VideoGame_Discussion

Topic   Analogue - Duo, Pocket, Super NT, Mega SG, NT Mini

Lunar
GameTZ Subscriber 950 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (8)
* 28-Sep-2022(#1)
Discussion for all things Analogue.

Duo coming out soon, fingers crossed.

But for starters, let's take a look at Pocket.

NES and SNES unlocked.

As far as I can tell, there's no other comparison for FPGA on a portable screen.

It. Is. Good.

image
image


Lunar
GameTZ Subscriber 950 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (8)
* 4-Oct-2022(#41)
Admiral wrote:
> Emulation is REALLLLY good right now. Almost not noticeably different than FPGA...but
> the cost is 5x as much.

It should be clear by now, this varies from person to person. It's hugely noticeably different to some people. So there you have it.

If it's the same for you, that's good for you. Feel free to keep using the Mini consoles. Nothing wrong with that.

ChronoLe
Double Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally
4-Oct-2022(#42)
I don't have any of the pure emulation systems, but there have been neat features that have come from the community continuing to grind. For example, some systems make it really easy to back up your game saves for preservation when the batteries die out before a swap. Granted this was available on a limited number of cart systems back in the day in the form of backup machines like the Game Doctor, Super UFO, Wild Card for Genesis and Snes, but it was limited and expensive for most.

This has been a conversation ever since emulation began. My mindset is that people play/use different hardware for their own personal reasons. As long as they are happy with it, no harm no foul. Pirating/bootleg software is a whole different discussion that is often a side story to the emulation scene as well.
MondoCoffee
Silver Good Trader
4-Oct-2022(#43)
I'm excited to get mine sometime in the next year. I preordered at the beginning of the year. I was bummed when I realized the window is just 2023 instead of just Q1.
Lunar
GameTZ Subscriber 950 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (8)
5-Oct-2022(#44)
I pre-ordered the Pocket then came back immediate to pre-order the dock and the Game Gear adapter, the second order's fulfillment is alot later frown

Best1989
Global Trader - willing to trade internationally Peru
5-Oct-2022(#45)
Gypsy wrote:
> ...collecting Genesis carts does not spark any joy.

:o

:,(
Renaissance2K
GameTZ Subscriber Quadruple Gold Good Trader Has Written 4 Reviews
5-Oct-2022(#46)
Lunar wrote:
> I pre-ordered the Pocket then came back immediate to pre-order the dock and the Game
> Gear adapter, the second order's fulfillment is alot later frown

This is what happened to me. I think the stock for accessories during the second waves was much less than for the consoles, not just that it took longer for us to order them.


ChronoLe
Double Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally
18-Oct-2022(#47)
Systems will be back up for sale this month according to an email. Also, the Pocket Adapters are being sold in a bundle for $100 in a few days.
Renaissance2K
GameTZ Subscriber Quadruple Gold Good Trader Has Written 4 Reviews
18-Oct-2022(#48)
No word on the Duo. Looking more likely that the Pocket will get TG16 support before the Duo ships out. With the Turbo EverDrive Pro in early development, that may not be such a terrible thing.

Staraang
Triple Gold Good Trader
19-Oct-2022(#49)
Scalpers probably going to be all over these systems. Hope that won’t happen. I don’t understand why this has to be the final run. Is there not demand for these consoles?
Lunar
GameTZ Subscriber 950 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (8)
19-Oct-2022(#50)
I’m guessing parts and components don’t come as cheaply anymore and they need to focus on Pocket and (hopefully) Duo’s release.

Renaissance2K
GameTZ Subscriber Quadruple Gold Good Trader Has Written 4 Reviews
* 19-Oct-2022(#51)
A couple of theories
- They're going all-in on the Pocket since they can barely keep up with the demand for one of their consoles, much less the full lineup.
- They're going to release new versions that run off of Analogue OS.

Considering the Pocket is getting TG16/PCE support and we haven't heard a peep about the Duo, I'm leaning towards the former. A FPGA-based cartridge console with save state and game database support (like Analogue OS would provide) would rock, though.

Edit: Well, that was timely.

https://twitter.com/iam_agg/status/158277704268451...

Lunar
GameTZ Subscriber 950 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (8)
19-Oct-2022(#52)
I’m just spitballin’ here: a dock for the Pocket with cart slots? Thoughts?

Lunar
GameTZ Subscriber 950 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (8)
20-Oct-2022(#53)
My new Turbo Express

image

Lunar
GameTZ Subscriber 950 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (8)
8-Dec-2022(#54)
Finally, after a year since I ordered it.

image

Renaissance2K
GameTZ Subscriber Quadruple Gold Good Trader Has Written 4 Reviews
8-Dec-2022(#55)
Lunar wrote:
> Finally, after a year since I ordered it.

Same. I was surprised to see that the cool screen filters carry over as well.

Lunar
GameTZ Subscriber 950 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (8)
8-Dec-2022(#56)
Too bad DAC support isn't up yet. Who knows when sigh.

