Wow, nearly four years since my last post... yikes! What have I been doing all that time? Well, not a lot to do with video games, although I did manage to (almost) finish a cocktail table MAME project. See my SUPER GAMES MUSEUM blog for more on that... yes, almost two years since I've posted there, but that will probably crank up again soon, so stay tuned!
I've only just recently resumed work on the GUI (menu system) for Protovision, and while I'm far from being finished, I think I finally have a design I'm happy with. I'll try to post images soon, but essentially the issue was that my first attempt was a bit bland-looking. I'm not even sure I still have an image of what that looked like, but I've only made a few color tweaks and made it a bit more 3D-looking in places. The inspiration came from early demonstrations of the Wii "Virtual Console", which is very similar to the Protovision concept. Most of the screen was monochrome (shades of grey) so the cover art representing each game looked very good. It seemed logical that with all the really cool artwork made for the games I plan to include, a grey background would really make it "pop" so the focus would be on the artwork, not the menu screen.
Unfortunately, what I ended up with looked drab and amateurish. Guess you really have to be a good designer to make grey look good. Anyway, I changed the greys slightly, rounded off a few corners and added some 3D buttons, and I'm quite pleased with the result. I would still have preferred to use a program called Maximus Arcade instead of MAMEWAH (which I used for the SGM project), but the download requires an "unlock" code, and the developer doesn't seem to be answering requests for one. With that sort of activation scheme, I'm not confident that years from now I'll be able to continue using that program if for some reason I have to reinstall everything. I can't even get a code to begin with, so it looks like I'm sticking with MAMEWAH. I learned a lot about it with SGM, and it is quite flexible, so as long as I can create an interface that looks good and does everything I want it to, I'll be happy.
For at least the past year or so, I've had it set up with the original background just to test it out. It's much easier to select a game, but I'm still working with the default list where some games don't work and a lot of them are ones I don't even like. It has been fun to play with, but I really want to get it finished to the point where it's actually like using a dedicated game console. Actually it should be easier, because you don't have to put a disc in to play a game... just select the platform (either arcade games or any one of LOTS of consoles and home computers) and decide which game you want to play.
Now that I have decided on the layout, it will be easy to adapt that to the various systems I'd like to include. Each one will have a custom menu screen, but what I haven't decided on yet is how to handle all the images. The way it's set up right now, you see a screenshot as you scroll through the list of games. I'd also like to include images of the flyers, manuals, and other packaging images for a lot of the games. Not all games will have those, so a screenshot is the best way to represent the game. Still, I want some sort of "gallery" function, and I'm not sure how to incorporate some sort of slideshow into the project. The design I came up with actually allows players to switch between a screenshot and a few other images, but I'm not sure I want to leave it that way.
Anyway, that's all I can say at the moment... just wanted to reactivate the blog again. Hopefully I'll have some images up soon, and I hope I can keep the blog going through the rest of the development on this project. See everyone again soon!
1.09.2012
3.22.2008
What a MESS...
Boy, it's been a long time since I posted an entry. Today has been the first day that the weather has been warm enough for me to break out the shorts and sit outside, so here I am with my trusty iBook. If I have to spend more time in front of a computer, this is probably the best way to do it.
So much has happened since the last entry. I've added MESS (Multi-Emulator Super System) to the mix, and having it makes thousands more games available to the project. MESS is an emulator for console systems, such as the Atari 2600 right up to the original PlayStation. I've been having some problems getting PlayStation games to work, but that's a minor issue, since I can play any of those games on my PS2. Problem is, there are at least a couple games for the original PSX that I haven't been able to find, or are rather expensive because they're rare and in demand. I'm sure I'll be able to fill those gaps, sometimes by buying the actual game, and one way or another I'll be able to play the games I can't find on an emulator. There are other PlayStation emulators, so even if MESS isn't satisfactory, I should be able to find something that works.
