List of SD card hack, carts, alternative replacements to CD drive.

[Howard_Casto]

There are really only a handful where it is an issue.   I think the cut-scenes in dino crisis are s-video only, for example but I think about all of it is patchable at this point.

I really need to sit down and load up my gdemu sd card but unless I can find a torrent or something all the images floating about online don't have the cover art injected into the iso, and I kind of want to do that for the menu.

[nitrogen_widget]

I found some tools for GDemu.
a tool to import your games and create the folder structure on the sdcard.
you can add them one at a time or a bunch at once if you have CDI's. I have extracted .gdi folders so i searched for *.gdi when the browser opened to add images then was able to select multiple games.

there is also a tool for custom menu's.

just google GDMENU theme manager.
I think 1.5 is the latest version it has all the tools you need.

I download the cover art from emumovies.
though i'm not sure what to do with it yet.

supposedly most game covers are included with the GDEMU_SD tool.

oh and the free crt tv. it wasn't 25" diagonal.
It was more like 30" across.
it was the biggest freaking CRT TV i'd ever seen.
it was bigger than 36" CRT.
it wouldn't fit in my car even if I did want it.
the girl who was helping out with the veterans church where it was wasn't even born when the TV was made so i wasn't too mad she didn't know how to measure it.
Her dad was there also and was laughing after cause he couldn't understand why i drove up in a car and not an SUV or truck for it.
he said it's a 40" CRT.

[Howard_Casto]

Heh  I rescued a 37 incher from my parents earlier this year..... my back still hurts.

Unless I am missing something, the only way to get cover art to show up is to manually open each iso via an iso browser and inject the image into the iso.   That's the time consuming part I was talking about.

[nitrogen_widget]

Heh  I rescued a 37 incher from my parents earlier this year..... my back still hurts.

Unless I am missing something, the only way to get cover art to show up is to manually open each iso via an iso browser and inject the image into the iso.   That's the time consuming part I was talking about.

my roms are in folders so i don't have to deal with an iso file.
i sorta watched a video on youtube telling you how to do it with .gdi files but it looked like a massive pain in the arse which is why i only half watched it.

[thomas_surles]

Seen this new ps1 memory card on stone age gamer. Has some cool features relevant to the ODE mods.

[Titchgamer]

Yeah they look fab!
I plan on ordering one as I only have a few cards and the one is dodgy to say the least!

[opt2not]

I need to get one. Especially now that I’m using the XStation.

[Howard_Casto]

That price though...... I think 30-40 would be more appropriate.   For me personally I don't play enough psx games that actually use the save for anything meaningful to worry about it.  It's a good idea though.

[KenToad]

Yeah, the price is really steep for something that amounts to a convenience product. If I didn't have an Xstation, I wouldn't even be considering it. So far, three normal ps1 memory cards has been more than enough.

[nitrogen_widget]

every time i try to write games to my sdcard with gdemu_SD it disconnects.
I'm assuming it's my card reader since it is pretty ancient and i've never used an sd card so big in it before.
so ordered a new one from amazon.
hopefully that is my issue.

Found another reader. Seems to be working but man its slow.
Got the emulator in and scrubbed the dc case down.
So just waiting for the arcade to finish.

[Vigo]

I'm not too far behind you. gdemu SD worked for me except a number of games simply would not copy. My set of roms is pretty old and incomplete, so I am updating now. Hopefully that solves my issue.

I am also getting a 256gb sd card now, with the thought that I see how much of the US set I can fit, with a few import exceptions I want in.

Are you just printing your own insert?

[nitrogen_widget]

I'm not too far behind you. gdemu SD worked for me except a number of games simply would not copy. My set of roms is pretty old and incomplete, so I am updating now. Hopefully that solves my issue.

I am also getting a 256gb sd card now, with the thought that I see how much of the US set I can fit, with a few import exceptions I want in.

Are you just printing your own insert?

i'm still copying. lol.
i can only do about 25 at a time or the process crashes.
I have about 180 images.
I cut out the sports games I know I won't play and just copying all that I have over.
then i can try the games i'd never heard of and remove them if I don't like them.

only thing i can't figure out yet is the atomiswave games.
I have the roms but they are the wrong format, i've found ones converted for dreamcast but they say they are not sdcard compatible?
but people keep saying you can use them with gdemu.

i bought my emulator from allie express along with the 3d printed part.
they say it's 3d printed but it's smooth like it was molded.

edit: just played some crazy taxi. this thing works pretty good. missing a few disc pics, but i'll figure that out later.
i'm just amazed at how well it works.

