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| Trinity |
Showing posts with label Genesis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Genesis. Show all posts
Sunday, July 26, 2020
2.4G on Controllers for your Vintage Consoles 2020 Edition
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Of Bytes and Borders
There is more to the screen than those pixels or tiles which a graphics programmer had the ability to manipulate into graphical images. In many vintage consoles and home computers, their display hardware could sometimes display color outside the active display area. In this blog post we will review some of these devices, try to identify the size of the borders and any special purposes to which they may have been put.
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Mega EverDrive X7 - Almost Everything You'd Want in a Flash Cart
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| Mega EverDrive X7, courtesy of Amazon.com |
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Sega CD - The Other CD Expansion
The Sega CD is treated like the unwanted step-child of the CD expansions. Early CD systems and expansions before the PlayStation were not the breakthrough product their manufacturers hoped they would be. They did not deliver the substantially superior gaming experiences they promised and were generally considered too expensive for what they did deliver. And what they delivered was often unimpressive, ports of cartridge games with enhanced audio and superfluous cutscenes, FMV games which relied on route memorization, PC game ports that had no business being run on hardware that did not have a hard drive, a keyboard or a desk with which to use a mouse and interactive entertainment software which was barely interactive and not entertaining. Today we are going to take a look at the Sega CD, its hardware, its quirks and ultimately the games that make it worth considering as a device on which to play games rather than to put on a collector's shelf.
Sunday, November 4, 2018
Newly-Made High Quality Controllers for Vintage Consoles
When you see new controllers being sold for your retro video game systems in your local retro video game store and in many online stores, they are typically of the atgames, Tomee, Cirka, Retro-bit, Gamerz-Tek or Hyperkin quality, which is essentially no-quality. When you buy these controllers, expect cheap plastic, stiff or rattling buttons, thin and short wires, useless turbo options and terrible D-pads. Occasionally one can find quality products that go above and beyond and try to compete or exceed the quality of original, first-party controllers. Let's take a look at some of the respectable options for your classic consoles.
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
The Analogue Mega Sg – A Preview of the Next Chapter in the FPGA "Console Wars"
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| Analogue Mega Sg JPN Version |
Today,
Analogue has made an announcement of its next FPGA retro console.
This was a reveal which had been long expected. When the console was
revealed as an implementation of the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, it came
as no great surprise to observers like myself familiar with
Analogue’s history. Let’s explore some of that history, the
specifications of the unit, what you will get for the $189.99 retail
price and how this console may fare in today’s increasingly-crowded
retro-console market.
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Sega Genesis - Compatibility Issues Across Models
When you buy a console, you might expect every game to work perfectly on it. In most instances you are covered, but some consoles tend to be a little picky about the games they can play for obscure, rather than obvious, reasons. Here let's look at the Sega Mega Drive and Genesis and see what kind of compatibility issues you can encounter when playing games on them.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Retro Kickstarters - Modest Goals Rewarded
I have been fascinated by the concept of Kickstarters geared to classic video game consoles and home computers. That many have been successful indicates that there are needs that are waiting to be fulfilled. However, most retro video game Kickstarter campaigns have had reasonable goals. Few that have required over $100,000 to be funded have been successful. In this blog entry I will talk about some of the campaigns and give my thoughts on their significance.
First, Kickstarter campaigns with lofty goals targeting the retro video game market will almost certainly fail. The Retro VGS is a perfect example of a campaign so wrong headed and just plain bizarre that it justifies the trope "truth is stranger than fiction:". They wanted $2,950,000 to fund a new retro-style cartridge only console built from a plastic mold for the Atari Jaguar shell. Oh, it may have had an FPGA that could recreate consoles like the NES or the 2600 in hardware. The Retro VGS campaign's risible failure has been commented to death and has really given far too much attention.
People may be more hesitant to spend their money for big ticket video game projects thanks to the failure of the Ouya console. The Ouya raised over $8 million on Kickstarter for a $99 game console (the controller was quite a bit extra) that would play games easily ported from Android. Despite the massive success of the crowdfunding campaign, the Ouya was sold off to Razer and discontinued within two years of its release.
There have been successes with sequels to classic games. Wasteland 2, Dreamfall Chapters, Leisure Suit Larry Reloaded (a remake), Shadowrun Hong Kong and Shenmue III may never had been possible without crowdfunding. Also, some designers with classics to their name like Richard Garriott, Chris Roberts, Tim Shafer, Kenji Inafune and Koji Igarashi have found the resources to back new projects in the vein of their earlier work but which is owned by a large corporation that has turned its back on them. (Hideo Kojima may be joining them soon.) These games of course are designed to play on current platforms.
Crowdfunding true retro games designed to be played on classic consoles is a far greater challenge. Similarly, while there have been successful crowdfunding campaigns for books, documentaries and music albums related to classic video game consoles or home computers, crowdfunding useful hardware for those computers and consoles has been a task that has been a success only to a few.
The NES has had a quite a few successful hardware and software kickstarters. Hardware successes include the Blinking Light Win : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/113891498/blinking-light-win-resurrecting-your-nes?ref=discovery For $20 you bought a quality NES cartridge connector replacement that, eleven months after the campaign has ended, they are still having trouble stocking. It has fulfilled a need for a reasonably priced, quality connector from people who are passionate about what they are doing, not just some Chinese manufacturer endlessly recycling second-rate parts.
There has also been the Chip Maestro, a MIDI synthesizer device that uses the audio channels of the NES' 2A03 APU : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jarek/chip-maestro-an-nes-midi-synthesizer-cartridge?ref=discovery This is not the first cartridge to allow for the NES audio channels to be controlled via MIDI, the MIDINES was available years earlier, but may no longer be available for purchase.
While you may ask why you need a MIDI controller for the NES when you have FamiTracker and other musical composition programs that allow for full register access to the APU, if you want to use a keyboard directly with the NES in a live performance, you need something that will respond to key presses in real time, hence these MIDI controllers.
Cheetamen II: The Lost Levels (essentially a fixed version of Cheetamen II on a cartridge) is the most successful NES-based hardware Kickstarter I know of : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/343248998/cheetahmen-ii-the-lost-levels?ref=discovery There is a patch available for the game here : http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/778/ that allows you to complete the game and you can play it on an NES PowerPak and an EverDrive N8 with the MMC1 patch.
Despite the full ALL CAPS and somewhat discursive presentation, the Kickstarter was a huge success. This must have been helped by the large number of NES collectors who wanted to fill a hole in their collection for $60 instead of $1,000, which is what the original Cheetamen II cartridge was going for at the time. The promotional video with James Rofle in his Angry Video Game Nerd persona (and his 1.95 million subscribers) must have helped enormously.
Another modestly successful piece of NES software is the retroplayer.nl Championships 2015, which recreates the Nintendo World Championships 1990 cartridge and competition : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1348643050/nintendo-nes-retroplayernl-championship-2015?ref=discovery Frankly I do not know how this got through Kickstarter because it uses Chip 'N Dale's Rescue Rangers II, Tetris and Excitebike and no authorization from any of those rights holders seemed forthcoming. Considering that it flew well under the radar, no one may have brought it to their attention.
There are a pair of NES books on Kickstarter, the first is called the Complete NES by Jeffrey Wittenhagen : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thesubcon3/the-complete-nes-collectors-book-physical-nes-rpg?ref=discovery
The book is being published alongside a game exclusive to the kickstarter called Jeffrey Wittenhagen's Black Box Challenge. It is being programmed by Sly Dog Studios, no stranger to NES homebrew. Whether their games are any good I cannot say but graphically they look pretty dull. This game is an RPG centered around the quest to acquire all NES black-box games. This campaign requested $15,000 and took in $24,455. If you wanted a physical paperback copy of the book and the game on cartridge without box or manual, you would have to pledge $90. For a more impressive hardcover copy of the book and a game with box and manual, the price increases to $170.
Perhaps the price seemed a bit steep to attract more donors. The second book, the Ultimate Guide to the NES Library by Pat Contri, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/560468638/nintendo-nes-library-guide-and-review-book-of-750?ref=nav_search gets you a physical hardcover copy of the book for $60. Normally I do not mention books without something else, but this book is the most funded NES project ever, expecting to hit the $100,000 mark. Pat has also had three successful Indiegoogo campaigns for his annual NES charity marathons and has also successfully raised money for four DVD volumes of his Pat the NES Punk series.
There is also documentary called The New 8-bit Heroes with a new NES game called Mystic Searches : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1316851183/the-new-8-bit-heroes-new-nes-game-and-creation-doc?ref=discovery The documentary is focused on the homebrew scene and the game will be an adventure game that appears to play in the Zelda vein. Also, accessible from the cartridge via a USB port will be a modern version of the game and the NES game and the PC game can talk to each other. Perhaps a bit too ambitious, and the $54,381 pledged is not sufficient for the modern game.
