Slagger's Summary...

[Rayek]

So, here's the deal.

I've been away for a while due to me being internet-less since roundabout February (nasty break-ups tend to shift things a bit...) and I've been craving some development news for months. I've been playing the GP2X nonstop, kind of blindly without this community constantly reminding me to update apps, join in on some nasty flame wars, or buy some unnecessary crap from the official store, and the like. I'm feinding for news so much that I'm stealing the net from some unfortunate in my apartment building, and typing with a Wiimote... Nuff said.

Anyway, I can't really search these very active message boards on the Wii, it would take months of searching to find anything. What I'm asking for is a nice summary of what's happened this year in the community...

Have I missed a lot, or nothing? A good version of Space Harrier playable yet? And I don't fully understand what happened to one of the Gameparks, I don't even know which Gamepark it was... How is the PSX emulation coming? Any more ambitious projects started? Updates to the firmware? Anything, really.

takk.

 

[zodttd]

PSX emulation is coming along fairly well imho. With a 250/266MHz OC you can play a nice interlace 0 + sound game of Abe's Oddysee with the latest release Build 072407 at http://www.zodttd.com ...Most games are still either slightly too slow or way too slow, usually not much inbetween. Intensive 3D games are still the slowest, but more and more 2D games are becoming playable. Especially shmups and puzzle games.

 

[Rayek]

Thanks... Any hope for the more 3D-inensive ones? One of my dreams is playing MGS on the GP2X... I actually bought a Playstation from the local Goodwill (yes, I went against my Sony boycott, but hey, they didn't make any money off me, so, whatever...) just to play MGS...

 

[mth411]

Also, a fullspeed CPS2 emulator (puzzloop2, capcom tennis, dimahoo, ...fighting games), full speed dual core version of neogeo (gngeo beta 11), full speed but beta with glitches for final burn (lots of shumps), and a good gba emulator (mostly fullspeed on ver 0.9bx2)

Then there are all the good homebrew(sqdef, fishy, ruckman) from the gbax competion, a zipped version of egoboo, and of corse zodttd's great psx emulator!

 

[Rayek]

Thanks, once I get the internets on my PC, I'll be checking all of that out... Especially great news about the fullspeed Neo Geo... And dual core to boot? Did we finally figure out how to do that? And fullspeed GBA? Nice. I have missed a lot. Anything else?

 

[Rayek]

Wait, I just stumbled on a video on YouTube of a Sega CD game running? Who, what, when, how? I thought some naysayers said it was impossible? What? I'm so crazed... What about 32x? Still impossible?

I'm so excited right now.

 

[sand_man]

Yep, Notaz owns PicoDrive which is a full speed Sega Genesis/SegaCD emulator which also uses both cores. Most games are full speed at default clock rate too
(not 32x yet, no big loss imo )

 

[Rayek]

Yes big loss, considering the 32x is one of the only places to get an arcade perfect Space Harrier... Not to mention the alright Knuckles Chaotix, which would be nice portable.

 

[Miika]

Yes big loss, considering the 32x is one of the only places to get an arcade perfect Space Harrier... Not to mention the alright Knuckles Chaotix, which would be nice portable.

I think he said "NO big loss imo". I think the 32x sucks big time, a failure from SEGA.

 

[foleyjo]

Yes big loss, considering the 32x is one of the only places to get an arcade perfect Space Harrier... Not to mention the alright Knuckles Chaotix, which would be nice portable.

I think he said "NO big loss imo". I think the 32x sucks big time, a failure from SEGA.


It wasnt that bad. It just came out too late and cost too much. Oh and you also needed an extra power supply for it. Playing a 32x mega cd game ment you needed 3 big bulky power supplys that wouldnt fit next to each other in an extension.

 

[Cervante]

The PSX has a good library of 2D games, due to the 2X hardware I hope these games get done first before the 3D games. Im one of the misfortunates that can only clock to 250Mhz

 

[Rayek]

Regardless of everyone's 'feelings' for or against the 32x, people I'm sure thought trying to emulate the Mega CD was a huge waste of time, and look at what Picodrive apparently does. All I asked about was if people thought it was possible, especially since we can now dual core the thing. And it wouldn't necessarily be bad if someone tried, nor should an effort to do so be considered a 'waste of time'.

 

[TelcoLou]

See my sig to learn about the most awesome thing on the planet.

(seriously, that's how I describe it to people who've seen it in person and give me the "WTF??" look )

 

[Ravnos]

Regardless of everyone's 'feelings' for or against the 32x, people I'm sure thought trying to emulate the Mega CD was a huge waste of time, and look at what Picodrive apparently does. All I asked about was if people thought it was possible, especially since we can now dual core the thing. And it wouldn't necessarily be bad if someone tried, nor should an effort to do so be considered a 'waste of time'.

