Retro Gaming Megathread: Disconnect from the present, and Go back to the nineties.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Retro Gaming Megathread: Disconnect from the present, and Go back to the nineties.

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Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

"Many collectors prefer using the Retro Thread Mini/Model 2 for its compact form factor and improved visual clarity. Others claim that the brick-like, impenetrable nature of the original was part of the authentic experience." Nice OP

Also I modify decades-old game systems to look like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1McMnnTyd1U

Monitor Burn fucked around with this message at 12:18 on Aug 1, 2016

# ¿ Aug 1, 2016 11:38

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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 03:16

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

UnhandledException posted:

It looks like I've broken another NES. One died of static electricity shock when I tried to reset it, my latest console is showing wavy lines of interference consistent with what people say is a bad capacitor. Are there any trustworthy repair places? Are they even worth repairing, or should I just buy another doomed console?

The repair videos looked beyond my abilities and equipment. That box with all the caps looks impossible to remove from the board without a pro desoldering gun and soldering iron.

I also have a Colecovision in dire need of refurbishing, if they also handle those.

I could take a look at it if you want. You don't have PM's, so just send me an email at monitorburn at gee mail dot com

# ¿ Aug 2, 2016 05:49

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Is there any mod to isolate the original GBA's audio circuit from interference yet? I know the GBA doesn't have great audio to begin with, but the background static and noise is pretty distracting when using headphones. (Also the beeps when the EZ Flash IV loads up a rom).

# ¿ Aug 4, 2016 00:44

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Rirse posted:

I got a question on the flash carts. I see some entries on Amazon and ebay for "Chinese Edition" of the Everdrives. Are these bootlegs, or just another name for the devices since they come from China?

Actual Everdrives come from the Ukraine, not China. Bootlegs also have the added bonus of not being able to update the firmware on it without buying a new one.

Support Krikzz, he does good work: https://krikzz.com/store/

Or from here if you want to buy from a US store: http://www.stoneagegamer.com/flash-carts/nes/cartridges/

Monitor Burn fucked around with this message at 03:28 on Aug 4, 2016

# ¿ Aug 4, 2016 03:17

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Rirse posted:

How long does it take to get a cart from him anyway? That the main reason I was looking at these.

2-3 weeks, but you can also buy them from the US store I linked above.

# ¿ Aug 4, 2016 03:29

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Scaramouche posted:

I think this is the first time since the tube guitar amp era that I've heard "get the eastern european version it's more legit"

I find it funnier that we are discussing the authenticity of flash carts.

# ¿ Aug 4, 2016 05:58

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Paper Triangle posted:

Anyone got a recommendation for a good screwdriver kit for console repair? I need to take apart my Wii U gamepad and it needs those "tri-tip" screwdrivers, and rather than just buy the two I'd need I'd rather get a bunch of them and not have to buy any more for the foreseeable future.

"Tool Kits" for these types of tools tend to be low quality, I'd recommend finding them individually as the cheaper ones tend to strip:

Triwing:
https://www.amazon.com/Eclipse-Mina...ing+screwdriver

Nintendo Gamebits:
https://www.amazon.com/Security-Scr...MJ8D0T09AV4F9G4

# ¿ Aug 5, 2016 18:11

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

wa27 posted:

The "game-bit" Nintendo bits shouldn't strip easily just because of how they are designed. I'd just get the cheapest you can with those.

I went through 2 of the cheap ones before buying the ones I linked. The metal was soft enough that the inside of the bit completely rounded out.

Paper Triangle posted:

Are there recommended or trustworthy brands, or is it a crapshoot even within certain brands? I don't really want to pay $5 each for two screwdrivers (need a #0 and a #1).

$5 is a pretty good deal for a tool that will last more than 2-3 uses.

I mainly look for tools that have some info on the type of steel they are made from, and just look at reviews otherwise. Usually cheap tools won't have any manufacturing info at all.

Monitor Burn fucked around with this message at 21:35 on Aug 5, 2016

# ¿ Aug 5, 2016 21:32

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Caitlin posted:

How do you even break a metal screwdriver even if it's a cheap one when working on small form factor stuff like this? I have a set of cheap bits I put together from Chinese eBay resellers for like .99 a pop and they're still fine. Not top quality or anything, but they get the job done.

