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Emulation Issue 03
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<============================================================================>
| The ALL Format Newsletter Issue #3 - 30/07/96 |
<---------------------------------------------------------------------------->
-=[Introduction]=-
The long hot summer drags on, and you'd need something tempting to get you
out of the pool and in front of the screen. Therefore, this issue of EMULATION
would have to be something special, right? ... Right!
Yes, it's another jam-packed, op-code bearing, issue of EMULATION. And what
an issue! We have your letters, articles, and even an emulator thrown in!
It's so good that you'll print it out, and eat your food off it. :)
Unfortunately for you, luckily for me, I'm off on me hols shortly. Therefore
there won't be another issue of EMULATION for a while. Don't despair, I'll
ensure Issue #4 is as booming as a large drum. Another note, is NOT to E-Mail
me, as I will be away, and won't bother replying to 100+ messages when I get
back. Only E-Mail me essentials like articles, news, and jokes about nuns. ;)
I welcome any submissions for EMULATION. Please mail them to me in plain ASCII
text, using no high-ASCII, and formatted to *79* columns. I reserve the right
to edit whatever you send me and all the rest of that stuff. :) I also welcome
your comments good and bad, and any suggestions.
PoiNT BLaNK
(Editor of EMULATION)
point.blank@ukimage.demon.co.uk
-=[Contents]=-----------------------------------------------------------------
<-Input->
1. Your suggestions and comments.
<-News->
2. SMS V0.0a - Sega Master System Emulator.
3. SegaCD Emulator - fake! Fake! FaKe! FAKE!
<-Articles->
4. The Cult of Panx's Playstation Emulator.
5. As simple as ABC? Getting started with C.
<-Software->
6. BBC Emulator for the C64. UUencoded.
=----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-=[Input]=-
Welcome to the first ever INPUT section of EMULATION. This is the space where
I print some the more interesting mail that storms onto my server every day.
It also answers frequently asked questions, that many of you have written to
me with.
<|=-----------=|>
Private Mail
Date : Wed, 24 Jul 1996 18:22:27 [ via The Email Gateway ]
From : Henrik Alexandersson [ (c) Image Enterprises ]
Subject: Suggestion for your mag. and thanks.
Hello Chris!
Thank you very much for your reply to my questions. You are exactly the type
of person that should run papers. A one that care about the readers.
I wanted to thank you for the great and proffesional interview you did in
number 2. Great and very informative.
[ Yes, it's difficult to arrange interviews. The people often don't turn up or
simply forget. The time differences around the world add to the confusion. ]
I have a little suggestion to make. I think it is intresting to know a
little more about the authors of the emulators. So people don't think that
the emulators just popped out of a basket. An interview is a great way, but
it gets a little situated at the current projects of the author in question.
[ It gets situated at whatever the author wants to talk about. I do have my
own ideas as to what people want to read about, but if they go off on a
tangent, I am happy to comply. ]
Therefore my suggestion: Why not make a "Programmers Profile" section in your
paper (I call it paper, whats the correct word?). There you put up some
information about an famous emulator/programmer. Basic information like,
where they were born and what they work with and so on. Which they first
computer was, and which games they like the best. And a very good question.
Which emulator they prefer if they do not choose one of their own.
[ Yes, that is a good idea. If any programmers can be bothered to fill in
a little questionnaire, you'll find it at the end of this issue. I call this
rag a Newsletter, although we could rename it The Times or something. :) ]
I have done this on my homepage with two great programmers. Marcel de Kogel
(ports Vgb-dos, Fmsx-dos and ColEM-dos) and Keith Wilkins (DVE- Dos Vectrex
Emulator and Stella96 Dos)
Check it out at http://www.algonet.se/~alexand
and tell me what you think.
If you like the idea. Maybe you could include a little "Thanks to Patrik" or
something in the next number of your magazine. That would be cool.
[ What's this then? Your claim to fame ;) ]
Please send me a mail about what you think about the idea.
Best regards.
