Suggested Everdrives

[aleomark]

Hi folks, lately I've been reading a lot of times people asking for an everdrive for they favorite consoles, I look back in old topics and found these systems already mentioned.

-NeoGeo (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=437017&postcount=19)
-Game Boy/Pocket/Color (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=437016&postcount=18)
-Turbographx 16 / PCEngine (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=436971&postcount=12)
-Nintendo 64 (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=436934&postcount=11)
-NES (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=439022&postcount=72)
-Atari 7800 (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32026)
-Wonderswan color (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31730)
-SG1000 (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=466206&postcount=9)
-Atari Jaguar (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=466268&postcount=18)
-Game Boy Advance (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=466392&postcount=29)
-PS1 (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=475542&postcount=48)
-Saturn (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=475542&postcount=48)
-Dreamcast (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=475542&postcount=48)

I know we want to see a flashcart or optical device emulator for our beloved consoles, but we don't decided what is next, so if you want you can suggest any system that you like, but between that and it happens it's a long road, just lets try to avoid more topics starting like "to krikzz makeme a everdrive for...", cause basically every popular videogame system has already been asked, just be patient

[Gaming2D]

I thought neogeo was not possible?

[aleomark]

thats right, but it was asked, that list is only about consoles suggested in order to create a flashcart

[alphagamer]

I thought neogeo was not possible?

The NEO:DEV.TEAM (The guys behind Last Hope and Fast Striker) developed a flash cart themselves for testing their games. So it kinda is possible, although not economical.

[5432]

I was thinking about that kind of thread for the same reason that aleomark has mentioned. I suggest:

Nes
GB
N64
Dreamcast
------------------
Buena iniciativa aleomark. Yo queria abrir un hilo así porque como bien dices, hay varios hilos en los que se comenta la flashcart que uno quiere y así aqui quedan las propuestas bien recogidas.

[Teancum]

It might be nice to mention which Everdrives Krikzz is working on. For example he's shown pics of working on a N64 Everdrive. Also If I remember right he's mentioned working on a GB/GBC one, and that he has mentioned tat he would like to do a NES/FC one. Also we could mention like Gaming2D allready said that Neo Geo isn't very likely. I think some of the arguments against Neo Geo was that multi game carts are really cheap for neo geo. Also our thread where we discussed that a wonderswan cart isn't likely.

Also I know that this isn't a general flash cart forum and is meant specifically for Krikzz's carts. But it also may be productive to mention carts like the Powerpak for the nes (even though it's currently out of stock) and also the JagCF (http://www.jagcf.org/item.php?iden=jagcf) that is in development.

Atari 2600 I think would be interesting. I know that there are solutions out there all ready like the Cuttle (http://www.schells.com/cuttlecart.shtml) and the Krocodile (http://www.arminvogl.de/KrokodileCartridge/) (neither of which seem to be for sale anymore.) But I would love to be able to use an atari everdrive with an sd card or compact flash..

Also miscellaneous cartridges people may be interested in are.
Cuttle2 (http://www.schells.com/cc2.shtml) for the Atari 7800 (out of production)
Cuttle3 (http://www.schells.com/cc3.shtml) for the Intellivision (currently being sold even)
ColecoVision 128-in-1 Flash Mutlicart (http://www.atarimax.com/usbcoleco/documentation/)

Also I've said this many times allready but I would love to see optical disc emulators for the systems listed above.

Just my $0.02 (or maybe more like $0.25 lol) I'm just glad for all the work Krikzz has done so far.

[veganx]

For atari 2600 exist the harmony cartridge. It's awesome.

[Mamejay]

For atari 2600 exist the harmony cartridge. It's awesome.
True. Harmony cart pretty much covers the Atari 100%
i have one and its so awesome.

I really really really want a NES cart.

I would have thought this would be one of the most popular carts world wide.

[Teancum]

hmm haven't heard of the harmony cart.

Time to visit my friend google.

EDIT: Very nice this is exactly what I wanted. lol now i have another flash cart to add to my shopping list.

[Greg2600]

There's already a NES cart, the original PowerPak. It's in a league of its own, it does everything, plays almost every NES/FMC game ever made, has save states, etc. Also, thanks to its many mappers, it's a challenge to program right. Now people have inquired with Krikzz about a Famicom cart, because the Powerpak won't fit in a Famicom. The issue though is similar to SMS/Mark III, they have two different cart sizes/pin configurations. He wouldn't be able to use the same PCB for both.

Given that the NES was the standard in North America, Europe, and Australia, while Asia was where they sold the Famicom, there's I think a limited base for a Famicom-only cart.

[Teancum]

Maybe Krikzz or someone else could make a gyromite converter. Then he could make a famicom everdrive. Then famicom users can have a Famicom Everdrive and then all NES owners could by the converter plus everdrive and be satisfied too. Also I'm sure the converters would sell on their own too.

[Mamejay]

I know about the Powerpack.
Its just too expensive and I like the price point and format that Krikzz uses for his cards.
SD memory is cheap and allows you to have a whole bunch of roms ready to play as opposed to the limit memory of the powerpack.

[G1Convoy]

Atari 2600-7800
Nintendo/Famicom
Nintendo 64
ColecoVision
Intellivision
Commandor 64
Vectrex
Game Boy Advance
GAMEBOY COLOR
GAMEBOY

[Greg2600]

Maybe Krikzz or someone else could make a gyromite converter. Then he could make a famicom everdrive. Then famicom users can have a Famicom Everdrive and then all NES owners could by the converter plus everdrive and be satisfied too. Also I'm sure the converters would sell on their own too.
The problem is the Gyromite converter means plastics, and plastics cost a lot more money, because you have to pay for the molding first. It would likely be much cheaper for him to just order a second type of pcb. Even though I own the PP and love it, I could see a market for a NES and Famicom board, if Krikzz is able to achieve it from the software end. Both systems remain wildly popular.