The funny thing about adding console emulators is that recently I started getting rid of some of my old consoles. Systems like the Intellivision and Colecovision are just too awkward to play because of uncomfortable controllers, and others like the Atari 5200 are just difficult to find with working controllers. The main reason, though, has been that I've realized that playing console games in the past has, for me at least, just been a substitute for playing genuine arcade games. Since I was almost never allowed to play games in arcades, console versions of games like PAC-MAN, Donkey Kong and Dig Dug had to suffice. There are certainly a few games that only appeared on consoles that are still fun to play, but in the cases where I can play the original arcade versions, the console port is superfluous.
It has got to the point where even the more recent consoles like the Nintendo and SEGA systems will have to go. I currently have just about every NES game available in Protovision, so my actual console is pretty useless now. That works out pretty well, because I have one of the rarer "top-loading" NES consoles, and it's still in the box, so it should fetch a hefty sum on eBay. I had been debating whether to keep these consoles, but the pointlessness of console ports when true arcade versions are available coupled with the clumsiness of keeping so many old consoles made my decision. The NES, for example, still uses an RF cable rather than standard audio/video cables, so while it will probably still work, the emulator is accurate enough to eliminate any need for the real thing. The result of course is that it's even more important for me to keep the Protovision machine and its data safe and working, but I'd be more upset about losing the arcade games than console ones anyway.
I'm actually going to continue collecting console games, but unlike before, I'm not going to keep a variety of systems around so that I'm always able to test and play them. I do need to make sure that I don't get rid of a console until I have all the games I'd want to play installed on the Protovision UGM, but like I said, if I have the arcade version, a console port isn't gonna make a whole lot of difference. I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed playing NES versions of some classic games, but I'm sure a lot of that was not having to hook up the console and plug in cartridges, etc. For the most part, console translations will just be little extras while the main feature will be the original arcade versions. In the grand scheme of things, video games will only be about a third of this machine's capabilities, so games I don't plan on playing much will be the lowest of low priorities.
Well, it's cooled down a bit out here and I'm losing feeling in certain parts of my anatomy, so I'll stop for now. Lots more on the way though, possibly including some more pretty pictures before long. Thanks for reading! :)
So much has happened since the last entry. I've added MESS (Multi-Emulator Super System) to the mix, and having it makes thousands more games available to the project. MESS is an emulator for console systems, such as the Atari 2600 right up to the original PlayStation. I've been having some problems getting PlayStation games to work, but that's a minor issue, since I can play any of those games on my PS2. Problem is, there are at least a couple games for the original PSX that I haven't been able to find, or are rather expensive because they're rare and in demand. I'm sure I'll be able to fill those gaps, sometimes by buying the actual game, and one way or another I'll be able to play the games I can't find on an emulator. There are other PlayStation emulators, so even if MESS isn't satisfactory, I should be able to find something that works.
The funny thing about adding console emulators is that recently I started getting rid of some of my old consoles. Systems like the Intellivision and Colecovision are just too awkward to play because of uncomfortable controllers, and others like the Atari 5200 are just difficult to find with working controllers. The main reason, though, has been that I've realized that playing console games in the past has, for me at least, just been a substitute for playing genuine arcade games. Since I was almost never allowed to play games in arcades, console versions of games like PAC-MAN, Donkey Kong and Dig Dug had to suffice. There are certainly a few games that only appeared on consoles that are still fun to play, but in the cases where I can play the original arcade versions, the console port is superfluous.
It has got to the point where even the more recent consoles like the Nintendo and SEGA systems will have to go. I currently have just about every NES game available in Protovision, so my actual console is pretty useless now. That works out pretty well, because I have one of the rarer "top-loading" NES consoles, and it's still in the box, so it should fetch a hefty sum on eBay. I had been debating whether to keep these consoles, but the pointlessness of console ports when true arcade versions are available coupled with the clumsiness of keeping so many old consoles made my decision. The NES, for example, still uses an RF cable rather than standard audio/video cables, so while it will probably still work, the emulator is accurate enough to eliminate any need for the real thing. The result of course is that it's even more important for me to keep the Protovision machine and its data safe and working, but I'd be more upset about losing the arcade games than console ones anyway.