Patrik Alexandersson alexand@algonet.se
<|=-----------=|>
Private Mail
Date : Wed, 24 Jul 1996 10:36:25 [ via The Email Gateway ]
From : Brent Oshiro [ (c) Image Enterprises ]
> .,/\ 2. VGB's Final Fantasy /\,.
>
>Unbeatable Gameboy Emulator, VGB, has caused many broken hearts amongst Final
>Fantasy lovers. Apparently VGB 0.7 and 0.81b have decided to stop running
>the games. Marat assures those contemplating confining themselves to a life
>of mental torture that a fix will soon be released.
Final Fantasy I & II for VGB-DOS (haven't tried the Windows VGB) DO work
fine with version 0.81b (haven't tried .7) if you include the "-nodelay"
command when starting the game. Hope that helps any....Regards Brent Oshiro
PS - Are you ever planning to start a mailing list newsletter instead of
posting these? Just curious... =>
-=- Brent Oshiro -=-
Email: boshiro@lava.net
[ Many have pointed out the -nodelay option, which wasn't mentioned in Issue
2. Whilst this does cure the bug, Marcel, author of the DOS port
acknowledges that it is a bug, which will be cured in the next version.
I have no idea how to start up a mailing list, I will look into the subject
after my holiday. It is a good idea, but Emulation is available from so
many places, it is easy to pick up. ]
<|=-----------=|>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-=[News]=- [PoiNT BLaNK]
.,/\ 2. SMS V0.0a - Sega Master System Emulator by James McKay ./\,.
At long last it looks like Sega's little lunchbox has made it onto the PC
screen.
After a long wait, it appears that two Master System Emulators will be rearing
their heads in the near future.
James McKay, author of X128, the freeware Spectrum 128K Emulator, has decided
to prove that the Master System may be no more than a re-wired Spectrum. He
has unleashed version 0 of his Emulator, after only three days of work.
In fact, at this stage, the Emulator still contains some code from X128.
The Emulator brings back nostalgic memories of making Double Dragon harder by
wearing a blindfold. This is due to the fact that the screen isn't emulated
yet. However, the sound is emulated, enabling you to invite all your old
friends round, connect your Adlib to your hi-fi, and have an all night rave.
It may offer the added bonus of being a GameGear Emulator too, due to the
belief that there is little internal difference between the machines.
Getting cartdumps for the Emulator may be tricky. Even if you have an old
Master System, you will need a Genesis, with the Master-System cartridge
adapter, along with a copier. Alternatively, you can use the Master-System
cartidge adapter for the GameGear, along with a copier.
But behold, what is this rising over the horizon? It is none other than Dave
Spicer, complete with a promise that he will start work on another emulator.
Well, as old ladies at bus-stops mutter, you wait ten years, and then two come
along together.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.,/\ 3. SegaCD Emulator - fake! Fake! FaKe! FAKE! ./\,. [PoiNT BLaNK]
Following the success of Sega 1.01, more excitement is generated, this time
in the form of a SegaCD Emulator. Again, programmer wannabes, prove that they
can rename DLL files and write DOCs to convince us that directly emulating
sound is possible.
Fake Emulators are easy to spot from a mile off. I knew this was a fake from
just reading the documentation. How? Read on!
I first found this Emulator at Midnight Mage's Emulator page at:
http://www.vgernet.net/thepitts/mmemu.html
Amongst the other console emulator info, was the following text:
|SegaCD
|
|Yes, There is a WORKING Sega CD emulator ---- Unfortunatly you have to copy
|the games to your hard drive for it to work.
|
|SegaCD.zip approx 1meg
|Games That Work:
|Sewar Shark
|Dracula
|
|Games That DO NOT work:
|Sonic CD
|Sol- Feace
|Serlock Holmes
|Jurasic PArk
Well, I thought. The page acknowledges that Sega 1.01 is a fake, so perhaps
Midnight Mage has found a working emulator. I tried the link, which didn't
work, so I hunted him down on IRC to get the file.
<file_id.diz> [ BBS Description File ]
S E G A - C D
-Run SEGA CD games on your PC!
-Convert CD to PC files!
