VideoGame_Discussion

I love my Mega SG. I'm on the email list for when the Duo comes out. Not much of a handheld guy but I agree the screen looks fantastic on the Pocket

The Duo looks sweet. I just signed up. Why is everything they sell out of stock? Supply chain issues still a problem?

I don't think supply chain is the only issue. They've long had issues with supply before the pandemic.

At least now, the pre-ordering is not prone to bots just buying up everything.

I was able to snag a Pocket pre-order in the most recent round thanks to their new queue system.

I'm hoping they do the same for Duo.

Re: Pocket Unchained

So far, these cores have been unlocked on the Pocket: GB/C/A, SG1000, SMS, GG, NES, SNES

Genesis/Neo Geo are in the works.

The cores will work with a dock so essentially, the Pocket can be Mega SG, NT mini and Super NT in one.

It's hard to understate my glee in having a portable FPGA-based NES and SNES. The fact that Jotego has his sights on the platform too is really reassuring news for lots of awesome arcade ports.

Renaissance2K wrote:

Yea, I don't think people realize how good this is. I took it for a test drive, it is excellent.

Only other feature I really want would be the sleep/resume(suspend) function.

The Spiritualized cores (GB/C/A, SMS) do support it, so I think it's only a matter of time.

Sleep/Wake requires save state support.

Most of these user-submitted cores are based on the MiSTer versions. If MiSTer has save support, the Pocket eventually will as well. If not, one of the bigger MiSTer contributors - either the PlayStation core or GBA core guy - said it's really hard to retrofit save state before if you didn't have it in mind from the start.

Wow, these are pricey

Admiral wrote:

They are pricy but fpga is the best emulation technology out there.

benstylus wrote:

Quizzle! Can anyone name lone Analogue console that doesn't use FPGA technology?

Analogue NT

Lunar wrote:

I'll certainly accept that since it is correct. Though, I was actually looking for another answer. Any other guesses?

That wooden Neo Geo console they made used actual MVS guts, correct?

Renaissance2K wrote:

Yup! That's it! That's the one!! But, bonus points to @Lunar for remembering what I'd forgot.

I haven't had time to look into the light mods for the NGPC yet, so looking forward to the NGPC adapter. Duo would be lovely too.

I think it's only a matter of time for NGPC to be unlocked as a core

For my money, I'd prefer to spend $100 on an emulation handheld vs $1000 for an FPGA.

Granted, I should have preordered the Pocket NT when I had the chance at regular price...but in the market today, that's simply too much for a video game handheld.

Admiral wrote:

Enjoy your imperceptibly inferior gaming.

Admiral wrote:

Where are you getting $1000?

benstylus wrote:

Lunar wrote:

There were a couple that went for that much, but you are right I'm seeing more like $500-$700 depending on condition. Point is still the same

benstylus wrote:

Ignorance is bliss, as they say.

But hey, enjoy what you enjoy, no judgment here.

None of them cost 1k. I prefer to use the price analogue sells for to cite what they cost. Though the fact that they go for over that in the aftermarket says something about the quality. A shame that they can't keep up with demand.

Lunar wrote:

Thanks, I shall. Just poking some mild fun at gaming snobs who sneer at using anything less than the 100% best equipment available.

People who talk about their setup like most people would talk about their children.

To this I say... many of the folks who developed for older consoles did so with the understanding that their games would be viewed on crt screens through standard AV cables or even (GASP) an RF switch.

Who are we to say that blurriness and interlacing wasn't the intended way to play these games (especially N64 games hahaha)

1. It's ok to love your set up as well as your children.

2. re: developer intent: who are you, or anyone to say what they intended?

3. You don't use RF the same reason you don't use sundial anymore to tell time, or a typewriter anymore to type a word document, or a horse carriage to commute, or go to the outhouse to take a piss.

Lunar wrote:

I'm benstylus.

In all seriousness though, there are visual tricks developers used with interlacing and dithering and stuff that isn't really noticeable until you play it on the so-called better equipment, and it looks markedly worse on modern TVs. I would posit that the developer's intent was for those visual tricks to work correctly or they wouldn't have programmed them.


I use fountain pens, so I can still lay claim to old fashionedness thank you very much.

