James Mackenzie
Using a Serial Cable and Ghostlink to Transfer Files from PC to Atari ST
updated
But we should use it for Half-Life 2, right? Let's try!
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:31 Source Engine Source Code
0:47 Turbo Charging the Pi
1:20 Compiling the Code
2:17 Transferring Game Data
2:55 The Moment of Truth!
6:45 Closing Thoughts
7:10 Bonus Gameplay
This is a Pentium III Single Board Computer. It's a whole PC with RAM, graphics, chipset, everything - crammed into a single board.
And we’ll use this to (hopefully!) build a retro gaming PC. Enjoy!
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:35 What is a Single Board Computer?
2:01 The Challenge
2:19 System Overview
4:11 Jumper Configuration
4:47 Connect Everything Together
5:03 Power It Up!
7:00 Keyboard, Mouse and Storage
7:32 ISA Sound Card
8:04 Memory and Sound Check
8:29 Gameplay! Commander Keen 4
9:33 More Gameplay! Tyrian 2000
10:39 DOS Performance Testing
11:39 SVGA Gaming: Duke Nukem 3D
13:47 Windows 98 Setup
14:16 Windows 98 System Check
14:39 Adding a Voodoo 3 PCI
15:00 Direct3D Test: 3DMark
15:17 OpenGL Test: Quake II
16:04 Glide Test: Unreal
17:23 Glide in DOS: Tomb Raider
18:45 Closing Thoughts
This is a follow-up to last week's full review on the ITX Llama:
youtube.com/watch?v=ogHqmjn6sY4
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:24 The Roland MT-32
1:07 The Problem: Availability
1:23 Raspberry Pi Rescue
1:39 Installing the Pi
2:24 MT-32 Test
4:56 Switch to FluidSynth
5:27 General MIDI Test
6:11 Closing Thoughts
The genius behind this machine is Eivind Bohler. Find more details on the Vogons forum here:
vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=93480
I really love the ITX Llama! And I think you'll love it too. Enjoy!
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:45 The Sound Challenge
1:11 A Solution: Vortex86
2:14 Hardware Overview
3:58 Building the Board
5:08 Flashing the BIOS
5:50 BIOS Overview
6:45 Prepare MicroSD Card
7:52 Does it Boot?
8:20 Mount USB Disk
9:11 Testing Sound Blaster Audio
10:37 Performance
11:09 Slowing the CPU
12:38 OPL3 Upgrade
14:43 WaveBlaster Audio
16:44 HDD Clicker
17:15 Closing Thoughts
17:41 Thanks Eivind!
BUT, you can still pick up bargains by seeking out discounted “cross buy” titles for the PS4/PS5.
Enjoy!
Taking a browse, I saw:
- Kingdom Heats Re:Chain Of Memories
- Kingdom Hearts II
- Final Fantasy XII
- Final Fantasy X-2
Find the store linked here:
na.store.square-enix-games.com
Enjoy!
Comparing screenshots online, it looks like Square changed the character models. And at least for me, it's quite a big downgrade ...
I'll go step by step on how to setup your dev environment and port Keen to run in the web browser.
Last week's video:
youtu.be/H4GlVWbB3rY
Play Commander Keen online here:
jamesfmackenzie.com/chocolatekeen
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:26 Recap
00:44 Dev Environment Setup
01:08 Download Chocolate Keen
01:45 Install Linux Build Tools
02:10 Build for Linux
02:34 Run for Linux
02:56 Install Emscripten
04:15 Update Makefile
04:40 Fix SDL Build Failure
06:09 Run Keen for WebAssembly
06:26 Why Does the Code Freeze?
07:21 Fix the Freezing Issue with Asyncify
08:30 We Can't Load Level Data
08:46 About Emscripten Packaging
09:07 Preloading Level Data
09:48 It Works!
10:48 Conclusion
Play it here!
https://www.jamesfmackenzie.com/choco...
No emulators, no tricks, this is a web native version of Keen that runs on both desktop and mobile browsers.
Enjoy!
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:18 Mac Pro Passion
1:17 An eBay Find
1:25 Tech Specs
2:12 Baseline Performance Tests
3:01 Let's Upgrade!
