Be Excellent To Each Other

And, you know, party on. Dude.

All times are UTC [ DST ]




Reply to topic  [ 49 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 18:01 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
https://www.mrdictionary.net/gameraccoon/

Image

Over the last three months I've been working on a rewritable SD card compatible cartridge for the Mega Drive, because, well, why not!

There's two pages on the Game Raccoon website:

- in the Technical Report I describe the workings of the finished Revision 0 and what it can and cannot do. It's all very staid and only describes the final cart.

- in Matt's Chronoblogical Misadventures in Game Raccoon Land I've blogified the last three months, and taken pictures of every note, sketch, design, layout and prototype so you can see how I took some paper and a mechanical pencil and ended up with my own awesome looking cartridge. :D

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 18:31 
User avatar
Comfortably Dumb

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 12034
Location: Sunny Stoke
Impressive stuff. :)

If you ever need any little bits of MD hardware to help with testing, I've got plenty of spare bits and pieces and I send your way.

_________________
Consolemad | Under Logic
Curse, the day is long
Realise you don't belong


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 20:13 
SupaMod
User avatar
Est. 1978

Joined: 27th Mar, 2008
Posts: 69502
Location: Your Mum
Oh wow, that's really cool!

Solid work.

_________________
Grim... wrote:
I wish Craster had left some girls for the rest of us.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 20:23 
User avatar
Hibernating Druid

Joined: 27th Mar, 2008
Posts: 49105
Location: Standing on your mother's Porsche
Yeah, that’s great going!

_________________
SD&DG Illustrated! Behance Bleep Bloop

'Not without talent but dragged down by bass turgidity'


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 21:59 
SupaMod
User avatar
"Praisebot"

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 17013
Location: Parts unknown
That's awesome. I've only briefly looked at the site but would it be able to play ROM images?


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 22:15 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
Thanks folks :)

TheVision wrote:
That's awesome. I've only briefly looked at the site but would it be able to play ROM images?

You really did look only briefly, didn't you? :p

Quote:
What software can I use on my Game Raccoon?

My own YM2612 Instrument Editor with graphics by Aly James allows you to explore the sounds the Mega Drive's YM2612 sound chip is capable of producing.

Over fifty homebrew Sega Mega Drive games are listed on Sega Retro, with many of them being offered as free downloads. Of course, any original Mega Drive games you purchase from sites such as itch.io that require a Mega Drive emulator ought to work. More new games for the Mega Drive / Genesis are being released every month, these are tracked on release sites such as pdroms.de.

There are many demo productions (free running animations showing novel video and audio effects) such as Overdrive by TiTAN.

The retail games Zero Tolerance by Technopop (as well as a prototype of the sequel), and Wiz 'n' Liz: The Frantic Wabbit Rescue are offered free to download from their original authors.

On the Steam Workshop page for Sega's own 'SEGA Mega Drive & Genesis Classics', over 2,474 items are available for download at the time of writing. You can find your purchased Workshop mods in X:\Games\Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\34270\; these files should be Raccoon-compatible.

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 22:26 
User avatar
Decapodian

Joined: 15th Oct, 2010
Posts: 5134
devilman wrote:
Impressive stuff. :)

If you ever need any little bits of MD hardware to help with testing, I've got plenty of spare bits and pieces and I send your way.


Don’t suppose you have a controller? I recently acquired a mega drive and mega cd but can’t test it without a pad.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 22:37 
SupaMod
User avatar
"Praisebot"

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 17013
Location: Parts unknown
I can heartily recommend these if you want a brand new one.


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 22:50 
User avatar
Comfortably Dumb

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 12034
Location: Sunny Stoke
Dr Zoidberg wrote:
devilman wrote:
Impressive stuff. :)

If you ever need any little bits of MD hardware to help with testing, I've got plenty of spare bits and pieces and I send your way.


Don’t suppose you have a controller? I recently acquired a mega drive and mega cd but can’t test it without a pad.


Attachment:
IMG_20200210_214806.jpg


I think I can arrange that :) If you've not already bought the new one recommended by TheVision, just PM me your address and I'll get one tested and popped in the post to you.


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
Consolemad | Under Logic
Curse, the day is long
Realise you don't belong


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 23:09 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
Holy moly. That's a lotta plastic ! :D

Do you have any 6-button compatible pads? I only have a 3-button pad.

