NESticle
Original author(s) | Icer Addis | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Developer(s) | Bloodlust Software | ||||
Final release |
| ||||
Proprietary Freeware | |||||
Website | bloodlust.zophar.net/NESticle/nes.html at the Wayback Machine (archived 2016-11-16) |
NESticle is a
While the emulator is no longer updated and has become obsolete[
In January 2022, the source code for a
Development
NESticle offered its initial release as NESticle v0.2 on April 3, 1997. Its name is a
NESticle was coded in C++ and assembly using Microsoft Visual C++ 4.10. Part of the emulator's appeal was performance: its system requirements capped at around 25MHz[4] enabling it to run on modest Pentium and 486 DX2 PCs. Its GUI was colorful and easy to use, featuring numerous utilities that allowed user to view, edit, and save custom graphics, palettes, and the like. Within two months of its April release, NESticle could take screenshots mid-game, pause and resume progress at any point using save states, edit in-game palettes and graphics, play games online, save audio output, and record and playback gameplay movies.[14] NESticle, as its name implied, also had a dash of lowbrow and morbid humor. The mouse pointer, for instance, was skinned with a bloody, dismembered left hand extending its pointer finger.
The source code for NESticle was illegally copied from Addis's computer by a code cracker who accessed its network shares with Samba.[15][16] Because of the incident, Addis decided to discontinue NESticle. August 1998 saw the final NESticle release, version x.xx, and support for the emulator was discontinued. This version featured noticeably improved emulation, especially audio emulation (the triangle wave was correctly 4-bit quantized, the 50% pulse wave had the correct duty cycle and the noise was corrected). It was also DOS only. NESticle eventually became obsolete as other emulation projects continued to develop and improve. In particular, NESticle has been criticized within modern emulation circles for an overwhelmingly aesthetics-based philosophy making heavy reliance on emulation quirks which resulted in game images that would only work on this emulator specifically.[4] Nevertheless, it continues to be noted years after its obsolescence for its speed, particularly on lower-end computers.[11]
Influence
As one of the more popular early emulators, NESticle's influence on the
See also
- List of NES emulators
References
- ^ Smith, Ernie (1 May 2017). "The Story of NESticle, the Ambitious Emulator That Redefined Retro Gaming". Motherboard. Vice. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
- ^ Wu, Lori. Game and Game Console Emulation: The Preservation of Video Game History (prospectus). Stanford University. Pg.10. 2002.
- ^ Carroll, Martyn. ed. "Emulation Nation." Retro Gamer. Issue 1. Pg.65. January 2004.
- ^ a b c Kuchera, Ben, ed. "Accuracy takes power: one man’s 3GHz quest to build a perfect SNES emulator". Ars Technica. 9 August 2011.
- ^ 1UP.com. Pg.2. 10 August 2005.
- ^ Visyak, Matthew Edward Terrorism/Capitalism (thesis). Allegheny College. Pp.10-13, 25. 2 May 2005.
- ^ 1UP.com. Pg.8. 20 March 2006.
- ^ a b Schone, Mark. "The Cartridge Family." Spin. Pg.86. September 2004.
- ^ Sulaiman, Hazimin. "Emulators to revive classic arcade games." New Straits Times. 24 October 2002.
- ISBN 1587363496.
- ^ ISBN 9781449303907.
- ^ Addis, Icer (2022-01-12). "SNESticle". GitHub. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
- ^ Addis, Icer (2022-02-24). "MetalNES". GitHub. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- ^ "Official Bloodlust Software NESticle Page". Bloodlust.zophar.net. Retrieved 2013-02-19.
- ^ "Zophar's Domain: Articles". Patpend.net. Retrieved 2013-02-19.
- ^ "¤ archaic ruins ¤". Patpend.net. Retrieved 2013-02-19.
- ^ Grant, Christopher. The Nintendo PC casemod; NES HTPC. Joystiq. 28 February 2006.
- Wired. 12 September 2011.
- ^ Ryan, Alex. Destructoid Discusses! Did someone say emulation?. Destructoid. 7 July 2008.
- ^ North, Dale. Pre-PAX Primer: Destructoid interviews The NESkimos. Destructoid. 17 August 2007.
External links
- The story behind the end of NESticle AND Damaged Cybernetics
- MindRape's side of the end of DC at the Wayback Machine (archived March 28, 2012)