-Requires 486 w/8 MEGS and LOCAL BUS!
-Includes DOC file, must read first!
I was already having doubts. Why would you need to convert the CD to PC files?
Everyone knows that the SegaCD uses the ISO standard with 8.3 Filenames. You
can put a SegaCD game in your drive, play the sound samples and view the
graphics without converting anything!
<segacc.doc> [Excerpts from full Documentation]
Created by:
Commadore 64 Fools !
[ Commodore is spelt with an "o", not an "a". Let's hope these bugs don't
creep into your programming skills eh? ]
I noticed that my Pops PC had a CD ROM on his Comp. and Wondered if the SEGA
CD would run off that.
[ Yeah, it's gonna play just like that! ]
Well I Popped it in ... and Scanned it Real Quick ... I got nothin except
.SGA.. Shit That SUCKED .. I turned around and saw that it was 4:00 SHIT
again! The game (CD) needed to be returned To the Store by 7:00 ... or ELSE ..
[ So, hold on, this Emulator was written in three hours?! ]
Then I started to think (This doesn't happen much) and said to myself
Would It be Bitchen if you could play SEGA games on the PC!! Knowing
how to Program (KINDA) I called my BUDZ and they came running over ..
[ So, why did you need your "BUDZ" if you knew how to program? ]
We started right away and worked all weeked, with a Brake once in a while
to Watch PornoZ and eat Pizza !! (what a combo) We finnally Finished make
[ Blockbuster must have charged you a big fine then, on the CD? ]
this Converter type thing and tested it out... It worked GREAT !! We Copyed
the CD .. put it in My HD .. brought the CD back, returned home and Played
the CD the rest of the weekend .... well that's the Intro ... READ ON ..
[ For the last time, you do not need a converter, of any sort to read
Sega CDs. ]
This program is simply a PLAYER that will read The SEGA CD .SGA Archive
and Convert into your PC language so you can play SEGA games on your PC!
[ Simply? Sounds like a huge programming task to convert the game on the
fly to me. Sounds impossible, actually. ]
This programs has been tested and works 100% on most sega CD games!
[ Very unlikely, when, according to the documentation, VGB only runs 85% of
GameBoy software. ]
It emulates the sound directly on your SoundBlaster, and graphics
are emulated on your VGA card. However, you do need a minimum of 1 meg
VGA or SVGA card.
[ If your VGA card had 1MB graphics memory, it would be an SVGA card.
Emulating the sound directly? As in, the Sega CD games are programmed to
talk with a Soundblaster? ]
<end>
Well, this shows how clever these guys really are. The Emulator is really
the old Sega 1.01 Emulator repackaged. Under pure DOS it crashes, in a Win95
DOS Box it tells me that I need a 486 8MB / Local Bus. I actually have a P90
16MB / PCI.
The following is an excerpt from the comp.emulators.misc FAQ about the Sega
1.01 emulator:
5.10 Sega
5.10.1 SEGA-EM 1.01 (Hoax)
This emulator is another hoax. While it does not seem to be
malicious, it most certainly isn't an emulator. The file
"sega-em.com" is a packed exe file generated by BASIC. The
file "sega-em.ovl" is not a standard overlay file; it probably
is pure trash never used by the program.
So there you go. These guys couldn't even write a fake Emulator. They had to
repackage another one. Quite why Midnight Mage claims that this junk works,
is a mystery to me.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-=[Articles]=- [PaNX oF DuPA / PoiNT BLaNK]
.,/\ 4. The Cult of Panx's Playstation Emulator. /\,.
Myself and Panx, perhaps without justification, enjoy ridiculing the vast
traffic in the emulation Newsgroups asking for N64, Playstation and Cray
Emulators. In fact, there are more messages along the lines of REQ: PSX
Emulator, than Adam Roach has produced with the message "Read the FAQ!" in
comp.emulators.misc.
Panx has compiled his megamix, the top questions, captured from the
newsgroups for your amusement. Hopefully, if these people read EMULATION,
they will find the answers to their queries. I have partially removed
their E-Mail addresses to protect the daft, the silly and the plain stupid.