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 23:16 
User avatar
Comfortably Dumb

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 12034
Location: Sunny Stoke
Will this one do? Just tested it and it works fine. :)

Attachment:
IMG_20200210_221521.jpg


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
Consolemad | Under Logic
Curse, the day is long
Realise you don't belong


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 7:21 
User avatar
Decapodian

Joined: 15th Oct, 2010
Posts: 5134
devilman wrote:
Dr Zoidberg wrote:
devilman wrote:
Impressive stuff. :)

If you ever need any little bits of MD hardware to help with testing, I've got plenty of spare bits and pieces and I send your way.


Don’t suppose you have a controller? I recently acquired a mega drive and mega cd but can’t test it without a pad.


Attachment:
IMG_20200210_214806.jpg


I think I can arrange that :) If you've not already bought the new one recommended by TheVision, just PM me your address and I'll get one tested and popped in the post to you.


Excellent, ta.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 21:07 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
Thank you very much Devilman! :D arrived this morning. It's going to come in very handy for testing the next revision of GR as well as testing the Ocelot system.

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 21:36 
User avatar
Comfortably Dumb

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 12034
Location: Sunny Stoke
Glad to be of help :)

_________________
Consolemad | Under Logic
Curse, the day is long
Realise you don't belong


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 1:15 
User avatar
Can you dig it?

Joined: 5th Apr, 2008
Posts: 4662
devilman wrote:
Will this one do? Just tested it and it works fine. :)

Attachment:
IMG_20200210_221521.jpg


What does the 'auto' setting do?

_________________
rumours about the high quality of the butter reached Yerevan


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 8:18 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
https://segaretro.org/SG-18

According to this photo of the back of the box, TURBO is for autofire while the button is held down, AUTO is for autofire 'hands free'.

Image

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 22:07 
User avatar
Participant in dramatic games

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 4148
Location: United Provinces
Great work mr D

I don’t suppose you’re going to mass produces them?

_________________
XBL: Romanista WiiU: Romanista77 Gamecenter: Romanista345 3DS 0318 8943 6467
Steam: Romanista345 PSN: Romanista345 Switch: 5098 6135 1325 RetroAchievements: Romanista

Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2020 22:26 
User avatar
Decapodian

Joined: 15th Oct, 2010
Posts: 5134
MrD wrote:
Thank you very much Devilman! :D arrived this morning. It's going to come in very handy for testing the next revision of GR as well as testing the Ocelot system.


Yep, this. Thanks Devilman.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 5:51 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
romanista wrote:
Great work mr D

I don’t suppose you’re going to mass produces them?

Probably not ^_^; the component cost for one of these guys comes to something like $18-$25. There's no way I could get it that much cheaper than Everdrives and so on, and those carts support savegames and mappers and things. (My cart won't ever play Pier Solar or Super Street Fighter II The New Challengers since they're too big.) I don't know how much cart shells cost. It would probably be easier for me to buy fifty or a hundred 'replacement cart shells' from some retro shop, put GRs inside them and that's that (except for the SD card slot...).

I'm not sure what I'm going to do when I get the cart working. It's more of a portfolio piece than anything. I was thinking of putting it all under agpl3 license so anybody can do what they want with it as long as they give out the source. I'm not too fussed about chinese clones, since these things already exist, and considering I'm getting it made in China that horse has already bolted.

When they're finished I'll see how much everything would be.

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 11:38 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
Image
Doesn't go below £22.40 (which makes sense since that's pretty much the component cost of one cart modified by PCBWAY's markup). Way too much to be messing around - if someone's making them it won't be me.

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 17:09 
User avatar
Participant in dramatic games

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 4148
Location: United Provinces
Ah,you already thought about production more than 90% of all kickstarters:)

_________________
XBL: Romanista WiiU: Romanista77 Gamecenter: Romanista345 3DS 0318 8943 6467
Steam: Romanista345 PSN: Romanista345 Switch: 5098 6135 1325 RetroAchievements: Romanista

Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 6:22 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
romanista wrote:
Ah,you already thought about production more than 90% of all kickstarters:)

Bwahaha :p

Well I'm terrified of disappointing anyone, so I wouldn't want to get their hopes up without knowing exactly what's what.

The price is no great secret - the bill of materials and board for Rev 0 are on the site if anybody wanted to modify the PCB for some reason. You could upload them into pcbway or another site and get their price quote. The most expensive parts are the PIC, the Flash and SD card socket. I haven't looked into the price of other PICs, Flashes or sockets, but I guess a microsd slot would be cheaper simply because of it being smaller, and there might be a different kind of PIC that's cheaper that has the same ability. I think the Flash is cheapest for the size (since I moved it to another component for price reasons just before ordering), but it's possible that a larger Flash would be cheaper by virtue of being more common! 8 megabytes is a bit tiny for a Flash chip, whereas you can imagine 256/512 megabytes being included in all kinds of things like GPSes even if they don't need it just because they're cheap.

