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[VGEsoterica]

Impossible is a funny word...some people see it and think "oh not worth trying" and others see it and think "oh a challenge"...and when everyone thought Nintendo 64 on MiSTer FPGA was impossible to be workable on the Terasic DE10 NANO's FPGA chip....FPGAZumSpass figured he would give it a shot. Nothing lost in trying right?

Well apparently Nintendo 64 in FPGA was SLIGHTLY more possible than impossible because if you load up the core today the large majority of the Nintendo 64 library is running at full speed, with full controls and like 90% of all the visual image processing included. Just missing AA and blur at this moment in time. Games like Super Mario 64, Banjo Kazooie and Donkey Kong 64 can be played from start to finish with full saving and other creature comforts you expect out of a real Nintendo 64...except in crispy HDMI out that only a modded original console could even hope to achieve.

Curious who's been playing the "impossible core" here on Gaf though? I cant be the only one

 

[linko9]

Pretty impressive. Hope the same will one day be said for PSX on the Analogue pocket, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[VGEsoterica]

Pretty impressive. Hope the same will one day be said for PSX on the Analogue pocket, but I'm not holding my breath.

I believe the logic used for PS1 on MiSTer exceeds the available LEs on the Pocket's chip

 

[KimDongHwan]

I will take the hit as the lazy one, but can someone translate all of the words on this for people (like me) who have no idea of what are we looking at:

• Nintendo 64 core
• MiSTer
• FPGA
• Terasic
• DE10 NANO
• FPGAZumSpass
• Analogue pocket
• available LEs
• Pocket's chip

 

[VGEsoterica]

I will take the hit as the lazy one, but can someone translate all of the words on this for people (like me) who have no idea of what are we looking at:

• Nintendo 64 core - code that recreates a Nintendo 64 on an FPGA chip. Core = build
• MiSTer - an FPGA device that runs a LOT of consoles/handhelds/computers/arcade cores in FPGA
• FPGA - Field Programmable Gate Array. Basically a computer chip that can be coded to become something new
• Terasic - manufactured of the board being used
• DE10 NANO - model of the board being used
• FPGAZumSpass - German programmer making the core
• Analogue pocket - a different FPGA device by a diff company
• available LEs - total amount of Logic Elements. Think of it as "You cant fit ten pounds in a five pound sack"
• Pocket's chip - The FPGA chip inside the Analogue Pocket

see above

 

[StereoVsn]

I will take the hit as the lazy one, but can someone translate all of the words on this for people (like me) who have no idea of what are we looking at:

• Nintendo 64 core
• MiSTer
• FPGA
• Terasic
• DE10 NANO
• FPGAZumSpass
• Analogue pocket
• available LEs
• Pocket's chip

• Nintendo 64 core - Miyamoto
• MiSTer - what you should preface Miyamoto,s name with
• FPGA - new Starbucks Frappuccino flavoring with Mario theme. Signed by Miyamoto.
• Terasic - new Dino Crisis game by Capcom
• DE10 Nano - cool looking cyberpunk jacket worn by MC in Terasic
• Analogue Pocket - inventory super power that MC has in Terasic
• Available LEs - Terasic Linited Edition
• Pockets chip - delicious hot pocket with fish and chips that Terasic MC keeps in their Analogue Pocket.

It’s super simple really.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

see above

 

[Dacvak]

I'm so excited to try this out. I still need to install the Saturn core and try it out, though. My MiSTer hasn't gotten much love this month.

 

[VGEsoterica]

• Nintendo 64 core - Miyamoto
• MiSTer - what you should preface Miyamoto,s name with
• FPGA - new Starbucks Frappuccino flavoring with Mario theme. Signed by Miyamoto.
• Terasic - new Dino Crisis game by Capcom
• DE10 Nano - cool looking cyberpunk jacket worn by MC in Terasic
• Analogue Pocket - inventory super power that MC has in Terasic
• Available LEs - Terasic Linited Edition
• Pockets chip - delicious hot pocket with fish and chips that Terasic MC keeps in their Analogue Pocket.

It’s super simple really.

Nice

 

[EverydayBeast]

N64 games are like gold anyone who witnessed one running in person knows those games don’t always start.

 

[Thaedolus]

Really like your videos man. One thing I’d say though: take your time with the narration! A bit hard to hear exactly what you’re saying, just take it slower. But I’m liking and subscribing

Edit and you do just that later in the vid so

 

[-Minsc-]

This thread has just introduced me to the very tip of an iceberg I never knew existed.