The metal was softer than the screw and the teeth in the bit bent sideways? To be fair I do get more use out of these tools than most people, and sometimes the screws require some force to remove, especially with PC Engine hardware.

# ¿ Aug 5, 2016 21:40

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Uncle at Nintendo posted:

Don't know how this flew under everyone's radar but the Final Fantasy VI CD audio MSU-1 hack has come out.

It is in beta but I am going to try it on my SD2SNES and report back!

Also the installer for it is incredible. All you need to do is point to the ROM and the installer downloads the patch, patches it, and even gives you five options for which soundtrack you want to use for the game (I went with "developer's recommendation" though the few remixes I have been able to find by FinalFanTim have been incredible).

I have no idea why that thread only has 4 pages. It should be a thousand pages with everyone of them thanking him profusely for working on this.

Did you run the SD2SNES .ips patch fix before running the Dancing Mad installer, or is that part of the automatic install? The installer crashes the instant I select an .ips-patched rom, but runs fine on an unmodified rom.

# ¿ Aug 12, 2016 14:02

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Doc Morbid posted:

While my CRT has pretty good image quality, I'm getting just a bit frustrated with the geometry issues (which are apparently something this particular model is known for) and have decided to just get a scaler. Is there anything decent that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, or do I just skip paying rent next month and buy a Framemeister?

Is it a Sony Trinitron? If you have the remote you can get into the service menu and fix the geometry directly.

# ¿ Aug 13, 2016 09:53

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Doc Morbid posted:

the crux of the problem is that the TV tries to automatically adjust the image settings based on what's onscreen at any given moment (not to be confused with the dynamic aspect ratio thing, which is obviously turned off) and you can constantly see the image slightly adjusting itself

You were able to deal with that for 3 years? That would have driven me nuts in less than an hour.

Yeah I'll also make the suggestion to replace that TV with a standard 4:3 SD CRT like an early 00's Trinitron. "EDTVs" that came out between the SD and HDTV era are terrible at displaying anything besides 480p, pretty much. Give it a try before dropping $300 on an upscaler anyway, the draw of an old CRT is supposed to be that it "just works" and doesn't require changing your settings every time you connect a new system.

# ¿ Aug 13, 2016 12:39

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Nate RFB posted:

God I forgot how much I can't stand soldering. Getting these batteries out is torture. Star Tropics was particularly arduous because the tips were bent over and I couldn't get the smaller one turned back up right so I could pull the battery out. Hopefully I'll just get better at it as I go as I have like 15 more SNES games to do. I feel like I should get a clamp, so that I can put the soldering iron on the backside and pull the battery at the same time on the other side.

I've found that it's easier if you cut the tabs/solder blobs flush before desoldering them. Same goes for most through-hole components if you don't plan to use them later.

# ¿ Aug 23, 2016 04:19

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Someone asked about old game boxes a while back in the thread; here's mine that survived from the 90's (other than UN Squadron which I found boxed on Amazon a few years ago):

Also, these boxes scuff up very easily. A lot of the wear on them comes from being stored in a shoebox and moved around for 10+ years, so I picked up some protective cases for them, which also lets them sit on a shelf easier.

Only console box I still have is the one that came with the AV Famicom I got from Buyee/Yahoo Auctions. I like that the back is just instructions on how to connect it to a TV:

Also I finished up an Ultra HDMI N64 mod for TheHouseofM, 2D art looks a lot better without the blur filter:

I captured some footage of Mischief Maker's attract mode/intro with 5x integer scaling and Deblur enabled: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7epF4JMk1w

Monitor Burn fucked around with this message at 22:35 on Aug 26, 2016

# ¿ Aug 26, 2016 22:30

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

8-bit Miniboss posted:

Hard enough that you can't buy it for DIY directly from the maker. Only known installers can buy it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I0eS4Qe2LM

Yeah, I think the guy's overstating the difficulty a bit, its no worse than doing a NESRGB or Hi-Def NES mod as long as you have steady hands and a magnifier. Hopefully they are more widely available soon; I still haven't been able to order any.

RZA Encryption posted:

Woooow that looks super good.

Hey, do you happen to have any of Tim Worthington's "Fine pitch DAC adapter for N64RGB" lying around? I need to get one, but the distance it will have to travel is making me put it off, which makes no sense because now it'll be even longer before I get one. It'd be neat to buy one off someone already in the US.

