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Tech Talk (MD/Super 032X): Probability of obtaining a proper resolution?


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Okay, the title might confuse you a little bit, so I will gladly explain what I mean by this, although I will admit right now that this is merely only a theory at the time of this post, but it could become something later on.

I do recall viewing this topic being brought up once before on this forum, while I was doing my research before making ROM hacks of '94, but given that it has been a rather long while since that topic, I thought that I would bring it up, given that it will be something that I do intend on using at some point with my own hacks and perhaps some others will want to as well.

So for experimental reasons, I had made one of my copies of MIAA Women's Hockey 20I5 ~ Volume 0I (Second Beta) into a ROM image that could be read by Gens Rerecording as a Super 032X file.

I had done this because I was rather curious of what Super 032X emulation would do to an ordinary Genesis/Megadrive ROM when looking at certain visuals; especially game screens.

What I had ended up finding (and I truly find it odd that I cannot do this in Megadrive emulation on my copy of Gens Rerecording) is the displaying of what happens when you have a 0256x0224 screen when shifting the VDP from Super 032X to Megadrive.

It displays that image from its original resolution, yet it assumes that it is in its full size (0320x0224), thus leaving out 064 columns of pixels that remain unused for displaying purposes; the below screenshot is an example of what I am talking about here.

11053657_844970988873754_880959516142469

Looking at that had truthfully made myself curious.

If I have to worry about the lack of 064 columns of pixels being left out, then this completely defeats the purpose of why I had wanted to implement Anamorphic Widescreen into MIAA 20I5 in the first place.

That is, unless it is probable to deal with, in some way, a probable way that we probably do not know, as of yet.

So this got me going this morning, and I had decided to create a mockup image of what I am truthfully aiming for here with this particular concept.

Below this text are three images: Two are the same, while the last one is for high resolution display.

This mockup image presents what I am looking for in Anamorphic Widescreen for MIAA 20I5 and other ROM hacks of NHL '94 (as well as its respective siblings on the console); I am quite surprised that not many images of the game such as this have been made, there truly needs to be more of these examples, given what is being desired here.

~ Here be the image in the 04:03 Aspect Ratio.

The center portion of the image is the primary screenshot, while the sides are taken from the Instant Replay images that I had used to create this, photomanipulation was used where and when necessary, so do pardon any rough or broken edges on some of the artwork.

10986183_844971002207086_856192463004128

~ Now here be the image in the I6:09 Aspect Ratio.

Same as the above, but this is to show how the game would truly look if it were stretched out into Widescreen; do keep in mind that the center portion is in its original 0256x224 screen resolution.

10996013_844970998873753_474022709186761

~ And now, here is the image in the resolution of 2844xI600.

This is just here for the sake of convenience; anybody that wanted this in a high resolution have their wishes fulfilled; feel more than free to make this your wallpaper, for whatever reason, it be completely fine by me.

11169483_844971038873749_469223634097824

This truly happens to be something that a decent amount of the folks in the NHL scene want to have become a reality, based on what I have viewed elsewhere over the years.

Sadly, I am just completely unsure for as to when this would actually happen, in the event that it ever does; I honestly do know that the scene is still a long way before Widescreen NHL on the Genesis/Megadrive (and eventually Sega CD/Mega~CD and the Super 032X), but some day, it might come to us, I am positive.

Also to add, given what I do now about the console's capabilities, the Genesis/Megadrive and the Super 032X are indeed capable of implementing Anamorphic Widescreen into their games by certain means, although I am assuming that they are by special means, depending on how it is worked into the code (I honestly would not know personally, this is only a hunch).

I presume that the MD way is to create code for the main gameplay to expand the screen from its original size to the maximum resolution, so that more sprites and tiles may be presented without lag frames becoming a factor, while the Super 032X would use the Software Rendering to implement the Anamorphic Widescreen as a feature, kind of similar as to how Sega had done so when they had brought Virtua Fighter over to the add~on.

Given all of what I have mentioned above, do any of you feel that there will come a point in the NHL scene where both expanding the screen in the Genesis/Megadrive ROM and/or coding the game to implement the Super 032X's Software Rendering to run the game with Anamorphic Widescreen will become a reality, at least within the next decade or two? (I give this estimate primarily based on how many there are that actually do work in the field of delivering such a feature to games of this particular generation, just to clarify on that.)

It would be ample lovely, as it would be one step further towards delivering the optimal NHL series experience on the Generation IV console, and who knows, it might encourage more folks to consider finding ways to make every Genesis/Megadrive and Super 032X title obtain this feature on their original console, rather than have an HD port, at least that be how I feel about it.

With that said, please do discuss.

This truly is a vital topic for talking about, especially when we think about how ROM hacking will be in the 202X and 203X decades for this generation of gaming titles.

Edited by Royameadow
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Glad that you agree on this, Kingraph.

It always had irked me that GS/MD, Sega CD, and Super 032X titles that normally displayed in 0256x0224 never had gotten either an emulator to expand the screen to 0320x0224, or even obtain what I presume would be the Generation IV Gaming alternative to what Generation 05 and VI have known as a Widescreen Hack; wishfully, somebody out there knows how to work screen extension into the titles, truly is well needed for more modern hacks, especially for those that are heavy in design detail, truly will be notable for the MD scene if it becomes the norm in the 2020s.

As for attempting to modify the NHL series on the Genesis and Megadrive to run specific features that the Super 032X has, Anamorphic Widescreen included in that, there are a few people out there that have been able to show off how to use the console's Software Rendering to get certain things working on a ROM image that were harder to implement while it was still on the GS/MD.

Varion Icaria, for example, is the most notable right now in the Sonic Hacking scene for his work in Sonic 04: Cybernetic Outbreak, as his modification of the Sonic 03 (& Knuckles) Disassembly is running on the Super 032X, primarily using the Software Rendering and PWM for select things to optimize the 2006 ROM hack (details on what have been added will be mentioned by him at Sonic Hacking Contest XIII this Summer, I am positive); I would probably have to talk with him or somebody who is very savvy in the way that the add~on works before attempting to pursue the addition of a Widescreen feature with the usage of the Software Rendering, as in the case of the NHL titles, especially '94, I would need to know how to move 02 Dimensional sprites to the SR and then work from that to either size down the sprites or rework the gameplay screen for the maximum possible resolution.

Either way that we view it right now though, I am more than positive that there will come a time where this will become easy to do, all that it might take right now is patience.

There is a lot that could probably be obtained from Anamorphic Widescreen for a hockey title such as '94 (and '98 as well, actually. That game's arena is far too wide for the small resolution that we are given to traverse through it.); I would definitely put this to good use, I could probably enhance the design of the sprites a bit easier to adapt to it too, we definitely will have to see at that time. (:

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