The Kevtendo: New NES that can play games off of SD flash!

[Jagasian]

A guy named Kevin Horton is currently making a new NES that can use the original peripherials (game pads, joysticks, paddles, light guns, power glove, R.O.B.) but plays games off of standard SD flash cards. Unlike Chinese famicom clones (like the Neo Fami or those N64 shaped devices) or emulation which tend to have inaccurate audio, video, and even buggy support of games, the Kevtendo will play games exactly like a real NES or Famicom and it will support every single game. Not only that, but it can be hooked up to a TV via composite, S-video, or even RGB! You can see pictures of the hardware at:

http://tripoint.org/kevtris/mappers/incoming/

Check out the file named console_done_top.jpg to see the console itself, and check out the video attempt files to see the progress. There are also MP3s that demonstrate the quality of the sound (it is perfect). Note that the Kevtendo is still under development, but it is something you will want ot be on the outlook for those that want to accuracy of game playback and the experience of the real thing along with the ease of use of being able to have all of your games loaded on one small flash card :)

[soniko_karuto]

well, the cool thing about it, is that it stil emulates something, yep, mappers have to be emulated. Still it's pretty freaking awesome.

[Jagasian]

well, the cool thing about it, is that it stil emulates something, yep, mappers have to be emulated. Still it's pretty freaking awesome.

The mappers aren't emulated in the conventional sense, Kevin has actually recreated each mapper's circuit. In fact, he has done the same for the entire NES too! So you could call it emulation, but since game emulation these days typically means software level... it is important to point out that Kevin has recreated everything on the circuit level. So you could call it "ultra low-level emulation".

[o2william]

Kevin is a hardware god. :)

But is this a one-shot deal or is he planning to put Kevtendo units on sale when development is finished?

[yuppicide]

Old news, but good news. I would LOOOVE to buy one of his units. With the unit it could be possible to do other systems as well such as the beloved Atari 2600.

[Jagasian]

Kevin is a hardware god. :)

But is this a one-shot deal or is he planning to put Kevtendo units on sale when development is finished?

According to Kevin (aka kevtris) in this thread

http://forums.cherryroms.com/viewtopic.php?t=3618

which I started when I first learned of the Kevtendo, he wants to mass produce these, but needs an investor. The prototype takes $350 to build by hand, but if you could mass produce 1000 of these in China... they could be produced for a much lower price. So pray that he finds an investor or a partner that is willing to pay the upfront money required to fabricate 1000+ Kevtendos.

Considering that there is no other piece of hardware like this, i.e. a console that can play every NES game perfectly (software emulation doesn't even come close), as well as make use of all NES peripherials (use the controllers that the game designers designed the game for)... I would figure that some investor, maybe PlayMessiah or some other company interested in retro products, would jump at the opportunity.

Even if Kevin can't get them mass produced, I am willing to pay $350 for a handmade prototype :) Of course, most people, however, would only be willing to pay for a less expensive mass produced version.

[Dimitri]

Wow... :eek 2: I'd heard of the CopyNES before, but this thing really takes the cake. Looks like I get to start saving up again... :P

I hope the MIDI interface in particular comes to fruition...I've been thinking about starting a project with a bunch of old game sound chips working together to make some cool tunes. This would probably sound a bit better than loading up Triforce and Monomate in Cubase and trying to get reasonable sounds that way... ;)

[rbudrick]

I'd pay $350 for one of those, provided he'd repair it if it failed. His bggest problem may be making these FCC compliant.....a very difficult process indeed.

-Rob

[Jagasian]

I'd pay $350 for one of those, provided he'd repair it if it failed. His bggest problem may be making these FCC compliant.....a very difficult process indeed.

-Rob

Only if there is some bureaucratic process involved. If it is an engineering issue only, Kevin won't have any problem.

[rbudrick]

If Kevin could take this same technology (integrating the mappers) and build it into a cart somehow, I think we wopuld finally have our first "universal'" NES flash cart. That would rock beyond all belief, since the NES is most probably the hardest system to make a fully (or nearly) compatible flash cart for.

-Rob

[TheRedEye]

If Kevin could take this same technology (integrating the mappers) and build it into a cart somehow, I think we wopuld finally have our first "universal'" NES flash cart. That would rock beyond all belief, since the NES is most probably the hardest system to make a fully (or nearly) compatible flash cart for.

-Rob

PROTIP: The Kevtendo actually started life as a "universal flash cart," but Kev decided (and I agree) that a console box like this is a much cooler idea.

[Jagasian]

PROTIP: The Kevtendo actually started life as a "universal flash cart," but Kev decided (and I agree) that a console box like this is a much cooler idea.

I still wonder if a universal flash cart would be cheaper to manufacture and hence sell more copies, especially considering that Kevin will have to make some kind of controller adapter so that official NES peripherials can be used with the Kevtendo.

[merp]

I've played with the "Kevtendo" myself and have a CopyNES. *glow*

[rbudrick]

Merp, you bragging bastid! LOL j/k

I've wanted a Copy nes for so long. Didn't Kev only make like 10 of them? I'll pay big $ to whoever weants to sell me theirs!

-Rob

[rbudrick]

Kev may want to try talking to Tomy from Tototek. Im sure he'd be glad to have these made for him. I think Tomy is in Hong Kong (I think) and he produces all kinds of modern backup and flash-type devices for older systems. Super-nice guy too.

