Emulation General Wiki - User contributions [en]

Strange and forgotten consoles

2023-03-09T04:17:36Z

Maxkatsur: /* Fifth generation */ Added an info about Amiga CD32's failure, which led to Commodore's bankruptcy, along with other factors.

{{Consoles}}
Beneath the clean and successful exterior of gaming giants like the [[Super Nintendo emulators|Super Nintendo]] and [[PlayStation emulators|PlayStation]] lies the '''Gap of Vidya''': a realm populated by unwanted and forgotten consoles of old, immortal in their plasticity. Here we may receive knowledge of their eternal fate. Not everything on this page can or will be emulated.

If it's a video game console from the [[wikipedia:History_of_video_game_consoles_%28third_generation%29|third generation]] and beyond, it's on this page for your viewing pleasure.

See [[First and Second Generations of video game consoles|console boom]] for the 70s and 80s consoles.

==Consoles==
===Third generation===
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col"|Name
! scope="col"|[[MAME]] support
! scope="col"|ROMs
! scope="col"|Description
|-
|[[wikipedia:Action_Max|Action Max]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|VHS tape console released in 1987 by Worlds of Wonder. It relied on a light gun and score counter for all of its 5 games, which could not really be lost. There's an add-on for the multi-[[Arcade LaserDisc emulators|arcade LaserDisc emulator]] [[DAPHNE]] called [https://web.archive.org/web/20150512114240/http://www.singeengine.com/cms/node/6 SINGE.] We're in murky waters here, so run this at your own risk.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj498-wkOz4 Cinemassacre Demonstration]
|-
|[[wikipedia:Amstrad_GX4000|Amstrad GX4000]]
|style="background:palegreen;"|Good
|[https://archive.org/details/Amstrad_GX4000_TOSEC_2012_04_23 TOSEC]/[https://archive.org/details/gx4000_library ✓]
|A consolized version of the [[Amstrad CPC emulators|Amstrad CPC]].
|-
|[[Atari_8-bit#Atari_XEGS|Atari XEGS]]
|style="background:skyblue;"|Decent
|Yes
|A repackaging of the [[Atari 8-bit]] computer line marketed as a game console. Notable for having possibly the worst physical design prior to the Xbox One. It has preliminary support in MAME, as does the 65XE computer it's based on. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2gF5wWns0E Overview] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IVK3ukQmMA CGR Review]. It is also supported on [[Altirra]].
|-
|[[wikipedia:BBC_Bridge_Companion|BBC Bridge Companion]]
|style="background:palegreen;"|[http://www.progettoemma.net/mess/system.php?machine=bbcbc Good]
|Yes
|An 8-Bit console made exclusively for teaching people to play bridge.
|-
|[[wikipedia:PV-1000|Casio PV-1000]]
|style="background:palegreen;"|Good
|[https://archive.org/details/CasioPV1000 No-intro]
|A 1983 console pulled from shelves very quickly. Like many others, its titanic failure makes it a rarity nowadays.
|-
|[[wikipedia:Commodore_64_Games_System|Commodore 64 Games System]]
|style="background:palegreen;"|Good
|Yes
|A hacked up console version of the regular [[Commodore 64 emulators|Commodore 64]], released only in Europe. Failed hilariously due to its outdated tech (1984 hardware in 1990!), the fact that the normal Commodore 64 was already sufficient, and a bad case of the 'no games'. It is supported in [[VICE]], a widely used emulator for Commodore's 8-bit computers.
|-
|[[wikipedia:Dendy_(console)|Dendy]]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|Yes
|The [[Nintendo Entertainment System emulators|NES]], but for slavs. (TCRF COMEDY!) Only [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kne6AKyYUuM Kinaman] can properly explain this one (turn on CC). Has decent support in MAME, and its status as an NES clone means its "exclusives" can be played on NES emulators that support broken pirate carts.
|-
|[[wikipedia:Dina_(video_game_console)|Dina]]
|style="background:palegreen;"|Good
|Yes
|Hybrid clone of both the [[SG-1000 emulators|SG-1000]] and [[ColecoVision emulators|ColecoVision]]. Sold by Telegames as the Telegames Personal Arcade, allegedly with permission from Coleco themselves. The console's build quality leaves a lot to be desired, not to mention that games for the aforementioned platforms can be played on most [[ColecoVision emulators]] anyway.
|-
|[https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Video_Buddy Family Driver]/[https://segaretro.org/Video_Driver Video Driver]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|Sega also had a go with the VHS-Based console market with the Family Driver from 1988 and unlike most of these type of consoles, this did not play Light-gun games but instead played driving games. Only three games were released for the system; it's unknown when Sega discontinued it.
|-
|Funsation
Off-The-Wall Projector
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|Released circa 1989 by European company, Funsation (The Exact Origin is Unknown).This Projector based console somehow sold worse and is even rarer then the "Mega Video Game" (A similar console that also flopped). It's unknown how many games were made for it, how many units sold or when it was discontinued.

It was also released in France (and Germany?) by French toy company, Savie as the [https://imgur.com/gallery/ZawKz "Projector Jeu Électronique LCD"]
|-
|[[wikipedia:LJN Video Art|LJN Video Art]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|A notorious "educational" console made by the notorious LJN released in 1985. It was meant as a paint program type system that was meant to compete against television rather than mainstream consoles at the time. It flopped hard. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neURIc_A3js Commercial] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-zEhhTqdvg AVGN Review]
|-
|[[wikipedia:My Vision|My Vision]]
|style="background:palegreen;"|[http://www.progettoemma.net/mess/system.php?machine=myvision Good]
|No
|
|-
|[[wikipedia:Philips_Videopac%2B_G7400|Philips Videopac+ G7400]]
|style="background:skyblue;"|[http://www.progettoemma.net/mess/system.php?machine=g7400 Decent]
|[https://mega.co.nz/#!MRMCGKSJ!x8Mk78ClxL5y2Js3IdRts0GiY8U9TS46JcuXbTx9S1c No-intro]
|A rare Europe-only console, first released in early 1983. Philips designed the Videopac+ to be a backwards-compatible successor to the [[Magnavox Odyssey² emulators|Videopac/Odyssey²]], and was even planning to release an American version called the "Odyssey³", but they reconsidered after a poor showing at that year's CES. Then the 1983 crash happened, and Philips quickly axed the whole thing. Limited support in some Odyssey² emulators.
|-
|[[wikipedia:Grandstand_(game_manufacturer)#Projector-based_'Light'_games|Playtime Projector Mega Video Game]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|Released in 1988 by the Hong Kongese company, Playtime Products. The Mega Video Game played Game & Watch style games and used a built-in projector as the display. Less then 15 games were released for the system, and was discontinued sometime between 1989 and 1990. how many units were sold is unknown.

Furthermore, it's important to note that PlayTime licensed the console to various toy and electronics companies to rebrand and available in other countries. In the UK, Grandstand sold it as the [[wikipedia:Grandstand_(game_manufacturer)#Projector-based_'Light'_games|Light Games]], and was released in Italy by Fantastiko.
|-
|[[RDI Halcyon]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|A terrifying machine based on HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey, featuring voice-recognition and AI learning. Its failure bankrupted RDI. There are currently no known emulators for the Halcyon, as mankind has yet to fully comprehend its awesome power.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeI5zKeGELA Demonstration]
|-
|[[wikipedia:Super_Cassette_Vision|Super Cassette Vision]]
|style="background:skyblue;"|Decent
|[https://archive.org/details/Epoch_Super_Cassette_Vision_TOSEC_2012_04_23 TOSEC]/[https://archive.org/details/supercassettevision_library ✓]
|1984 successor to the original Cassette Vision. Much easier to emulate as the hardware is similar to some other obscure systems. There's an emulator for it called [http://takeda-toshiya.my.coocan.jp/ eSCV]. The graphical quality is somewhere between the ColecoVision and NES. Was actually fairly successful in Japan until the Famicom came along and kicked its ass. Then [http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/11/117006/1757950-ladycassettevision.jpg this] [https://www.svg.com/94780/bizarre-console-flops-gaming-history/ happened]. It has a homebrew scene that is still alive with some cool stuff like [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MudYEDUK3Nw a port of Super Mario Bros] and was the first console with a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWPapt33UgQ Dragon Ball] videogame.
|-
|[http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=2&c=1294 Soundic SD-290]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|Released by Soundic in 1983, the SD-290 was designed to undercut the competition but the lack of compelling games and dated hardware drove customers away from it. Only 11 of the 16 games planned for the system were released. It's unknown how many units were sold or when it was discontinued. Furthermore, it's important to note that Soundic sold SD-290 motherboards to various companies to rebrand them as their own consoles. excluding the original console, there are five versions of this system are known to exist so far, these include:

Soundic Soundicvision SD-200 
Hanimex HMG-7900 
Rollet Video-Color 
JouéClub SD-290 
ITMC SD-290 

With the exception of the SD-200 (no one seems know where it was released) All of them were only released in France
|-
|[[wikipedia:Terebikko|Terebikko\Video Phone]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|The Terebikko is a VHS-Based edutainment console released in Japan by Bandai in 1988 and in the US by Mattel in 1989, The Japanese version had less then 10 games made for it but most of them are based on high profile properties such as Super Mario, Sailor Moon, Doraemon and Dragon Ball Z, Meanwhile, Only 2 games are known to of been released for the US version, both were discontinued in 1994 and it's unknown how many units were sold.
|-
|[[wikipedia:Video Challenger|Video Challenger]]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|No
|Released in 1987 by Select Merchandise and licensed to 4 companies in different regions, this VHS-Based console only had around 8 games released for it and like most systems of this type, it only played Light-gun games. It's unknown how many units were sold or when it was discontinued.
|-
|[http://www.christopherjhopkins.com/videosmarts-the-interactive-video-learning-system.html Videosmarts]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|Released around 1986 by the Connor Toy Corporation, the Videosmarts is VHS edutainment console that taught Preschool to Second Grade Subjects, It's unknown how many games were made for it, how many units sold or when it was discontinued.
|-
|[[wikipedia:View-Master_Interactive_Vision|View-Master Interactive Vision]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|1988 edutainment VHS console that used two audio tracks on each tape, the player choosing one of two options on the screen, to create interactivity. Also had short mini-game segments with ColecoVision-like graphics. Unlike the other VHS systems, the games were actually decent. No known emulators.
|-
|[[wikipedia:VTech_Socrates|VTech Socrates]]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|Yes [https://archive.org/details/socrates_library ✓]
|Old edutainment console released in 1988. It featured a robot-type character called Socrates and had wireless infrared controllers. The same company would later release the V.Smile and V.Flash systems many years later.
|-
|[[wikipedia:Zemmix|Zemmix Series]]
|style="background:palegreen;"|Good
|Yes
|Korean system that was simply an MSX/MSX 2, depending on the model, in console form. Mostly just existed as a way to play MSX games. Though there were a few games made specifically for it, they were playable on the MSX as well. Any MSX emulator should work for its games.
|}

===Fourth generation===
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col"|Name
! scope="col"|[[MAME]] support
! scope="col"|ROMs
! scope="col"|Internet Archive
! scope="col"|Description
|-
|[[wikipedia:Commodore_CDTV|Commodore CDTV]]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|[https://archive.org/details/Amiga_CDTV_TOSEC_2009_04_18 TOSEC] // [https://archive.org/details/RedumpCommodoreAmigaCDTV redump]
|
|A console version of the Amiga 500. Can be emulated in [[WinUAE]] like other [[Amiga emulators|Amiga hardware]].
|-
|[https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%94%E3%82%AF%E3%83%8E Konami Picno]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|No
|
|Released in Japan by Konami in 1992, the extremely rare Picno is an odd hybrid of a Video Game Console and a Drawing Tablet that used cartridges similar to [[wikipedia:HuCard|HuCard's]] and [https://segaretro.org/Sega_Pico Sega Pico]. It's unknown how many units were sold, when it was discontinued or how many games were released. [http://videogamesdensetsu.tumblr.com/post/142354502350/the-konami-picno-%E3%83%94%E3%82%AF%E3%83%8E-1992-a-drawing-tablet Software & sources lists].
|-
|[http://videogamekraken.com/%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%85%D0%B0-by-skb-kontur-%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B1-%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%83%D1%80 Krokha]
|style="background:skyblue;"|Decent
|No
|
|The Krokha (Кроха) is an unreleased Russian console by SKB Kontur (СКБ Контур). The console was only in development for a short time in 1990 before Kontur pulled the plug on the project. They made 200 units for internal testing and, after it was cancelled, the 200 units were given to the people who worked on the system.