I know about the Powerpack.
Its just too expensive and I like the price point and format that Krikzz uses for his cards.
SD memory is cheap and allows you to have a whole bunch of roms ready to play as opposed to the limit memory of the powerpack.
The Powerpak comes in a new see through case, which of course cost a lot more money to have made. The CF card slot also has an eject mechanism, because the NES cart is so long. If Krikzz did one, you might be forced to unscrew the case if you want to get at the SD Card. My guess is if Retro-USB sold only a board, no case, it would be much closer to the prices that Krikzz sells for. Not sure what you mean by memory limit, the NES Powerpak runs every game ever created for NES/Famicom except for I think one official mapper (33), which was very large and quite advanced, and one that unlicensed/hack (and often terrible) games used.

[APE]

I want a flash cart for my M2 please kthnx.

[MottZilla]

Actually because RetroZone sells the cartridges cases by themselves as well as using them for a large number of games sold on the site, the cost for them is probably quite good compared to if someone wanted to start making cases themselves from scratch. Who knows what numbers he ordered them in or what sort of deal he got on them. But if he can sell them to you for $4 then I don't see it being a major factor at all in the cost of the PowerPAK.

The PowerPAK costs alot because of the sum of its parts and also for the R&D costs which who knows if he's recouped that yet or not. Really the PowerPAK while some say it is expensive I don't think they realize the alternatives are far more expensive and less capable.

[StoneAgeGamer]

Actually because RetroZone sells the cartridges cases by themselves as well as using them for a large number of games sold on the site, the cost for them is probably quite good compared to if someone wanted to start making cases themselves from scratch. Who knows what numbers he ordered them in or what sort of deal he got on them. But if he can sell them to you for $4 then I don't see it being a major factor at all in the cost of the PowerPAK.

The PowerPAK costs alot because of the sum of its parts and also for the R&D costs which who knows if he's recouped that yet or not. Really the PowerPAK while some say it is expensive I don't think they realize the alternatives are far more expensive and less capable.

I can assure you that getting your own shells done is not cheap. Especially upfront costs. It can cost thousands of dollars just to get the molds made and then no company is going to touch you unless you plan on running thousands at a time.

So either he knows someone with injection molding equipment or he had the upfront money to do it.

Although I agree with you I think his pricing is completely fair. NES is not an easy system to make a flash cart for and the PowerPak is king. So he can ask what he wants and if people really want it they will pay.

[APE]

I can assure you that getting your own shells done is not cheap. Especially upfront costs. It can cost thousands of dollars just to get the molds made and then no company is going to touch you unless you plan on running thousands at a time.

So either he knows someone with injection molding equipment or he had the upfront money to do it.

Although I agree with you I think his pricing is completely fair. NES is not an easy system to make a flash cart for and the PowerPak is king. So he can ask what he wants and if people really want it they will pay.

The alternative is picking up the games you actually want to play as opposed to downloading an entire rom set and playing 99% of them never, 0.1% to completion and the rest for a few minutes, realize they're junk and never touch them again. Granted this doesn't really work for games you need translated but this whole hoarding mentality is getting out of hand.

EDIT: Well damn, without MottZilla's post it doesn't quite read like I intended.

[karsten]

the list misses neo geo pocket/color

[Greg2600]

Not sure Krikzz would come out ahead with Neo Geo stuff. And as SAG said, yes, the molds often cost several thousand dollars to have done for the plastics. Now, nobody twisted his arm to do so either!

[veganx]

hey Krikzz, since the master everdrive and the gamegear everdrive are done, what is your next project ? :))

[KRIKzz]

n64

[MottZilla]

The alternative is picking up the games you actually want to play as opposed to downloading an entire rom set and playing 99% of them never, 0.1% to completion and the rest for a few minutes, realize they're junk and never touch them again. Granted this doesn't really work for games you need translated but this whole hoarding mentality is getting out of hand.

I'm not sure what you mean by the hoarding mentality but I do agree with your point that if you just flop the entire NES library on your PowerPAK, a huge majority of it is crap. But there are enough good games worth your time that easily would add up to many times more than the cost of a PowerPAK. It's just key that if you use a PowerPAK to only put games worth your time on it or just delete games as you try them and discover they suck.

[Greg2600]

Maybe Krikzz could achieve the unthinkable, and create a Super Game Gear, where you play Game Gear games on a Genesis or 32X?

[KRIKzz]

genesis vdp not supported with gg vdp, so it can play sms games only

[indask8]

A very few game gear games are actually Master system games inside a game gear cartridge (Prince of persia/Castle of illusion for example)

They should work on Master system with no conversion at all (actually useless, better use the original master system game).

And some people managed to run some game gear only games on master system, but colors are wrong:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83E-PHWJ7ZA

EDIT: something interesting I just found:
http://disgruntleddesigner.com/chrisc/segahacking/gg2sms.html

[tails92]

http://tails92.sepwich.com/files/games/sdrift2_sms_b2.zip
I made this Sonic Drift 2 "port" to the Master System two years ago. The game is completely playable except for the pause button if I'm not mistaken and works on real consoles. There are some graphical glitches but they are unimportant.

If you search on the internet there should be an unofficial conversion of Sonic Triple Trouble to the Master System as well, but for the moment I can't remember where to find it.

[Greg2600]

I posed this question on another forum, but let's say for a moment that you had a "Super Game Boy" concept/case, where you pulled hardware off a Game Gear. So you put the GG game into that, and then wanted to put that thing into another SEGA system....Which would you use? SMS, Genesis, 32X? Are any even possible? You'd be passing (re-mapped) controller input back and forth, and audio/video from the GG to the base unit for display. Would it have to be the 32X due to palette? Would there be CPU clock differences?

tails92 (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/member.php?u=24489), you're Sonic Drift works! Great job. however, the Sonic Triple Trouble GG to SMS hack (http://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_Triple_Trouble_SMS) doesn't work, it freezes at the SEGA screen. Of the Chris Covell conversions, Berlin no Kabe works (Reset/Pause don't function), Frogger won't load, Pac-Man works, Pop Breaker won't load, and Power Strike II works (uses Pause as Start).

