Time To Come Back ?

[Alpha2]

I started a thread about a month ago asking what people wanted to se "rescued" from one platform to the other and from what I can tell the only things that might be in jeopardy is... probably Lynx and even that has a pretty good chance of being ported once the hardware is avalible.

A lot of the possible linux open source applications duplicate things we have and and some devs have stated commitments to port things like Fenix.

 

[woogal]

To get backwards compatibility you would probably have to run the gp32 app at the same speed it did on the gp32 to avoid any possible timer issues, so it's likely you would get no speed increase at all. Even if this wasn't the case, with porting people will try to use the second processor to handle some of the load, resulting in much better performance than a gp32 app running a few mhz faster but through a compatibility layer. Compatibility is a bad thing. It encourages laziness.

Oh, and don't worry about quake. You'll be seeing a quick port of that soon enough . Then I need to see what that second processor can do to help speed things up even further.

 

[Gruntfuggly]

Well your enthusiasm is starting to rub off on me, so although I'm not going to buy one just yet - sounds like I'll have to get one pretty soon...

 

[timeslip]

Well your enthusiasm is starting to rub off on me, so although I'm not going to buy one just yet - sounds like I'll have to get one pretty soon...

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Def gonna buy one, as soon as the snes and amiga emulators are out!

they dual processors should dish out enough power to do both decently,

(something my axim x30 can kinda almost do) but godamn it if playing anything other than rpgs with the sorry excuse for a pad is a bloody nightmare

 

[OrR]

About commercial games: Sure we won't even get the crappy Tony Hawk, Spyhunter or Madden ports the N-Gage and Zodiac have. But we also don't want them. Maybe the GP2X won't even be attractive for most full time independent game developers in the beginning. However there are two things still easily possible:
-Hobbyist games. Sure, you might not be used to paying for these and many are Tetris clones and not worth any money. But there are also some, even many, awesome exceptions. Being able to get a little money for their effort is a lot of motivation for developers to polish and enhance their game and put more time into development of further games. A positive side effect is that commercial games get taken more serious by the gaming press. Gamespot will not care about SmashGP. However, they might care about a version with the copyright stuff removed being sold for 10$.
-Easy ports. PocketPC games are already in the right resolution, Linux games are already on the right OS. The GP2X is very easy to develop for, a quick port might be put together in days with some games, making it still worth the effort even with a small audience.

 

[DaveC]

Just about every major GP32 (and from other scenes) developer is getting a GP2X and is excited about deving for it.

Devs generally are not as close minded as users. *ahem*

So relax. Backwards compatability is not really as important as some of you think. In a year's time, probably much less, you won't even think of it anymore. There are a LOT of apps planned for GP2X by a lot of talented people.

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Well that is true for the most part but there will be some stuff that will slip through the cracks.

The Lynx emu is a good example. I have not seen Tuskenraider around here and have no idea if he plans on getting a GP2X or not. He did so much to get it to run well on the GP32. Handy is one emu that if just ported from PC code will run like shit on the GP2X due to its bloated code. I would hate to lose Lynx so I will have to keep the GP32 around for that.

If there was backwards compatibility I could then run Lynx etc on the new system.

 

[OrR]

Ah, I want Lynx!

 

[Alpha2]

the best we can do is hope Tuskanraider gets his hands on a 2X and does it or if one of the other Devs gets a hold of the source and ports it. actually I think Handy is open so it'd just be a matter of porting the original source.

 

[DaveC]

the best we can do is hope Tuskanraider gets his hands on a 2X and does it or if one of the other Devs gets a hold of the source and ports it. actually I think Handy is open so it'd just be a matter of porting the original source.

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The point is Handy is bloated and will run like shit on the GP2X. Remember the very first ports of handy to the GP32. It ran like 2 FPS with NO sound. So with the added power of the GP2X a straight handy port will be double as fast at 4 FPS with no sound

The thing is Tuskenraider did alot of optimising and massaging to get to where it is now at full speed AND sound at 166. The sound is slightly slow but still not bad considering.

It would be nice to have Tuskenraiders port ported to the GP2X and NOT PC handy.

It is too bad there arent more coders that are Lynx fans. It would be great if this emu was ported and optimised to run full speed with sound on the GP2X.

 

[Alpha2]

Yeah I guess you have a point on that, he knew what was required to speed it up and he probably didn't document it for other people. Though I'm thinking, would a port of a port really be tha efficient? Wouldn't a custom port be favorable? It probably wouldnt even need to use both processors.

 

[DaveC]

Yeah I guess you have a point on that, he knew what was required to speed it up and he probably didn't document it for other people. Though I'm thinking, would a port of a port really be tha efficient? Wouldn't a custom port be favorable? It probably wouldnt even need to use both processors.

​

Well the GP32 and GP2X have alot in common as they are the same CPU etc. The port to GP2X would need modification to run but the core code would be similar. That would still be much more efficient than the PC version which is too sloppy.

 

[DaveC]

Ah, I want Lynx!

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Maybe find a cheap GP32 BLU on ebay, that may be your only chance

 

[Esn]

To get backwards compatibility you would probably have to run the gp32 app at the same speed it did on the gp32 to avoid any possible timer issues, so it's likely you would get no speed increase at all. Even if this wasn't the case, with porting people will try to use the second processor to handle some of the load, resulting in much better performance than a gp32 app running a few mhz faster but through a compatibility layer. Compatibility is a bad thing. It encourages laziness.