Furthermore, A former employee that worked on the Krokha back in the day has released Photos, Schematics and Rom Dumps for the system on his [http://alemorf.ru/comps/kroha/index.html Website]
|-
|[[wikipedia:Tandy_Video_Information_System|Memorex VIS]]
|style="background:skyblue;"|Decent
|[https://archive.org/details/MemorexVisualInformationSystem-Redump.org2019-05-27 Yes]
|
|A beautiful monster sold only at RadioShack in the early 90s. The software may be playable on Windows 3.x emulators, as the console's OS was an altered version of that.
|-
|[https://fcgamer.wordpress.com/category/cai-system/?fbclid=IwAR0EIdqkVwGZyLEBzAxFPRuHY2aSim4PInPRe0U_g9e2TPj7nyL4oVuXLY4 Lico CAI System]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|
|A console released by Lico around the early to mid 90s, this Taiwan-only console is even rarer then the Super A'Can. there is vary little known about it other then

1. Its seems to be an educational console 
2. Its not a famiclone. 

It's unknown how many units were sold, when it was discontinued or how many games were released.
|-
|[[Philips CD-i emulators|Philips CD-i]]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|Yes
|[https://archive.org/details/redumpPhilipsCdi ✓]
|Thanks to working with Nintendo to develop a CD add-on for the SNES, the CD-i is notorious for having egregiously terrible Zelda games, as well as having a polarizing Mario game. the Big N has basically ''disowned'' their existence and considered it a blank space in their official history. Aggressively promoted and held on for multiple years with multiple different models (targeted at everything from gamers to pharmaceutical companies), but couldn't compete with mainstream consoles and computers of the time.
|-
|[[Pioneer LaserActive]]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|[https://archive.org/details/Pioneer_Laseractive_TOSEC_2012_04_23 TOSEC]
|
|Released in 1993. A device capable of playing LaserDiscs, compact discs, console games, and LD-G karaoke discs.
|-
|[[Super A'Can]]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|[https://archive.org/details/No-Intro-Collection_2016-01-03 No-intro]
|[https://archive.org/details/superacan_library ✓]
|An extremely rare Taiwan-only console released in 1995.
|-
|[[Toy aisle consoles and educational computers|Toy aisle consoles]]
|
|
|
|
|}

===Fifth generation===
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col"|Name
! scope="col"|[[MAME]] support
! scope="col"|ROMs
! scope="col"|Description
|-
|[[3DO emulators|3DO Interactive Multiplayer]]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|[https://archive.org/details/3DO_2017_Reference_Set_Redump_Validated_ROMs Redump 2017]
|A 32-bit console developed by [[wikipedia:The 3DO Company|The 3DO Company]], first released on October 4, 1993. It failed to gain momentum in the fifth-generation market, and was discontinued in late 1996.
|-
|[[Amiga_Line#Amiga CD32|Amiga CD32]]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|[https://archive.org/details/Amiga_CD32_TOSEC_2009_04_18 TOSEC] // [https://archive.org/details/RedumpAmigaCD32 redump]
|An ill-fated console version of the Amiga 1200. Its failure led to the bankruptcy of Commodore shortly after the console was discontinued in only 8 months after its release. Can be emulated in [[WinUAE]] like other [[Amiga emulators|Amiga hardware]].
|-
|[[Apple Pippin]]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|[https://archive.org/download/redump-bandai-pippin Yes]
|Released by Bandai and Katz Media in 1996-1997, the Pippin is a "consolized" [[wikipedia:Power_Macintosh|Power Macintosh]]. It sold extremely poorly and was discontinued in 1997-1998.
Currently, there is only preliminary [[MAME]] support, but a good number of its games are playable on [[Macintosh line#PowerPC|PowerPC Mac emulators]].
|-
|[[wikipedia:CP_System#Capcom_Power_System_Changer|Capcom Power System Changer]]
|style="background:palegreen;"|Good
|No
|A console version of the Capcom CPS arcade board. Compatible with SNES controllers.
|-
|[[wikipedia:Casio_Loopy|Casio Loopy]]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|[https://archive.org/download/No-Intro-Collection_2016-01-03 No-intro]
|A Japan-only game console designed for girls focused on printing stickers. A '''Magical Shop''' add-on allowed for the printing of any screenshot, not just Loopy games. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaW6EB1poxM Drunken Printing Demonstration] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNWGVtwTkiM Ashens overview]
|-
|[[FM Towns emulators|FM Towns Marty]]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|Trurip
|An early fifth-generation console released by Fujitsu in 1993, which is basically a consolized [[FM Towns emulators|FM-Towns]] personal computer. Despite being claimed to be the first 32-bit CD-based home video game system, it failed due to its astronomical price. Another version called the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQs7zyn4uVQ Car Marty] was also released, designed to be a GPS for automobiles. Preliminary MAME support for both.
|-
|[[Panasonic M2]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|[https://hiddenpalace.org/Category:Panasonic_M2_prototypes Yes]
|A canceled follow-up to the [[3DO emulators| 3DO Interactive Multiplayer]]. There are game prototypes and other miscellaneous software available on the internet, but there are currently no emulators able to play them. Its hardware was licensed for use by Konami in arcade development (See [[Konami M2]]).
|-
|[[wikipedia:Playdia|Playdia]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|[https://archive.org/details/BandaiPlaydia_Redump.org_2018-01-22 Yes]
|A disc-based system released in Japan by Bandai in 1994. Notably, it had a wireless controller and all of its titles were interactive movies like Dragon's Lair. No known emulators.
|}

===Sixth generation===
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col"|Name
! scope="col"|[[MAME]] support
! scope="col"|ROMs
! scope="col"|Description
|-
|[[Nuon emulators|NUON]]
|style="background:salmon;"|[https://github.com/mamedev/mame/commit/ad19f9013f2ac9063f1a77874f9122a619a96ea5 Preliminary]
|[https://archive.org/details/Nuon_dumps Yes]
|A hybrid DVD player/game console with enhanced movie-viewing tools, from a bunch of former Atari personnel. Only a few games were made for the system, as the cheaper PS2 slaughtered it. There was a closed-source emulator in production called [http://www.nuon-dome.com/files/Nuance_051.zip Nuance], but its author died and he didn't release the source code himself. Though it became [http://atariage.com/forums/topic/254444-nuon-game-system-talk-discussion/page-3#entry3564288 publicly] [http://www.dragonshadow.com/ available] and is in continued [https://sourceforge.net/projects/nuance-nuon-emulator/ development] again with better compatibility and faster performance. The latest builds and project moved to [https://github.com/andkrau/NuanceResurrection github] .
|-
|[[wikipedia:XaviXPORT|XaviXPORT]]
|style="background:salmon;"|[https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/master/src/mame/drivers/xavix.cpp Preliminary]
|No
|A fitness based system, employing the usage of motion controls in an effort to get players off of the couch - beating Nintendo's [[Wii_emulators|Wii]] by more than 2 years! Each game cart came with a dedicated controller and an own CPU (not in the system, similar to Super FX chips in some SNES carts). The XaviXPORT was actually developed by eight of the engineers who worked on the original development of the [[Nintendo_Entertainment_System_emulators|NES]]. An upgraded version with a 16-bit "Super XaviX" CPU compared to the original 8-bit CPU came in 2005. Also of note is the fact that Jackie Chan partnered with SSD Company Limited in order to bring his likeness to the console, which resulted in two licensed games. [https://mamedev.emulab.it/haze David Haywood] is particularly working on reverse-engineering the XaviX technology for MAME.
|}

===Seventh generation===
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col"|Name
! scope="col"|[[MAME]] support
! scope="col"|ROMs
! scope="col"|Description
|-
|[[wikipedia:Game Wave|Game Wave]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|[https://archive.org/details/ZAPiT_GameWave_Redump_2017-12-23 Redump]
|A failed attempt to steal sales from the upcoming Nintendo Wii, the Game Wave was an obscure console released in 2005 by ZAPiT Games that only had trivia games. It also had VeggieTales: Veg-Out! Family Tournament.
|-
|[[wikipedia:Vii|Vii]]
|style="background:skyblue;"|Decent
|Yes
|A rather poor excuse of a response to the [[Wii emulators|Wii]], made by JungleTac, KenSingTon, and a dozen or so manufacturers churning out shoddy variants of it. Emulators have recently been made for the platform, with several projects aiming to provide support for Sunplus' rather oddball architecture, such as [http://www.maxconsole.com/maxcon_forums/threads/280551-MuchimeX-v0-5-has-been-released! MuchimeX for the original Xbox], and [http://hackmii.com/2010/04/sunplus-the-biggest-chip-company-youve-never-heard-of/ Unununium], the latter being the basis for a [[MESS]] core. The same goes for VTech's [http://www.progettoemma.net/mess/system.php?machine=vsmile V.Smile], the [[wikipedia:Xavix|XaviXPORT]] and most [http://www.progettoemma.net/mess/system.php?machine=batmantv Jakks Pacific] TV games including those [http://www.progettoemma.net/mess/system.php?machine=walle Disney tie-in ones].
|-
|[[Zeebo]]
|style="background:salmon;"|[https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/master/src/mame/drivers/zeebo_qualcomm_adreno130.cpp Preliminary]
|[https://ia801409.us.archive.org/view_archive.php?archive=/28/items/no-intro_romsets/no-intro%20romsets/Zeebo%20-%20Zeebo%20%2820190815-004208%29.zip Yes]
|An obscure Brazilian console released in 2009. It was based on the BREW platform, and its games were delivered via a 3G mobile network. It was only sold in Brazil, Mexico, and China. Preliminary MAME emulation driver was added in 0.225 build.
|}

===Eighth generation===
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col"|Name
! scope="col"|[[MAME]] support
! scope="col"|ROMs
! scope="col"|Description
|-
|[[Android_emulators#Android_consoles|Android consoles]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|Consoles that run Android as their operating system. Most of them only run cellphone games and emulators, but some of them have their own unique games or heavy-hitting titles ported from other platforms.
|-
|Eedoo CT510
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|Taking heavy influenced by the Microsoft Kinect, the CT510 was made by a Chinese company for the Chinese video game market and its one of the rarest consoles ever, those who live in China reported that on launch day, they couldn't find anyone knew about it let alone had one in-stock, one article called it [https://www.techinasia.com/eedoo-ct150-game-console-launch-china Vaporware] on launch day. it's unknown how many games were made for it, how many units sold or when it was discontinued.
|-
|[[Intellivision Amico]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|A console being developed and marketed by Intellivision Entertainment. Designed to run some simple and family-friendly indie or classic titles.
|}

