IDEA: MAME/Super Turbo in a box

ParryPerson.

I really love Super Turbo, but buying a supergun is a little out of my reach.

I do own a Dreamcast and 2 sticks with converters, and it is by far the most accurate port, but I can't help thinking that emulation might be more spot on.

I had an idea of taking an older computer (as cheap and used and barebones as possible) and putting it in a portable "box". I could either mod two Mayflash/Paewang/Etc to go with it, or incorparate them into the "box" somehow (This would make for a very giant box).

Any ideas of how I could go about this as cheaply as possible? As far as the computer, I could probably find an old quiet running PC from somewhere (not sure where), and getting a cheap video card with S-Vid/VGA/HDMI out. 

The main problem would be designing or finding a "box" that I could use.

I could always go MDF but that is a pain to install jap parts in... I could buy the Mayflashes and knock out the entire bottoms and mount them on top somehow...

Any ideas? I'm sure this has been done (I know CigarBob had a nice supergun setup like this that had switchable CP's for american and jap parts).

Any help or ideas would be fantastic!

ShankatsuForte

http://downloads.element14.com/raspberryPi1.html?COM=raspi-group

I hear these things can run MAME pretty well. 

rcaido

Hdr classic mode

Moonchilde

ShankatsuForte said:

http://downloads.element14.com/raspberryPi1.html?COM=raspi-group

I hear these things can run MAME pretty well. 

Problem is they're not powerful enough to run the game at full speed. The ST guys in SoCal have already tried as an alternative to Supergun and cab setups.

ParryPerson.

rcaido said:

Hdr classic mode

I'm going to pretend you didn't say this.

Moonchilde said:

ShankatsuForte said:

http://downloads.element14.com/raspberryPi1.html?COM=raspi-group

I hear these things can run MAME pretty well. 

Problem is they're not powerful enough to run the game at full speed. The ST guys in SoCal have already tried as an alternative to Supergun and cab setups.

Unfortunate, that would be pretty cool!

GeorgeC

Someone has to be kidding...  and I'm fairly sure he is.

SSF2T HDRemix is an almost completely different game from classic Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo.  It doesn't even score your gameplay!

The Dreamcast version is by far closest to the "real thing."  Plays like the arcade, same input/reaction time, original soundtrack (haven't heard otherwise), and all the original graphics and animation.  And no slowdown.

Every other SSF2T console port has problems with cut animation (PS1 port), slowdown (Saturn port which is otherwise pretty good), reworked audio (3DO port), and general bugginess (PC version -- that's why it was not widely distributed).

The major changes to SSF2T on DC were the secret menu dip switches and tweaked graphics.  Capcom's programmers ran the character animations through some kind of filtering process and as a result SSF2T is probably the sharpest-looking CPS-2 port to the Dreamcast.  It's a prime example of what should be done with the other CPS-2 ports to hi-def.  And yes, the DC SSF2T will run at 480p on HDTV/monitors with the right cables (Scart I think).

SSF2T HD Remix may have been well-intentioned it's just not the original arcade game by any stretch...  Why Capcom paid Udon to reanimate the game with higher-res scanned art is beyond me.  The arcade game should have been ported from original arcade code or at least based off the superior Dreamcast port.  Then again, Capcom should be porting its own games to new consoles instead of paying other companies who somehow always manage to bungle something in the port process!  Capcom used to port its games on the older consoles and they were generally much better arcade-to-home translations than its rivals (SNK, Midway).

IF you have a Dreamcast or working Dreamcast emulator on PC, this is the best SSF2T port if you're concerned about hi-def graphics...  (Technically, 480p ISN'T hi-def but it definitely looks better than 240p graphics on hi-def TV/monitors.)

d3v

Getting off topic but, IMO Iron Galaxy got it right with MvC:Origins. It's the most arcade perfect port of MvC and MSH around. Also, most issues with 3SO come from the fact that the code Capcom provided was from an unreleased DC port of 990512.

jedpossum

ShankatsuForte said:

http://downloads.element14.com/raspberryPi1.html?COM=raspi-group

I hear these things can run MAME pretty well. 

That is a misleading statement as they're using the old version of mame with the hacked up code (the bad versions of mame). 

Moonchilde

GeorgeC said:

Someone has to be kidding...  and I'm fairly sure he is.

SSF2T HDRemix is an almost completely different game from classic Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo.  It doesn't even score your gameplay!