[Vigo]

I tested a couple of the Atomiswave games, and they worked for me. Nothing special about what I got, just the conversions they are referring to over at the Dreamcast talks forum. I tested Demolish Fist and Metal Slug 6, and they both worked. I am using SD Card Marker for GDemu v1.10. (I am going to move to the 1.5 to try the theme manager you mentioned, but I wanted to eliminate variables as I went through a tutorial, so got the version used at that time it was made).

So, from some play testing this weekend, everything is running smoothly. I haven't run into any issues. Just need to finish downloading my new romset and try it on a 256 card.

Here is my other cleanup on the system -

• Already added 3 1k resistors to reduce the draw, as outlined in this tutorial. I know there are a few different ways to address this one, but I have plenty of 1Ks  on hand.
• Still need to replace the CMOS battery. Have a rechargable ML2032 and a button cell holder I am going to put in.
• Going to finish printing 3d insert. I currenlt have the hollow one in that can hold spare SD cards, but since I am going to go for everything on one card, I am going to swap to the other style.
• I have a noctua fan and will be doing the fan mod to make it as silent running as possible.

Regarding sports games, that is probably a good thing to avoid if you have no attachment. I forgot this before, but was rudely reminded yesterday that the DC is very cruel when it comes to it's VMU memory usage and the sports games are among the worst. I played a little NFL 2K1, it wanted 134 blocks of my VMU, which only holds 200 blocks. 

Given I like games like Shenmue, PSO and other big save use games, and have 3 kids, the VMU issue is probably going to be a frustration for me. I have 4 VMU's and a generic, screenless card, I am still concerned I wont have enough memory space. I thankfully had bought 3 of them a couple years ago when NOS VMUs were only $8 a pop, but it looks like they jumped up quite a bit since then.

I think I will want to get a NEXUS card, unless someone has a better idea. That serial cable is too ancient for my to make use of it, but I can't argue with the 16 memory banks. I feel like the DC is ripe for some better memory solutions, but didn't see anything better out there. I wish the numeric display was on the top of the card, so I could keep it in the back port and see what bank is active. I might need to modify it if I get one.


https://www.flashbackltd.com/products/dreamcast-16m-memory-card-with-cable

[nitrogen_widget]

it will probably be just me playing it.
I found 2 controllers, both have a vmu with a screen and one has a non screen vmu the other one i ordered one for.

i still need to do something about the psu.
will probably do the 3 resistor thing because i have a bunch of resistors also.

need to order a new battery and holder also.

i'll try the atomiswave from the forums then.

[nitrogen_widget]

dreamcast is a go.
got a little side tracked when my psu and mb blew on my main rig.
it's cheap to replace and even upgrade when you run an old i5.

replaced the rechargeable battery today.
put in the resistors. i soldered them to the posts didn't like just forcing them in there.
also spent a minute playing metal slug 6.

gonna leave the dreamcast plugged in and on over night to give the battery a good charge.

I remember when the gdrom still worked...setting the date every time i turned it on....

[pbj]

How’s a Dreamcast look hooked up to an LCD via VGA input?

[nitrogen_widget]

happy to report dreamcast now retains it's date!

[Vigo]

Glad to hear your updates are going well! Just about done here, too.

I am gonna reprint the plastics on the GD drive insert plastic, I was mostly dialing in my printer when I made the original prints, so it wasn't up to snuff.

Noctua mod is fine, but it needs a 10k resistor between the 5v and tach lines. (It uses the tach line to determine if the fan is running, if it isn't, the system shuts down). In this picture, I added the resistor in the line and made a little adaptor cable, but didn't feel good about the look, so I did go back and just changed the header pins and added the 10k resistor on the DC board itself. Anyway, it works great. I tested the sound difference by turning the DC on side by side with my other stock DC. Night and day difference in volume.

Battery was super easy with the little solder-on battery holder, I just needed to add a reminder for future me that it is a rechargeable battery, so I put a label inside as well.

