tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993165553021868648.post7322754433347203656..comments2024-03-27T05:39:24.505-04:00Comments on Nerdly Pleasures: A Better Alternative to the NES Classic EditionGreat Hierophanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04409413307024477304noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993165553021868648.post-23180584483470170122017-03-22T03:55:39.310-04:002017-03-22T03:55:39.310-04:00Anyone already tried installing RetroArch on their...Anyone already tried installing RetroArch on their NES CE? Is the sound-quality then still so bad as OP wrote, or will that solve all of those issues? Thank you very much!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993165553021868648.post-47111433118970046932017-03-15T14:16:35.424-04:002017-03-15T14:16:35.424-04:00It is now possible to install Retroarch on the NES...It is now possible to install Retroarch on the NES CE and change the default emulator to Nestopia for all games (those you add yourself), while still maintaining the full functionality of the stock UI as well as save states!Hushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18225152743987733634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993165553021868648.post-52937343877533269102016-12-14T16:20:20.755-05:002016-12-14T16:20:20.755-05:00"Here are a few examples" is one of the ..."Here are a few examples" is one of the best nerdy lists I've seen in awhile! So highly specific. (Audio aficionado here.) Were you playing each game and listening carefully for those differences/defects?<br /><br />Thanks for sharing your knowledge!▓▒░ TORLEY ░▒▓ https://www.blogger.com/profile/14739012768658265437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993165553021868648.post-73865630476848711072016-12-05T10:34:12.749-05:002016-12-05T10:34:12.749-05:00The CE itself is a software emulator and not parti...The CE itself is a software emulator and not particularly accurate when it comes to sound. But much more accurate NES emulation has been achieved on relatively modest PC hardware, and the latest ARM CPUs are quite capable of handling NES emulation. It does require someone to write accurate emulation software. SNES emulation, on the other hand, is another story, as shown by higan.<br /><br />The RetroN 5 and Retro Freak are examples of the weaknesses of the ARM-cartridge approach. These two systems work by dumping the ROM from a cart and then emulating that ROM in an emulator. Whether this system is truly legal is not an easy question to answer. Regardless, if the Retron/Retro's system's software does not recognize the hardware inside the cartridge, it will not run the software on the cartridge. With most systems the RetroN and RetroFreak supports, this is not a huge deal. But with NES/Famicom games, it is because of the myriad of memory mapping hardware schemes in existence and likely to be introduced in the future. If you buy a homebrew of a game that does not work in the RetroN 5, then you are out of luck.<br />Great Hierophanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04409413307024477304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993165553021868648.post-17805793939359518592016-12-05T00:25:43.871-05:002016-12-05T00:25:43.871-05:00IMO, you dismiss the CE a little too quickly.
If ...IMO, you dismiss the CE a little too quickly.<br /><br />If you are going to give your kid a console, Nintendo's product is perfect, it's cheap, it's legal, and you can use it with whatever TV you have laying around, no need to hook up RGB cables, modify an original NES, or anything else. It's basically unbreakable.<br /><br />That said, software-based emulators are terrible for two reasons:<br />- They are not an accurate emulation, and the highest accuracy requires CPU single-thread power that just doesn't exist<br />- They encourage piracy (especially on computer platforms,) not homebrew. As much as we want to ignore the elephant in the room, that is primarily what people do with software emulators that let you use anything from any source. The price point for a flash cart is typically the barrier to casual piracy.<br /><br />The future is FPGA based computer/console systems. Existing cheap console clones are no better than what Nintendo is offering (a cheap software emulator on an ARM chip.)<br /><br />There are two FPGA NES systems (which you've reviewed here: http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.ca/2016/08/retroavs-vs-analogue-nt-mini-comparison.html ) of which the latter (Analogue NT Mini) is probably more "devkit" owing to the having the ability to test a game against analog output or HDMI output. The former, the Retro AVS falls just a little short in the output department, but it's a better choice to give a child than your original NES or Famicom. Neither system "out of the box" enable piracy like the current generation of clones do (though if they were super-serious they would lockout known "broken" copiers in firmware updates.) That throws the ball back to those who seriously claim to want to homebrew to finding their own devkit flash cart.