Another gentleman was able to get his NES homebrew game, Lizard, funded : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1101008925/lizard?ref=discovery There is a homebrew game for the SNES called Syndey Hunter and the Caverns of Death. A stretch goal enabled it to be ported to the NES : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/439982171/new-snes-game-sydney-hunter-and-the-caverns-of-dea?ref=discovery It is the only non-NES and non-2600 homebrew game that seems to be crowdfunded. The only other homebrew game I could find that was funded through kickstarter was Star Castle for the Atari 2600. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/698159145/atari-2600-star-castle?ref=discovery
The Commodore 64 has seen some hardware kickstarter success. One gentleman was able to secure the case molds for the C64c and was able to offer new cases with different colors instead of the boring beige of the original :
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1670214687/original-commodore-64c-computer-housing-in-new-coo?ref=nav_search
Unfortunately, the project manager was required to remove all references to Commodore from his campaign because the entity that holds the Commodore trademark threatened to sue for trademark violation. Fortunately they did not catch it until late in the campaign, so there was sufficient advertisement for the kickstarter to be successful. I understand it is compatible with any C64 motherboard with proper keyboard support mounts, and I have a nice C64 motherboard that works with a brittle, post-retr0bright failure case. Considering that the creator only wanted a modest $10K, obtaining over nine times that amount was pretty impressive!
The Commodore Amiga has seen similar success with a project (with their second attempt) to make new A1200 molds : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/a1200housing/new-amiga-1200-cases-made-from-new-molds?ref=nav_search You will note that the name Commodore is not present when describing the project. Of all the projects discussed here, this one is the only one which has passed the $100K mark. However, the project managers needed to make new molds, which is incredibly expensive. I cannot say I am incredibly familiar with the late model Amiga scene (not a lot of gaming potential there), but boy there had to be a need for these cases. They also have room for a Raspberry Pi or a MiST FPGA board, which would not have been the case with the original cases.
Of course, I cannot leave out a mention of HD Retrovision's Component Video cables for the SNES and Genesis : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hdretrovision/sega-genesis-and-super-nintendo-component-cables?ref=discovery Even though component video is not the best way to connect a SNES or Genesis to a modern LCD or to stream footage from one, it is still useful for those of us with big screen CRTs with component video inputs. A hardware project I would have liked to see succeed was the hdmyboy, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/507669971/hdmyboy-a-full-hd-power-up-for-your-game-boy-class?ref=nav_search
which is a HDMI adapter/converter for the original Game Boy. Unfortunately, 65,000 Euro is an ambitious goal and I believe that people were really expecting not just original Game Boy, but Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance support, especially with the Retron 5 out there. How much more processing power would have been required to convert 15-bit color instead of 2-bit monochrome? Also, the hdmyboy lacked stereo output support.
As you can see, this is a very small number of successful projects (14). Most people who have a product usually rely on pre-orders from internet forums like AtariAge, NintendoAge, VOGONS, Vintage Computing Forums, Sega-16, PCenginefx forums or assemblerforums. AtariAge has been extremely successful in allowing developers to publish new games for the Atari 2600 in cartridge form. On the other end of the spectrum, kevtris had to fund development of the Hi Def NES Mod out of his own pocket, for example. Currently, retro console and computer related kickstarters that keep their funding goals within the five figure mark stand a good chance of success. Six figures is most likely poison to just about any campaign.
First, Kickstarter campaigns with lofty goals targeting the retro video game market will almost certainly fail. The Retro VGS is a perfect example of a campaign so wrong headed and just plain bizarre that it justifies the trope "truth is stranger than fiction:". They wanted $2,950,000 to fund a new retro-style cartridge only console built from a plastic mold for the Atari Jaguar shell. Oh, it may have had an FPGA that could recreate consoles like the NES or the 2600 in hardware. The Retro VGS campaign's risible failure has been commented to death and has really given far too much attention.
People may be more hesitant to spend their money for big ticket video game projects thanks to the failure of the Ouya console. The Ouya raised over $8 million on Kickstarter for a $99 game console (the controller was quite a bit extra) that would play games easily ported from Android. Despite the massive success of the crowdfunding campaign, the Ouya was sold off to Razer and discontinued within two years of its release.
There have been successes with sequels to classic games. Wasteland 2, Dreamfall Chapters, Leisure Suit Larry Reloaded (a remake), Shadowrun Hong Kong and Shenmue III may never had been possible without crowdfunding. Also, some designers with classics to their name like Richard Garriott, Chris Roberts, Tim Shafer, Kenji Inafune and Koji Igarashi have found the resources to back new projects in the vein of their earlier work but which is owned by a large corporation that has turned its back on them. (Hideo Kojima may be joining them soon.) These games of course are designed to play on current platforms.
Crowdfunding true retro games designed to be played on classic consoles is a far greater challenge. Similarly, while there have been successful crowdfunding campaigns for books, documentaries and music albums related to classic video game consoles or home computers, crowdfunding useful hardware for those computers and consoles has been a task that has been a success only to a few.
The NES has had a quite a few successful hardware and software kickstarters. Hardware successes include the Blinking Light Win : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/113891498/blinking-light-win-resurrecting-your-nes?ref=discovery For $20 you bought a quality NES cartridge connector replacement that, eleven months after the campaign has ended, they are still having trouble stocking. It has fulfilled a need for a reasonably priced, quality connector from people who are passionate about what they are doing, not just some Chinese manufacturer endlessly recycling second-rate parts.
There has also been the Chip Maestro, a MIDI synthesizer device that uses the audio channels of the NES' 2A03 APU : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jarek/chip-maestro-an-nes-midi-synthesizer-cartridge?ref=discovery This is not the first cartridge to allow for the NES audio channels to be controlled via MIDI, the MIDINES was available years earlier, but may no longer be available for purchase.
While you may ask why you need a MIDI controller for the NES when you have FamiTracker and other musical composition programs that allow for full register access to the APU, if you want to use a keyboard directly with the NES in a live performance, you need something that will respond to key presses in real time, hence these MIDI controllers.
Cheetamen II: The Lost Levels (essentially a fixed version of Cheetamen II on a cartridge) is the most successful NES-based hardware Kickstarter I know of : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/343248998/cheetahmen-ii-the-lost-levels?ref=discovery There is a patch available for the game here : http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/778/ that allows you to complete the game and you can play it on an NES PowerPak and an EverDrive N8 with the MMC1 patch.
Despite the full ALL CAPS and somewhat discursive presentation, the Kickstarter was a huge success. This must have been helped by the large number of NES collectors who wanted to fill a hole in their collection for $60 instead of $1,000, which is what the original Cheetamen II cartridge was going for at the time. The promotional video with James Rofle in his Angry Video Game Nerd persona (and his 1.95 million subscribers) must have helped enormously.
Another modestly successful piece of NES software is the retroplayer.nl Championships 2015, which recreates the Nintendo World Championships 1990 cartridge and competition : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1348643050/nintendo-nes-retroplayernl-championship-2015?ref=discovery Frankly I do not know how this got through Kickstarter because it uses Chip 'N Dale's Rescue Rangers II, Tetris and Excitebike and no authorization from any of those rights holders seemed forthcoming. Considering that it flew well under the radar, no one may have brought it to their attention.
There are a pair of NES books on Kickstarter, the first is called the Complete NES by Jeffrey Wittenhagen : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thesubcon3/the-complete-nes-collectors-book-physical-nes-rpg?ref=discovery
The book is being published alongside a game exclusive to the kickstarter called Jeffrey Wittenhagen's Black Box Challenge. It is being programmed by Sly Dog Studios, no stranger to NES homebrew. Whether their games are any good I cannot say but graphically they look pretty dull. This game is an RPG centered around the quest to acquire all NES black-box games. This campaign requested $15,000 and took in $24,455. If you wanted a physical paperback copy of the book and the game on cartridge without box or manual, you would have to pledge $90. For a more impressive hardcover copy of the book and a game with box and manual, the price increases to $170.
Perhaps the price seemed a bit steep to attract more donors. The second book, the Ultimate Guide to the NES Library by Pat Contri, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/560468638/nintendo-nes-library-guide-and-review-book-of-750?ref=nav_search gets you a physical hardcover copy of the book for $60. Normally I do not mention books without something else, but this book is the most funded NES project ever, expecting to hit the $100,000 mark. Pat has also had three successful Indiegoogo campaigns for his annual NES charity marathons and has also successfully raised money for four DVD volumes of his Pat the NES Punk series.
