Help me decide between GP32 and Zodiac

[roylazarovich]

Hello Everyone.

I was about to buy a brand new GP32 when somebody directed my attention towards the Zodiac... I'm now in a big dillema.

Here is the thing: I want a gaming device, specifically for emulation, I don't want a PDA nor will I ever use any of the PDA functions on the Zodiac, however, the Zodiac seems to me to better equipped to handle SNES emulation which I know might be a problem with GP32, also, the fact that the Zodiac has 4 buttons as opposed to just two on the GP32 makes it easier to play SNES and Genesis on it.

If I knew SNES is 100% possible on the GP32 I wouldn't have been looking at the direction of the Zodiac, possibly NEOGEO and GBA emulation as well.

Another point is the fact that Gamepark is a tiny company and there is no gurantees that they will stay alive for long, also I've heard some bad news about dust and particles behind the screen (resulting in poor installation of the front light), to top it off I've heard that some GP32's can overclock to 156MHz while others can't, so you basically buy a cat in the sack, with Zodiac I'm guranteed 200MHz.

Please help me decide, if you have any estimations about the possibility of SNES\NEOGEO\GBA on the GP32, or any other piece of information that might make my decision easier, if the difference between the two systems is not significant emulation-wise, I'd prefer to go with the cheaper system (GP32) as money IS an object.

Thank you in advace.

 

[Steve-O]

GP32 is Much Much Cheaper thats the good thing..

 

[LeeT]

Plus you would have to wait for emulators etc to be released for the Zodiac, which will take a while...

 

[hercule18]

First,

I think you can forget the zodiac.

Even if the screen is smaller i think the real "fight" is betwin the N-gage and the gp32.

So if you want to see divx, plays old games(tons of), mp3 emus and only few recent games
the gp32 is your console.

But if you want recent games with big editors like E.A., thq..., easy developing platforme (java), mp3, phone, buy the N-gage.

I think the zodiac is too expensive.

I europe i think you should be able to have the gp32 for ~150€ (100£-150$)
For the N-gage i don't the price all over europe but , here in france you will be able to have it for 60€ (40£-60$)

Bye

Hercule

 

[Evil_Cartman]

First at

I think you can forget the zodiac.

Even if the screen is smaller i think the real "fight" is betwin the N-gage and the gp32.

So if you want to see divx, plays old games(tons of), mp3 emus and only few recent games
the gp32 is your console.

But if you want recent games with big editors like E.A., thq..., easy developing platforme (java), mp3, phone, buy the N-gage.

I think the zodiac is too expensive.

I europe i think you should be able to have the gp32 for ~150€ (100£-150$)
For the N-gage i don't the price all over europe but , here in france you will be able to have it for 60€ (40£-60$)

Bye

Hercule

You are the first one that i heard on this board praising the ngage.

And, get GP32. Zodiac is a 20-second-fad... Mebbe tapwave wont even allow programmers to code for it, and they would come in serious trouble if they made the emulators... <_<.

 

[giffel]

If you want proper snes emulation, just wait where its first released. For the gp32 version some degree of assembly coding will be needed for sure and there are not so many people out there who are able to do that. So dont buy gp32 if you want a handheld snes until someone sits down and does it right.

Other than that, everything you buy now will be obsolete once sonys psp will be out (next year supposedly).

N-gage is really only for kiddies and the screen resolution is not able to cope with any emulator. Additionally, the screen is in portrait orientation which doesnt really fit nicely to emulators.

 

[roylazarovich]

Is the PSP open-source as well and will have emulators on it? if not it's not really a consideration for me.

Can anyone tell from experience what it's like to play SNES games on current emulators on the GP32? are they anywhere near playable?

Basically, if SNES works well on the GP32, and I know many other lesser consoles already work well, than my decision is easy: GP32, I know it will never be able to play NEOGEO but I don't really mind as long as SNES is supported.

