Analogue Super NT

Keedowah · 11-02-2018 8:52am #1

Anyone getting this, or is it even possible to buy in Ireland? It looks pretty impressive, but not sure I could justify the costs at the moment.

Here is a review from MetalJesusRocks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2eW-Enj2cA

Doge · 12-02-2018 4:17am

Love the idea of FPGA clones. They may be costly now but will preserve the experience years down the line when the original consoles will stop working, and with 100% emulation accuracy.

Retr0gamer · 12-02-2018 3:31pm

Jeremy Parish was very impressed in his review. His only complaints were the lack of analogue output, it's HDMI only and they also haven't jailbroken the FPGA on the system. The NES NT Mini was jailbroken by the supplier meaning you could update the FPGA with other consoles meaning it could run other 8 bit systems. However that functionality might be on the way.

Inviere · 12-02-2018 5:35pm

sugarman wrote: »

I personally couldnt care if im emulating via a real cart or an SD card etc.. its still emulation at the end of the day.

It's emulation via FPGA, which means it's hardware based, rather than a software emulation solution. In theory, this would mean that programmers are able to emulate the original hardware to a higher degree, but in again, it all comes down to the programming.

It's fair to say that Byuu (author of the cycle exact Snes emulator bsnes, now known as Higan), knows what he's talking about when it comes to the topic at hand:

Recently, there's been a lot of news hype around the Analogue Super Nt. And unfortunately, sites like Polygon are putting out glorified press releases instead of reporting factual information. So I'd like to dispel some dangerous misrepresentations now before they spread further.
FPGA devices are emulators too

nothing inherently makes FPGAs more accurate than software emulation

latency is caused by host operating systems, not by choice of programming language

the Analogue CEO is selling you a product; so expect hyped marketing claims

As immediate evidence that the Super Nt is not perfect, the initial hardware release ships with a bug that causes Rendering Ranger to be unplayable. I am sure it will be fixed soon, but it demonstrates right away that the Super Nt is not a perfect clone of the SNES.

Link

When asked lately on Reddit:

Is what they're doing more accurate than what is achievable with your emulator, byuu? Are they really getting all the snes circuitry, timing, nuances, etc working as physical connections on that FPGA?

He answered:

Definitely not.

So it really comes down to the software driving things; software emulators can be exceptional, & they can be awful. Similarly, the notion that FPGA emulation is automatically superior, isn't gospel.

If youre that hell bent and if you have carts in the first place.. you'll have a real system, or several in your collection anyway. There were what, 50 million systems sold world wide? You'll still be able pick up replacements consoles up for peanuts for decades to come.

Exactly.

The Last Bandit · 12-02-2018 10:36pm

FPGA based yokes are simulation not emulation, subtle but important difference. That said, if not implement correctly then they suck monkeyballs.

Sure, its a nice console and all but the world has plenty of ways to play SNES these days, and so for people complaining it doesn't have analog output ? Get a real SNES ffs then !!

eddhorse · 13-02-2018 10:29am

I'm not too excited about this, i can see why some are but like LastBandit says just get a SNES (which i have).
Hopefully it will get less expensive but i think Nintendo have the repro market wrapped up with their minis.
They will keep their value in to future.

Also makes more sense for the likes of an arcade machine where we can use an FPGA replica of a Tempest board, but each to their own.
These things are getting harder and harder to fix.

Skip to 31:25

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVzlWMWNjeQ

McDermotX · 13-02-2018 5:37pm

There's definitely a space for it for certain individuals, primarily down to it's AV suitability with modern setups as not everyone with original hardware will have access to a proper CRT option. Especially if they have a significant collection of titles (of all regions) and/or flashcart options, still have controllers etc and want to avoid the traditional clone dumpers and all the issues they bring to the table.

