no$gba

[Jipcy]

Link: http://nocash.emubase.de/gba.htm

For those that are incredibly new to the emulation community, no$gba is a Gameboy Advance and Nintendo DS emulator.

Anyway, v2.6 is out. Release notes here.

The major thing is a new software renderer for the 3d parts a DS game. Oh, and also he wants a $2.50 donation from you to get the latest version (only the most recent version will require a donation. As he updates his program, he will release older versions for free.)

Anyway, I checked my paypal account, I had $1.95 in it, so I decided to pay another $0.55 to check out the latest version.

Anyway, it was kind of cool. The software renderer, which he says is faster, actually allows me to play DS games on my computer now. I have an Athlon 1.1 GHz processor. From 2001. So yeah. The older versions of no$gba wouldn't run DS games at full speed. But I tested out a few games with this version and it's quite playable.


My brief review of this emulator:

Good:
- While I haven't checked out any of the other GBA or DS emulators lately, this program seems fairly mature, stable, and compatible. The developer seems quite knowledgeable about his work.
- The lack of thousands of options makes me perceive this emulator as more accurate than others. Also the fact that the release notes are full of tons of technical stuff, not just changes to "features".

Bad:
- Doesn't currently support resizing the emulator window when running a NDS ROM.
- Not quite as easy to use as I have come to expect from the typical emulator. Examples:
- The emulator doesn't auto-detect the correct save type format for DS games (it does for GBA games). You must manually select the correct format. Use this for reference.
- It's not immediately clear that you can configure gamepad controls using gamepad keypresses. (Just use TAB to cycle through the button config fields, then press the correct button on your gamepad).
- Doesn't save configuration data by default (use Options menu -> Save Options).
- You must select and load a ROM before entering into the main emulator GUI. So you can't just open the emulator and do some configuration before loading a ROM.

Overall though, I would call this emulator "good". It takes relatively little set-up to get it to "just work" with (I think) a large number of GBA and DS games. And it plays DS games at playable (almost full-) speed on my old-ass computer.

Anyway, someone correct me if I'm wrong, because I haven't tested out any of the other DS emulators lately, but I think this is probably the best DS emulator around right now. I haven't run into any compatibility problems with the few games I've tested.

And finally, I hope no one is so poor/idealistic as to not be able/willing to donate a paltry $2.50 to get his great emulator. I mean, I'm sure most of us could have ramen noodles for dinner one night instead of a Spicy Chicken Combo, and then we'd still have change leftover after donating!

[Clements]

Bad:
- The emulator doesn't auto-detect the correct save type format. You must manually select the correct format. Use this for reference.
- You must select and load a ROM before entering into the main emulator GUI. So you can't just open the emulator and do some configuration before loading a ROM.

Both of these points make the emulator a pain to use for me. You sometimes need to load a game, then switch save type, then reset to get the game to work. Fantastic emulator otherwise, the new release plays everything smoothly with the new renderer (which has some tiny artefacts that don't detract from the game).

[Agozer]

- You must select and load a ROM before entering into the main emulator GUI. So you can't just open the emulator and do some configuration before loading a ROM.

I believe things are different in the "registered" version of the emulator that comes with a debugger. At least if Martin has designed No$Gba the same way he designed his Gameboy emulator, No$Gmb.

Then again, I can't be sure, because I haven't tested the version with a debugger.

Yes, No$Gba is the best DS emulator out there at the moment.

[franpa]

the donation requirement is weird >.> it says at the bottom ov v2.6 changelog that versions after 1.9 are freeware.... so why are we being forced to pay for it?

[neo_bahamut1985]

Apparently the author "doesn't have enough money" so, he asked to do it. Sure, I paid the $2.50, but, keep in mind, this version freakin rules. I think it should be called yes$GBA

[Jipcy]

the donation requirement is weird >.> it says at the bottom ov v2.6 changelog that versions after 1.9 are freeware.... so why are we being forced to pay for it?

It's new for v2.6; he hasn't updated all of his website yet.

You're not being forced to pay for it. You're being asked to pay if you want the most recent version.

Given all the money you're saving by not buying the real GBA/DS games, quitcherbitchin!

[paulguy]

Runs in Wine, too! Good speed with sound.

Code: Select all

paul@blah ~/no$gba $ wine --version
wine-0.9.46

[byuu]

And finally, I hope no one is so poor/idealistic as to not be able/willing to donate a paltry $2.50 to get his great emulator.

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but some people have ideals that do not go away just because the dollar amount is low enough for them to personally shrug off.

It also doesn't help any that he closes the source to his emulator. Once he stops working on it, nobody benefits from it any longer.

But you know what I would pay for? And $20 or more at that?
http://nocash.emubase.de/gbatek.htm

That document alone is why I would donate to him if I were interested at all in a GBA/DS emulator. In fact, I may donate anyway just to show thanks for that.

[neo_bahamut1985]

Holy cr--! Talk about a smart programmer! Geez, Martin sure did his homework.

[Gil_Hamilton]

I can't help it. Every time I see nocash, I laugh.

[I.S.T.]

And finally, I hope no one is so poor/idealistic as to not be able/willing to donate a paltry $2.50 to get his great emulator.

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but some people have ideals that do not go away just because the dollar amount is low enough for them to personally shrug off.

It also doesn't help any that he closes the source to his emulator. Once he stops working on it, nobody benefits from it any longer.