[takeshi385]

i would really like to see a gameboy color everdrive with micro sd like one guy said , it should be relatively easy cause there isn't much if any piracy protection.

[angelwolf71885]

about the plastic molding being rather expensive to do
there is a way around that you could vacu-form the cases
they will likely be thiner then the originals but at least it would get the job done just gotta have the correct dimensions

hell it would work out fantastically for a neo geo hue card case

[masterturk]

please do an nes one i nenver played that console

[sheath]

Atari Jaguar needs an Everdrive terribly. There are just way to many incredibly expensive rare titles and homebrew/independent releases for it not to have one. ;)

[Teancum]

Well someone is working on a Jaguar cart all ready.
http://www.jagcf.org/item.php?iden=jagcf

This was posted by the author a while ago.
http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/177350-what-happened-to-the-jagcf-cart/page__view__findpost__p__2225616

[sheath]

Yeah, I saw that. As I've bought three everdrives from Krikzz already, I'd prefer to stick with him. Plus, I don't know how he does it, but the everdrives are much more affordable.

[Teancum]

Yeah I'm definitely pleased with my Super Everdrive so far and can understand wanting that same quality consitently across systems. I would love to see him cover systems that don't have good flash cart options. Although Krikzz all ready seems to have plans on what he wants to do next. Also as with many systems I'm willing to bet that an Atari Jaguar would be hard to come by in Ukraine.

[TEOL]

I wouldn't mind seeing a final update of the Megadrive cart hardware where you have the card slot on the left, a firmware updating USB in the middle and a pause button on the right.

Probably wouldn't get one unless there was a massive update in the firmware software because I already have the most current model so far but I think it's more than doable for a newer model.

This idea was due to the rest of the ED's having a USB port for doing the firmware which means no need for that stupid hardware flasher thing. For it to work on one of these though the USB must be squeezed in the middle.

[BM-Viper]

Uhm, as far as I know the USB port doesn't do firmware flashing.. it can be used to load OS updates however..

[StoneAgeGamer]

Uhm, as far as I know the USB port doesn't do firmware flashing.. it can be used to load OS updates however..

You are correct. This is a common misconception. The only real advantage the USB gives over non-USB is if you are developing a home-brew for the system.

I agree it would be cool to be able to flash FW with USB, but my guess is that would require more expensive hardware.

[Greg2600]

firmware at this point is about finished for most of the ED's, which is a good thing. I don't think it's technically possible, but I'd love to have the MD Everdrive reset back to the menu like the Super.

[dragpm131]

I suggest, Everdrive.For Amstrad gx4000 console and amstrad plus range computers.

The cartridge that uses this console/computers.I'ts vert simple,is composed by 2 chips.An eeprom. And a acid chip.(Amstrad cartrige identificacion device).

The acid chip,now is reversed engined(open source verilog),So is posible build a cartridge.

So a cartridge with sd support,is a dream. :love2:

[Atari800XL]

How many games were made for the gx4000? According to Wiki 25 games only...

[thesubcon3]

That would be like saying that I want a PC-FX everdrive. haha

The best one after the N64 would be a Gameboy Advance one that is backwards compatible with GB and GBC games. My GBA-SP would be unstoppable!

[takeshi385]

everdrive gba , though i relise that there are already gba flash cart , people who run osx like me or linux find it a pain in the ass to work with them , and i love how i don't need any software when i use igor's flash carts , i just make some folders and throw it in there,
i don't really know why it fascinates , i guess its because i want to play the translation patched version of mother 3 on the original hardware . emulation just doesn't feel right.

[Bomberhead]

I would buy an everdrive NES "right quick" if it had a save ability.

[goldenegg]

I would LOVE to have a TG-16/PCE Everdrive to replace my Neo Flash cart!

[sh3-rg]

My vote goes for Atari Jaguar - or a device to replace the (flaky as f*ck) JagCD drive, that would then allow us to develop larger games & not to be stuck within the confines of 4 or 6mb. The Jaguar game development community is currently the most productive it's ever been and new teams have started working on stuff just recently - this is having the knock-on effect of more people becoming interested in this weird old machine.

The JagCF - I know SCPCD (the guy behind it), he's not going to be able to finish this any time soon - it's very complex & way more than just a flash device - it's essentially an upgrade cart for the jag as well. It won't be cheap when it's done, it'll probably be out of question for many. SCPCD has designed a straight flash cart that we'll be using to put games out later this year, but there are no plans for anything sitting in the gap between a single bank flash cart & the super-powerful JagCF... I believe there's a gap here that needs to be filled - it'll get more people deving & more people playing.

There's people working on the Jaguar with enough knowledge of the machine & CD drive that any help required would be easily obtained. Drop by #jagware on worldnet for a chat ;)

[takeshi385]

:confused:there is so much love for tg -16 personally i don't see whats the big deal about is.
its an ok console in my eyes.

[takeshi385]

can someone explain this to me

[angelwolf71885]

can someone explain this to me

king of fighters and quaky anime games

[takeshi385]

oh

[Alchy]

What? TurboGrafx/PC Engine don't have any King of Fighters games. There are a lot of decent shmups and a smattering of good platform games. It's a nice system, personally I don't think it compares to SNES/Megadrive but I know Tatsujin will slap me about for saying so ;)

[haynor]

It was great system, came 2 years before SMD and 4 before SNES so it's not so powerfull like those but even this many arcade ports are much better than on SMD or SNES not to mention computer ports (amiga was much powerfull but ports are mostly much worse than PC Engine). Because it was mostly JAPAN only (USA only games library is very small, probably only 4 games) is rather unknown by many players.

But personally I really wan't to see NES cart is first place beacuse I already have tototek card for PC Engine but for NES I don't have any. Situation could be changed if NES emulation on N64 will good enough to play.

[goldenegg]

I'm surprised at the people asking for an NES card. There's already a fantastic flash cart available from RetroZone. While the Everdrives are great, I don't see how a better cart can be created. Especially with the difficulty of supporting so many different mappers. I'd rather see new Everdrives for systems without flash carts or for those who's flash carts are too limiting.