There is also documentary called The New 8-bit Heroes with a new NES game called Mystic Searches : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1316851183/the-new-8-bit-heroes-new-nes-game-and-creation-doc?ref=discovery The documentary is focused on the homebrew scene and the game will be an adventure game that appears to play in the Zelda vein. Also, accessible from the cartridge via a USB port will be a modern version of the game and the NES game and the PC game can talk to each other. Perhaps a bit too ambitious, and the $54,381 pledged is not sufficient for the modern game.
Another gentleman was able to get his NES homebrew game, Lizard, funded : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1101008925/lizard?ref=discovery There is a homebrew game for the SNES called Syndey Hunter and the Caverns of Death. A stretch goal enabled it to be ported to the NES : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/439982171/new-snes-game-sydney-hunter-and-the-caverns-of-dea?ref=discovery It is the only non-NES and non-2600 homebrew game that seems to be crowdfunded. The only other homebrew game I could find that was funded through kickstarter was Star Castle for the Atari 2600. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/698159145/atari-2600-star-castle?ref=discovery
The Commodore 64 has seen some hardware kickstarter success. One gentleman was able to secure the case molds for the C64c and was able to offer new cases with different colors instead of the boring beige of the original :
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1670214687/original-commodore-64c-computer-housing-in-new-coo?ref=nav_search
Unfortunately, the project manager was required to remove all references to Commodore from his campaign because the entity that holds the Commodore trademark threatened to sue for trademark violation. Fortunately they did not catch it until late in the campaign, so there was sufficient advertisement for the kickstarter to be successful. I understand it is compatible with any C64 motherboard with proper keyboard support mounts, and I have a nice C64 motherboard that works with a brittle, post-retr0bright failure case. Considering that the creator only wanted a modest $10K, obtaining over nine times that amount was pretty impressive!
The Commodore Amiga has seen similar success with a project (with their second attempt) to make new A1200 molds : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/a1200housing/new-amiga-1200-cases-made-from-new-molds?ref=nav_search You will note that the name Commodore is not present when describing the project. Of all the projects discussed here, this one is the only one which has passed the $100K mark. However, the project managers needed to make new molds, which is incredibly expensive. I cannot say I am incredibly familiar with the late model Amiga scene (not a lot of gaming potential there), but boy there had to be a need for these cases. They also have room for a Raspberry Pi or a MiST FPGA board, which would not have been the case with the original cases.
Of course, I cannot leave out a mention of HD Retrovision's Component Video cables for the SNES and Genesis : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hdretrovision/sega-genesis-and-super-nintendo-component-cables?ref=discovery Even though component video is not the best way to connect a SNES or Genesis to a modern LCD or to stream footage from one, it is still useful for those of us with big screen CRTs with component video inputs. A hardware project I would have liked to see succeed was the hdmyboy, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/507669971/hdmyboy-a-full-hd-power-up-for-your-game-boy-class?ref=nav_search
which is a HDMI adapter/converter for the original Game Boy. Unfortunately, 65,000 Euro is an ambitious goal and I believe that people were really expecting not just original Game Boy, but Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance support, especially with the Retron 5 out there. How much more processing power would have been required to convert 15-bit color instead of 2-bit monochrome? Also, the hdmyboy lacked stereo output support.
As you can see, this is a very small number of successful projects (14). Most people who have a product usually rely on pre-orders from internet forums like AtariAge, NintendoAge, VOGONS, Vintage Computing Forums, Sega-16, PCenginefx forums or assemblerforums. AtariAge has been extremely successful in allowing developers to publish new games for the Atari 2600 in cartridge form. On the other end of the spectrum, kevtris had to fund development of the Hi Def NES Mod out of his own pocket, for example. Currently, retro console and computer related kickstarters that keep their funding goals within the five figure mark stand a good chance of success. Six figures is most likely poison to just about any campaign.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
SCUMM Console Ports - Turbo Duo Loom vs. Sega CD Monkey Island
LucasArts was established by computer game programmers, but by 1990 they were becoming increasingly involved into consoles. Having the Star Wars and Indiana Jones licenses practically demanded home console games using the licenses. Except for the port of Maniac Mansion for the NES, LucasArts produced or licensed nothing of note until the SNES.
LucasArts was interested in porting its highly acclaimed adventure games series, using the SCUMM engine, to consoles. Their adventure games were relatively large by cartridge standards, but the new CD-ROM add-ons for the Sega Genesis and Turbo Grafx 16 could easily contain their adventure games and allow for 16-bit CD Audio. LucasArts commissioned a port of Loom for the Turbo Duo and a port of The Secret of Monkey Island for the Sega CD.
Loom
Loom for the Turbo systems was intended to run on a Turbo Duo or its equivalent : a Turbo Grafx 16 with the TurboGrafx CD and a Super System Card. It will also run on the Japanese equivalents.
The Turbo port is graphically in between the 16 color floppy and the other (mostly) 256-color CD-ROM versions. If I had to give a hierarchy of ports based solely on the graphics, it would go something like this :
Loom IBM PC 16-color floppy
What is odd is the graphics used on Turbo Loom. Both the FM-Towns and the IBM PC have full 256-color graphics above the distaff. Turbo Loom uses a mixture of backgrounds (including portraits) from the 16 and 256 color IBM PC releases.
Consider the sources of the closeups :
Bobbin Threadbare - 16 Color
Hetchel - 256 Color
Elder Atropos - 256 Color
Hetchel as Cynget - 16 Color
Master Goodmold - 256 Color
Fleece Firmflanks - 16 Color
The Dragon - 16 Color
Rusty Nailbender - 256 Color
Master Stoke - 16 Color
Dragon finds Rusty - 256 Color
Bishop Mandible - 16 Color
Cobb - 256 Color
Rusty as a Ghost - 256 Color
Lady Cygna Threadbare - 16 Color
Chaos - 256 Color
Generally, most of Loom island is taken from the 16-color version, with notable exceptions of the Dock, the Loom Sanctuary and Lady Cygna's gravestone closeup. Crystalguard is entirely 16-color. The beach, the Shepherd's forest and meadow are taken from the 256 color version, except for the interior of Fleece's hut. The exterior of the Dragon's volcano and its lair are 256 color, as is the Forge and the plain surrounding it. Bishop Mandible's cathedral and the Outside is 16-color except for the very end of the game.
The characters are always 256 color, as are most of the animated objects. The distaff portion of the screen is 16 color regardless of version (although the FM-Towns version has a distaff that does not use the EGA palette).
Why did LucasArts take roughly 50/50 from each version when the Turbo Duo was capable of almost 256 colors (but only a 512 color palette)? Storage was not an issue with a CD game. One theory is that the remaining 256 color graphics were not available in time for the Turbo port, so LucasArts had to make do with whatever 256 color art was available at the time. I am not satisfied with this theory because the FM Towns 256 color version, done in-house by LucasArts, was ready by April, 1991. The PC CD version was ready by June of 1992. The Japanese PC Engine Duo version was released in September of 1992 and the US Turbo Duo version followed in December. I can see no reason why all the 256 color artwork would not have been available for the Turbo port.
An alternative view is the 256 color graphics that they did not use either did not look very good once the color depth had been reduced or they did not look good on a composite monitor. No NEC console, whether Japanese or US, supported better than composite video at the time Loom was being ported. What may have looked good through an RGB monitor on the development hardware may have looked like crap on composite.
In instances where the 16 color graphics are being used, the Turbo through a composite monitor looks scarcely better than a Tandy 1000 outputting the 16 color IBM PC floppy graphics to a composite monitor. I recently made a post extolling the underrated virtues of composite video on the SNES and Genesis, but this game was designed on a PC and looks best through a lossless analog connection. In other words, it looks best on an RGB modded Turbo Duo. Unfortunately, no NEC console in the TurboGrafx line, not even the SuperGrafx, has native RGB support.
On the PC and other versions, the main graphics window uses 320x136 pixels. The Turbo uses 338x136, but the cursor is limited to the right-most 320 pixels. Virtually all this horizontal resolution can amazingly be squeezed into the viewable screen of a CRT. If a screen is non-scrolling, then there will be a noticeable black border on the left side of the screen. The same is also true of the leftmost side of a scrolling screen. Vertically, the game does not appear to use any of the vertical space above the main graphics window, but the cursor will descend to line 240 and perhaps line 242, which is the absolute vertical limit of 240p.
Even though the PC Engine did have a mouse available for it, Loom does not support it. However, it does have some neat options. It can change the text speed, it can turn the sound effect and music, or just the music, off, and also has a sound test that allows you to listen to any of the CD audio tracks. The Overture (from Swan Lake) is not otherwise heard in the game. It also has an option to limit the animation to improve speed, but Loom is not an animation-heavy game (The Secret of Monkey Island is much more animated), so this option would not often be useful.
The saving system is non-intuitive. Loom will save a game to the backup RAM of the CD unit. However, it really only saves a checkpoint, the first being when after you reach the beach leading to the Shepherd's forest and Crystalguard. So if you save prior to leaving Loom Island, you will load back to the very beginning before you acquire your distaff. You can lose a lot of progress this way because the save points seem quite spread out. Button I skips cutscenes, perhaps for this reason.
