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View Full Version : Who wants to make an NES emu with me


Disch
02-13-2005, 02:06 AM
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edit:

oh yeah... ZD staff: please do not interpret this as an emu release. I don't want this on the site or anything... i'm just posted it in hopes of getting someone on board with me. Thanks ^^
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So I have some insane fascination with the NES... it's true. I've been wanting to make an NES emu for like ever.. just for the fun of it.

Well... it's gotten to the point where all it's really missing is one important thing: An interface /wwwthreads/images/icons/tongue.gif. I'm really dreading doing it... I hate that kind of work... so I'm asking around to see if I can solicit the help of someone else to work with me on this.

I'm looking for someone to take care of the "front" end of this emu... while I focus on the back. To sort of explain what I mean by that... you'd basically be in charge of the following:

1) Making any sort of user interface
2) Regulating a framerate (~50fps when emulating PAL, ~60 when emulating NTSC)
3) Outputting images to the screen
4) Streaming sound to the user
5) Actually get input from the user and pass it to the back end
6) Apply any nifty graphics filters etc that you want
7) Add any other nifty options


You don't need to really know any specific NES knowledge. Pretty much all of that is taken care of by the back end. Basically the idea is... you give a ROM to the back end, continually call 'DoFrame()' and it pumps back graphic and sound info which you'd feed to the user.

If you need further info on what exactly it is I'm looking for... don't hesitate to ask. I'm really reaching out to anyone who might be interested in this.

The back end I coded is in C++... so it's probably easiest that the front be coded in C++ as well. Nothing about the back end is platform specific... so if you want to make a non-windows version I'm all for it (although I'd still like someone to make a windows version - since that's the one I'd use /wwwthreads/images/icons/tongue.gif). If you need some functions rearranged to better suit the front, I can try to change things around (shouldn't be hard unless you want something really abstract).

Further info on the workings of the back end is included with the source (Readme_EmuBackEnd.txt). It gets into detail about all the functions and what they do and how to actually make the back end work. You can also look at the shoddy front I have included as sort of a reference. And of course... I can answer any Qs you have.

Downloads:
http://hypher.net/disch/NES_bin.zipBinary</a>
http://hypher.net/disch/NES_src.zipSource</a>

I've tried to get it pretty accurate. It runs the "problem games" (Cobra Triangle, Mig-29 Soviet Fighter, Fire Hawk) which a lot of emus have trouble with. If you notice it having problems with a particular game (besides Micro Machines) lemme know and I'll see if I can work on it ^^.

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soccerboi
02-14-2005, 12:21 AM
Very nice work! Runs most roms I throw at it, but the Castlevania II mapper is unsupported. If your looking for somebody to work on your front end, go to sourceforge and submit a help wanted thing. Keep up the good worl!!!

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Disch
02-14-2005, 01:41 AM
CV2 uses mapper 1 and runs fine. Make sure your dump isn't bad and/or your ROM doesn't have a bad header.

CV3 however uses mapper 5 which isn't supported yet. I'm currently working on it (have CV3 and Just Breed running... but still some kinks to work out). In the meantime... it will play Akumajou Densetsu, which is the Japanese version of CV3. Its mapper is supported (along with its extra sound).

Thanks for the encouragement/compliments ^^. That sourceforge thing is a good idea. I might do that.

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The 9th Sage
02-14-2005, 02:48 AM
> Thanks for the encouragement/compliments ^^. That
> sourceforge thing is a good idea. I might do that.

Hey, if this turns out to be as good of a NES emu as NotsoFatso is an NSF player (I assume that's your sound core? I hope anyway :P), then this is going to be a great emulator.


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Disch
02-14-2005, 05:16 PM
> Hey, if this turns out to be as good of a NES emu as
> NotsoFatso is an NSF player (I assume that's your sound
> core? I hope anyway :P), then this is going to be a great
> emulator.

Well it's got the same motivation behind it. None of the emus out there have the combination of features I want. NNNJ or Nestopia probably come closest... but there are a few issues I have with both of those emus which leave me less than satisfied.

If only there were a combo of FCEU, NNNJ, Nestopia, and NotSo... all mashed into one emu -- life would be good. So that's kind of what I'm going for.

This emu doesn't have the same sound as NotSo (did a rewrite of pretty much everything). But it does have almost all the same features (like the panning/inverting and all that stuff). But I also went a step up with the sound quality and implimented a method of band-limited synth layed out by http://www.slack.net/~ant/bl-synth/blargg</a>. So hopefully the sound in this emu will be better than NotSo -- when I get done with everything (still don't have the filters NotSo does so it can sound 'harsh' at times)

But yeah I'm all about the stupid little features. ^^

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The 9th Sage
02-15-2005, 03:38 AM
> But yeah I'm all about the stupid little features. ^^

Hey, that's awesome. Sometimes it's the little things that make an emulator great. <img src=smilies/magbiggrin.gif>

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