4:52 Boosted Performance
5:34 Large Language Models
6:18 A Borderlands Blunder
6:40 A New GPU!
7:28 GPU Installation
8:14 Testing AAA Games
8:55 Apple Arcade
9:21 Windows 11 for PC Gaming
10:01 Cyberpunk 2077
11:12 Closing Thoughts
It's actually pulled from an arcade machine, but does it work on a regular PC? Let's find out.
The machine:
- Dell Optiplex 380
- Core 2 Duo @ 3.06Ghz
- 4GB RAM
- 500GB HDD
Upgrades:
- ATi Radeon X800 XL (PCIe version)
- DCS S81X S817 sound card (Yamaha YMF724 version)
- Dell PS/2 RS232 Serial COM Port card
Windows 98 patches:
- Rudy Loew’s PTCHSATA - http://lonecrusader.x10host.com/rloew/ptchsata.html
- LoneCrusader’s INF files - http://lonecrusader.x10host.com/intel_inf.html
This time, I address your top questions and requests. Enjoy!
Previous video:
youtu.be/0s6IoQXBJNo
64-bit Voodoo2 drivers:
https://www.3dfxzone.it/enboard/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=31260
Fix for mapmem issue:
https://www.3dfxzone.it/enboard/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=644
With a bit of convincing, I was able to install this old benchmark on my modern PC and get a good video capture.
It all started in May 1997, when a team of developers at Remedy Entertainment released the Final Reality benchmark, in cooperation with VNU Labs.
The same team went on to build 3DMark – the iconic benchmark software and staple of PC gaming setups for over two decades.
Hope this is a great memory for you. Enjoy the demo!
It allows you to play DOS games, with sound effects and FM audio *natively on modern hardware* - no Sound Blaster required!
If you have an Intel ICH chipset or Intel High Definition audio, it should just work.
Here's how to get started.
Grab SBEMU here:
github.com/crazii/SBEMU
Rufus is available here:
https://rufus.ie/en/
CONFIG.SYS
——
DOS=HIGH
DEVICE=jemmex.exe
AUTOEXEC.BAT
——
jload qpiemu.dll
hdpmi32i -r -x
sbemu
Enjoy!
If you have an Intel ICH chipset or Intel High Definition audio, it should just work.
Amazing work by crazii. You can grab SBEMU here:
github.com/crazii/SBEMU
Recorded using Roland Sound Canvas SC-55 SoundFonts.
Learn more about the mt32-pi here:
youtu.be/9TI6cYEtwLE
Compare to the DOOM MIDI soundtrack recorded on DreamBlaster X2GS:
youtu.be/F4ZElUe7ThY
Enjoy!
Chapters:
00:00 - At Doom's Gate (E1M1)
00:51 - The Imp's Song (E1M2)
02:57 - Dark Halls (E1M3)
06:40 - Hiding the Secrets (E1M9)
09:33 - Kitchen Ace (And Taking Names) (E1M4)
12:17 - Suspense (E1M5)
15:51 - On the Hunt (E1M6)
20:58 - Demons on the Prey (E1M7)
25:21 - Sign of Evil (E1M8)
27:20 - The End of DOOM
Learn more about the X2GS here:
youtu.be/5Zht_r96ulk
Compare to the DOOM MIDI soundtrack recorded on:
youtu.be/N3m68kAPn3M
Enjoy!
