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Oh for real? That's just great! Too bad this machine doesn't have Java so I can't try it at the moment.
Does it simulate the blocks, gyros and spinner as well? Does it support all commands (neither game are using the reset command, but the test carts are)?

Making Stackup interactive is also nice, that game is too easy to cheat in on real hardware.


This might be interesting on it's own though, and maybe even for reproducing ROB. Would be cool with a ROB that's compatible with non-CRT TVs.

Would running the composite video signal through some sort of amplifier into a green LED make a signal that ROB can pick up? It worked for the Zapper.

I guess it would. It probably doesn't even have to be a green LED. It's just that the two games are always using the green $2A for flashing the commands to ROB for some reason. ROB worked on my PAL TV which can't do NTSC colour and therefore became black & white.

It simulates the blocks, gyros and spinner. However, the gyros are always spinning; they never run down and do not require using the spinner, though it is available.

Where might I find these test cart ROMs? Nintaco currently doesn't support the reset command either.

I see, that makes the game a lot easier, and still a lot better than nothing. I think I once measured my gyros how long they would spin from a full charge in the spinner, but I forgot how long it was. But it was quite long anyway, like 3 or 5 minutes or so, they are of really good quality.

My own test program should support all the 10 known commands. The ROM is in the zip in the attachment of the first post. Warning again for bad source code. Alternately this Family BASIC program also supports all commands (my test ROM is actually using the same machine code).
Otherwise this test cart may support all commands I think, if you can find the ROM for it.

Thanks for the links. I'll test them out soon.

What does the Reset command do? Does it restore R.O.B. to some default rotation and elevation? I'm guessing center and top?

Yes it restores him to the default position no matter what position he is in when the command is sent. It's the same thing that happens when you power him on, so you can achieve the same result by power cycling him.

I don't remember exactly what the default position is but I think maybe centre and top as you say. I remember that his arms are too high for him to fit in his own styrofoam box in the default position, so you have to manually move down his arms in a game before putting him back in his box again.

GoodNES 3.23b contains NTF2 System Cart.7z <NTF2 System Cart (U) [!].nes>

However, when I run it, all I get is:



How does it even analyze the AC Adapter status? And, why does it think it's broken.

There is a section about the NES Test Station in Wikipedia's NES page. I guess this cartridge is designed for use in that hardware.

The NTF2 System Cart is specifically for the Test Station; it relies on hardware that is not normally present in an NES.

user:game-tech.us has a video series on youtube about the Test Station: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OaaJLkBBak

I see, it passes in some emulators but not on my Everdrive.

In the second video, game-tech.us reads off the parts on the Test Station mainboard. After the ones that are part of the NES mainboard, he additionally noted a "74hc"third again", hc04, hc139, hc139, hc273, hc358 again, hc08, hc32, hc04, hc32, hc541, hcu04, cd4011, hc10, 4066, lm339, 74hc32"

so ... whatever it's doing, it's not terribly complicated, but it's completely undocumented.

It seems not unlikely that what happens when you try to run it on an ordinary NES depends on the RAM (both cart and system) power-up state.

In FCEUX 2.2.3, I can get "NTF2 System Cart (U).nes" to start up on its menu if I freeze address $1000 to value 7:

1. Go to the Tools menu and choose Cheats.
2. Put in Addr 1000 and Val 7 and click Add.
3. Go to the NES menu and choose Reset.

The ROB TEST only tests 7 commands (LED TEST, UP, DOWN, CLOSE, OPEN, LEFT, RIGHT).

Oops I remembered incorrectly then! Sorry!
It seems it doesn't even have the double up and down commands (Robot Block have the single up and down commands and Robot Gyro uses the double up and down commands if I remember correctly, but none of them allows testing both).

I guess UglyJoe's Family BASIC program and my test program based on that are the only available programs that can test all known commands, including the reset command. I remember my test program wasn't always reliable though, the Robot randomly does nothing. But the Family BASIC program works every time so it's probably some bug in my menu program.

Also the LED test is a bit different in my program (and the Family BASIC program). I only flash the command once so the LED lights up. Robot Block/Gyro is doing something else with it.

Hm. Since the encoding has a 4-bit field, I assume that people have long since already tried sending all 16 different codes and only these documented 10 do anything?