[GUIDE/INFO] Flash Carts, ODE, and more!

[Ziggy]

Professor Abrasive's Saturn ODE, the Satiator, is looking like it will materialize soon. The first 100 units went into production last week. Assuming there are no issues, the next production run will be much larger.

What's the price?

[bmoc]

I don't think a price has been announced yet. If I were to bet on it, I'd say it might be around the cost of a PSIO. I doubt it would go over $200 just based on how big it is.

[nightrnr]

You know what would be cool? If I could easily unplug it from the Dreamcast and easily plug it into the Saturn and vice versa. Like, if you replaced the optical drive in each console with an interface, and then the "brains" of the ODE was a modular piece that you could easily swap between consoles. THAT I would be interested in, being one less ODE that I want to buy.

Or... OR... what if it allowed you to plug it into both consoles at once (side by side)? I'm not sure how you'd set it up without it being a bit ungainly, but that's how I would want 2 ODE'S set up for one.
Either way would be great though.

And I may get a Satiator, if it's convenient to order. But the guy is going to be swamped with orders; it's just too easy of a solution for a thing every Saturn will want. It would pair well with my last working system though (my other 2 Saturns are Rhea/Phoebe workhorses; one with 4mb ram cart, one for memory cart).

I'll wait and see for Satiator. If I don't get one, no worries.
I wonder if you could use both a Rhea/Phoebe/Fenrir AND a Satiator in the same system at once; store different games on each? It is excessive, but you know someone will try it (I hope it's me one day).

[Jagosaurus]

So I know one of the NG AES SD carts can load CD games but have we talked about this?

http://furrtek.free.fr/sdloader/

Looks like it started shipping recently

http://furrtek.free.fr/sdloader/news.php

Are there any other CD systems left without an ODE, cart load, or similar option? Jag CD, Amiga CD32, & CDi?

[nightrnr]

I have talked about the Neo SD Loader on the Polymega thread.
I'm getting one, but I'm still waiting in the preorder line (almost there). Got a CD system all ready for the install.

I either didn't know or forgot about the Neo Geo SD cart playing CD games. But I decided not to get that anyway. For me, it's too cool and special to play actual arcade AES/MVS carts (what few I have).

The Jaguar Gamedrive is supposed to be capable of CD games (there is even footage), but it isn't perfected yet and may be a while before the official firmware allows it.
...last I heard anyway...

Don't know about the others.

[Ziggy]

Does anyone have the Everdrive GBA? I see that it supports playing GB and GBC games, but in "emulation mode." How well does that work?

[nightrnr]

Dammit, I have one Ziggy but haven't even used it yet (super card and ezflash are my main ones getting use).

I imagine it plays the emulator Rom batches you can make and use with most other flash carts... with the exact same compatibility.

But if it can load the GBA roms on the fly or from the rom file itself, that may change things a bit. I'm sure it would be using a similar emulator, but could be optimized for the everdrive cart hardware. If so maybe it plays even better.

My test game would be Shantae; that game chugs on most carts and even on DS cards.

You've got me curious, so I'll look into it. But it may take me a few days to report back.

Anyone else can feel free to enlighten us though.

[Anapan]

I have the Everdrive GBA. You put emulators in the GBASYS system folder - Goomba Color, PocketNES, and SMSAdvance. When you select any supported roms for other systems, the Everdrive merges the emulator and rom automatically.
It works great, but no better than other GBA flashcarts aside from the loading speed.
If you want to force GBA or GBC mode in Shantae, there are hacks for that.
https://www.romhacking.net/?page=hacks&game=2769

[Ziggy]

For GB and GBC, what's the performance like compared to real hardware?

[Anapan]

I don't have my GBA here (working out of town), so I'm going off memory.
As the GBA has support for the same sound hardware as the GBC, and its CPU is sufficiently more advanced, the gameplay and sound are nearly the same. Some GBC functions do not draw exactly the same IIRC, such as some early GB to GBC conversions - the screen doesn't draw as fast so the recolor can be seen being drawn on screen where on original hardware it does not. Some raster effects are slow or glitched.
The emulator options allow for things which aren't supported by playing the rom on real hardware. SGB borders are drawn, Save State, palette swap and edit, speed options, save management, rapid fire, etc.
https://www.dwedit.org/gba/goombacolor.php
https://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/Goomba_Co ... ility_List

Edit: about palette edit - you need Goomba Color Paletted to change the palettes available for swapping. Link:
amp.reddit.com/r/Gameboy/comments/c40o9r/anyone_else_who_arent_satisfied_with_the_dmg/