The Dreamcast version is by far closest to the "real thing."  Plays like the arcade, same input/reaction time, original soundtrack (haven't heard otherwise), and all the original graphics and animation.  And no slowdown.

Every other SSF2T console port has problems with cut animation (PS1 port), slowdown (Saturn port which is otherwise pretty good), reworked audio (3DO port), and general bugginess (PC version -- that's why it was not widely distributed).

The major changes to SSF2T on DC were the secret menu dip switches and tweaked graphics.  Capcom's programmers ran the character animations through some kind of filtering process and as a result SSF2T is probably the sharpest-looking CPS-2 port to the Dreamcast.  It's a prime example of what should be done with the other CPS-2 ports to hi-def.  And yes, the DC SSF2T will run at 480p on HDTV/monitors with the right cables (Scart I think).

SSF2T HD Remix may have been well-intentioned it's just not the original arcade game by any stretch...  Why Capcom paid Udon to reanimate the game with higher-res scanned art is beyond me.  The arcade game should have been ported from original arcade code or at least based off the superior Dreamcast port.  Then again, Capcom should be porting its own games to new consoles instead of paying other companies who somehow always manage to bungle something in the port process!  Capcom used to port its games on the older consoles and they were generally much better arcade-to-home translations than its rivals (SNK, Midway).

IF you have a Dreamcast or working Dreamcast emulator on PC, this is the best SSF2T port if you're concerned about hi-def graphics...  (Technically, 480p ISN'T hi-def but it definitely looks better than 240p graphics on hi-def TV/monitors.)

A lot of your information is wrong. HDR was actually built on the DC code base. The art was also not scanned in, it was all digital and done via vectors and flat shading. Udon did keyframes, and then outsourced the rest. Also, even some ports in the past were done by third parties, for example Eurocom did the PC port. And, if you read his post, you'd see he already has a DC and all that jazz. 

Back on topic, if they ever make a higher powered Raspberry Pi, then that would probably be the best way to have an ST built to go solution, if you were to mount the PCB of the RP to a MDF built contorl panel. It would have all the outputs for video and audio and you could connect the control panel via USB to the RP. It would be a pretty nice, portable solution.

jedpossum

They changed a lot of the code. One of the biggest offenders is how turbo no longer frame skips for it's speed.

eltrouble

There's a guy out in Arizona, his name is undamned, and he's working on a consolized version of an ST Supergun that will work with USB controllers.  It comes in its own enclosure and is arcade-perfect, and is the ideal solution for perfect ST setups at tournaments.  The prototype should be ready by Evo. 

ParryPerson.

Did anyone find out how many, if any frames, the innovation converters added? NKI wanted to assume "up to 1 frame", but even then he said it was by far the best port.

eltrouble said:

There's a guy out in Arizona, his name is undamned, and he's working on a consolized version of an ST Supergun that will work with USB controllers.  It comes in its own enclosure and is arcade-perfect, and is the ideal solution for perfect ST setups at tournaments.  The prototype should be ready by Evo. 

I will cry tears of joy if/when this is released.

Kyle

eltrouble said:

There's a guy out in Arizona, his name is undamned, and he's working on a consolized version of an ST Supergun that will work with USB controllers.  It comes in its own enclosure and is arcade-perfect, and is the ideal solution for perfect ST setups at tournaments.  The prototype should be ready by Evo.

And he is a regular here, and has a thread on this here. : )

eltrouble

http://forums.shoryuken.com/discussion/146685/ud-cps2-fully-consolized-capcom-play-system-2#latest

That's his thread that shares more details, pictures, results, etc...

ParryPerson.

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-released-Android4-0-IPTV-google-tv-smart-android-box-allwinner-A10-Model-MK802-/563764893.html

This looks interesting.

ParryPerson.

If these can recognize arcade sticks... and run ST... I'll buy one NOW.

http://popular.ebay.com/computers-networking/mini-pc.htm

Moonchilde

Hmm, that does look pretty good. I wonder how well it would run. Someone should take one for the team, lol. It has enough RAM, I just wonder if it has enough processor power. Thing is I was running NG and CPS2 games at full speed way back in the day on far inferior hardware to today, so I don't see why something like this couldn't work.

So, USB 4 port hub, the MiniPC and an ASUS EVO monitor, and you got yourself a very portable solution. Even better, if you were to build a 2 player control panel and wire it all up underneat, then all you'd need is a HDMI cable to a monitor.