Renaissance2K
GameTZ Subscriber Quadruple Gold Good Trader Has Written 4 Reviews
8-Dec-2022(#57)
Lunar wrote:
> Too bad DAC support isn't up yet. Who knows when sigh.

While I'm disappointed it's not supported yet, it's less of a priority for me with regard to portables because none of these devices were ever intended for analog displays.

For the OpenFPGA cores, that's a different story.

Lunar
GameTZ Subscriber 950 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (8)
22-Dec-2022(#58)
Looks like Analogue silently pushed the Duo to 2023.

Not surprising.

ChronoLe
Double Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally
22-Dec-2022(#59)
Lunar wrote:
> Looks like Analogue silently pushed the Duo to 2023.
>
> Not surprising.
>
>

I know chip shortage is a challenge, and I suppose if you've followed the company for a while, then this type of delay is not news, but it's still a bummer to potential customers. From a business/hype standpoint, I would want to ride a wave of news not too long before release. For example, Grand Theft Auto series, at least for the last 2 releases, when they officially announced the game, it was typically released within that same calendar year, 6 months give or take? I can't recall hearing any news of Analogue showing off a prototype system or anything since the teaser. I also understand it is a small company, and resources may be limited.

On a side note, I wish we didn't have to wait another year for the Pocket bundle adapters after ordering, lol.
Lunar
GameTZ Subscriber 950 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (8)
19-May-2023(#60)
Duo Pre-orders today.

Get em!

ChronoLe
Double Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally
19-May-2023(#61)
Locked in. @Lunar Do you think they will hit their target ship date in 2023? Lol. If they do, I would bet a dollar it will be December 31st. Still waiting on the trio of Pocket adapters to ship out.
flamingtoastjpn
Silver Good Trader
19-May-2023(#62)
Analogue is kind of a “you’ll get it when you get it” sort of deal, I don’t believe the 2023 ship date for a second lol

Hopefully the duo is quality. I was really unimpressed with Pocket. Will be fun to revisit rondo of blood and try out some new titles since I’ve never had a PCE
Lunar
GameTZ Subscriber 950 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (8)
19-May-2023(#63)
flamingtoastjpn wrote:
> I was really unimpressed with Pocket.

What didn't you like about the Pocket?

@ChronoLe, I hope they do, but yea, it's likely going to be a delay into sometime in 2024

Renaissance2K
GameTZ Subscriber Quadruple Gold Good Trader Has Written 4 Reviews
19-May-2023(#64)
Lunar wrote:
> Duo Pre-orders today.
>
> Get em!

Got mine. Hopefully, it plays nicely with the Turbo EverDrive Pro.

flamingtoastjpn
Silver Good Trader
* 19-May-2023(#65)
Lunar wrote:
> flamingtoastjpn wrote:
>> I was really unimpressed with Pocket.
>
> What didn't you like about the Pocket?
>
> @ChronoLe, I hope they do, but yea, it's likely going to be a delay into sometime
> in 2024
>
>

A lot of stuff. The buttons are too mushy, it’s too easy to hit the sleep button by accident since it is right next to the volume rocker and the side buttons all feel the same, and the sleep function didn’t work well with some games for me. Also the dock software is pretty bad (maybe they fixed it since then)

It might sound like a nitpick, but the dmg form factor got left in the 90’s for good reason. It’s not very comfortable (in my opinion at least) and it breaks compatibility with the Boktai games, which is a damn shame since they’re some of the few games that you can’t really emulate to begin with due to the cool gimmick

The product would have been much improved (again, in my opinion) if they used the GBA form factor. Oh well though. At least the screen is nice and the second FPGA is a nice inclusion
Lunar
GameTZ Subscriber 950 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (8)
19-May-2023(#66)
Renaissance2K wrote:
> Lunar wrote:
>> Duo Pre-orders today.
>>
>> Get em!
>
> Got mine. Hopefully, it plays nicely with the Turbo EverDrive Pro.
>

Hmm, curious how it interacts with the Duo. If it's like the Mega Everdrive Pro, having a Sega CD attached actually hinders the booting of Sega CD roms.


Renaissance2K
GameTZ Subscriber Quadruple Gold Good Trader Has Written 4 Reviews
* 19-May-2023(#67)
I would hope that Analogue includes something that disables detection of the CD drive, but I have no idea how these things work and don't know how feasible that is.