I'm actually going to continue collecting console games, but unlike before, I'm not going to keep a variety of systems around so that I'm always able to test and play them. I do need to make sure that I don't get rid of a console until I have all the games I'd want to play installed on the Protovision UGM, but like I said, if I have the arcade version, a console port isn't gonna make a whole lot of difference. I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed playing NES versions of some classic games, but I'm sure a lot of that was not having to hook up the console and plug in cartridges, etc. For the most part, console translations will just be little extras while the main feature will be the original arcade versions. In the grand scheme of things, video games will only be about a third of this machine's capabilities, so games I don't plan on playing much will be the lowest of low priorities.
Well, it's cooled down a bit out here and I'm losing feeling in certain parts of my anatomy, so I'll stop for now. Lots more on the way though, possibly including some more pretty pictures before long. Thanks for reading! :)
3.08.2008
The simple solution is always the best... (or, "How stupid could I possibly be???")
Well, it turns out my little trick with the persistent profile didn't solve the problems with the controllers after all. The reason I had thought both profiles were active simultaneously was because I thought I had started a two-player game and was able to control player one with gamepad #1 and player 2 with #2. As it turned out, both controllers were using the same profile, so I had hit the Player 1 start button even though it was controller #2. All the controls were exactly the same, so either controller could move player 1.
The part where I'm a complete moron (or at least misjudged how flexible MAME's control options have become) is that after uninstalling the Logitech software and selecting "Enable joystick support" in MAME, both gamepads were recognized independently. DUHHHH!!! 8)
Anyway, there is still one minor issue. Since the second controller isn't in use, it goes into "sleep mode" after a while. When that happens, pressing a button on gamepad #1 (which is going to happen if someone's using it to play a game) ends up assigning that controller as #2. I don't expect that would be a problem if both pads were being used, so until someone comes over and wants to play, I'll just leave the second one unplugged. There's also the possibility that I may be able to deactivate sleep mode, but it's nothing I need to bother with right now.
For the moment, I need to compile a list of games that I would like to play. This will probably be a surprisingly short list, mostly of arcade classics like PAC-MAN, etc. but with a few lesser-known sequels and prototypes thrown in. There will also be some games that never got released on compilations for the PlayStation and other home consoles, but since that's how most of my retrogaming has been done, I'll probably group most of the games as they appeared in those compilations.
Bye for now... I may have more to report later on.
The part where I'm a complete moron (or at least misjudged how flexible MAME's control options have become) is that after uninstalling the Logitech software and selecting "Enable joystick support" in MAME, both gamepads were recognized independently. DUHHHH!!! 8)
Anyway, there is still one minor issue. Since the second controller isn't in use, it goes into "sleep mode" after a while. When that happens, pressing a button on gamepad #1 (which is going to happen if someone's using it to play a game) ends up assigning that controller as #2. I don't expect that would be a problem if both pads were being used, so until someone comes over and wants to play, I'll just leave the second one unplugged. There's also the possibility that I may be able to deactivate sleep mode, but it's nothing I need to bother with right now.
For the moment, I need to compile a list of games that I would like to play. This will probably be a surprisingly short list, mostly of arcade classics like PAC-MAN, etc. but with a few lesser-known sequels and prototypes thrown in. There will also be some games that never got released on compilations for the PlayStation and other home consoles, but since that's how most of my retrogaming has been done, I'll probably group most of the games as they appeared in those compilations.
Bye for now... I may have more to report later on.
3.06.2008
Control(ler) issues...
Yeah, I'm kind of running the "Control(ler)" thing into the ground, but this is just an update on the controller situation....
My wireless controllers arrived yesterday, and they both work well... individually. As was hinted at in at least one review, the Logitech Profiler software doesn't really support two controllers. You can't install it twice, and even though it "sees" both controllers, it works on a "profile" system where each game has its own unique controller profile (useful since different games often have different control schemes that may or may not be editable), but each profile is only active when the game is running, and you only get to set up controls for... you guessed it... ONE controller.
Most owners of these gamepads just uninstall the Profiler software and use the drivers built into Windows XP, but then they're often playing standard Windows games that support gamepads. MAME, as I mentioned before, defaults to the keyboard, and as far as I can tell there isn't any actual gamepad support, unless you happen to have an ancient gamepad that plugs into the old "joystick" port on an equally-ancient sound card.