Chapters:
00:00 - At Doom's Gate (E1M1)
00:51 - The Imp's Song (E1M2)
02:57 - Dark Halls (E1M3)
06:40 - Hiding the Secrets (E1M9)
09:33 - Kitchen Ace (And Taking Names) (E1M4)
12:17 - Suspense (E1M5)
15:51 - On the Hunt (E1M6)
20:58 - Demons on the Prey (E1M7)
25:21 - Sign of Evil (E1M8)
27:20 - The End of DOOM
Full Instructions:
jamesfmackenzie.com/2023/01/08/install-windows-xp-from-usb-stick-flash-drive-with-easy2boot
Alternative Setup With WinSetupFromUSB:
youtu.be/bMq0KfjOCpc
Easy2Boot Download:
https://easy2boot.xyz/
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:26 - Download Easy2Boot
0:44 - Prepare USB Install Media
1:32 - Copy Windows XP ISO
2:06 - Install Windows XP (Part 1)
2:53 - Install Windows XP (Part 2)
3:25 - Finalize Windows XP Setup
For more info on NegCon check out this review video: youtu.be/2lC_dfZenH0
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:27 - Ridge Racer Gameplay
- USB hub
- I/O board
- Real-time clock
- 128MB SDRAM
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:20 - Add-on Assembly
Chapters
00:00 - Intro
00:28 - Hardware Setup
00:57 - Driver Install
01:20 - Quake II Gameplay
01:50 - Unreal Performance
02:39 - Quake II Timedemo
03:00 - 3dfx Donut Tech Demo
03:08 - Tomb Raider DOS Gameplay
04:06 - Closing Thoughts
Links
3fdxzone.it FastVoodoo2 4.6 drivers - https://www.3dfxzone.it/dir/news/3dfx/fastvoodoo2_4.6/
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:28 - Connecting MiSTer
1:06 - MiSTer Core Configuration
1:36 - Space Quest III
3:12 - Monkey Island 2
5:56 - Conclusion
6:10 - Bonus Capture
Both devices are running Ridge Racer in attract mode. The approach is to synchronize on a single frame and run for one full demo cycle.
Both versions run at 59.83Hz. This is expected (PS1 240p runs slightly off 59.94Hz NTSC spec), causing some frame interpolation (duplicate frames). This occasionally causes the two versions to desynchronize by one frame, but parity is quickly restored.
For all intents and purposes, the MiSTer provides an identical gameplay experience to a real PlayStation – this core is a phenomenal achievement!
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:38 - Ridge Racer Gameplay
SNAC (Serial Native Accessory Converter) is the most direct way of interfacing MiSTer FPGA cores with their original accessories. Controllers, light guns, memory cards can all be connected with super low latency. If the original hardware could use it, it should work with SNAC.
Chapters:
00:00 - PlayStation SNAC Intro
01:18 - Hardware Setup
01:43 - PlayStation Memory Card Test
02:02 - PlayStation Controller Test
03:00 - NeGcon Test
04:25 - PlayStation Mouse Test
05:46 - Closing Thoughts
SNAC (Serial Native Accessory Converter) is the most direct way of interfacing cores with their original accessories. Controllers, light guns, memory cards can all be connected with super low latency. If the original hardware could use it, it should work with SNAC.
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:33 - Hardware Connection
01:14 - MiSTer Configuration
01:35 - Tekken 2 Gameplay
- I/O board
- USB hub
- Real-time clock
- 128MB SDRAM
PI-MIDI Review:
youtu.be/vnVbw3OV3N4
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:31 - Unboxing Add-ons
03:45 - Add-on Assembly
08:48 - USB Hub Test
09:48 - SNES Gameplay
10:10 - Mega Man X
10:56 - Genesis Gameplay
11:16 - Sonic The Hedgehog
12:06 - Mouse Test
12:43 - PI-MIDI / MT32-pi Test
13:58 - Space Quest III MIDI
15:33 - PlayStation SNAC Test
17:20 - Memory Card Test
17:41 - Tekken 2 Gameplay
18:37 - Closing Thoughts
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:52 - Unboxing
01:40 - Driver and Firmware Install
02:07 - Device Manager Verification
02:25 - AVerMedia RECentral
02:57 - OBS Video Capture
03:28 - CPU and GPU Load
03:58 - 4K Capture Playback
04:18 - Closing Thoughts
04:33 - Astro's Playroom Gameplay (4K)
06:53 - Spider-Man: Miles Morales Gameplay (4K)
Full Instructions:
http://www.jamesfmackenzie.com/2022/09/17/install-windows-xp-from-usb-stick-flash-drive-with-winsetupfromusb
WinSetupFromUSB Download:
https://1drv.ms/f/s!Aqzdh9DilDnHhotsH2VDY5A9ZqwmrA
Alternative Setup With Easy2Boot:
youtu.be/ozEF3McmWfM
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:18 - Download and Install WinSetupFromUSB
01:20 - Prepare USB Install Media
02:47 - Copy Drivers & Utilities
03:18 - Install Windows XP (Part 1)
05:11 - Install Windows XP (Part 2)
06:07 - Finalize Windows XP Setup
06:53 - Install Drivers
07:07 - Conclusion
Download and product/registration key here:
benchmarks.ul.com/legacy-benchmarks
Capture details:
- Futuremark 3DMark Vantage, Demo Mode.
