From 740db1abbd4e93768933d02930e103264c8e3759 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Thiago Kenji Okada Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2024 17:20:30 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] 2024-07-30/01: remove link for images --- 2024-07-30/01-first-impressions-fpgbc.md | 8 ++++---- rss.xml | 2 +- 2 files changed, 5 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-) diff --git a/2024-07-30/01-first-impressions-fpgbc.md b/2024-07-30/01-first-impressions-fpgbc.md index 87ee054..8f4d3a8 100644 --- a/2024-07-30/01-first-impressions-fpgbc.md +++ b/2024-07-30/01-first-impressions-fpgbc.md @@ -31,9 +31,9 @@ Cable](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Link_Cable) (I don't have another Game Boy to test). Sadly it is missing the infrared sensor, but the usage of that was pretty limited anyway. -[![FPGBC running Tetris.](/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_175245569.jpg)](/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_175245569.jpg) +![FPGBC running Tetris.](/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_175245569.jpg) -[![Back of FPGBC. It includes even reproduction stickers of the original.](/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_175131157.jpg)](/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_175131157.jpg) +![Back of FPGBC. It includes even reproduction stickers of the original.](/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_175131157.jpg) So how well does it work? I can't say for sure. I don't have any original games with me, so I am relying in backups and a @@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ came back to life. About the features of the device: if you press the volume button (yes, you can press it now), it opens the following menu: -[![FPGBC menu.](/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_210604830.jpg)](/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_210604830.jpg) +![FPGBC menu.](/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_210604830.jpg) The first 2 features are the LCD backlight and volume. I didn't talk about those, but the LCD screen seems to be IPS, and the quality is really good, and @@ -144,4 +144,4 @@ gift, and I will buy another one soon. Can't wait to play [Pokémon Gold](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Gold_and_Silver) in (almost) original hardware again. -[![The kit before assemble.](/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_123847458.jpg)](/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_123847458.jpg) +![The kit before assemble.](/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_123847458.jpg) diff --git a/rss.xml b/rss.xml index 31c2027..f61dfad 100644 --- a/rss.xml +++ b/rss.xml @@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ First impressions: FPGBC https://github.com/thiagokokada/blog/blob/main/2024-07-30/01-first-impressions-fpgbc.md - <p>Here is something for nostalgia: I just put together a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Boy_Color">Game Boy Color</a> made of completely new parts for a friend: here is the <a href="https://funnyplaying.com/products/fpgbc-kit">FPGBC</a>.</p> <p>The <em>FP</em> part of the name comes from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field-programmable_gate_array">FPGA</a>, because instead of software emulation this device use FPGA to reproduce the device. While I am not convinced that FPGA is necessary more accurate than a good software emulator, one advantage of FPGA is the (possible) lower input latency thanks to the avoidance of complexity to handle the user input (e.g.: the Operational System). A quick playthrough against <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motocross_Maniacs">Motocross Maniacs</a> seems to be fine, but I can't see much difference from my <a href="https://retrogamecorps.com/2022/05/15/miyoo-mini-v2-guide/">Miyoo Mini+</a> (I will do more comparisons between the two devices later), that is a software emulation device.</p> <p>But I think focusing in accuracy is wrong, the main reason of getting a device like this one is for nostalgia, and this definitely hit the mark. The quality of the case is as good as I remember the original, and most of the details are replicate perfectly, including reproduction stickers in the back of the device. The only differences that I can find is the usage of USB-C port for charging in place of the barrel jack power adapter (thanks!), and the fact that the screen bezels are smaller compared to the original (because the screen is bigger) and doesn't include the Game Boy Color logo (that is fine in my opinion, since it would look weird in the fine bezels). It even has a supposedly working <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Link_Cable">Link Cable</a> (I don't have another Game Boy to test). Sadly it is missing the infrared sensor, but the usage of that was pretty limited anyway.</p> <p><a href="https://github.com/thiagokokada/blog/blob/main/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_175245569.jpg"><img src="https://github.com/thiagokokada/blog/raw/main/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_175245569.jpg" alt="FPGBC running Tetris."></a></p> <p><a href="https://github.com/thiagokokada/blog/blob/main/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_175131157.jpg"><img src="https://github.com/thiagokokada/blog/raw/main/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_175131157.jpg" alt="Back of FPGBC. It includes even reproduction stickers of the original."