The Chinese 'all games on one cart' carts are cheaper since they don't need to be self-programmable and they almost certainly don't include the correct voltage translators:
http://web.archive.org/web/201905251159 ... -consoles/

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 5:56 
User avatar
Can you dig it?

Joined: 5th Apr, 2008
Posts: 4662
[quote="MrD"]https://segaretro.org/SG-18

According to this photo of the back of the box, TURBO is for autofire while the button is held down, AUTO is for autofire 'hands free'.

...pic...

Ah, thanks, I see now. I'd forgotten about the 'slow motion' buttons that basically rapid fire the start button and are shit if the pause screen has menu options.

Also, the mode button sounds mysteriously vague.

_________________
rumours about the high quality of the butter reached Yerevan


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 7:47 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
The Mode button is mysteriously vague! :)

I believe that the pad itself is supposed to pretend to be a 3-button pad if you hold Mode while the powering on the system, otherwise it acts as a 6-button pad. (This is what official pads do, iirc.)

Beyond that point, games can use Mode for whatever they like - it doesn't toggle between 3- or 6-, or anything like that. It's just another button.

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 9:52 
SupaMod
User avatar
"Praisebot"

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 17013
Location: Parts unknown
MrD wrote:
The Mode button is mysteriously vague! :)

I believe that the pad itself is supposed to pretend to be a 3-button pad if you hold Mode while the powering on the system, otherwise it acts as a 6-button pad. (This is what official pads do, iirc.)

Beyond that point, games can use Mode for whatever they like - it doesn't toggle between 3- or 6-, or anything like that. It's just another button.


I never knew this! I always thought that the mode button toggled between the two modes. Interesting.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 10:16 
User avatar
Comfortably Dumb

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 12034
Location: Sunny Stoke
The only reason I know about what the button does is that I have a six-button pad plugged into the Mega Drive I use for testing and Ms. Pac-Man was unplayable, so I went googling for the answer.

Also, I found some instructions for the official six-button pad yesterday and it covers it too:

Attachment:
IMG_20200224_091320.jpg


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
Consolemad | Under Logic
Curse, the day is long
Realise you don't belong


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 14:31 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
TheVision wrote:
MrD wrote:
The Mode button is mysteriously vague! :)

I believe that the pad itself is supposed to pretend to be a 3-button pad if you hold Mode while the powering on the system, otherwise it acts as a 6-button pad. (This is what official pads do, iirc.)

Beyond that point, games can use Mode for whatever they like - it doesn't toggle between 3- or 6-, or anything like that. It's just another button.


I never knew this! I always thought that the mode button toggled between the two modes. Interesting.

The more you know! (and so on)

When you're programming for the Mega Drive, you have to do the pad reading yourself fiddling with the front port signalling and stuff. There's no magic thing inside the Mega Drive that does any of it for you. (Unlike the Amiga CD32 which actually does!) It's possible that Sega had their own libraries they gave out to developers to do this, but folks like Factor 5 who I read did a bit of reverse engineering to get their development stuff running wouldn't have things like that, so I wouldn't be surprised if there was a bit of guesswork and fiddling and sharing of code bits.

The front ports and the expansion port are fully programmable so it's possible to use them for other things, if you're bonkers and like testing players' faith in your company's electronics skills - Zero Tolerance comes with a little graphic telling you how to wire up a cable that plugs into the 2nd controller port and turns it into a console link cable for coop play.

Image

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 14:55 
User avatar
Comfortably Dumb

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 12034
Location: Sunny Stoke
I didn't know that about Zero Tolerance. I see that someone in Australia on eBay makes and sells the adapters.

I do like quirky stuff like that. Like how Hunter-Killer on the spectrum also had link-up play too using the Interface 1.

_________________
Consolemad | Under Logic
Curse, the day is long
Realise you don't belong


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 21:08 
User avatar
Participant in dramatic games

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 4148
Location: United Provinces
devilman wrote:
The only reason I know about what the button does is that I have a six-button pad plugged into the Mega Drive I use for testing and Ms. Pac-Man was unplayable, so I went googling for the answer.

Also, I found some instructions for the official six-button pad yesterday and it covers it too:


what happens with ms paceman,remapping all buttons?

_________________
XBL: Romanista WiiU: Romanista77 Gamecenter: Romanista345 3DS 0318 8943 6467
Steam: Romanista345 PSN: Romanista345 Switch: 5098 6135 1325 RetroAchievements: Romanista

Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 21:42 
User avatar
Comfortably Dumb

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 12034
Location: Sunny Stoke
romanista wrote:
devilman wrote:
The only reason I know about what the button does is that I have a six-button pad plugged into the Mega Drive I use for testing and Ms. Pac-Man was unplayable, so I went googling for the answer.