On another note, has anyone tried an actual phone to run the game? Almost everyone has one, and they're pretty powerful these days. MAME on a phone, plus ST, plus HDMI out plus mini-USB.

mistahsnart

None of the Android-on-a-stick devices I've tried do well with anything but games from the 80s. Most of them cannot be a host for USB devices either, which is why people use Bluetooth-based controls.

Darksakul

I am looking into using the Raspberry Pi as a emulation box. I just got the board in yesterday and I reviewing my software options.

eltrouble

Darksakul said:

I am looking into using the Raspberry Pi as a emulation box. I just got the board in yesterday and I reviewing my software options.

I'm not sure how it runs other emulated games, but I know for ST, the Pi just doesn't have the processing power needed to make it a viable alternative option to arcade-perfect or even console ST.  

Moonchilde

Just reading up on the RP again, and it seems it should be powerful enough to run it? Maybe the MAME port is bad. Was the port running in OpenGL or was it rendering via software and RAM? What was the set up for the RP?

jedpossum

800 MHz ARM CPU

Model A has 256 Megabytes of Ram

Model B has 512 Megabytes of Ram

ParryPerson.

The real question is, why isn't there something a little more beefier than the RP, even at the cost of some size and market price?

ChaoticMonk

ParryPerson. said:

The real question is, why isn't there something a little more beefier than the RP, even at the cost of some size and market price?

There is, MK802 II has 1.5ghz ARM CPU, 512mb DDR3 ram, WiFi, 2 USB ports and HDMI out. Also has a built in 4gig flash drive and microSD slot. Runs Andriod 4.0 out the box or can run Ubuntu and other linux flavours via microSD card. Its $46.

Theres also the Cotton Candy which has a gig of ram, dual core 1.2ghz cpu and the same GPU as the MK802 but costs 4 times as much lol

Moonchilde

ChaoticMonk said:

ParryPerson. said:

The real question is, why isn't there something a little more beefier than the RP, even at the cost of some size and market price?

There is, MK802 II has 1.5ghz ARM CPU, 512mb DDR3 ram, WiFi, 2 USB ports and HDMI out. Also has a built in 4gig flash drive and microSD slot. Runs Andriod 4.0 out the box or can run Ubuntu and other linux flavours via microSD card. Its $46.

Theres also the Cotton Candy which has a gig of ram, dual core 1.2ghz cpu and the same GPU as the MK802 but costs 4 times as much lol

So essentially, you could get a linux based MAME bootloader, cut out all the background OS crap, and MAME off solid state hardware? I wonder if you could flash the Android out of the unit and something else in it's place, just in case you don't care to run from the SD card.

Also, ParryPerson already linked to the MK802 II, do you actually have experience with it?

ParryPerson.

mistahsnart said:

None of the Android-on-a-stick devices I've tried do well with anything but games from the 80s. Most of them cannot be a host for USB devices either, which is why people use Bluetooth-based controls.

I actually tried one out today, and the USB devices were all recognized. Not sure what you were playing with.

Looking at trying to get one and experiment soon. Being limited by only HDMI I can live with.

mistahsnart

ParryPerson. said: I actually tried one out today, and the USB devices were all recognized. Not sure what you were playing with.

It was a while back, before the flood of current stuff. That's cool that it worked. I was referring to the pack of gum sized Android devices, but if those larger ones with full-size USB ports work, that would be pretty sweet. Definitely check out performance and see if it's up to snuff.

ParryPerson.

mistahsnart said:

ParryPerson. said: I actually tried one out today, and the USB devices were all recognized. Not sure what you were playing with.

It was a while back, before the flood of current stuff. That's cool that it worked. I was referring to the pack of gum sized Android devices, but if those larger ones with full-size USB ports work, that would be pretty sweet. Definitely check out performance and see if it's up to snuff.

Evidently is called "Mini X Android TV Box". It has 2 USB inputs, a remote, wifi, and also contains an A/V out for RCA hookups and can ouput in 480p (along with 1080p and 720p). After looking around, driver support could be a little iffy, but you can load them in sometimes in weird ways... I'll definitely be trying to see which sticks work and which do not. This would be a god send... if not a little more pricey (around 60 bucks from China.)

Unessential

Whats your total budget on this? I would advise against modding a mayflash... A paewang is ok i guess...