></a></p> <p>So how well does it work? I can't say for sure. I don't have any original games with me, so I am relying in backups and a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashcard">flashcard</a> for now. Many games that I tested works fine, a few of them have graphical issues that can be fixed in the menu (more about it later), and some of them doesn't boot. But I don't know if the issue with the games not booting are because of the roms, the flashcard or the device itself.</p> <p>By the way, the flashcard I am using is a cheap knockoff of an <a href="https://gbatemp.net/review/everdrive-gb.141/">Everdrive GB</a>. This FPGBC came with firmware v1.09, while there is an update available for v1.10 in the <a href="https://funnyplaying.com/products/fpgbc-kit">website</a>. I had an weird issue in the new firmware where no games would boot with this knockoff Everdrive so I had to go back to v1.09, but again, I am not sure if the issue was fact that I am using a knockoff device or this would happen with an original Everdrive GB. If you are going to buy a proper Everdrive, you probably wouldn't get a Everdrive GB anyway since it is discontinued, and it seems the <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Gameboy/comments/1atwjh3/fpgbc_everdrive_compatibility/">newer versions</a> have better compatibility with FPGBC.</p> <p>Sadly that the update didn't work, since there is this <a href="https://github.com/makhowastaken/GWGBC_FW">repository</a> that patches the firmware to boot the original logo instead of the ugly FPGBC one. And yes, for some reason the v1.09 firmware from this repository still doesn't work with my knockoff Everdrive.</p> <p>By the way, it seems the device is not easy to brick: I borked the firmware update process once while trying to downgrade back to v1.09, resulting in a black screen when I turned on the console. But just connecting the device to the computer and powering on, I could flash the firmware again and the device came back to life.</p> <p>About the features of the device: if you press the volume button (yes, you can press it now), it opens the following menu:</p> <p><a href="https://github.com/thiagokokada/blog/blob/main/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_210604830.jpg"><img src="https://github.com/thiagokokada/blog/raw/main/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_210604830.jpg" alt="FPGBC menu."></a></p> <p>The first 2 features are the LCD backlight and volume. I didn't talk about those, but the LCD screen seems to be IPS, and the quality is really good, and also looks bright enough to play even under bad lightining conditions. And the speaker has good quality, the sound is better than I remember, but sadly the maximum volume is kind low. Still should be enough for playing in a quiet room.</p> <p><code>DISPMOD</code> is probably the most controversial option: it allow you to set which scale you want. Anything with <code>EMU</code> at the end means emulating the original colors, and as far I remember it gets really close. You can also chose betwen <code>X4</code>, <code>X4P</code> and <code>FUL</code>, the last one is the one shown in the photos where the image fills the whole screen at the cost of non-integer scaling. <code>X4</code> is integer scaling, however the image doesn't fill the whole screen. The <code>X4P</code> also includes a pixel effect that makes the image closer than the original screen. It actually looks good, but the fact that I chose a white border for this FPGBC makes the border really distracting. Maybe the black one is a better choice if you want integer scale.</p> <p><code>CORE</code> is simple: you can choose between <code>GB</code> (Game Boy) or <code>GBC</code> (Game Boy Color). For those who don't know, you can run Game Boy games in Game Boy Color and they will be automatically colorised. Some people don't like this and prefer the colors of <code>GB</code>, so you have this option. The <code>GB_PALETTE</code> allows you to chose the color in GB mode, for example, the green-ish colors from the original Game Boy or the blue-ish colors from <a href="https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/Game_Boy_Light">Game Boy Light</a>. And yes, you can choose the color palette for Game Boy games running in <code>GBC</code> mode by pressing a <a href="https://gbstudiocentral.com/tips/game-boy-color-modes/">button combination</a> at the boot screen, but it seems not working in my unit and again, not sure if the fault is my knockoff Everdrive.</p> <p><code>FRAME_MIX</code> basically is an option that makes some effects, like transparency in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave_Race">Wave Race</a>, to work at the cost of introducing blurriness. The reason for this is that those effects depends in the fact that the Game Boy screen was slow refresh, so you could rely on it by rapidly changing pixels to create some interesting effects, but sadly those effects doesn't work well in modern displays.</p> <p><code>GB_CLRFIX</code> is the option I mentioned before, where some Game Boy games just get completely wrong colors for some reason, e.g.: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Addams_Family_(video_game)">The Addams Family</a>. Turning on fixes those games, but I am not sure if this option breaks other games.</p> <p>Finally, <code>SPD</code> allows you to increase or decrease the CPU clock, slowing or speeding up the games (including the sound). The result can be hilarious, so I think this is a nice addition to the features. Sadly you can't know what the default speed is, so you need to rely on sound to adjust back to the default.</p> <p>So in the end, can I recommend a FPGBC? I am not sure. If you want a device to play games, I still think something like a Miyoo Mini+ is a better choice. Not only you will have access to more games from different platforms, you also don't need to rely on flashcards or cartridges. Also it has way more features than FPGBC, like wireless multiplayer, <a href="https://retroachievements.org/">RetroArchivements</a> and save states.