[veganx]

My vote goes for Atari Jaguar - or a device to replace the (flaky as f*ck) JagCD drive, that would then allow us to develop larger games & not to be stuck within the confines of 4 or 6mb. The Jaguar game development community is currently the most productive it's ever been and new teams have started working on stuff just recently - this is having the knock-on effect of more people becoming interested in this weird old machine.

The JagCF - I know SCPCD (the guy behind it), he's not going to be able to finish this any time soon - it's very complex & way more than just a flash device - it's essentially an upgrade cart for the jag as well. It won't be cheap when it's done, it'll probably be out of question for many. SCPCD has designed a straight flash cart that we'll be using to put games out later this year, but there are no plans for anything sitting in the gap between a single bank flash cart & the super-powerful JagCF... I believe there's a gap here that needs to be filled - it'll get more people deving & more people playing.

There's people working on the Jaguar with enough knowledge of the machine & CD drive that any help required would be easily obtained. Drop by #jagware on worldnet for a chat ;)

Jaguar Everdrive FTW!!!

[haynor]

I'm surprised at the people asking for an NES card. There's already a fantastic flash cart available from RetroZone. While the Everdrives are great, I don't see how a better cart can be created. Especially with the difficulty of supporting so many different mappers. I'd rather see new Everdrives for systems without flash carts or for those who's flash carts are too limiting.

It's expensive, that's why.

[angelwolf71885]

It's expensive, that's why.

it would only be a 35 dollar discount

the powerpack only sells for 135 dollars

and if you haven't noticed the ever drive GG and super everdrive sell for 100 easy

[veganx]

Payed 77 each :)

I guess half the price is really awesome.

[angelwolf71885]

Payed 77 each :)

I guess half the price is really awesome.

most people dont buy them from group buys.. they dont reflect the true price

[veganx]

I never bought in a group buy.

www.retrogate.com has sms and gg everdrives for $77 each.

[haynor]

35 USD is something for me ;)

Anyway since in N64 cart is planned NES software emulation right now I will not buy any NES cart.

[indask8]

77$ is for pcb only, powerpak comes with a custom shell.

I agree that I don't really see the point of a Nes everdrive, the same goes IMO for:
- GBA everdrive (Because there are already a bunch of good SD card powered and cheap gba flashcarts like the ez flash IV).

GB/GBC everdrive might be great, but a GB/GBC/GBA everdrive would be hard to make, because GB/GBC uses 5V, GBA uses 3V, and GB/GBC and GBA cartridge have a different shape (so the gba can detect a GB game).


For me, an everdrive should be made if one(or two) of those conditions are met:
-Popular cartridge system that have no flashcarts available.
-Popular cartridge system that have some flashcarts available but they need a parralel programmer/pc software.
-Popular cartridge system that have no SD/CF flashcarts available.

So with those conditions, here are the systems I see:
-Game Boy/Color.
-Pc Engine (would be awesome if it was possible to emulate System card 3.0 + super cdrom via the FGPA, Rondo of blood on the go, but I guess super cdrom has some extra chips in it).
-That's it I don't actually see any others very popular/popular systems that doesn't have yet an everdrive.

[angelwolf71885]

I never bought in a group buy.

www.retrogate.com (http://www.retrogate.com) has sms and gg everdrives for $77 each.

ive never even considered them mostly because they dont seem located in the USA

as far as i know stone age gamer has usa exclusivity

ether way good deal but its not a huge difference ether way ide love to see an NES everdrive

with the 72-60 converters floating around only one cart is needed

[indask8]

From my personal experience, retrogate are located in germany.

[Alchy]

It was great system, came 2 years before SMD and 4 before SNESLooking at the original JP release dates it's 1 year before Megadrive and 3 years before SNES (within a month or so on both counts)... but still impressive, either way. The "giant Bonk" in the third game of that series is a stunning achievement given the hardware.


Situation could be changed if NES emulation on N64 will good enough to play.It won't be that great ;)

[goldenegg]

It's expensive, that's why.

Why would you automatically assume an NES EverDrive would be cheaper? Just look at the price for the SNES Powerpak and the estimated pricing for the N64 model. Don't think that those are more expensive because they are 'newer' systems. They're more complicated flash carts, which cost more to make. An NES flash cart would very likely cost more as well.

[haynor]

SNES powerpack cost 145 everdrive 87
so maybe if NES powerpack cost 135 maybe NES everdrive would cost 90.

[StoneAgeGamer]

SNES powerpack cost 145 everdrive 87
so maybe if NES powerpack cost 135 maybe NES everdrive would cost 90.

If you are going to compare Super EverDrive to Super PowerPak its probably more fair to compare DSP-1 version.

Super EverDrive + DSP1 costs a lot of money. We currently sell Deluxe for $140 and I think Igor sells it for around $129.

[Teancum]

Not quite a fair comparison. The Powerpak includes a case and DSP-1 when you factor that into the Super Everdrive it comes out to be $129 from retrogate.
http://shop.retrogate.com/Super-Everdrive-DSP1-US-shell-SNES-DSP-US.htm

I imagine the biggest thing with a NES/FC Everdrive will be dealing with all the numerous mappers and special chips. It's hard for me to picture Krikzz doing it for that much cheaper but he has surprised us in the past.

[veganx]

I have a question for krikzz, it's not exactly an everdrive suggestion and I don't think he reads this thread but...

Will he ever retire or stop from doing everdrives ? Something like, I did for this system, that system, well that's enough or do you guys think we will see an everdrive for everything ?

Krikzz if you read this question, you can answer if you like :))

[KRIKzz]

not think that i will make cart for all systems, i just want to build carts for those systems which i liked.
about nes: nes is extremely hard project, and hardware can not be much more cheap than nes powerpack, may be possible just little more cheap. maybe i will buy powerpack for myself for use with my nes, i like this toy (: only bad thing is that there is no version for famicom

[angelwolf71885]

not think that i will make cart for all systems, i just want to build carts for those systems which i liked.
about nes: nes is extremely hard project, and hardware can not be much more cheap than nes powerpack, may be possible just little more cheap. maybe i will buy powerpack for myself for use with my nes, i like this toy (: only bad thing is that there is no version for famicom

you can buy a 72-60 pin converter to solve the no famicom support ;)

[KRIKzz]

and for build a huge tower (:

[antinull]

I thought the powerpak did famicom games and FDS games as well

[Greg2600]

It does, but to use it on a Famicom, you have to use the converter.

