4 ms·

Dolphin Progress Report: September 2017

143 points by joshschreuder 9y ago

kanwisher 9y ago
Always interesting to read the release notes on this product. They go into such technical detail, its a joy to read
- overcast 9y ago
  This comment is becoming the HN equivalent of "First!" on Dolphin Progress Reports.
d33 9y ago
You might also enjoy reading an article about Dolphin in the International Journal of Proof of Concept or Get the Fuck Out: https://archive.org/stream/pocorgtfo06/pocorgtfo06_djvu.txt https://archive.org/stream/pocorgtfo06/pocorgtfo06_djvu.txt Look for "3 Gekko the Dolphin" (there is some ad text mixed in there) Also, PDF version here: https://archive.org/stream/pocorgtfo06/#page/n5/mode/2up https://archive.org/stream/pocorgtfo06/#page/n5/mode/2up (though this might be pretty slow to download as PoC||GTFO tends to hide extras in their PDF files).
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
ericfrederich 9y ago
Nintendo just released the SNES classic. Next up should be the N64 Classic. I think GameCube and Wii are probably too new to be considered retro. Also, the games are a lot bigger... they wouldn't be able to cheaply make a device powerful enough and with enough storage to make a huge profit.
- tym0 9y ago
  If I remember well the GC games are 1.3GB, 32GB of flash is not that expensive. The right perfs would be harder to achieve although Dolphins now runs (badly) on phones, it doesn't seem that far out.
  - Asooka 9y ago
    Also, Dolphin is concerned with faithfully emulating the hardware. Nintendo can just cheat and emulate only exactly what the games need, or even patch the games themselves to avoid having to emulate weird corner cases.
- ferdbold 9y ago
  I don't think we'll see the N64 classic for a while. What makes the SNES stand out even today is that it's home to some of the most well-designed 2D games out there. Games like Chrono Trigger and Super Mario World are still relevant today because on how on top of their game their devs were. N64 on the other hand, doesn't have that. It very clearly shows that the N64 era was a time where everyone was still struggling with 3D. Few games have a decent camera system, animations are poor, framerate is choppy, fog everywhere, etc etc. I obviously can't speak for everyone, but I can't sit down and play N64 games for that long of a time, they just haven't aged well because of those technical shortcomings.
  - ashark 9y ago
    Coming to it through emulation years later (I played a few multiplayer games a ton at friends' houses, but barely touched the single-player parts of the N64 library—my only home console until college was an NES) I've found a lot of games that hold up well outside the ten or so really, really good multiplayer games I already knew about. A few might not make it for licensing reasons (Microsoft is all over Perfect Dark now, and Goldeneye's probably never gonna be re-released, plus there are two pretty good and one kinda OK Star Wars game none of which I'd expect to make it) but I think they could easily find enough that have held up for a 20-30 game Classic system. [EDIT] of all the systems of my youth that I only got to play at friends' and relatives' houses, the one that's been the most disappointing to adult-me is the Sega Genesis. I'd have killed for one as a kid but... it's kinda crap. Most (not all) of its best games are available on the SNES and are as good or better there. The exceptions are few, and mostly not that amazing anyway—again, it definitely does have some real gems! Just way fewer than I thought.
    - ZenoArrow 9y ago
      The SNES had some amazing games, but the Mega Drive had M.U.S.H.A. so it's not really a fair fight. ;-) http://youtu.be/PX9U5Slq-Bc http://youtu.be/PX9U5Slq-Bc
  - sotojuan 9y ago
    16 (and more?)-bit 2D ages very well - it's why many 2D games come out even today. On the topic of "N64 Mini Classic", they will do it. I have a lot of friends who'd buy one just for Mario Kart 64 and Mario Party. The Zelda games are IMO, better on the 3DS (again because of controls), but hold a lot of nostalgia for people. The problem with the N64 is that some of its most popular games (Goldeneye, Banjo-Kazooie, etc) are owned by Rare which is owned by Microsoft. Will they be able to get the licenses?

