How well does Raspberry Pi run NES/SNES/GEN? Also ...

[fuctfuct]

Thinking about building one for mainly the above systems. I also want to run it on a CRT.

How well does it run the ROMs.. better then an modded oXbox? Same? Worse?

How does it run on a CRT? What res does it's composite output (i'm googling it)? Are there overscan options (especially for the nes)?

[Cronozilla]

From what I've seen it runs reasonably fast. There are faster (and just as affordable) Computer on a Chip solutions out there.

Though I don't know how many have composite video output as an option.

[fuctfuct]

Care to name a few?

[Cronozilla]

http://www.efytimes.com/e1/creativenews.asp?edid=84368

That's a quick list of a few.

Raspberry Pi might be the most straight forward, just because it's the most widely utilized for this kind of thing. But BeagleBone Black is faster, for example.

But there's also new iterations out, so you may want to look at those.

There's guides for setting it up on Pi, though, http://lifehacker.com/how-to-turn-your- ... -498561192 so it's much more simple.

However, an Ouya is more powerful and comes with a decent controller and isn't incredibly more expensive than this project. (especially if you can get one second hand)

[pvt_awol]

^

What's wrong with how an oXBOX emulates? To this day, I still prefer it over my Wii for emulation. The Wii looks good and all, but it is very slow and "clunky" to get in and out of games, do save states, etc.


The oXBOX on the other hand is very streamlined and quick. I taught my non-techy wife how to use it for DKC, and away she went. Save states and all.


Are you wanting to just try this as a new project? Is the oXBOX too big? I'd say go oXBOX, but the techy in me thinks that you'll have fun with the Pi as well.

[fuctfuct]

Nothing wrong with the oXbox. Ive had a modded one since they where able to be modded. Even modded controllers for retro games. Hate the oXbox controllers.

I am indeed wanting to just try this as a new project. I happen to have just enough cash to burn as it would cost me to get a Pi/case. Already have everything else i need.

And yes the Xbox is massive and ugly. I never play oXbox games anymore.

[Cronozilla]

There's nothing wrong with it. But the Raspberry Pi uses WAY less power, you can use any controller you want, and it's the size of a credit card.

There's well managed software for it still being written, and it's an open platform. It'd be much easier to get new things on it than a hacked console.

Why do any of that stuff when you can build an arcade stick and put the emulation device right inside it? There's lots of possibilities, I just think the one with the most positives is probably using something like the Raspberry Pi, or the even the Ouya to do emulation.

[fuctfuct]

Well, i can't find any real answer on how well the roms run. Only some stuff from 2012-2013 that say.. close but, no they do not. I don't want to spend any amount of money on less then 100% and proper sound :[

[Cronozilla]

If you want proper sound emulation ... it doesn't exist. Even official emulators used on Virtual Console don't get it 100% correct. Mostly because they can't.

It's the same reason why a piece of clone hardware won't run 100% of a library, a lot of quirks of the hardware was used to produce effects and when you simplify the component that was leveraged to do the most common functionality, you will lose a lot of those fringe uses.

If you want 100% authentic anything, you're going to need to use the original hardware. Emulators are a compromise between convenience and being able to play the games. Authenticity is not an asset of emulation.

If you're worried whether or not games will run, the "all-in-one" console mods I've seen using the Raspberry Pi (which were not the most recent model) ran most things fine. Once you get beyond PS1 and N64, things get choppy (if there is even support). But there's a version of MAME that runs and most 90s and prior arcade games will run acceptably there.

It's not too difficult to seek out some example footage of other people's projects to see how well it runs, or the accuracy. The best anyone here can do is point you in a starting direction.

[fuctfuct]

I am well aware of everything you said. I have been emulating games since... I'm old! I guess what i meant was.. If a given game doesn't run as well as a decent emulator on the PC (obviously excluding all the uber accurate emulators being released that require gobs of cpu).. I don't want to waste my time or money. Even if it isn't that expensive.

It's not too difficult to seek out some example footage of other people's projects to see how well it runs, or the accuracy. The best anyone here can do is point you in a starting direction.

It actually is difficult. I have watched countless youtube vids. They are all either horribly shot, don't run enough games to see (usually one per system), don't run the games long enough or actually do contain slowdown and glitches/bad sound but are up to 2 year old (those problems could have been fixed by now for all i know).

The best anyone here can do? You are assuming that there isn't someone on the board that runs this very set up and just hasn't seen this thread yet. Which is why i posted. I was hoping for experience not anecdotal responses