[haynor]

After some discussion I must consider buying PowerPak for NES. Will not see NES everdrive for long time I think.

On the other hand creating PC Engine flash cart probably will be easy. The only problem is shell for this cart.

[antinull]

most likely a HUcard flashcart would be a pcb with a small shell on the back or just exposed electronics

[Bomberhead]

I'm surprised at the people asking for an NES card. There's already a fantastic flash cart available from RetroZone. While the Everdrives are great, I don't see how a better cart can be created. Especially with the difficulty of supporting so many different mappers. I'd rather see new Everdrives for systems without flash carts or for those who's flash carts are too limiting.

$135 thats why.

[goldenegg]

$135 thats why.

Did you read the rest of the thread? There's no reason to expect an NES Everdrive would be any cheaper.

[haynor]

most likely a HUcard flashcart would be a pcb with a small shell on the back or just exposed electronics

Tototek has exposed electronic but it has parallel port at the end so you have something to use when pulling out cart from console. If Everdrive will electronic only it also something to remove cart safely from console.

[Harp00nX]

I'd love to see a Gameboy Advance ED somewhere down the line as it should be able to play Gameboy, Gameboy Colour and Gameboy Advance roms which would be a gigantic collection of games.

[link83]

I'd love to see a Gameboy Advance ED somewhere down the line as it should be able to play Gameboy, Gameboy Colour and Gameboy Advance roms which would be a gigantic collection of games.
Its been discussed before and unfortunately it doesnt work that way, see this post for details:-
http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?p=467079#post467079
Basically you can either have a GB/GBC cart, or a GBA cart, you cant have both in one.

[Harp00nX]

Shame :(

[Greg2600]

I'd love to see a Gameboy Advance ED somewhere down the line as it should be able to play Gameboy, Gameboy Colour and Gameboy Advance roms which would be a gigantic collection of games.
There are already many carts that do this now for cheap. Look up the EZFlash IV.

[veganx]

The only problem with EZ Flash IV is the 2GB limitation.

My set of GameBoy Advance game is around 24GB. 2.880 roms.

[Greg2600]

Say what??!?!? Ha ha. I have one, and even after factoring in SNES, Genesis, NES, etc. roms to emulate, I bought two 2GB Mini-SD's and that was plenty. They're simply aren't that many GB/GBC/GBA roms, and they are all small. You must have tons of duplicates.

Actually, my beef is that to emulate, you have "build" these giant files composed of roms compiled together. Bigger they get, slower they run, and makes it a real pain to figure out what's in what.

There was another GBA flash card, forget the name, that was produced after the EZFlash IV. It worked without the need to do that with the roms, but sold out quickly and the people making them stopped and never made any more.

[veganx]

The only other one I know is Supercard SD or something like that.
But it seems it was worst them the EZ Flash IV.

All my rom set came from Underground-Gamer they are a respectable library of games.

Gameboy roms: 1.561 games -> 342MB
Gameboy Color roms: 1.375 games -> 1.9GB
Gameboy advance roms: 2.880 games -> 24GB (unzipped)

I think my advance set is a no-intro one, I just unzipped them all.

[aleomark]

all my entire set of GBA USA games without hacks or duplicateds take like 4gb in .rar

[Cyantist]

Tototek has exposed electronic but it has parallel port at the end so you have something to use when pulling out cart from console. If Everdrive will electronic only it also something to remove cart safely from console.

For something like this use the malleable plastic tools used for opening electronic's that have shells that lock with tabs/clips

[Teancum]

I think his set includes all the GBA video too.

[haynor]

The only problem with EZ Flash IV is the 2GB limitation.

My set of GameBoy Advance game is around 24GB. 2.880 roms.

O my God :lol:

So you are playing 24 gb of games, that's great :-)

[YAGRS]

There are already many carts that do this now for cheap. Look up the EZFlash IV.

Wait, does the EZFlash IV play Game Boy and Game Boy Color games without an adapter? I just got mine last week and am loving it so far, but I haven't tried any Game Boy or Game Boy Color games, as I didn't think they would work because of the voltage difference.

[Greg2600]

Plays the games via an emulator (Goomba).

[YAGRS]

Okay, thanks. I actually had looked into Goomba, but I decided to hold off to see if Igor is going to make a GBC cart (or to see if I could track down a GB Bridge). The GBA games are enough to keep me busy for now.

[Greg2600]

I hear you. I bought a couple mini-SD cards and was all into the emulation prospects, until I found out that you have to compile the roms into a single file. It's too much of a pain in the neck.

[derekb]

fwiw you guys may want to check out Lameboy on the DS, it's just as good as Goomba in my opinion and lets you select gb/gbc roms directly from the SD card of your cartridge.

But as everyone said I would love to see a real GB/GBC Everdrive be released :)

[MottZilla]

Such devices already exist for GBA. The M3 Adapter exists for GBA and lets you load GBA roms from SD cards. For regular GB and GBC, a device like EverDrive would be awesome.

[Lum]

So there's REALLY a device for GBA that performs comparable to EverDrive? That's news to me. I was under the impression GBA carts or DS hybrid ones always cut corners. Whether it's having games run from slow RAM, limited storage space, annoyances with 32MB roms... :(

[indask8]

The only issues I know with GBA flashcarts are the facts that you need a software converter for the roms, it's not drag'n drop like the everdrive.

Otherwise apart from supercard line of products who have huge compatibility problem because of slow ram everything is fine.

EZ Flash IV have 16MB ram and 32MB NOR for the biggest rom and is IMO the best one.

