Oh, cool that it has both the arcade and console versions of Sol Divide. I recall that people quite liked the arrange mode in Sol Divide which acts somewhat like a rogue-lite RPG.
Unfortunately the American PS1 version of Sol Divide removed the ability to save which makes that arrange mode somewhat useless, but I imagine that's not an issue here. (Assuming it's using the Japanese version, or offers save states maybe.)
I appreciate that Retro Games Ltd has been including modern games on these lately.
Including the brand new port of The Settlers II is honestly a power move – the game needs an accelerator to run well/at all if I recall, so this is a compelling option. This was already my most anticipated product of theirs, but that just sweetens the deal.
Cool! I wouldn't call this game a masterpiece or anything, but it's similar enough to the likes of Valis and Castlevania so it definitely warrants a shout.
I have to admire how willing Dreamcast developers are to show games in this early of a state. Showing that they have something up and running but not even remotely ready for primetime is a rare "peek behind the curtain" that I feel can really help non-developers understand what really goes into these fan-made ports.
With that aside, impressive work from this developer yet again!
@Razieluigi Yeah, that's a fair point and I think where I start losing interest myself. It is arguably emulating a fictional chip that could have been developed back then, but that doesn't change your argument at all. (If anything it means it took about 30 years for "SuperFX 3" to become commercially viable, lol.)
It's still very cool either way. No doubt a dream project for Randy Linden.
@Exerion76 The cartridge is designed and developed by Bitmap Bureau, who made Xeno Crisis, something stated in both of Time Extension's articles. Bitmap Bureau have a good and proven track record with this. It's not just "LGR".
I guess my angle is how putting a modern off-the-shelf microcontroller on the cartridge any different from any of the helper chips of the era? It's no less "real SNES" than the Super FX and SA-1 were back then. – This product is not for me, and even I can admit it's not that different.
And that's the other thing, it's not "a Raspberry Pi" as in the fully-fledged computer. The RP2350B is a microcontroller, essentially a teeny-tiny processor. This is something you could easily Google instead of doing the internet knee-jerk reaction thing.
I just hope they've improved the emulation performance and image quality. The old QuByte Classics do not run well especially on Switch, but I haven't tried their supposedly "improved" engine from the newer collections yet. I do really want these to be good.
@axelhander These comments are weird and unnecessary.
And I don't have any strong feelings about the subject, before you start making personal assumptions about me. This just isn't a horse you need to be spending time dying on.
I've been a long time subscriber of his. If he can pull it off, I'm here for it.
Although admittedly I don't completely get the idea that all these great aftermarket products we have would be better with the nostalgic legacy brand slapped on them, I do at least agree there's value in having this brand in the hands of people who get it. Much better than slapping it on cheap smart phones or random electronics.
@PZT I imagine the features will mirror the other releases from this publisher. They did another GBA game recently, the GBA remake of Aero the Acro-Bat, but I haven't checked it out.
(I have some of their Sega and Turbografx games on Switch though and the experience there is good quality.)
I live for the development stories where something isn't as trivial as it sounds, but you're in too deep and have to see it through. I may have to give this game a try now.
Furthermore, these decompilation projects tend to slow down in that last 10-20%. You often see rapid progress early on as all of the simpler functions are blitzed through and merged with the main repo, but the more complicated stuff takes longer to work through.
And having completed, binary-matching functions is one thing, but actually having that code documented and readable is an ongoing process. The Banjo-Kazooie decomp is a good example where the documentation is currently lacking.
As for Paper Mario, for reasons I don't fully understand, I'm told that due to some complexities specific to that game, you shouldn't expect a multiplatform port any time soon if ever.
"100% decompiled" really doesn't mean anything when it comes to the possibility of a port. And just because we have frameworks like Libultraship and N64 Recompiled to make translating that code to other platforms easier, it doesn't mean that creating a port isn't still a lot of work. – It would help everyone involved these projects so much if people took the time to understand what actually goes into them and why the distinction between all these terms matters.
All this to say: if a port were actually in development for Diddy Kong Racing, you would hear about it.
Please stop reporting on decompilation as if it directly means a port is in development. That's rarely the goal of reverse engineering console games, and perpetuating this misconception places undue pressure on the people working on these RE projects.
Awesome news! I'll have to pick this up at some point.
Sadly it appears to have the same garish filter on everything that the old Mega Man X5 PC version did. Although I think I read that you can turn it off here?