Oh, and don't worry about quake. You'll be seeing a quick port of that soon enough . Then I need to see what that second processor can do to help speed things up even further.

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woogal, are you planning on fixing some of those bugs in BtAL (you know - from my review that was deleted when some person hacked GP32World but will hopefully be back again soon on a new website)? Also, have you thought about porting YAFL? I simply love that program.

Actually, I really hope that some of the GP32's commercial games would be ported. I'm particularly wishing for Blue Angelo - that game looked incredibly awesome (despite the bad translation from French to English), but the price was just too much for me at the time. It would be really cool if it were somehow ported to the GP2X and put up for payable download for a more affordable price (like $20 or something). It looks like Shibuya's and VirtualSpaghetti's site has gone down though, so perhaps that's just not feasable. :mellow:

 

[woogal]

woogal, are you planning on fixing some of those bugs in BtAL (you know - from my review that was deleted when some person hacked GP32World but will hopefully be back again soon on a new website)? Also, have you thought about porting YAFL? I simply love that program.

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It's been that long since I played BTAL on the gp32 that I can remember what the bugs were . It will get ported to SDL soon ready for the gp2x, and as SDL is now also stable on the gp32 I'll fix any bugs and the gp2x and gp32 versions will become the same (and of course with it being SDL it will also become available for windows/linux etc). There's also a half finished port to J2ME that I might release someday (I normally learn how to code for a new platform by porting BTAL - it's more interesting than hello world ).

As for YAFL, I'm waiting to see what comes on the gp2x as standard. If I don't like the built in launcher then YAFL might get ported. If the built in one is good enough then I won't bother. Got very little spare time these days and there are plenty of other things that I want to write.

 

[OrR]

Ah, I want Lynx!

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Maybe find a cheap GP32 BLU on ebay, that may be your only chance

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That would be as pointless as using a real Lynx system which I already do...

 

[idigital]

Which is why I'm dissappointed that there's no backwards compatibility.

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What's the fascination with backwards compatibility? The Amiga wasn't backwards compatible with the Spectrum, but I don't remember many people being disappointed by that. We were more excited about what the Amiga could offer us that the Speccy (bless it's little rubber keys) wasn't capable of.

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Ah, ok I know this is rather silly and a bit pedantic, but as a long time c64 devotee and coder I have to say something...

Amiga = Commodore

Spectrum = Sinclair

The two are traditionally deadly enemies and should not even be mentioned in the same sentence :rolleyes:

Commodore did actually make an attempt at a computer with similar specs to the Amiga that had backwards compatibility with the c64 (equivalent of the spectrum for people that had class), known as the c65. This was never released and was one of the projects that drove Commodore into the ground.

Years later the brand was picked up by some cheap European company and stuck on a cheaper pc with a c64 emulator. Then they went bust, sold it off to another company that made some more crap who eventually sold it on again and now you can buy a c64 in a joystick that plugs into your TV.

Um, moral of the story? Backwards compatibility isn't worth killing yourself for.

Or something. Thankyou. B)

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to at least being able to use the line based Frodo emulator on my GP32 when it arrives...

Is there any chance at all a better emulator could be ported to GP2X such as Vice or CCS64? That would be nice.

 

[Cyclops]

The point is Handy is bloated and will run like shit on the GP2X. Remember the very first ports of handy to the GP32. It ran like 2 FPS with NO sound. So with the added power of the GP2X a straight handy port will be double as fast at 4 FPS with no sound

I remember someone critasising an amiga emulator for being 7 fps and no sound.

Well the GP32 and GP2X have alot in common as they are the same CPU etc. The port to GP2X would need modification to run but the core code would be similar. That would still be much more efficient than the PC version which is too sloppy.

No its not it has a different CPU, and other hardware, and 2D scaling.

Maybe find a cheap GP32 BLU on ebay, that may be your only chance sad.gif

Or maybe the GP2X will have many more ports than the gp32 had comsidering its familier development enviroment and choice of ports. Most protected by GPL.

 

[DaveC]

Ah, I want Lynx!

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Maybe find a cheap GP32 BLU on ebay, that may be your only chance

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That would be as pointless as using a real Lynx system which I already do...

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Not really pointless. The GP32 BLU has a MUCH better screen with like 6X the contrast over the very washed out screen on the Lynx. The GP32 is smaller and lasts twice as long on 2 AA batteries than the Lynx did with 6 batteries. Then you could have every game on one card and not have to swap out or carry a bag of carts like a real Lynx.

 

[OrR]

Ah, I want Lynx!

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Maybe find a cheap GP32 BLU on ebay, that may be your only chance

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That would be as pointless as using a real Lynx system which I already do...

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Not really pointless. The GP32 BLU has a MUCH better screen with like 6X the contrast over the very washed out screen on the Lynx. The GP32 is smaller and lasts twice as long on 2 AA batteries than the Lynx did with 6 batteries. Then you could have every game on one card and not have to swap out or carry a bag of carts like a real Lynx.

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You've got a point... But the feeling of the original device is awesome and the screen isn't really that bad. Still not worth getting a GP32 for. If I'm at home I'll prefer the original, on the move I'll take my Zodiac and my GP2X, one device too many already...