Also, are the two buttons a limit in playing SNES games or has there been any work around?

 

[Rambozo]

Everyone *assumes* the PSP will be an open platform, but I don't see it happening. Sony has been burned by piracy before, something that plagues open platforms. Besides, it uses UMDs, a weird proprietary media. There's no UMD drive for your PC, nor is there enough memory in the PSP to store a game, so I really doubt it will be open platform.

It's money, not your whole life. Suck it up, stop being so scared of spending a little dough, and buy that GP32. Get non-FLU if you're so afraid of dust particles.

 

[extremegamer]

Just a reminder, the gp32 as 4 action buttons not 2, l & r, and also the select button is not that far from the other buttons and possibly could be used in SNES emulation, so then you'd just have 1 button missing.

 

[craigix]

I think the battle is definately between the Zodiac and the GP32, the whole idea of both of the systems is pretty much the same, the GP32 was there first though and thus has more software.

The Zodiac might give you an extra 33-44MHZ but remember it has to also run its palm OS behind the emus, which is going to have a footprint of some kind slowing things down.

Remember no one has actually tried to seriously make a SNES emu on the GP32 all we have are 2 ports of SNES9X - one of which is very very quick (zars). So I think there is no doubt that a custom made snes emu would be full speed.

Obviously since I'll be selling the Zodiac and GP32 I will support both consoles and i'm already mulling over seeing how doom/heretic compiles, but aside from the bigger screen on the zodiac there isn't much in it at all when it comes to emulating the old systems.

I believe the NGauge is already dead as far as serious gaming and emulation goes, its slower than the GP32 and its screen could never work with emulators (its smaller than the GBA screen!) and even on its games looks horrible, and whats with having to remove the battery to change a game...

I think the PSP will be closed source and more for kids/people who are not interested in emus, mp3 etc.

-Craig

www.gbax.com

 

[roylazarovich]

Remember no one has actually tried to seriously make a SNES emu on the GP32 all we have are 2 ports of SNES9X - one of which is very very quick (zars). So I think there is no doubt that a custom made snes emu would be full speed.

I think you just answered my question, up until now I only heard that the SNES emulators are very sluggish, but if you say there is one that works very well than I don't see any point in shelling the extra bucks for the Zodiac.

Does anybody have anything else to add to this debate?

 

[Bohica]

I think you just answered my question, up until now I only heard that the SNES emulators are very sluggish, but if you say there is one that works very well than I don't see any point in shelling the extra bucks for the Zodiac.

Does anybody have anything else to add to this debate?

Hi Mate - just seen your post on Zodiacgamer as well, it's not suprising the the views on that site where pro Zodiac in the same way the views here are pro GP32.

Essentially, you are getting more bang for your buck with a Zodiac. It's expandable in ways the GP32 isn't, has access to a strong existing library of Palm-compatible apps and games and has licensed products that I doubt we'll see on the GP32.

However, the GP32 is a great unit for the price - providing you buy it for the right reasons.

I'm a big fan of 8-bits - that's my generation. Having near-perfect Atari, C64, Spectrum, Colecovision and PC Engine emulation is why I have a GP32. I don't need anything above that.

However, if 16-bit consoles are your thing...

The SNES emus are nowhere near pefect. Some games run OK, but for most you're talking about a frame-skipped soundless experience at the most - don't get your hopes up. So if SNES/MegaDrive is your bag, I don't think the GP32 is going to be right for you, where as the Zodiac has the power to deliver a better 16-bit console emulation experience.

I also don't believe it's a flash in the pan unit, but I don't believe it'll be particularly mass-market. Face it, the GP32 and Zodiac are going to be eaten alive by the marketing campaigns for PSP and GBA. But we know when we're buying machines such as these we're not buying them for retail titles, we're buying them predominantly for emus and top quality home-brew work (saying that, I'm looking forward to Neverwinter Nights on Zodiac).

