Difference between revisions of "Mesen"

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__FORCETOC__
 
{{Infobox emulator
 
{{Infobox emulator
 
|title = Mesen
 
|title = Mesen
|logo = Mesen_logo.png
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|logo = Mesen2logo.png
 
|logowidth = 64
 
|logowidth = 64
|version = {{MesenVer}}
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|version = {{Version|Mesen}}
|active = No
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|active = Yes
|platform = Windows, Linux
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|platform = [[Emulators on Windows|Windows]]<br/>[[Emulators on Linux|Linux]]<br/>[[Emulators on macOS|macOS 11/12]]
|target = [[Nintendo Entertainment System emulators|NES]]<br/>[[Nintendo Entertainment System emulators|Famicom]]<br/>[[Nintendo Entertainment System emulators|Famicom Disk System]]
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|target = [[Nintendo Entertainment System emulators|NES / Famicom]]<br/>Famicom Disk System<br/>[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System emulators|SNES / Super Famicom]]<br/>[[Game Boy/Game Boy Color emulators|Game Boy (Color)]]<br/>[[TurboGrafx-16 emulators|PC-Engine (TurboGrafx-16)]]<br/>[[Master_System_emulators|Master System]]<br/>[[Master_System_emulators|Game Gear]]<br/>[[SG-1000 emulators|SG-1000]]
|developer = [https://github.com/SourMesen Sour]
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|developer = [https://github.com/SourMesen Sour (Mesen1 and Mesen2)]<small>; [https://github.com/mkwong98/Mesen mkwong98 & NovaSquirrel] have a fork that has released numerous "beta" builds</small>
 
|accuracy = Cycle-Accurate
 
|accuracy = Cycle-Accurate
 
|website = [https://www.mesen.ca/ Mesen.ca]
 
|website = [https://www.mesen.ca/ Mesen.ca]
|support = [https://www.mesen.ca/Donate.php Patreon]
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|support = [https://www.patreon.com/Mesen Patreon]
 
|prog-lang = C++,&nbsp;C#,&nbsp;C
 
|prog-lang = C++,&nbsp;C#,&nbsp;C
 
|license = GNU GPLv3
 
|license = GNU GPLv3
|source = [https://github.com/SourMesen/Mesen GitHub]
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|source = [https://github.com/SourMesen/Mesen2 GitHub]
 
}}
 
}}
'''Mesen''' is an open-source (GPLv3) [[Nintendo Entertainment System emulators|Famicom (NES)]] and Famicom Disk System (FDS) emulator for Windows and Linux.
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'''Mesen''' is a free and open-source [[Nintendo Entertainment System emulators|Famicom (NES)]], Famicom Disk System (FDS), Super Famicom (SNES), GB/GBC, PC-Engine/TurboGrafx-16, [[SG-1000 emulators|SG-1000]] and [[Master System emulators|Master System]]/[[Master System emulators|Game Gear]] emulator for Windows, Linux and macOS. For now, the macOS version must be compiled from source.
 +
 
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The version currently under development is Mesen 2.x, first released as a preview build in 2023. The older Mesen 0.x branch could only emulate NES, and SNES/GB(C) emulation was found in a separate emulator named [[Mesen S]]. The current Mesen [[Libretro]] core for [[RetroArch]] is still based on the 0.x branch, but receiving backports from the newer branch. For the sake of simplicity, we will refer to the 0.x branch as Mesen1.
  
 
==Download==
 
==Download==
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|[https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/mesen Arch Linux]<br><small>Latest stable package</small>
 
|[https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/mesen Arch Linux]<br><small>Latest stable package</small>
 
|}
 
|}
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[[File: Mesen UI and Screens.png|thumb|300px|Mesen UI and Screens]]
  
 
==Overview==
 
==Overview==
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* Sound effects (fake stereo, reverb, etc.)
 
* Sound effects (fake stereo, reverb, etc.)
 
* Rewind
 
* Rewind
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 +
Mesen 2.x can also run SNES games, which also feature similiar features, as well as Super FX and Satellaview support.
 +
 +
Game Boy (DMG) and Game Boy Color (CGB) games can also be played on Mesen 2.x, but only Game Boy Color can play CGB games. For DMG games, you can choose either Game Boy or Game Boy Color, or run the game in Super Game Boy mode by loading the Super Game Boy BIOS (1 or 2) into the SNES core.
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 +
An exclusive feature excluded from older versions is PC-Engine support, as well as the CD-ROM².
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==Screenshots==
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<gallery widths="175" position="center" captionalign="center" >MesenScreenshot.PNG|Screenshot of Mesen1.
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Mesen_logo.png|Mesen1 Logo.
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Mesen2logo.png|Mesen2 logo
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</gallery>
  
