Drag wrote:What are the memory limitations for the games to be included on the cart?
With the parts I have to use now, I'd say a bit less than 256kB because I'll need room for the intro and some other little stuff. If it's a CHR-ROM design, I can free up some space with compression. Did you have something in mind?
GC#2 is 128kB in total and I'm not sure how much room is left (not totalled yet - but very little, I'm thinking), GC#3 should be 256kB.
I started on an nrom game in an attempt to make a game that was simple-ish, for the sake of finally finishing a game without wanting to add tons and tons of stuff, overwhelming myself like I usually do.
I was thinking if the GC could accept an NROM game, like if it were a multicart or something, I could propose my game, if I finished it up in time.
Drag wrote:I started on an nrom game in an attempt to make a game that was simple-ish, for the sake of finally finishing a game without wanting to add tons and tons of stuff, overwhelming myself like I usually do.
I was thinking if the GC could accept an NROM game, like if it were a multicart or something, I could propose my game, if I finished it up in time.
Certainly! It is a multicart, essentially. A periodical one, like a magazine without text (yet). If I can put Hot Seat Harry (tho it is my own) in GC#1, it goes to show that I'll put probably anything on there. Ideally, the series would eventually have every NES program finished since Mouser.
If I can't fit it into GC#2, it might have to wait until #3.
And yeah it definitely is fun to finish your first game. After I started I don't even know how many projects and ideas, Hot Seat Harry was the first one I finished (can only do so much with 1kB).
Will this cart support single screen mirroring? I have a Rodent's Revenge clone that uses the MMC1, but is essentially NROM. It's mostly finished except for background attribute updates, a scoring system, and sound fx.
Assuming you have 2 free latched bits, it wouldn't be hard to use the first latch to select between : 1-vertical mirrroing and 2-the second latch passes diretly to CIRAM A10.
You can do this with a single 74HC00 quad NAND chip.
By the way, I don't think I have mentionned this but Dragon Skill is using vertical mirroring (hardwired) and 32kb PRG, 32kb CHR, and is not going to be released in 2008 like I originally wanted to (I originally wanted it in 2007 actually....). I just tought I'd mention that.
I only used single screen mirroring in order to scroll 8-ways and have the statusbar on the second name table.
I remember reading a thread about simulating single screen mirroring with either H or V mirroring, (not sure, can't find it at the moment) so I can try and modify it to use one of those.
So what type is the mirroring going to be hardwired to?
Kirby's Adventure simulates single-screen mirroring with horizontal mirroring by writing all nametable updates to both nametables at once unless they overlap the status bar.
If you decide to put The Game on Garage Cart, remember that I used vertical mirroring and the title screen scrolls on vertically. This can be changed easily, I think.
EDIT: Okay, I lied. It scrolls on vertically because it uses Horizontal Mirroring. Just got confused there for a second =).
Sorry, but if you use horizontal mirroring, you'd have to use heavy hacks to get Dragon Skill running with decent graphics. Sorry but I tought I'd mention that, my scrolling engine heavily relies on vertical mirroring, as well as various effects done on title screen and between levels.
The game isn't going to be released very soon (if I work hard maybe something like april 2009 would be possible) so maybe it would be for Garage Cart III anyways ?
Will future garage carts have the same or a more flexible mapper? It would be cool to see this AxROM game on some future version of the cart but it doesn't fit the UNROM mold at all.
If anyone is curious about the future mappers, definitely it will be something different, it just depends on what's best at the time. I could go to 4-screen VRAM to make mirroring a non-issue. Perhaps even the nametables could be banked, that would have the advantage of 1-screen mode.
I'm accepting new programs and taking suggestions on what to pick up..
I moved to a bigger ROM and simpler mapper (32kB banks). This also means I have more ROM space that's free, so I'm hoping some of you have some demos or something you'd like to see on the cartridge. Or even another game. There will be 100kB - 200kB free, lots of space. If I don't fill it all soon I'll be burning it blank because I need to get this cart done.
Also I wonder if anyone has any decent text compression for NES that's already developed. And better compression for CHR besides RLE.