Also, I found some instructions for the official six-button pad yesterday and it covers it too:


what happens with ms paceman,remapping all buttons?


I can't remember for sure as I've sold my copy and can't re-test, but I think some of the directions just didn't work. I'm not even sure if the game uses any of the buttons.

I noticed Decapattack was also mentioned as not being recommended for use with the pad and I have that to hand so I've just tried that and... er, it's fine. Not sure why it wouldn't be recommended unless there's some extra quirk on a Mega Drive 2 possibly.

_________________
Consolemad | Under Logic
Curse, the day is long
Realise you don't belong


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 21:58 
SupaMod
User avatar
"Praisebot"

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 17013
Location: Parts unknown
I seem to recall a couple of directions on the d pad not working properly on Ms Pac-man.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 23:29 
User avatar
Can you dig it?

Joined: 5th Apr, 2008
Posts: 4662
I don't think I'd ever used a 6 button Mega Drive pad, so this was all new to me, and I enjoyed hearing about it.

The Sega Link cable sounds interesting and wacky.

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, and am not the only one, but I used to really quite enjoy looking at consoles and finding these mysterious ports underneath, wondering what strange potential they held. I remember the Gamecube had quite a few underneath...

_________________
rumours about the high quality of the butter reached Yerevan


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 12:33 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
devilman wrote:
I noticed Decapattack was also mentioned as not being recommended for use with the pad and I have that to hand so I've just tried that and... er, it's fine. Not sure why it wouldn't be recommended unless there's some extra quirk on a Mega Drive 2 possibly.
At a guess, I'd say it was a US-only thing...

I looked it up thread and it seems that it works fine on Mega Drives but not on the Nomad!

Quote:
I'm sure I've mentioned it before, and am not the only one, but I used to really quite enjoy looking at consoles and finding these mysterious ports underneath, wondering what strange potential they held. I remember the Gamecube had quite a few underneath...
You haven't completed your GameCube unless you've got the Game Boy Player installed underneath. :D

I always did wonder what those ports were for - I just like having lots of stuff.

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 12:45 
8-Bit Champion
User avatar
Two heads are better than one

Joined: 16th Apr, 2008
Posts: 14483
MrD wrote:
You haven't completed your GameCube unless you've got the Game Boy Player installed underneath. :D

I always did wonder what those ports were for - I just like having lots of stuff.


I had the Gameboy player and the Broadband Adapter for the bottom of mine, not that I used it for online games it was just the easiest early way to play copies and homebrew (using Phantasy Star Online)


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 12:53 
User avatar
Comfortably Dumb

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 12034
Location: Sunny Stoke
MrD wrote:
devilman wrote:
I noticed Decapattack was also mentioned as not being recommended for use with the pad and I have that to hand so I've just tried that and... er, it's fine. Not sure why it wouldn't be recommended unless there's some extra quirk on a Mega Drive 2 possibly.
At a guess, I'd say it was a US-only thing...

I looked it up thread and it seems that it works fine on Mega Drives but not on the Nomad!

Quote:
I'm sure I've mentioned it before, and am not the only one, but I used to really quite enjoy looking at consoles and finding these mysterious ports underneath, wondering what strange potential they held. I remember the Gamecube had quite a few underneath...
You haven't completed your GameCube unless you've got the Game Boy Player installed underneath. :D

I always did wonder what those ports were for - I just like having lots of stuff.


Some versions of the Mega Drive have an extra port too, the EXT port which wasn't really used for much outside of Japan it seems. It's on a few of my spares though

Attachment:
IMG_20200225_115047.jpg


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
Consolemad | Under Logic
Curse, the day is long
Realise you don't belong


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 14:45 
User avatar
Comfortably Dumb

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 12034
Location: Sunny Stoke
TheVision wrote:
I seem to recall a couple of directions on the d pad not working properly on Ms Pac-man.


Coincidentally, I had another Mega Drive bundle arrive today that included Ms. Pac-man, so I gave it a try with the six-button pad.

To start with, only left and right work. However, if you press Y to go down or Z to go up, then the directional buttons will work for a bit after that. But then after a little while, it'll revert back. And at some point, Left didn't work either so I had to press X for that.

