GP2X Anyone Planning On A Sega Genesis Emu?

[second exodous]

I found a few open source Genesis emulators. DGen/SDL is dead because better alternatives are out there, but it uses SDL so thats a plus. Generator also uses SDL, and is still alive it seems. Gens kinda threw me, I couldn't find a Linux binary so I wasn't sure if it ran in Linux but it's in the Gentoo's Portage so it does run in Linux but I'm not sure what it uses. Usually 'emerge -pv ebuild' tells what the ebuild requires, but in Gens case it doesn't say. I'm assuming it uses SDL and no OpenGL, but I'm not sure. Generator looks like the best bet for me, it's C and uses no OpenGL. All of these projects are open source, so if anyone wants to hack away at them they can. I need to learn to code....

Thanx,
Stan

 

[TelcoLou]

Rumor has it that Reesy is porting his DrMD to the GP2X ....

... but don't quote me h34r:

 

[second exodous]

I was just looking closer and it appears that only Gens can emulate the 32x. Is DrMD gp32 only, like it doesnt run on anything else? It might be easier to port a native Linux app that uses SDL rather than port something from the gp32.

Thanx,
Stan

 

[K-teto]

Rumor has it that Reesy is porting his DrMD to the GP2X ....

... but don't quote me h34r:

​

WHAT YOU SAY!?

 

[Blah]

GP2X has the same graphics hardware as GP32, but with some added features, so its backwards compatible. And the CPU takes the same code. So either way to go (port from Linux, port from GP32) is good.

 

[deadlychicken22]

well, i think that reesy is going to port his emulator, and considering how good it is on the gp32, i think that it would be better if the other devs ported different systems...

 

[shinneri]

Indeed, the GP32 and GP2X both have ARM processors, so I would assume that all that assembler code will make DrMD a relatively easy port.

Plus, Reesy has heavily mentioned MegaCD support, which is freaking great.

 

[second exodous]

Just because it's the same hardware doesn't mean it can run the same code. Take a computer for instance, if it runs windows then it won't run Linux apps, if it runs Linux it won't run windows apps(without WINE that is). Same thing here, GP32 has another OS which runs completely different code. I could be wrong, but these are arm chips, just processors, they don't run any specific code. But it really doesn't matter what Genesis emu runs on it, just as long as one runs. I bet eventually multiple emus of every system run on it. I know there will be some zsnes fan boy that goes through the trouble of porting it even though snes9x is already ported. Not that I don't like zsnes, it's what I use on my notebook, but it probably won't be easy to port to the GP2X.

Thanx,
Stan

 

[Hooka]

hmm, I'd much rather if reesy wanted to port DrMD that we sit back and let him rather than saying other emu's are "simpler" because simple doesn't get you the performance and quality that Reesy strives for (or atleast that's what it seems like/looks like to me)

 

[Reesy]

A simple port of a genesis emulator will run like crap, do you want to know why? Because it won't have Cyclone in it. Cyclone is the main reason DrMD runs at a useable speed.

If anyone attempts to port a emulator I would recommend taking the time to incorporate Cyclone into their release. Without it they will just be wasting their time.

Anyway DrMD will be an easy port, mainly due to the fact that I wrote it from scratch and know exactly how it runs and what needs to be changed in order for it to run on the GP2X. The major problem is that my rendering routines are optimised for the GP32's weird frame buffer layout (bottom-left to top-right) so I'm going to have to re-write them for the GP2X as it has a normal frame buffer ( top-left to bottom-right). This will also mean that the rendering routines for the GP2X will be massively faster than the GP32's because multiple horizontal pixels can be written at once, on the GP32 this was impossible.

Basically DrMD is going to be super smooth on the GP2X, I just wish I had some damm hardware to play with. Gimme Gimme Gimme...Now!

 

[craigix]

Do you want to take the risk reesy, with THOSE boards? Its not as bad as it once was.