My solution was to use the "persistent profile" feature, which is designed to compensate for games that the software might not be able to detect. I was almost sure this would mean I'd be back to having only one active profile (and therefore only one usable controller), but surprisingly, both the persistent profile and the MAME profile seem to work simultaneously. Logitech has set up their software so that each game can have a unique profile, and you have to assign each profile an executable (.exe file) when creating it. This presented a problem when I tried to get around the single controller limitation by creating two profiles, because it wouldn't let me assign them both to the same .exe file. I got around that by assigning the persistent profile to explorer.exe (the Windows user interface, which is always running) and assigning a profile with the Player 2 controls to the MAME executable. That way, gamepad #1 is always active, and whenever MAME runs, gamepad #2 will work as well.
There will actually be several different programs installed on this machine, and almost everything will be controlled with the gamepad, but only game emulators will need to facilitate a second player. For any other emulators, I can duplicate the same profile and assign the copy to the other executables, making any needed adjustments if the other emulators need different key assignments. I still haven't bothered with the analog sticks, but I should be able to have them act as a kind of mouse control, which MAME should recognize for games that originally had trackballs, paddle controls, or steering wheels. I actually want to add a PC steering wheel to the setup eventually, but you know... one configuration nightmare at a time. ;)
One follow-up note about my choice of processor for this machine... it was purely a financial decision, since I was buying a bunch of components at once, including a case and cordless mouse/keyboard setup. For the arcade cabinets there won't be a case involved, so I may be able to afford a faster processor for the mini-cabinet. I know I don't want to go under 2GHz, so it may require some saving to make sure I have enough to buy all the components at once. I don't want to have a processor sitting in the box for a month, only to realize later that it's bad and the return period has expired.
I'm pretty sure that a faster CPU would generate more heat, and the case I chose is rather cramped with only a tiny fan (other than the big one on top of the processor and the one for the power supply, if there is one... I forget). The mini-cab will have a lot more space inside and could accommodate multiple larger fans, so that machine may get a speedier chip. It may not be enough to make CarnEvil and Gauntlet Legends playable, and it's not exactly desirable to make any one game only playable on one of the arcade cabinets, but if the money is there for a more up-to-date CPU, I'll probably go for it... though nothing outrageously expensive, I'm still on a budget after all.
My wireless controllers arrived yesterday, and they both work well... individually. As was hinted at in at least one review, the Logitech Profiler software doesn't really support two controllers. You can't install it twice, and even though it "sees" both controllers, it works on a "profile" system where each game has its own unique controller profile (useful since different games often have different control schemes that may or may not be editable), but each profile is only active when the game is running, and you only get to set up controls for... you guessed it... ONE controller.
Most owners of these gamepads just uninstall the Profiler software and use the drivers built into Windows XP, but then they're often playing standard Windows games that support gamepads. MAME, as I mentioned before, defaults to the keyboard, and as far as I can tell there isn't any actual gamepad support, unless you happen to have an ancient gamepad that plugs into the old "joystick" port on an equally-ancient sound card.
My solution was to use the "persistent profile" feature, which is designed to compensate for games that the software might not be able to detect. I was almost sure this would mean I'd be back to having only one active profile (and therefore only one usable controller), but surprisingly, both the persistent profile and the MAME profile seem to work simultaneously. Logitech has set up their software so that each game can have a unique profile, and you have to assign each profile an executable (.exe file) when creating it. This presented a problem when I tried to get around the single controller limitation by creating two profiles, because it wouldn't let me assign them both to the same .exe file. I got around that by assigning the persistent profile to explorer.exe (the Windows user interface, which is always running) and assigning a profile with the Player 2 controls to the MAME executable. That way, gamepad #1 is always active, and whenever MAME runs, gamepad #2 will work as well.
