SDL/n2DLib ports for TI Nspire

u/gameblabla September 04, 2015, 12:17:54 AM

Yes, you should rename your roms so they have no spaces.
For example, rename mario kart to smk.sfc.tns.
I'll add this to the readme if this works for you.

By the way, this is how it looks like on my Ti Nspire :

Last Edit: September 04, 2015, 01:44:59 AM by gameblabla

u/novenary September 04, 2015, 11:03:26 AM

Wow, that's amazing. It runs at a pretty OK speed too.

u/gameblabla September 04, 2015, 12:23:27 PM

Hi all,
i have fixed a serious bug with PocketSNES that prevented it to work on some calcs, like in DJ and critor's one.
It was trying to save in a nonexistant directory.
Critor had the same issue as dj and he told me the new version works now.
Anyways, you should download it again if PocketSNES did not worked for you.

u/Dream of Omnimaga September 04, 2015, 03:12:35 PM

Horray, it works! I assume it didn't create the directory if non-existent, right? Also is the error dependent on specific calculator hardwares? On the TI-84+, for example, Omnicalc's restore RAM function will not work on any 84+ hardware manufactured past April 2007.

Anyway, I am running Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest as I write this

. Thanks a lot and great job

u/gameblabla September 04, 2015, 03:45:49 PM

Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on September 04, 2015, 03:12:35 PM
Also is the error dependent on specific calculator hardwares? On the TI-84+, for example, Omnicalc's restore RAM function will not work on any 84+ hardware manufactured past April 2007.

In fact, the version of PocketSNES with the bug should have not worked on my ti nspire...
Trying to save in the root directory can do funny things, or nothing depending on the hardware.

Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on September 04, 2015, 03:12:35 PM
Anyway, I am running Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest as I write this . Thanks a lot and great job

Thanks, can't wait to fix my atari 2600 emulator.

u/Dream of Omnimaga September 04, 2015, 03:55:27 PM

Oh it saved in the root directory? I guess it's better to save in the documents folder, plus it makes it easier for people to delete savestates and config (if they want to reset games/emulator setups, that is). Also, if TI ever updates the Nspire there are risks of file conflicts, if, for example, they decide to name a root directory file exactly like a ROM savestate file and that Ndless comes out for that OS afterwards.

u/gameblabla September 04, 2015, 04:11:47 PM

Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on September 04, 2015, 03:55:27 PM
Oh it saved in the root directory? I guess it's better to save in the documents folder, plus it makes it easier for people to delete savestates and config (if they want to reset games/emulator setups, that is).

Obviously, this was a bad behaviour. i just forgot to fix this.
Currently it works like Oswan, it creates a directory with the dot and puts everything in it, like on Linux.
You can check your saves in /documents/ndless/.pocketsnes
I think it's neet as a system, i should to this more.
Might a write a tutorial/document about it for Nspire programmers.

Last Edit: September 04, 2015, 04:13:20 PM by gameblabla

u/Dream of Omnimaga September 04, 2015, 10:29:15 PM

Does the dot hide the folder? I never used Linux before.

u/Ivoah September 04, 2015, 10:37:24 PM

Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on September 04, 2015, 10:29:15 PM
Does the dot hide the folder? I never used Linux before.

On linux it does, dunno about the Nspire file browser.

u/gameblabla September 04, 2015, 10:39:44 PM

Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on September 04, 2015, 10:29:15 PM
Does the dot hide the folder? I never used Linux before.

No, it doesn't hide the folder thankfully.
I just put the dot to make it clear it's a folder with all the saves in there.

u/Ivoah September 05, 2015, 04:03:18 AM

I was playing some of this today, and it'd nice! Also, it did open and run the smc file just fine. I made a few issues on the github repo, it'd be nice if you checked them out.

u/Dream of Omnimaga September 05, 2015, 04:04:57 AM

Ah ok thanks for the info guys. Also Ivoah yeah I only tried smc files myself since that's what I mostly used for SNES emulation. I wasn't even sure that there was a possibility that only sfc files run.

u/gameblabla September 05, 2015, 09:02:09 PM

Quote from: Ivoah on September 05, 2015, 04:03:18 AM
I was playing some of this today, and it's nice! Also, it did open and run the smc file just fine. I made a few issues on the github repo, it'd be nice if you checked them out.

Oh yes, i forgot i do not filter files on Nspire.
I closed one issue and answered the other one.
It needs a better control sheme i agree with that, i'm surprise no one complained about that.
I guess you're just happy playing your SNES games on your calc.

Believe or not but i can still improve speed for PocketSNES.
Switching to n2DLib, even partially, should bring a nice speed bump.

As for my other emulators, Stella still crashes.
I will look into that later, custer's Revenge can wait i think.
I tried to switch to native with Potator but all i got is a Black screen,
strange.

u/Dream of Omnimaga September 05, 2015, 09:13:06 PM

I noticed that the controls were a bit akward, but we can't do much about it on the TI-Nspire and HP Prime. They made our job a bit hard by putting the d-pad in the middle. The best would be to group the A, B, X and Y buttons as close as possible to each others, but then comes the issue about L and R. I can't really think of a decent control scheme with that many buttons. If I ever make my own racing or platform game on the HP Prime, I'll simply use 2 buttons and maybe the touchscreen.

That said, MK controls on the SNES weren't that great either. It's a bit akward to use items while driving at the same time.

u/gameblabla September 06, 2015, 02:45:12 AM

You won't believe me when i'll tell you the reasons why all of my emulators were so slow :
Simply linking an executable to libSDL makes everything twice as slow !
Now, Potator and PocketSNES runs fullspeed overclocked and Oswan runs much faster !
And i thought the TI Nspire was slow...

PocketSNES

PocketSNES is a SNES emulator.
The first version was using SDL but i switched it to n2DLib and the speedup is HUGE.
I can now play games fullspeed when my calc is overclocked to 266mhz !

You can download it here.

Potator

Potator was the first Watara Supervision emulator available.
It can emulate all the games available on it, including Bon Treasure games and the like.
You can download it here.

Gameblabla's Oswan

Remember when i told DJ that for Oswan to run faster, it would need an ARM recompiler ?
I was wrong... Not linking it to libSDL (even though it did not use it) improved the speed and now,
speed emulation is twice as fast !
(But an ARM recompiler would still be nice)

You can download it here.

Last Edit: June 05, 2018, 11:08:31 PM by gameblabla