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Nintendo - SNES / Famicom (nSide Balanced)

Background

A fork of higan v106 that reimplements the Balanced profile.

Author/License

The nSide Balanced core has been authored by

  • hex-usr

The nSide Balanced core is licensed under

A summary of the licenses behind RetroArch and its cores can be found here.

Extensions

Content that can be loaded by the nSide Balanced core have the following file extensions:

  • .sfc
  • .smc
  • .gb
  • .gbc
  • .bml
  • .rom

Databases

RetroArch database(s) that are associated with the nSide Balanced core:

BIOS

Required or optional firmware files go in the frontend's system directory.

Attention

nSide Balanced uses split ROMS for special chip games.

Attention

Firmware files for SGB emulation need to be in directories called SGB1.sfc and SGB2.sfc in RetroArch's system directory. Look at the Super GameBoy support section for more information.

Notable DSP1.mdDSP1B Games:

  • Super Mario Kart
  • Pilotwings

Notable DSP2 Games:

  • Dungeon Master

Notable DSP3 Games:

  • SD Gundam GX

Notable DSP4 Games:

  • Top Gear 3000

Notable Cx4 Games:

  • Mega Man X2
  • Mega Man X3
Filename Description md5sum
dsp1.data.rom DSP1 co-processor firmware - Optional 3d81b45fa0c2aa8b852dfb1ece7c0971
dsp1.program.rom DSP1 co-processor firmware - Optional ae209fbe789fbf11a48aea5ab1197321
dsp1b.data.rom DSP1B co-processor firmware - Optional 1e3f568634a7d8284020dddc0ae905bc
dsp1b.program.rom DSP1B co-processor firmware - Optional d10f446888e097cbf500f3f663cf4f6d
dsp2.data.rom DSP2 co-processor firmware - Optional e9417e29223b139c3c4b635a2a3b8744
dsp2.program.rom DSP2 co-processor firmware - Optional aa6e5922a3ed5ded54f24247c11143c5
dsp3.data.rom DSP3 co-processor firmware - Optional 0a81210c0a940b997dd9843281008ee6
dsp3.program.rom DSP3 co-processor firmware - Optional d99ca4562818d49cee1f242705bba6f8
dsp4.data.rom DSP4 co-processor firmware - Optional ee4990879eb68e3cbca239c5bc20303d
dsp4.program.rom DSP4 co-processor firmware - Optional a151023b948b90ffc23a5b594bb6fef2
cx4.data.rom CX4 co-processor firmware - Optional 037ac4296b6b6a5c47c440188d3c72e3
st010.data.rom ST010 co-processor firmware - Optional 254d70762b6f59f99c27c395aba7d07d
st010.program.rom ST010 co-processor firmware - Optional 1d70019179a59a566a0bb5d3f2845544
st011.data.rom ST011 co-processor firmware - Optional 10bd3f4aa949737ab9836512c35bcc29
st011.program.rom ST011 co-processor firmware - Optional 95222ebf1c0c2990bcf25db43743f032
st018.data.rom ST018 co-processor firmware - Optional 49c898b60d0f15e90d0ba780dd12f366
st018.program.rom ST018 co-processor firmware - Optional dda40ccd57390c96e49d30a041f9a9e7
SGB1.sfc/sgb1.boot.rom Super Game Boy BIOS - Optional
SGB1.sfc/program.rom Super Game Boy ROM - Optional
SGB2.sfc/sgb2.boot.rom Super Game Boy 2 BIOS - Optional
SGB2.sfc/program.rom Super Game Boy 2 ROM - Optional

Features

Frontend-level settings or features that the nSide Balanced core respects.

Feature Supported
Restart ✔
Screenshots ✔
Saves ✔
States ✔
Rewind ✔
Netplay ✔
Core Options ✔
RetroAchievements ✕
RetroArch Cheats ✕
Native Cheats ✕
Controls ✔
Remapping ✔
Multi-Mouse -
Rumble ✕
Sensors ✕
Camera ✕
Location ✕
Subsystem ✕
Softpatching ✔
Disk Control ✕
Username ✕
Language ✕
Crop Overscan ✕
LEDs ✕

Directories

The nSide Balanced core's internal core name is 'higan (Super Famicom Balanced)'

The nSide Balanced core saves/loads to/from these directories.