 
==Hardware support==
 
==Hardware support==
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|255
 
|255
 
|}
 
|}
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==List of forks==
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
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! scope="col"|Name
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! scope="col"|Platform(s)
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! scope="col"|Latest Version
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! scope="col"|[[libretro]]
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! scope="col"|Active
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! scope="col"|[[Recommended Emulators|Recommended]]
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|-
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!colspan="8"|PC / x86
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|-
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|[https://github.com/NovaSquirrel/Mesen-X Mesen-X]
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|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}
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|[https://github.com/NovaSquirrel/Mesen-X/releases/ 2023-09-11]<br/>[https://github.com/negativeExponent/libretro_builds/releases libretro core]
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|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
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|}
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===Comparisons===
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;[https://github.com/NovaSquirrel/Mesen-X Mesen-X]:This fork was meant to gather development efforts from different forks of the 0.x branch. Not under active development, and archived as of September. [https://github.com/NovaSquirrel/Mesen-X/issues/152 This fork is deprecated as of Mesen 2.x's release.]
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==Trivia==
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*Name Origins:
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:Essentially, Mesen's name comes from 2 things:
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::It's "NES EMulator", backwards -> Mesen
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::It's the Japanese word used to talk about a person's gaze or point of view (目線 - めせん - Mesen) [[File:目線.ogg]], which is the reason why the logo is an eye icon.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20201015055201/https://github.com/SourMesen/Mesen/issues/426#issuecomment-401466936 Mesen's Name Origins]</ref>
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
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[[Category:Emulators]]
 
[[Category:Emulators]]
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[[Category:Console emulators]]
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[[Category:Home console emulators]]
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[[Category:Multi-emulators]]
 
[[Category:Nintendo Entertainment System emulators]]
 
[[Category:Nintendo Entertainment System emulators]]
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[[Category:Super Nintendo emulators]]
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[[Category:PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) emulators]]
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[[Category:Game Boy/Game Boy Color emulators]]
 
[[Category:Windows emulation software‏‎]]
 
[[Category:Windows emulation software‏‎]]
 
[[Category:Linux emulation software]]
 
[[Category:Linux emulation software]]
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[[Category:macOS emulation software]]
 
[[Category:Netplay]]
 
[[Category:Netplay]]
 
[[Category:Custom Assets]]
 
[[Category:Custom Assets]]
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[[Category:Inactive emulation software]]

Latest revision as of 13:38, 17 March 2024

Mesen
Mesen2logo.png
Developer(s) Sour (Mesen1 and Mesen2); mkwong98 & NovaSquirrel have a fork that has released numerous "beta" builds
Latest version 2.0.0 (preview) [+]
Active Yes
Platform(s) Windows
Linux
macOS 11/12
Emulates NES / Famicom
Famicom Disk System
SNES / Super Famicom
Game Boy (Color)
PC-Engine (TurboGrafx-16)
Master System
Game Gear
SG-1000
Accuracy Cycle-Accurate
Website Mesen.ca
Support ($) Patreon
Programmed in C++, C#, C
License GNU GPLv3
Source code GitHub

Mesen is a free and open-source Famicom (NES), Famicom Disk System (FDS), Super Famicom (SNES), GB/GBC, PC-Engine/TurboGrafx-16, SG-1000 and Master System/Game Gear emulator for Windows, Linux and macOS. For now, the macOS version must be compiled from source.

The version currently under development is Mesen 2.x, first released as a preview build in 2023. The older Mesen 0.x branch could only emulate NES, and SNES/GB(C) emulation was found in a separate emulator named Mesen S. The current Mesen Libretro core for RetroArch is still based on the 0.x branch, but receiving backports from the newer branch. For the sake of simplicity, we will refer to the 0.x branch as Mesen1.

Download[edit]

Windows Official release

Linux Arch Linux
Latest stable package
Mesen UI and Screens

Overview[edit]

According to test ROMs, it is ranked as the most compatible NES/FDS emulator, slightly above puNES with a score of 100%.[1]

It has cycle-accurate emulation and offers numerous features, including:

  • Support for over 290 mappers, (all licensed games supported.)
  • FDS (Famicom Disk System) support
  • Top loader NES variant support
  • VS. System support
  • Dendy support
  • HDNes HD packs
  • NTSC/PAL support
  • NSF/NSFe support
  • Video recording/playback
  • Video filters (xBRZ, NTSC, etc.)
  • Netplay
  • Debugging tools
  • Overclocking
  • Custom palettes
  • Sound effects (fake stereo, reverb, etc.)
  • Rewind

Mesen 2.x can also run SNES games, which also feature similiar features, as well as Super FX and Satellaview support.

Game Boy (DMG) and Game Boy Color (CGB) games can also be played on Mesen 2.x, but only Game Boy Color can play CGB games. For DMG games, you can choose either Game Boy or Game Boy Color, or run the game in Super Game Boy mode by loading the Super Game Boy BIOS (1 or 2) into the SNES core.

An exclusive feature excluded from older versions is PC-Engine support, as well as the CD-ROM².

Screenshots[edit]

Hardware support[edit]

Mappers[edit]

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 21 22 23 24 25 26 28 28 29 30 31
32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47
48 49 50 51 52 53 54 56 57 58 60 61 62 63
64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79
80 82 83 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95
96 97 99 101 103 104 105 106 107 108 111
112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 123 125 126
132 133 134 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143
144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159
162 163 164 165 166 167 168 170 171 172 173 174 175
176 177 178 179 180 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191
192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207
208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222
224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 238
240 241 242 243 244 245 246 249 250 252 253 254 255

List of forks[edit]

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended
PC / x86
Mesen-X Windows Linux 2023-09-11
libretro core

Comparisons[edit]

Mesen-X
This fork was meant to gather development efforts from different forks of the 0.x branch. Not under active development, and archived as of September. This fork is deprecated as of Mesen 2.x's release.

Trivia[edit]

  • Name Origins:
Essentially, Mesen's name comes from 2 things:
It's "NES EMulator", backwards -> Mesen
It's the Japanese word used to talk about a person's gaze or point of view (目線 - めせん - Mesen) , which is the reason why the logo is an eye icon.[2]

References[edit]