NES PowerPak - the NES Flash Card

[Greg2600]

Seems like quite an ingenious idea, hopefully Nintendo doesn't jump on them. The website is pretty confusing though. One version uses a CompactFlash card. So you can just copy a game from your PC on the CF card, and insert the card back into the device, and the game will play on an NES? Also, are they guaranteeing compatibility for all officially licensed NES games? I don't care about pirate games, only the official ones. Reading the site, it does seem to do all those things. Great product, although I agree a bit pricey.

[Sweater Fish Deluxe]

No, it will not work with all games, licensed or otherwise.


...word is bondage...

[Sweater Fish Deluxe]

You can't assume that everyone will have save files. What if I dump the entire nes library onto a compactflash? I don't want to manually create a save or dummy for each and every game that needs it.

You don't have to create a new file for each that requires a save, just have one dummy file and copy it repeatedly. How hard is it to do that whenever you write a game that requires saving to your CF card? Would you also like the cart to wipe your chin for you when you're done with your bottle?


...word is bondage...

[shadowkn55]

You don't have to create a new file for each that requires a save, just have one dummy file and copy it repeatedly. How hard is it to do that whenever you write a game that requires saving to your CF card? Would you also like the cart to wipe your chin for you when you're done with your bottle?


...word is bondage...

Don't you need to uniquely name each file you copy over? Last time I checked, copying a file over and over with the same name just overwrites it. This is certainly not a ridculous thing to ask for. The M3 adaptor handles this feature nicely on its own and it is another external flash based cartridge. If bunnyboy is looking for help to implement this, I would gladly spent the time to help him out. He has definitely put out very nice work and has done what no one else could have in years. I only see this as a limitation that could be fixed in time and there is definitely no place for childish remarks such as yours.

[Sweater Fish Deluxe]

Don't you need to uniquely name each file you copy over? Last time I checked, copying a file over and over with the same name just overwrites it. This is certainly not a ridculous thing to ask for. The M3 adaptor handles this feature nicely on its own and it is another external flash based cartridge.

The saves on an M3 cart (other than the M3 Simply) aren't created by the M3 itself, they're created by the M3 Manager program that you use when you transfer a ROM. It would be trivial to make a program (or even a batch file probably) for the PowerPak that copies a ROM to the card and creates an empty save file at the same time, but then I still think it's also trivial to just do it yourself. The only reason it wouldn't be trivial is if you have thousands of ROMs and don't even know which ones require save files, in which case you have too many ROMs and have obviously never played most of them anyway.

and there is definitely no place for childish remarks such as yours.

Fear not, childish remarks, you will always have a place in my posts!

Any childish remarks out there fleeing content cleansing programs inflicted by shadowkn55 or any other humorless posting regime may apply for refugee status with me.

Sweater Fish Deluxe is childish enough to accept you as you are!


...word is bondage...

[ccovell]

You can't assume that everyone will have save files. What if I dump the entire nes library onto a compactflash?

But this would imply that you've never, ever, played said ROMs in an emulator. I sincerely hope you are the type that gives NES games their fair share of love by playing them, and are not simply a ROM hoarder.

[shadowkn55]

The saves on an M3 cart (other than the M3 Simply) aren't created by the M3 itself, they're created by the M3 Manager program that you use when you transfer a ROM. It would be trivial to make a program (or even a batch file probably) for the PowerPak that copies a ROM to the card and creates an empty save file at the same time, but then I still think it's also trivial to just do it yourself. The only reason it wouldn't be trivial is if you have thousands of ROMs and don't even know which ones require save files, in which case you have too many ROMs and have obviously never played most of them anyway.

I just checked out my m3 and it looks like you are right. I always thought game manager was to only patch the roms. Even if the fpga can't handle create save files, it would be nice to have a program that creates an appropriate sized dummy file. I rarely play games through emulators and I don't keep track of how big each games' save file is.

Fear not, childish remarks, you will always have a place in my posts!

Any childish remarks out there fleeing content cleansing programs inflicted by shadowkn55 or any other humorless posting regime may apply for refugee status with me.

Sweater Fish Deluxe is childish enough to accept you as you are!


...word is bondage...

I hardly find any tact in your attempt at humor. You are welcome to try again if you learn subtlety.

[shadowkn55]

But this would imply that you've never, ever, played said ROMs in an emulator. I sincerely hope you are the type that gives NES games their fair share of love by playing them, and are not simply a ROM hoarder.

