RetroN5: Hands on first look

[Az]

I think they're something like that. I remember being mentioned they were from a mix of sources but a great many word for word letter for letter were dumped off some huge master site.

Probably Gamehacking if I'm not mistaken, which is why a lot of codes for the same thing are listed multiple times. The site has the built in ability to convert saves between formats and download them as a list.

A lot of them are RAM codes that cannot be converted to ROM codes, and AFAIK the console doesn't support RAM codes. You'll also see a lot of codes where you change digits to a certain variable (play as character X, start on level X) and those codes are useless where you can't edit them on the fly.

[Tanooki]

nusilver: Amen and correct. Like I found out, they didn't qc the earlier stuff properly which gave us the pin issues, non-working or random fail on some games (mine.) The parts are the same but better quality and they're being very much better checked before going out the door. Couple that with the massive upgrades in the system firmware .20 to .22+ quick boot, and the game firmware 1.0->2.0b6 and it's night and day. I wouldn't even call what that was as arguing, more like one side yelling hard and my side just not caring and being dismissive which pissed him off further. I still stand by any of those posts, it just is what it is. I'm old enough and beyond enough of the bullshit in old gaming at this rate anymore I don't give a damn, and emulators I've meddled with nearly 20 years and have seen all the abuses, backbiting, info stealing, sniping of NIntendo's private data to develop them in part...no one is innocent so I just don't care. The R5 has with my 2 almost 3 year old made it possible for me to enjoy old games again because now i can pick up and play them like a modern tablet/handheld where I can just click off, resume later and be fine. No more begging for time and doing a rerun.

AZ: Yeah that sounds about right I'm pretty sure it was that site. They caught flack for it online, and then it blew over once the database was tweaked and reorganized not to be a 1:1 quality ripoff dump of that page. I think the RAM codes probably fail the same reason why a pirate flash cart would, stuff gets dumped into memory and a system limit probably prevents it on the ram based tweaks too.

[Gatucaman]

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/201...ulator_authors

Oh boy.

[Tanooki]

Scroll back a few pages, fairly certain that was libretro(retroarch) under that assumed name having a shit fit over this. It'll get resolved probably during the week here, can't say much was asked nicely not to. :P

[Satoshi_Matrix]

In addition to what what I said previously about overclock settings and such needed to be added, Hyperkin also needs to work on stability of the menu when returning from playing Super GameBoy and GameBoy Color games.

Also, Yoshi's Island remands virtually unplayable even on 2.0 B6. The game keeps randomly pausing for a good 2 seconds which ruins gameplay.

I got a message on my channel of someone saying that GBC Zelda Oracle of Seasons isn't playable on his Retron5 even with 2.0 Beta 6, yet it works on mine...just can't import the save and the GBA enhancements aren't available.

[Cryog]

RetroN Labo ... the japanese guy who hacked the RetroN 5 !!!

RetroN5 Hack Custom HomeApp Demo



RetroN5 Hack Language Select


RetroN5 Hack launch RetroArch

[Cryog]

For use roms in the RetroN5. Thanks to the user 57Lions from The ASSEMbler Forum .

He wrote: "Here is how I've been able to play ROMs directly off the SD card. It's something along the lines of what was mentioned previously, but this should give an easy step-by-step.

1. Find an IPS ROM-patching program that can create patches. I used SamIPS2. Mac users can run this in Wine.
2. Click "Make IPS" tab
3. For current file, find the game ROM you would like to play on your Retron, like Sonic and Knuckles + Sonic 3.
4. For original file, put the ROM of a game you own. So basically, find the title of a game you have lying around, like Shaq-Fu. Find a ROM that matches that title, put it here.
5. Under "IPS file," you can name something whatever you want here, just use the .ips extension. For instance, Sonic-Knuckles-Sonic-3.ips.
6. Click "Create Patch."
7. You now have an IPS patch file. Load it onto your SD card, place the aforementioned game you had lying around into your cartridge slot and select that patch from your SD card.
8. Start the game. You'll be playing Sonic and Knuckles + Sonic 3, but Shaq-Fu will be in your cart slot. Not too shabby.