The Secret of Monkey Island for the Sega CD is based on the IBM PC CD-ROM version, reducing the on-screen number of colors from 256 colors to a maximum of 64 colors, similar to the Amiga. The actual game's hierarchy is less complicated :
LucasArts was interested in porting its highly acclaimed adventure games series, using the SCUMM engine, to consoles. Their adventure games were relatively large by cartridge standards, but the new CD-ROM add-ons for the Sega Genesis and Turbo Grafx 16 could easily contain their adventure games and allow for 16-bit CD Audio. LucasArts commissioned a port of Loom for the Turbo Duo and a port of The Secret of Monkey Island for the Sega CD.
Loom
 |
| Loom - Turbo Super CD Title Screen |
The Turbo port is graphically in between the 16 color floppy and the other (mostly) 256-color CD-ROM versions. If I had to give a hierarchy of ports based solely on the graphics, it would go something like this :
Loom IBM PC 16-color floppy
- Atari ST 16-color floppy
- Amiga 16-color floppy
- Macintosh 16-color floppy
Loom 256-color FM-Towns CD
Loom 256-color IBM PC CD
Loom 16/256-color Turbo CD
The Turbo CD and FM-Towns CD have similar CD-Audio tracks, which are used for music. The first set of FM-Towns arrangements (first nine audio tracks) are used for the Turbo CD music. Musically, this may be the best version, as the FM-Towns also uses second set of music tracks. The second set sounds more like a synthesizer than the first set and in my opinion is inferior. Unfortunately, the FM-Towns version plays the first set, then the second set and keeps repeating the second set.
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| Loom Turbo Super CD 16 Color Original Background |
Consider the sources of the closeups :
Bobbin Threadbare - 16 Color
Hetchel - 256 Color
Elder Atropos - 256 Color
Hetchel as Cynget - 16 Color
Master Goodmold - 256 Color
Fleece Firmflanks - 16 Color
The Dragon - 16 Color
Rusty Nailbender - 256 Color
Master Stoke - 16 Color
Dragon finds Rusty - 256 Color
Bishop Mandible - 16 Color
Cobb - 256 Color
Rusty as a Ghost - 256 Color
Lady Cygna Threadbare - 16 Color
Chaos - 256 Color
Generally, most of Loom island is taken from the 16-color version, with notable exceptions of the Dock, the Loom Sanctuary and Lady Cygna's gravestone closeup. Crystalguard is entirely 16-color. The beach, the Shepherd's forest and meadow are taken from the 256 color version, except for the interior of Fleece's hut. The exterior of the Dragon's volcano and its lair are 256 color, as is the Forge and the plain surrounding it. Bishop Mandible's cathedral and the Outside is 16-color except for the very end of the game.
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| Loom Turbo CD - 256 Color Original Background |
Why did LucasArts take roughly 50/50 from each version when the Turbo Duo was capable of almost 256 colors (but only a 512 color palette)? Storage was not an issue with a CD game. One theory is that the remaining 256 color graphics were not available in time for the Turbo port, so LucasArts had to make do with whatever 256 color art was available at the time. I am not satisfied with this theory because the FM Towns 256 color version, done in-house by LucasArts, was ready by April, 1991. The PC CD version was ready by June of 1992. The Japanese PC Engine Duo version was released in September of 1992 and the US Turbo Duo version followed in December. I can see no reason why all the 256 color artwork would not have been available for the Turbo port.
An alternative view is the 256 color graphics that they did not use either did not look very good once the color depth had been reduced or they did not look good on a composite monitor. No NEC console, whether Japanese or US, supported better than composite video at the time Loom was being ported. What may have looked good through an RGB monitor on the development hardware may have looked like crap on composite.
In instances where the 16 color graphics are being used, the Turbo through a composite monitor looks scarcely better than a Tandy 1000 outputting the 16 color IBM PC floppy graphics to a composite monitor. I recently made a post extolling the underrated virtues of composite video on the SNES and Genesis, but this game was designed on a PC and looks best through a lossless analog connection. In other words, it looks best on an RGB modded Turbo Duo. Unfortunately, no NEC console in the TurboGrafx line, not even the SuperGrafx, has native RGB support.
On the PC and other versions, the main graphics window uses 320x136 pixels. The Turbo uses 338x136, but the cursor is limited to the right-most 320 pixels. Virtually all this horizontal resolution can amazingly be squeezed into the viewable screen of a CRT. If a screen is non-scrolling, then there will be a noticeable black border on the left side of the screen. The same is also true of the leftmost side of a scrolling screen. Vertically, the game does not appear to use any of the vertical space above the main graphics window, but the cursor will descend to line 240 and perhaps line 242, which is the absolute vertical limit of 240p.
Even though the PC Engine did have a mouse available for it, Loom does not support it. However, it does have some neat options. It can change the text speed, it can turn the sound effect and music, or just the music, off, and also has a sound test that allows you to listen to any of the CD audio tracks. The Overture (from Swan Lake) is not otherwise heard in the game. It also has an option to limit the animation to improve speed, but Loom is not an animation-heavy game (The Secret of Monkey Island is much more animated), so this option would not often be useful.
The saving system is non-intuitive. Loom will save a game to the backup RAM of the CD unit. However, it really only saves a checkpoint, the first being when after you reach the beach leading to the Shepherd's forest and Crystalguard. So if you save prior to leaving Loom Island, you will load back to the very beginning before you acquire your distaff. You can lose a lot of progress this way because the save points seem quite spread out. Button I skips cutscenes, perhaps for this reason.
The Secret of Monkey Island
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| The Secret of Monkey Island Sega CD |
The Secret of Monkey Island 16-color floppy
- Atari ST 16-color floppy
The Secret of Monkey Island 256-color floppy
- Amiga 32-color floppy
The Secret of Monkey Island 256-color IBM PC CD-ROM
- FM-Towns 256-color CD-ROM (uses 16-color inventory icons, Japanese and English available)
- Sega CD 64-color CD-ROM
- Macintosh 256-color CD-ROM (has graphical filtering option)
The Sega CD does not use the save RAM inside the CD unit, instead it gives a 4-digit passcode to restore a game. It is rather amazing that LucasArts could fit all the information needed to restore a game in essentially four bytes. This passcodes will only restore your game if you have made a substantial achievement like completing one of the three trials. Your inventory may not be exactly as you had left it, nor may your character be where you left him and the dialogue options may be reset (which is terrible for the sword fighting trial), but you will not get stuck because you don't have an object you need. You may have to acquire some items again unfortunately. Button C is used to skip dialogue, and this was probably implemented for this reason.
Interestingly, this port has support for the Sega Mega Mouse peripheral, making it function much more closely to the computer versions. This is not mentioned in the US manual or on the US box, but there is a symbol for it on the Japanese box. The mouse support is present on both the Japanese and US versions of the game. The game was not released in Europe.
The gameplay itself is not too bad, but it will slow down if there is a lot of animation on the screen. Scrolling is also jerky when there is a lot of animation on the screen. When you are selecting dialogue, the cursor disappears, even if you are using a mouse. The only option of is to change the text speed. The dialogue options are sometimes redone for this version to decrease the number of dialogue choices that use a second line.
The graphics are dark, especially the backgrounds on Melee Island. The backgrounds are those used from the Amiga version, 256-colors reduced to 32-colors, but the Sega color palette appears much darker than the Amiga palette. I guess LucasArts believed that people would simply turn the brightness of their TV up if they felt the screen was too dark. On the other hand, the character, object and inventory graphics have been converted from the 256 colors of the PC CD version. The CD audio is more or less identical to the PC CD version and plays the music as it does in the PC CD version. One positive thing to note is that the Genesis Model 1 and 2 always support RGB output, so the graphics can look pretty nice.
The load times are rather annoying. There are load times for every time you enter into a new screen, begin dialogue, acquire an item and other characters move on the screen. Much of this is due to the limited RAM available for the Sega CD. The average 1992 PC would have had 4-8MB of RAM while the Sega Genesis and CD combined have 832KB.
So, Which is Better?
This is a hard decision, because I cannot honestly recommend either port. Both have klunky saving and loading, and both have graphical issues. The Secret of Monkey Island is too dark (but can be improved with RGB), Loom is too inconsistent. Audio-wise, both are excellent. There are noticeable slowdowns early in SoMI and lots of CD load times. It is the load times that kill the Sega CD port. Loom is a much simpler game and was better suited to the 8/16-bit consoles of the 4th Generation.
