View Full Version : i need a game.com emu
Slipdeath
11-20-2003, 05:44 PM
if anyone knows of one post the link here
Jorpho
11-20-2003, 06:56 PM
I was just wondering why someone hasn't made one of those yet. (I mean, in theory, if you sped up the emulation you could make Sonic Jam somewhat enjoyable, right?)
Heh... I was talking with someone a while ago that was wanting to make one, but the problem is that almost the entire system is made up of blob chips... so it's hard to get some technical info from it... and the ROMs on the carts are blobs too, so finding the pinout is VERY hard... it is funny that you ask though, I actually bought one two weeks ago, and I pulled it apart and started figuring out the hardware. I don't think I'll write the emu, but maybe I can help the other person with it (and dump some games to disassemble and learn more). I've got the ROMs connected to my logic analyzer, and hopefully when I find some time, I'll finish the pinout and start dumping ROMs...
DogP
TheSmirk
11-21-2003, 10:06 AM
Heh... I was talking with someone a while ago that was wanting to make one, but the problem is that almost the entire system is made up of blob chips... so it's hard to get some technical info from it... and the ROMs on the carts are blobs too, so finding the pinout is VERY hard... it is funny that you ask though, I actually bought one two weeks ago, and I pulled it apart and started figuring out the hardware. I don't think I'll write the emu, but maybe I can help the other person with it (and dump some games to disassemble and learn more). I've got the ROMs connected to my logic analyzer, and hopefully when I find some time, I'll finish the pinout and start dumping ROMs...
DogP
Let me know if you want some help, if you guys decide to go forward, I recently started puling as much tech info as I could on the system....for the purpose of attempting to make an emulator, simply because it hasn't been done yet. But info is hard to come by since there was alot of proprietary stuff in it.
Yeah, I know exactly what you mean... I think the system might actually be fun on a real screen instead of the blurry LCD that they give you...
I'm assuming that you've taken a look at the patent? I also found a PDF with some info on the CPU, with CPI counts and the full instruction set. Lemme find the links, and I'll post them just in case you haven't seen it.
DogP
Here's the link to the patent... http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=/netahtml/search-adv.htm&r=23&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&p=1&S1=(tiger+AND+hand-held)&OS=tiger+AND+hand-held&RS=(tiger+AND+hand-held) , you should probably look at the images instead of the text, since it's a lot more helpful... and the datasheet for the CPU is on this page: http://www.dialelec.com/d.asp?x1=QSJXAKOSQNWPUTWQSD&X2=86&X3=370.3KB . Heh... it would have been nice if they gave the CORRECT pinout for the ROM in the patent though :P .
DogP
Slipdeath
11-21-2003, 12:26 PM
the reason im asking is becuase im doing the screenshots for dp guide advance, it well with the shit quality of the gam.com it would be hard to take a snap shot
Ed Oscuro
11-21-2003, 12:40 PM
Dude, cool. If you guys can start to put together a Game.com emu, maybe someday we can play Metal Gear Solid and CV: SotN on the Game.com!
LOL! yeah, that would be kinda tough to get a good screenshot... maybe stick it on a scanner? :P .
DogP
ddockery
11-21-2003, 01:14 PM
The best way would probably be to get one of the backlit models, go in a very dark woom, and then take a pic with a high resolution digital camera without the flash. That's the only think I can think of that might look decent.
Slipdeath
11-21-2003, 01:29 PM
hmm im gonna try the scanner, hopefully u guys can make the emu
TheSmirk
11-21-2003, 02:04 PM
Here's the link to the patent... http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=/netahtml/search-adv.htm&r=23&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&p=1&S1=(tiger+AND+hand-held)&OS=tiger+AND+hand-held&RS=(tiger+AND+hand-held) , you should probably look at the images instead of the text, since it's a lot more helpful... and the datasheet for the CPU is on this page: http://www.dialelec.com/d.asp?x1=QSJXAKOSQNWPUTWQSD&X2=86&X3=370.3KB . Heh... it would have been nice if they gave the CORRECT pinout for the ROM in the patent though :P .
DogP
Cool, Thanks, I've looked at the patent a bit, , the PDF I was tracking down was a general SM85xx tech doc. but dead links everywhere I looked, but this one is great
@slipdeath : I dunno if it would be a quick project at all, but DogP may know a bit more there
Jorpho
11-21-2003, 08:21 PM
Um... What are "blob chips"? I'm thinking chips encased in blobs of epoxy, but that's probably not right.
Yeah, I doubt it'll be a quick project... heh... is anything ever quick? :P But yes, you're right, blob chips are just the chip internals directly connected to the board with a blob of epoxy on it... like these... http://www.phobe.com/furby/blackblob.jpg .
DogP
Zaxxon
11-24-2003, 03:17 AM
There already is a game.com emulator. Handheld Games Inc., the developer of Frogger, Centipede and other unreleased game.com titles developed PC development software that must emulate the hardware. Go to www.handheldgames.com and look in 'all products'. They sure aren't using it to make games anymore. Maybe they would release it.
TheSmirk
11-24-2003, 09:45 AM
There already is a game.com emulator.
X_x wow, how did you know about that?
Woah! That is cool! Maybe I'll have to drop them an email and see if they still sell it, and for how much (or if I can have a free "trial" :D ).
DogP
Zaxxon
11-24-2003, 06:41 PM
There already is a game.com emulator.
X_x wow, how did you know about that?
I probably found their address in one of the game manuals years ago or
when using a search engine to find info on the unreleased games. IIRC, way back then they had a screenshot of the game.com development environment running on a PC, before they redesigned their website. BTW, Metal Gear Solid, and IIRC Deer Hunter, Red Alert and maybe another one, were actually in a playable demo form at the last E3 Tiger was at. My brother made a point to seek out their E3 booth and played MGS briefly. I told him to scam the carts out of the display units. It was already beyond the point where everybody knew these games were probably never going to be released. He said they had them screwed down to a stand like GB display units, with plexiglas shields over the cart port so it couldn't be removed. Bummer :( He probably would've scammed them when they weren't looking. Now the world will never be able to enjoy MGS goodness on their game.coms due to those damned anti-theft devices. How dare they!
If you're looking for an unemulated system to emulate, do the 16 bit Tomy Tutor before the doing the game.com please. It looks like it has some fun, exclusive games and arcade ports and they're in color, whoopee! and I don't wanna pay $30 a piece for the JPN import carts.
Jorpho
11-24-2003, 08:03 PM
The Tomy Tutor? That's just a TI-99/4a, I believe, and there's already a specific emulator for it:
http://www.floodgap.com:80/retrobits/tomy/
(Well, technically, it might be a simulator. 99er.net (http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache:BP3_j3PuSKsJ:www.99er.net/ti.shtml+site:www.99er.net+tomy&hl=en&ie=UTF-8) used to have more information.)
Zaxxon
11-24-2003, 08:38 PM
Well, there's strong hardware similarities but you can't run the TT software on a 99'er and vice versa. The sim on that page won't run any software, just boots to BASIC and is written for the C-64.
TheSmirk
11-25-2003, 11:19 AM
If you're looking for an unemulated system to emulate, do the 16 bit Tomy Tutor before the doing the game.com please. It looks like it has some fun, exclusive games and arcade ports and they're in color, whoopee! and I don't wanna pay $30 a piece for the JPN import carts.
Hrmmmmmm..... :hmm:
Jorpho
11-25-2003, 08:55 PM
99er.net is back up, and it looks like TutorEm (not to be confused with Tutti, it seems) is still up for download. There's some more information at the Tomy Tutor User's Group (linked to from the same page).