Cost is the issue here, as you're looking at another 50 bucks straight away for shipping, plus the extra cost if a controller is required. Have taken the plunge personally (for some of the reasons above), though went back and forth a few times before committing.........hopefully some UK based options may appear or Play Asia finalise a reasonable price etc

CiDeRmAn · 14-02-2018 9:19am

Major want for a Tempest cab now... dang...

Retr0gamer · 14-02-2018 12:03pm

The Last Bandit wrote: »

Sure, its a nice console and all but the world has plenty of ways to play SNES these days, and so for people complaining it doesn't have analog output ? Get a real SNES ffs then !!

Well in Jeremy Parishes defense, he is doing a video series on the SNES, NES and Gameboy and is going out of his way to capture footage as close to as it would have been back when they were released. His whole capture set up is based on RGB output. And it's a bit of a step down from the NT mini which offered all sorts of analog output.

Still it's made the system a hell of a lot more affordable and admits it's a minor complaint for the majority of people.

The Last Bandit · 14-02-2018 1:36pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Well in Jeremy Parishes defense, he is doing a video series on the SNES, NES and Gameboy and is going out of his way to capture footage as close to as it would have been back when they were released. His whole capture set up is based on RGB output. And it's a bit of a step down from the NT mini which offered all sorts of analog output.

Still it's made the system a hell of a lot more affordable and admits it's a minor complaint for the majority of people.

Ah not having a go at him (specifically), just suffering from retro-fatigue.

Too many youtubers nitpicking the slightest thing in order to eek out a few more views..

CiDeRmAn · 14-02-2018 1:56pm

Gotta be edgy apparently, to get the views.
Or just an @sshole, ask Jim Sterling!

Retr0gamer · 14-02-2018 2:01pm

Jeremy Parish is quite possibly as far from the typical youtuber bull**** you can find. Proper old school games journalist and a total dork. He is closer to an archivist than loud mouthed youtube celebrity wannabe.

His SNES mini NT breakdown is pretty much the only one you need if you want all the pros and cons.

o1s1n · 14-02-2018 2:39pm

Does anyone else find the Analogue website a bit up it's own arse?

The Super Nt is not a plug n' play toy. It is the definitive way to explore Nintendo's 16-bit era.

16bit in 1080p is stunning. Every pixel is razor sharp, producing an astounding level of clarity. You'll experience video quality so extraordinary - it's like playing SNES for the first time.

We designed and manufactured the Super Nt with the utmost attention to detail. Engineered with an uncompromising attitude to quality.

There's something about the person's writing, it really gets on my tits.:D

The Last Bandit · 14-02-2018 2:50pm

Typical marketing w**k

Think the youtuber that triggered my rage was some muppet ranting about how the product was being mis-sold as the transparent case wasn't transparent enough..

Retr0gamer · 14-02-2018 3:22pm

o1s1n wrote: »

Does anyone else find the Analogue website a bit up it's own arse?

The Super Nt is not a plug n' play toy. It is the definitive way to explore Nintendo's 16-bit era.

16bit in 1080p is stunning. Every pixel is razor sharp, producing an astounding level of clarity. You'll experience video quality so extraordinary - it's like playing SNES for the first time.

We designed and manufactured the Super Nt with the utmost attention to detail. Engineered with an uncompromising attitude to quality.

There's something about the person's writing, it really gets on my tits.:D

To be fair to them, it's a fairly swanky piece of kit!

Inviere · 14-02-2018 4:15pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

To be fair to them, it's a fairly swanky piece of kit!

But straight off the bat it's not the 'definitive' way to explore the Snes' library. That'd be a Snes, an RGB cable, & a CRT tv. It's a fine product, perfect for the non-enthusiast, and indeed, an excellent way to play Snes games...but like said above, the marketing behind it, and the bs that goes with it, is hard to swallow. Personally I'll still happily take Retroarch, the Higan core (a cycle-exact Snes core), & some high end filters over any of these Snes do-da's....as TLB says, it's all a bit tiring at this stage. If I want the authentic experience, I'll buy a Snes; if I'm going to compromise, Higan does the job perfectly.

