GRcade Retro Gaming Chat

[kerr9000]

I basically figure condition in to the price and yeah if I see a better version for cheap im going to replace what I have got, I tend to keep it all most of the time with a few exceptions. I did for example take a coworker under my wing so to speak a few years ago. He was about 10 years younger than me and has aspergers and work asked me to work with him and help him to fit in, it started with me just helping him with work and then he mentioned being into retro games and wanting to get a collection up and going, I sorted him out a spare megadrive I had and a few loose duplicate carts and started showing him where to lookfor stuff, ive also given a few peoplew ps1's etc, im very much into getting people into retro gaming and getting them to appreciate the history of console and computer companies.

Growing up I had a tight group of friends and we traded games and such but most of them became pot heads and one of them was murderd so I guess the above helping people is a way of getting back little bits of what I used to have.

That's really nice to hear and thanks for helping. The equality act or access to work or autistic society would say and recommend that they have a mentor or "work buddy" because they won't automatically make friends and ask questions and ask for help when needed and can just wind up losing their job because they're deemed incompetent or "lack initiative" when actually they just need to ask for help and band together like everyone else. So it sounds like they did that and hopefully he stayed in work longer, it is very rare that you actually hear of that happening because normally it is just ignored and no extra help is considered necessary.

I was tested for autism as a kid and they basically couldn't make there minds up if I was or not. I'm supposed to be being tested again but I've been waiting over a year for the appointment. I could relate to the guy a lot and understand his issues and ways of thinking but although I have my quirks I am better at hiding them and holding things back. He was transferred to us instead of being fired he lasted a fair bit with a lot of support but eventually he burned too many bridges, I stayed in contact with him until he left the area for a different job

[Green Gecko]

I basically figure condition in to the price and yeah if I see a better version for cheap im going to replace what I have got, I tend to keep it all most of the time with a few exceptions. I did for example take a coworker under my wing so to speak a few years ago. He was about 10 years younger than me and has aspergers and work asked me to work with him and help him to fit in, it started with me just helping him with work and then he mentioned being into retro games and wanting to get a collection up and going, I sorted him out a spare megadrive I had and a few loose duplicate carts and started showing him where to lookfor stuff, ive also given a few peoplew ps1's etc, im very much into getting people into retro gaming and getting them to appreciate the history of console and computer companies.

Growing up I had a tight group of friends and we traded games and such but most of them became pot heads and one of them was murderd so I guess the above helping people is a way of getting back little bits of what I used to have.

That's really nice to hear and thanks for helping. The equality act or access to work or autistic society would say and recommend that they have a mentor or "work buddy" because they won't automatically make friends and ask questions and ask for help when needed and can just wind up losing their job because they're deemed incompetent or "lack initiative" when actually they just need to ask for help and band together like everyone else. So it sounds like they did that and hopefully he stayed in work longer, it is very rare that you actually hear of that happening because normally it is just ignored and no extra help is considered necessary.

I was tested for autism as a kid and they basically couldn't make there minds up if I was or not. I'm supposed to be being tested again but I've been waiting over a year for the appointment. I could relate to the guy a lot and understand his issues and ways of thinking but although I have my quirks I am better at hiding them and holding things back. He was transferred to us instead of being fired he lasted a fair bit with a lot of support but eventually he burned too many bridges, I stayed in contact with him until he left the area for a different job

Oh well, most adults with autism aren't in work or can't keep in work so it's good that he was given a few chances to succeed although at times it can be almost impossible. That doesn't mean at all adults with HFA or ASD or PPD-NOS can't work!! I've done several jobs and they were all unfavourable employment conditions in the first place (except for one permanent position where company ran out of money and a voluntership one day a week which was even quite enjoyable despite not being paid) and I was never actually fired in any of them just "no longer needed" or edged out or some crap because I wasn't afforded a formal dismissal so they just went out of their way to come up with some excuse (to be fair that only happened this one time and I was there for 3 days lol, I still made quite a lot of money so who cares). In some cases I had to complain to HR and get official apologies for malpractice. It's not right that simply being odd is enough of an excuse to treat someone like gooseberry fool in this day and age even when by their own testament they do the job and do it well!!

It took two years for me to get an appointment for a full diagnosis (I have another one from an NHS psychologist) and they sent my mum (rather than me) the appointment letter because they had the wrong address, at this time I was in France seeing my grandad who was dying from bowel cancer and did die within a year. I've followed it up over and over again and I've never since been referred for the appointment despite my psychologist asking for it at least once or twice. That was about 8 years ago now! Our system really is gooseberry fool for treating neurological differences which can lead to severe consequences if not treated right.