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| The Secret of Monkey Island Sega CD SCUMM Bar |
The gameplay itself is not too bad, but it will slow down if there is a lot of animation on the screen. Scrolling is also jerky when there is a lot of animation on the screen. When you are selecting dialogue, the cursor disappears, even if you are using a mouse. The only option of is to change the text speed. The dialogue options are sometimes redone for this version to decrease the number of dialogue choices that use a second line.
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| The Secret of Monkey Island Sega CD Portrait |
The load times are rather annoying. There are load times for every time you enter into a new screen, begin dialogue, acquire an item and other characters move on the screen. Much of this is due to the limited RAM available for the Sega CD. The average 1992 PC would have had 4-8MB of RAM while the Sega Genesis and CD combined have 832KB.
So, Which is Better?
This is a hard decision, because I cannot honestly recommend either port. Both have klunky saving and loading, and both have graphical issues. The Secret of Monkey Island is too dark (but can be improved with RGB), Loom is too inconsistent. Audio-wise, both are excellent. There are noticeable slowdowns early in SoMI and lots of CD load times. It is the load times that kill the Sega CD port. Loom is a much simpler game and was better suited to the 8/16-bit consoles of the 4th Generation.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
The Case for Composite
The SNES and Genesis lead the pack of the 4th generation of video game consoles. The common versions of these consoles can support RGB without any more effort than acquiring a cable and a monitor. The Turbo Grafx 16 can be modded to support RGB. But in this article I will demonstrate that RGB is not always the best choice for 4th generation graphics, at least when dealing NTSC composite video
1. Sega Genesis
The Sega Genesis usually uses a 320x224 graphics mode. Some games use a 256x224 mode. The 320x224 mode's horizontal resolution is so great that not all the pixels can be fully resolved in a composite video signal on a standard TV. There is frequent color fringing in thin-font text through the composite signal. Additionally, with alternating colors, you can obtain color artifacts to give graphics a transparent or blending effect. This effect was used fairly often and works best with long alternating vertical lines.
Unfortunately, this effect is lost with an RGB monitor. Compare the Genesis screenshots on this page for examples : http://www.chrismcovell.com/gotRGB/screenshots.html
Here are some examples from several Sega Genesis games. For these screenshots I am using Kega Fusion v3.64, with the normal RGB output and a video capture of a real Sega Genesis Model 1 for composite video. In each pair of Genesis screenshots, you will see the RGB first, then the composite.
Earthworm Jim is particularly ugly looking with RGB :
The waterfalls of the Sonic series just don't look as convincing in RGB, composite video gives them a transparency effect :
Also, compare the fronds of the palm trees in Sonic 2 :
Some games use a checkerboard pattern that allows for dithering to give a transparency effect. It is not quite as seamless on a composite monitor as the vertical stripes method, but gives a more acceptable picture on an RGB monitor. Streets of Rage 2 uses the effect to simulate the characteristics of a studio spotlight during the nightclub stage :
The effect looks obvious with RGB, as do the color limitations in this title screen for Echo the Dolphin :
You can even see dithering being used in Street Fighter II, which uses a 256x224 mode, to smooth out the color gradient's in the carpet in this stage :
However, sometimes composite video can produce some very unsightly artifacts, as shown in the empty life bars of Castlevania Bloodlines :
2. Super Nintendo
The Super Nintendo almost always uses a 256x224 graphics mode. The Turbo Grafx 16 and CD typically used a similar mode but unlike the SNES could do a 320x224 mode. Thus for games using these resolutions, artifact graphics are not typically available. Even in these systems, shadows and smoke/fog do make some us of the less-than fine resolution of composite video :
However, late in the SNES's lifespan, Nintendo sought to improve the graphics quality of some of its games by creating 3D models of sprites and background tiles on advanced Silicon Graphics computers and then storing what was needed in a pre-rendered form on the cartridge. Pictures of these graphics looked awesome on boxes and manuals and magazines.
Games with this look, like the Donkey Kong Country series, Killer Instinct, Super Mario RPG were very popular and helped extend the life of the SNES without a silly and expensive CD add-on. When playing the game, they looked amazing back in the day. However, when played through and emulator or to a lesser extent through RGB, the flaws cannot be denied. The graphics have been so reduced in resolution from their SGI originals that they tend to look fuzzy, even with the perfection an emulator like higan 0.94 can provide :
Composite video can help hide the sharp edges from the down-conversion. It is kind of like free anti-aliasing.
The SNES could do true transparency, but even so, dithering was sometimes used to provide something akin to free transparency. The first screenshot, from Chrono Trigger, shows natural transparency by the light streaming in from the window :
The second screenshot, from Secret of Mana, shows true transparency with the water covering the rocks, and dithered transparency in the text box :
The final screenshot, from Mortal Kombat 3, shows a transparent effect with the life bars :
To give a flavor of more accurate dithering I used a composite capture device and real hardware (an early 2-chip PPU model revision).
Occasionally, Genesis-like artifacting does appear on the SNES. Consider Kirby's Dream Land 3, which uses a 512x224 resolution. The increased bandwidth of an RGB monitor can essentially resolve 512 pixels, but a composite monitor cannot, and the result is free transparency on the lower quality device. Compare the following :
3. Atari 5200 and 7800
Unlike the Atari 2600, the 5200 and 7800 support 320-pixel wide graphics modes. The Atari 5200 uses the same hardware chips as the Atari 8-bit home computers. Choplifter for the Atari 5200 was ported from the Atari 8-bit home computers, which was in turn ported from the Apple II. All three versions use composite artifact color. The Atari 5200 only has an RF connection, so unless you mod your system for S-Video (the Atari 800 has Separate Luma/Chroma on its video connector port), you will always see artifact color. When Atari later released Choplifter for the XEGS, another Atari 8-bit home computer games console, it redid the graphics for a 160-pixel wide mode, eliminating artifact composite color. Look here for more information : http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-overlooked-artifact-color.html
The Atari 7800 also had a 320-pixel wide mode that supported artifact color, but relatively few games supported it. Its 160-pixel mode was much easier to use and supported more colors on the screen. One of the few games that do support artifact colors on the 7800 is Tower Toppler, a.k.a. Nebulus a.k.a. Castelian. This might have been because the game was being ported to the Atari 8-bit and XEGS and the Atari 7800 at the same time by the same programmer. As explained here, the Atari 8-bit version was canceled : http://www.atariprotos.com/8bit/software/towertoppler/towertoppler.htm The Atari 7800 only has RF output, so you will always see composite artifact colors when playing the game on a real, unmodded NTSC system. Playing it on a PAL system will result in very stripey, sometimes monochrome graphics. This video will show you what the graphics should look like :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA3SPS-RKDM
4. Sega Master System
The Sega Master System does support composite artifact color after a fashion. It uses a 256-pixel wide mode but unlike the NES, it does not use a fractional color pixels that give a 3-line staircase effect. It also does not vary each frame by one pixel. This has the effect of making artifact colors rather stable and vertical on the SMS but diagonal and shimmery on the NES. Sometimes you can see this in games. See here for more information : http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/2016/07/video-potpourri.html
1. Sega Genesis
The Sega Genesis usually uses a 320x224 graphics mode. Some games use a 256x224 mode. The 320x224 mode's horizontal resolution is so great that not all the pixels can be fully resolved in a composite video signal on a standard TV. There is frequent color fringing in thin-font text through the composite signal. Additionally, with alternating colors, you can obtain color artifacts to give graphics a transparent or blending effect. This effect was used fairly often and works best with long alternating vertical lines.
Unfortunately, this effect is lost with an RGB monitor. Compare the Genesis screenshots on this page for examples : http://www.chrismcovell.com/gotRGB/screenshots.html
Here are some examples from several Sega Genesis games. For these screenshots I am using Kega Fusion v3.64, with the normal RGB output and a video capture of a real Sega Genesis Model 1 for composite video. In each pair of Genesis screenshots, you will see the RGB first, then the composite.
Earthworm Jim is particularly ugly looking with RGB :
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Note the edges of the mountains in the background :
The waterfalls of the Sonic series just don't look as convincing in RGB, composite video gives them a transparency effect :
Also, compare the fronds of the palm trees in Sonic 2 :
Some games use a checkerboard pattern that allows for dithering to give a transparency effect. It is not quite as seamless on a composite monitor as the vertical stripes method, but gives a more acceptable picture on an RGB monitor. Streets of Rage 2 uses the effect to simulate the characteristics of a studio spotlight during the nightclub stage :
The effect looks obvious with RGB, as do the color limitations in this title screen for Echo the Dolphin :
You can even see dithering being used in Street Fighter II, which uses a 256x224 mode, to smooth out the color gradient's in the carpet in this stage :
However, sometimes composite video can produce some very unsightly artifacts, as shown in the empty life bars of Castlevania Bloodlines :
2. Super Nintendo
The Super Nintendo almost always uses a 256x224 graphics mode. The Turbo Grafx 16 and CD typically used a similar mode but unlike the SNES could do a 320x224 mode. Thus for games using these resolutions, artifact graphics are not typically available. Even in these systems, shadows and smoke/fog do make some us of the less-than fine resolution of composite video :
However, late in the SNES's lifespan, Nintendo sought to improve the graphics quality of some of its games by creating 3D models of sprites and background tiles on advanced Silicon Graphics computers and then storing what was needed in a pre-rendered form on the cartridge. Pictures of these graphics looked awesome on boxes and manuals and magazines.