There will actually be several different programs installed on this machine, and almost everything will be controlled with the gamepad, but only game emulators will need to facilitate a second player. For any other emulators, I can duplicate the same profile and assign the copy to the other executables, making any needed adjustments if the other emulators need different key assignments. I still haven't bothered with the analog sticks, but I should be able to have them act as a kind of mouse control, which MAME should recognize for games that originally had trackballs, paddle controls, or steering wheels. I actually want to add a PC steering wheel to the setup eventually, but you know... one configuration nightmare at a time. ;)
One follow-up note about my choice of processor for this machine... it was purely a financial decision, since I was buying a bunch of components at once, including a case and cordless mouse/keyboard setup. For the arcade cabinets there won't be a case involved, so I may be able to afford a faster processor for the mini-cabinet. I know I don't want to go under 2GHz, so it may require some saving to make sure I have enough to buy all the components at once. I don't want to have a processor sitting in the box for a month, only to realize later that it's bad and the return period has expired.
I'm pretty sure that a faster CPU would generate more heat, and the case I chose is rather cramped with only a tiny fan (other than the big one on top of the processor and the one for the power supply, if there is one... I forget). The mini-cab will have a lot more space inside and could accommodate multiple larger fans, so that machine may get a speedier chip. It may not be enough to make CarnEvil and Gauntlet Legends playable, and it's not exactly desirable to make any one game only playable on one of the arcade cabinets, but if the money is there for a more up-to-date CPU, I'll probably go for it... though nothing outrageously expensive, I'm still on a budget after all.
GigaHurts!
Okay, I know it's spelled gigahertz, but this post is all about how inadequate my 1.8GHz processor seems now that I have a nearly complete set of MAME ROMs. Actually, for my purposes, 1.8GHz is perfectly adequate, but some of the more recent games (late '90s and beyond) are VERY sluggish on this machine. Really, that has more to do with the particular game than my processor, since some newer games get much closer to full speed, and others are virtually unplayable.
I won't go into a long explanation of the principles of emulation here (you're welcome), but the important thing to remember is that CarnEvil had a 150MHz CPU, but games like PAC-MAN had 8-bit processors that ran at between 2 and 8MHz. Having to "emulate" a different processor is very demanding on any CPU, and while I know I'd have better luck with a 4GHz quad-core, I don't think it would run every game at full speed, even if CarnEvil was playable. I do kind of regret not being able to play CarnEvil and others like Gauntlet Legends, but I've never actually played CarnEvil and have limited experience with Gauntlet Legends. I really don't think I'll miss either of them, although Gauntlet Legends might be enough to make me hang on to my SEGA Dreamcast.
MAME has a feature that "throttles" the speed of the game, so that it only runs as fast as it did originally. For most of the games I really want to play, if I turn that feature off the game starts running at 2 or 3 times its original speed. That tells me that 1.8GHz is plenty, and I've been dealing with MAME long enough to know that there will ALWAYS be games that don't run at full speed. Being the aging Gen-Xer that I am, I'm lucky because anything I would have played growing up works just fine, and games new enough to be too much for my CPU are typically fighting games, gun-type shooting games, or those Simon-on-steroids dancing games (or drumming, guitar, keyboard, or whatever).
This project will be the most enjoyable when I narrow down the game list to a mere several hundred games that work well and I have an interest in playing. That's when the fun will really start. So long for now, but another post should be coming soon....
I won't go into a long explanation of the principles of emulation here (you're welcome), but the important thing to remember is that CarnEvil had a 150MHz CPU, but games like PAC-MAN had 8-bit processors that ran at between 2 and 8MHz. Having to "emulate" a different processor is very demanding on any CPU, and while I know I'd have better luck with a 4GHz quad-core, I don't think it would run every game at full speed, even if CarnEvil was playable. I do kind of regret not being able to play CarnEvil and others like Gauntlet Legends, but I've never actually played CarnEvil and have limited experience with Gauntlet Legends. I really don't think I'll miss either of them, although Gauntlet Legends might be enough to make me hang on to my SEGA Dreamcast.
MAME has a feature that "throttles" the speed of the game, so that it only runs as fast as it did originally. For most of the games I really want to play, if I turn that feature off the game starts running at 2 or 3 times its original speed. That tells me that 1.8GHz is plenty, and I've been dealing with MAME long enough to know that there will ALWAYS be games that don't run at full speed. Being the aging Gen-Xer that I am, I'm lucky because anything I would have played growing up works just fine, and games new enough to be too much for my CPU are typically fighting games, gun-type shooting games, or those Simon-on-steroids dancing games (or drumming, guitar, keyboard, or whatever).