==Handhelds==
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col"|Name
! scope="col"|[[MAME]] support
! scope="col"|ROMs
! scope="col"|Description
|-
!colspan="4"|1985-1991
|-
|[[wikipedia:Franklin Electronic Publishers|Franklin Bookman]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|Franklin Electronic Publishers First released the Bookman in 1989. It was marketed as electronic book, and was never designed to be a video game system, yet the Bookman still has a place in video game history. The Bookman line of devices were originally sold in 1989 as "Electronic Bibles" that costed $299 US (or $561 in 2020) before expanding into electronic versions of non-religious books in the early 90s. All models have a cartridge slot for other books and games. most titles were trivia or some other kind of word game. How many units were sold and the number of games that were released are unknown.
|-
|[[wikipedia:Game_Master_(console)|Hartung Game Master]]
|style="background:palegreen;"|Good
|Yes (No-intro)
|A German Game Boy alternative released in 1990. Also distributed in the UK as the '''Systema 2000''' and under alternate names in other countries, including '''Super Game''' and '''Game Tronic'''. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay9dZ-RBpQA Demonstration]
|-
!colspan="4"|1991-2000
|-
|BBK Electronic Dictionaries
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|Like the devices released by Wenquxing, The BBK is a long line of electronic dictionaries that became a mainstay in Chinese portable gaming.They first launched in the late 90s.
|-
|[[wikipedia:Design Master Senshi Mangajukuu|Bandai Design Master Denshi Manga Juku]]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|No
|Released in Japan by Bandai in 1995, the Denshi Manga Juku was the first touchscreen-based console ever and the predecessor to the [[WonderSwan emulators|WonderSwan]]. It was discontinued in 1996 and only four games were released for it (including of all things, an exclusive Rockman aka Mega Man game (9 cartridges were made, though, only 8 were sent to retail). On August 4, 2020, in a first for the Gaming Alexandria group, they announced the [https://www.gamingalexandria.com/wp/2020/08/04/bandai-design-master-denshi-mangajuku-complete-game-library-dumps-scans/ complete game library was dumped] on mid-July 2020, and the assets scanned & uploaded between November 2019 to February, 2020.
|-
|[[wikipedia:Cybiko|Cybiko/Cybiko Xtreme]]
|style="background:skyblue;"|Decent
|[https://archive.org/download/TOSEC_V2017-04-23/Cybiko/ TOSEC]
|The Cybiko is a Russian handheld computer introduced in the U.S. by David Yang's company Cybiko Inc. as a retail test market in New York on April 2000, and rolled out nationwide in May 2000. It is designed for teens, featuring its own two-way radio text messaging system. It had over 430 "official" freeware games and applications.
|-
|[[wikipedia:Gamate|Gamate]]
|style="background:palegreen;"|Good
|Yes
|Another attempt to capture part of the Game Boy market, the Gamate was released in the early 90s by Bit Corporation. The magnitude of its failure makes it and its software obscenely rare today, with prices over 500 dollars for the handheld alone on eBay. It's so obscure that it wasn't until December 2014 when preliminary support for the handheld was added in MAME, and ROM dumps were made.
|-
|[http://videogamekraken.com/philips-in2it In2it]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|The Philips In2it is an unreleased touchscreen-based console that never matured past internal testing and media press kits. Unfortunately after the failure of the CD-I, the console was cancelled and only 10 out of the few hundred systems manufactured are known to still exist. Furthermore, 10 games are known to have been made for it.
|-
|J.Cock Z400S
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|Released in Japan sometime in the 90s, the Z400S was made for gambling or prize winning purposes and not for the home console market. A business like a Bar or Hotel would lend it to a costumer, so they could play a Casino type game. its speculated that its using PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) hardware but nothing has been confirmed. It's unknown how many games were made for it, how many units sold or when it was discontinued.
|-
|Koei PasoGo
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|No
|In 1996, Koei released a Game Boy competitor in Japan called the PasoGo, and for some reason Koei decided to market it as being designed specifically to play the traditional Asian board game, Go. The console flopped thanks to its high price tag of 39,800 Yen (about $600 when adjusted for inflation), the size of the device, and the fact that all six launch titles were slightly different versions of Go. It's unknown how many units were sold or when it was discontinued.
|-
|[[wikipedia:Mega_Duck|MegaDuck/CougarBoy]]
|style="background:skyblue;"|Decent
|Yes
|Chinese knockoff Game Boy (Made and released in 1993 by a Hong Kong firm) that was branded with various bizarre names, despite each version being exactly the same. Used cartridges. ROMs are out there, surprisingly.
|-
|[[wikipedia:Game.com|Tiger Game.com]]
|style="background:skyblue;"|Decent
|No-intro // [https://archive.org/download/TOSEC_V2017-04-23/Tiger/ TOSEC]
|Launched on August 1997. An infamous handheld, with quite possibly the worst screen on any handheld ever. Somehow still had a "port" of Resident Evil 2. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfxzVFzvizE CGR review]. Notable milestones in industry: it was the first video game console to include a touchscreen and the first handheld console to include Internet connectivity.
|-
|[[Watara Supervision emulators|Watara Supervision]]
|style="background:palegreen;"|Good
|No-intro // [https://archive.org/download/TOSEC_V2017-04-23/Watara/ TOSEC]
|Introduced in 1992. An attempt at making a real competitor for the Game Boy/Color.
|-
|Wenquxing Electronic Dictionaries
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|[https://github.com/hackwaly/jswqx/tree/master/rom model NC1020]
|First Released in China in around the late 90s to early 2000s, these devices were designed to be electronic dictionaries, but thanks to their unparalleled extensibility such as built-in BASIC runtime and abilities to run third-party assembly programs, their intended purpose soon fell to the wayside when Hobbyist programmers started to make games for them. these devices from Wenquxing now plays a big role in Chinese portable gaming. [https://github.com/hackwaly/jswqx jswqx, web-based emulator]
|-
!colspan="4"|2001-2010
|-
|[[Apple iPod|Apple iPod (Classic/Nano)]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|Yes [https://thepiratebay.org/torrent/6123135/Ipod_Click_Wheel_Games] [https://macjunkie.org/?p=705]
|Although you know what an iPod is and you might even have an iPod in your junk drawer, In 2006, Apple introduced "iPod games" as their first step into the handheld console market, despite having third party companies like Square Enix, Hudson Soft and EA making games for the iPod, it wasn't the huge hit they hoped it would be, a mix of awkward click wheel controls, controversy over pricing and the lack of an iPod-specific SDK resulted in a lack of interest from developers and a quick decline in game sales, Apple stopped releasing iPod games in 2009 and removed them from the iTunes store in 2011, Around 50 games were released for the iPod.
|-
|[[wikipedia:List_of_commercial_failures_in_video_gaming#digiBlast|DigiBlast]]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|No
|The DigiBlast is a Linux-based console from 2005 that was meant to compete with both the GameBoy Advance and the VideoNow series of portable video players, Unfortunately despite having a solid launch lineup, The system was a major flop and quickly became one of the worst selling consoles ever released, only selling about 100,000 units in its short lifespan.
|-
|[[wikipedia:Gameking|GameKing]]
|style="background:palegreen;"|Good
|Yes
|A rather bastardized attempt at making a Gameboy-esque handheld, manufactured and marketed by TimeTop (aka Guangzhou Daidaixing Tec. Electronics Co. Ltd.) in 2003. Strangely enough, this one's even more primitive than the Supervision, Gamate and Mega Duck consoles before it, as it uses a lower-resolution 64x32 screen, and that's despite companies such as Subor (i.e. that Chinese company who gained notoriety for developing an AMD-based gaming PC/console hybrid) releasing workalike clones of the [[Game Boy/Game Boy Color emulators|Game Boy]] and, more recently, GBA clones. MAME seems to emulate well all known carts.
|-
|[[Gizmondo emulators|Gizmondo]]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|Yes (No-intro)
|A disaster of a handheld, the Gizmondo was released in 2005 with a furious marketing campaign. It was ahead of its time in that it (was supposed to have) included built-in advertisements to make the console cheaper. [https://youtu.be/dv6UaHZxUys LGR Review]
|-
|[[GP32 emulators|GP32]]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|Yes (No-intro)
|A Korean handheld, it was released on November 23, 2001, in South Korea only. It was the first handheld to use Smart Media cards and had pretty good specs for the time, so everybody ended up just jailbreaking it and using it as an emulator/homebrew platform. The developers later went on to develop the more successful GP2X line, which was designed from the ground up for emulators. An emulator was made for the system in 2002 called "GeePee32" that is known to be able to emulate many commercial games for the system, though some lack sound. However, the project is inactive. It can be found here: [http://users.skynet.be/bk327964/gp32/]
|-
|[[Pokémon mini emulators|Nintendo Pokémon Mini]]
|style="background:skyblue;"|Decent
|[https://archive.org/download/TOSEC_V2017-04-23/Nintendo/Pokemon%20Mini/ TOSEC]
|A very downgraded Game Boy (But also the tiniest cart-based handheld device made by Nintendo). It was first released in NA and then Japan on late 2001. Only Pokemon related games were released, and its catalog of games is also very limited. It's also very rare nowadays. Decent support in MAME, though there are other choices to play these games on other emulators.
|-
|[[Cellphone emulators#Symbian and N-Gage (Nokia)|Nokia N-Gage]]
|style="background:salmon;"|Preiminary
|Yes
|Nokia's attempt at making a cell phone/handheld system hybrid, before mobile gaming really took off. Although it was the most powerful handheld in its time and released in October 2003, it failed due to a high price, a terrible button layout, numerous design flaws, and its underdeveloped cell phone component. Had a redesign called the QD, but it was only slightly better. Most of its games were ports, either from the GBA or from the PS1 and Saturn. While it didn't have any standout titles, it still had a few odd original entries from big franchises such as Elder Scrolls Travels: Shadowkey and SSX: Out of Bounds, and was the only system to have an English version of Xanadu Next (before the 2016 global re-release for Windows PCs). In 2019, an emulator called EKA2L1 started development. EKA2L1 currently supports a few N-Gage games. [[Cellphone_emulators#N-Gage_(Nokia)|Other modern open source emulators]] are in the works.
|-
|[[wikipedia:Tapwave_Zodiac|Tapwave Zodiac]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|[http://www.theoldcomputer.com/roms/index.php?folder=Tapwave/Zodiac Some]
|A handheld released in 2003 that used an enhanced Palm OS. Ahead for its time, even receiving awards. However, the PSP and Nintendo DS killed it. [https://youtu.be/Mz3nNKQRnNQ LGR Review]
|-
|Teachermate Handheld Educational Computer
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|Released in 2008 by the non-profit company, Teachermate, This educational handheld console was only sold to schools and taught kids in a Kindergarten to Second Grade level, It's unknown how many games were made for it, how many units sold or when it was discontinued.
|-
!colspan="4"|2011-2020
|-
|C2: Color & Card
|style="background:salmon;"|Preliminary
|No
|Released in 2015 in China by Baiyi Animation, The extremely rare, C2 was made to bank on the popularity of Roco Kingdom films but ultimately it was a flop. Only 6 games were made for it and was discontinued shortly after released.
|-
|[https://evercade.co.uk Evercade]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|Evercade is a cartridge based handheld that released on April 9th, 2020. The console is designed to emulate officially licensed retro games and games from Indie publishers / developers. Since the console is still being sold, it's unknown how many games will be made for it, when it well be discontinued or how many units of this system will sell.
|-
|[https://liliputing.com/2012/11/lg-kids-pad-tablet-hits-south-korea-for-276.html Kids Pad]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|Released in 2012 by LG. The Kids Pad was only sold in South Korea and featured an app store and support for cartridges. How many units sold, number of games were released and when it was discontinued is unknown.
|-
|M&D Monon Color
|style="background:Orange;"|Imperfect
|No
|Like the C2, The Monon Color from 2014 also tried to bank on the popularity of Roco Kingdom films and was only slightly more successful than it; it's unknown how many games (At least 15) were released for it or when it was discontinued. Preliminary support for it was added in MAME [https://www.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/a9i37l/mame_0205/ 0.205] on [https://wiki.mamedev.org/index.php/MAME_0.205 December 2018], and promoted to working state in MAME [https://www.mamedev.org/?p=516#readmore 0.247] on 31, August 2022.
|-
|[https://www.pokitto.com/ Pokitto]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|Yes
|The Pokitto is a DIY handheld that aims to aid users into learning how to program games and create/build gadgets for it.
At Maker Faire Rome in 2016, prototypes of the Pokitto were available for hands on demonstrations. A kickstarter for the project was launched on April 28, 2017. The Pokitto was released around New Years 2018. Pokitto Magazine Issue 1 was released in July 2019.
|-
!colspan="4"|2021-2030
|-
|[https://thumby.us/ Thumby]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|Yes
|A teeny tiny, fully working handheld that also makes for a cute keychain. You're also able to program games for it and it even has Link Cable style multiplayer support.
|-
|[[Playdate]]
|style="background:gainsboro;"|None
|No
|Released in 2022 by Panic Inc, The Playdate uses a monochrome screen, and along with standard controls (A & B Buttons, D-Pad) there is a Crank on the side of the console, giving the system a unique way of controlling games. Game development is aimed mainly at indie studios. Since the console is still being sold, it unknown how games will be made for it, when it well be discontinued or how many units of this system will sell.
|}