ChronoLe
Double Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally
19-May-2023(#68)
Maybe something they can include in future firmware updates if enough people ask for it. Hard to tell if you're unfamiliar with the hardware and how it communicates with the CD drive. Itcould be super easy to implement or incredibly difficult.
flamingtoastjpn
Silver Good Trader
* 19-May-2023(#69)
ChronoLe wrote:
> Maybe something they can include in future firmware updates if enough people ask
> for it. Hard to tell if you're unfamiliar with the hardware and how it communicates
> with the CD drive. Itcould be super easy to implement or incredibly difficult.
>

FPGA’s are basically a sandbox for creating (inefficient) circuits. They don’t need firmware fixes the way most chips do. The developers can actually rewire the chip however they want

I’m not sure whether they’d want to do the work, but it can certainly be done

Breaking out the disc drive would basically only be used for piracy via the everdrive pro, right? Might be a little on the nose for analogue but they’ve certainly been cool with it in the past
Gypsy
GameTZ Subscriber 250 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally This user is on the site NOW (27 seconds ago)
20-May-2023(#70)
flamingtoastjpn wrote:
> Lunar wrote:
>> flamingtoastjpn wrote:
> |>> I was really unimpressed with Pocket.
>>
>> What didn't you like about the Pocket?
>>
>> @ChronoLe, I hope they do, but yea, it's likely going to be a delay into sometime
>> in 2024
>>
>>
>
> A lot of stuff. The buttons are too mushy, it’s too easy to hit the sleep button
> by accident since it is right next to the volume rocker and the side buttons all
> feel the same, and the sleep function didn’t work well with some games for me.
> Also the dock software is pretty bad (maybe they fixed it since then)
>
> It might sound like a nitpick, but the dmg form factor got left in the 90’s for
> good reason. It’s not very comfortable (in my opinion at least) and it breaks compatibility
> with the Boktai games, which is a damn shame since they’re some of the few games
> that you can’t really emulate to begin with due to the cool gimmick
>
> The product would have been much improved (again, in my opinion) if they used the
> GBA form factor. Oh well though. At least the screen is nice and the second FPGA
> is a nice inclusion

This was largely my experience with the Pocket. I sold it and never looked back.

I'd buy a GBA form (or similar) Analogue handheld system.
Lunar
GameTZ Subscriber 950 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (8)
26-May-2023(#71)
Prob a long shot but if anyone has a Super NT and wants a Analogue Pocket, let me know.

ChronoLe
Double Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally
30-May-2023(#72)
Did anyone order the Super NT or Mega SG during the last batch run? Wondering if there is any indication that they are shipping out soon.
FinalFantasyForever
Silver Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally Has Written 1 Review
3-Jun-2023(#73)
You can buy riser adapters for GBA (Boktai) games so their sensors are visible.
ChronoLe
Double Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally
12-Jun-2023(#74)
@Lunar Did you ever get your Game Gear adapter? If so, positive thoughts or general concerns?
Bighab
GameTZ Subscriber Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (13) Canada
12-Jun-2023(#75)
ChronoLe wrote:
> Did anyone order the Super NT or Mega SG during the last batch run? Wondering if
> there is any indication that they are shipping out soon.

I preordered a Super NT back on October 2022 and have yet to hear anything about shipment.
I have the Game Gear adapter for my Mega CD and it works well.
Lunar
GameTZ Subscriber 950 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (8)
13-Jun-2023(#76)
ChronoLe wrote:
> @Lunar Did you ever get your Game Gear adapter? If so, positive thoughts or general
> concerns?

I've not used it yet. Having a GG core before receiving the adapter really made it moot.

Renaissance2K
GameTZ Subscriber Quadruple Gold Good Trader Has Written 4 Reviews
13-Jun-2023(#77)
ChronoLe wrote:
> @Lunar Did you ever get your Game Gear adapter? If so, positive thoughts or general
> concerns?

I got one. Like the other native cores, the best reason to use it is the awesome screen filter. This will likely also be moot in the future once Analogue enables display modes on OpenFPGA.

ChronoLe
Double Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally
22-Jun-2023(#78)
Mega SGs and Super Nts appear to be prepped for shipping for those that ordered the last batch in 2022.

I was hoping they would get those pocket adapters out this summer as well, but it's looking like it might take us all the way to December until we see those.
Lunar
GameTZ Subscriber 950 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (8)
* 20-Aug-2023(#79)
Been a while since I messed with JB Pocket, looks like alot of the cores are getting fleshed out, Neo Geo, PCE CD, CPS, other arcade cores are all up and running smoothly.

Here's a good source with all the core links. Also, there's a good updater(similar to update_all on the MiSTer), if you just want to run that and check out everything.

https://www.timeextension.com/guides/all-analogue-...



Pair with a dock, you got yourself a Portable MiSTer-Lite



Renaissance2K
GameTZ Subscriber Quadruple Gold Good Trader Has Written 4 Reviews
* 20-Aug-2023(#80)
In the past two weeks, we got The Simpsons and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade cores as well.
Bighab
GameTZ Subscriber Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (13) Canada
16-Oct-2023(#81)
Got an email today for the Analogue 3D coming in 2024. The N64 is one of my least played classic systems since several favs have been released on the Switch. I will probably still buy one. Anyone else interested?

Topic   Analogue - Duo, Pocket, Super NT, Mega SG, NT Mini