People thought Sega CD was a waste of time because they didn't think it could be done. Notaz pulled a rabbit out of his hat and proved it could. The 32X is considered a waste of time not because it's impossible, but because it's just not worth the effort for 2 or 3 ok games. I have all the 32X games on my XBox, and even though I really wanted to like them, they just weren't up to the level of most of the classics on the Genesis and Sega CD.

If someone wants to take a crack at it, there's nothing stopping them but I think you'll have a tough time finding a taker for such a project.

 

[Shadowsithe]

"Kolibri: Arguably the best hummingbird based shooter for the 32X."

 

[Rayek]

I understand that bit about it being tough to get someone to code a 32x emulator, but in light of the recent development of a Sega CD emulator, shouldn't that be the next question to ask? I mean, really, all I want it for is Space Harrier, so I guess even from me there isn't much of a demand for it, but you guys act like nobody would benefit from it, or that we already have adequate emulation of the systems that people "actually play", so why move past that? I think that an emulation community should welcome and encourage a diverse range of systems, and not call certain efforts, or future efforts as 'a waste of time'. I have little to no use for C64 emulation, but I didn't say that an attempt to get the games portable was a stupid effort. I've been told by many communities that a lot of people code emulators because it's a challenge, not (at least with some) so that what they produce will make the masses happy.

Also, from what I've learned from retrogaming is that every game and/or platform has its moments, and trying to find them is part of why I delve into gaming's past. It's a great feeling when I happen upon a long forgotten great, and I actually enjoy it. One example was B.C. Racers for the 32x. A complete Mario Kart ripoff at first glance, it sucked me in for a good hour or so before I knew what was happening.

All I'm saying by all of this is that we're (I hope) a diverse community of people who either enjoy coding, retrogaming, and/or portable media, and I'm sure we all like seeing the wonder that is this system growing by the hour. Every type of forumer listed could benefit from any effort made in the way of a 32x emulator, or any emulator for that matter. 'Sall I'm saying.

To TecoLou
I haven't even heard the buzz about the official B.O.B. yet, or really know how it sucks, or if if does, even. Seems neat, tho

 

[Shadowsithe]

Space Harrier's already emulated on a few consoles. SMS, Genesis, I wouldn't be surprised if the arcade one runs. Even then, the 32X Space Harrier isn't even all that good. We say no one would benefit because... no one would benefit. The work that would be involved is in no way proportional to the payoff to support the 32X.

Most people here are European. They love their weird computers... C64, the Spectrum. To them, obviously not a waste of time, since I'm sure half the people here owned one of those derelict machines, that and there's... good games for them.

If it's a matter of looking for a challenge... there's still plenty that people will actually appreciate, like GBA, and PSX, SNES, and Final Burn Alpha. Really, you're probably one of the only people of the thousands who own a GP2X that would want 32X emulation. Two or three games isn't worth it.

 

[Rayek]

The arcade one doesn't run. And I think it's funny that you suggest I play severely crippled versions of the game on consoles already emulated, then call the near arcade perfect 32x version 'not all that good'. Seriously, I'm a Space Harrier freak, nothing short of arcade quality will suffice, really.

Okay, so 32x 'not worth it', so no luck there (god, look how easy pleasant exchanges turn into crap on the internet), what else is new? SNES emulation getting better? How are we using both cores now? Any good homebrew? What's the deal with the official dock? Why did GP go under, no more XGP on the horizon?

 

[TelcoLou]

I can offer up some info about the Commercial dock/BOB (known as the cradle):

It requires a 5v adaptor, center positive ... which confused many of us; some folks even fried their boards by using a center-negative adaptor (the official GPH adapter for the '2X is 3V, center negative .. so why did they choose to use a completely different adaptor for the Cradle??? We STILL don't have a definitive answer)

There's design flaws as well; the power switch is covered by the docking part, so is the USB port. The rubber covering the EXT port needs to be removed (I.E. cut off) in order to sit inside the dock. There's been some advice to use a dremel to cut away some of the offending plastic :lol:

Unfortunately, it seems like the DEV. BOB is no longer available (in my case, I snagged the last one available from Play-Asia).

 

[Rayek]

So if I don't have the dev B.O.B., then I'm stuck with the commercial one? Honestly, I've been waiting for an easy way to play the GP2X with my friends/show movies to people on the TV from the GP2X without having to plug crap in every time, so it seems like an OK idea, considering the Crucible can't ve made by me.

One question about the B.O.B. USB connectivity: How many emulators/apps actually use them, or allow people to use them?