[[Category:Consoles|*]]
[[Category:Third-generation video game consoles|*]]
[[Category:Fourth-generation video game consoles|*]]
[[Category:Fifth-generation video game consoles|*]]
[[Category:Sixth-generation video game consoles|*]]
[[Category:Seventh-generation video game consoles|*]]
[[Category:Eighth-generation video game consoles|*]]
[[Category:Ninth-generation video game consoles|*]]

Sega Saturn emulators

2023-03-09T04:12:01Z

Maxkatsur: Use of 2 CPUs and 2 GPUS, while cool, is actually impractical in reality.

{{Infobox console
|title = Sega Saturn
|logo = Sega-Saturn-Console-Set-Mk2.png
|developer = [[:Sega]]
|type = [[:Category:Home consoles|Home video game console]]
|generation = [[:Category:Fifth-generation video game consoles|Fifth generation]]
|release = 1994
|discontinued = 2000
|predecessor = [[Sega Genesis emulators|Genesis / Mega Drive]]
|successor = [[Sega Dreamcast emulators|Dreamcast]]
|emulated = {{✓}}
}}

The '''[[wikipedia:Sega_Saturn|Sega Saturn]]''' is a 32-bit, fifth-generation console released by [[wikipedia:Sega|Sega]] in Japan on November 22, 1994 and in the US on May 11, 1995. It was retailed for {{Inflation|USD|399.99|1994}}. It had 2 Hitachi SH-2 CPUs at 28.6 MHz and it had the VDP1 GPU & VDP2 GPU. The arcade board, '''[https://segaretro.org/Sega_Titan_Video ST-V (Sega Titan Video)]''', uses the same hardware except for sound, VRAM, and game storage (where it is stored on ROM cartridges instead of CD-ROM discs).

The Sega Saturn has historically been one of the harder consoles to emulate due to its infamously difficult architecture consisting of 8 processors overall and use of quadrilaterals rather than triangles as polygons, resulting in a lack of good options. However, things are looking up for open-source emulators like Mednafen, and to a lesser extent, Yabause.

==Emulators==
<div style="max-width:100%; overflow:auto;">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! scope="col"|Name
! scope="col"|Platform(s)
! scope="col"|Latest Version
! scope="col"|<abbr title="Sega Titan Video">ST-V</abbr>
! scope="col"|[https://retroachievements.org/download.php Retro Achievements]
! scope="col"|<abbr title="Resizable Internal Resolution">RIR</abbr>
! scope="col"|[[Sega_Saturn_emulators#NetLink|XBAND]]
! scope="col"|<abbr title="Free/Libre and Open-Source Software">FLOSS</abbr>
! scope="col"|Active
! scope="col"|[[Recommended emulators|Recommended]]
|-
! colspan="10"|PC / x86
|-
|[[Mednafen]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|[{{MednafenURL|releases}} {{MednafenVer}}] [https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]
|{{~}}<ref group=N name=MednafenST-V>Version 1.31.0 added experimental support for ST-V games that don't require decryption chips or special hardware. Refer to the [https://mednafen.github.io/documentation/ss.html#Section_stv ST-V section of the official documentation] for more details and a list of explicitly supported games.</ref> ||{{~}}<ref group=N name=libretroRA>Exclusive to libretro core.</ref> ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}<ref group=N>[https://mednafen.github.io/documentation/ss.html#Section_internal_databases_cart Reserved section for titles need future modem support].</ref> ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[https://fcare.github.io/ Kronos]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core] [{{KronosDownloadLink}} {{KronosVer}}]
|{{~}} ||{{~}}<ref group=N name=libretroRA></ref> ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[SSF]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
|[{{SSFDownloadLink}} {{SSFVer}}]
|{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}} ||{{~}}<ref group=N name=SSF>[https://github.com/shimazzz/SEGASaturnEmulator-SSF/issues/15#issuecomment-1038281021 Due to recent virus detections in the latest versions], it is risky for some computers to use, though it is mostly clean. This emulator remains somewhat recommended, especially for older hardware, though it may be avoided for these reasons.</ref>
|-
|[[BizHawk]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
|[https://gitlab.com/TASVideos/BizHawk/-/pipelines Dev Builds] [http://tasvideos.org/BizHawk/ReleaseHistory.html {{BizHawkVer}}]
|? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[Yaba Sanshiro|Yaba Sanshiro 2]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}<ref group=N name=YabaSanshiroRA>[https://docs.libretro.com/library/yabasanshiro/ Yaba Sanshiro libretro core is outdated, known for having many issues, and unmaintained]</ref>
|[https://www.uoyabause.org/static_pages/download 1.9.3]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[Yabause]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD|Web}}
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core] [http://yabause.org/download {{YabauseVer}}]
|{{✗}} ||{{~}}<ref group=N name=libretroRA></ref> ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}<ref group=N name=LibretroActive>Libretro core is still active.</ref> ||{{✗}}
|-
|[[MAME]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|[http://www.mamedev.org/release.html {{MAMEVer}}]
|{{~}}<ref group=N>[http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/lista_mame.php?game_sourcefile=stv.cpp&arcade_only=0&current_version=0 One of the best emulator for ST-V emulation but still "Imperfect"].</ref> ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|[[Nova]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
|[https://www.patreon.com/file?h=31179979&i=4658332 0.6]
|{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20121006154739/http://satourne.consollection.com Satourne]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
|[https://retrocdn.net/images/c/c4/Satourne_v2.0_beta_3.7z 2.0 beta 3]
|{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|[http://saturnin.consollection.com Saturnin]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
|[https://retrocdn.net/images/8/84/Saturnin_v0.40.7z 0.40]
|{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|[[GiriGiri]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
|[https://retrocdn.net/images/a/a8/GGD_20010316.7z 0.6a]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
! colspan="10"|Mobile / ARM
|-
|[[Yabause]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Android|iOS}}
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core][http://yabause.org/download {{YabauseVer}}]
|{{✗}} ||{{~}}<ref group=N name=libretroRA></ref> ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}<ref group=N name=LibretroActive></ref> ||{{✓}}
|-
||[[Yaba Sanshiro|Yaba Sanshiro 2]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Android|iOS}}<ref group=N name=YabaSanshiroRA></ref>
|[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.devmiyax.yabasanshioro2 {{YabaSanshiroVer}}] ([[Android emulators|Android]]) [http://www.uoyabause.org/static_pages/download 2.1.2.0] ([[Emulators on iOS|iOS]]) [https://github.com/devmiyax/yabause git]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[SSF]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Android}}
|[{{SSFDownloadLink}} git]
|{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}} ||{{~}}<ref group=N name=SSF></ref>
|-
! colspan="10"|Console
|-
||[[Yaba Sanshiro]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Switch}}
|[http://www.uoyabause.org/static_pages/download 2.2.0] [https://github.com/devmiyax/yabause git]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[Yabause|Yabause Wii]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Wii}}
|[https://wiibrew.org/wiki/Yabause_Wii Unofficial r2926 beta 26]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}}
|-
|Yabause Community Edition
|align=left|{{Icon|Xbox}}
|[https://digiex.net/threads/yabause-community-edition-public-a1-0-download-sega-saturn-emulator-for-xbox.13685 0.1 Alpha]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[Yabause]]
|align=left|{{Icon|PS3}} {{Icon|DC}} {{Icon|PSP}}
|[https://store.brewology.com/ahomebrew.php?brewid=3 0.1] (PS3) [http://yabause.org/download 0.9.14] (DC) [https://archive.org/details/yabause-0.9.10-psp.7z 0.9.10] ([[Emulators on PSP|PSP]])
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}}
|}
</div>
<references group=N />

===Comparisons===
;[[Mednafen]] ([https://forum.fobby.net/index.php?t=msg&th=1357 compatibility], [http://www.segasaturn.org/MednafenJAP.htm JAP compatibility], [http://www.segasaturn.org/MednafenPAL.htm PAL compatibility], [http://www.segasaturn.org/MednafenUSA.htm USA compatibility] , [https://mednafen.github.io/documentation/ss.html#Section_stv st-v compatibility])
:An open-source, [[multi-system emulators|multi-system emulator]] with an original Saturn core. It's currently the most accurate but runs from the command-line (obviously it'll have video output though) unless using an external frontend like Mednaffe or a [[libretro]] frontend like [[RetroArch]]. Its goal for accuracy means it only supports the BIOS of one console revision per region, and is also demanding than any other Saturn emulator (other than [[MAME]])<ref name="Mednafen Saturn core documentation">{{MednafenURL|documentation/ss.html}}</ref>. By default, only x86-64 builds have Saturn support, but unofficial x86-32 builds and [[libretro]] frontends like [[RetroArch]] can surpass this limitation.

;[[SSF]] ([http://www.segasaturn.org/USA%20update.htm USA compatibility], [http://www.segasaturn.org/Japan.htm JPN compatibility], [http://www.segasaturn.org/PAL%20update.htm PAL compatibility])
:Used to be the emulator of choice for compatible Saturn emulation. However, it is closed-source and only for Windows and Android. Pretty good performance with low-end computers.

;[[Yabause]] ([https://docs.libretro.com/library/yabause/#compatibility compatibility])
:Used to be the first and only option for multi-platform Saturn emulation. It's far less developed than SSF and Mednafen and still has many compatibility issues. Development seems to have stopped, active forks are Libretro core, Kronos and Yaba Sanshiro 2.