 

[SegaSnatcher]

Impossible is a funny word...some people see it and think "oh not worth trying" and others see it and think "oh a challenge"...and when everyone thought Nintendo 64 on MiSTer FPGA was impossible to be workable on the Terasic DE10 NANO's FPGA chip....FPGAZumSpass figured he would give it a shot. Nothing lost in trying right?

Well apparently Nintendo 64 in FPGA was SLIGHTLY more possible than impossible because if you load up the core today the large majority of the Nintendo 64 library is running at full speed, with full controls and like 90% of all the visual image processing included. Just missing AA and blur at this moment in time. Games like Super Mario 64, Banjo Kazooie and Donkey Kong 64 can be played from start to finish with full saving and other creature comforts you expect out of a real Nintendo 64...except in crispy HDMI out that only a modded original console could even hope to achieve.

Curious who's been playing the "impossible core" here on Gaf though? I cant be the only one

It was funny that the most vocal MiSTer community leaders and admins of the MiSTer Discord were the first ones to shoot down anyone who would ask if an N64 core would ever come to MiSTer.

"No it's not possible, I wished people would stop asking this." "No, it will never happen on DE-10 Nano."

Their comments definitely aged like milk.

FPGAZumSpass is proving it can be done with the right set of skills and passion.

I'll just leave this here.

 

[VGEsoterica]

hey look...it got even better lol

 

[the_master]

Now, to the Dreamcast XD

 

[cartman414]

Now, to the Dreamcast XD

Maybe on MARS.

 

[linko9]

Maybe on MARS.

Mars Matrix?

 

[cartman414]

Mars Matrix?

MARS FPGA. Coming on a more powerful FPGA, but will cost $600ish.

 

[nkarafo]

The issue was supposed to be that the current chip can't "fit" the N64 core. So far it seems it does but the core still isn't complete yet since there are features missing that might need more "room" right?

The current state is awesome but let's celebrate when everything is done and only emulation/timing bugs are left.

 

[Naked Lunch]

Maybe im missing something - but the fact that these cores seem to be updated on a near daily basis sounds super annoying to keep up with.
The N64 mister stuff seems to get an update every single day for the past 4 months - similar with Sega Saturn.
Is the update process quick and straight forward at least?

 

[SegaSnatcher]

Maybe im missing something - but the fact that these cores seem to be updated on a near daily basis sounds super annoying to keep up with.
The N64 mister stuff seems to get an update every single day for the past 4 months - similar with Sega Saturn.
Is the update process quick and straight forward at least?

These are not official releases, these are just test builds that you can totally opt out of. If you want the N64 test build you would have to manually grab them off the server, or add a couple of lines to the downloader ini for the updater to grab it for you. These are actively being developed so that is why you keep seeing so many test builds, again these are simply meant to find issues and report them to FPGAZumSpass.

 

[nkarafo]

Maybe im missing something - but the fact that these cores seem to be updated on a near daily basis sounds super annoying to keep up with.
The N64 mister stuff seems to get an update every single day for the past 4 months - similar with Sega Saturn.
Is the update process quick and straight forward at least?

This is no different than nightly software updates. It happens with software in active development and most emulators also have this. Dolphin literally has a new version every other day or even a few hours apart, for many years now.

Also, this core is not complete yet and very early in development. It's not ready for playing games fully, despite what OP says, because there are still features missing. But each update feels important because it has huge improvements. These are the "early gains", the updates will feel less important when all games/features work and all is left are timing issues and minor bugs, just like N64 software emulators.

 

[theclaw135]

This thread has just introduced me to the very tip of an iceberg I never knew existed.

N64 emulation is an odd duck. The blurry graphics are so derided, that players typically DON'T want rigorous hardware accuracy.

 

[nkarafo]

N64 emulation is an odd duck. The blurry graphics are so derided, that players typically DON'T want rigorous hardware accuracy.

Accuracy has little to do with the video output quality. And you can disable the VI filters on the most accurate graphics plugin (Parallel RDP) or even upscale.

Accuracy is mostly about game behavior and timings. Which is what the N64 emulators suffered from for a very long time. Jsut about every game with unlocked frame rate runs at the wrong speed. Thankfully stuff like Ares and Simple 64 have improved things lately. No idea how accurate the Mister Core is though.