@KingMike I guess depending on your perspective that's kind of just part of the story – they actually did want to get the Urusei Yatsura license for the arcade version of Momoko 120% too but weren't able to, so it only happened later with the Famicom version that came out as a licensed game. Releasing it without the license is a shame for sure, but it's almost a full circle moment in a way.
I didn't play this one, but I loved Commander Keen and the original Duke Nukem growing up, so I have a lot of nostalgia for Apogee-style games in general.
Comments 77
Re: Cancelled Arcade Game 'Chimera Beast' Is Finally Getting A Release Thanks To The Polymega Collection Series
Oh, cool that it has both the arcade and console versions of Sol Divide. I recall that people quite liked the arrange mode in Sol Divide which acts somewhat like a rogue-lite RPG.
Unfortunately the American PS1 version of Sol Divide removed the ability to save which makes that arrange mode somewhat useless, but I imagine that's not an issue here. (Assuming it's using the Japanese version, or offers save states maybe.)
Re: Random: "Surely They're Trolling" - After The NES-Cart-In-A-SNES Debacle, The BBC Marks Windows 95's 30th With An Apple Mac
Oh yeah whoever put the set together definitely taking us for a ride at this point.
Re: EGGCONSOLE Versions Of 'Fray' And 'Brandish Renewal' Are Being Removed From The Switch eShop
That's concerning. If it's a rights issue or something, I hope it's something they can work out.
Re: MagicX's 2025-2026 Roadmap Reveals A 3DS-Style Device Is On The Way
Rocking the Game Boy Color "Shock 'n' Rock" look. 😛
Re: Revived Game Publisher Acclaim Is Teasing A "Big" Announcement For Next Week
@Razieluigi Incidentally the LJN brand is actually back, too. In the world of toys, not video games, though.
Re: Retro Games Ltd's Full-Size Amiga Replica 'THE A1200' Resurfaces At Gamescom
I appreciate that Retro Games Ltd has been including modern games on these lately.
Including the brand new port of The Settlers II is honestly a power move – the game needs an accelerator to run well/at all if I recall, so this is a compelling option. This was already my most anticipated product of theirs, but that just sweetens the deal.
Re: The SNES Platformer Psycho Dream Is Coming To PC & Modern Consoles, With English Text
Cool! I wouldn't call this game a masterpiece or anything, but it's similar enough to the likes of Valis and Castlevania so it definitely warrants a shout.
Re: Review: MagicX Zero 40 - Come For Nintendo DS Emulation, Stay for TATE Coin-Ops
Should be splendid for a spot of Crossy Road.
Re: Nightdive Studios Latest Release Resurrects The '90s FPS Classics Heretic + Hexen
I'm so freaking happy, man. I've been waiting for this for a while.
My partner and I got the free upgrade on PC. I'm definitely going to try this out once I have the time.
Re: Poll: How Do You Pronounce "Amiga"?
Es una Amiga, of course.
Re: With Mario Kart 64's Dreamcast Port Almost Ready, It Seems Another N64 Gem Is Making The Jump
I have to admire how willing Dreamcast developers are to show games in this early of a state. Showing that they have something up and running but not even remotely ready for primetime is a rare "peek behind the curtain" that I feel can really help non-developers understand what really goes into these fan-made ports.
With that aside, impressive work from this developer yet again!
Re: Isometric Classic Lumo Is Being Ported To The Amiga
Oh, I love Lumo! I've actually been thinking of going back for another playthrough.
I guess a "demake" for Amiga is something of a homecoming.
Re: Anniversary: Duke Nukem Forever Is Now One Duke Nukem Forever Dev Cycle Old
It feels like this game came out forever ago now. I guess, in a manner of speaking, it has.
Re: Talking Point: If You Think AI Can Make SNES Games, We Have Some Magic Beans We'd Love To Sell You
I'm just going to point out that a retro game based on The Lord of The Rings does, in fact, exist. Several, even, including one on Super NES.
Probably obvious to us, but evidently not to everyone if that embedded tweet is any indication.
Re: Expect Digital Eclipse And Nightdive Studios To Work Together "A Lot More" In The Future
These have long been two of my favourite developers, so I'm very intrigued by what they could do together!
Re: Developer Of SNES DOOM Defends The Tech Behind Limited Run's 2025 Update
@Razieluigi Yeah, that's a fair point and I think where I start losing interest myself. It is arguably emulating a fictional chip that could have been developed back then, but that doesn't change your argument at all. (If anything it means it took about 30 years for "SuperFX 3" to become commercially viable, lol.)