--1-- Just for starters...
Yea right when i see a Nintendo 64 emm i will believe it i know it can be
done .So if it's out there post it or send it here at least.watch it be a
virus.
--2-- Out with Nintendo, in with Sony!
Could you send me a copy of that playstaion emulator? or and any docs about
it.
Thanks
........@bcl.com
--3-- Tease them, and appease them.
Panx> i have it runs great!, tho my cray seems to get slower and slower;)
are you going to put it on the FTP site? PLEASE!?!?! (I'm collecting
emulators to write a senior report. :( This one would make it interesting!
Many thanx for the info (even though I wasn't the first to ask!)
collide (ronny!)
--4-- Seek and ye shan't find.
Hey, where did you find the emulator??? I been looking a long time for one.
--5-- Another signature which should be calved into stone.
You have it??? Please post it!
---
Email: ........@ix.netcom.com
WWW: http://www.geopages.com/Hollywood/....
BBS: (610) 370-....
Anything I post does not necessarily represent the opinions of NETCOM online
services.
--6-- Can I run Playstation CDs on my Hi-Fi?
What was that super nintendo stuff that I downloaded from the ftp site?
Is there a way to play Playstation CD games on a regular computer CD-ROM
drive?
--7-- Whoa!!!! Rawhide!
Whoa!!!! Play the Sony Playstation games on PC???????
Could you please send that to me? I'll be glad to return the favor.
--8--
If you have this program and it does exist reply to this mail... If it's
at your ftp site i'll be looking if not let me know..
-END-
This is all real stuff! If you want to read more, drop me a line.
A couple of years ago, when AOL wasn't connected to the Net (or wasn't even
'born'), there weren't any of these questions. People would read the FAQ, most
of the time, before they posted. I think they should change the name of
comp.emulators.misc to c.e.m.8bit.and.16bit.only!
By the way, rec.games.video.arcade.collecting, doesn't have the newbie problem
(at least not as big as c.e.m does!)
Filter AOL and Netcom, and 90% of the problem is gone. :)
[ Panx points us towards an example of how crazy the situation has become.
Here is the documentation to a posted N64 Emulator for the Sinclair Spectrum!]
Okay then, this is one helluva emulator, sparks are flying outta my ear+mic
lines! :)
I don't know where I originally found the N64-ZX128 Emulator. (I guess it was
on the newsgroups), but I'll put it on my FTP at:
ftp.mcs.net:/mcsnet.users/panx/n64emv01.zip
<file_id.diz> [ BBS Description File ]
* * N64E 0.1 Beta Release * *
-----------------------------
Nintendo 64 Emulator for all 128K
Spectrums and Emulators.
=-------------------------------=
<manual.doc>
The N64 Emulator 0.1 For Sinclair Spectrum 128K
-----------------------------------------------
By Hanjou Chong
Introduction:
This is an early beta of a project recently started on the Spectrum.
The emulator runs 0% of all N64 games released so far, making it at least
as good as the other N64 Emulators and Playstation Emulators released for
the PC. In Fact N64E is probably better, due to the minimum hardware
requirements.
Requirements:
Spectrum 128K +, +2, +3 or Emulator
Tape Player
N64 Files converted to .TAP format
Getting it going:
Firstly you need to convert a Nintendo64 game to a Spectrum cassette.
Firstly you will need a long cassette, probably about C120. Although
the TurboLoad speeds up game loading, it may still take as much as an hour
for nothing to appear. This is why I recommend you to use the emulator.
As .TAP Files the games load in a matter of around 2 minutes!
You will need to convert the games to the .TAP format supported by Z80 and
other Spectrum emulators and use the TAP2VOC utility from there if you want
to convert the games to work on a real Spectrum.
All other options are obvious once you load the program.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q) Can you send me some .N64/.TAP files?
A) No, sorry that would be illegal, you will have to convert them yourself.
Q) I have spent hours trying to get this working, however it always crashes
when I run a game.
A) You are sad, go away.
Q) How the heck did you get this thing working?
A) We didn't.
Q) Any plans for the future?