:;Yaba Sanshiro 2 (formerly uoYabause) ([https://www.uoyabause.org/games compatibility])
::A Multi-platform fork by DevMiyax using OpenGL ES 3.X (Android), and Open GL 3.X (Windows). Unlike other forks, it uses the GPU to emulate the VDP1, VDP2, and has a modified SH2 Dynamic Recompiler.

:;Kronos ([https://tradu-france.com/wiki-emu-compatibility/index.php?title=Compatibility_list_of_Kronos compatibility])
::A fork of UoYabause 0.5.2 created by François (French dev. AKA 'FCare'.). Has his own written SH2 Interpreter, and now supports the ST-V arcade in version 1.30, and Higher (All ST-V games are launchable on Linux; most games are still problematic on Windows). 2115 games have been tested : 1884 are playable (89.08 %), 209 are not, 19 are almost playable.

;[[MAME]] ([http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/lista_mame.php?game_sourcefile=saturn.cpp&arcade_only=0&current_version=0 compatibility], [http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/lista_mame.php?game_sourcefile=stv.cpp&arcade_only=0&current_version=0 st-v compatibility])
:Has a <code style="color:darkred;">saturn</code> driver with compatibility on par with Yabause. The driver is marked overall as not working but graphics and sound are OK. It has good compatibility with at least around 50 of the ~70 ST-V arcade games, though performance quality may vary<ref name="ST-V_A-Z">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tko_jBNci0k |title=Sega ST-V Arcade Games A to Z - M.A.M.E.|publisher=Youtube|accessdate=2018-05-23|date=2017-02-10}}</ref>. But versions [http://wiki.mamedev.org/index.php/MAME_0.158 0.158]<ref name="Mame_0-158">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPS7aX4gLCU |title=Touryuu Densetsu Elan Doree - New Improvements on ST-V Hardware - MAME 0.158|publisher=Youtube|accessdate=2018-05-23|date=2015-02-03}}</ref>. (Jan 2015) to much later have made good advances in performance. Early known work on ST-V hardware emulation was done in various builds of 0.125, 0.133, 0.138, 0.142 & 0.143 (See [http://wiki.mamedev.org/index.php/Previous_MAME_Versions prior builds]) between 2008-2011. Even bug fixes and more graphical improvements were included in the years 2017-2018 (i.e. [http://www.mamedev.com/?p=449 0.191], [http://www.mamedev.com/?p=456 0.197] & [http://www.mamedev.com/?p=457 0.198]).
::- [http://mamedev.emulab.it/kale/fast/files/saturnjp/0.php Sega Saturn JP compatibility list] (Created by MAME dev Angelo 'Kale' Salese)

;[[Nova]]
:An up-and-coming emulator focused on being fast, compatible, and user-friendly. Like SSF, it is closed-source and Windows only. From [https://www.patreon.com/posts/nova-v0-2-1-18630607 v0.2.1] onwards, it can now emulate the Sega Titan Video (ST-V) arcade hardware (eg. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhv4STRa-2c Guardian Force] on ST-V in v0.2.2.). Refer to [https://literalmente-game.github.io/compatibility_lists/nova.html compatibility list] (Not updated every version. Note that the 'Playable' category may only mean the games being in-game but with visual errors).

;[[BizHawk]]
:An open-source, multi-system emulator designed for tool-assisted speedruns. Its Saturn core is [https://github.com/TASEmulators/BizHawk/blob/master/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Sega/Saturn/Saturnus.cs#L9 based on Mednafen].

'''Comparisons of several Saturn emulators:'''
* [https://emucross.com/a-deep-dive-into-saturn A Deep Dive into the Sega Saturn and Saturn Emulation] (By [[Dolphin]] tester, [https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/authors/JMC47 JMC47], AKA Justin M. Chadwick. 13 OCTOBER 2017. Tested emulators: Yabause & uoYabause, SSF (unofficial site), and Mednafen. Already outdated the next year by progress in the Kronos fork).

==Emulator development==
:''This section was copied from Wikipedia in 2014. For an up-to-date explanation, see [[wikipedia:Sega Saturn#Technical specifications|Sega Saturn § Technical specifications]]''

The complexity of the system has made the creation of a proper emulator for it rather difficult.

<blockquote>One very fast central processor would be preferable. I don't think all programmers have the ability to program two CPUs — most can only get about one-and-a-half times the speed you can get from one SH-2. I think that only 1 in 100 programmers are good enough to get this kind of speed [nearly double] out of the Saturn. "Yu Suzuki reflecting upon Saturn's ''Virtua Fighter'' development<ref name="YuSuzukiNG">Next Generation (magazine) issue 2, 1995</ref>.</blockquote>

The Saturn had technically impressive hardware at the time of its release, but its complex design, with two CPUs and six other processors, made harnessing this power difficult for developers accustomed to conventional programming. The biggest disadvantage was that both CPUs shared the same bus and were unable to access system memory at the same time. Making full use of the 4 kB of cache memory in each CPU was critical to maintaining performance. One example of how the Saturn was utilized was with ''Virtua Fighter''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s use of one CPU for each character<ref name=YuSuzukiNG/>. Many of the Saturn's developers, such as Lobotomy Software programmer Ezra Dreisbach, found it difficult to develop for compared to the PlayStation because of its more complex graphics hardware<ref name=DreisbachCG>{{cite web|title=Interview: Ezra Dreisbach |publisher=Curmudgeon Gamer |date=July 9, 2002|url=http://curmudgeongamer.com/article.php?story=20021008212903265 |accessdate=July 19, 2007|archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070927211250/http://curmudgeongamer.com/article.php?story=20021008212903265  |archivedate = September 27, 2007}}</ref>. In order to port ''Duke Nukem 3D'' and ''PowerSlave'' to the Saturn, Lobotomy Software had to almost entirely rewrite the Build engine to take advantage of the Saturn's unconventional hardware<ref name=DreisbachCG/>. Third-party development was initially hindered by the lack of useful software libraries and development tools, requiring developers to write in assembly language to achieve good performance. During early Saturn development, programming in assembly could offer a two to fivefold speed increase over C language<ref name=YuSuzukiNG/>. Sega responded to these criticisms by writing new graphics libraries which were claimed to help make development easier<ref name="NextGenDec95">''So many 32-Bit Systems To Choose From'' Next Generation (magazine) issue 12, 1995</ref>. These libraries were presented as a new operating system by Sega of Japan<ref name="NextGenDec95"/>.

Unlike the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 which used triangles as their basic geometric primitive, the Saturn rendered quadrilaterals with forward texture mapping. This proved to be a hindrance because most of the industry's standard design tools were based on triangles, with independent texture UV coordinates specified per vertex. One of the challenges brought forth by quadrilateral-based rendering was problems with textured surfaces containing triangles. To make a triangular-shaped object, rendering had a fourth side with a length of zero. This technique proved problematic as it caused texture distortion and required careful reworking to achieve the desired appearance—Sega provided tools for remapping textures from UV space into rectangular tiles. These complications can be seen in the Saturn version of ''Tomb Raider''<ref name=DreisbachCG/>.

==Accessories==
===NetLink===
Sometimes called "[[XBAND]]" and is a modem for Sega Saturn. Possibly can be emulated by YabaSanshiro.
===Video CD Card===
Also called the '''Movie Card''' in Japan - allows Saturn to play Video CDs (VCDs) and hardware playback of MPEG-1 (version 1) video in certain games, leading to higher quality FMV for use in cutscenes (and occasionally, gameplay). It is not known what emulators support this accessory.

==Resources==
* [https://segaretro.org/Sega_Saturn/Hardware_comparison#Graphics_comparison_table Graphics comparison table] (for Saturn as opposed to PS1, N64, Sega Model 2 arcade hardware and 1995-era PC)

*[https://antime.kapsi.fi/sega/docs.html Complete (so far) documentation of the Sega Saturn]

*[https://archive.org/details/SegaManuals More leaked, official documentation] (Only that this time there are some that include for Sega Genesis, its CD add-on, and documentation on how the Sega Saturn CD Communication Interface works, and how its Boot ROM works [https://mobile.twitter.com/forestillusion/status/1126321691775229954 Source])

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Sega}}

[[Category:Consoles]]
[[Category:Home consoles]]
[[Category:Sega consoles]]
[[Category:Sega Saturn emulators|*]]
[[Category:Fifth-generation video game consoles]]
[[Category:Emulated By MAME]]

Mednafen

2023-03-09T04:05:13Z

Maxkatsur: /* Netplay */

{{Infobox emulator
|logo = Newlogo-1-.png
|logowidth = 280
|version = {{MednafenVer}}
|active = Yes
|platform = [[Emulators on Windows|Windows]][[Emulators on Linux|Linux]]BSD[[Emulators on PS3|PS3]] [[Emulators on Wii|Wii]]
|target = [[Apple II line|Apple II]][[Atari Lynx emulators|Atari Lynx]][[WonderSwan emulators|Bandai WonderSwan/Color]][[Game Boy Advance emulators|Nintendo Game Boy Advance]][[Virtual Boy emulators|Virtual Boy]][[Nintendo Entertainment System emulators|Nintendo Entertainment System]][[Super Nintendo emulators|Super Nintendo Entertainment System]][[PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) emulators|NEC PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16]][[PC-FX emulators|PC-FX]][[Neo Geo Pocket emulators|SNK Neo Geo Pocket/Color]][[PlayStation emulators|Sony PlayStation]][[Master System emulators|Sega Master System]][[Sega Genesis emulators|Sega Genesis (Mega Drive)]][[Sega Saturn emulators|Sega Saturn]][[Master System emulators|Sega Game Gear]]
|developer = RyphechaMednafen Team
|website = [https://mednafen.github.io mednafen.github.io]
|source = [http://sourceforge.net/projects/mednafen/files/latest/download?source=files SourceForge]
|license = GNU GPLv2
|bios = [[Emulator_Files#Multi-system|Required]]
}}

'''Mednafen''' (an acronym for '''My Emulator Doesn't Need A Frickin' Excellent Name''', formerly '''Nintencer''') is an open-source, [[Multi-system emulators|multi-system emulator]], driven from the command-line. Many of its cores are ports of other emulators, but many of them are also original. Its [[PlayStation emulators|Sony PlayStation]], [[Sega Saturn emulators|Sega Saturn]], [[Virtual Boy emulators|Nintendo Virtual Boy]], and [[PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) emulators|NEC PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16)]] original cores are notable for their high quality, compatibility and accuracy.

