h3s

@BionicDodo But that’s only one person I know that the rest of treasure changed but the name meant something. Why not release it it as treasure presumably because other people were not interested. I don’t rate M2’s original content that highly unlike Treasure.

I think if a sequel was going to be done it should have been Treasure anyway. (Treasure was never like a full time thing afaik). M2 are great at many things but I don’t think their originals are all that great. (From the ones I have played. I suppose the system 16 fantasy zone 2 is pretty well done but mostly I have been disappointed.

@Martin_H If you actually go for a one credit clear the Neo Geo library is much more fun. Like the first Metal Slug it is doable the way the weapons and tanks exist to do it. Some of them get a bit unplayable towards the end. (Or are much more playable if you drop the difficulty to 3 I.e AES difficulty). Credit munching and spending most of the game with the worst gun is really boring for such as Metal Slug.

I have so much money in paid downloads on my 3DD no matter how small I don’t want to risk the mod. If there was a way to keep the stuff I have paid for 100% separate and untouched I would try a flash card that could do that for 3DS content. Mainly translations I want to try. But mixing questionable stuff with so much money worth of paid content I still won’t risk.

@ihaveallthecoins Its the mister fpga core made into an asic. (That is the traditional use of fpga's in chip making for testing before risking the money on making an asic.)
Personally I would have preferred the original vhdl/verilog with fixes for modern processes and hdmi etc. But that would be much more expensive. (The Mister core is already pretty well tested).

It’s probably financially not a bad move to try and sell to the people who are really into Neo Geo but it doesn’t look good enough for me to justify the cost.

One thing I would pay the £90 for though would be a version of Metal Slig 2 where the slowdown was properly fixed (Not by overclocking) Doing as they did with Metal Slug X but keeping the enemy layouts etc the same. I would for original games as well but I am fairly picky for Neo Geo games. A really good vertical shmup or platformer or just something I really like. (And if it was on Series X for 1/3 of the price I probably wouldn’t get it. I actually don’t like changing carts. (To the point where I let Cex have my version of cotton because I get it digitally and I have played it far more. I play the x68000 version. (Still not sure whether I should have just continued with the Arcade Archives version.)

I don’t know if the orymasters for the mask roms degrade or were just destroyed does anybody know ?

I spent a lot of time/money in namcostation (Think it was SEGA World at one point). That’s how I know the joysticks in Arcade Club are not completely up to scratch. They work but in Namvostation they were immaculate. (They seem to care about whether the stick matches the cabinet more than how the game plays.

@Relikk I don’t really feel for anybody in that situation. Legally he is in exactly the same position as that guy involved with Switch mod chips. Open Source Open Hardware is the way forward for this stuff.

I have got 3 not actually used one yet though. Just always seems to be a use of AliExpress coins that makes it a no brainer. (%50 off so like £5)

@Damo What about people just looking for the optimal way to play rom's they already bought i.e evercade carts super pocket. I would love that case to go to court.

@KingMike I want one just based on the unattainable for me as a kid. But fully intend to use my evercade roms on it.

As far as I am concerned Ipaid for the evercade roms. (Aes and mvs use the same roms). So what I do with them is both legally and ethically sound. I would prefer an open source flasshcart but I am not that fussy. I would buy a device to make extraction of the evercade roms easier also. I will probably still get the white metal slug cart however.

As far as I am concerned I paid evercade for the Tom’s. (And they are the exact same Roms) So if I dump them and use them on one of these I shave no ethical or legal problems)

I think the Amiga and PC versions were significantly better why rerelease thid ?

@kirby2000 Thanks.

@kirby2000 I know about those methods. Just thinking it might be an easy one to start an open source project. (Potentially extending it to do what those gu operator and such devices do,) I don’t want to deal with Microsoft Driver Signing (Or forcing people to disable driver signature verification) but I don’t think even doing a device that does all of the carts using a pico or pico 2 would be beyond me. (I would expect a £15-£20 version on AliExpress quickly.) I might just order all the cart connectors from AliExpress and give it a shot on a breadboard. I think I would have to use a serial connection (Genuine chip though) but I think that’s a project within my capabilities. (Even supporting the rest of the real retro carts). I know there will be a few with weird copy protection stuff I probably have no chance with but I do properly believe in open source since about 1996 but it’s only recently that cheap micro controllers with good docs have made these sort of projects possible. I think I might look into it. (I don’t expect the circuit part of it to be much good. But the joys of open source I expect someone will help bet that bit really is a joke for suitably qualified people.) Thanks for the idea I will have a look at the price of the bare cart connectors on AliExpress might as well make it suppose everything.

@Gs69 I wish the emulation was good as Hamsters and ot was possible to plsy the games on the pocket in aes mode.

I want an evercade cart dumper like the ones for other systems often advertised here. (I know there is a custom firmware related hack).

