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Hackfest
Joined: 04 Dec 2007
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 Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:46 am Post subject: An introduction to emulation for noobs |
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Video game emulation gives your PC the ability to play video games that were originally designed and produced for home console systems, handhelds, and arcades. By having emulators and their respective ROMs, you can play these games right on your computer!
To get started in video gaming emulation, all you need is an emulator and a game's ROM file for that respective emulator (i.e. use SNES ROMs with ZSNES emulators) and you're in business! You don't need to be a tech-head to understand how to do this; it's simple enough for anyone to get in on the fun!
What is an Emulator?
An emulator is a program for a computer that mimics a video game console, handheld, or an arcade game so that it's possible to play the games on PC or another computing device.
What is a ROM?
ROM (Read Only Memory), is a file that contains a copy of the data from a video game cartridge or from an arcade machine's main board. It is unique of every game, and used in conjuction with emulators.
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jq
Joined: 02 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:47 am Post subject: |
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I will have to say, I think emulators are sweet as hell. I currently don't have a badass enough computer (I don't think) to emulate stuff like playstation, but I have an NES emulator (with supposedly every game ever for NES...I believe it, because there are a TOOOON here,) and a SNES emulator with something to the effect of 400 games. I love it. I spend more time playing with the emulator than with any other computer game. I also tried out a N64 emulator, but couldn't get a good quality one. From what I understand it is hard to emulate N64 games due in part to some anti-piracy installations on their software...don't know if that is the case or not, but I found that 3/3 emulators I downloaded in fact didn't run games very smoothly at all, whereas my NES and SNES emulator run perfectly. Could also be a ram issue or something though.....
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Hackfest
Joined: 04 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:48 am Post subject: |
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Well, post your specs and I can probaby assist you there. There are no anti-piracy issues with N64 though.
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The Democratic Anthem: The American Dream is okay! Until you make $250,000. Then you're the devil.
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jq
Joined: 02 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:49 am Post subject: |
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here are my specs on my computer
512 Ram
2.1 ghz AMD (I think it is 2.1, or somewhere aroudn there...)
about 5 gigs left for space.
ANyway I find that the N64 games I have emulated just don't run smoothly. Can't really explain it, but is like the game stops and freezes midway through for a second, and then works for 5 seconds, freezes for a second, etc.
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Hackfest
Joined: 04 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:49 am Post subject: |
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You should be able to run both epsxe and project64 with out issues. I'm guessing it's a plugin/configuration issue. I'll look for a link that will help. As far as DC emulation, you're pushing it, but I bet you can run the 2-D DC games without too many hang ups if the configuration is done differently.
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Kizzume
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Joined: 31 Dec 1969
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Location: Tacoma, WA USA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:50 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | You should be able to run both epsxe and project64 with out issues. I'm guessing it's a plugin/configuration issue. I'll look for a link that will help. As far as DC emulation, you're pushing it, but I bet you can run the 2-D DC games without too many hang ups if the configuration is done differently. |
I believe you are correct about this. With the right plugins, they should zoom on that machine.
Just keep the resolution 1024x768 or below and it should be good. On some games you can get away with higher resolutions without problem. Either way, they look leaps and bounds better than they did on the original, just out of being able to go 640x480 instead of the native 320x240 that both of those units normally put out.
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Hackfest
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:51 am Post subject: |
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just out of being able to go 640x480 instead of the native 320x240 that both of those units normally put out. |
But it sure was cool when Dale made that special hook up for the N64 that put it in hi res. on the moniter. Man, that looked great back then.
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The Democratic Anthem: The American Dream is okay! Until you make $250,000. Then you're the devil.
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jq
Joined: 02 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:52 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | You should be able to run both epsxe and project64 with out issues. I'm guessing it's a plugin/configuration issue. I'll look for a link that will help. As far as DC emulation, you're pushing it, but I bet you can run the 2-D DC games without too many hang ups if the configuration is done differently. |
Whereabouts would I go to get a DC emulator. I would probably be pushing it indeed, but some of my favorite games ever are on the dreamcast. I used to own one, and it was my favorite console. But it had a lot of console issues after only about a year (my controller port quit reading the controller, and also, it seemed to crash often with shenmue) but to this day I have been waiting angrily for a playstation 2 port of Powerstone, powerstone 2, and dynamite cop. I don't know what the holdup is. It pisses me off!
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Hackfest
Joined: 04 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:52 am Post subject: |
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Go to the Emulator Links thread. It's there. I'll be adding more later. The Dreamcast was one of the coolest systems ever.
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The Democratic Anthem: The American Dream is okay! Until you make $250,000. Then you're the devil.
I can always count on message boards to consistently shatter my faith in humanity.
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jq
Joined: 02 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:53 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Go to the Emulator Links thread. It's there. I'll be adding more later. The Dreamcast was one of the coolest systems ever. |
Heck yeah it was. I really miss sega's presence in the console making industry. It really seems like they have stumbled in releases since they became a third party developer. But I love the saturn (although I realize i am probably alone in that,) the genesis, and definitely dreamcast. Man, Shemnue was so innovative for its time. So was powerstone! Okay, I will check that link out 
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Hackfest
Joined: 04 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:53 am Post subject: |
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The Saturn was a great machine. I couldn't stand the Genesis though. Every game that was available on SNES was superior in every way. I actually like the DC better than the PS2.
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The Democratic Anthem: The American Dream is okay! Until you make $250,000. Then you're the devil.
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Kizzume
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Joined: 31 Dec 1969
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:54 am Post subject: |
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The genesis had sonic, and, well, sonic. Sonic was the best game on it, to me anyway.
I guess there was Toejam and Earl....
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Hackfest
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:54 am Post subject: |
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Sonic 2 was good.
_________________
The Democratic Anthem: The American Dream is okay! Until you make $250,000. Then you're the devil.
I can always count on message boards to consistently shatter my faith in humanity.
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Kizzume
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Joined: 31 Dec 1969
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:55 am Post subject: |
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True, it wasn't bad. I think the first one was the best one though, it also had the best music in it.
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Kizzume
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Location: Tacoma, WA USA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:55 am Post subject: |
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Now I've got that music stuck in my head... > ;D
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