I don't, but the DAC adapter does qualify for the budget $5AUD shipping service (as does the N64RGB itself). Do you already have the board and just need the adapter?

# ¿ Aug 27, 2016 04:03

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Nate RFB posted:

Apparently of all things it's the "Game" mode of my TV that's causing my N64 visual glitch The problem went away as soon as I connected the thing to another monitor/TV, and anything I tried on the original TV (XRGB, S-Video, even Composite!) had the issue. But setting it to something like "Standard" instead of "Game fixes that...at the expense of a lot more input lag which kind of really blows.

I can't remember which one it is, but I know there is some setting on the XRGB-Mini that fixes sync issues like this. I was having a lot of problems with my XRGB and certain displays until I toggled it off.

# ¿ Aug 30, 2016 01:54

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

The Milkman posted:

Has anyone gotten the BitBoxes from Stone Age Gamer? Curious if the case and printing are worth what they're asking. They're a little pricey but I only have a few dozen carts across NES/SNES/N64 to do. And the SNES games I may just keep in my one of these (and if there are people actually paying $140 for this loving box I'll gladly sell it to bankroll the cases). I've been ripping and packing away my now seldom used DVD collection which has freed up a ton of shelf space. I've been able to consolidate my disc and 3/DS games in that vacant space with more room to spare. It'd tickle my lizard brain to also have my carts there boxed up similarly, everything in its right place.

I'd recommend Custom Game Cases over Bit Boxes, as they seem to be more durable, cheaper, and the NES ones fit the larger manuals for games like Final Fantasy:

http://www.customgamecases.com/#!nes-details/cs3c
http://www.customgamecases.com/#!online-store/c1m9j

They also sell them with cover art if you don't want to print out your own, and is run by one of the TheCoverProject.net contributors:
Apparently they just released their SNES case but its pre-order only.

# ¿ Sep 5, 2016 09:02

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Edit: actually looking at the new pictures, it looks like there are broken traces on the board due to it being flexed and cracked in several places.

Monitor Burn fucked around with this message at 22:10 on Sep 11, 2016

# ¿ Sep 11, 2016 22:06

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

falz posted:

I think I have this, I bought a shitload of snes sports games for .50 each and was just going through them today. Was going to sanity check donor purposes before doing so, such as if any had special chips.

I'd be interested in sending you a few bucks for a donor shell for a Wild Trax/Stunt Race FX board if you have one. It would just need to fit a full-sized game board (with all 3 contact sections) and have one or more metal ground clips.

# ¿ Sep 12, 2016 03:14

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Made a US cart shell for my SD2SNES and installed light tubes for the power and data LED's. Haven't decided if I want to change the label yet.

# ¿ Sep 12, 2016 06:33

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Star Man posted:

Leave it. It's the perfect metaphor for someone that has such a thing.

Well now I wish I had given Kevin Mccallister red and green LEDs for eyes instead.

# ¿ Sep 12, 2016 10:03

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

That's weird that the HD Retrovision cables work with the Genesis and N64, but not the SNES. I wonder if the HDTV is reading the Genesis as 480i somehow.

# ¿ Sep 20, 2016 00:29

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Discount Viscount posted:

I have a small HDTV I got from the thrift store for 50 bucks and it handles the SNES and N64 signals well. Doesn't look any worse than a CRT to me, possibly because there's minimal tech fuckery being done to the signal. Alternately, I may be Mr. Magoo.

I do need to get an actul quality S-video cable for those systems, though, if I ever track down a source for cheap third party ones that aren't just composite going through a different plug. Any leads?

This S-video cable is properly wired and shielded, and I've seen nothing but good reviews: http://www.ebay.com/itm/131782319627?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

# ¿ Sep 22, 2016 09:49

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

There's a lot of terrible cheap "S-Video" cables on Ebay that are just unshielded composite cables with S-video plugs.

I recommend these cables. They are actually properly wired and shielded, and don't cost $$$ like monster cables: http://www.ebay.com/itm/131782319627?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

# ¿ Sep 27, 2016 02:57

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Drowning Rabbit posted:

Got my SNES power cord in early today instead of Saturday. gently caress yeah! Plugged it into a new to me TV that I got from a cousin randomly, and nothing but a black screen my heart dropped.

