Discussion N64 Clones

[Acronell]

I'm sure it's everywhere in other places.


So, why do you think it is that we have yet to see an N64 clone console on the market yet?

I'm more than certain that we have the ability to build such a device with our current technology.

 

[ShockSlayer]

Long story short, the RCP is complicated as fuck.

 

[Madmorda]

My cell phone is an n64 clone console

With Raspberry pis, wiis, phones, and computers all being either decent or passable n64 emulators, there's really not much reason to. (Unless you really really want to play the carts, which I don't)

Screenshot from my s6 edge as of about a year ago:

 

[Noah]

With Raspberry pis, wiis, phones, and computers all being either decent or passable n64 emulators, there's really not much reason to.

True emulation has gotten really good but I still think if a clone system popped up many collectors and retro game enthusiasts would pick them up anyways

 

[Madmorda]

True emulation has gotten really good but I still think if a clone system popped up many collectors and retro game enthusiasts would pick them up anyways

I might too, if the games weren't so expensive XD. Must I choose between three flea market / goodwill wii consoles or one good n64 game?

 

[Noah]

I might too, if the games weren't so expensive XD.

A wise man once told me, "Buy the 64Drive. It's the only game you'll ever need.

 

[Madmorda]

A wise man once told me, "Buy the 64Drive. It's the only game you'll ever need.

I've considered it, and at some point might get one of those clones, but only if I make an n64 portable. I guess Acronell is right, and we need some supaboy type n64 clones xD

 

[Doom]

If they would make one it'd probably just run emulation from a linux/android core anyway like the Retron 5 and the like. I don't know when the N64 console patents run out but I guess we'll wait and see.

 

[Noah]

I don't know when the N64 console patents run out but I guess we'll wait and see.

This year IIRC.

I think if it was going to happen we probably would have seen one by now.

 

[Acronell]

Long story short, the RCP is complicated as fuck.

As a community do we have enough knowledge on it to be able to replicate the RCP?

I can imagine it now, BitBuilt Retro Consoles xD

My cell phone is an n64 clone console

With Raspberry pis, wiis, phones, and computers all being either decent or passable n64 emulators, there's really not much reason to. (Unless you really really want to play the carts, which I don't)

Screenshot from my s6 edge as of about a year ago:

I have a GPD XD, and it runs pretty solid most of the time for N64 and Dreamcast, but it won't play carts, and multiplayer is basically nonexistent.

The Wii doesn't have a strong enough compatibility for a number of games, most of which are popular titles that people like to play.

With the Pi, only the Model 3 is capable of playing N64 games stock, and even then there are slowdowns. The Pi Zero is impossible to run 64 games at a playable speed.

True emulation has gotten really good but I still think if a clone system popped up many collectors and retro game enthusiasts would pick them up anyways

I'd be all over it, as well as nearly everyone I tend to hang out with, so at least 40 consoles sold right there.

I might too, if the games weren't so expensive XD. Must I choose between three flea market / goodwill wii consoles or one good n64 game?

It isn't really a choice then is it? Clearly the Good N64 Game

A wise man once told me, "Buy the 64Drive. It's the only game you'll ever need.

I'm pretty sure I heard that on stream haha

Acronell is right, and we need some supaboy type n64 clones xD

Damn Skippy, though perhaps a little sturdier

If they would make one it'd probably just run emulation from a linux/android core anyway like the Retron 5 and the like. I don't know when the N64 console patents run out but I guess we'll wait and see.

That's actually why I never bought the Retron 5.

 

[ShockSlayer]

As a community do we have enough knowledge on it to be able to replicate the RCP?

@Herma, who is top 5 smartest people I know, once asked @megalomaniac about it, who then apparently asked marshallh, who's N64 knowledge is a mighty oak compared to our collective toothpick. So about a month or so ago, herma told me this:

[11/3/2016 10:26:52 PM] Herma: basically he said it's not feasible even on modern FPGAs due to the complexity
[11/3/2016 10:27:03 PM] Herma: at least to be running at full speed

That's as good of an answer as we could possibly get at this point in time. I'd venture to say that anything that comes out is gonna be very similar to what @Doom described. Basically, an emulator device, with a cart reader, as there's already some cart readers out there I think. That'd suck, would have the same problems any emulator does, and wouldn't offer anything that we couldn't build better.

 

[Herma]

Even if it's not feasible I'd like to take a stab at it some time, if anything just for trying to make a vector graphics processor. I've made plenty of processors already, but never had any floating point operations inherently built into the device.

I think the RCP is a RISC-based style with vector graphics and audio processing capabilities, so it's pretty difficult in general. I thought I had saved a PDF of the block diagram and a bunch of awesome information but I didn't, and the site it was hosted on has gone down.

At any rate, I don't imagine this would be a thing for any time soon. One could theoretically implement a 2 FPGA design if they run into issues with the single FPGA, but then timing becomes even more of a bitch than it already is.