It's still very cool either way. No doubt a dream project for Randy Linden.
Re: Developer Of SNES DOOM Defends The Tech Behind Limited Run's 2025 Update
@Exerion76 The cartridge is designed and developed by Bitmap Bureau, who made Xeno Crisis, something stated in both of Time Extension's articles. Bitmap Bureau have a good and proven track record with this. It's not just "LGR".
Re: Developer Of SNES DOOM Defends The Tech Behind Limited Run's 2025 Update
I had a feeling people would hone in on this. :/
I guess my angle is how putting a modern off-the-shelf microcontroller on the cartridge any different from any of the helper chips of the era? It's no less "real SNES" than the Super FX and SA-1 were back then. – This product is not for me, and even I can admit it's not that different.
And that's the other thing, it's not "a Raspberry Pi" as in the fully-fledged computer. The RP2350B is a microcontroller, essentially a teeny-tiny processor. This is something you could easily Google instead of doing the internet knee-jerk reaction thing.
Re: Mario Kart 64's Fanmade Dreamcast Port Will Feature An Appearance From A Familiar Blue Hedgehog
Literally as I'm reading the article.
Me, out loud to my partner: "Wow, it's come a long way. Wonder if they've got audio yet."
The article: "only thing left is the audio."
Ayyyyy!
Re: This New 'Beat Em Up Collection' Brings Together 7 "QUByte Classics" In A Single Package
@PKDuckman Okay, that's promising!
Re: This New 'Beat Em Up Collection' Brings Together 7 "QUByte Classics" In A Single Package
I just hope they've improved the emulation performance and image quality. The old QuByte Classics do not run well especially on Switch, but I haven't tried their supposedly "improved" engine from the newer collections yet. I do really want these to be good.
Re: Another Port Of Compile's Shoot 'Em Up Classic 'Zanac' Is Launching On Switch This Month
Just as I've been thinking about going back to give Compile's early games like Guardic and Zanac a proper go, another option arrives.
Re: Before It Hit Saturn And PS1, Thunder Force V Was Almost A Mega Drive Marvel
I think it would be interesting to see that prototype, but I'm glad we got the game we got instead.
Re: Review: Gremlin Collection 2 (Evercade) - We Wanna Get Loaded And Have A Good Time
Goodness, what a great selection of games! These are all gems honestly. Well, Re-Loaded is maybe just okay.
Re: This Expensive Sega Game Gear Shoot 'Em Up Is Getting A Reissue On Steam
Very nice! And I continue to be glad to see Ratalaika Games and Shinyuden start to put their games on Steam too.
Re: Don't Worry, Suda51 Isn't Dead - It's Google's AI Hallucinating (Again)
Fool me 51 times…
Re: "It's A Middle Finger To Everybody" - Producer Behind Netflix's Castlevania And Devil May Cry Series Is Working On Duke Nukem Next
@axelhander These comments are weird and unnecessary.
And I don't have any strong feelings about the subject, before you start making personal assumptions about me. This just isn't a horse you need to be spending time dying on.
Re: Earthion Launches Next Month, Mega Drive Version Pushed Into 2026
Oh that themed M30 controller looks cool!
Re: The Person Who Ported WipEout & Doom 64 To Dreamcast Is Now Working On A Mario Kart 64 Port
Man that's awesome. Very early of course but very cool.
Re: This Man Is Buying Commodore
I've been a long time subscriber of his. If he can pull it off, I'm here for it.
Although admittedly I don't completely get the idea that all these great aftermarket products we have would be better with the nostalgic legacy brand slapped on them, I do at least agree there's value in having this brand in the hands of people who get it. Much better than slapping it on cheap smart phones or random electronics.
Re: Fanmade C64 / C128 Port Of SNK vs. Capcom Gets New "Stronger Edition"
This keeps looking better and better! I've definitely got to try this
Re: After Resurrecting Croc, Argonaut Hopes To Do The Same With Another Classic 3D Platformer
I've heard such mixed things about I-Ninja, but I definitely wouldn't say no to it getting another shot.
Re: The Sega Mega Drive / Genesis Is Getting A New Clock Tower-Esque Point-And-Click Adventure
Oh, I saw this one when it was first shown off! Definitely one I'll keep an eye on.