So my square soft games FF3 and Secret of Mana worked fine, but for some reason MMX, Zelda LttP, and Super Mario World didn't work for me. I ended up hitting them in a little more securely and now they work without issue. It made me concerned for the pins though. I have heard about replacement pin sockets for NES, I assume there are ones for SNES?

I assume that my 12 year old self was rather rough with plugging games in, then doing a hard "tap" on the top to socket it in. I always loved the eject lever though.

Yeah its just gunk on the cartridge contacts; switching them out that much scraped enough dirt off for them to work. I'd recommend cleaning all your carts with alcohol and q-tips.

# ¿ Sep 29, 2016 03:04

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Rirse posted:

Thinking of getting the SFC30 for the NES/SNES, but I am curious on how the buttons are on the NES? Are they mirrored on the Y/X and Shoulder Buttons, or they just don't work there? I was reading up more on the dogbone controller, but the part about how the buttons are angled makes games where you need to hold both A & B down sound like a pain on it, which that would be the same case on a SNES controller.

I don't know about the SFC30, but when you use an original SNES controller on a SNES-NES controller adapter, it uses the Y and B buttons for B and A inputs on the NES, so you can still jump/shoot comfortably without moving your thumb. X, A, and the shoulder buttons aren't used at all.

(SNES controller is the best NES controller)

# ¿ Oct 25, 2016 08:12

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

iastudent posted:

Anyone have a suggestion for a component switch with dual outputs?

I bought one of these Impact 6x2 switches used a while back as it also supports optical audio. Currently I have my PS2, Gamecube, Xbox, Wii, and PSP connected via component, and the PS2, Xbox, modded SNES, PC, and HDMI splitter connected to the optical audio ports. You can either have the same input split to both output channels or a separate input for each output.

https://www.amazon.com/C2G-40697-Component-TOSLINK-Selector/dp/B000S1CEQ4

Edit: Well poo poo

# ¿ Oct 29, 2016 17:12

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Pretty sure someone else asked about this a few weeks ago; I picked up a copy of Lagrange Point and I'd like to install an EPROM with the English translation. Is there anyone who sells flashed EPROMs themselves, or anyone here with a programmer that could make one? I'm not quite ready to drop a couple hundred bucks on a programming setup myself.

# ¿ Nov 1, 2016 15:46

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Miles McCloud posted:

I can program one for you, email me at chortleatjokersboner@gmail.com if you want it. I think I charged the last guy $6, shipping included.

Thanks, sent you an email

# ¿ Nov 2, 2016 08:02

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Yeah they are about the same difficulty, just more desoldering work for the HDMI kit. The real issue with the HDMI mod is unless you already have a kit, there's a 2-3 month wait time to buy one. They are just finishing up testing a batch that was pre-ordered back between June and September, and they look like they be delivered in the next couple weeks or so. The NESRGB can be ordered from a US store and will ship to your door in less than a week: http://etim.net.au/shop/shop.php?crn=207&rn=536&action=show_detail

# ¿ Nov 3, 2016 14:11

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

NikkolasKing posted:

Well drat. I hear Component is good too but RGB is supposed to be the absolute best I think?

For the purposes of playing retro games they are functionally the same, and an old CRT TV is ideal for retro consoles all the way up to the PS2. If you plan on playing SNES or Genesis on the TV, you can pick up Retrovision Component cables for those consoles when they come back in stock: https://shop.hdretrovision.com/collections/component-cables

Otherwise you can get S-video cables for most consoles, which looks almost as good. But yeah, it would be easier to give advice if you stated which consoles you own/plan to pick up.

# ¿ Nov 4, 2016 13:04

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

univbee posted:

It comes up every so often, and does, in fact, work, as it forces the metal pins to expand and return to their original "tight" position. The front-loading NES has a bad design that inevitably fails, which can be mitigated a bit if the connector is tight enough and you don't push the cartridge down (that's what wrecks the connector).

Its more that it breaks loose the 30 year old gunk on the pins so you can scrape it off with a spare SMB/cleaning cart. I usually still have to re-bend the pins after if it isn't making contact.

Also, don't let the connector sit at the bottom of the pot while the burner is on or the connector's plastic will warp.

# ¿ Nov 11, 2016 18:09

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Did a thing today (just a composite mod):

# ¿ Nov 16, 2016 09:15

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Code Jockey posted:

Anyone in the Seattle area have a dead NES they'd like to sell me? I think I want to be That Guy and stuff my RetroPie setup inside one.