The Last Bandit · 14-02-2018 4:27pm

Do any of the frontend/emulators offer save sync across different devices ? So I can have a quick bash of Zelda in the jacks at work and seemlessly resume on my laptop or other device at home for instance ..

Retr0gamer · 14-02-2018 4:42pm

sram saves are usually all in the same format.

As for save states, they are usually a format specific to the emulator.

CiDeRmAn · 14-02-2018 6:45pm

I can hear it now
"Where's Bandit?"
"He said he heading into the toilets to play with Zelda"
"That's an actionable offence right there! SECURITY!!!!"

DK224 · 15-02-2018 9:51am

I had mine delivered yesterday evening, had a quick game of it and am really impressed. Looks the bees knees on a large screen and the fact I could dust off my old games and controllers and hook them up is a nice touch as I can continue on from game saves over 20 years old!! Willing myself through work today to have a proper game of it later!

The Last Bandit · 15-02-2018 10:27am

Retr0gamer wrote: »

sram saves are usually all in the same format.

As for save states, they are usually a format specific to the emulator.

I suppose something could be hacked together dropbox/gdrive and using the same libretro core across all devices.

Steve X2 · 16-02-2018 10:30am

Hacked already to load from SD card

Noel82 · 16-02-2018 6:45pm

Steve X2 wrote: »

Hacked already to load from SD card

Damn, this makes me want it even more. Couldn't find find any info on google. I bought the mini but it's emulation is fairly dodgy on non standard games.

DK224 · 17-02-2018 1:07am

There are probably far better games to play on the NT than a hacked version of ISS Deluxe with the real player names from 1995!!
Using the SD2SNES to play MSU1 SNES games on it works perfectly too, can't get over how good it looks on a large screen.

Would definitely recommend picking one up if you are on the fence.

Inviere · 17-02-2018 1:43pm

Just a note about the jailbroken firmware, it won't be able to play special chip games via SD card yet (only from the genuine carts).

eddhorse · 18-02-2018 9:12pm

FYI

https://twitter.com/frankcifaldi/status/963867188678443008

Some issues with the colours but being addressed with a firmware update

super_furry · 19-02-2018 12:25pm

The Last Bandit wrote: »

Do any of the frontend/emulators offer save sync across different devices ? So I can have a quick bash of Zelda in the jacks at work and seemlessly resume on my laptop or other device at home for instance ..

RetroX on Android does that and does it very well. I often play on the Shield TV and then continue on the commute to work on a GPD XD.

super_furry · 19-02-2018 12:30pm

Inviere wrote: »

Just a note about the jailbroken firmware, it won't be able to play special chip games via SD card yet (only from the genuine carts).

Think that's going to be the deciding factor for me. If I can play off an SD card, I'll pick one up in a heartbeat.

Colonel Panic · 19-02-2018 3:28pm

If you just want to play ROMs on your fancy TV, just use a hacked SNES Mini or something.

This thing is all about playing physical carts on a modern TV without the games looking dreadful.

I've got one and have put it through it's paces, it's a pretty cool piece of kit. I still play my SNES games a lot, but the missus is sick of having a 21" CRT in the house so this is a great compromise. Not that I'm going to get rid of the CRT or original SNES hardware any time soon!!

super_furry · 19-02-2018 3:54pm

Colonel Panic wrote: »

If you just want to play ROMs on your fancy TV, just use a hacked SNES Mini or something.

This thing is all about playing physical carts on a modern TV without the games looking dreadful.

Or you know, you could buy a machine that could do both..... Like the NT Mini and hopefully like the Super NT eventually.

Inviere · 19-02-2018 5:00pm

super_furry wrote: »

Think that's going to be the deciding factor for me. If I can play off an SD card, I'll pick one up in a heartbeat.

You can now

Analogue Super NT

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