Online users
- Matt Barton
Mark Plays.... the gamepark gp2x Wiz
This video is 'part one the Wiz review prequel' and it just contains some quick caps of games and emulators running. All emulators - except for the original gameboy and sadly the Vice emulator - run full speed zero frameskip.
The first part truly shows of the OLED screen in full splendor. The latter part of the movie was taped in a rather dark environment with the camera in Macro so there is actually a moire effect visible and the image is over exposed. Ah well just a quick 'Mark plays'... Read more to view the video. Be sure to select HQ or HD to view the video in the best possible quality.
Nintendo Nes - full speed
Nintendo Snes - full speed
Nitendo GBA - full speed
Sega Genesis/Megadrive - full speed
Sega Master System - full speed
Mame (incl Neogeo) - full speed in most games
CPS1 & 2 Emulation - full speed
Flash (not to fancy apps run full speed)
Quake - not optimized not using any 3D hardware yet
CBM Amiga - full speed
C64 Vice - stutters and has slow downs and at other times runs smooth - very irratic.
Btw all the games I show here are owned on original media. More to come...
Comments
No network
And thanks for the video!
No it doesn't connect to the internet nor does it have any native network facilities other than over the USB cable. Some folk are working on getting some of these WifiSD/Memory hybrid cards working.
If you want internet then you should go for a Pandora or some other tablet GraigX was showing on the Gbax website.
Xbox 360: Lactobacillus P | Wii: 8151 3435 8469 3138
Armchair arcade Editor | Pixellator | www.markvergeer.nl
New Giana Sisters - only on Wiz!
Ah cool, that Amiga / C64 classic native on the Wiz. Definitely worth checking out. Perhaps I'll even make an additional video on it. If you own a Wiz you should indeed check it out. Thanks for the heads up GP2X Wiz Review!
Xbox 360: Lactobacillus P | Wii: 8151 3435 8469 3138
Armchair arcade Editor | Pixellator | www.markvergeer.nl
Giana's Return
Did you see that Giana's Return just got released for the Wiz as a beta? You can check out the Giana Sisters Download article if you like, or you can go straight to the Giana's Return website. It's pretty much a commercial quality game being released as freeware, and currently the Wiz is the only platform it's available on.
Amazing!
Now I'm seriously considering buying it. Does this thing connects to the internet, maybe through some wi-fi adapter? I mean, basic stuff, like checking my email. I'm really in need of a device which allows me to check my email on the go.
And thanks for the video!
Pandora plans
I'm hoping that the Pandora will steal all of my time once it arrives, Mark. I'm hoping I can have a nice lean Web computing environment on it and then dedicate the rest of the device to emulation. Right now, the only thing that I truly get to use on a regular basis is my iPhone, mostly because that's with me 24/7. Second most used right now is my Xbox 360.
I didn't get a chance to set up my Archos 7 last night, but I hope to tonight. I did set up the secondary output on my cable box, though (S-video with composite audio; primary connection is DVI with optical audio).
I'll be curious if I use the Archos for much beyond a portable DVR to capture game footage, as I already have the Slingbox on my iPhone which allows me to watch my home television anywhere I'm at, and the iPhone's standard podcast's keep me busy from an audio-only standpoint. Still, the Archos has a LOT of potential beyond the portable DVR thing...
Books!
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director | Armchair Arcade, Inc.
My wife has the Archos 5 - with DVR add on as well
You can install Opera and games. It also comes with a small IR remote keyboard allowing you to type in urls and such. Elise has been using this a lot to view her favourite tv shows on her daily 3.00 hours total train commute.
Battery life is great 10+ hours. Her laptop can do the same but it is a bigger thing and holding a small device like the Archos and viewing a movie or tv show on there is more ergonomic in a crowded train.
I already have entered portable device hell - I have many - too many but like them a lot. I tend to have periods when I am more partial to one and use that for a while and then I move over to another. The Pandora might actually steal all my time once it has arrived.
Xbox 360: Lactobacillus P | Wii: 8151 3435 8469 3138
Armchair arcade Editor | Pixellator | www.markvergeer.nl
I just received this
I just received this (http://www.archos.com/products/imt/archos_7/index.html?country=dj&lang=en) yesterday and I added the DVR add-on so I can record video without a computer (and I should finally be able to get that documentary with your wife in it off of my cable box). The only reason why I bring it up is that it apparently has game capability. It's amazing that every device with a screen now seems to be designed to play games of some type. I suppose between this, my iPhone, the Pandora and the Verizon MiFi that I have, I probably don't need a netbook, though I'm entering portable device hell I think.