I try to play games on original hardware (or something like it) when I can. I don't have a good pc controller and the whole experience isn't quite the same. It's too bad my Super 8 isn't supported by the PowerPak.

[ProgrammingAce]

It would be trivial to make a program (or even a batch file probably) for the PowerPak that copies a ROM to the card and creates an empty save file at the same time...

Since i bought one of the power packs, and i'm fairly sure i don't have any roms, i'll have to write a script anyway. When i do, i'll put it up for anyone to use.

Edit: hell, come to think of it i'm not sure i have an NES either...

[bunnyboy]

Even if the fpga can't handle create save files, ...

The problem isn't that the PowerPak can't create files, just that its surprisingly hard to do file creation on FAT systems without corruption. Especially when the system can be shut down at any second. Long file names get even more confusing to create. Entering a file name would also take far longer than just having a batch of empty save files ahead of time. Its possible I will add it in the future, but someone is free to write the FAT handling in 6502 asm if that is too much trouble

Of course waiting is still fine, there are bugs now and there will be bugs later. Not buying is better than buying and expecting a perfect product.

[shadowkn55]

The problem isn't that the PowerPak can't create files, just that its surprisingly hard to do file creation on FAT systems without corruption. Especially when the system can be shut down at any second. Long file names get even more confusing to create. Entering a file name would also take far longer than just having a batch of empty save files ahead of time. Its possible I will add it in the future, but someone is free to write the FAT handling in 6502 asm if that is too much trouble

Of course waiting is still fine, there are bugs now and there will be bugs later. Not buying is better than buying and expecting a perfect product.

I guess its time to pull out the programming books. I'll probably end creating a script or small c program that generates saves unless ProgrammingAce beats me to the punch. Of course I'll be buying it sometime in the future. Maybe sooner than later since a knee injury just put me out of commission.

[Icarus Moonsight]

I have a question about the Power Pak. Call it Nex anxiety if you must. If it is a positive I WILL be buying one, unless they are no longer avaliable when I have the money to spare. Here it is, the biggy. The compatability with licensed games that are confirmed accurate dumps is at or near 100%? I read Sweater Fish's post that all games will work. Is that an eventuallity or as it is now? Yes, I've read the entire thread up to my post and I'm still bewildered. I'm getting mixed messages...

[bunnyboy]

Just sold the last one, no more for 4-8 weeks unless I fix some of the doa boards!

The compatability with licensed games that are confirmed accurate dumps is at or near 100%?

I am definitely not advertising full compatibility (yet). Right now all licensed USA mappers except MMC5 run at least the few games I tested, some with graphical glitches like Punch Out (marked as buggy on mapper table). That is ~97% of the licensed USA games. I have NOT done a check for complete compatibility on every game, I expect to update the mappers as bugs are found. That is the whole point of the upgradeable system, the mappers are updated by just copying files to the CF card. CopyNES is not needed to update the mappers.

"Eventually" MMC5 games will run, and more of the japanese/pirate mappers will be added. The only games that will never run are the ones that are too big, mappers marked as bad, and FDS. Unlike the NEX, there are no known design flaws that mean Castlevania 3, Gauntlet, etc would never work.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Thank you for the prompt reply. I'll try and place an order in 4-8 weeks then. May even pick up some other things while I'm at it.

[kaedesdisciple]

I guess its time to pull out the programming books. I'll probably end creating a script or small c program that generates saves unless ProgrammingAce beats me to the punch. Of course I'll be buying it sometime in the future. Maybe sooner than later since a knee injury just put me out of commission.

Perl is your friend

[rbudrick]

The only games that will never run are the ones that are too big, mappers marked as bad, and FDS.

I understand FDS (I'm praying you'll decide to make an FDS version of the cart), but what do you mean by games "that are too big?" And if a mapper is marked as "bad" what exactly makes them so (I'm not sure what bad means in this case)? Or rather, what makes them undoable?

Either way, can't wait to receive mine!

-Rob

[GizmoGC]

I'd love to have one but the price is a but too high and in 4-8 weeks I will have little to no interest in it. Oh well.

[skaar]

Well mine came in the mail yesterday. I just realized that I didn't have any freaking CF media! I managed to dig up a 32MB card so will be playing with it later on. Anyone else get theirs yet?

[skaar]

I'd love to have one but the price is a but too high and in 4-8 weeks I will have little to no interest in it. Oh well.

Too bad for you, I got mine! Oh well indeed.

[ProgrammingAce]

I received mine almost two weeks ago... i don't seem to have an NES though...