[YAGRS]

I've had a few problems with the EZ Flash IV. I have yet to get a few games to work on it, such as Double Dragon and Mario Advance 3 and 4, and I have used ROMs from more than one source. I suppose that doesn't necessarily mean they were different dumps, though.

Overall, I'm happy with it, though. Took a bit of searching on my part to find a store that is still selling them.

[MottZilla]

So there's REALLY a device for GBA that performs comparable to EverDrive? That's news to me. I was under the impression GBA carts or DS hybrid ones always cut corners. Whether it's having games run from slow RAM, limited storage space, annoyances with 32MB roms... :(

The "Slot-B" or GBA Cartridge M3 Player ( www.m3adapter.com ) never had any problem playing GBA games with slow ram. That was the SuperCard. The M3 has no problem playing 99% of GBA games. You load games from SD card (or CF if you get that version) and it was a reality long before the EverDrive and I'm pretty certain before the PowerPAK too.

I have no idea what limited storage space or 32MB roms has to do with. 32MB is the biggest any GBA rom is going to be and the M3 has enough RAM for them. You can emulate GB/GBC on GBA and DS with Goomba and Lameboy. Emulation quality is OK but not going to be perfect.

For GB/GBC if you want a Flash Cart the SmartCard 64M USB is actually very nice and pretty cheap. Around $40USD at some stores. It has things that make it a hassle to use in some respects but it does work and work well. It would be handy to have a new cart that uses SD cards and doesn't suffer some of the shortfalls of the SmartCard.

[goldenegg]

I have no idea what limited storage space or 32MB roms has to do with. 32MB is the biggest any GBA rom is going to be and the M3 has enough RAM for them.

It's not a 32MB limit, it's a 32Mb limit. That's the problem with carts like the M3 Perfect Pro. That makes it very limiting as to the games it will run. The old carts which supported large ROMs are nearly impossible to find anymore. The EZ-Flash IV is the only one I've seen for sale in a long time.

[erkan]

For GB/GBC if you want a Flash Cart the SmartCard 64M USB is actually very nice and pretty cheap. Around $40USD at some stores. It has things that make it a hassle to use in some respects but it does work and work well. It would be handy to have a new cart that uses SD cards and doesn't suffer some of the shortfalls of the SmartCard.

I have the 64M USB, while its a great card it has as you said some hassles.

-First, it drains battery in no time, feels like playing on the Lynx with it, battery gone to zero in no time :DOH:

-Program to load roms on the card does not work with 64-bit OS :crying:
-you need to power cycle card fast to load side b, the cart is split in two 32 parts :dammit:
-Only one save slot, both sides of the cart shares one slot :banghead:

But its a good cartridge, could be improved though no doubt about it :nod:

[link83]

It's not a 32MB limit, it's a 32Mb limit. That's the problem with carts like the M3 Perfect Pro. That makes it very limiting as to the games it will run. The old carts which supported large ROMs are nearly impossible to find anymore. The EZ-Flash IV is the only one I've seen for sale in a long time.
Actually you are both correct, there is 32MB (256Mb) RAM on the M3 Lite/MiniSD/SD Perfect which is big enough for the largest GBA game. However the M3 Lite/MiniSD/SD Pro (Professional) which was mainly designed for DS games has 4MB (32Mb) RAM so cant run any GBA game bigger than 32Mb. There is no such thing as the 'M3 Perfect Pro':-
http://www.m3adapter.com/SLOT-2_Accessories.htm
You will be very unlikely to find anywhere still selling the M3 Perfect models though :shrug:

[MottZilla]

Don't they still sell the 32 megabyte GBA expansion pack for the Slot-A DS cards? So you could use that for GBA games on the DS. It's a shame if the Slot-B (GBA) devices are all gone. I'm glad I have mine.

[Chilly Willy]

The cart port on the GBA allows up to 16 MWords (32 MBytes) of rom (flash), and 64 KBytes of save ram. A number of flash carts for the GBA allow more flash and save ram by having offset registers that can be set for both. The most ram you see (for carts that allow loading off some kind of card) is 32 MBytes to match the cart rom space mentioned above.

[derekb]

Don't they still sell the 32 megabyte GBA expansion pack for the Slot-A DS cards? So you could use that for GBA games on the DS. It's a shame if the Slot-B (GBA) devices are all gone. I'm glad I have mine.

I use an EZ Flash IV in my gba slot and an acekard in my ds slot. AKAIO can load gba games straight off the acekard's microsd into the ezflash' onboard flash, works great for me

[Bomberhead]

Honestly. Neo Geo Everdrive would be awesome. Right now people are forking over $150 for the mvs 100 in 1 carts and another $250 for the aes converter. If there was an aes everdrive cart im sure it would make for good sales. even if it were over $200.

[gtsamour]

I think krikzz already stated that a NeoGeo Everdrive would be impossible to make.

[MottZilla]

Honestly. Neo Geo Everdrive would be awesome. Right now people are forking over $150 for the mvs 100 in 1 carts and another $250 for the aes converter. If there was an aes everdrive cart im sure it would make for good sales. even if it were over $200.

Forking over? Those NeoGeo cartridges are apparently alot cheaper than they would be if it weren't for them being able to source the flash chips for very cheap from old machines. Atleast that is what someone very smart here said before. Also the NeoGeo MultiCarts that are available now would be hard for any new flash cart to compete against. I got one awhile back for just over $100USD and it had almost all the NeoGeo games I was interested in on that one cartridge.

And as it was brought up before, the NeoGeo is pretty complicated and the way it is would be very expensive to make something like the EverDrive. And the market would be very small. Honestly the market for the MultiCarts isn't even that big. There isn't a huge user base of MVS or AES systems.

It would be a huge waste of time and money.

[Lum]

The cart port on the GBA allows up to 16 MWords (32 MBytes) of rom (flash), and 64 KBytes of save ram. A number of flash carts for the GBA allow more flash and save ram by having offset registers that can be set for both. The most ram you see (for carts that allow loading off some kind of card) is 32 MBytes to match the cart rom space mentioned above.