So when you do get an appointment, make sure you can get to it and it's helpful to know one way or another.

[Drumstick]

I've dipped into the retro market for the first time since October... And it's for a console other than the GameCube.

Pics to follow once I've got it.

[jawa4]

...And it's for a console other than the GameCube. ...

... .

[Cheeky Devlin]

Be interested to see what you've got Drum.

Given the secrecy I'm assuming it's something we don't really cover too much here.

As it's a console though I'd like to guess something interesting like the Jaquar, 3DO or Amiga CD32.

Would be cool to see some more computers make an appearance. C64, Amstrad, Spectrum, ST, Amiga

[Lazy Fair]

Looking at an RGB modded N64. Is this guy talking sense? Would this mod give a good picture?


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[Green Gecko]

Looking at an RGB modded N64. Is this guy talking sense? Would this mod give a good picture?


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You don't often hear the phrase "video amplifier" but video signals have to be amplified from the source just like audio ones as ICs/microchips use very low voltages, you have a base level and then an amplifier is used to bring that to "line level" for example. As far as I understand it the RGB signals that are actually generated by the French PAL N64 or the NTSC models (this circuit is literally just missing from other PAL N64s) are "tapped" into from an integrated circuit and then amplified to hook up to either multi AV out (with or without preserving composite compatibility as you can also use the composite video output to provide "sync over composite" which stabilises the image) or another socket/output. A high or low pass filter in this context still means that you either filter out higher frequencies sin the signal (if these aren't generated by the N64 then like the seller says it'll have no effect) or lower frequencies, which does. Those can be included in the amplifier (which is a single chip you can buy) for various applications and the modding community has just selected a few appropriate ones.

I'm guessing an RGB signal each colour signal needs to be boosted to a higher voltage to get a signal and he's just talking about how that can be done with or without side affects using different amplifiers although given how extensive the RGB mod for the N64 can be there is more to it than that, what was your original question?

Some people still prefer the somewhat anti-aliased appearance of a softer or blurred image because that is how the game designers designed the artwork, when you use a super clear image like RGB or NTSC (possibly an argument why Nintendo decided not to include it) while you are seeing a "pure" image the rough edges, dithering from low colour depth and jaggies really show.

If they are even bothering to provide options then they are probably a component enough madder to do it. If it's an NTSC console then the RGB signals are already there and the N64 graphics chip generates these already, they're just amplifying them and connecting them to the multi AV out or another output like hard wired SCART etc (this keeps the original multi AV out in tact and can be reversed but I imagine that's pretty rare because it's total shite anyway).

So unless they complete make a pigs ear of it (check their feedback for previous mods as you can check the item listings for previous feedback) then you will get the RGB signal from the console same as anyone else but I'm not entirely sure if that'll include a synchronisation signal (a clock signal) from the N64 itself or one generated by a timer chip which is generally wired to the composite output of the multi AV and then using the right cable (make sure you buy a good cable like the ones from Retro Game CAbles that includes sync over composite to take advantage of it) this will also lessen checker boarding and scrolling artefacts. Remember the cable is the other half of the equation, all they're really doing is wiring what's already there with a few components to the multi AV out of the console (probably). THe cable itself should include a few resistors and capacitors of the right value (these fix things like brightness and gamma problems) and good shielding plus C-sync to get the absolute best signal possible from the system (besides HDMI which is just a processed RGB signal anyway but with no analogue interference).

LIterally the only difference between a NTSC-J and NTSC-US console is the shape of the cartridge socket which is fixed by cutting some little plastic tabs out of the socket with a dremel or similar tool.

[jawa4]

Older computer systems like the BBC B, Amiga and Atari ST displayed incredibly sharp - albeit relatively low res - pictures when connected to their original monitors. It has to be one of the original versions, though, as they rarely display when connected to a modern (i.e. since the late 80s!) PC monitor due to resolution and refresh rates that don't suit more modern kit.

RGB output by PAL consoles has been pretty weird over the years. Sega made both the MS and MD capable of RGB output. The SNES could, too, and it looked great hooked up to my old Amiga monitor. Then Nintendo, for some odd reason, released the N64 totally incapable of RGB output (bar some models released in France). The PS1 had RGB SCART cables available and that looked neat. Then Xbox arrived and this was perhaps the oddest; PAL models are capable of outputting a picture at 720p but this is disabled unless you use a software/hardware hack .