This project will be the most enjoyable when I narrow down the game list to a mere several hundred games that work well and I have an interest in playing. That's when the fun will really start. So long for now, but another post should be coming soon....
3.03.2008
Control(ler) Freak
It's been a few days since my last post, but I haven't done a lot with the project. Actually, I did take a couple days off, but there have been a couple of significant developments.
The most significant development is that I finally purchased a gamepad for use with Protovision. The best option I could find locally was the Logitech RumblePad 2...
Let me just say that I was thrilled with this gamepad. The "Profiler" software it came with was perfect for MAME, since you can assign each button to a keypress, and MAME uses the keyboard by default. I didn't get a chance to use the analog sticks, but once the buttons were assigned, it worked wonderfully.
As it happens, I found out that there's a cordless version of the RumblePad 2, so I ended up taking the hard-wired one back. I should be placing an order for two of the cordless ones later today (I could only find them online, so I don't want to risk buying just one and not being able to find another one later on). According to a review I read, the cordless version is a bit on the heavy side (the regular one is no lightweight either, since it has motors inside for the "rumble" feature), but a huge plus is that the cordless ones are solid black, unlike the blue/black regular one. Here's what they look like...
That goes MUCH better with the PC case I'm using, as well as the Logitech cordless mouse and keyboard I have, although they won't be used at the same time. I had removed a small cover on the front of the PC case to expose the front-panel USB ports, but now that they won't be needed, I can replace the cover for a sleeker, cleaner look. I'm also considering trying to hide the receivers for the cordless gamepads inside the PC case, but since I have a long cable and receiver trailing out of the back for the keyboard and mouse, I doubt two little dongles (little USB connector thingies) will make much of a difference.
The other HUGE development is that my DVDs containing MAME ROMs arrived today, which is fantastic considering they just shipped on Friday. I'm stuck at work for the moment, but I can't wait to head home and load up the machine with these ROMs. As I probably stated earlier, it pretty much makes my list obsolete, since now ALL the games should be working. Still, I can start from the beginning again and just fill in the titles of games that weren't working before.
The one down side is that I'm probably in for some disappointment when I see how sluggish my 1.8GHz machine is at playing some of the newer games. That should be mitigated by the fact that I really don't give a rip about playing Dance Dance Revolution Super Remix 3000 and a half on this thing. It would be nice to be able to play things like CarnEvil, but being a "gun game", I doubt it will work on my LCD TV. Those games will likely be relegated to my mini-cabinet, and I'll have to find an Act Labs lightgun (or something similar). At least I'll be able to see whether the mini-cab will need a faster processor than the 1.8GHz chip inside the UGM.
Well, that's enough for now... another long-winded blog entry. My head is killing me anyway, so staring at the screen any longer won't help.
The most significant development is that I finally purchased a gamepad for use with Protovision. The best option I could find locally was the Logitech RumblePad 2...
Let me just say that I was thrilled with this gamepad. The "Profiler" software it came with was perfect for MAME, since you can assign each button to a keypress, and MAME uses the keyboard by default. I didn't get a chance to use the analog sticks, but once the buttons were assigned, it worked wonderfully.
As it happens, I found out that there's a cordless version of the RumblePad 2, so I ended up taking the hard-wired one back. I should be placing an order for two of the cordless ones later today (I could only find them online, so I don't want to risk buying just one and not being able to find another one later on). According to a review I read, the cordless version is a bit on the heavy side (the regular one is no lightweight either, since it has motors inside for the "rumble" feature), but a huge plus is that the cordless ones are solid black, unlike the blue/black regular one. Here's what they look like...
That goes MUCH better with the PC case I'm using, as well as the Logitech cordless mouse and keyboard I have, although they won't be used at the same time. I had removed a small cover on the front of the PC case to expose the front-panel USB ports, but now that they won't be needed, I can replace the cover for a sleeker, cleaner look. I'm also considering trying to hide the receivers for the cordless gamepads inside the PC case, but since I have a long cable and receiver trailing out of the back for the keyboard and mouse, I doubt two little dongles (little USB connector thingies) will make much of a difference.