We hope to port this emulator to the ZX81, however it is difficult
recreating Mario 64 in only 16K with a dodgy Rampack, we are also
working on the 3D Emulation code. Currently nothing works.
Q) What future projects are you working on?
A) Our Cray XMP Emulator for Casio pocket calculators is almost complete,
it can emulate many functions of the Cray like switching on, switching
off and crashing.
H.J. 19/06/96
[ End of manual.doc ]
<panx@MCS.COM>
||-Editor's Comment-||
Well, do you agree with Panx? Have service providers, like AOL and Netcom,
which encourage the average person onto the Net, left the old timers feeling
sour? Is it right to discriminate against people using certain providers?
I think the problem lies with new users who don't understand the rules of
the Newsgroups. This is fair enough, after all, for a new user the Net is a
large, daunting place. It is all too easy to get flamed.
Many of the new Console emulation based groups, have no moderator or official
FAQ posted. Emulators are not well known amongst the average user. None of
the computer magazines cover the Console Emulators due to the piracy that
surrounds them, and their lack of stability.
It could also be argued that none of the FAQs really cover how an Emulator
works. How is a new user expected to understand the processor power needed
to emulate hardware?
I believe service providers should do a better job of educating new users
to the rules of the Newsgroups and IRC. None of these users want to irritate
anyone. Many just want to be pointed in the right direction.
Are the users themselves at fault, or are the service providers to blame?
Let me know what you think! - <point.blank@ukimage.demon.co.uk>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.,/\ 5. As simple as ABC? Getting started with C. /\,. [PoiNT BLaNK]
I have recently decided to venture into the nerdy world of functions, strings
and variables, in other words programming.
Here I answer the questions, that you may be pondering over.
Q) Why did you choose C?
A) I chose C because it was a powerful, high-end language, which is very
flexible. There are also shareware C compilers, like DJGPP. The ideas in
C bared a resemblance to Basic. I knew some Basic before, so I thought C
would be the next logical step to learn.
Q) So do I need to learn another language first?
A) No! Despite the fact that it is very useful if you know Basic, or something
similar, you can still pick up the ideas. I found the Maths I'd learnt
handy, because a lot of the ideas and principles are used in C. Again, I'm
sure you can get the hang of things without a degree. :)
Q) Where can I get a C Compiler from?
Initially, you should download, and READ, a copy of the DJGPP FAQ and the
README.1ST from:
ftp.demon.co.uk/pub/simtelnet/gnu/djgpp/v2/faq200b.zip
ftp.demon.co.uk/pub/simtelnet/gnu/djgpp/v2/readme.1st
DJGPP isn't plug and play, you will have to put in some effort to get the
thing going. In the long run, you will benefit from reading the FAQ.
The FAQ will also point you towards your local FTP site.
I found downloading DJGPP the most confusing task. There are so many
different bits. In total you must download 6MB to be able to write C
and C++ programs.
The files you should download are in the DJGPP FAQ. For now, downloading
the required files to write C applications will be enough. They are about
4.5MB, in total.
You should unzip the files using PKUNZIP -d FILENAME.ZIP into a directory
like \DJGPP, as stated in the README.1ST. Continue to follow it's
instructions.
Q) Yikes! This is confusing, there are so many different files. Which ones
do I need to worry about?
The only one, you need to worry about is GCC.EXE. This is the one you'll
use to compile your source code into an executable. The parameters to get
you started are in the README.1ST.
Q) So how do I go about learning this monster?
There are some excellent tutorials on the Net.
I'm using one at: http://www.swcp.com/~dodrill/clist.html
It is really good, and it will take you from the basics to the err...
complexes.
Also, have a look in your library for a book on C. This will be useful
in conjunction with the tutorial from the Net.
Q) What do I use to write the source code?
You can use your favourite text editor. Notepad or DOS Edit will do! No
fancy software is required.
Q) I want to write an Emulator, not all this stuff in the tutorial.
You should grasp a good knowledge of C, in general, before you start
anything complex!
Q) Where can I get information on the Net, about writing emulators?
