NES emulator (Java)

NESCafe 1.000 (December 2007)

 

Headlines:

 

- Authorisation check at start-up removed (originally required to report game usage and issues with beta)

- Sound, game graphics and UI graphics have all been improved

 

Fixes:

 

- Fixed issues with sound, and discontinued the mute versions of the emulator

- Fixed issues where loaded state files weren't starting the sound correctly

- Fixed bug where text would not be presented in the correct codepage on some machines

- Fixed bug where when a NES ROM did not load correctly an error message was not being displayed

- Fixed bug where when running using the Applet Viewer some of the tags weren't being interpreted correctly

- Fixed bug where settings files and ROMs were being cached, and the latest version may not be being read

- Fixed bug where lowercase keys in the settings file for the controls where not being interpreted correctly

- Fixed bug where the / key could not be assigned to a key control in the settings file or the User Interface

- Fixed bug where LOADSTATE tag was not being interpreted correctly unless the URL was specified in full

- Fixed bug where screen would flicker when ROM files were loading

- Fixed issues with error messages, they are now more meaningful and better explain the underlying issues

 

Functionality Removed:

 

- Removed Override Engine (this was not heavily used)

- Removed Activity Monitor (because Authorisation Check is removed, this would not work)

- Removed Debugger from Applet version (replaced by Code Profiler in Standard version)

- Removed Image Smoothing and replaced with improved image scaling routines

- Removed Sprite Tile view from Applet (this was not heavily used)

 

Functionality Added/Changed:

 

- Added F9 option to standard version to dump executable code (profiles the code as it runs)

- Changed settings filename to nescafe-settings.txt (to prevent issues with MIME types on web-servers)

- Changed how the CPU interprets undocumented operation codes, they now cause the CPU to halt

- NESCafe Applet screen now dynamically resizes if the Applet canvas changes size

- Cleaned up the Time Trial mode, pressing T causes the current screen and run-time data to be captured.

>> Get it HERE.

Front End

November 24th, 2007

Beta u27 Released

 

- When using M1, the gamelist speed has greatly improved (gathers from M1.xml DATA directly rather than the M1.exe program output).

 

- M1 Sets should be detected more accurately now. Before, there were problems with some sets which had all it's roms in the parent (swtrilgy, swtmpeg, scud, scudscsp, etc).

 

- Support for M1's command lines triggers. Please note: The one letter codes can be a bit cryptic, so be sure to check your documentation for M1 before using.

 

- RESOURCE.ML fixes: A Duplicate mame command entry removed as well as updates with new information to support the M1 additions.

 

- Fixed some elements of display, hopefully eliminating overlap of info because of font sizes. This needed to be redone due to M1 and PinMAME needing more than 8 character sourcefile names.

 

- Added a new sort method (selectable with F1) - Parent/Clone. It should mirror MAME32UI's results. Thanks to John IV for suggesting it.

>> Get it HERE.

Front End

24th November, 2007 - GameEx 8.97

 

* Fixes for when display rotated

>> Get it HERE.

GAMES OF THE YEAR?

Super Mario Galaxy (pictured) - 97.3%

The Orange Box - 96.1%

Bioshock - 95.3%

Call of Duty 4 - 95.1%

CPS

Halo 3 - 93.2%

God of War 2 - 93%

Mass Effect - 93%

Crysis - 91%

Drake's Progress - 89%

Project Gotham Racing 4 - 87%

Assassin's Creed - 84.5%

Edge magazine is notoriously parsimonious when it comes to handing out 10 out of 10 review scores for video games but in the past three issues there have been three of them.

Halo 3, The Orange Box and Super Mario Galaxy have all been awarded one of the highest accolades in gaming - a perfect score from Edge. And plenty of other games have been given near perfect scores also - from Bioshock to Crysis, Drake's Progress and Call of Duty 4.

The Edge scores are just one of a number of signs that reinforce a growing feeling that videogames are enjoying a golden age.

It is not just that the interactive experiences are getting ever more immersive, or the industry is being taken ever more seriously, but hardware and software sales are up significantly on last year - buoyed by a new generation of consoles and the work of developers who are beginning to exploit the tools they have at their disposal.

[...]

"There are now more ways than ever to spend money on video games - from consoles to handhelds, supplementary purchases online via Live Arcade, Virtual Console and the PlayStation Network to games on your iPod.

"The evidence of what Nintendo has done to attract people to games for the first time with the DS and the Wii is unmistakably clear."

This year will be remembered as the year the Wii took centre stage as the console of choice for families, the year PlayStation 3 finally showed its promise in real terms and the Xbox 360 hit its stride with the 5th anniversary of online service Xbox Live.

It is also the year of the handheld with Nintendo DS and PSP continuing to sell explosively, the year PC gaming began its renaissance and developers got to grips with tools that allowed them to tell stories in new, dynamic ways.

»» http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7107144.stm