Cross-Platform Emulators?

Discuss emulation of the Nintendo Entertainment System and Famicom.

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IRSUP2a03
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Cross-Platform Emulators?

Post by IRSUP2a03 »

Are there any NES emulators for platforms OTHER than Windows, Linux, Mac OS, or DOS? For example is there an NES emulator for the SNES?
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Re: Cross-Platform Emulators?

Post by tepples »

What other platforms were you talking about? Ports of FCEUX have shown up on GameCube/Wii and several other consoles.

By "Linux" do you mean GNU/Linux in particular or all operating systems that happen to use the Linux kernel? I ask because Android has emulators, but it has the same kernel as GNU/Linux.

The App Store model of iOS isn't conducive to emulators unless they're bundled with a ROM, and only a game's publisher can do that. Besides, the flat sheet of glass that is the iPhone's input method isn't necessarily a good substitute for a physical controller in a twitch game.

The Super NES isn't fast enough to emulate the NES, though the architectures are similar enough that direct ports of many games are feasible. The upernes tool assists in porting some games. Game Boy Advance is fast enough to emulate many NES games in PocketNES.

EDIT (2020-08-19): Project Nested assists in porting some NES games to Super NES as well.
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Re: Cross-Platform Emulators?

Post by IRSUP2a03 »

tepples wrote:What other platforms were you talking about? Ports of FCEUX have shown up on GameCube/Wii and several other consoles.

By "Linux" do you mean GNU/Linux in particular or all operating systems that happen to use the Linux kernel? I ask because Android has emulators, but it has the same kernel as GNU/Linux.

The Super NES isn't fast enough to emulate the NES, though the architectures are similar enough that direct ports of many games are feasible. Game Boy Advance is fast enough to emulate many NES games in PocketNES.
Oh, I wasn't specific enough, I know there is GC/Wii emulators, Linux OS for PC, like Ubuntu, and finally, I was aware of PocketNES, and thank you for the info relating to the SNES, but is there other systems that have a NES emulator?
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Re: Cross-Platform Emulators?

Post by tepples »

This might sound irritating if it's the first time you've heard the following question, but: What had you planned on doing with this list of platforms that have or do not have an NES emulator? I ask because often there's a hidden underlying problem that people are trying to solve, and they ask for details about getting a particular solution angle to work rather than giving details on the underlying problem that may lead to a better solution.

See also: XY problem; Describe the goal, not the step.
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Re: Cross-Platform Emulators?

Post by IRSUP2a03 »

You have a good point tepples, this is to test the compatibility on different systems I have, for testing purposes, since I am just now starting NES development, I figure I should start off by knowing what will work and what will not, as I do not have a real NES, and that's it. (TRANSLATION:I just want to know what's out there.)
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Re: Cross-Platform Emulators?

Post by Dwedit »

Most NES emulators on exotic platforms are ports of existing emulators rather than new original emulators. Nester was ported to the Dreamcast, FCEU was ported to the Sharp Zaurus, etc. So if it's a port, you're getting a snapshot of that emulator's status at the time it was ported.

The PSX and N64 do have original emulators though.

Don't write code just to make it interoperable with ancient inaccurate emulators though.
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Re: Cross-Platform Emulators?

Post by tokumaru »

If you're using emulators for development, you want as much accuracy as possible. Emulators written for weaker hardware will nearly always sacrifice accuracy in order to achieve better performance, so they make for poor development tools. Always go with the best accuracy and debugging tools, and be sure to try your programs on multiple emulators (and preferably also real hardware) from time to time.
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Re: Cross-Platform Emulators?

Post by tepples »

Unless the goal is wanting to write once (for the NES) and run anywhere (on newer consoles). Sell your NES games on Steam, as well as GBA cartridge, Dreamcast disc, and whatever else you can coax into running an emulator.
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Re: Cross-Platform Emulators?

Post by tokumaru »

Fine, but don't use the weaker hardware where accuracy sacrifices have been made as your main development environment.
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Re: Cross-Platform Emulators?

Post by IRSUP2a03 »

:) Such Info wow will use help very help.

Thank you for the great info, and are the wonky emulators only for playing games?
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Re: Cross-Platform Emulators?

Post by tepples »

IRSUP2a03 wrote:are the wonky emulators only for playing games?
Correct. They're tuned for compatibility with the most popular games, not accuracy. There's a difference: compatibility is with known ROMs and accuracy is with unknown ROMs.

There's also a tradeoff among development speed, runtime speed, and accuracy. Hobbyist-produced emulators in early stages tend to trade off accuracy for development speed to get a wide variety of popular games running. Professionally produced emulators, such as those bundled with "classics" collections, tend to trade off accuracy to get the members of the collection running. Emulators that run on devices with a relatively slow CPU, such as handhelds or somewhat older game consoles, trade off accuracy for execution speed to keep 60 fps. You can't have fast, good, and cheap.
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