Games with this look, like the Donkey Kong Country series, Killer Instinct, Super Mario RPG were very popular and helped extend the life of the SNES without a silly and expensive CD add-on. When playing the game, they looked amazing back in the day. However, when played through and emulator or to a lesser extent through RGB, the flaws cannot be denied. The graphics have been so reduced in resolution from their SGI originals that they tend to look fuzzy, even with the perfection an emulator like higan 0.94 can provide :
The SNES could do true transparency, but even so, dithering was sometimes used to provide something akin to free transparency. The first screenshot, from Chrono Trigger, shows natural transparency by the light streaming in from the window :
The second screenshot, from Secret of Mana, shows true transparency with the water covering the rocks, and dithered transparency in the text box :
The final screenshot, from Mortal Kombat 3, shows a transparent effect with the life bars :
To give a flavor of more accurate dithering I used a composite capture device and real hardware (an early 2-chip PPU model revision).
Occasionally, Genesis-like artifacting does appear on the SNES. Consider Kirby's Dream Land 3, which uses a 512x224 resolution. The increased bandwidth of an RGB monitor can essentially resolve 512 pixels, but a composite monitor cannot, and the result is free transparency on the lower quality device. Compare the following :
The first screenshot shows artifact graphics in the object partially covering Kirby, but you can see the gaps in between the lines. The second screenshot shows the transparency effect you would see on a composite monitor.
The original model of the SNES is capable of S-Video output without modification, but you really begin to lose the transparent effects and forgiving qualities of composite video output. In light of the successful development of HD Retrovision's component video cables for the SNES and Genesis, giving North American gamers the equivalent of RGB video out, this is a timely topic.
3. Atari 5200 and 7800
Unlike the Atari 2600, the 5200 and 7800 support 320-pixel wide graphics modes. The Atari 5200 uses the same hardware chips as the Atari 8-bit home computers. Choplifter for the Atari 5200 was ported from the Atari 8-bit home computers, which was in turn ported from the Apple II. All three versions use composite artifact color. The Atari 5200 only has an RF connection, so unless you mod your system for S-Video (the Atari 800 has Separate Luma/Chroma on its video connector port), you will always see artifact color. When Atari later released Choplifter for the XEGS, another Atari 8-bit home computer games console, it redid the graphics for a 160-pixel wide mode, eliminating artifact composite color. Look here for more information : http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-overlooked-artifact-color.html
The Atari 7800 also had a 320-pixel wide mode that supported artifact color, but relatively few games supported it. Its 160-pixel mode was much easier to use and supported more colors on the screen. One of the few games that do support artifact colors on the 7800 is Tower Toppler, a.k.a. Nebulus a.k.a. Castelian. This might have been because the game was being ported to the Atari 8-bit and XEGS and the Atari 7800 at the same time by the same programmer. As explained here, the Atari 8-bit version was canceled : http://www.atariprotos.com/8bit/software/towertoppler/towertoppler.htm The Atari 7800 only has RF output, so you will always see composite artifact colors when playing the game on a real, unmodded NTSC system. Playing it on a PAL system will result in very stripey, sometimes monochrome graphics. This video will show you what the graphics should look like :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA3SPS-RKDM
4. Sega Master System
The Sega Master System does support composite artifact color after a fashion. It uses a 256-pixel wide mode but unlike the NES, it does not use a fractional color pixels that give a 3-line staircase effect. It also does not vary each frame by one pixel. This has the effect of making artifact colors rather stable and vertical on the SMS but diagonal and shimmery on the NES. Sometimes you can see this in games. See here for more information : http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/2016/07/video-potpourri.html
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
The Latest is not Always the Greatest
Atari 2600 6-Switch and 4-Switch vs. Jr.
Apparently many 2600Jr.s have a buggy TIA chip that causes Kool-Aid Man to be unplayable. It is possible that it may affect other games, but Kool-Aid Man is confirmed. See here :
http://atariage.com/forums/topic/165168-kool-aid-man-rom-problem/?hl=+kool#entry2950077
http://atariage.com/forums/topic/45244-why-does-this-2600-game-only-play-on-the-2600-jr/?hl=%2Bbuggy+%2Btia#entry547110
Unlike all 6-switchers and many 4-switchers, the chips in the Jr. are socketed and not easily replaceable.
Some Atari 2600jr. have a single chip instead of the three chips of most Jr.s and all other 2600. They have video issues with the Harmony Cart's menu, and Kool-Aid Man and some interesting graphical anomalies with Pitfall II : http://atariage.com/forums/topic/196368-unicorn-boards-and-harmony-cart-menus-single-chip-2600-compatibility/
As far as the 6-switch vs. the 4-switch models go, the 6-switches (and the Jr.) have a video buffer chip that provides better video quality than the 4-switch. Some cartridges or controllers may find it easier to fit in a 4-switch or a Jr. than the Light or especially a Heavy Sixer.
Atari 5200 4-Port vs. 2-Port
Not much of a comparison here, the ability to play four player games on the 4-port 5200 is balanced against the ability to use the VCS Cartridge Adapter to play 2600 games on the 2-port 5200. However, the 4-port 5200 can be modded with eight passive components to provide the required compatibility. See Here : http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/5200/cx55.html
In addition, the 4-port 5200 uses a combination RF and power switchbox that is known for its fragility. The 2-port uses a simple power adapter and separate RF output. Fortunately, it is not too difficult to mod a 4-port for separate power and AV output.
NES - Front Loader vs. Top Loader
The Front Loader may have issues with its connector, but typically a good cleaning of the connector and carts a visual inspection of the pins can solve virtually any problem. The Front Loader has AV out, which the Top Loader lacks. Top Loaders are RF only. In addition, the output on a Top Loader is crap. A fix like this : http://www.stoneagegamer.com/nes-toploader-av.html would will restore the video quality, but you have to drill holes in your system's case or remove the RF unit. Not a beginner's mod.
Also, Game Genies don't fit properly in a Top Loader. There was an official adapter made for the Game Genie, but it is extremely rare. You could use a NES PowerPak or Everdrive N8, which support five Game Genie Codes as opposed to the three codes of the real Game Genie. Finally, there is no power LED on a Top Loader.
Sega Master System Model 1 vs. Model 2
Compared to the Model 2, Sega Master System Model 1s have a card slot in addition to the cartridge slot. The card slot let you play those games that shipped on a Sega Card. It also is required for the Sega 3-D Glasses. They also have an Expansion Port, which was unused officially but can be used for an FM Chip mod. They have a port with composite video and RGB connections on the back whereas the Model 2 is RF only. You can officially only play the Snail Maze game on early Model 1s, and the Model 2s lack the Opening Logo and Tune on startup. There is no power LED or reset switch on a Model 2.
Genesis - Model 1 vs. Successors
The Model 1 is the only system which works as designed with the Power Base Converter. While there are SMS adapters that fit in the Model 2, they do not offer a card slot.
Most Model 1s do not have the TMSS protection, which adds a second or two to the boot time of any game with the message Produced By or Under License from Sega Enterprises, LTD. At least five US games will not work with TMSS Genesis machines.
There are two types of of Genesis Model 1s with TMSS. One has the words HIGH DEFINITION GRAPHICS in white around the circle bordering the cartridge port. The second omits the words. All consoles with those words are widely considered to produce the best sound of all Sega Genesis models. Some of the Model 1s without the text have a much poorer sound, it depends on the motherboard. See here to find out how to determine the good Model 1s from the bad Model 1s : http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread.php?7796-GUIDE-Telling-apart-good-Genesis-1s-and-Genesis-2s-from-bad-ones The Sega Genesis Model 2s have variable sound quality, but none are considered to be as good as the Model 1s.
Model 1s have a headphone jack and use a power adapter with a plug that also fits into NESes, Famicoms and Sega Master Systems. Model 2s omit the headphone jack but have stereo audio on their AV ports.
Game Boy - Original vs. Successors
The original Game Boy is larger than the Pocket, Light or Color. It has larger buttons and a larger speaker and better quality audio. There are games like Castlevania II : Belmont's Revenge and The Legend of Zelda, Link's Awakening which rely on the properties of the green LCD screen found in the larger Game Boy for certain graphical effects. The Game Boy 4-player adapter does not require a converter. Batteries last much longer in it than the Pocket or the Light.