The other HUGE development is that my DVDs containing MAME ROMs arrived today, which is fantastic considering they just shipped on Friday. I'm stuck at work for the moment, but I can't wait to head home and load up the machine with these ROMs. As I probably stated earlier, it pretty much makes my list obsolete, since now ALL the games should be working. Still, I can start from the beginning again and just fill in the titles of games that weren't working before.
The one down side is that I'm probably in for some disappointment when I see how sluggish my 1.8GHz machine is at playing some of the newer games. That should be mitigated by the fact that I really don't give a rip about playing Dance Dance Revolution Super Remix 3000 and a half on this thing. It would be nice to be able to play things like CarnEvil, but being a "gun game", I doubt it will work on my LCD TV. Those games will likely be relegated to my mini-cabinet, and I'll have to find an Act Labs lightgun (or something similar). At least I'll be able to see whether the mini-cab will need a faster processor than the 1.8GHz chip inside the UGM.
Well, that's enough for now... another long-winded blog entry. My head is killing me anyway, so staring at the screen any longer won't help.
2.27.2008
It's 4am again...
Boy, am I tired. I really need to get some sleep, but first a quick blog entry.
I've spent the past couple nights going through all the possible games for the current version of MAME, and making a list of the ones I actually have working. I finally broke down and ordered a set of MAME ROMs off some guy's website, since they're not as easily accessible as they used to be, and current methods of downloading such as torrents and "here's-what-you-need-but-it's-in-15-million-pieces" Usenet posts are just more trouble than they're worth. It also takes a helluva lot of time, and even though I'll be waiting a week or more for the discs, the price was surprisingly reasonable so I couldn't resist.
Just like you never know how much stuff you have until you move, I didn't realize how many games were actually working until I started making a list. I'm missing well over half of the current ROM sets, but I'm only through the "D"s so far and there are TONS of games available. It actually helps break this enormous task down to not have a full set, but obviously having all the files I'm supposed to is the priority.
Believe it or not, I'm trying to be succinct here, so I guess this is it. No pretty pictures today, but a few ideas from past projects are sneaking back into my brain and could help with this one, so more images are surely on the way. I've been thinking that taking every opportunity to customize Windows might be a mistake, because if I adhere too closely to the way Windows works (startup & shutdown sounds, etc.) it'll be a little too obvious that the machine is just running Windows with a facelift. If I can fight the temptation to fill every gap and just leave some elements out, I might have a better shot at achieving the goal of making this thing operate like any other video game console.
Wish me luck, folks... back at you again another time. G'nite! ;)
I've spent the past couple nights going through all the possible games for the current version of MAME, and making a list of the ones I actually have working. I finally broke down and ordered a set of MAME ROMs off some guy's website, since they're not as easily accessible as they used to be, and current methods of downloading such as torrents and "here's-what-you-need-but-it's-in-15-million-pieces" Usenet posts are just more trouble than they're worth. It also takes a helluva lot of time, and even though I'll be waiting a week or more for the discs, the price was surprisingly reasonable so I couldn't resist.
Just like you never know how much stuff you have until you move, I didn't realize how many games were actually working until I started making a list. I'm missing well over half of the current ROM sets, but I'm only through the "D"s so far and there are TONS of games available. It actually helps break this enormous task down to not have a full set, but obviously having all the files I'm supposed to is the priority.
Believe it or not, I'm trying to be succinct here, so I guess this is it. No pretty pictures today, but a few ideas from past projects are sneaking back into my brain and could help with this one, so more images are surely on the way. I've been thinking that taking every opportunity to customize Windows might be a mistake, because if I adhere too closely to the way Windows works (startup & shutdown sounds, etc.) it'll be a little too obvious that the machine is just running Windows with a facelift. If I can fight the temptation to fill every gap and just leave some elements out, I might have a better shot at achieving the goal of making this thing operate like any other video game console.
Wish me luck, folks... back at you again another time. G'nite! ;)
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