You're talking about upscaling. But the RF vs composite example makes no sense. You still wouldn't use RF because composite is better, and you should really use S-video because that's better still. But then you can use component(best) with most systems out of the gate on a CRT with component outputs.

Why do you prefer suffering?

The analogue pocket does not use a CRT screen as far as I know. Why would you want to suffer through playing SNES games like that when they were made for CRT?

Note I'm making pointless arguments just to show saying how silly being a hardware snob is. The games are fun either way, almost no matter what your setup may be.

It's actually better on a smaller screen such as the Analogue Pocket truth be told.

Man, a "hardware snob" must have left some deep scars within you.

Lunar wrote:

Not specifically hardware snobs, but any kind of snobby/gatekeeping behavior just immediately gets me into ocular gymnastics.

😂 kinda like telling people the right way to emulate?

Anyway, liking better hardware doesn’t mean I need to convert you to the same dedication level as me. No one is like “Hey you should only be playing on Analogue Pocket, because it’s the best.” It’s more like “Hey Analogue Pocket is an excellent device to play older games portably.” There’s no gatekeeping of any kind. You’re swatting at ghosts.

Lunar wrote:

Sorry, but I don't see being anti-piracy as gatekeeping or snobbery.

You could argue that the companies themselves are gatekeeping by not keeping their games in print (either physically or digitally), and I would probably agree with that to some extent

Especially because I am very much for companies re-releasing their older titles via emulation on modern systems.

I want all games to be affordable and available to anyone. Well, almost all games. There's a whole genre I wish would just go away and I will be extremely snobby about that if pressed.

It's not gymnastics when it's very apparent. All you have to do is plug in two side by side. Not everyone will care and people can play how they want but it is very apparent.

NESC and cheap emulation handhelds being trash doesn't mean people won't enjoy them it just means I won't buy them.

benstylus wrote:

That's the irony here.

Anyway, to wrap up this pointless debate, no one said you NEED to play FPGA, but better and higher quality hardware exist.

Lunar wrote:

The real irony is thst for the longest time people were snobs about playing on original hardware compared to cheap emulation machines.

Now that FPGA exists and is way more expensive than original hardware in most cases, people can't get enough of it.

benstylus wrote:

I guess we are continuing. Who are we talking about here?

Original hardware is still good. As far as people in my retro circle, everyone who has Analogue machines still have most of their original hardware.

Original hardware rules. I use it for everything except Sega Genesis. I use the Mega SG there because collecting Genesis carts does not spark any joy.

I mean if the argument is, well look at all those OG hardware snobs flocking to FPGA, then yes, whatever it is you’re claiming, you’re right. Cheap emulation machines still suck.

My point is only this - the cost/benefit of FPGS makes it not worth it for me. Yes, I have multiple mini consoles, but I also like them for the look of the unit.

Emulation is REALLLLY good right now. Almost not noticeably different than FPGA...but the cost is 5x as much.

Admiral wrote:

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.

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.

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.

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

Gypsy wrote:

:o

:,(

Lunar wrote:

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.

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.

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.

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?

I’m guessing parts and components don’t come as cheaply anymore and they need to focus on Pocket and (hopefully) Duo’s release.

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...

I’m just spitballin’ here: a dock for the Pocket with cart slots? Thoughts?

My new Turbo Express

image

Finally, after a year since I ordered it.

image

Lunar wrote:

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

Too bad DAC support isn't up yet. Who knows when sigh.

Lunar wrote:

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.

Looks like Analogue silently pushed the Duo to 2023.

Not surprising.

Lunar wrote:

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.

Duo Pre-orders today.

Get em!

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.

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

flamingtoastjpn wrote:

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

Lunar wrote:

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

Lunar wrote:

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

Renaissance2K wrote:

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.

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.

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.

ChronoLe wrote:

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

flamingtoastjpn wrote:

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.

Prob a long shot but if anyone has a Super NT and wants a Analogue Pocket, let me know.

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.

You can buy riser adapters for GBA (Boktai) games so their sensors are visible.

@Lunar Did you ever get your Game Gear adapter? If so, positive thoughts or general concerns?

ChronoLe wrote:

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.

ChronoLe wrote:

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

ChronoLe wrote:

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.

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.

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

In the past two weeks, we got The Simpsons and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade cores as well.