It's a nice feature of the modern "mini console" models that they work so well via HDMI. THEC64 that I picked up recently looks terrific on my LCD screen. Low res, of course, but very sharp.

[Green Gecko]

Yeah the old C64 etc consoles actually output a progressive signal but they expect to use a monitor which can display multiple resolutions rather than having one "native" resolution like an LCD. CRTs are amazing like that in that they can display multiple resolutions and you get actually 1 solid giant pixel on the older displays, rather than 10 or 20 pixels probably at the wrong size (so you get half pixels and stuff) on a modern monitor trying to reproduce that effect which it fundamentally can't do.

My PVM is PAL/NTSC automatic switch, I'm not sure what the native resolution actually is but it's one of the "HR" Trinitron tubes so "High Resolution", I think it doubles the line count so you get a really sharp image out of it.

Also pixels vary in ratio depending on the region / broadcast standard, I can't remember what it is but pixels were not 1:1 like they are in LCDs, it was actually possible for pixels to be multiple different sizes, they are slightly rectangular.

For RGB I am lucky in that the consoles I want to play the most often (PAL SNES and MD both have RGB support built in and I recently hooked up a PS1 with RGB too) but am interested in modding an N64 too, I'd probably do it myself just need to find an NTSC/JP model but that means finding NTSC carts for some games and it all gets rather expensive... The mod for RGB on a PAL system is only around £50 for the circuit board mind you but only one guy makes them. It would be a lot cheaper than replacing my games (although Japanese carts for example can be found for very little), the downside of this of course is you're still playing in 50Hz letterboxed picture which really hurts some games and is barely noticeable in others. All in all I find the MD/SNES era of ports (especially first part ones so Sega and Nintendo) are really quite good and I've never really had a problem with them. NES it's a bit more noticeable because your image is squished and a bit small plus that kind of game ages much worse if the framerate is cut by just under 20%.

[Cheeky Devlin]

November: Cheeky buys a Super Famicom along with SD2SNES, RAD2X Cable
January: Pedz buys a Super Famicom along with SD2SNES, RAD2X Cable

January: Cheeky gets a Famicom and a load of cool games
February: Kerr gets a Famicom and a load of cool games

February: Cheeky gets an RGB modded Japanese N64
February: EVERYONE talks about getting an RGB modded N64.

I know I'm awesome but this getting stupid.

[Lazy Fair]

I’ve got a Rad2x cable. Just wondering if it will be worth it to get a better picture than my bog standard Pal one.


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[Cheeky Devlin]

I’ve got a Rad2x cable. Just wondering if it will be worth it to get a better picture than my bog standard Pal one.

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The picture is much nicer than the non-RGB PAL one, yeah. I will say that it's not as huge an improvement as it is with the other systems (The N64 inherently looks a bit gooseberry fool due to the way it generates its graphics), but it's still very nice. The smoothing filter on the RAD2X is actually pretty nice on this.

I only got mine last week and to be honest I've not really had a chance to sit down and play it properly.

Got Diddy Kong, Yoshi's Story, Pilotwings and Super Mario 64 - Rumble Edition (They re-released it with Rumble Pak support), so I might see if I can get my capture card to pick it up and stream some of it.

[jawa4]

...I know I'm awesome but this getting stupid.

Cheeky, please could you float the idea of collecting Wii U stuff and saying how brilliant it is? .

[Cheeky Devlin]

...I know I'm awesome but this getting stupid.

Cheeky, please could you float the idea of collecting Wii U stuff and saying how brilliant it is? .

I think that's beyond even my influence to fix.

[kerr9000]

November: Cheeky buys a Super Famicom along with SD2SNES, RAD2X Cable
January: Pedz buys a Super Famicom along with SD2SNES, RAD2X Cable

January: Cheeky gets a Famicom and a load of cool games
February: Kerr gets a Famicom and a load of cool games

February: Cheeky gets an RGB modded Japanese N64
February: EVERYONE talks about getting an RGB modded N64.

I know I'm awesome but this getting stupid.

