DraStic Nintendo DS emulator teaser video


Exophase

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This is something I've been working on on and off for a while now, a Nintendo DS emulator optimized for ARM called DraStic. I wanted to have a release ready before 2012 but I don't feel it's quite there yet so instead I decided to have a teaser video made. Big thanks to slaeshjag for making this video for me. You can find it here:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/sLXD-9AXq0A?feature=oembed

Now, some information about the emulator:

Basically, the CPU and 2D parts are partially optimized, while the 3D part is really slow (and pretty glitchy/inaccurate). So right now it runs some pure 2D games okay. What is a pure 2D game? Well, it's a little more strict than just a 2D game, because for a lot of these the 3D hardware is actually being used to render 2D. So those will be very slow too. But there are at least some pure 2D games that run fairly well, and the video shows a few of them; I have some others as well.

There's still quite a bit to do to improve the CPU and 2D emulation, and then of course work on an optimized 3D renderer. I'm not optimistic that Pandora will be able to handle 3D heavy games well, but a lot of optimizations and a bit of frameskip (currently there is none) will perhaps help in doing so. I also hope to be able to add special rendering paths to make 2D-like 3D as fast as possible.

I'm hoping to have the first release out in a few weeks or so, which will have some more optimizations, basic features, and feedback from testing. Then I will work on 3D, which I anticipate taking several months. While I'd like to have an Android and iOS version out in the second half of next year I'm also expecting to keep it Pandora exclusive until then.

Until the first release is ready feel free to ask questions, I will try to answer them in this thread.
 

Fluff

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Do you believe that in time, all forms of 2d games will run to an extent that is at least playable?
 

FelixNemis

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Looks very prommising indeed.

The full speed emulation of pure 2d games, with working sound, is really cool, and it's at 600mhz too.
 

Exophase

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Do you believe that in time, all forms of 2d games will run to an extent that is at least playable?
Couldn't really say. The line can blur between 2D and 3D, and the question is if it uses the 3D in a way that's expensive to emulate. But even if it uses it for a bunch of cheap stuff if it pushes both 2D and 2D-style 3D to the max simultaneously that's kind of a lot to emulate. Then if it has a really heavy CPU load on top of that..

Of course playable is very subjective, especially if you introduce some frameskip.
 
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Fluff

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Do you believe that in time, all forms of 2d games will run to an extent that is at least playable?
Couldn't really say. The line can blur between 2D and 3D, and the question is if it uses the 3D in a way that's expensive to emulate. But even if it uses it for a bunch of cheap stuff if it pushes both 2D and 2D-style 3D to the max simultaneously that's kind of a lot to emulate. Then if it has a really heavy CPU load on top of that..


Of course playable is very subjective, especially if you introduce some frameskip.
Good point, it was a loaded question now that I think of it.


Any magic you can manage with this will be a gift though, so no complaints either way. Even if only a handful of games run properly, that's still a handful of games we couldn't play before.
 

Farox

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Well this a fantastic way to open the new year...Happy new Year Pandora owners.

I have some question for you:

Is needed a 1Ghz Pandora to play the games on that video or my CC (256MB ram) could play it well ?

Are you going to partecipate at the ED competition ?

If you can keep for (some months) a Pandora exclusive only...i think this could increase sales and help Pandora.

Anyway THANKS A LOT for this huge work and Happy new 2013 ;)
 

Seb

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Great new year's gift !

As ED said, 2013 will be pandora's year

Happy new year everyone from Vancouver, BC
 

Michoko

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Awesome work! I was not expecting such a fast emulation on the Pandora. Nice new year teaser, thanks! :)
 

Askarus

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AMAZING.

This is GREAT news.

NDS is the handheld of my childhood (besides GBA).

Some questions:

1: Games like Yoshi's story are great. Will it ever be possible to get the screens above each other. Especially for Games that use both screens it would be great  (even if the screens would be smaller then).

2: Will it be possible to  shrink one screen (like map screen) and make the other one bigger?

3: Does touchscreen work?

4: Will the Castlevania Games and Children of Mana run? :)

5: Is it still playable with scale 2x?

6: Do you also have a PSP Emulator ready? :D

EDIT:

7: Will you also add cheat support?
 
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Fluff

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6: Do you also have a PSP Emulator ready? :D
I would get a sex change and have the babies of the person who makes it possible that I can play the psp remake of ff1 with its extra content on a Pandora.
 

LuSimon

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Wow that is superb! what an achivment now we have a DS emulator that is awesome
 

MrBazil2k

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Woah ! O.O

   Such a message just at the beginning of the Year.

Awesome work !
 

moxie

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You must be kidding me? I'm dumbfounded by silence! Amazing.

Happy new year, indeed :)
 

crow_riot

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awesome! thats all what i can say. deepest respect for what you can pull off
 
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