modern retro console?

[Abe Honorable]

Who was it here that tried to make a modern 8-bit console? The Epiphany I believe it was called. From recollection, DP member Video Gaming Bible started the project from his own site.

In fact, I think he said "I am merely going to 'shoehorn' it into production". Since Google didn't turn up anything on it, I assumed VGB dropped the idea.

But I really loved the concept and wished it went further. Is there anything similar being worked on?


If you were to take on such a project, what would your main goals be?

Here's what I would aim for, in order of importance to me:

1. Rom-cart based would be a must-have. I believe the Epiphany was to be cd-rom. I thought that part was a mistake, despite the obvious ease of part replacement and a stable vendor base. But rom cartrigdes are simply preferred by collectors for numerous reasons (I maintain that rom carts are simply more asthetically pleasing and have a more substantive feel+the ease-of-CD-bootleg factor)
2. superior sound (for an 8-bit)
3. Awesome Controllers (Neo Geo-like)
4. a CPU with a well-known ASM. It's got to be coder-friendly.
5. Great games. Making old 8-bit games might not be that hard. There's even freeware sprite makers. Hell, all the games could be made using freeware.

Basically, I would build a Neo Geo for the '80s. What would you build?

P.S. I may have gotten my facts wrong on the Epiphany and VGB thing, but I don't think so. I've got a damn good memory.

P.S.S I hope this isn't one of those "jeez, we get this damn question every week from you newbies". I'm a member on countless forums and I'll take that heat, just point be to one of the relevant threads and I'll join that one.

[/list][/b][/u]

[Abe Honorable]

I know I'm just talking to myself here, but this is my absolute favorite hobbyist idea. So here's one more:
Adventurevision II

Some people forget that Entex was trying to compete with the VFD tabletops, not the Vectrex. So I think a cool project would be to try the same today.
Right now I'm looking at a Tiger Slingo. Or more precisely, at the little screws on the back of it (now were the hell is my eyeglass repair kit?). A low-pixel-count LCD screen, a new PCB,cheap microproccessor, a simple I/O setup, knowledge of the ASM of said microproccessor, and a whole bunch of freeware/GNU and someone could do it. That would be cool. I'm thinking gameboy fuctionality and Colecovision graphics. Either machine would have to be open-source to get it done. And then you make your own or buy from someone who can.
Just thinking out loud. But It would make a neat project (either one).

Here's the how-to's on just about all of it:

http://www.epanorama.net/index.php

Just saw this: Zilog's latest Z80 is 50mhz! That would make one hell of an 8-bit console.

[Sylentwulf]

Sidenote on one of VGB's predictions. He once said the next format would be a minidisc inside of a cartridge. Hence Sony's new PSP media.

[digitalpress]

Sidenote on one of VGB's predictions. He once said the next format would be a minidisc inside of a cartridge. Hence Sony's new PSP media.

He also declared the Xbox "dead" in October 2002.

[Abe Honorable]

I didn't want to say anything about him in my post. As part of my "damn good memory" I also recall this conversation from about 12-14 months ago (I was registered here then -caracal or fossa was me I think):

VGB: I own [insert ultra rare Atari cart here]-seemed like a pac-man proto
You (DP): There are 3/4 carts in existence. I own two, {someone in Scandinavia?] owns 1 and.... well basically you (I think it was you) caught him in a big lie, which he had to acknowledge his next post. The reason I never stuck around on this post was that I thought he was a mod (he was wasn't he?) and never gave this place any respect.
Of course, a year later I now know exactly what this place is and am now a faithfull member.
I am interested in the homebuilt retroconsole, not Slaven. I had the idea a couple of years before. but my did post did give credit to VGB, just in case everyone reallly liked the guy.
I even registered on his own forum to ask questions about it (what cpu/kernal, etc...). The cd-rom and the fact that his contribution was going to be the one who "spearheads it into action", told me that it was instant vaporware.

My idea took the time to type out a post and is farther along than the Epiphany. I just think this would make a neat opensource project. People build homebuilt computers (real ones not built from oem parts, but ground up, that are less complicated than video game consoles (there's no OS in a video game-just the kernal).

Consider this a vaporware project as well. Again, I am merely talking out loud-but it really could be done.....

[Arrrhalomynn]

I remember he had a special forum about the project at his message board. Then suddenly it was gone. Some time later I asked him about it and he said he didn't know what I was talking about... kinda odd.