Huh. Interestingly that takes me back to a discussion I'd started here (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31188) earlier about the feature length GBA movies. About 3 or so were released, on non-standard carts larger than 32 MBytes. It means some kind of flash memory or bank switching was used to get around hardware limitations. Though the specific technical details aren't yet identified conclusively, and I'm not aware of any known rom dump attempt to have occurred (even unsuccessful).

[Chilly Willy]

Huh. Interestingly that takes me back to a discussion I'd started here (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31188) earlier about the feature length GBA movies. About 3 or so were released, on non-standard carts larger than 32 MBytes. It means some kind of flash memory or bank switching was used to get around hardware limitations. Though the specific technical details aren't yet identified conclusively, and I'm not aware of any known rom dump attempt to have occurred (even unsuccessful).

There are 32MBytes of SPACE... but nothing stops the devs from doing bank switching. That's what those flash carts I mentioned do - they have a register that holds an offset to add to the address inside the space used to fetch from a flash larger than the space itself.

I've seen some of those GBA movies and cartoons, but have no idea about what specs they use either. I suppose if someone actually successfully dumped one larger than 32MB, it could be patched to run on various flash carts (different patch needed for different carts since they use different methods to set the bank switch/offset).

By the way, the N64 had 64MBytes of space for the primary region carts used for rom.
:)

[takeshi385]

wow i just realized i started the gb/gbc everdrive fan club:lol: , nice:-) . i didn't realize when i posted that so many people were like me and wanted one.:033::Rock:

[mrmagoo]

I'm all for a GB/GBC Everdrive too!

I currently have a Game Boy USB 64MB Smart Card but you can't fit many games on it and you need to run their software to put any roms on there.

I would also like an Everdrive for the Atari Lynx!

I doubt there is much of a market for that one but I love that battery guzzling portable.

If anyone knows of any solution already out there for the Lynx can you please let me know!

[link83]

wow i just realized i started the gb/gbc everdrive fan club:lol: , nice:-) . i didn't realize when i posted that so many people were like me and wanted one.:033::Rock:
Ahem (http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=437016&postcount=18) ;-)

[derekb]

question, does everyone want the gb ed to be afull size gb cart, or a gba sized cart for compact use in an SP? would be kinda sleek all things considered

[link83]

Full sized GB/GBC cart, otherwise you would limit its use to just the GBA and GBA SP :crying:

Also, Everdrive's typically use an Altera MAX II CPLD, Flash memory and FRAM chips, and fitting SOP versions of all these chips in a GBA sized cart would be impossible. Also, if you wanted a GBA sized cart you would have to get custom cases made, since standard GBA cases have grooves at the side so wont switch the GBA/SP into GB/GBC mode.

[Lum]

question, does everyone want the gb ed to be afull size gb cart, or a gba sized cart for compact use in an SP? would be kinda sleek all things considered

Full size or even no GB/GBC support is fine if that's what's necessary for maximum GBA capabilities. I'm not in the GB/GBC everdrive club. :D

[angelwolf71885]

Full size or even no GB/GBC support is fine if that's what's necessary for maximum GBA capabilities. I'm not in the GB/GBC everdrive club. :D

igor stated a few times that a GBA-ED wont be happening
he much more interested in a GBC/GB ever drive

there are a few GBA carts with SD card support so no real need to reinvent the weel

[derekb]

personally if Igor could develop the board to fit in both GBA shell and GBC shell I'd rather use a gba cart since playing on an GBA SP makes way more fucking sense than using a shitty GBC, and having the cart flush with the system would be great

[Greg2600]

I don't care if the cart sticks out of the GBA, it's not that far out. I don't know why Krikzz wouldn't be able to have his GB/GBC cart run on a GBA? If the answer is yes, then I am in. While I own a GB and GBC, there's no shot of me actually using those fossils anymore. I would play his cart on a GBA for sure.

[Lum]

igor stated a few times that a GBA-ED wont be happening
he much more interested in a GBC/GB ever drive

there are a few GBA carts with SD card support so no real need to reinvent the weel

I suppose that means I'd have to start pooling money haha. Think of it, the first ever commercial release flash cart whose development and manufacturing was funded ground up in its entirety by one person. :thumbsup:

Er... Not in this economy.

[Nodoyuna]

I think the cartridges made needs to be in the same fashion as the original carts for the system in quesrion....

After all, these things are designed to run on the original hardware, so why change the shape of the original cartridge?

PD: I hope I've explained well, English is not my native language :)

[Harp00nX]

Any reconsideration on a GBA ED (using gba size cart)? As a satisfied SNES, N64 and MD ED owner I would happily pay for it while it's being developed.

[KRIKzz]

currently i have no any plans about gameboys

[veganx]

I got some knowledge about the Neo Geo since my AES ressurected from the dead (thanks l_Oliveira) and my MVS and supergun arrived, for people like me that are noobs I'll try to explain why there's no need for an flash cartridge for it.

The AES is inferior to the MVS, all that the AES can do, the MVS can. There's a replacement bios called unibios, for both AES and MVS. If you get one for your MVS you can set it for the console mode and it will behave EXACTLY like the AES console.

There are multigame cartridges, the most complete now is the 161 in 1. Inside this cartridge there are 97 official games and 64 hacks. People at the neo geo forum already stated that this kind of cartridge can hold the entire neo geo library and all the hacks, it's only a matter of the chinese makers made enough money to release a more complete one.
Besides, there's the 138 in 1 that has most of the 161 in 1 games + 20 different official ones. So this will give you a total of 117 games and left you missing 36 games. 3 of those 36 have their hacks inside the 161 in 1 and 5 others are not worth anything, are games like "quiz the king of fighters".
Besides all that, a mvs with a good supergun can output s-video or component, just to remember the aes official cable is composite.

So, I don't see the point in going the AES route unless you're a collector and since we are talking about a way to play every game on real hardware I would say this doesn't matter. Go for a consolized MVS or a MVS + a supergun + unibios. Get the 161 in 1 and the 138 in 1 and you already got almost the entire library of games.