@pomegran Thanks I might do but doubling the price ea bit excessive.

@pomegran That’s what I don’t like preordering and I can’t even do it for what I actually want (Mister pi). I am not bothered about Sony at all. If there was a SEGA or Nintendo one I might go for it.

@WaveBoy The N64 hardware needs a mod for anything better than svideo (On the USA version which is the one I had) or composite they didn’t have any version with RGB which made it look far worse.

Has anybody got a link to actually buy one ?

I would buy something like this that conveniently Dumped Evercade rom’s. I am quite happy to pay for the rom’s but am not happy with the emulsion of e.g the Neo Geo ones. (Probably get the AES+ with the white Metal Slug cart and then just play Rom’s. I suspect there will be a raspberry pi pico based device that works for most of the games shortly after release. (I am not enough of a fan anymore for £90 a cart I have played them too many times before the games I like which are generally not the fighting game. I am not against £90 for a brand new game that looks right up my alley). There are some weird encryption titles if I remember correctly like Metal Slug 5 but I am not a huge fan of it and have an ACA Neo Geo version anyway.

If there was an official joystick for ACA NEOGEO and AES mode I might not even bother with the AES+ (And those guys really show what ever problems Digital Eclipse have with the Switch they are either of their own making or with skill they can be worked around well).:Hamster certainly do a better job than Blaze (Evercade ) also.

@-wc- There is plenty of other stuff happening worldwide I disagree with and the modretro guy no matter what he says hasn’t actually done anything illegal (And if he wasn’t doing it somebody else would it’s what the powers that be want.) I don’t know why he is singled out so much compared to people with equally deplorable views. The AES+ I can see why people would boycott that on ethical grounds. (I try and buy only European made clothing but as much as I would prefer to avoid US or Chinese tech it is basically impossible.

But Ananlogue / Limited Run Games and stuff like mister pi I consider a total joke because if you just want the normal experience of pay your money get your item you just can’t do that.

It is all well and good all these great devices that the reviewers get sent for free to promote but unlike the ones that the site either refuses to report on or takes any chance it gets for go into the politics of the device. Actually getting hold of most of these fpga devices is almost impossible. (I want to pay for a product and then receive it reasonably quickly. I don’t want to pre pay for something that hasn’t even been made yet and wait months. I don’t agree with the politics of modretro or the actions of the Saudi Crown Prince. (Especially all that international harassment of one of his wives who tried to leave.) But at least if they make something they put up the money design it. Manufacture it and then you can buy it. The business practices of many of the other players in this area are a complete joke.

@PopetheRev28 If you have a dreamcast ode there is a pretty much arcade port of Metal Slug 6 (Homebrew port from Atomiswave I have found it to work better than any of the emulators I have tried the same game on currently and the Wii and PS2 ports are god awful).

But there is no way to run it from e.g a burnt disk because the Atomiswave used romcarts afaik.

@Sketcz What is your opinion on basins the asic on the mister core vs the original designs or don’t you have one. (The cost differences would be a rounding error compared to the costs they do have for making a as an asic)

(I do admit it is a quality product overall especially if you look at something like the mvsx)

@KingMike Firstly the question is do they still have the originals ? If they do the cost is vastly reduced Apparently the modern cost would be 10’s of thousands to make new ones but I think judging the Neo Geo market hand let’s face it this is a Saudi vanity project I think they could easily afford it.) I think it is wasteful making ASICS of the Mister core as well instead of updating the original hardware description language to a modern one and then adding the extra features. Again that would cost more but it would be the optimal way to do it. Making ASICS based on the Mister Cores just seems a waste of time (That will cost at least 100k$. A real English AES Metal Slug goes for 20000$ now. I totally understand making stuff like GBA remakes or homebrew using modern methods but these carts won’t last by comparison. For me to want to properly collect these they would have to be done to the same standards as old. They won’t last done like this. I would even take Evercade style multi carts if they were mask Rom. I still might pick one up to satisfy my inner child but I will probably get a flashcart and work out how to dump my Evercade roms onto it. (I do appreciate that stuff like this will actually be available to buy- like Modretro is because it has decent backing)

I think with the backing they have they should be able to afford mask roms for a £80:game. (Mod retro should be using them for e.g their Tetris releases as well.) Both parties can easily afford it and these are supported to be labours of love. (I don’t know why the AES+ didn’t start with the original vhdl or verilog either. (As it stands it might be an asic but it’s an asic of a mister core.

@PopetheRev28 I think an overclocked metal slug 2 has actually a better game design than X it’s a bit sad they never released a fixed version of 2. (3 I find the submarine bit really enjoyable but a death is so difficult after it happens I end up going the normal boring way. (The last level of 3 is far too long as well). I think the problem they had was people got decent at one so they had to be really tight on stuff like gas in the sequel’s to keep the Arcade operators happy. (You have to remember they were the main customers. AES users weren’t even really considered in the decisions.