- Render resolution 2560x1440 (aka 1440p)
- Upscale to 3840x2160 (aka 4K UHD 2160p)
Captured on the following hardware:
- Intel Core i7-4770K @ 3.50GHz
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER
- DirectX 12
- Windows 10 Pro
Download and product/registration key here:
benchmarks.ul.com/legacy-benchmarks
Capture details:
- Futuremark 3DMark 2011, Demo Mode.
- Render resolution 2560x1440 (aka 1440p)
- Upscale to 3840x2160 (aka 4K UHD 2160p)
Captured on the following hardware:
- Intel Core i7-4770K @ 3.50GHz
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER
- DirectX 12
- Windows 10 Pro
Download and product/registration key here:
benchmarks.ul.com/legacy-benchmarks
Capture details:
- Futuremark 3DMark 2006, Demo Mode.
- Render resolution 1920x1440 (closest 4:3 match to 1440p)
- Upscale to 2880x2160 aka 4K 2160p
Captured on the following hardware:
- Intel Core i7-4770K @ 3.50GHz
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER
- DirectX 12
- Windows 10 Pro
Download and product/registration key here:
benchmarks.ul.com/legacy-benchmarks
Capture details:
- Futuremark 3DMark 2005, Demo Mode.
- Render resolution 1920x1440 (closest 4:3 match to 1440p)
- Upscale to 2880x2160 aka 4K 2160p
Captured on the following hardware:
- Intel Core i7-4770K @ 3.50GHz
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER
- DirectX 12
- Windows 10 Pro
Download and product/registration key here:
benchmarks.ul.com/legacy-benchmarks
Capture details:
- Futuremark 3DMark 2003 Professional Edition, Demo Mode.
- Render resolution 1920x1440 (closest 4:3 match to 1440p)
- Upscale to 2880x2160 aka 4K 2160p
Captured on the following hardware:
- Intel Core i7-4770K @ 3.50GHz
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER
- DirectX 12
- Windows 10 Pro
You can probably hear a few delayed or off-beat notes. Unfortunately the MiSTer's internal CPU is not *quite* fast enough for the MUNT MT-32 emulation. You can get a *much* better result by using an external synth:
youtube.com/watch?v=PMYKSwTa2cY
Further reading:
• MiSTer FPGA – http://www.jamesfmackenzie.com/2020/08/22/mister-fpga-introduction-and-hardware-overview
• MidiLink – github.com/bbond007/MiSTer_MidiLink
• ao486 – http://www.jamesfmackenzie.com/2021/02/06/mister-ao486-core-part-1-dos-quick-start
Download and product/registration key here:
benchmarks.ul.com/legacy-benchmarks
Capture details:
- Madonion.com 3DMark 2001 SE, Demo Mode.
- Render resolution 1280x960 (closest 4:3 match to 1080p HD)
- Upscale via Nearest Neighbour + Lanczos to 2880x2160 aka 2160p
Captured on the following hardware:
- Intel Core 2 Duo CPU E7600 @ 3.06GHz
- ATi Radeon X800 XL
- DirectX 9.0c
- Windows 98 SE
Download and product/registration key here:
benchmarks.ul.com/legacy-benchmarks
Capture details:
- Madonion.com 3DMark 2000, Demo Mode.
- Render resolution 1280x960 (closest 4:3 match to 1080p HD)
- Upscale via Nearest Neighbour + Lanczos to 2880x2160 aka 2160p
Captured on the following hardware:
- Intel Core 2 Duo CPU E7600 @ 3.06GHz
- ATi Radeon X800 XL
- DirectX 9.0c
- Windows 98 SE
Download and product/registration key here:
benchmarks.ul.com/legacy-benchmarks
Capture details:
- Futuremark 3DMark 99 Max, Demo Mode.