While most of these wouldn't be classed as tutorials, they do show how
emulators have been written:
XL-It, the Atari 8-bit Emulator's homepage has information on how the
emulator was designed.
http://www.htw.uni-sb.de/people/mgietzen/atari/xl-it.html
ARDI have various technical documents on their FTP and Website concerning
their Mac Emulator, Executor.
http://www.ardi.com
ftp://ftp.ardi.com
The author of STiMuL, a forthcoming ST Emulator has written C++ classes
to make emulation easier:
http://www.micronet.fr/~tenabis/tec/tec.htm
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-=[Software]=-
.,/\ 6. BBC Emulator for the C64. UUencoded. /\,.
This is an Emulator which I have had for some time. It does not appear in
the comp.emulators.misc FAQ. I obtained it from a local BBS. I have seen
other emulators on BBSs or Bulletin Boards which do not appear in the c.e.m
FAQ, although I have never found them on the Net.
Naturally, the Emulator is very limited. You can only use BBC Basic. You
cannot use any of the BBC's graphic modes either.
If I get many objections to including a binary in EMULATION, then I will
not do this again. I stress that the space taken up by this file is very
small.
The file is in .P00 Tape Format. This can be used with the PC64 Commodore 64
Emulator, which is available for DOS and Windows.
A FAQ on 8-bit Commodore Emulators can be obtained from:
ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/cbm/faq/8bit-emulation-faq
---cut here-------------------------------------------------------------------
section 1 of 1 of file bbcemltr.zip < uuencode 95 (v40) by R.E.M. >
begin 644 bbcemltr.zip
M4$L#!!0``@`(`.LR?1U*KC^#"C```!M-```,````0D)#14U,5%(N4#`P[;P+
M7%35VC"^9\\%!N2B0J%E+1%-=#*L3M%54;%!EW)542LW(#J4*0B:0B4H>T1T
...
M)E/QEP>;?V*._)YH\/_)'^-"?^3P$+_TS1^Z?G_7_#]T_3\QT7_P^L/_X/6O
M_H/Q?]@?NO[_!5!+`0(4`!0``@`(`.LR?1U*KC^#"C```!M-```,````````
M````(`````````!"0D-%34Q44BY0,#!02P4&``````$``0`Z````-#``````
`
end
sum -r/size 62197/17141 section (from "begin" to "end")
sum -r/size 45970/12420 entire input file
=----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-=[Shutdown]=-
:-<*> Programmers Profile: <*>-:
If you program emulators, please answer the following questions and E-Mail
them to PoiNT BLaNK at the address below.
Name/Handle :
Age :
Birthplace :
Hobbies/Interests :
Dislikes :
First Computer :
Favourite Computer :
Favourite Game :
Favourite Emulator : (Not one of your own!)
Preferred OS :
Preferred Programming:
Language
Current Project(s) :
Previous Project(s) :
:-<*> Emulation can be obtained from the following places: <*>-:
Newsgroups: comp.emulators.misc
alt.binaries.emulators.cbm
alt.binaries.emulators.gameboy
alt.binaries.emulators.nintendo
(Any other suggestions?)
WWW Pages: http://members.iglou.com/spamboy/emulation.htm
http://www.ntplx.net/~aeo/emu.htm
Official site coming soon.
FTP Sites: ftp://x2ftp.oulu.fi/pub/msdos/programming/reviews/
ftp://ftp.komkon.org/pub/emul8/magazines/
If anyone has an FTP site or Webpage, please consider making space for copies
of Emulation.
IRC Info: If you are a programmer, then I want to interview YOU!
The usual meeting place is EFNet: #emumag
Best times for me, are Saturdays and Sundays.
If you want to arrange a time, E-Mail me or simply drop in.
You never know, I could be there.
Editor: PoiNT BLaNK.................point.blank@ukimage.demon.co.uk
Staff: COULD BE YOU!........ASCII artists, writers, programmers etc
Emulation (c) 1996 - PoiNT BLaNK Publishing, All Rights Reserved.
<=--------------------------------------------------------------------------=>