I got a Famicom because with my giant warehouse load it was hard to find something I didnt have j/k lol .... Joking aside though it was either get a famicom or a pc engine as Id determined a Neo to be to much money and id already got a saturn and a jag and the other obvious things

You know how early you said youd like to see some home computer stuff like Amiga's and Spectrums and stuff I have a whole bunch of home computer things I will try and get some of them out of storage enough to photo there at my house and im currently at my other halfs because shes had surgery recently but I ping pong between the two and next time I am at mine for a longish time I will drag a bit out. I have an Amiga but its horrendous and discoloured but I do have a boxed complete Spectrum +2 action pack and a boxed Dragon, and a boxed Commadore Vic20 and a boxed Philips Videopac G7000 (aka Magnivox Odyssey 2 Uk version). I have mountains and mountains of Spectrum games if thats your kind of thing and I think about 20 G7000 games as well. Unboxed I have a spectrum +3, a ZX81 some old atari computer I dont remember the name of.

Last time I was at mine I took a photo of a lot of my ps1 stuff but I meant to get my Saturn games out (only have about 30 but have some decent ones) but there always seems to be something taking up any free time I have.

[Lazy Fair]

I’ve got a Rad2x cable. Just wondering if it will be worth it to get a better picture than my bog standard Pal one.

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The picture is much nicer than the non-RGB PAL one, yeah. I will say that it's not as huge an improvement as it is with the other systems (The N64 inherently looks a bit gooseberry fool due to the way it generates its graphics), but it's still very nice. The smoothing filter on the RAD2X is actually pretty nice on this.

I only got mine last week and to be honest I've not really had a chance to sit down and play it properly.

Got Diddy Kong, Yoshi's Story, Pilotwings and Super Mario 64 - Rumble Edition (They re-released it with Rumble Pak support), so I might see if I can get my capture card to pick it up and stream some of it.

I got an everdrive today. You reckon I’ll see similar improvements if I went with the particular mod I posted above? It’s only £42 for a Japanese n64 with the mod so I’m tempted.


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[Drumstick]

Be interested to see what you've got Drum.

Given the secrecy I'm assuming it's something we don't really cover too much here.

As it's a console though I'd like to guess something interesting like the Jaquar, 3DO or Amiga CD32.

Would be cool to see some more computers make an appearance. C64, Amstrad, Spectrum, ST, Amiga

It's that kind of lateral thinking that breeds disappointment.

It's Perfect Dark for N64, boxed, VGC.

[Lazy Fair]

Just to add to my
Last post. Does this look like the modder knows what the are doing? I’ve no idea
About these things.



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[Cheeky Devlin]

I got a Famicom because with my giant warehouse load it was hard to find something I didnt have j/k lol .... Joking aside though it was either get a famicom or a pc engine as Id determined a Neo to be to much money and id already got a saturn and a jag and the other obvious things

You know how early you said youd like to see some home computer stuff like Amiga's and Spectrums and stuff I have a whole bunch of home computer things I will try and get some of them out of storage enough to photo there at my house and im currently at my other halfs because shes had surgery recently but I ping pong between the two and next time I am at mine for a longish time I will drag a bit out. I have an Amiga but its horrendous and discoloured but I do have a boxed complete Spectrum +2 action pack and a boxed Dragon, and a boxed Commadore Vic20 and a boxed Philips Videopac G7000 (aka Magnivox Odyssey 2 Uk version). I have mountains and mountains of Spectrum games if thats your kind of thing and I think about 20 G7000 games as well. Unboxed I have a spectrum +3, a ZX81 some old atari computer I dont remember the name of.

Last time I was at mine I took a photo of a lot of my ps1 stuff but I meant to get my Saturn games out (only have about 30 but have some decent ones) but there always seems to be something taking up any free time I have.

Nice. A PC Engine is definitely on my "to get" list at some point, though I may just settle for the Mini once it comes out.

Would be awesome to see your micro stuff. We're so console focussed here that it's easy to forget just how many of these older computers were about and how influential they were, especially on UK developers.

I got an everdrive today. You reckon I’ll see similar improvements if I went with the particular mod I posted above? It’s only £42 for a Japanese n64 with the mod so I’m tempted.

Good get on the Everdrive. I plan on outfitting everything I can with one, but they are just expensive enough to be outside of impulse purchase territory.

As for the N64 mod I can't really say. Mine was guy on eBay. Had good reviews so I just went with him based on that.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/rawtalent81

He's not got anything listed right now, but so far his work's been great. Not had any issues with it.

It's that kind of lateral thinking that breeds disappointment.

It's Perfect Dark for N64, boxed, VGC.

VGC stuff isn't cheap. How much did that skin you if you don't mind me asking?

[Drumstick]

It's that kind of lateral thinking that breeds disappointment.

It's Perfect Dark for N64, boxed, VGC.

VGC stuff isn't cheap. How much did that skin you if you don't mind me asking?

£18.50 all in.