Frontend's Save directory

  • 'content-name'.srm (Cartridge battery save)

Frontend's State directory

  • 'content-name'.state# (State)

Geometry and timing

  • The nSide Balanced core's core provided FPS is (FPS)
  • The nSide Balanced core's core provided sample rate is (Rate)
  • The nSide Balanced core's core provided aspect ratio is (Ratio)

Super Gameboy Support

The nSide Balanced core uses a simplified Super Game Boy routine that makes it much easier to access this feature than with the old v094-based cores.

Instead of using the complex, CLI-based 'subsystem' launch commands, it looks for the necessary files in the system/BIOS directory whenever you feed the core a *.gb/c file.

To get it working, you'll need one or more Super Game Boy ROMs and the sgb.boot.rom BIOS.

Step 1

Make 2 subdirectories in RetroArch's system directory, one named SGB1.sfc and the other named SGB2.sfc.

Step 2

Copy your original Super Game Boy ROM into the SGB1.sfc directory and then rename it to program.rom. Copy your Super Game Boy 2 ROM into the SGB2.sfc directory and then rename it program.rom, as well.

Step 3

Copy your sgb.boot.rom BIOS into each of your SGB1.sfc and SGB2.sfc directories, and rename them to sgb1.boot.rom and sgb2.boot.rom, respectively.

The 'Preferred Super GameBoy BIOS' core option lets you choose which of the two SGB BIOSes to use.

Step 4

Load a SGB-supported GB.mdGBC rom.

Done

Warning

There may be graphical glitches when Rewind is set to On in RetroArch's settings.

MSU-1

Attention

MSU-1 support in this core is complex. Use the Snes9x core for simplified and easily accessible MSU-1 support.

MSU-1 support can be used by loading a correct .bml file.

There's documentation for loading MSU-1 games in standalone higan here.

Core options

The nSide Balanced core has the following option(s) that can be tweaked from the core options menu. The default setting is bolded.

Settings with (Restart) means that core has to be closed for the new setting to be applied on next launch.

  • Internal resolution [higan_sfc_internal_resolution] (512x480|512x448|512x240|512x224|256x240|256x224)

    Self-explanatory.

512x480

512x448

512x240

512x224

256x240

256x224

  • Color emulation [higan_sfc_color_emulation] (OFF|ON)

    Simulates the way a console’s display device differs from modern computer monitor’s colour reproduction. In particular, it simulates the slightly-different gamma correction used by the Super Famicom.

Color emulation - Disabled

Color emulation - Enabled

  • Blur emulation [higan_sfc_blur_emulation] (OFF|ON)

    Simulates the limited horizontal resolution of standard-definition TVs by blurring together horizontally-adjacent pixels. Games like Jurassic Park for the Super Famicom depend on this to emulate a transparency effect.

Blur emulation - Disabled

Blur emulation - Enabled

  • Scanline emulation [higan_sfc_scanline_emulation] (OFF|ON)

    Currently does not function properly.

  • Preferred Super GameBoy BIOS (restart) [higan_sfc_sgb_bios] (SGB1.sfc/|SGB2.sfc/)

    Choose what Super GameBoy BIOS you want to use. Look at the Super GameBoy Support section for more information.

Controllers

The nSide Balanced core supports the following device type(s) in the controls menu, bolded device types are the default for the specified user(s):

User 1 device types

User 2 device types

  • None - Input disabled.
  • SNES Joypad - Joypad
  • SNES Mouse - Mouse
  • Multitap - Joypad - Allows for up to five players to play together in multitap games.
  • SuperScope - Lightgun - Inputs are not hooked up in this core.
  • Justifier - Lightgun - Inputs are not hooked up in this core.
  • Justifiers - Lightgun - Two Justifiers are plugged in, for two-player Justifier games. Inputs are not hooked up in this core.

Multitap support

Activating multitap support in compatible games can be configured by switching to the Multitap device type for User 2.

Controller tables

Joypad

User 1 - 5 Remap descriptors RetroPad Inputs
B
Y
Select
Start
D-Pad Up
D-Pad Down
D-Pad Left
D-Pad Right
A
X
L
R

Mouse

RetroMouse Inputs SNES Mouse
Mouse Cursor SNES Mouse Cursor
Mouse 1 SNES Mouse Left Button
Mouse 2 SNES Mouse Right Button

Compatibility

Game Issue
A.S.P. Air Strike Patrol Black lines show up during gameplay. The shadow below the aircraft is missing.

Incompatible with ROM hacks made to take advantage of emulator quirks, much like real hardware.

See also

Nintendo - Game Boy (+ Color)

Nintendo - Super Nintendo Entertainment System (+ Hacks)