<br /><br />We are caught in somewhat of a grey area. From a legal standpoint, re-creating the original hardware can be done, all the patents have expired (even on the SNES) and both the NES and SNES software sits on the bus of their respective consoles, so there is no firmware to copy. But without a new source of software (homebrew or commercial software copyright owners authorizing new carts, a la GoodOldGames ) the FPGA systems are pretty much just for collectors to play their games, and the odd person who wants to homebrew. <br /><br />Personally, I'd love to get that CE mini just to have something portable. But if I were to sit down and want to play a game start-to-end, I'd rather have the Analogue NT Mini. I may end up getting both at some point, but I kinda want to wait to see how some SNES-FPGA projects pan out first. If a SNES-FPGA project can do both SNES and NES on HDMI then I want that.Kisaihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11900667007301625462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993165553021868648.post-37265551973446764982016-11-17T08:36:49.114-05:002016-11-17T08:36:49.114-05:00Okay, I've been reading this thread before rec...Okay, I've been reading this thread before receiving the <i>package</i> and did not entirely agree with it; hoping to revive some <b>magic</b> moments with the NES CE ... I was so wrong, the magic is simply not there !<br /><br />It's like today's movies: technically good but empty.<br /><br />Expect the following:<br /><br />- blurry graphics even on pixel perfect mode<br />- blurry scrollings<br />- VSync tearing<br />- <b>HUGE</b> black bars !!!<br /> (ok I tried it on my 16/10 monitor but still)<br />- <b>TERRIBLE</b> sound emulation to say the least<br />- color palette is okay but overall looks washed out<br />- pad cable ridiculously short, shorter than your arm<br /><br />They've been using open-source software but it looks like they forgot to use top-notch open-source NES emulation !<br /><br />Do yourself a favor,<br /><br />Download RetroArch and play the NES, I guess with the first emulator offerred in the menu (Nestopia IIRC), you won't be disappointed.<br /><br />Please someone hack this thing so we can re-flash it with better software. At worse I've already have a good enclosure to put in a Raspberry PI.<br /><br />Don't get misled by Youtube videos, actually quality is worse at home.<br /><br />How come I've been so stupid in believing in 21st century's Nintendo, they released Super Mario version 200.0 and about the same for Zelda (you are being taken for a complete idiot actually).Aybenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993165553021868648.post-83060444418096301882016-11-15T06:51:48.689-05:002016-11-15T06:51:48.689-05:00One point I don't see people touching is the e...One point I don't see people touching is the ease of use:<br />Not all people evolved to retro-hobbyists and not all people know or want to go through setting up a Pi. A large part of buyers are normal people who just want to plug in a couple of cables and have their NES games again, along with the looks. This has been a big selling point for Nintendo.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993165553021868648.post-583593704836615202016-11-12T03:45:24.005-05:002016-11-12T03:45:24.005-05:00Neither can i, here in Europe it costs 75$, you ca...Neither can i, here in Europe it costs 75$, you can get two RPIs for that!<br /><br />But i will get a Classic Mini controller, and one of those Mayflash Wii Classic Controller to PC USB Adapters, which works on the RPI:<br />http://www.mayflash.com/products/pcusb/pc045.html<br /><br />Separate controllers are supposed to be only 10 bucks.<br /><br />It would have been much better if they bundled two controllers, and had only two player games installed. Or had two versions of the thing, single player games one controller, and 2 player games and 2 controllers.<br /><br />(sorry if double post)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993165553021868648.post-46584314735693022832016-11-12T03:12:50.712-05:002016-11-12T03:12:50.712-05:00Neither can i, here in Europe it costs 75$, you ca...Neither can i, here in Europe it costs 75$, you can get two RPIs for that!<br /><br />But i will get a Classic Mini controller, and one of those Mayflash Wii Classic Controller to PC USB Adapters, which works on the RPI:<br />http://www.mayflash.com/products/pcusb/pc045.html<br /><br />Separate controllers are supposed to be only 10 bucks.<br /><br />It would have been much better if they bundled two controllers, and had only two player games installed. Or had two versions of the thing, single player games one controller, and 2 player games and 2 controllers.Bill Rizernoreply@blogger.com