 

[Reesy]

I'll wait....must be patient :rolleyes:

 

[second exodous]

I'm not saying that you shouldn't port DrMD, I'm just saying a ton of Linux hackers will probably get the GP2X and port their favorite emus I'm sure. I also wasn't saying that any of the above is better than your emu, I just mentioned that Gens pretty much emulated the 32x. I'm sorry if I offended you, I really didn't mean to, and I didn't know that you wrote DrMD your self. If I would have known that then I probably would have bet on your DrMD first, as the likeliness of any of the above emus authors will port it themselves, and it will take more time for people that don't know the code inside and out I'm sure. Sorry again.

Thanx,
Stan

 

[DaveC]

A simple port of a genesis emulator will run like crap, do you want to know why?  Because it won't have Cyclone in it.  Cyclone is the main reason DrMD runs at a useable speed.

If anyone attempts to port a emulator I would recommend taking the time to incorporate Cyclone into their release.  Without it they will just be wasting their time.

Anyway DrMD will be an easy port, mainly due to the fact that I wrote it from scratch and know exactly how it runs and what needs to be changed in order for it to run on the GP2X.  The major problem is that my rendering routines are optimised for the GP32's weird frame buffer layout (bottom-left to top-right) so I'm going to have to re-write them for the GP2X as it has a normal frame buffer ( top-left to bottom-right).  This will also mean that the rendering routines for the GP2X will be massively faster than the GP32's because multiple horizontal pixels can be written at once,  on the GP32 this was impossible.

Basically DrMD is going to be super smooth on the GP2X, I just wish I had some damm hardware to play with.  Gimme Gimme Gimme...Now!

​

This means that the scan line pallette switching raster effects will be possible on the GP2X version of DrMD at a good speed because you only will need to check for pallette switches once per scanline right?

This would mean all of the "water" would work in Sonic etc

 

[Reesy]

@second exodous: Hey no problem you didn't offend me, I was just sharing my experience. I think everybody should port their favourite emulators but if they want them to run a decent speed they need to consider the Cyclone cpu core. All emulators have different levels of compatibility, so the more emulators the better I say.

@DaveC: Yep it should all be possible on the GP2X, even though we'll probably find that 16bit mode runs just as fine on it as well. I will implementing both modes again so everybody will be able to choose but I think 8bit mode will be perfect.

 

[lubidog]

I reckon Reesy's DrMD is the most astonishing emu I have ever played. It not only runs well, but is SO user friendly that even I can just enjoy playing around with it.

So even if another Mega Drive emu came along, most of us wouldn't even bother sticking it on....

 

[onionfrog]

I agree entirely with lubidog...

 

[Reesy]

Yep I enjoy using DrMD as well but I've still got to get PGA golf working correctly. I might have a crack at that over the weekend.

 

[skeezix]

Being Linux, I expect a lot of dupes.. it'll be a 10 min port to bring over Charles MacDonalds Genesis Plus, or even Gens or others; but it'll take some time to do them well. So Reesy will do DrMD, while someone else might come in with something else.

Everyone knows I'm bringing my usual assault of Atari goodness, but maybe someone else will too; thats okay, I'll do mine away, since I like how mine work And if someone does it better, I can maybe rest

Good times ahead people.

(And, DaveC, before you ask; what makes GP2x great, even before its releases, is it doens't have the PSP community )

jeff

 

[DaveC]

I don't see you two guys being outdone for ALONG time on the GP2X as far as MD and Atari-ST. Both of you know those emus so well you could probably code them in your sleep. No lazy linux or PC port will touch your highly optimised code.

Reesy, when you get a hold of a project that you like you usually grind away until it is stunning. DrMD and DrSMS are so good it is scary. I never thought I would see MD running as well as it is on the GP32.

Skeezix, you will get Atari-ST running in a whirlwind 3-day non-stop coding session I bet You will probably have updates hourly for a while until you burn out.

I would say leave these emus to the professionals (you guys), I doubt anyone will touch you. I hope everyone else will do stuff that you don't like such as SNES, Lynx, etc. It is better to have alot of different emus rather than a bunch of attempts at the same ones.