</p> <p>But the actual reason to get a FPGBC is nostalgia, and for that I think the FPGBC is difficult to beat. The price of the <a href="https://funnyplaying.com/products/fpgbc-kit">kit to assemble</a> ($69.90) is cheaper than most Game Boy's in good condition you can find in eBay, and you get for that price a rechargable battery, an amazing quality screen, the PCB and the speaker. You need to buy separately the case and the buttons, but in total you will still end up paying less, and allows you to fully customise your build. And the result device is not only in mint condition, it is really convenient too: recharging batteries (via USB-C even) is much more convenient than buying AA batteries, and the screen not only is better but it even has backlight. You can also a fully built console for <a href="https://funnyplaying.com/products/fpgbc-console">$99.00</a>, but you have less options of customisation.</p> <p>This is the classic case of do what I say, don't do what I do. This FPGBC is a gift, and I will buy another one soon. Can't wait to play <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Gold_and_Silver">Pokémon Gold</a> in (almost) original hardware again.</p> <p><a href="https://github.com/thiagokokada/blog/blob/main/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_123847458.jpg"><img src="https://github.com/thiagokokada/blog/raw/main/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_123847458.jpg" alt="The kit before assemble."></a></p> + <p>Here is something for nostalgia: I just put together a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Boy_Color">Game Boy Color</a> made of completely new parts for a friend: here is the <a href="https://funnyplaying.com/products/fpgbc-kit">FPGBC</a>.</p> <p>The <em>FP</em> part of the name comes from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field-programmable_gate_array">FPGA</a>, because instead of software emulation this device use FPGA to reproduce the device. While I am not convinced that FPGA is necessary more accurate than a good software emulator, one advantage of FPGA is the (possible) lower input latency thanks to the avoidance of complexity to handle the user input (e.g.: the Operational System). A quick playthrough against <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motocross_Maniacs">Motocross Maniacs</a> seems to be fine, but I can't see much difference from my <a href="https://retrogamecorps.com/2022/05/15/miyoo-mini-v2-guide/">Miyoo Mini+</a> (I will do more comparisons between the two devices later), that is a software emulation device.</p> <p>But I think focusing in accuracy is wrong, the main reason of getting a device like this one is for nostalgia, and this definitely hit the mark. The quality of the case is as good as I remember the original, and most of the details are replicate perfectly, including reproduction stickers in the back of the device. The only differences that I can find is the usage of USB-C port for charging in place of the barrel jack power adapter (thanks!), and the fact that the screen bezels are smaller compared to the original (because the screen is bigger) and doesn't include the Game Boy Color logo (that is fine in my opinion, since it would look weird in the fine bezels). It even has a supposedly working <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Link_Cable">Link Cable</a> (I don't have another Game Boy to test). Sadly it is missing the infrared sensor, but the usage of that was pretty limited anyway.</p> <p><img src="https://github.com/thiagokokada/blog/raw/main/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_175245569.jpg" alt="FPGBC running Tetris."></p> <p><img src="https://github.com/thiagokokada/blog/raw/main/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_175131157.jpg" alt="Back of FPGBC. It includes even reproduction stickers of the original."></p> <p>So how well does it work? I can't say for sure. I don't have any original games with me, so I am relying in backups and a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashcard">flashcard</a> for now. Many games that I tested works fine, a few of them have graphical issues that can be fixed in the menu (more about it later), and some of them doesn't boot. But I don't know if the issue with the games not booting are because of the roms, the flashcard or the device itself.</p> <p>By the way, the flashcard I am using is a cheap knockoff of an <a href="https://gbatemp.net/review/everdrive-gb.141/">Everdrive GB</a>. This FPGBC came with firmware v1.09, while there is an update available for v1.10 in the <a href="https://funnyplaying.com/products/fpgbc-kit">website</a>. I had an weird issue in the new firmware where no games would boot with this knockoff Everdrive so I had to go back to v1.09, but again, I am not sure if the issue was fact that I am using a knockoff device or this would happen with an original Everdrive GB. If you are going to buy a proper Everdrive, you probably wouldn't get a Everdrive GB anyway since it is discontinued, and it seems the <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Gameboy/comments/1atwjh3/fpgbc_everdrive_compatibility/">newer versions</a> have better compatibility with FPGBC.</p> <p>Sadly that the update didn't work, since there is this <a href="https://github.com/makhowastaken/GWGBC_FW">repository</a> that patches the firmware to boot the original logo instead of the ugly FPGBC one. And yes, for some reason the v1.09 firmware from this repository still doesn't work with my knockoff Everdrive.