 

[SegaSnatcher]

Accuracy has little to do with the video output quality. And you can disable the VI filters on the most accurate graphics plugin (Parallel RDP) or even upscale.

Accuracy is mostly about game behavior and timings. Which is what the N64 emulators suffered from for a very long time. Jsut about every game with unlocked frame rate runs at the wrong speed. Thankfully stuff like Ares and Simple 64 have improved things lately. No idea how accurate the Mister Core is though.

There are hardware features still not implemented yet, so its too early to gauge how accurate it will be. Once all the hardware features are implemented that is when we could get a better general overall idea of where the accuracy is.

Whatever test roms are available for N64 I'm sure FPGAZumSpass has/will use.

Given his track record I think the accuracy will shape up quite nicely and make most people happy. He might have to make some compromises for the DE-10 Nano hardware, but whether that is something we will notice during actual gameplay we will just have to wait and see.

 

[nkarafo]

There are hardware features still not implemented yet, so its too early to gauge how accurate it will be. Once all the hardware features are implemented that is when we could get a better general overall idea of where the accuracy is.

Whatever test roms are available for N64 I'm sure FPGAZumSpass has/will use.

Given his track record I think the accuracy will shape up quite nicely and make most people happy. He might have to make some compromises for the DE-10 Nano hardware, but whether that is something we will notice during actual gameplay we will just have to wait and see.

The OP has posted a ton of videos so far but all of them have to do with graphics. However, i believe he can still test the timing accuracy even at this state. For instance, Donkey Kong 64 seems to work and that's a game that can be tested for such thing.

Here are some scenarios the OP can test:

- In Donkey Kong 64 just let the game play it's demo/attract mode. Donkey will eventually try to swing on three vines. If the timings are correct, he will succeed. If not, he will miss them and fall in the water below.

- In Earthworm Jim and Quake II, the demo will run at fast forward speed. Goldeneye also has this issue but the game doesn't work yet on Mister.

Some emulators like Ares pass those tests. But even so it's still not perfect, there are more games with even harder to nail timings.

 

[SegaSnatcher]

The OP has posted a ton of videos so far but all of them have to do with graphics. However, i believe he can still test the timing accuracy even at this state. For instance, Donkey Kong 64 seems to work and that's a game that can be tested for such thing.

Here are some scenarios the OP can test:

- In Donkey Kong 64 just let the game play it's demo/attract mode. Donkey will eventually try to swing on three vines. If the timings are correct, he will succeed. If not, he will miss them and fall in the water below.

- In Earthworm Jim and Quake II, the demo will run at fast forward speed. Goldeneye also has this issue but the game doesn't work yet on Mister.

Some emulators like Ares pass those tests. But even so it's still not perfect, there are more games with even harder to nail timings.

I'll give Donkey Kong 64 a go and report back.

 

[SegaSnatcher]

The OP has posted a ton of videos so far but all of them have to do with graphics. However, i believe he can still test the timing accuracy even at this state. For instance, Donkey Kong 64 seems to work and that's a game that can be tested for such thing.

Here are some scenarios the OP can test:

- In Donkey Kong 64 just let the game play it's demo/attract mode. Donkey will eventually try to swing on three vines. If the timings are correct, he will succeed. If not, he will miss them and fall in the water below.

- In Earthworm Jim and Quake II, the demo will run at fast forward speed. Goldeneye also has this issue but the game doesn't work yet on Mister.

Some emulators like Ares pass those tests. But even so it's still not perfect, there are more games with even harder to nail timings.

Here is a video clip I took of DK64 running on the the latest N64 test build.

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

I love this guys threads. Good stuff.

 

[the_master]

MARS FPGA. Coming on a more powerful FPGA, but will cost $600ish.

Sounds great!
Would love it to support the original xbox, but this seems stull way far off, right?

 

[nkarafo]

Here is a video clip I took of DK64 running on the the latest N64 test build.

Yeah, seems like the timings are inaccurate atm.

 

[RagnarokIV]

How can I connect digital board to a VGA CRT? HDMI to VGA adapter and MiSTer will handle the rest?

 

[SegaSnatcher]

How can I connect digital board to a VGA CRT? HDMI to VGA adapter and MiSTer will handle the rest?

You use Direct Video via the HDMI out. Read this.

Direct Video Adapter - MiSTer FPGA Documentation

MiSTer FPGA is an open source project that aims to recreate various classic computers, game consoles, and arcade machines, using modern hardware.

mister-devel.github.io