Note: You need "Patch expects header" selected for SNES;
Sega, GBA, GB, GBC have all been tested and don't need Patch expects header selected. Downloading some NES ROMs now to check that part out, but I'm assuming NES/Fami/SMS will work the same as the other systems."

[Kiddo]

Taking code someone else wrote and packaging it as a product for profit? Yeah that says many hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of paying a programmer to work for you. The Retron5 is a joke of a product any anyone saying "who cares" is a dumbfuck. You wouldn't like it if it was your work being ripped off.

I think the thing that bugs me the most about this (admitably in a very weird way) was how the Hyperkin guys basically went on a legal pedestal on their position to not allow you to load your dumped ROMs without the cart plugged in or for using the device as a ROM dumping device. Knowing that these guys infringed on other people's code makes that position reek of hypocracy. I feel as though it would've been better off if these guys were simply as shameless as Chinese Famicom pirates.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

That hacked Retron5 stuff is cool, but its way too clunky. As a proof of concept its fun, but I still beleive that the Retron5 running roms directly off an SD card defeats the whole purpose of the Retron5 being a cartridge based console. RetroArch is a mess on its own. it running on the Retron5 through exploits or whatever is enough to give me a headache.

For the time being I simply want Hyperkin to fix the existing issues and add more options like overclocking. PC Engine and PS1 support through rom emulation do not interest me on the Retron5 and don't belong on it. Proof of concept, but if you are serious about that stuff, buy an Ouya. The ouya does it without you needing to run a complex web of exploits.

[Tanooki]

I've got to agree this time with Satoshi, all those steps are a pain in the ass just to run warez on the R5, it's just not worth it. It's kind of sad no one has yet figured out with some common sense how to really do it without the hoops as the system has no security measures on it.

Kiddo blame management, not the tech. :P


I'm fasincated to see how they got FF7 working on the system, it is interesting to say the least and it's smooth, yet the DS runs terribly slow. Perhaps with a proper go of it and optimization more could be done on the speed with some of those games in that last video.

Oh and Satoshi Yoshi doesn't do the 2sec pause for me, at least on the system I swapped out for replacement but the one that'll arrive today I have no idea.

[Tanooki]

I got this sent to me moments ago by the Retron Tech -->

Here's the prelim v2.0 public stable release. I'd like to have a few people test it before it goes live, but basically its v2.0 BETA 6 with the fast loading disabled, due to stability issues with that feature. (This is the Sega Genesis cheat file thing failing causing fast load to be disabled.)

http://retron5.in/?src=f7177163c833dff4b38fc8d2872f1ec6


Changes since v1.6 include:
IPS/UPS patch support added (allows application of translation patches, graphic/level hacks etc)
Added ability to assign "turbo" button mappings
"Game specific settings" added, allowing certain settings to be configured on a per-game basis
Support for SGB borders added
Color scheme selection for GB games added. In addition, the correct CGB colors will be automatically selected for certain games
"Disable FM sound" option for SMS games added
SGB multi-player mode working (and Gameboy player/button mapping has been split from GBA in Settings)
Fixed screen shaking in some GBA games
Added support for SNES SPC7110 cartridges
File manager is now able to operate on folders (select with long button press) and copy/remove folders recursively
Screenshots may now be saved as either PNG or JPEG, with PNG made as the new default
Revamped in-game hotkey configuration
Improvements to rendering synchronization
Misc game compatibility fixes (King of Monsters, Fantasy Zone, Sky Kid, Youkai Club)

[Cryog]

Pier Solar rom working on the RetroN5 !!! The original cartridge don't work.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Tanooki, is it possible to downgrade the Retron5 firmware?

I'll agree to be a 2.0 tester before it goes live for you, but I want to be able to return to beta 6 afterwords.