Personally, I'm lucky, I'm going to get a Zodiac to sit alongside my GP32 (as soon as I can get one in the UK (any news Craigix)?

It's a difficult decision to make. Try listing the five things you must be able to do/play on your machine - and see which one is most likely to be able to deliver.

 

[giffel]

there is NO playable snes emu at the moment even though for instance intelecto was working on one for more than half a year (with his self proclaimed assembly skills). So I would say somebody tried seriously.

- sony psp is not open source, yadda yadda.

So what? Same holds true for xbox, ps2, gamecube and all are used for home development. the psp will have a memorystick slot, so there should be enough space for homebrew stuff. Im pretty sure that everybody and their grandma's will jump on the psp once its out. It will probably have the power to emulate all the things properly where the gp32 is struggling at the moment.

So dont buy anything and wait for the real deal if you are low on budget.

 

[shotaway]

i have a gp32 and love it to bit's....
i would consider getting a zodiac when it has a few more games/appz and emu's behind it..(i love the tony hawk's games and the zodiac version look's quality)...
but at the moment i think the price is a bit to high

i use the snesx9 emu on the gp quite a but and think the speed's ok..i play with no sound and this dosen't bother me to much..(playing sensi and final fantasy 4 at mo)

i also play a lot of mp3's on it...(anyone want to buy a minidisc?)...
quality's quite good on 128kbit's....(throug headphone's,not speakers)

homebrew game's...ok
pd one's...ok
gpcinema...quality

with the european realese thing's can only better...(maybee capcom game's)
and that cool 3d engine...(i see it somewhere)

saying that...the zodiac has a good 3d engine...(back to the tony hawk's game)
and the game's are quite good...back to the tony hawk's game...again)

someone please help me to decide!!!

 

[Bionic Bill]

Hey Roy, recognize you from AGS. That said, you're also probably interested in the SCUMM port, which works pretty well. I've played through DOTT and Sam & Max(which has one error which requires you to copy over a save from your computer). I don't know about the rest of the SCUMM library. Also, DJWillis is working on adding OGG support so we can convert the huge voice files to fit on an SMC.

As far as SNES goes, I regularly play Chrono Trigger, Donkey Kong Country 1, Super Mario World w/o sound at frameskip 3, using the 166mhz version of snes9xgp. The LCD display's blending makes the frameskip not so noticeable as it would be on a monitor or tv. It is still very very far from perfect. Some games are too slow to be playable, and some games just plain don't work. Especially the games with special chips like Starfox, Mario Kart, Megaman X2-3.

Basically, the decision should probably come down to how much money you want to spend. Keep in mind that both require you to buy extra things. GP32 needs rechargable AA's, SMC card(s), carrying case. Probably just need to buy an SD card with the Zodiac.

There's no denying that the Zodiac is a better machine in theory. No one's actually touched one yet, so in the end my advice is to wait if you've got the extra $100-$200 for a Zodiac. It could very well be a LOT better for SNES, but there's really no way to know. If you really gotta have portable SNES now, then your only option is the GP32.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

The n-gage is a joke. It has marketing $$ behind it, and that's all. Stupid taco.

The GP32 is a toy. It's designed as a toy, like the GBA. I love toys. We have a GBC, a GBA and a GP32 at our house. For custom written games and 8 bit emulators, the GP32 ROCKS!

That said, I'm also getting a Zodiac. It has a big, clear, good res front lit screen. It has a custom ATI video chip and a Yamaha audio chip. It has an analog joystick, four game buttons and two triggers. It has SD and SDIO slots. It runs ~19,000 Palm apps right out of the box. The bluetooth, 200mhz CPU and 128mb RAM is just icing on the cake.

All around, it's better than the GP32. It's also twice as expensive. Kind of like the GP32 is better than the GBA and twice as expensive.

As to emulators, many are already under development. Development is wide open. Anybody can sign up as a developer. A set of instructions to code with gcc is already out. A lot of thing that "almost work" on the GP32 will run fine on the Zodiac. I think the video chip will make a *LOT* of difference.

