo]

Hi all,

 

I've been beating my head against a wall this holiday break trying to get my Intellivision emulation working. So far I can get the games loaded easily enough, but the controller configuration is making me CRAZY. You seem like a knowledgeable lot so I thought I'd give this forum a go.

 

My setup is Windows 10 Pro x64, 16gb RAM, GTX980 video card, Skylake i7 cpu, etc. Plenty of power for an HTPC. I have the Ultimate PC interface with the Intellivision Flashback controllers (I bought the flashback just for the controllers as I have no intention of actually using the unit). I know the interface is set up correctly because it's working fine (controller and all) for the Colecovision emulation, and the Windows game controller control panel sees the Intellivision controller just fine along with all its associated inputs.

 

The games start up just fine in every emulator. My only issue is control setup in the emulators. So far I've tried Nostalgia 4.2 (inputs not recognized when mapping controls), Nostalgia 5.0 (emulator crashes when I double-click on the gamepad configuration button in the gamepad settings), Bliss (input mappings don't work), and jzintv (I have the hackfile set up in what seems to be correct, but the console window output of jzintv only enumerates the first 4 controllers in my system--- the problem is my adapter is enumerated as controller 8 so it just errors out when I have it set to 'joy8' in the hackfile). jzintv seems like the closest I'm getting to a working setup (or Nostaglia 5 if the crash issue can be resolved).

 

If anyone has some ideas or can point me in another direction (MAME? Retroarch? Ugh.) I'm open to any suggestions. Thanks

[mr_me]

Yeah I think that's a limitation of jzIntv. It automatically assigns the first four system controllers. And in windows there is no way that I know of to change the order. So unplugging some controllers is the workaround.

 

JzIntv and mame might be the only ones that are actively supported. In mame you should be able to map buttons from any controller. Try mameui64 http://www.mameui.info/. But mame has compatibility issues with some games.

[snarfo]

Thanks for the suggestion. I had briefly considered using MAME, but creating a custom controller keymap file looked pretty daunting. If I can't come up with anything better I may have to give it a try :-(

 

It's so frustrating that jzintv and Nostalgia seem thisclose to working for me. I may look for a way to contact the devs and beg, offer money, beer, whatever it takes :-P

[mr_me]

Not sure if Mame was meant to edit those game cfg files manually. When the game is running press 'tab' and then select 'input this machine'. You can assign all buttons and inputs through that interface. It automatically creates the game cfg file. I find manually editing a text file like in jzintv to be faster.

 

edit:

and in mame, make sure the discs under 'machine configuration' are set to analog.

Edited December 31, 2016 by mr_me

[snarfo]

You're awesome! It works. Now I just need to figure out the command line switches and ROM naming conventions MAME requires so I can run it from Launchbox (my front end of choice). I can finally see the end of this project approaching.