Re: A Forgotten GBA & DS Gem Is Getting A Revival On Consoles & PC Later This Year
@PZT I imagine the features will mirror the other releases from this publisher. They did another GBA game recently, the GBA remake of Aero the Acro-Bat, but I haven't checked it out.
(I have some of their Sega and Turbografx games on Switch though and the experience there is good quality.)
Re: This Rip Curl GBA SP Is Super Rare, And You Now Have The Chance To Own Six Of Them
I think I actually knew a kid with this special edition back in the day.
Re: Over 30 Years Later, Someone Has Fixed This "Unfair" Tiny Toon Game For The Nintendo Game Boy
I live for the development stories where something isn't as trivial as it sounds, but you're in too deep and have to see it through. I may have to give this game a try now.
Re: Hot On Diddy Kong's Tail, Mario Kart 64 Has Now Been Successfully Decompiled
I can definitely say we're in very exciting times in the N64 development community! Thank you for the article!
Re: Looks Like Another PS1 Classic Is Coming To Dreamcast
By their own admission a little early, but hey, it's running smooth.
Re: This Indie Dev Seems Pretty Serious About Making A Spiritual Successor To Ridge Racer
If it happens, I'll be here for it!
Re: Metal Cancer Is A Promising New NES Shmup Where You Grab And Throw Enemies
That grappling mechanic looks really fun!
Re: Soon, You'll Be Able To Play Diddy Kong Racing Natively On Your PC
Furthermore, these decompilation projects tend to slow down in that last 10-20%. You often see rapid progress early on as all of the simpler functions are blitzed through and merged with the main repo, but the more complicated stuff takes longer to work through.
And having completed, binary-matching functions is one thing, but actually having that code documented and readable is an ongoing process. The Banjo-Kazooie decomp is a good example where the documentation is currently lacking.
As for Paper Mario, for reasons I don't fully understand, I'm told that due to some complexities specific to that game, you shouldn't expect a multiplatform port any time soon if ever.
"100% decompiled" really doesn't mean anything when it comes to the possibility of a port. And just because we have frameworks like Libultraship and N64 Recompiled to make translating that code to other platforms easier, it doesn't mean that creating a port isn't still a lot of work. – It would help everyone involved these projects so much if people took the time to understand what actually goes into them and why the distinction between all these terms matters.
All this to say: if a port were actually in development for Diddy Kong Racing, you would hear about it.
Re: Soon, You'll Be Able To Play Diddy Kong Racing Natively On Your PC
Please stop reporting on decompilation as if it directly means a port is in development. That's rarely the goal of reverse engineering console games, and perpetuating this misconception places undue pressure on the people working on these RE projects.
Re: Capcom's Legendary RPG 'Breath of Fire IV' Has Just Got A Surprise Release On GOG
Awesome news! I'll have to pick this up at some point.
Sadly it appears to have the same garish filter on everything that the old Mega Man X5 PC version did. Although I think I read that you can turn it off here?
Re: City Connection Celebrates 20 Years With Two New Famicom Games
@KingMike I guess depending on your perspective that's kind of just part of the story – they actually did want to get the Urusei Yatsura license for the arcade version of Momoko 120% too but weren't able to, so it only happened later with the Famicom version that came out as a licensed game. Releasing it without the license is a shame for sure, but it's almost a full circle moment in a way.
Re: The GBA Is Getting A New Turn-Based Puzzle Platformer This July
GBA puzzle platformer? You've got my attention!
Re: This Promising New Puzzle RPG Pays Homage To A PC-98 Classic That Inspired A Genre
Sounds right up my alley!
Re: Retro Fighters Latest Release Is A Wireless "Evolution" Of The Classic Xbox 360 controller
I've been in the market for a new PC controller. This could be a solid contender!
Re: DOS Lovers Rejoice! The Beloved Apogee Game 'BioMenace' Is Being Remastered For Steam
I didn't play this one, but I loved Commander Keen and the original Duke Nukem growing up, so I have a lot of nostalgia for Apogee-style games in general.
Re: Toaplan's Tiger-Heli Is Getting A New Port For The Atari 2600+ & Atari 7800+
I love this! It's great to see new ports of classic games in the Atari+ catalogue.
Re: "Free SNK From The Saudi Royal Family" - Fans Aren't Pleased About Fatal Fury's Celebrity Fighters
Man, I don't know what I'll do, but I can tell you I was excited for this game before and this has just made everything feel incredibly weird.