Hope, you guys don't think this information is out of place and may help other people that might be dreaming about a flash cartridge for the NeoGeo because it will never happen.

By the way, if you really anal about the AES, you can get a 161 in 1 + a Daedalous mvs to aes converter from DavidG for the bargain of $395.

[goombakid]

Besides all that, a mvs with a good supergun can output s-video or component, just to remember the aes official cable is composite.

By the way, if you really anal about the AES, you can get a 161 in 1 + a Daedalous mvs to aes converter from DavidG for the bargain of $395.

Sorry, just getting your highlights there, veggav.

The official cable for the AES as composite, but like a CMVS or Supergun, you can use a decoder board like the Neobitz-S (great product, BTW) to up your video output to S-video or go for the gusto with the Neobitz 2.2 to get component (not working on my HDTV, though :crying:)

The Daedalus converter is pretty much the Rolls Royce of MVS to AES Converters. It's been tested to play most if not all MVS games. The bad part is that there is a limited run on these converters, so you need to scoop them up as soon as they're available.

Option #2 would be to go with a pre-built custom CMVS such as Analouge's wood-grain CMVS or the Omega CMVS. Both are aesthetically appealing, if you're not into the exposed circuitry thing like a DIY CMVS.

[Hexawolf]

Jaguar would be great, its cardriges are often rare and costly. Games like AvP, Iron Soldier 2 (yes, it has a cardrige version) Battlesphere Gold.
But it's a system that not many people own.

A GB/GBC everdrive would be awesome and have a bigger fan-base. Of course you have the dingoo and stuff that are emulating handhelds, but it's not the same thing, the image is distorded etc... Too bad you don't have a plan for it since there's a lack of choice in this segment. Other great system is the NES but there's the powerpak already, plus the Everdrive64 provides emulation so...

[MottZilla]

Well he has already said after the PC-Engine / Turbo ED, he is not going to be making any new cartridges for awhile, he's going to work on improving the software/firmware for the cartridges already out there.

[raisinland]

Since the Cuttle Cart 3 just sold out (the same day I tried to order one :sorrow:), there is currently no Intellivision flash cartridge. I'd buy a INTV-Everdrive of one existed. I'm happy with the generous existing Everdive lineup but thought I'd throw it out there as I'm an Intellivision fan.

[Greg2600]

I never understood why the Cuttle Cart maker just stops production even though there is clearly demand.

[YAGRS]

I would assume it's due to the up-front costs in producing the carts. He just now sold out of the Cuttle Cart 3, and though I don't know when it first went on sale, there is an update on the CC3 page from November 2009 that states that he started including a micro SD card with the CC3, so that means these have been available for at least 2 1/2 years. It would be nice if he started to produce them again, as the Intellivision is a system I don't yet own but am interested in, and I only learned about the CC3 within the last year.

If Igor isn't interested in making an Intellivision flash cart, maybe Atarimax will. I'm planning on picking up the Colecovision cart at some point.

[cherryw17]

Also I think he should make a GB/GBC ED and a GBA ED after hes done with the NES ED hopefuly he changed his plans on making it by now

[staylor]

I know the harmony cart rocks. But what about a 7800 everdrive.

[CAPTAIN N]

I am all for the choice of improving upon the existing Everdrives that are already out. Game Genie support especially is something I hope will get implementet.

However. I really hope that Krikzz will also begin work on a Gameboy/Color Everdrive for multiple reasons.
1. The gameboy was just a great console that everyone is familair with and most have owned at some point.
2. There are over 600 games for it (Not counting pirate/hacked games)
3. Many of the games on the console are considered timeless classics and there are also a lot of very rare expensive games for it that most people won't be able to afford, like the original Shantae.
4. I'm also pretty sure a Gameboy Everydrive would be the best selling Everdrive compared to the rest of the consoles that are left. And since so many people know and remember the gameboy, I think a lot of people that haven't bought an Everdrive before might even be interested.

Alas, I'm not a marketing person or anything. This is just how I see it :)

[reprep]

I am all for the choice of improving upon the existing Everdrives that are already out. Game Genie support especially is something I hope will get implementet.

However. I really hope that Krikzz will also begin work on a Gameboy/Color Everdrive for multiple reasons.
1. The gameboy was just a great console that everyone is familair with and most have owned at some point.
2. There are over 600 games for it (Not counting pirate/hacked games)
3. Many of the games on the console are considered timeless classics and there are also a lot of very rare expensive games for it that most people won't be able to afford, like the original Shantae.
4. I'm also pretty sure a Gameboy Everydrive would be the best selling Everdrive compared to the rest of the consoles that are left. And since so many people know and remember the gameboy, I think a lot of people that haven't bought an Everdrive before might even be interested.

Alas, I'm not a marketing person or anything. This is just how I see it :)

agreed. if i am not wrong Krikzz worked on gb everdrive before nes everdrive and he didn't complete it because cartridge drew too much power.

hope he finds an efficient way for that.

the best flash cart on the market for gb/gbc is EMS 64 mb usb cart for 40$ . there isn't a sd based solution.

at a price point about 70-80$ i really believe it will sell well. much better than the gamegear everdrive at least.

[CAPTAIN N]

at a price point about 70-80$ i really believe it will sell well. much better than the gamegear everdrive at least.

I've got to say, that is a really awesome price. I was almost ready to pay twice that just to have flash cart for my Gameboy that's actually worth something.

If the problem with the power consumption is expensive components then I wouldn't mind paying extra to get the right equiptment.

[Tempest_2084]

I never understood why the Cuttle Cart maker just stops production even though there is clearly demand.
Chad (the CC maker) has sort of left the hobby (or at least isn't nearly as active as he was) so I doubt he'll ever make more. He made CC2's until he ran out of parts and decided that it wasn't worth ordering more. My understanding is that they are expensive and/or impossible to get now and would require a redesign which he isn't interested in doing. The CC3 (the Intellivision one) only just recently sold out due to the Intellivision suddenly becoming very popular and people finally taking notice. It took him over 3 years to sell out of the first batch, so it's not exactly like it was selling like hotcakes.