143 points by joshschreuder 9y ago

kanwisher 9y ago

Always interesting to read the release notes on this product. They go into such technical detail, its a joy to read

overcast 9y ago
This comment is becoming the HN equivalent of "First!" on Dolphin Progress Reports.

d33 9y ago

You might also enjoy reading an article about Dolphin in the International Journal of Proof of Concept or Get the Fuck Out: https://archive.org/stream/pocorgtfo06/pocorgtfo06_djvu.txt https://archive.org/stream/pocorgtfo06/pocorgtfo06_djvu.txt Look for "3 Gekko the Dolphin" (there is some ad text mixed in there) Also, PDF version here: https://archive.org/stream/pocorgtfo06/#page/n5/mode/2up https://archive.org/stream/pocorgtfo06/#page/n5/mode/2up (though this might be pretty slow to download as PoC||GTFO tends to hide extras in their PDF files).

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

ericfrederich 9y ago

Nintendo just released the SNES classic. Next up should be the N64 Classic. I think GameCube and Wii are probably too new to be considered retro. Also, the games are a lot bigger... they wouldn't be able to cheaply make a device powerful enough and with enough storage to make a huge profit.

tym0 9y ago
If I remember well the GC games are 1.3GB, 32GB of flash is not that expensive. The right perfs would be harder to achieve although Dolphins now runs (badly) on phones, it doesn't seem that far out.
- Asooka 9y ago
  Also, Dolphin is concerned with faithfully emulating the hardware. Nintendo can just cheat and emulate only exactly what the games need, or even patch the games themselves to avoid having to emulate weird corner cases.
ferdbold 9y ago
I don't think we'll see the N64 classic for a while. What makes the SNES stand out even today is that it's home to some of the most well-designed 2D games out there. Games like Chrono Trigger and Super Mario World are still relevant today because on how on top of their game their devs were. N64 on the other hand, doesn't have that. It very clearly shows that the N64 era was a time where everyone was still struggling with 3D. Few games have a decent camera system, animations are poor, framerate is choppy, fog everywhere, etc etc. I obviously can't speak for everyone, but I can't sit down and play N64 games for that long of a time, they just haven't aged well because of those technical shortcomings.
- ashark 9y ago
  Coming to it through emulation years later (I played a few multiplayer games a ton at friends' houses, but barely touched the single-player parts of the N64 library—my only home console until college was an NES) I've found a lot of games that hold up well outside the ten or so really, really good multiplayer games I already knew about. A few might not make it for licensing reasons (Microsoft is all over Perfect Dark now, and Goldeneye's probably never gonna be re-released, plus there are two pretty good and one kinda OK Star Wars game none of which I'd expect to make it) but I think they could easily find enough that have held up for a 20-30 game Classic system. [EDIT] of all the systems of my youth that I only got to play at friends' and relatives' houses, the one that's been the most disappointing to adult-me is the Sega Genesis. I'd have killed for one as a kid but... it's kinda crap. Most (not all) of its best games are available on the SNES and are as good or better there. The exceptions are few, and mostly not that amazing anyway—again, it definitely does have some real gems! Just way fewer than I thought.
  - ZenoArrow 9y ago
    The SNES had some amazing games, but the Mega Drive had M.U.S.H.A. so it's not really a fair fight. ;-) http://youtu.be/PX9U5Slq-Bc http://youtu.be/PX9U5Slq-Bc
- sotojuan 9y ago
  16 (and more?)-bit 2D ages very well - it's why many 2D games come out even today. On the topic of "N64 Mini Classic", they will do it. I have a lot of friends who'd buy one just for Mario Kart 64 and Mario Party. The Zelda games are IMO, better on the 3DS (again because of controls), but hold a lot of nostalgia for people. The problem with the N64 is that some of its most popular games (Goldeneye, Banjo-Kazooie, etc) are owned by Rare which is owned by Microsoft. Will they be able to get the licenses?