==Downloads==
{| cellpadding="4"
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Win-big}}
|'''[{{MednafenURL|releases/}} Official release]''' Includes [[source code]]
|-
|colspan="2"|<hr/>
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Lin|BSD}}
|[https://pkgs.org/download/mednafen <code>mednafen</code> Package Listing] at pkgs.org
|-
|colspan="2"|<hr/>
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Wii}}
|[https://github.com/raz0red/wii-mednafen/releases Source] [https://gbatemp.net/download/wiimednafen.37238 v0.3-SNAPSHOT] Wii port
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|PS3}}
|[https://github.com/aaerox/mednafen-ps3 Source] [https://ps3.brewology.com/downloads/download.php?id=12232&mcid=4 r3] PS3 port (Outdated)
|}

==Supported systems==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col"|System
! scope="col"|Based on code from:
|-
|[[Atari Lynx emulators|Atari Lynx]]
|[[Handy]]
|-
|[[Apple II emulators|Apple II]]
|Original.
|-
|[[WonderSwan emulators|Bandai WonderSwan/Color]]
|[[Cygne]]
|-
|[[PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) emulators|NEC PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 (CD)]]
|Original. CD-ROM interface based on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190327015916/http://www.geocities.co.jp/SiliconValley-Bay/9975/PC2E/english.html PC2E].
|-
|[[PC-FX emulators|NEC PC-FX]]
|Original. NEC V810 CPU core based on [http://www.goliathindustries.com/vb/ Reality Boy].
|-
|[[Nintendo Entertainment System emulators|NES (Famicom)]]
|[http://fceultra.sourceforge.net/ FCE Ultra]
|-
|[[Game Boy Advance emulators|Nintendo Game Boy Advance]]
|[[VisualBoy Advance]]
|-
|[[Virtual Boy emulators|Nintendo Virtual Boy]]
|Original. NEC V810 CPU core based on [http://www.goliathindustries.com/vb/ Reality Boy].
|-
|[[Sega Genesis emulators|Sega Genesis (Mega Drive)]]
|[[Genesis Plus GX#Genesis Plus|Genesis Plus]]
|-
|[[Master System emulators|Sega Master System]] and [[Master System emulators|Game Gear]]
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20170406033236/http://www.techno-junk.org/smsplus.php SMS Plus]
|-
|[[Sega Saturn emulators|Sega Saturn]]
|Original. Experimental ST-V arcade board support.
|-
|[[Neo Geo Pocket emulators|SNK Neo-Geo Pocket/Color]]
|[[NeoPop]]
|-
|[[PlayStation emulators|Sony PlayStation]]
|Original.
|-
|[[Super Nintendo emulators|SNES (Super Famicom)]]
|[[higan|bsnes v059]] & Original ([https://mednafen.github.io/documentation/snes_faust.html SNES Faust])
|}

==Overview==
The best cores in Mednafen are those that are original - which are the Sony PlayStation, NEC PC Engine, PC-FX, Sega Saturn and Nintendo Virtual Boy cores. The NEC PC Engine core is one of the best emulators for that system, with a Fast and Accurate version. The PlayStation core is native resolution only and features a high degree of accuracy and compatibility<ref>[http://forum.fobby.net/index.php?t=msg&th=1114 Mednafen PSX bugs reports]</ref>. The Nintendo Virtual Boy core is one of the best for the system.

Other cores improve upon emulators that have been long abandoned and rarely updated. These include the SNK Neo Geo Pocket/Color, Bandai WonderSwan/Color, and Atari Lynx cores.

Other cores are less useful, as there are better options in stand-alone emulators (Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, Master System, and Super Nintendo Entertainment System). These cores might even be based on out-dated versions. For instance, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System core is based on an old outdated version of bsnes. This is before the performance/accuracy/balanced cores — 0.50x territory — with a couple of changes by Ryphecha.

It is unknown at this time whether Mednafen's Nintendo Game Boy Advance core is better than [[VisualBoy Advance#VBA-M|VBA-M]].

Mednafen's Sony PlayStation, NEC PC Engine (Fast, not Accurate, version), SNK Neo Geo Pocket/Color, Nintendo Virtual Boy, Sega Saturn and Bandai WonderSwan/Color emulators are all available as [[libretro]] cores under the name "Beetle", so it might make more sense to use [[RetroArch]] instead.

Version 1.31.0 added experimental support for [https://system16.com/hardware.php?id=711 ST-V games] that don't require decryption chips or special hardware. Refer to the [https://mednafen.github.io/documentation/ss.html#Section_stv ST-V section of the official documentation] for more details and a list of explicitly supported games.

==Using Mednafen==
Officially Mednafen has only a command-line interface, that is nevertheless easy to configure and run for users familiar with it. Everyone else can use a [[Frontends#Mednafen|third-party frontend]] for GUI. As with any type of interface a good text editor like [http://www.notepad-plus-plus.org Notepad++] can be used to change settings.

===BIOS===
Most cores do not require any BIOS except for the Sony PlayStation, NEC PC Engine CD, PC-FX, and Sega Saturn cores. BIOS files need to be placed into a folder called "firmware" in your Mednafen directory. Mednafen is very picky about which BIOS to use, but all of these come with the [[Emulator_Files#Multi-System|Mednafen BIOS pack]] and are correctly named.<ref group=notes>Mednafen can be forced to accept incorrect bios roms by editing its config file if you absolutely cannot find the correct ones, but this may cause compatibility problems.</ref> The ones that you might need are:

'''Sony PlayStation'''
* SCPH5500.bin - (NTSC-J) Required for Japan-region games.
* SCPH5501.bin - (NTSC-U) Required for North America/US-region games.
* SCPH5502.bin - (PAL) Required for Europe-region games.

'''NEC PC Engine CD'''
* syscard3.pce

'''NEC PC-FX'''
* pcfx.bios

'''Sega Saturn'''
* sega_101.bin
* mpr-17933.bin
For ST-V games, use the original uncompressed files inside stvbios.zip from MAME romset.

===CUE===
For most systems, Mednafen only needs the ROM file; but to load PlayStation games, Mednafen requires CUE sheets to know where the music data is. Ensure that the CUE sheet is properly set up in order for the game to run. See the [[Cue sheet (.cue)]] page for more info.

===Loading a game===
To load a game in Mednafen, simply drag and drop your ROM or CUE file onto mednafen.exe, or if you prefer, you can use the command line. Mednafen requires no special commands, such as the desired system. For example, in Windows, the command would look like C:/Emulators/Mednafen/mednafen.exe C:/Roms/Nintendo/battletoads.nes

===m3u playlist files===
[[File:M3u_example.png|thumb|right|206px|An example of a .m3u for Valkyrie Profile]]
To automatically load the next disc of a game, you will need a .m3u file. To make one, simply create a text file and name it after your game. Within the text file, write the names of the .cue sheets for your game discs as such:

Game (Disc 1).cue

Game (Disc 2).cue

Game (Disc 3).cue

Save the .txt file and then change the file extension to .m3u. Run the .m3u, rather than the .cue of the first disc and the first disc will load. When you get to the end of that disc, the next disc will be automatically loaded.
For this method to work, shared memory cards (see below) must be used for the games in the playlist.

===Dual analog controllers with PlayStation===
To enable analog sticks and rumble on DualShock controllers, open the mednafen-09x.cfg file, search for "psx.input.port1" and change gamepad to DualShock. Do this for port2 if you wish to play multiplayer games with the features of DualShock controllers.

===Configuring controls===
Once in-game, to configure your controller at any time, press Alt+Shift+1 and it will guide you through the setup. Press Alt+Shift+2 and so on for each additional controller for multiplayer.
To emulate a different kind of controller, Ctrl+Shift+1 (or 2 for port 2 etc) to cycle through known controller types.
If you're having trouble with a controller with analog buttons (the Namco neGcon, for example), hit F3 to make Mednafen detect them.

===Graphical enhancements===
====Sprite limit====
This is a feature on older systems, due to hardware limitations, that makes it only display so many sprites could be on screen at the same time. Most systems got around this limitation by alternating which sprites were on the screen each refresh, causing the sprite to flicker. Mednafen's default settings are true to the original system limits, but this can be disabled in the .cfg file. Here is the list of options from the .cfg file to change from 0 to 1 if you don't wish to have the limit.

* [{{MednafenURL|documentation/nes.html#nes.no8lim}} nes.no8lim]
* [{{MednafenURL|documentation/pce.html#pce.nospritelimit}} pce.nospritelimit]
* [{{MednafenURL|documentation/pce_fast.html#pce_fast.nospritelimit}} pce_fast.nospritelimit]
* [{{MednafenURL|documentation/pcfx.html#pcfx.nospritelimit}} pcfx.nospritelimit]

====Width size corrections====
Some cores have a wrong width resolution, doubt if this is a bug and even less a problem, but if you want some pixel perfect (to see better horizontal scrolling for example) you must disable Correct aspect ratio in these cores:

* md.correct_aspect 0
* nes.correct_aspect 0
* pce_fast.correct_aspect 0
* snes.correct_aspect 0
* snes_faust.correct_aspect 0
* ss.correct_aspect 0

Here is also a little list of the cores without an correct_aspect setting but its width is still wrong, so changing it's xscale values will give pixel perfect.
These cores (except PC-FX) also have a boolean setting called h_overscan which if it's enabled (1) some overscan (which is most known as black bars) on both sides will appear, but width size is still inaccurate.
All values are replaced from 1X scale, if you want 2X or 3X scale, multiply it with a calculator.

* PCE / PC-FX: 0.888888888888888
* PC Engine (h_overscan 1): 0.875
* PlayStation (h_overscan 0): 1.092715231788079
* PlayStation (h_overscan 1): 1.09375

<gallery>
File:mednafenpsxbefore.png|2.0X scale
File:mednafenpsxafter.png|2.1875X scale
</gallery>

===Cheats===
Mednafen supports the usual cheats such as GameShark, Code Breaker, and Action Replay. The cheats menu can be accessed (or quit back to normal gameplay) with '''ALT+C'''.

The cheat engine interface is command-based but still easy to use. Each time a menu appears, you have a bunch of options with a number (or key) before each choice. You're supposed to write the number (# just means to choose the number for the line you want) or letter standing for your choice. Occasionally, when asked to input some values or names, a value appears between brackets after the question - if that's what you want to write down, you can simply leave the entry field empty and press Enter.

To add an existing GS/AR/PAR/CB cheat code, use "Gameshark Codes". Else, if you have a memory address and a given value for it, choose "Search Code" then "Add Code", then put in the address (as $XXXXXXXX), the byte range depending on the values your variable can take (1 is 0-255, 2 is 0-65535, etc), and the numeric value proper (in decimal, or hexadecimal if followed by a lower-case h). Various cheat types exist too (S(substitute on read), C(substitute on read with compare) or R(replace value before vblank) -- R being the default recommended option).

Searching for new cheat codes is also possible. The general idea being comparing variables, going back to gameplay so that this variable changes then back to the cheat engine searching for any variables that changed in that particular way. For example:
* '''Infinite Health / Ammo / Time / Money:''' you start with 5 hearts, reset search (in the cheat engine, not reset the game you silly!), you get hurt to 4 hearts, search variables that decreased, get healed back to 5 hearts, search variables that increased, and so on. For the money, you can start with 0 when you have 0 gold and try earning/spending money. You could try using save states as well when you don't have as much freedom changing the value.
* '''Infinite Lives:''' It's game over when the internal variable for "Lives" is 0. So in some cases, when it shows "REST/LEFT=1" in-game and you lose a life then it becomes 0 but you're still allowed to play on your last life, that means the internal counter for lives has actually changed from 2 to 1 and not from 1 to 0, but in other games (where if you die on "LIVESx1" it's game over) it's not the case. In the case of lives, you actually know the exact value: reset search initially, then (if you have 2 lives on a game that allows you to play on "LEFT=0") search for variables with values equal to 3. Lose a life, search for variables equal 2, and so on.
* '''Character Modifier / Level Modifier / Having an Item:''' reset search, play without changing whatever you're searching for (let's say the stage), do lots of searches for new value equals old value. In-game, change it, then do a new value doesn't equal old value. And so on.
* '''Walk Through Walls / Invincibility / In-game Cheats & Features:''' you need to find the value that tells the character if he can move or not (he can't really move when walking against a wall) / if he's blinking or being invincible right now after getting hurt. Same methods as before, but there are hints that could be useful here -- both states could be 0/1, or something else... for example, one could assume 0 is not enabled and 1 is enabled.
* '''Debug Modes:''' stuff that stays 0 no matter what, extra off-screen inaccessible options in menus, extra dialogue... you name it. Have fun experimenting.

