Why does the RetroN 5 and similar consoles have to emulate the mappers? They need to run from the cartridges anyway, so why not use the actual chips in the cartridge?
>>3337245
>They need to run from the cartridges anyway
they dont
all the retron 5 does is pull the rom off the cartridge and emulates it
Because they aren't real consoles. The hardware emulates the console. Since their console only pulls the ROM data, they need to replicate the proper mapper or the game won't run.
>>3337252
Well, can't it still let the actual mapper chip do what a mapper is supposed to?
>>3337259
You don't seem to understand how things work.
The mapper is just how memory is mapped. This is needed to get around the memory page size limitation. The actual implementation of it is done with some bits between the ROM chips and the console. The lower end, pre-MMC1 mappers usually used a 74 series logic chip to get the job done.
On a normal system, the console interacts with the CHR and PRG ROM's through whatever mapper implimentation is in place, 74 series, MMC1, MMC3, etc. So that mapper hardware acts as a middleman.
On these clone systems, they pull the ROM data OFF the cart, and emulate. If they interacted with the carts as a normal console would, they wouldn't need to emulate mappers, since they would be running through the cart. But since they aren't running through the cart, they need to supply the mapper the ROM is expecting.
>>3337245
>They need to run from the cartridges anyway
Well there's yer problem. You're clueless.
>>3337292
Can't it just emulate the console and let the actual mapper do the rest?
>>3338569
That would then make it a clone system which is a more difficult, more expensive prospect than full software emulation.
>>3338569
It can't. It uses pirated emulators that don't support doing that.
>>3337281
Mappers don't just bank memory, they also add extra functions like support for save games and added graphics capabilities.
>>3339145
No, that would be RAM/EEPROM and custom chips.
>>3337245
To make it short:
It's a completly normal computer, with the EXACT same emulators you would use on your PC.
So you are just paying for fucking emulation software which you can get free on the net anyway.
The only difference is that you don't need to download the rom first, but it will dump it for you(and even that not in a clean form).
>>3340012
I wasn't only referring to the Retron specifically.
my wife would be able to answer this question better than I could, but she's asleep
bumping to keep the thread alive until she wakes up tomorrowI could sage and be okay. /vr/ is slow as fuck
>>3340342
>wife
>Retron 5 mentioned in the thread
>absolute beta comment about his wife being able to answer a question about video games than he could
8/10
>>3340342
Does Twilight Sparkle count as a wife?
>>3337281
>The lower end, pre-MMC1 mappers usually used a 74 series logic chip to get the job done
The MMC1 was introduced in 1987; before that time all NES games were NROM with no banking or used a TTL to switch banks. Once 128k ROMs became available, there wasn't any need anymore for the Famicom Disk System.
Even after the MMC1 came out, many games still used TTLs as it was the cheapest option; for example, the US Castlevania and Mega Man 1 both had TTLs instead of a mapper chip.
>>3340390
they (hyperkin) literally stole retroarch code and emulator module code to use in their emulator box
http://www.libretro.com/index.php/retroarch-license-violations/
>>3340390
>Is that even legal?
Of course not. But they did it anyway.
>>3339129
To clarify, it(retron) pirated an open source emulator that doesnt support it.