- Render resolution 1280x960 (closest 4:3 match to 1080p HD)
- Upscale via Nearest Neighbour + Lanczos to 2880x2160 aka 2160p
Captured on the following hardware:
- Intel Core 2 Duo CPU E7600 @ 3.06GHz
- ATi Radeon X800 XL
- DirectX 9.0c
- Windows 98 SE
Tried Gran Turismo 3 on CRT this morning. I think it looks amazing! For me, this is how PlayStation 2 is supposed to look. Do you agree?
The Atari ST uses the YM2149F for chiptune audio, but some games (like Space Quest III) do support MIDI. Compare this video to the Roland MT-32 MIDI version:
youtu.be/ny5ONMX-R2I
Chapters
00:00 - Intro
00:28 - Hardware Setup
00:57 - Driver Install
01:20 - Quake II Gameplay
01:50 - Unreal Performance
02:39 - Quake II Timedemo
03:00 - 3dfx Donut Tech Demo
03:08 - Tomb Raider DOS Gameplay
04:06 - Closing Thoughts
Links
3fdxzone.it FastVoodoo2 4.6 drivers - https://www.3dfxzone.it/dir/news/3dfx/fastvoodoo2_4.6/
For more on the NegCon check out my review video: youtu.be/2lC_dfZenH0
Learn more here:
github.com/dwhinham/mt32-pi/wiki/I%C2%B2S-DACs
Chapters
00:00 - Hardware Overview
01:43 - MIDI Connectivity
02:08 - Power On
02:30 - Feature Exploration
03:23 - MT-32 Playback
05:47 - SoundFont Playback
07:29 - Conclusion
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:54 - Namco Games
01:34 - Psygnosis Games
02:00 - Gran Turismo and Sony Games
02:10 - The Need for Speed
02:27 - Controller Setup
03:25 - Shooters
04:03 - PlayStation 2 Games
04:34 - Conclusion
Descent, Day of the Tentacle, Prince of Persia – you all want to hear what this WaveBlaster card can do! So without further ado, here's the X2GS General MIDI showcase. Enjoy!
Chapters:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:36 - Blackthorne
00:03:03 - Day of the Tentacle
00:07:20 - Descent
00:12:33 - Doom
00:14:56 - Duke Nukem 3D
00:18:59 - Dune II
00:21:44 - Frontier: First Encounters
00:23:37 - Master of Orion
00:25:20 - Mega Man X
00:28:17 - Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame
00:31:35 - Rise of the Triad: Dark War
00:35:13 - Sam & Max Hit the Road
00:39:20 - Screamer
00:40:57 - Slipstream 5000
00:43:11 - Super Street Fighter II Turbo
00:45:24 - System Shock
00:47:13 - The Secret of Monkey Island
00:48:48 - Transport Tycoon
00:53:19 - Tyrian 2000
00:57:00 - UFO: Enemy Unknown
00:58:28 - Warcraft: Orcs & Humans
00:59:56 - Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness
More info:
http://www.jamesfmackenzie.com/2021/10/02/dreamblaster-x2-x2gs-a-new-midi-challenger
Chapters:
00:00 - X2GS Hardware Overview
01:04 - Hardware Installation
01:42 - Switching MIDI Output
02:25 - Canyon.mid with FM Synth
02:58 - Canyon.mid with X2GS
04:22 - Duke Nukem 3D
06:03 - Dark Forces
08:23 - Doom
10:35 - Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness
11:58 - Super Street Fighter II Turbo
14:36 - Conclusion
15:04 - Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty
17:54 - Screamer
18:56 - The Lost Vikings
20:50 - The Secret of Monkey Island
jamesfmackenzie.com/2021/07/25/mt32-pi-testing-out-usb-serial-support
The latest mt32-pi release has added support for USB serial devices - making it much easier to connect retro gaming PCs via serial cable
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:08 - Hardware Overview
00:19 - The Secret of Monkey Island
01:25 - Conclusion