</p> <p>By the way, it seems the device is not easy to brick: I borked the firmware update process once while trying to downgrade back to v1.09, resulting in a black screen when I turned on the console. But just connecting the device to the computer and powering on, I could flash the firmware again and the device came back to life.</p> <p>About the features of the device: if you press the volume button (yes, you can press it now), it opens the following menu:</p> <p><img src="https://github.com/thiagokokada/blog/raw/main/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_210604830.jpg" alt="FPGBC menu."></p> <p>The first 2 features are the LCD backlight and volume. I didn't talk about those, but the LCD screen seems to be IPS, and the quality is really good, and also looks bright enough to play even under bad lightining conditions. And the speaker has good quality, the sound is better than I remember, but sadly the maximum volume is kind low. Still should be enough for playing in a quiet room.</p> <p><code>DISPMOD</code> is probably the most controversial option: it allow you to set which scale you want. Anything with <code>EMU</code> at the end means emulating the original colors, and as far I remember it gets really close. You can also chose betwen <code>X4</code>, <code>X4P</code> and <code>FUL</code>, the last one is the one shown in the photos where the image fills the whole screen at the cost of non-integer scaling. <code>X4</code> is integer scaling, however the image doesn't fill the whole screen. The <code>X4P</code> also includes a pixel effect that makes the image closer than the original screen. It actually looks good, but the fact that I chose a white border for this FPGBC makes the border really distracting. Maybe the black one is a better choice if you want integer scale.</p> <p><code>CORE</code> is simple: you can choose between <code>GB</code> (Game Boy) or <code>GBC</code> (Game Boy Color). For those who don't know, you can run Game Boy games in Game Boy Color and they will be automatically colorised. Some people don't like this and prefer the colors of <code>GB</code>, so you have this option. The <code>GB_PALETTE</code> allows you to chose the color in GB mode, for example, the green-ish colors from the original Game Boy or the blue-ish colors from <a href="https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/Game_Boy_Light">Game Boy Light</a>. And yes, you can choose the color palette for Game Boy games running in <code>GBC</code> mode by pressing a <a href="https://gbstudiocentral.com/tips/game-boy-color-modes/">button combination</a> at the boot screen, but it seems not working in my unit and again, not sure if the fault is my knockoff Everdrive.</p> <p><code>FRAME_MIX</code> basically is an option that makes some effects, like transparency in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave_Race">Wave Race</a>, to work at the cost of introducing blurriness. The reason for this is that those effects depends in the fact that the Game Boy screen was slow refresh, so you could rely on it by rapidly changing pixels to create some interesting effects, but sadly those effects doesn't work well in modern displays.</p> <p><code>GB_CLRFIX</code> is the option I mentioned before, where some Game Boy games just get completely wrong colors for some reason, e.g.: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Addams_Family_(video_game)">The Addams Family</a>. Turning on fixes those games, but I am not sure if this option breaks other games.</p> <p>Finally, <code>SPD</code> allows you to increase or decrease the CPU clock, slowing or speeding up the games (including the sound). The result can be hilarious, so I think this is a nice addition to the features. Sadly you can't know what the default speed is, so you need to rely on sound to adjust back to the default.</p> <p>So in the end, can I recommend a FPGBC? I am not sure. If you want a device to play games, I still think something like a Miyoo Mini+ is a better choice. Not only you will have access to more games from different platforms, you also don't need to rely on flashcards or cartridges. Also it has way more features than FPGBC, like wireless multiplayer, <a href="https://retroachievements.org/">RetroArchivements</a> and save states.</p> <p>But the actual reason to get a FPGBC is nostalgia, and for that I think the FPGBC is difficult to beat. The price of the <a href="https://funnyplaying.com/products/fpgbc-kit">kit to assemble</a> ($69.90) is cheaper than most Game Boy's in good condition you can find in eBay, and you get for that price a rechargable battery, an amazing quality screen, the PCB and the speaker. You need to buy separately the case and the buttons, but in total you will still end up paying less, and allows you to fully customise your build. And the result device is not only in mint condition, it is really convenient too: recharging batteries (via USB-C even) is much more convenient than buying AA batteries, and the screen not only is better but it even has backlight. You can also a fully built console for <a href="https://funnyplaying.com/products/fpgbc-console">$99.00</a>, but you have less options of customisation.</p> <p>This is the classic case of do what I say, don't do what I do. This FPGBC is a gift, and I will buy another one soon. Can't wait to play <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Gold_and_Silver">Pokémon Gold</a> in (almost) original hardware again.</p> <p><img src="https://github.com/thiagokokada/blog/raw/main/2024-07-30/PXL_20240729_123847458.jpg" alt="The kit before assemble."></p> https://github.com/thiagokokada/blog/blob/main/2024-07-30/01-first-impressions-fpgbc.md Tue, 30 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000