The goal of these searches is to narrow down the list of results to a single or handful of addresses (variables) pertinent directly to whatever we're searching for. The search always starts with "Reset Search", going back in-game (Alt+C) to play and change stuff, then back to the cheat engine to compare the "Original" value with the "Current" value. Then you check the results page which must get smaller and smaller (if it's 0 results, you screwed up and need to reset search to try again). The comparing options offered by Mednafen are as follow, with O being the Original value, and C being the Current value (when you reset a search, they're the same):

# '''O==V1 && C==V2''' if you know the explicit numerical values for the variable you write it here. The first time, just write the same value in both. Subsequent times, leave O blank and press Enter so that you don't write the old value again, and write the current value under C.
# '''O==V1 && |O-C|==V2''' same, but instead of writing the current value you write by how much it changed (0 if old value equals new value)
# '''|O-C|==V2''' you write by how much it changed (0 if old value equals new value)
# '''O!=C''' if old value doesn't equal new value
# '''Value decreased''' if new value smaller than old value
# '''Value increased''' if new value bigger than old value

===Further reading===
* {{MednafenURL|documentation}}

==Memory cards==
===Shared memcards===
Use this so that there is a shared memory cards for all games:

Create '''psx.cfg''', and add the line: '''filesys.fname_sav %s.%X''' 
Here's the full documentation: {{MednafenURL|documentation/fname_format.txt}}

Emulation bugs, crashes, and save states can corrupt your memory card data.

===Transfer===
To transfer memory cards, follow this guide. Also, in games with multiple discs with saves that carry over, you have to follow the same procedure.

Mednafen creates memory card files for each individual game, in contrast to [[PCSX-Reloaded]]/[[ePSXe]] where all game saves are stored into 2 memory card files. To transfer memory card files from PCSX-Reloaded/ePSXe to [[RetroArch]]:

* Start the game in RetroArch.
* Go to the system folder. Copy the names of the .mcr files created for the game.
* Delete them.
* Rename the files you want to transfer with the names of the RetroArch memcard files.
* Place the new ones in the system folder.

====Using Memory Card Manager 1.4====

Another option is to use Memory Card Manager 1.4 to extract a separate game saves from a shared memory card file.

The utility has support for next memory card formats: *.mem, *.mcd, *.mcr, *.gme, *.ddf, *.psx, *.ps, *.psm, *.vmp, *.VM1

[[File:memory_card_manager.png|400px]]

It allows to transfer each of the game saves from a shared memory card to a .mcr memory file used by Mednafen. As it was described above you just need to start game and check for '''sav''' folder inside Mednafen system directory. Open with Memory Card Manager 1.4 the memory file created for your game by Mednafen and open the shared memory card file from which you wish to transfer a save entry. When there would be a dialogue 'Do you want to replace 'SAVE_ENTRY_NAME' click 'Yes' and then save the file to the '''sav''' folder (the older one should be replaced).

==Frontends==
See our dedicated frontends page.

{{Main|Frontends#Mednafen}}

==Netplay==
Cores that work with netplay:

* NEC PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16)/PCE-CD (TG-CD)/SuperGrafx (option for both accuracy and fast cores)
* NEC PC-FX
* Nintendo Entertainment System
* Sega Genesis
* Sega Master System
* Super Nintendo Entertainment System
* Sony PlayStation
* Sega Saturn (experimental)

{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%;"
! colspan=2 |Review
|-
| '''PROS''' ||
* You can make and load save states
* Netcode allows for people to join a game that's already in session
* In-game chat
* Playing it full-screen works (sometimes)
|-
| '''CONS''' ||
* Command-line only (thankfully, dedicated front-end GUI for this multi-emulator exists)
* Weird, convoluted settings (or lack thereof)
* Super Nintendo Entertainment System emulation can be slow to you if you're on a low-end computer (uses bsnes core)
* Sony PlayStation core is accurate but slow
* Only supports 2 players on Genesis
* No CHD file support
|}

{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%;"
! colspan=1 |How to
|-
|
It's recommended that you [http://sourceforge.net/projects/medgui/ download a frontend].

# Run MedGui.exe
# You'll get a small window. On your left, you'll see two arrow buttons with a console/handheld icon in between. Choose your desired platform.
# Click the button with the blue lightning icon and look for the folder that contains your game(s). The emulator looks for compressed archives by default, but you can still load uncompressed files by clicking on the drop-down menu.
# Pick your game.
# Click the button with a checkered red ball and joystick to start the game.
# You'll then (very likely) get a message an update prompt. Click Yes, and wait.
# Start the game. If it asks you to update again, ignore it and restart the emulator.
# While the game is loaded, press ALT + SHIFT + 1 to map your controller. You'll get several options per button (for example, UP 1, UP 2, UP 3, etc.). Just map the first one to your controller, and the rest to a key you'll never press. You will have to repeat this step for every emulator core.
# Close the emulator.
# Click the arrow button on the right side of the window. It should expand it.
# Click Advanced Mode.
# Click the tab called Media/Network/Utility.

'''For Hosting:'''
# In the Netplay-Server section, you have the following options:
#* "Max Clients", as in, the number of people that can connect to your server (not necessarily players; theoretically you can use this as a makeshift stream)
#* "Conn. Timeout" which is the number of seconds you'll allow for your clients to attempt establishing a connection
#* "Port" where you'll choose one an open TCP/UDP one
#* "Password" which you can establish or leave blank
# When you're done fiddling with your settings, click Create standard.conf
# Click Create Server. A cmd window will appear.
# Click My IP to obtain your external IP address and share it along with your port to your friend(s).
# Launch the game.
# Press T, and type /server localhost.
# Wait for other people to connect.

'''If you're Connecting:'''
# In the Netplay-Client section, you have the following options:
#* "Host", which is the server's IP you'll connect to
#* "Port, which is the one used by the server (which you should also have open on your end).
#* "Password", blank if there is none.
#* "Nickname" where you type whatever you want.
#* "Local player" is the number of players that will also be playing on one computer.
#* "Small font" which makes the chat font smaller.
# When you're done fiddling with your settings, launch the game.
# Press T, and type /server IP_goes_here.

You can chat in-game by pressing T. Also, remember that you can drop in and out of the game at any time, so you don't need to reset the game if someone accidentally disconnects.
There are way too many settings, commands, and features to list, so take a look at the emulator's documentation.
|}

==External links==
* [http://fantasyanime.com/emuhelp/emuhelp_mednafen.htm Mednafen tutorial]
* [https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/mednafen MacOS instructions]

==Notes==
<references group="notes"/>
==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Emulators]]
[[Category:Multi-emulators]]
[[Category:Console emulators]]
[[Category:Home console emulators]]
[[Category:Handheld console emulators]]
[[Category:Computer emulators]]
[[Category:Apple II emulators]]
[[Category:Atari Lynx emulators]]
[[Category:Nintendo Entertainment System emulators]]
[[Category:Super Nintendo emulators]]
[[Category:PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) emulators]]
[[Category:PC-FX emulators]]
[[Category:Neo Geo Pocket/Neo Geo Pocket Color emulators]]
[[Category:Game Boy/Game Boy Color emulators]]
[[Category:Game Boy Advance emulators]]
[[Category:PlayStation emulators‎]]
[[Category:Master System emulators]]
[[Category:Sega Genesis emulators]]
[[Category:Sega Saturn emulators]]
[[Category:Virtual Boy emulators]]
[[Category:WonderSwan emulators]]
[[Category:Netplay]]
[[Category:Windows emulation software]]
[[Category:Linux emulation software]]
[[Category:macOS emulation software]]
[[Category:BSD emulation software]]

PSX

2023-03-09T04:02:28Z

Maxkatsur: This emulatior is dead, so I replaced "is" with a past simple, indicating this project's death.

{{lowercase title}}
{{Infobox emulator
|title = pSX
|logo = Psx_emulator_title.gif
|last-version = 1.13
|active = No
|platform = [[Emulators on Windows|Windows]] [[Emulators on Linux|Linux]]
|architecture = [[wikipedia:x86|x86]]
|target = [[PlayStation emulators|PlayStation]]
|website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20130719210542/http://psxemulator.gazaxian.com:80/ Archive link]
}}
'''pSX''' (or '''psxfin''') was a closed-source [[PlayStation emulators|PlayStation emulator]].

==Download==
{| cellpadding="4"
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Win-big}}
|'''[http://www.emulator-zone.com/doc.php/psx/psx_em.html pSX 1.13]'''
|}

==Review==
pSX is very outdated and [https://web.archive.org/web/20170706063016/http://psx.silvanthalas.com:80/psx.html compatibility with games isn't very good.] Its only benefit is its low system requirements. Unfortunately the source code was never released so it cannot be updated.

[[Category:Emulators]]
[[Category:PlayStation emulators‎]]
[[Category:Windows emulation software]]
[[Category:Linux emulation software]]
[[Category:Closed-source emulators]]

DuckStation

2023-03-09T03:53:27Z

Maxkatsur: Added someinfo about this emulator's success.

{{stub}}
{{Infobox emulator
|logo = DuckStation.png
|logowidth = 80px
|active = Yes
|last-version = {{Version|DuckStation}}
|platform = [[Emulators on Windows|Windows]] [[Emulators on Linux|Linux]] [[Emulators on macOS|macOS]] [[Emulators on Android|Android]] [[Emulators on Xbox One|Xbox One]]
|architecture = x86_64, aarch64, ARMv7
|target = [[PlayStation emulators|Sony PlayStation]]
|developer = stenzek [https://github.com/stenzek/duckstation/graphs/contributors et al.]
|source = [https://github.com/stenzek/duckstation GitHub]
|issuetracker = [https://github.com/duckstation-unoff-issue-tracker-admin/duckstation-unofficial-issue-tracker/issues GitHub (unofficial)]
|license = GNU GPLv3
|compatibility = [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1H66MxViRjjE5f8hOl5RQmF5woS1murio2dsLn14kEqo/edit Compatibility list]
|bios = [[Emulator_Files#PlayStation|Required]]
}}

'''DuckStation''' is a free and open-source [[PlayStation emulators|PlayStation]] emulator developed primarily by stenzek. It features PGXP, upscaling, texture filtering, overclocking, advanced "cheat" code support, CHD support, and a graphical interface. It received a significant amount of popularity, even surpassing [[ePSXe]] and [[PCSX-Reloaded]], due to its use of own proprietary plugins, incredible emulation accuracy, comfortable and appealing Qt-based interface, good variety of emulation settings, and good level of compatibility.

==Downloads==
{| cellpadding="4"
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Win|Lin|macOS|XB1}}
|'''[https://github.com/stenzek/duckstation/releases Latest Development/Preview Builds]'''
|-
|colspan="2"|<hr/>
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|APK}}
|[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.stenzek.duckstation Play Store] Free
|}

==Overview==
DuckStation is designed for playability and speed, with the goal of being as accurate as possible while maintaining performance on a broad range of devices. The default configuration is intended to support all playable games with only some of the enhancements having compatibility issues. 64-bit CPUs are required for maximum performance using the recompiler.

