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Main => Software Forum => Topic started by: jcrouse on January 06, 2005, 01:51:47 pm

Title: MESS as a NES Emulator
Post by: jcrouse on January 06, 2005, 01:51:47 pm

Is anyone using MESS as their NES emulator? If so, how happy are you with it? I've tried FCEUltra, VirtuaNES and a couple others and the key configuration just isn't very cabinet friendly as far as selecting one or two players and launching of the game.

Thanks,
John

Title: Re: MESS as a NES Emulator
Post by: Howard_Casto on January 06, 2005, 07:24:43 pm

Well, for the games it supports it runs well... and there in lies the problem.  Nes games use "mappers" to handle the graphics, mess's support is less than stellar. 

Title: Re: MESS as a NES Emulator
Post by: jcrouse on January 06, 2005, 07:32:07 pm

Thank you Howard. I have decided to stick with the hacked version from Stuzza's site. A newer version is out but the menu navigation/keys aren't the best fit for my cabinet. I guess that's why there's a hacked version.

Title: Re: MESS as a NES Emulator
Post by: JB on January 07, 2005, 01:25:19 pm

Quote from: Howard_Casto on January 06, 2005, 07:24:43 pm

Well, for the games it supports it runs well... and there in lies the problem.  Nes games use "mappers" to handle the graphics, mess's support is less than stellar. 

Actually the mappers are to get around the very limited ROM address space in the NES by using bank-switching.
The first bank-switching hardware used on the NES(in games such as Super Mario) didn't support bank-switching of character ROM, just program ROM(NES has essentially 2 seperate cartridge buses, one for code, another for graphics).

The only thing they do for graphics is increase the space available to store sprites and tiles. All NES games use the same video processor, and it's the one inside the deck.

Title: Re: MESS as a NES Emulator
Post by: Tiger-Heli on February 09, 2005, 03:17:54 pm

Quote from: jcrouse on January 06, 2005, 01:51:47 pm

Is anyone using MESS as their NES emulator? If so, how happy are you with it? I've tried FCEUltra, VirtuaNES and a couple others and the key configuration just isn't very cabinet friendly as far as selecting one or two players and launching of the game.

Thanks,
John

John,

What problems are you having.  I've tried both both VirtuaNes and FCEUltra, and either one will allow you to set up as follows:

Controller 1 - Select - "5" (Coin 1)
Controller 1 - Start - "1" (P1 Start)
Controller 2 - Select - "6" (Coin 2)
Controller 2 - Start - "2" (P2 Start).

Title: Re: MESS as a NES Emulator
Post by: Jakobud on February 09, 2005, 03:39:16 pm

Wow, well i think you are doing something extremely wrong if you don't think VirtuaNES is not cabinet-friendly...  You can customize any function to be any key you want in that emulator.

Title: Re: MESS as a NES Emulator
Post by: Tiger-Heli on February 09, 2005, 03:54:17 pm

Quote from: Jakobud on February 09, 2005, 03:39:16 pm

Wow, well i think you are doing something extremely wrong if you don't think VirtuaNES is not cabinet-friendly...  You can customize any function to be any key you want in that emulator.

Other than Escape to exit, you can in FCE Ultra as well.