Most liked posts in thread: What's new Pussycat too?

I agree 100% with your words, Paul. I've read your description of Astrobot (I will try it on the PS5 of my daughter) and I've found the same features I always notice when I see a piece of software running. Whether it's an arcade game or an adventure game, be it even a management software, sometimes you can feel how good work has been made behind the scenes, how good was the project and how good they managed to exploit the hardware or language features. It's just there in front of your eyes and you can almost sense the smoothness and the speed of the game/software. Same happens with some OSes or some hw systems, the fluidity of the scene, the smoothness of the objects, windows or sprite movements, the synchronicity of music and video on a demo. Just great stuff! And that's where the most fun comes out of. And, as you said, it is more fun to see how they made it (reading the code or a description of the sw techniques) or, if you're able to, modify the code. I'm 56 now and sometimes it still sounds like "magic" to me.

 

Thanks Daz, to be honest, I remember very well the first years of the 80s and the 90s where I used to work assembling PCs with a little company I formed with a friend, so I was always among DOS and then Windows configurations to run office and business software as well as DOS games, so I knew everything about config.sys, autoexec.bat, RAM management tools and utils, etc. I used to configure also other DOS shells like 4DOS (amazing!) and every kind of deviltry in order to optimize the systems with RAM, storage, peripherals, etc. Do you remember the floppy disk system modified to hold more than 360K, 720K, 1200K or 1440K? You could get 10 to 20% more room to store your file and programs. And so, the DOS/Windows systems are not so glamorous to me to reproduce them now on MiSTer... basically I am completely saturated with those systems... so I prefer weird or less famous computer systems like Oric, BBC Micro, ST, etc. But anyway, it's all about fun, and see that a single little box on my desk is able to reproduce such a lot of systems, is quite amazing! I'll go deep in configuring and playing around with it next weekend. Always a challenge to find enough time and enjoy these sessions, though!

 

Who needs 45 TERABYTES of games? Well, just about anyone, right?



The Arley4d project went from a repository of 37 to 45 TB in the last few weeks - of course it's all on the cloud - in the video above you can find a description and the link to the latest version of Emulation Station Desktop modified to download ROMs from the Net (cloud)

I've given a try and installed it - very easy thing to do - the package takes up about 6GB on Windows and has just about every system up to PS3 in it - game ROMs in ISO, BIN, ZIP and other formats are actually downloaded from time to time and you can even copy them as long as they are in the ES-DE \temp folder. Last systems added: C64, Amiga, XBOX, XBOX360, 3DO, Jaguar, etc.

Of course you need fast Internet connectivity and a decent CPU and a powerful graphic cart on your PC. And you're ready to go! A lifetime won't be enough to play them all!

 

Latest acquisition is a MK1 Megadrive and an Ali Express Mega Everdrive so I can finally get to play Shinobi again and Tsatsujin

 

Same setup as me Richie, nice. Hope you have lots of fun with it.

 

Welll done Richie, great find. After you talking about getting one the the other day as well, excellent stuff.

So what are the plans for the Arnold - memory upgrade, SD drive?

Also, didn't realise thhis thread hadn't been updated since August last year. Come one people, show us your new pussycats, or something like that

 

I aint had anything new is ages, as you know, I'm in shifting gear out mode (when I can be bothered to take pics and do the adverts). Good to see Richie getting a bargain. And also nice to see he still likes to tinker with the gear.

Was saying to Al that the only new machine I'd like these days is a PC Engine, a real one, not the mini version. Sadly the cost is silly. Shame, lovely selection of cracking conversions on it, R-Type is wonderful, so many great arcade titles.. Maybe one day..

 

As far as the CPC goes, I plan to get a Xilinx programmer and build some 512 or 1MB CPC RAM expansions next month. I fitted an external audio jack to the 464 so I can load in .cdt tape files so I have loads of games to go at - including Football Manager 2

 

Just for my info, I looked at how much a PCE was, I nearly fell off my chair. It and a TerrorOnion device will set you back hundreds..

Wow...Just wow...

 

Yeah, I like the simple white PCE, was always borrowing my brothers one, he had loads of HU Cards. Was a special little machine. The 'after' versions were ugly, compared. Still good machines but not as iconic.