The ability to play 30fps+ Divx videos is nice too.

 

[ralp99]

my two cents

1. if you can.. just WAIT! thats a pain in the butt and could take awhile, esp. as the "promised" SNES emulator surely won't be available for months after release (in any state). Well that's my guess anyway, for all I know someone's getting one ready for launch, but that would be a big surprise.

2. shell out now for GP32, give it a test drive. if you are satisfied with it, cool. if not, try to sell it used on the bay or something, and take a loss. Maybe you've burned $20-30 at that point, so that's maybe not too appealing.

my take on GP32 emu's - which I've spouted sev. times before, but what's one more..

I bought the system because of the very well-done SMS and PCE emulators for it. Snes was a lot better than I expected, overclocked it's pretty enjoyable (though some games are just not fun to play in this fashion). Genesis is a real tease too, as it's almost perfect 156 MHz overclocked with the current version (and compatibility is 50-50). Still some problems (grafx garbage, too dark).I am sure we'll see each shape up over the course of the system's lifespan. NES emulation is also very nice, and Atari 2600 is a cool added bonus.

If these Mame rumors become true to a decent degree, then I will swear up and down by the thing... keep an eye on that!

 

[Gm4n]

Another opinion.

I bought a GP32 about 6 months ago after some serious will I/wont I debate and to be honest I am very happy.

My unit is the non-flu which is Ok but I would prefer the option of the light although saying that the screen is pretty damn good, as for emulation I would say that now, Master system, Nes, GB, GBC, C64, Speccy, Atari ST and a few other systems I have probably forgotten are at the point where they are pretty complete. PC Engine is great too though lacks save states which for some games Wonderboy III especially is a major bummer.

As for SNES and Megadrive well I have tried both genesis is looking pretty promosing, a bith rough at the mo but with a bit more work.... SNES for me personally with sound (I hate playing games without) is not quite there yet but who knows in the next few months.

Not forgetting the Doom conversions, absolutely superb, sound music saves the works.

A decent MP3 player.

Moviepark for movies is cool as well ideal for futurama etc. haven't actually tried a full movie though, never got enough room left on my SMC. (Haven't tried GPCinema yet but would imagine it could be even better.)

The Zodiac seems to be a bit better in all areas and could be a really cool peace of kit (IF it is open source and gets a community as good as this behind it.)

It is However going to be very expensive, all in with charger and batteries SMC and GP32 it cost me about £150, the zodiac 2 with a 512Mb card will probably cost £500 in the UK.

Saying that if I had the cash I would probably get one cause I kinda want a PDA and this looks like the one to get, plus a boy can never have too many gadgets.

Sorry this was such a long and probably boring message but hope it will convince some more people to join our excellent community.

 

[roylazarovich]

As far as I know the Zodiac IS open-source, I've heard that Ryleh has pre-ordered a Zodiac and is going to port his emulators to it.

Several post I've read suggest that CPU speed is only a small part of the emulation, would anyone care to explain this? if it is a small part than it might not be worth buying the Zodiac to gain 1 or 2 FPS difference.

Than again the Zodiac has a dedicated graphic chip and a sound chip, how well will these two add to the speed of an emulator in your opinion?

 

[Dozer]

As far as I know the Zodiac IS open-source, I've heard that Ryleh has pre-ordered a Zodiac and is going to port his emulators to it.

Several post I've read suggest that CPU speed is only a small part of the emulation, would anyone care to explain this? if it is a small part than it might not be worth buying the Zodiac to gain 1 or 2 FPS difference.

Than again the Zodiac has a dedicated graphic chip and a sound chip, how well will these two add to the speed of an emulator in your opinion?

I hope we dont lose ryleh. Most of his work is so close to being perfect. I know im just bein selfish but i hope he doesnt stop his work on the gp in favour of the zodiac.