DuckStation was used as a testing ground for code that would be added to [[Dolphin]].<ref>JMC47, Maylmilae. [https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2020/02/07/dolphin-progress-report-dec-2019-and-jan-2020/#50-11524-improve-frame-pacing-by-manually-inserting-duplicate-frames-by-stenzek Dolphin Progress Report]. § ''5.0-11524 - Improve Frame Pacing by Manually Inserting Duplicate Frames by Stenzek''. "As a proof of concept, Stenzek used his Playstation 1 emulator, Duckstation to test a frame pacing solution that involved padding 30 FPS games."</ref> stenzek has even said the UI was pulled directly from Dolphin, since it was "designed in conjunction with actual UI/UX people".<ref>[https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/jjuhcf/for_playstation_1_emulation_fans_i_made_a_very/gagvsnf/?context=3 stenzek] on Reddit. "Yep it is heavily influenced by Dolphin. I'm terrible at UI/UX design so I borrowed Dolphin's, since it's been designed in conjunction with actual UI/UX people."</ref>

The Qt frontend includes an automatic update checker. Builds downloaded after 2020/08/07 will automatically check for updates each time the emulator starts, this can be disabled in Settings. Alternatively, you can force an update check by clicking Help->Check for Updates.

==Screenshots==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[File:DuckStation-screenshot-qt.png|thumb|298px|The Qt frontend on Windows 10.]]
|[[File:Duckstation noGUI.png|thumb|320px|The "fullscreen" Ui on Windows 10]]
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://discord.gg/Buktv3t Official Discord server]
* [https://www.duckstation.org/wiki/ Official Wiki]

[[Category:Emulators‎]]
[[Category:Console emulators]]
[[Category:Home console emulators]]
[[Category:PlayStation emulators‎]]
[[Category:Windows emulation software]]
[[Category:Linux emulation software]]
[[Category:Android emulation software]]
[[Category:Xbox One emulation software]]

PCSX-Reloaded

2023-03-09T03:52:30Z

Maxkatsur:

{{Infobox emulator
|title = PCSX-Reloaded
|logo = Pcsx.jpg
|logowidth = 147
|version = 1.9.95
|active = No
|platform = [[Emulators on Windows|Windows]] [[Emulators on Linux|Linux]] [[Emulators on macOS|macOS]]
|developer = [http://pcsxr.codeplex.com/team/view PCSX-Reloaded Team]
|target = [[PlayStation emulators|PlayStation]]
|website = [https://pcsxr.codeplex.com/ CodePlex.com]
|license = GNU GPLv3
|source = [https://github.com/iCatButler/pcsxr GitHub] (Active) [https://github.com/pcsxr/PCSX-Reloaded/tree/master/pcsxr GitHub] (Old mirror)
|bios = [[Emulator_files#PlayStation|Optional]]
}}

'''[[wikipedia:PCSX-Reloaded|PCSX-Reloaded]]''', also known as '''PCSX-R''' or '''PCSXR''', was an open-source, plugin-based [[PlayStation emulators|PlayStation emulator]].

==Download==
{| cellpadding="4"
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Win-big}}
|'''[http://ngemu.com/threads/pcsxr-pgxp.186369/ PGXP fork]''' [https://github.com/iCatButler/pcsxr GitHub]
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Win-big}}
|'''[http://www.emucr.com/2020/04/pcsx-reloaded-git-20200413.html Dev Builds]''' Compiled by emucr
|-
|colspan="3"|<hr/>
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Mac-big}}
|[http://consoleemu.com/emulator/pcsx-reloaded Dev Builds] Compiled by consoleemu
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Lin-big}}
|[https://launchpad.net/~rebuntu16/+archive/pcsx-reloaded-svn+unofficial Launchpad Repo (Ubuntu)]
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Lin-big}}
|[https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/PCSX-Reloaded Arch Linux builds]
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Pandora-big}}
|[http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=package.pcsx_rearmed.notaz PCSX-ReARMed Pandora port] [https://github.com/libretro/pcsx_rearmed PCSX-ReARMed Source]
|}

==Overview==
'''PCSX-Reloaded''' is a plugin-based PlayStation emulator created in mid-2009. It was based on '''PCSX-df''' 1.9, with, in its early times, support for Windows, GNU/Linux and Mac OS X (at the time) as well as many bugfixes and improvements. The old '''PCSX-df''' branch is a fork of the '''PCSX''' PlayStation emulator designed specifically for GNU/Linux (and probably other similar systems). It has a completely reworked and modernized GTK2/Glade GUI, integrated plugins, an improved system for classic PSEmu plugins, better configuration tools, support for translation, easy installation, and support for AMD64.

The initial base of the current emulator, '''PCSX''', was first released for the PC on August 31, 2000. Official development ceased on September 17, 2003, and development shifted to the new PlayStation 2 emulator, [[PCSX2]]. Coder linuzappz<ref name="linuzappz">{{cite web|url=http://www.emulation64.com/spotlights/1/|title=Spotlight on linuzappz|publisher=Emulation64|accessdate=2018-12-07|date=February 04, 2004, article from January 24, 2003}}</ref> from Argentina worked on both '''PCSX''' & '''PCSX2''' and co-founded at least the latter one with another team member named Shadow<ref name="Shadow">{{cite web|url=http://www.emulation64.com/spotlights/8/|title=Spotlight on Shadow|publisher=Emulation64|accessdate=2018-12-07|date=February 11, 2004}}</ref> from Greece.
* [http://pcsx-df.sourceforge.net/ Official PCSX-df website]
* [https://sourceforge.net/projects/pcsx-df/ PCSX-df's SourceForge]

'''PCSX-Reloaded''' was once the best choice to play 3D games at higher resolutions and with other enhancements, using the configuration at [[Recommended PS1 Plugins]]. However, increased internal resolution and PGXP are now available in [[DuckStation]] and the RetroArch fork of [[Mednafen]]. It is also less accurate than Mednafen or [[XEBRA]], which were previously recommended over it for 2D games, so the only advantage of PCSX-Reloaded now is its speed on older systems that only support OpenGL.

===PGXP Fork===
The '''PGXP''' fork<ref name="RetroCollect">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrocollect.com/News/perspective-correction-comes-to-sony-playstation-emulation-via-pcsxr-pgxp.html|title=Perspective Correction Comes To Sony PlayStation Emulation Via PCSXR-PGXP|publisher=RetroCollect|accessdate=2018-08-10|date=2016-05-17}}</ref> adds texture perspective correction, reduced polygon culling, and reduced polygon jitter (more so than mainline PCSX-Reloaded's GTE hack). Mainline has a major issue where a hack written for WipeOut causes slowdowns in many games. This is fixed by making the hack an option (in CPU settings; off by default), and also adds an option for CPU overclocking. It is recommended to '''use this fork instead of the main upstream version'''.

===Features===
*Support for [http://ngemu.com/threads/peteopengl2tweak-tweaker-for-peteopengl2-plugin-w-gte-accuracy-hack.160319/ PeteOpenGL2Tweak]
*Native multitrack [[Cue sheet (.cue)|Cue sheet]] support
*Disk tray opening and closing for games that require it
*A widescreen hack in the CPU options (3D games only)
*Controller plugin support
*Compatibility with anti-jitter options in graphics plugins, such as '''GTE accuracy''' in the default Peops OpenGL plugin, or '''Improved coordinate accuracy''' in Edgbla gpuBladeSoft and it also supports Pete OpenGL2 plugin.
*Support for ECM files (currently only macOS and Linux version)
*Support for Libarchive (currently only macOS and Linux version)
*Save Rewind feature (currently only macOS and Linux version)
*Snapshot feature (Currently only Windows version)

===PCSX ReARMed===
'''PCSX ReARMed''' is a fork of '''PCSX Reloaded''' and only available as a libretro core (e.g. [[RetroArch]]). It differs from the Reloaded version in that it has special optimizations for systems that have an ARM architecture-based CPU. It is available to run on various handheld consoles with fairly strong specifications (Think 2010's-onwards) like the [[PlayStation_Vita_emulators|Sony PlayStation Vita]], [[Nintendo_3DS_emulators|Nintendo 3DS]] and [[Nintendo_Switch_emulators|Nintendo Switch]]. This emulator in the libretro build initially used the P.E.Op.S. graphics plugin (reasonably accurate, but slow) from around 2010 to 2019; now it uses a port of PCSX4ALL's Unai renderer, which is less accurate, but much faster (eg. 10-20fps faster) in normal situations, aside from FMVs, loading, and special effects. Following that, the CHD compression format, that shrinks disc images into more manageable sizes, has been enabled on this emulator on RetroArch (And later on 3DS), and these images will load and run much faster than '.bin/.cue' files - greatly reducing framerate dips, i.e. in FMVs & loading zones.<ref name="RA-3DS_Full-speed-PS1">{{cite web|url=https://www.libretro.com/index.php/retroarch-3ds-full-speed-ps1-now-possible-with-pcsx-rearmed-w-unai-renderer/|title=RetroArch 3DS: Full speed PS1 now possible with PCSX ReARMed w/ Unai renderer!|publisher=Libretro|accessdate=2019-09-26|date=September 25, 2019}}</ref>

===PlayStation Classic===
To commemorate the 24th anniversary of the original PlayStation (and to capitalize on the recent trend of [[Emulation Boxes|classic consoles produced by Nintendo for their consoles]]), Sony released the [[wikipedia:PlayStation_Classic|PlayStation Classic]] on December 3rd, 2018. However, unlike Nintendo's "Classic Edition" consoles, which run their own in-house developed emulators [[Kachikachi]] and [[Canoe]], the PlayStation Classic uses '''PCSX-ReARMed''' due to its performance on lower-end devices and open-source license. The fact that it was commercializing an already free emulator, combined with a poor selection of games, ultimately lead to an unsuccessful launch week for Sony.

==Keybinds==
*F1: Save state
*F2: Switch to next save slot
*F3: Load state
*F4: Display state screenshot
*F5: Toggle SIO IRQ
*F6: Toggle Black & White decoders
*F7: Toggle XA
*F8: Take a game screenshot (Windows Version only)
*F9: Open the Disc tray
*F10: Close the Disc tray
*ESC: Return to the main window

*Ctrl 1 to 5: Save state 1 to 5
*Alt 1 to 5: Load state 1 to 5
*Alt 0: Load state from last ESC quit

==Issues==
===Keybinds in LilyPad===
To get hotkeys to work, like using the ESC key: in the keyboard Input API (radio buttons in the top left of the LilyPad options), choose raw input.

===Default plugin on Windows===
The default GPU plugin that comes with '''PCSX-Reloaded''' mostly doesn't work on Windows. Check [[Recommended PS1 Plugins]] for plugin configurations.

===Changing discs===
Some games (like Final Fantasy) allow you to save in the "Disc Change screen". For games that don't allow that (like Metal Gear Solid), disc switching can be a bit tricky:
# Press F9 to open Disc tray
# Press Esc to go to PCSX-Reloaded menu
# Emulator → Switch ISO...
# Emulator → Run
# Press F10 to close the Disc tray

===macOS disc switching===
The process for switching discs on macOS is slightly different:
# Go to File → Eject…
# For physical CDs:
## The physical CD will eject.
## Replace the CD that was ejected.
## Close the drive: PCSX-Reloaded will wait for a new CD to be inserted and resume when a new one is available. '''NOTE:''' The current release version ''does not wait'' for a new CD. An SVN build will work better.
# For ISOs:
## A file selection window will come up.
## Select your new ISO.
## Click the "Open" button.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Emulators]]
[[Category:Console emulators]]
[[Category:Home console emulators]]
[[Category:PlayStation emulators‎]]
[[Category:Windows emulation software]]
[[Category:Linux emulation software]]
[[Category:macOS emulation software]]