[R9delta]

It's possible to downgrade. There's not really any hoops that have to be jumped through to do so either. Downgrading is done exactly the same way as upgrading. The file manager had gotten broken in one of the 2.0 Betas (which is now fixed) so I downgraded to 1.6 when it was working and then upgraded to a new beta that it was fixed again in.

[Leo_A]

After having tried this controller out just recently at long last, one thing I'd like to see is generic BlueTooth controller support. I would love to be able to sync my Six Axis PS3 gamepad to this, for instance, and have a truly comfortable wireless experience to complement the beautiful HD output from the Retron 5's HDMI port.

Original controllers have their place, but I'm not a fan of the included wireless controller. And always being constrained by wires while the Retron 5 sits aside consoles like my Xbox 360, hooked up to the same HDTV, isn't ideal.

I'll solve it with extension cables, but the option would be a welcome one.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

I know I keep promoting it in the Retron5 thread, but man, just buy an Ouya. The Ouya does what you're looking for and does it without hoops. The Ouya is an open platform. The Retron5 is closed. And as far as I can tell, the Ouya is more powerful than the Retron5 too. The main reason to own a Retron5 is to stay connected to physical media and to use classic wired controllers. If you wanna venture outside of that, the Ouya is the best way to go. DualShock 3 NES SMS GB etc in 1080p to the Retron5's 720p.

[Tanooki]

Satoshi yes. When my other system was dying, I tried to revert the firmware to see on a longshot if it was software. It's fine. You could throw 1.0 on there if you really wanted to suffer. The 2.0 final test there short of any last minute thing will be official anytime so it's really a soft beta really a covert final thing.

Believe it or not, (probably do all things considered) they sent me a refurb replacement that was dead on arrival hardware is broken inside with a fatal error 0xf0001 code on it, and the black bezel is scuffed up pretty nicely too. They were shocked, going to pay to have this one shipped back and send one as soon as UPS shows it in the mail to them. Grr and all that.

Leo, wait until someone gets a bit less lazy and properly does things right with the system, then PS3 will work or more. They will never support it, I asked about other controllers. It can though, you just need to write a file or something to do so and since the system has zero security on it, it's just a matter of someone doing it. As it is now people are being foolish and going through hoops and lame steps with the SD card and writing fake IPS patches to run games.

[Leo_A]

Ouya is a great option as well, but there's also something to be said about native support for original controllers, cartridge support, and something that's plug and play.

That's why I've been advocating blurring the lines between the two all along and been resisting these notions that there's a limited purpose to this device. Ultimately it's about providing hardware to enjoy classic games on. Using a modern wireless controller tied to the system in place of an original wired controller doesn't defeat its purpose, it complements it.

This thing ultimately is all about providing what the original systems don't while entertaining us. If there's any sort of demand for this feature, they'd be wise to at least not dismiss it.

[Az]

After having tried this controller out just recently at long last, one thing I'd like to see is generic BlueTooth controller support.

Conversely, is it possible to use their included controller on any old regular BT device, or is it somehow limited only to only this console?

I know I keep promoting it in the Retron5 thread, but man, just buy an Ouya.

It's been repeated a lot but this point really can't be stressed enough if a person has no want for original carts and is dead set on playing ROMs.

The Ouya is much cheaper (even if you purchased the USB adapters for original controllers), more readily available, requires no such extra steps or headaches, and is open to do a lot more. I can understand the interest in it as something to use once in a while or as a tech-tinkerer just to see if it can be done, but if that's the main purpose of purchasing the console the Ouya alternative is much more viable in every aspect.

[Tanooki]

Oh hey the GPL trolls going after Hyperkin will be relieved to know the put the GPL notice up on their update page with a direct link to the notes and a zipped up file with all the sources in it for them to use/change to their liking. Not sure what the plan is with snes9x/genesis plus since supposedly they can't be used at all.

I just see it dusting over anyway, it's not like a lawyer would likely take up the cause of people promoting piracy on multiple formats through emulators.