SNES - Original vs. 1-Chip & SNES Mini
Most of the original boxy SNESes use a separate CPU and a two-chip PPU solution. Late SNESes and all SNES Minis combine the CPU and both PPU chips into one large chip, called the 1-Chip. While the graphics are slightly sharper than on earlier SNES models, some games suffer from graphical inaccuracies on the 1-Chip models, some games with enhancement chips run slower, some colors combinations suffer from ghosting and the whites are overly bright. See here for more info : http://www.racketboy.com/forum/, go to forum called Guides under The Garage and look for the following thread, "SNES Console Revision Differences. SHVC-CPU-01 vs 1CHIP-Mini".
Playstation vs. PSOne
The PSOne is the slim version of the Playstation console. It has a different looking menu for CD-audio playing, and a port for a matching Sony LCD. But it looses the separate reset button, Serial and Parallel Ports, both of which have their uses, officially (serial for PlayStation Link Cable) or otherwise (parallel for Game Sharks). It is harder to install a mod chip in a PSOne due to the tighter space. There is an upcoming SD card solution for the Playstation called the PSIO which allows you to play CD backups from disc images, but it fits into the parallel port found on the SPCH-7xxx and lower, so no PSOne users need buy.
Apparently many 2600Jr.s have a buggy TIA chip that causes Kool-Aid Man to be unplayable. It is possible that it may affect other games, but Kool-Aid Man is confirmed. See here :
http://atariage.com/forums/topic/165168-kool-aid-man-rom-problem/?hl=+kool#entry2950077
http://atariage.com/forums/topic/45244-why-does-this-2600-game-only-play-on-the-2600-jr/?hl=%2Bbuggy+%2Btia#entry547110
Unlike all 6-switchers and many 4-switchers, the chips in the Jr. are socketed and not easily replaceable.
Some Atari 2600jr. have a single chip instead of the three chips of most Jr.s and all other 2600. They have video issues with the Harmony Cart's menu, and Kool-Aid Man and some interesting graphical anomalies with Pitfall II : http://atariage.com/forums/topic/196368-unicorn-boards-and-harmony-cart-menus-single-chip-2600-compatibility/
As far as the 6-switch vs. the 4-switch models go, the 6-switches (and the Jr.) have a video buffer chip that provides better video quality than the 4-switch. Some cartridges or controllers may find it easier to fit in a 4-switch or a Jr. than the Light or especially a Heavy Sixer.
Atari 5200 4-Port vs. 2-Port
Not much of a comparison here, the ability to play four player games on the 4-port 5200 is balanced against the ability to use the VCS Cartridge Adapter to play 2600 games on the 2-port 5200. However, the 4-port 5200 can be modded with eight passive components to provide the required compatibility. See Here : http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/5200/cx55.html
In addition, the 4-port 5200 uses a combination RF and power switchbox that is known for its fragility. The 2-port uses a simple power adapter and separate RF output. Fortunately, it is not too difficult to mod a 4-port for separate power and AV output.
NES - Front Loader vs. Top Loader
The Front Loader may have issues with its connector, but typically a good cleaning of the connector and carts a visual inspection of the pins can solve virtually any problem. The Front Loader has AV out, which the Top Loader lacks. Top Loaders are RF only. In addition, the output on a Top Loader is crap. A fix like this : http://www.stoneagegamer.com/nes-toploader-av.html would will restore the video quality, but you have to drill holes in your system's case or remove the RF unit. Not a beginner's mod.
Also, Game Genies don't fit properly in a Top Loader. There was an official adapter made for the Game Genie, but it is extremely rare. You could use a NES PowerPak or Everdrive N8, which support five Game Genie Codes as opposed to the three codes of the real Game Genie. Finally, there is no power LED on a Top Loader.
Sega Master System Model 1 vs. Model 2
Compared to the Model 2, Sega Master System Model 1s have a card slot in addition to the cartridge slot. The card slot let you play those games that shipped on a Sega Card. It also is required for the Sega 3-D Glasses. They also have an Expansion Port, which was unused officially but can be used for an FM Chip mod. They have a port with composite video and RGB connections on the back whereas the Model 2 is RF only. You can officially only play the Snail Maze game on early Model 1s, and the Model 2s lack the Opening Logo and Tune on startup. There is no power LED or reset switch on a Model 2.
Genesis - Model 1 vs. Successors
The Model 1 is the only system which works as designed with the Power Base Converter. While there are SMS adapters that fit in the Model 2, they do not offer a card slot.
Most Model 1s do not have the TMSS protection, which adds a second or two to the boot time of any game with the message Produced By or Under License from Sega Enterprises, LTD. At least five US games will not work with TMSS Genesis machines.
There are two types of of Genesis Model 1s with TMSS. One has the words HIGH DEFINITION GRAPHICS in white around the circle bordering the cartridge port. The second omits the words. All consoles with those words are widely considered to produce the best sound of all Sega Genesis models. Some of the Model 1s without the text have a much poorer sound, it depends on the motherboard. See here to find out how to determine the good Model 1s from the bad Model 1s : http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread.php?7796-GUIDE-Telling-apart-good-Genesis-1s-and-Genesis-2s-from-bad-ones The Sega Genesis Model 2s have variable sound quality, but none are considered to be as good as the Model 1s.
Model 1s have a headphone jack and use a power adapter with a plug that also fits into NESes, Famicoms and Sega Master Systems. Model 2s omit the headphone jack but have stereo audio on their AV ports.
Game Boy - Original vs. Successors
The original Game Boy is larger than the Pocket, Light or Color. It has larger buttons and a larger speaker and better quality audio. There are games like Castlevania II : Belmont's Revenge and The Legend of Zelda, Link's Awakening which rely on the properties of the green LCD screen found in the larger Game Boy for certain graphical effects. The Game Boy 4-player adapter does not require a converter. Batteries last much longer in it than the Pocket or the Light.
SNES - Original vs. 1-Chip & SNES Mini
Most of the original boxy SNESes use a separate CPU and a two-chip PPU solution. Late SNESes and all SNES Minis combine the CPU and both PPU chips into one large chip, called the 1-Chip. While the graphics are slightly sharper than on earlier SNES models, some games suffer from graphical inaccuracies on the 1-Chip models, some games with enhancement chips run slower, some colors combinations suffer from ghosting and the whites are overly bright. See here for more info : http://www.racketboy.com/forum/, go to forum called Guides under The Garage and look for the following thread, "SNES Console Revision Differences. SHVC-CPU-01 vs 1CHIP-Mini".
Playstation vs. PSOne
The PSOne is the slim version of the Playstation console. It has a different looking menu for CD-audio playing, and a port for a matching Sony LCD. But it looses the separate reset button, Serial and Parallel Ports, both of which have their uses, officially (serial for PlayStation Link Cable) or otherwise (parallel for Game Sharks). It is harder to install a mod chip in a PSOne due to the tighter space. There is an upcoming SD card solution for the Playstation called the PSIO which allows you to play CD backups from disc images, but it fits into the parallel port found on the SPCH-7xxx and lower, so no PSOne users need buy.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Krikizz Mega Everdrive : The Ultimate Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Flashcart
The first modern device that allowed multiple saves on a flash cart for the Sega Genesis was the ToToTek MD Pro. This will support multiple games, but the flash storage is on the chip and is a maximum of 64Mbit. At 64Mbit you would be able to fit Sonic 1, 2 3 & Sonic & Knuckles, but not much else. Like other older devices, it uses a parallel port to transfer games onto the flash memory. It also supports games that have battery-backed save ram (S-RAM).
Krikzz has released a range of flash carts. One of his first products was the Everdrive MD. This improved on the earlier MD Pro by using SD cards to load the games. Unlike the earlier device, save games are stored on the SD card, not on real battery backed S-RAM. It also supports Sega Master System games, the MD Pro does not, and has a pause button soldered onto the top of the PCB for the SMS pause function. Some games, like Alien Syndrome, Bomber Raid, Great Volleyball, Montezuma's Revenge, Penguin Land,
Shanghai, Tennis Ace, Where in the World is Carmen San Diego and Wonder Boy in Monster Land will require a true Sega Master System controller to work properly. You can find IPS patches to fix these games here : http://krikzz.com/forum/index.php?topic=1203.0
Even with the Everdrive MD, there was room for improvement. The use of flash memory to store a game during gameplay meant that when you want to play a new game, the flash chip must be erased and reprogrammed. This can take close to a minute for larger games. Additionally, the flash chip is only good for a limited number of writes, so the 10,000th time you write a game, it could permanently fail. However, that is the minimum number of write cycles for a modern flash chip, so the chip may be able to handle many, many more writes. It would take a very long time to write to the chip so many times that the chip would fail. Finally, to flash a firmware update required special JTAG hardware. Users would be left out of new features and compatibility fixes unless they sent their cart to someone who had the hardware to reprogram it.