And for some reason the SD extender doesn't work, so I am buying a new one. I used it for years with my old 3d printer, probably just went through too much abuse.

How’s a Dreamcast look hooked up to an LCD via VGA input?

I can't speak to direct VGA hookup, but the VGA to HDMI converter cables do an ok job, with each brand being slightly better or worse than the next. I would say it is a touch better that the wii with upgraded cables. Everything is clear enough, but it will still produce soft, feathered edges.

The DCHDMI VGA upscaler route is amazing. Everything looks crisp and clean like playing on an emulator, really crystal clear, but on the flip side it will create horrendous jaggies due to the lack of anti-aliasing. It can sometimes be just trash to look at.  I understand there is a HQ2x filter option if you do a firmware change, and with the DC, I would think that is the best route to go if you are willing to shell out the cash for the upscaler. The video from the filtered DCHDMI is pretty incredible.

I will probably just eventually be getting a cheap OSSC from aliexpress, All these HDMI solutions are killer on the wallet. $100 to get something that does a fair job out of the box for everything is more up my ally.

[nitrogen_widget]

new mini project.
picked up a model 1 genesis off ebay for $40 shipped with 1 controller, power brick, and RF adaptor (which crap picture)
ordered an AV cable now that I know it works.

I also bought an everdrive clone off amazon.
took a few tries to get it to work but looks like unzipped rom files did the trick.
plays master system also.
some pure japan games won't run but E and U roms look to work.
I haven't tried them all.

going to take it and the controller apart to clean because they are a little crusty then give it to my brother for his birthday next week.
his got misplaced and he'd been searching for it.
but we've been looking for months.

other than being 30 yrs old, are caps something that are replaced on these normally?

[KenToad]

Looks like a new thread could be created? I'm definitely interested in hearing about console caps. None of my retro consoles have been re-capped. Maybe it's kind of like disc rot that I keep hearing about, but have never experienced?

[nitrogen_widget]

Looks like a new thread could be created? I'm definitely interested in hearing about console caps. None of my retro consoles have been re-capped. Maybe it's kind of like disc rot that I keep hearing about, but have never experienced?

I took it apart and what caps i saw looked good.
no bulging etc and the console works.
so I'm not going to fix what ain't broken.

[Locke141]

I didn’t realize that there are so many new Cd ROM replacements I need to update the first post. If you’re interested in helping please just reply with the links to the new replacement projects. I really want a Sega Saturn SSD if there are any higher quality ones, please let me know.

[Vigo]

The gamecube should be updated to have the SD2SP2 and GC Loader. The media launcher is discontinued, but there are gecko clones everywhere.

https://retrogamerstuff.com/collections/all-consoles/products/gamecube-sd2sp2

https://www.black-dog.tech/gc-loader-pnp.html

[KenToad]

TerraOnion is doing a new "HD" revision of the Super SD System 3 with added HDMI out and SuperGrafx support.

It sounds great, but I've been very happy emulating the PC Engine/Turbografx while using the excellent HORI PCE mini controllers. They have a 10 foot USB cable and very low latency.

[Howard_Casto]

Just for the record, don't get those ___ to hdmi cables.   The goal for any console is to get either rgb out via a scart cable or vga, which the DC already has thankfully.   Then, if needed you run them through an upscaler and/or through a hdmi converter.   A gbs control can be built for as little as 50 dollars and you'll get a much better picture not to mention the fact that scart cables for most console can be had for as little as $5 on aliexpress depending upon the console.  Some people obsess over the cable quality, but I assure you, the worst scart cable is still going to look worlds better than most of the other video methods at your disposal. 

[KenToad]

Yeah, I made the mistake of buying a cheap hdmi converter/upscaler. It broke within a couple of months, but I learned my lesson that the stories of muddy visuals and input lag are true. I have an early Retrotink 2x that, according to Mike Chi, has a hardware error that makes N64 have too much audio gain, but I've heard nothing but positive stuff about the new Retrotink 2x and 5x models.

