Well, I was just thinking about an idea that I had a while ago and decided to post a brief description of it here...

I've always thought that it would be interesting for all of us to access to THE perfect NES. Well, let me describe it for ya... It would pretty much support the same stuff that it does now, with the addition, however, of features such as 3D rendering, support for HUGE PRG segments, support for 4 players, along with other things... In reality this console would never exist; what I'm talking about here is an enhanced emulator. So what do you guys think? Wouldn't it be interesting to have a pseudo console like this one? (Post any enhancements that you think would contribute towards making this a super kick-ass NES!)

http:// hydesprojects.cjb.net

A DMA transfer to CHR-RAM would be great. In theory, it might even be possible on a real NES, if $2007 can handle writes that quickly. (use a bus conflict to force sprite DMA to write to $2007). Or simply dual-port CHR-RAM.

Or something like the Color Dreams' Hellraiser cart, it had it's own CPU running on the CHR bus.

This stuff isn't impossible on NES, just sounds like an unlikely cartridge. : )

this could be interesting - but details would need highly specifying (perhaps multiple inputs to get a general idea of what should be like), the cpu would need to be emulated much faster also for any sort of real 3d - gameboy advanced just about does this and its about 30 times faster

I was pondering recently how hilarious it would be to, say, take an old 486 CPU and build a special cartridge with it, a long cartridge with it, and a huge heatsink sticking out of it, heh. The NES is so expandable, anything is possible. The fact is, one could really do EVERYTHING in x86 code if this cart was made. It would just need to catch the vectors. Imagine running a cart with a fast 486 processor to handle all the code! Think of what you could do in HBLANK!

> Imagine running a cart with a fast 486 processor to handle all the code! Think
> of what you could do in HBLANK!

Not much at all, considering that the decoding of the 200x reads/writes takes place inside the NES. In other words, the NES CPU is the only peripheral that can write to the PPU registers.

You could of course update pattern and nametables with the extra cpu if the cart was using dual-port RAM, but then it would be simpler to just use an FPGA that catches the reads of the PPU bus and extends the graphics similar to the MMC5's exRAM. If Ronen can be convinced to use an expensive enough FPGA for the Maxicart, this might actually be possible in the near future.

But as for x86 CPU's inside cartridges, I think there are much less akward alternatives. And if you want to stick to x86 coding, you're better off with a PC anyway. A good enough FPGA could support a CPU implementation though, but again, IMHO it's probably better to use FPGA resources for graphics extensions rather than detouring with CPU power.

// Bananmos

Heh. I can just imagine a 486 DX4 running inside a cart. That would be funny, and something I'd be willing to assemble the hardware on(assuming my teacher gets the board etcher this year like he said he would). I am a computer junkie. I admit it. With a 486 inside, you could probably run Linux on the NES(I'm more familiar with Windows 3.x, Windows 9X and DOS shell myself). There are Linux OSs for GBA on Flash Carts, even. I am already planing my Famicom A and X, but they just have Japanese game support and Japanese Game support/FDS respectively, and I haven't made them yet. Tell me how the x86 NES goes, I will watch(and possibly participate) with great interest. ^^

Here's a slightly more realistic(possibly) idea for this time, though. I was looking through pages when I saw that there was a way to use NES controllers on an Atari. That got me thinking--why can someone make an Atari 2600(maybe even Intellivision or Oddessy?) emu/adapter for the NES? Put it in the cart and have the cart plug into the NES! Plus with a cart, you can have some of the Atari's actual circuitry for the functions, and then have the rest emulated by the NES. The Atari 2600 can be made fully operational at a size of 4 inches X 4 inches by cutting the board, and re-attaching some components. Here's a site with all the data:

http://www.clasicgaming.com/vcsp/

They specialize in handhelds. They've made an Atari 2600 handheld, an SNES handheld and a PS One handheld. The people on the forum have nade NES handhelds, PSX handhelds, N64 handhelds, and are doing Dreamcast handhelds. These guys know a lot about hardware. ^^

Is there any practicality to the idea of an Atari 2600 cart emu/adapter?


What?! A Flaming Bowling Ball just hit my CAR!
-B.J.'s neighbor

I'd still like to know if it's possible to force a bus conflict to redirect the $4014 DMA to $2007 instead of $2004. Maybe it wouldn't work, but it sounds simple enough to be worth a shot.

A 2600 adapter would be cool. I used to have one of those for the Colecovision. I don't know if the NES has a video-input on the cartridge slot, but there were a few Gameboy adapters for the NES.

But an x86 CPU on an NES, yuck. Something that works like a 6502 (only faster) would be better. :-)

Color Dreams made a cart like this that used a Z80. They didn't finish any games for it because they figured few people would people would buy it, because it's high price.

But an x86 CPU on an NES, yuck. Something that works like a 6502 (only faster) would be better. :-)
the arm chip was designed from the 6502 - powerful,small,runs cool, similar instructions

Arm chip....I've heard that one before....what system was that on again? GBA? Anyway, If anyone can make the schematic for such a cart out of just hardware, I'll gladly rip up my Atari 2600/VCS and build it if you all supply a schematic. I have another in a box AND a 7800 anyway. ^^ I'll even test it in my NES. It runs on 5v, and uses a 7805 chip, meaning that it can take anywhere from 5v in to like around 12v.


What?! A Flaming Bowling Ball just hit my CAR!
-B.J.'s neighbor

How about a 7800 adaptor instead? I have a spare 7800 lying around.

Well, I don't know if that would work. You see, from what I understand, the 7800 is an 8-bit that can also use the 2600 games. I have never seen an adapter that allows one system to play another systems games, unless that second system is at least one generation behind(in this sense, I refer to a generation as 4-bit, 8-bit, 16-bit, etc. The Game Gear/Master system is an exception because they are based on the same code and technology, and thus nothing is lost in the conversion. As for the Collecovision-Atari 2600 adaptor, I think that the Collecovision was 8-bit, despite looking like a black Intellivision.) Heck, if you can make a 7800 adapter for the NES without losing speed, control, or anything, extra plus, go ahead! I have a 7800 I could use, and I'd be willing to use it. I just don't think that a system can easily emulate an equal system without losing some speed, control, color, etc. At least not a homebrew one. I just see it as an improbability. Any thoughts on the subject?


What?! A Flaming Bowling Ball just hit my CAR!
-B.J.'s neighbor

is't the vid mem going to prove a problem with speed?

When it comes to a converter like this though, the host system is just used as a pass-through. The 2600 adapter for Coleco (like the Super Gameboy for SNES) I believe was a mostly complete 2600 console in itself, it only reads from the Coleco controller and passes the video and sound through the Coleco.

Coleco used a Z80 and lots of standard parts (almost exactly like the MSX), while the 2600 was pretty much all custom other than the CPU. They were worlds apart.

I wish 7800s weren't so hard to come by though (at least, without costing so friggin' much). I have about 20 7800 carts, but my system died years ago.

I'm pretty addicted to the 6502 and would only code my NES games using it (they wouldn't really be NES without it I guess :). However, I also pondered the idea of making a custom PC using something like a spare x86 CPU and such, but instead of a PC video card, using an NES PPU from an old NES. Any thoughts on that? I think that would make for the coolest PC for old school demos! With direct x86->PPU connections, the HBLANK and VBLANK magic really could be done, eh?