Krikzz released the Mega Everdrive last year to address several of these issues. He used an Altera Cyclone II FPGA to drive the board and its functions, and there is still room for more features. Updates to the OS firmware are as simple as copying a new OS file to a subdirectory on your SD card. It does not have separate firmware requiring a JTAG Altera Byte Blaster to flash. More importantly, games are run off RAM, not flash, so write cycles are no longer and issue and load times are extremely fast. It has a slot for regular size SD and micro-SD cards, although extracting the latter when the PCB is fitted inside a cartridge shell would be tough. It has a USB port for development purposes.
The downside to this is that the Mega Everdrive costs twice as much as the Everdrive MD. In addition, for either device you will need an SD card and a cartridge shell to protect the PCB. I used a fairly common game, but not a good one. I peeled off the label and used Goo Gone to remove the sticky stuff. Thorough wiping down and cleaning the plastic is also required. A drill and a dremel are ideal to cut into the plastic top, but I used an X-Acto knife and a pair of pliers to cut the holes. You will need to cut 3 holes, one for the USB connector, one for the reset button and at least one for the SD card. A 4.5mm gamebit is necessary for opening the shell, of course.
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| My Mega Everdrive's Cart Shell, Hacked to Bits by Yours Truly |
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| With SD Card, Ready for Gaming Goodness! |
Sega Genesis/Mega Drive ROMs in the No-Intro sets have the .md extension. Mega Everdrive has a few issues like Phantasy Star IV and some other games not saving and Super Street Fighter II' not loading with the ROM having an .md extension, so I would strongly recommend using a file renamer program to rename the file extensions to .bin. With a .bin extension, those games work perfectly. (This may no longer be an issue with the most current OS). Whether .md, .gen or .bin, a Sega Genesis ROM is a straight binary dump of the contents of the cartridge ROMs.
The Mega Everdrive supports Sega Master System roms without a Power Base Converter, and the button on top acts like a SMS pause button. Files should have an .sms extension (these are also straight binary dumps). It also supports 32x cartridges if you have the Sega 32x addon. These cartridges should have a .32x extension. However, SMS games will not work if a 32x is in between the cartridge and the console. Some SMS games don't like it when a Sega CD is attached either and should only be used in a Model 1 or 2 Genesis or Mega Drive system. The ROM file size for a Sega Master System game must be a strict power of 2, (128KB, not 129KB like a NES game).
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| This is the first screen from which you can use the cartridge, takes less than 10 seconds with a TMSS Genesis |
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| Each subdirectory lists games like this |
The cartridge also has support for savestates, something that took years for the PowerPaks to even begin to approach. The functionality is not perfectly compatible, but some games (Sonic 1 & 2) really needed a password or battery backed save system. It also supports Game Genie and Pro-Action Replay codes. It only works with Genesis/MegaDrive games 4MB or less.
Official Genesis games can be 5MB, 4MB, 3MB, 3.25MB, 2.5MB, 2MB 1.5MB, 1.25MB, 1MB, 768KB, 640KB, 512KB, 256KB, 128KB, exactly (only US games included here). This includes Sonic + Knuckles combos.
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| Just one more button press... |
Early non-licensed games from Electronic Arts & Acclaim, Budokan, Ishido : Way of the Stones, Onslaught, Populous and Zany Golf work just fine in my TMSS console (motherboard VA6), since the Mega Everdrive passes the TMSS detection when the console is turned on. Ordinarily, the US cartridges of these games will fail to load in a TMSS system, with the exception of a licensed Zany Golf cartridge. European cartridges of Populous and Budokan are licensed and work fine in an NTSC Genesis. Also, if you press reset after turning the power on, you will not see the TMSS screen unless you were playing a Sega Master System game.
Sonic & Knuckles can work as a standalone ROM, or in combination with Sonic, Sonic 2 or Sonic 3. Just use the approriate ROM that combines the code for Sonic & Knuckles with one of the other ROMs. Note that for the Sonic & Knuckles + Sonic 2 combo, you need the ROM from the GoodGEN set with the filename "Sonic and Knuckles & Sonic 2 (W) [f1].bin".
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| And voila! Just don't forget to press reset before turning the system off to save your games |
A reset will not bring you back to the title screen but to the Mega Everdrive main menu. Unfortunately, X-Men requires you to press the reset button lightly to initiate a soft reset and get past Mojo's World. The current solution to this problem is hit reset, go back to the Mega Everdrive's menu, and input the Game Genie code which will allow you to start on the next stage.
Onslaught also uses the reset feature in a strange way. In order to obtain a password, you must press press reset during gameplay or at a game over screen, and the password will appear on the title menu after the game reboots itself. This will obviously not work in the Everdrives for the reasons stated above, but Onslaught is a craptastic game, whether on the Amiga, Atari ST or the Genesis and it is difficult to imagine anyone wanting to play it a second time.
As of OS v10, has a reset to game option, so you can run X-Men and Onslaught as they were intended.
The Mega Everdrive does not support Virtua Racing, as that cartridge had special advanced 3-D polygon processing hardware called the Sega Virtua Processor. Unless and until this is emulated, this ROM will not run. There is a 32x ROM of Virtua Racing that runs with a 32x. J-Carts (with two extra controller ports built into the cartridge) from Codemasters, Pete Sampras Tennis#, Pete Sampras Tennis 96, Micro Machines 2, Micro Machines 96, Micro Machines Military Edition, and Super Skidmarks will not support players 3 & 4. I believe that all the J-Cart games were released with and without the J-Cart attachment.
# - Only J-Cart game released outside Europe
The Mega Everdrive cannot coexist with the Sega 3-D Glasses, so Master System games that require or support the 3-D Glasses will not work in 3-D. The 3-D Glasses require a card slot, which is only available on a Power Base Converter in 16-bit Sega land. The Mega Everdrive will not work with a Power Base Converter in between the cartridge and slot. Also, since you are running Master System games on a Genesis, F-16 Fighting Falcon will not work and some games will require a Master System controllers and peripherals. You can find patches for the ROMs of games which will not work with a Genesis controller here : http://krikzz.com/forum/index.php?topic=1203.0
There has been discussion of using the Mega Everdrive to emulate a Sega Mark III FM Sound Unit YM-2143 sound chip, nothing has yet come of it. You can play the snail maze game, built into the BIOS of the early Master Systems, with the appropriate ROM.
Finally, the last weakness of the Mega Everdrive v1 and the Everdrive MD is that it does not support games which save to EEPROM. This should be all the licensed commercial Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games that use EEPROM, but this list is not intended to be comprehensive.
Bill Walsh College Football
Blockbuster World Video Game Championship II
Brian Lara Cricket
Brian Lara Cricket 96
College Slam
Evander Holyfield's Boxing
Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball
Greatest Heavyweights of the Ring
Honoo no Toukyuuji Dodge Danpei
John Madden Football 93
John Madden Football 93 - Championship Edition
Megaman - the Wily Wars/Rockman MegaWorld*
Micro Machines 2 - Turbo Tournament
Micro Machines 96
Micro Machines Military
MLBPA Sports Talk Baseball
NBA Jam
NBA Jam TE
NBA Jam TE (32x)
NFL Quarterback Club
NFL Quarterback Club 96
NHLPA Hockey 93
Ninja Burai Densetsu
Rings of Power
Shane Warne Cricket
Wonder Boy in Monster World/Wonder Boy V - Monster World III
* - One version of the Japanese ROM exists that uses S-RAM, the other uses EEPROM.
While support for EEPROM saves may eventually come, Krikizz has indicated firmly that he will not add support for Pier Solar. While the game has been dumped, it uses EEPROM in a unique way that Krikizz will not support so as not to encourage piracy. The game checks for the existence of the EEPROM and will not work if it is not found. For the other games, most have been hacked to change the save type to battery backed S-RAM. Use GoodGen, currently at version 3.21, to find them. I believe the [f1] or [f2] indicates the game has been fixed for saves. Some only have an [h1C], [h2C] or [p1] etc. I believe this indicates the rom has been hacked to work in an old-style copier or in a pirate cartridge. They should run but they may not be able to save. NBA Jam and NBA Jam TE 32x are the only two games confirmed not to have fix or hack available. NBA Jam will at least play without the EEPROM, and if you really want to save, loose carts are as common as they come (or you can try the savestate feature). The pirate Rings of Power ROM may not be able to save, unless the savestate feature works. The MegaEverdrive v2 has support for EEPROMs, but has not been comprehensively tested outside Wonder Boy.
Since I have an NTSC machine, the Micro Machine ROMs will run too fast. I don't care about sports games, so the only good games left in English are Mega Man and Wonder Boy, and they have fixes.
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