-Rob

[Jagasian]

It is getting closer to completion, and now has an official web page... but keep it on the downlow, because the official page has yet to be officially announced and linked from kevtris's main page. However, you can use this direct link to access it:
http://tripoint.org/kevtris/Projects/console/

kevtris also said that it would be possible to mount this new circuit board inside a NES toaster case, with the controller ports, A/V ports, and power port all hooked up cleanly. Since the entire collection of NES ROMs is around 800Mb, you could put every game on an SD card and install the entire thing inside a toaster. That way you never have to bother with carts again, yet still get to play your games on a perfectly recreated NES, peripherials and all. No more inaccurate emulation or clones, no more failure proned cart connectors... the ultimate recreation of the NES is just around the corner.

[jgenotte]

Considering that there is no other piece of hardware like this, i.e. a console that can play every NES game perfectly (software emulation doesn't even come close), as well as make use of all NES peripherials (use the controllers that the game designers designed the game for)...

I am confused about all of the excitement here. First, let me say that I agree that this is a major achievment and that Kevin has put a lot of brilliant work into the project. However, dosent a regular old NES already do this perfectly? Out of the 800 or so games avaliable to the NES only about 100 are worth playing, and only 50 are really good. I am fairly certian that you could get an actual NES with those 50 great games for around $350 (ballpark). So my question is...why?

-james

PS: please dont flame me, I am not trying to be rude. I just dont understand.

[CartCollector]

I hope Kevin makes it support Grand Theftendo's (http://www.grandtheftendo.com/) mapper...

[Jagasian]

I am confused about all of the excitement here. First, let me say that I agree that this is a major achievment and that Kevin has put a lot of brilliant work into the project. However, dosent a regular old NES already do this perfectly? Out of the 800 or so games avaliable to the NES only about 100 are worth playing, and only 50 are really good. I am fairly certian that you could get an actual NES with those 50 great games for around $350 (ballpark). So my question is...why?

-james

PS: please dont flame me, I am not trying to be rude. I just dont understand.

It is your opinion that there are only 100 games worth playing. What about homebrews, fan translations, pirates, etc? Many people would prefer to be able to play every NES and Famicom game on a real NES/Famicom. The FPGA NES aka Kevtendo is basically a real NES, so this is for those people. Furthermore, the FPGA NES will also have circuit designs that can be loaded on the fly, for perfectly recreating the Atari 2600 and many other 8-bit consoles.

So really the hype is about extremely accurate circuit-level recreations of 8-bit consoles. The FPGA will be small enough to be able to be installed inside the original console cases, whether it be a 2600 case, NES case, Famicom case, etc, and will support all peripherials of these systems. Unlike software emulation, where hardcore fans can tell the difference in a "taste test", this system will be indistinguishable from the real thing (aside from loading games from SD flash cards).

Therefore, calculate the NES games worth playing plus all other 8-bit console games worth playing, as the FPGA NES will eventually support them. However, since recreating the NES is the hardest because it involves recreating 100s of different cartridge circuit boards, kevtris started with it first. Other 8-bit systems won't take nearly as long to implement ontop of the FPGA NES... and these updates won't require any hardware modification due to the nature of the fully programmable gate array. So the FPGA NES is also a FPGA 2600 and possibly even a FPGA T16.


I hope Kevin makes it support Grand Theftendo's (http://www.grandtheftendo.com/) mapper...

BriPro says that Theftendo is currently using MMC5, which is already implemented in the FPGA NES. However, the final version of Theftendo is apparently going to use a custom mapper, so as long as this custom mapper isn't too much more powerful than MMC5 (which is the most powerful official mapper for the NES) and assuming BriPro documents it, then kevtris could add a circuit diagram for it, so that it is supported.

At the rate things are going, the FPGA NES might be released before BriPro finishes Theftendo, and therefore BriPro could actually make use of the FPGA NES as a dev station for the Theftendo ROM and the custom mapper that it will use, as the FPGA NES will include tools that allow people to develop and add new mappers.

[jgenotte]

I am confused about all of the excitement here. First, let me say that I agree that this is a major achievment and that Kevin has put a lot of brilliant work into the project. However, dosent a regular old NES already do this perfectly? Out of the 800 or so games avaliable to the NES only about 100 are worth playing, and only 50 are really good. I am fairly certian that you could get an actual NES with those 50 great games for around $350 (ballpark). So my question is...why?

-james

PS: please dont flame me, I am not trying to be rude. I just dont understand.

It is your opinion that there are only 100 games worth playing. What about homebrews, fan translations, pirates, etc? Many people would prefer to be able to play every NES and Famicom game on a real NES/Famicom. The FPGA NES aka Kevtendo is basically a real NES, so this is for those people. Furthermore, the FPGA NES will also have circuit designs that can be loaded on the fly, for perfectly recreating the Atari 2600 and many other 8-bit consoles.

So really the hype is about extremely accurate circuit-level recreations of 8-bit consoles. The FPGA will be small enough to be able to be installed inside the original console cases, whether it be a 2600 case, NES case, Famicom case, etc, and will support all peripherials of these systems. Unlike software emulation, where hardcore fans can tell the difference in a "taste test", this system will be indistinguishable from the real thing (aside from loading games from SD flash cards).

Therefore, calculate the NES games worth playing plus all other 8-bit console games worth playing, as the FPGA NES will eventually support them. However, since recreating the NES is the hardest because it involves recreating 100s of different cartridge circuit boards, kevtris started with it first. Other 8-bit systems won't take nearly as long to implement ontop of the FPGA NES... and these updates won't require any hardware modification due to the nature of the fully programmable gate array. So the FPGA NES is also a FPGA 2600 and possibly even a FPGA T16.



Thanks for the insight and for not flaming me. Now I can understand what most of the hype is about.

-james