PS, the state of the PCE's on Ebay is shocking, they look like they were dug out of a field, while their description is is 'good condition'. What is more shocking is that they are Chinese or Japanese traders, from looking at what Serena gets from the traders she uses, it's hard to tell the items were used.

We all expect a bit of yellowing, but these are just filthy...

 

The White PCE only has a J-NTSC RF output so it needs to be RGB modded. Whereas the Core GrafX and Core GrafX 2 have a composite out so you can use them out of the box over here. I quite liked the Grey and Orange of the Core GrafX.
What I would really like is a PCE Duo but they are really expensive now and the CD-ROM is a bit flaky now. On my PCE Mini there are a couple of SuperGrafX games, Dai Makaimura ( Ghouls and Ghosts ) Is one and to be honest I am not seeing a big difference but maybe I am comparing it to a SNES version on my SNES Mini.

 

All this talk of PC Engines. Might need to run some emulation later. And avoid my mates shop as he had a couple of import machines lol. Also got a PC Engine portable (GT?) in stock but think that is about £650! His latest Facebook looks like he is fully stocking the Atari+ range of consoles, games and joysticks....

 

BRILLIANT, DAZ! HAWAY THE LADS - bad day at the office today down at West Ham and without captain fantastic Xhaka, we looked a bit lost today. Let's hope he's back soon. Like you, love the old Kevin Tom's FM. Might have to get that one rebooted shortly.... on the Oric of course!

Great to hear that Rich has acquired a CPC464 once more - they really are class machines and cannot be overlooked when discussing iconic 8bit machines of the 80s - as Al jokingly said - but many a truth is said in jest - get ready to offload it again, Rich, once you've had yer fill and our man from across the border comes knocking!!

Good to be back - hope you're all well - maybe one day Paul will get his PC Engine too - hope so, mate - the Norwegian fjords were very nice by the way but you can't beat blighty for your retro kicks! Cheers, lads - catch you during the week and post a few Northern Leets pics - they were stunning and my Kodak instamatic didn't disappoint Oh, and even our boat was in the right colours, guys -

 

Looks quite chilly in the photo @Andy Barr We talked about going on one of those cruises to go around the Fijords and see the Northern lights.

 

Silent Service for the C64/128 is on Disk the other C64 games are multiload tapes ( ) The Atari Disk version of Fighter Pilot is complete and in mint condition so I have Tomahawk and Fighter Pilot on Disk for my Atari but now I need to find them on Disk for my Commodore 64.
I also picked up Academy and Hong Kong Phooey for the CPC as well this week - so I've been busy.

 

Some nice looking titles there Richie. I remember Fighter Pilot in particular. Good game back in the day

 

BOOTIFUL, Rich. I just lurve the big box war and flight sim originals from the 80s - the packaging, content and experience has never been bettered IMHO - wonderful to see - you have been a lucky bidder to win all those Well done, fella.

 

Some lovely purchases there, my main man, but especially nice to see is the Falklands 82 title for the Speccy - hope you get plenty of challenge out of it too, fella.

 

Cant remember the last time I used a 5.25 PC floppy. Didn't even realise there was an HD version!

 

I have been building some ZX Interface 2 carts this week....

 

GREAT WORK.
4 of my fave titles, Rich!
I'm interested if you have any of these Interface 2s for sale / game ROMs to go

 

Or this one..
ZX Interface 2.021 - Share Project - PCBWay

 

Well imagine using our Fred to review your software finds!
What's next, Uncle Jimmy doing the Fun School titles?

C'mon Baz, give us hard hitting stories like the time a boatload of refugees arrived from France on the back of an Oric Atmos power supply.

 

I've been changing out all my 74LS chips for faster and lower power consumption 74HC chips due to all the upgrades and mods I add which puts more load on the systems and possibilities of over resistance and capacitance, and faster helps with all the extra wiring and circuits to maintain proper timing and PHI2 issues that can crop up. Luckily some of my upgrades also create their own PHI2 signals to help stabilize everything too. But I still have 74LS's for back-ups in a pinch.Though I also make sure I have PSU's with the highest amperage too.

I think it's probably safer to buy small logic chips from China, like 74's, I suspect that most of the counterfitting and fake chips are done with more expensive IC's.

 

What? No pictures?