[Vigo]

Just for the record, don't get those ___ to hdmi cables.   The goal for any console is to get either rgb out via a scart cable or vga, which the DC already has thankfully.   Then, if needed you run them through an upscaler and/or through a hdmi converter.   A gbs control can be built for as little as 50 dollars and you'll get a much better picture not to mention the fact that scart cables for most console can be had for as little as $5 on aliexpress depending upon the console.  Some people obsess over the cable quality, but I assure you, the worst scart cable is still going to look worlds better than most of the other video methods at your disposal.

In my world, the simple answer is kids. I don’t have a dedicated console area and unless I get everything piped through an HDMI cable, it is going to be a pain for me to set up each time for them on one of the 4 tv choices they have to hook a console up in. An hdmi setup is my compromise to make the consoles universal to any TV.

[Malenko]

Just for the record, don't get those ___ to hdmi cables.

I have pound cables for OG XBOX, DC, and Saturn. no complaints.  Other more expensive solutions may look better but the pound cables do what I need. As for input lag and all that jazz...... I can beat fire pro S on the hardest difficulty and the game is 99% timing button presses. I also have a CRT near the LCD for when I wanna play pew pew games.

[Howard_Casto]

It's not necessarily an image quality thing but a cost thing.   After the initial investment of an up-scaler scart cables are cheap, while the built in adapters are anywhere from 30 to 50 a pop... that's fine if you have one or two consoles but adds up quickly if you have several.  I think I'm up to 12 to 15 that have rgb out at this point.... ugh....

[Locke141]

I just feel like this is a good time to wait to make purchases. I jumped in early on a few items like the OSSC and now there’s 100 different versions cheaper ones on Alibaba. I also think that the collect an old system is a bit of a fad right now and just better to be patient and jump in.

[Howard_Casto]

This is true.   I've been wanting to get my gamecube all hdmi-ified and buy a gameboy player so I'd have a good portable solution but everything is inflated price-wise right now. 

[danny_galaga]

ISO on SD card memory slot. PS2 🙂

https://hackaday.com/2022/02/15/ps2-memory-card-iso-loader-offers-classic-gaming-bliss/

[jimj]

I searched for "Backbit" and didn't get any hits.  I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned, looks like an interesting SD card solution if you own multiple systems (that it supports):
https://store.backbit.io/product/backbit-pro/

[nitrogen_widget]

ISO on SD card memory slot. PS2 🙂

https://hackaday.com/2022/02/15/ps2-memory-card-iso-loader-offers-classic-gaming-bliss/

I might get this for my slim.
optical still works and i've been using it for light gun games.
but man the price on the discs lately...

[nitrogen_widget]

so i hosed my 2tb ps2 HD by trying to clone it for a friend.
not sure what i did.
but i wiped the the drive somehow.

so i've got the software to format on a PC, transfer games and images.
however i still only have a 2 TB max capacity and 2.5 TB's of games.
i'm now googling every game one by one to see if they suck or not because i never had a PS2

is there a definitive list of PS2 games somewhere like for mame?
I've already eliminated the sports games as i don't care for them.
along with all the kids stuff and the worst rated games.

there are a lot of games for PS2.
I'm close though.

[thomas_surles]

Judt found out about the Gamecube Flippydrive that's being funded. It looks really neat. Solderless micro sd card reader.

 https://youtu.be/YPq48Wm8y-U?si=sQv10sSPAOLcKifZ

[pbj]

Or get a $20 Wii and install nintendont on it.

[thomas_surles]

Or get a $20 Wii and install nintendont on it.

I mean I have that. But for $38 bucks that isn't a bad option for a gamecube mod. Plus the disc drive stays as well.

[pbj]

I get it.  I recently dragged out my Wii and repaired it.  Turns out there’s a gear that’s compression fitted and gets loose.  Drop of super glue fixes it.  I thought I had sold all my GameCube stuff but turned out I still had a box of them.  “Sweet, I’ll play original discs!”

Lol. 10 minutes later I was ripping them all to a hard drive.

[thomas_surles]

I get it.  I recently dragged out my Wii and repaired it.  Turns out there’s a gear that’s compression fitted and gets loose.  Drop of super glue fixes it.  I thought I had sold all my GameCube stuff but turned out I still had a box of them.  “Sweet, I’ll play original discs!”

Lol. 10 minutes later I was ripping them all to a hard drive.

I use the action replay disc and blank mini dvds and it is just awful and too many steps and probably terrible for the disc drive