Books!
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director | Armchair Arcade, Inc.
Controls and Amiga vs C64 emulation
In all seriousness, that thing rocks! How are the controls?
I find it odd that Amiga emulation would be perfect whereas the C64 would suck.
The beta version of the Wizz actually had two thumb pads but the final version has a regular left thumb pad and a similar thumb pad functioning as four separate buttons. The left thumb pad functions well, it is responsive and I have no problems hitting diagonals. I prefer it slightly over the DSLite thumb pad. The other 4 button thumb pad thing looks a bit iffy but actually is very usable. It actually is 4 separate buttons configures to look like another thumb pad. Two button action needed in games like Super Mario World etc are very easy to do - it really functions as four separate keys but with the added bonus that it can also function as a thumb pad. This whole controller thing really is far better than any other GPH/Gamepark console out there.
Of course it is odd that Amiga emulation is quite good and C64 emulation is iffy - I didn't have enough time to get Amiga gameplay in so I sort of made it into a teaser. But when demand is high enough I might do a second part showing c64, Atari ST, Amiga, CSP1, CSP2 and PSX emulation.
The hiccups in C64 emulation may have something to do with my unit having the latest firmware 1.1.0 on it whereas most software was developed with the 1.0.0 firmware in mind. This causes slight compatibility issues in a very few apps like Vice. But actually c64 emulation was problematic on the original gp2x as well with micro pauses etc. Frodo offers a smoother experience but has not been ported to the Wizz yet. As Vice is a complicated emulator it uses a lot of recourses and for some reason increasing the clock speed doesn't solve the hiccups. It seems to be a timing issue as sometimes the emulator is very smooth and then it stutters periodically. But perfect C64 emulation on a handheld has yet to be achieved....
It is a homebrew-fan's dream this console and emulation is rapidly getting there. Mind you it is not compatible with the original gp2x and binaries will not be cross compatible despite the many similarities. The original gp2x had a two cpu design featuring two ARM cpus with the secondary cpu suffering from a limited memory bottleneck. The gp2x only has one cpu but has a specialized 3D chip that is OpenGL compatible - no software apart from OpenGL demos is using that hardware acceleration yet. It has the same amount of RAM and also suffers a memory bottle neck problem. But devvers have already put out quite a few nice emulators circumventing those problems.
There is a screen update issue with a vsync diagonal line appearing because the frame buffer has some off-timings in the default setting. Homebrew / User- enthusiasts are already creating scripts to circumvent that as well. This truly is a device to watch as it is more powerful than the Sony PSP in a few ways.
It swallowed quite a few DivX avi files without any problems by the way.
Xbox 360: Lactobacillus P | Wii: 8151 3435 8469 3138
Armchair arcade Editor | Pixellator | www.markvergeer.nl
Screen compared to Pandora
Books!
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director | Armchair Arcade, Inc.
The screen is amazing. In daylight and in darkness it is very bright and clear. It has an enormous viewable angle. With a single colour solid fill on the screen you see a little grain which is normal in this type of screen. As the screen is relatively small the 320x240 resolution has a very small dotpitch making the screen very very crisp.
The emulators I've shown in the video are all running full speed - zero frameskips apart from the original gameboy emulator (lemonboy). It is very much like playing the real thing - speed wise - without any hiccups or other emulation weirdness sometimes experienced with emulators.
The Pandora won't feature an OLED screen but will offer a very high resolution and a bigger screeen size. Dotpitch wise it will be of comparable clarity. Viewing angle will be less and colors less bright but a great screen nevertheless. It is hard to speculate as I haven't seen the real Pandora yet. The Pandora will probably ship the end of this summer.
Xbox 360: Lactobacillus P | Wii: 8151 3435 8469 3138
Armchair arcade Editor | Pixellator | www.markvergeer.nl
These things look like a
These things look like a pirate's dream come true. Arr, me matey! ;)
In all seriousness, that thing rocks! How are the controls?
I find it odd that Amiga emulation would be perfect whereas the C64 would suck.
Post new comment