[I refuse to sacrifice a working NES for this]

I have a spare NES with no mainboard if you want it. I'm in Portland, so shipping shouldn't be too much. I can get some pictures once I get back home this weekend.

Kid Fenris posted:

I have two of these, and they get the job done. They're mostly full of DVDs now, but when I used them for game storage they fit everything (except for upright U.S. Saturn cases, though I stack those horizontally anyway). They're not super-sturdy, and I wouldn't move them when they're full, but they're compact and the doors keep out sunlight, pets, the devil, etc.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005...torage+cabinets

Yeah, Atlantic shelves are pretty sturdy; I picked up these for UGC and DVD case storage:
https://www.amazon.com/Atlantic-Dra...tic+media+shelf
https://www.amazon.com/Atlantic-384...=atlantic+shelf

# ¿ Nov 23, 2016 09:39

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Code Jockey posted:

This would be awesome. I'm actually coming down to Salem for Thanksgiving, so I could always pick it up on the way back Sunday if you're available?

Sure, sent a PM

# ¿ Nov 24, 2016 02:22

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Just order the board and make your own grey cart shell:

# ¿ Nov 26, 2016 19:23

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Nate RFB posted:

I've been sitting on various twitters and e-mail newsletters and sites for any kind of update on N64 UltraHDMI mods for months now and haven't seen a peep Either it's all happening under the table or the PCB boards just really haven't been getting made or sent or whatever.

Yeah, I haven't received any availability updates from the guy in almost a year. I'm guessing that its easier to ship to a small number of bulk purchasers than individual orders to the general public. It's too bad as the graphical options like disabling blur make a noticeable difference.

Fortunately, it looks like Tim Worthington's N64RGB board can be programmed to support the Deblur function for similar image quality over RGB. There's also MikejMoffitt's upcoming N64 board so at least there are some decent options that are widely available.

N64RGB Deblur discussion:
http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=56988&start=180

Monitor Burn fucked around with this message at 15:17 on Dec 1, 2016

# ¿ Dec 1, 2016 15:10

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

I would blow Dane Cook posted:

Is deblur the same as disabling AA with gameshark codes?

Edit: here's a better comparison from the linked thread: http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=56988

"The blur is not just anti-aliasing. It's a horizontal 50% blur. The N64 outputs a 640 pixel wide image, even if the backbuffer is 320 pixels wide, and it doubles the backbuffer's width to fill the line. The appearance is an "off by half pixel" blur done horizontally. Correcting it produces a sharp 320px wide image. The scene's rendering and use of AA shouldn't affect it.

Because the blur is exactly 50% "between pixels", that means every other column is a 100% intact part of the original 320px image. So, if we simply drop the blurred columns (odd columns) and re-use the good columns (even columns) we have a restored 320 pixel image. Naturally there is zero lag in this technique.

Here is a before and after comparison, with Super Smash Bros - a game which uses AA. Patched games are an expensive option because all the flash carts are pricy, and not all games have patches."

Monitor Burn fucked around with this message at 15:36 on Dec 1, 2016

# ¿ Dec 1, 2016 15:25

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

I would blow Dane Cook posted:

Ok but is it the same as deblurring with a gameshark code?

The gameshark code removes anti-aliasing, which is separate from the blur effect. Here's what an UltraHDMI-modded N64 looks like with AA and the blur filter disabled:

Ideally you should be able to get the same picture with the new custom firmware on the N64RGB and a decent upscaler like the Framemeister.

Monitor Burn fucked around with this message at 23:23 on Dec 1, 2016

# ¿ Dec 1, 2016 23:14

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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 03:16

Monitor Burn: Nov 29, 2001; No clever to be found here

Alucardd posted:

At least it sounds like the OSSC https://www.videogameperfection.com/products/open-source-converter/ will be a pretty good cheaper alternative early next year once they have the digital audio board out.

Between this and the Retro AVS, I don't understand the recent trend of homebrew projects supporting 720p but not 1080p. Can you even buy a 720p native resolution display any more?

The whole selling point of eliminating input lag is lost when you have to use your TV to convert 720p to 1080p.

Monitor Burn fucked around with this message at 00:36 on Dec 3, 2016

# ¿ Dec 3, 2016 00:31

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Retro Gaming Megathread: Disconnect from the present, and Go back to the nineties.

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