_________________
Consolemad | Under Logic
Curse, the day is long
Realise you don't belong


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2020 15:37 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
The latest news :)


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Sat Mar 07, 2020 1:32 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
Image
Link play Zero Tolerance being shown off on the link play special on Bad Influence s4e3 :D

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Tue Mar 24, 2020 21:12 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
Progress is progressing slowly, understandably. Just had an email from the manufacturer's engineering team asking about some anomalies in my BOM. Turns out my capacitor choices were all the wrong package (I'd mixed up imperial and metric...) and this error was even on the Rev 0 design! I can only assume they worked off the text part of my BOM and ignored the model numbers the first time, since those boards were fitted with what I intended but not what my spreadsheet indicated. I'm glad they asked before doing something unusual, but the Rev 0 substitutes worked great.

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Tue Mar 24, 2020 22:32 
User avatar
Soopah red DS

Joined: 2nd Jun, 2008
Posts: 3209
Every designer's dream - semi-psychic manufacturing! They sound like a good partner, at least.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Thu Apr 09, 2020 12:02 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
Raccoon Revision 1 arrived earlier this week. A very friendly DHL person placed it very gently on my porch floor and walked very quickly away. Spent the week assembling the interface parts and adapting the Revision 0 program to work inside the new layout. I ordered two boards, but only one of them works. :(

But the one that works works a treat, yaaay!

https://imgur.com/a/bz1nnGw

https://imgur.com/a/Bp2RyAz

Now I've got heckloads of blogging to do, as well as starting to look for a sprite artist to hire to work on menus and things.

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Thu Apr 23, 2020 15:30 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
Game Raccoon Revision 0 + 1: Overdrive by Titan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlSrLwtQxP4

Game Raccoon Revision 1: MD-NICCC by Titan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac3Zcbfl3o8

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon May 04, 2020 19:39 
Excellent Member

Joined: 20th Mar, 2010
Posts: 261
Really nice work, Kamineko! You're a talented chappie. :)

I taught myself KiCAD a couple of months ago, just in time for the outbreak to disrupt the board house! My first design took a month to turn up, and I paid for "two day" shipping. :'(

Everything seems to be back in full swing now, though, and there's a steady pipeline of boards wending their way around the globe to me...


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon May 04, 2020 21:58 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
Thank you and Best of luck :D

I'm still trying to get a refund or a replacement for the second of my prototype boards that was manufactured incorrectly...

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Mon May 18, 2020 19:05 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
Image
Got myself a nice case for the Revision 1 prototype. :D I've been working on the new software and menu and stuff, and I'm up to the most difficult part... finding somebody who can draw me a nice mascot!

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Tue May 19, 2020 15:39 
User avatar
Worst

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 6197
Wow, that is pretty cool!

_________________
>Image<


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Wed May 20, 2020 12:35 
Excellent Member

Joined: 20th Mar, 2010
Posts: 261
I do like transparent cases, where you can purve at all of the internal furtlings... :)

I wonder if technophobic people find them off-putting, for similar reasons?


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Thu May 21, 2020 8:42 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
I'd have picked green, blue, grey, white or colourless if they had them but my choices were transparent red, transparent black, red or black.

Either way the transparency is essential for the blinking lights that go on while a game is being written to the cart!!

Image

I was kind of hoping the edges of the cart would light up, but I guess the plastic isn't laid out correctly for that (I think I'd have to have a plastic pillar directly in front of the LEDs for it to shine into for it to be channelled around the interior frame.

I could see folks thinking that transparent cases for things look more fragile than opaque, like a transparent Game Boy Pocket looking like it'll shatter or melt if you hold it for too long.

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Game Raccoon - I invented a mega drive sd cart cartridge
PostPosted: Sun Jul 26, 2020 4:05 
User avatar
What-ho, chaps!

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
Posts: 2138
I've more or less completed the website for the Game Raccoon SD Card flash cart. :)

Image

http://www.mrdictionary.net/gameraccoon/

Image

Each revision has a Technical Report, which is boring and basic but has lots of nice pictures, and a Misadventure which is huge 'n' nerdy.

This page isn't 'super duper' released yet - I haven't linked it to the front page of my website or announced it. I'm doing the last proof-reading and checking of the downloads first. I also need to find myself an artist to work on the cute mascot raccoon animations during the copy operations!

Please ask me anything! If there's something I've seriously messed up, please let me know. Thanks again to devilman for that awesome pad, which has come in very, very handy!

_________________
[www.mrdictionary.net]


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic  [ 49 posts ] 

All times are UTC [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Columbo, Zardoz and 0 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search within this thread:
You are using the 'Ted' forum. Bill doesn't really exist any more. Bogus!
Want to help out with the hosting / advertising costs? That's very nice of you.
Are you on a mobile phone? Try http://beex.co.uk/m/
RIP, Owen. RIP, MrC.

Powered by a very Grim... version of phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group.