Is it true that Metal Slug is a 30fps game ? (If so it is possibly the only one I like) obviously it ran on a 60hz screen but is it 30fps ?

I would like a Metroid zero mission style remake of Zelda 2 I am actually quite into games in that style.

I think stuff like this harkens back to the days when people didn’t take life so seriously. Booth babes were well paid and generally pretty happy with what they were doing. I don’t see how men making decisions for women on what they should and shouldn’t do progress in any way shape or form. Even being one of the women at the end of a formula one race was a good career path that didn’t need qualifications. The jobs available today for people with similar qualifications are awful and low paid. How is that better ?

I am disappointed the new neogeo carts are not using mask rim (Fot £90 I think they should be made to last).

@metaphysician As far as I know both Nintendo and MS are fine with it but Sony adds on a load of extra costs that are normally free for such titles. (I might be wrong and stand to be corrected.) But I think that is the reason it’s uncommon for indies.

I would like them to rerelease the exp I think it is system with the built in Capcom games built in. I have the aNEOGEO Super Pocket but tge emulator accuracy is much to be desired end. If the NEOGEO+ are bothering with ASICS II don’t see why they can’t fork out for mask Rom. There again I think iys likely if I do gyone I will fire out for either a flashgun cart or a MVS conveyor and use my own legitimately purchased roms.

The problem with these is the emulation quality is subpar whenn compared to e.g hamster.

I get that some people believe that once they have learned something they are owed a livelihood for life but this is a great boon for helping people do things that they otherwise wouldn’t have a cat in hells chance in undertaking. (Personally I have used AI to explain to me what I have needed to get input working on an esp p4 (On the 40 MHz co processor using physically wired in buttons/a nes controller and a NES controller. It’s written entirely in assembler and I understand it. The human written articles on the same topics are absolute garbage. I am only doing this stuff for my own personal interest but if you want to use AI to help you learn it’s a great resource. (On the other hand if you believe you have a god given right to be paid a lot for doing something that you learnt once 20 years ago then you will have a problem but automation has affected many other groups of people over the years but they have generally been poor so they didn’t get so many people complaining about it.) I think life should be a process of continual learning otherwise it gets boring anywy.

I am sort of interested in stuff like this but only when the software is fully open source (Especially when the hardware is expensive). Open hardware I am not bothered about quite happy for them to make money on the hardware. Just having an sdk doesn’t cut it for me. Happy for people who this is what they want though.

I think I will still be getting one of these but seen as they are making asics I don’t see why they couldn’t use the original hardware logic code as a starting point and then go from there. Yes it would need some changes to be put onto a modern process but if they are spending the money on an asic then I think they should go for the best way possible.

I will probably still get one of these but I don’t understand why when they didn’t make a revision of the original system with modern enhancements. Maybe it would have cost a bit more I guess more testing would be needed but they should have the original vhdl or verilog.

I am not as sold on the advantages of this approach as I was initially. (I think if they are doing an Asia they should start with the original vhdl or verllog and then adapt it for modern sensibilities.) Maybe it would cost a bit more but making ASICS has a pretty high fixed cost as it is. So actually making a new revision of the original design wouldn’t cost that much more.

@PowerPandaMods Interesting I have picked up a trimming smart pro s (I also have a myopic mini but the screen is too small. But I get the impression the dad dq vi is censored somehow.

Zophers Domain type content is exactly what I want from the internet. Surprised it’s still around. I miss the days before all everyone cared about was showing ad’s and click bait.

The translation I would love to be finished the most is the SFC DQ VI (Apparently the way it’s coded makes the last 10% a nightmare to do). I do own the DS port but even my new 3ds XL screen is too small for my aging eyes.

I am up for any recommendations on how to proceed. (Thought of playing it on my m2 iPad Air but I don’t know the best emulator or settings. I would want the second screen pretty small.

@Lanmanna There is some kind of extra payment for I think something to do with PSN that is only charged for cross play games. Only seems to be a problem for indies.

I find my £2 3ds to usbc charger adapter very convenient when travelling. I think as long as the actual usbc wall wart s of decent quality you are safe.

@slider1983 I don't think it is shady to be upfront about things. Nothing the modretro guy is doing is illegal in any way shape or form and if he wasn't doing it the US Military would get somebody else to do it.

The thing is he is using. the resources he has to produce really cool stuff for us. (Analog are a terribly run company as is Limited Run Games. Blaze has not even invested enough money for an accurate emulator for most of its systems.)

@Fanboy_Destroyer I know it is a great product but getting hold of one is like winning the lottery. These so called bad people have the resources to make situations like this a thing of the past.