But you know what I would pay for? And $20 or more at that?
http://nocash.emubase.de/gbatek.htm

That document alone is why I would donate to him if I were interested at all in a GBA/DS emulator. In fact, I may donate anyway just to show thanks for that.

Hell, you do that and the guy is one step closer to making the non-debugger version free again.

[byuu]

I can't help it. Every time I see nocash, I laugh.

What do you expect? He works for Microsoft's marketing department. You might recognize his work from the "Plays for Sure" promotion.

[adventure_of_link]

yeah it's called no$gba yet he's asking for $2.50 donations

[PHoNyMiKe]

wow you guys are all out of the loop. he calls it nocash cause he's got no cash. no$gba has been around for years, as it is the most accurate gba emulator and has the best debugger possible. since the ds if similar to the gba, he added ds support. and as always, if you don't like him or the emulator, go download some other fucking emulator, he's not holding a gun to your head and forcing you to use it.

[ReRuss]

No$Gb was the first emulator I ever tried back in the day , I was quite impressed

I havnt tested his GBA/DS versions tho , since I dont play much GBA or DS on my PC...

[Gil_Hamilton]

wow you guys are all out of the loop. he calls it nocash cause he's got no cash. no$gba has been around for years, as it is the most accurate gba emulator and has the best debugger possible. since the ds if similar to the gba, he added ds support. and as always, if you don't like him or the emulator, go download some other fucking emulator, he's not holding a gun to your head and forcing you to use it.

Nocash is still a funny guy.

[byuu]

wow you guys are all out of the loop. he calls it nocash cause he's got no cash.

He should get a job then, like everyone else in the world. You don't see me begging for cash every other week because I'm too lazy to work.

[PHoNyMiKe]

everybody else in the world has a job? man I figured at least 20% of the population had no job. if he spends a lot of his own time on something, does he not deserve to be paid? just because most other software emulators are given away as free? hell maybe I should start a car company that gives away free cars. then all other car companies should give away free cars! brilliant.

[franpa]

i just find it odd that he forces you to pay him if you want to use his stuff when the changelog says his stuff is freeware (or was it free)

[Snark]

i just find it odd that he forces you to pay him if you want to use his stuff when the changelog says his stuff is freeware (or was it free)

The major thing is a new software renderer for the 3d parts a DS game. Oh, and also he wants a $2.50 donation from you to get the latest version (only the most recent version will require a donation. As he updates his program, he will release older versions for free.)

CAUTION:
The shareware & commecial versions include debugging features which are
useful for programmers ONLY, these versions are COMPLETELY USELESS for
gamers. That means, if you are a gamer, then you do NOT need to buy (or
steal) anything, you already GOT EVERYTHING you need FOR FREE.

Anyway, I tried it and it's very impressive, though the speed vary greatly depending on the games. Ranging from 100% (Puyo Puyo Fever) to 20% (Electroplankton) on my p4 2.4ghz

[byuu]

everybody else in the world has a job? man I figured at least 20% of the population had no job.

I'm sorry, I thought you were capable of comprehending generalizations. Yes, like 80+% of the population who are expected to be and are self-sufficient.

if he spends a lot of his own time on something, does he not deserve to be paid?

Sure, if he makes his own product. Does he deserve to be compensated by piggybacking on the success of Nintendo's DS Lite? Not so much. Myself, I don't even like the idea of emulators while said physical systems and games (not virtual licenses to emulators and game images) are still being sold commercially. As for when a system is old enough to emulate, I like to go by this research.

But then, I'm not asking you to agree with my viewpoint. While legality is absolute, morality varies per person. I was responding to Jipcy's comment about ideals. Feel free to pay for the emulator (and subsequent releases) if you want.

And before someone calls me cheap -- if it were about me just wanting everything for free, I'd just grab the copy up on TPB right now, and claim I donated. That way others would donate, and I could continue getting new releases of this guy's work.

hell maybe I should start a car company that gives away free cars. then all other car companies should give away free cars! brilliant.

As soon as a method of distributing copies of cars over the internet for free is invented, I promise you I'll give away free copies of mine to everyone.

In the meantime, I hear Slashdot loves car analogies. You might have better luck posting there from now on.

[Jipcy]

While legality is absolute, morality varies per person.

I think the point you're trying to make here is the contrast between legality and morality, but do you seriously believe that laws (and the violation of them) is absolute or black and white or can be objectively decided? At least in America it's not. That's why we have lawyers, and juries, and judges. The entire justice system, really.

Perhaps, though, you mean that we must generally accept the laws of our community, and don't have a choice at any given moment whether or not we are required to follow those laws, whereas morals are (in an enlightened person) a personal choice that we can choose to follow in whatever way we want.

Further discussion on this topic should be based on the relationship among morals, ethics, and laws (on which I'll have to do a bit of research in order to continue the discussion).

I was responding to Jipcy's comment about ideals.

Anyway, about my comment on ideals. It is my opinion that $2.50 is a quite reasonable amount of money for what you get (a good DS emulator that allowed you to play many DS games at near-full speed on relatively old hardware). All but the most cash-strapped computer users could probably afford the amount. However, I realized that the vast majority of emulator users, and in fact most computer geeks, are unaccustomed to paying for really any software at all (besides games perhaps). Especially not smallish utilities/games/emulators. Many of these said people actually seem to go out of there way to avoid paying for software, sometimes going through extraordinary means to circumvent measures designed to make them pay for what they get. So I was hoping that people who are idealistically against paying for any software would look at the reality of $2.50 and just give Martin a break. I appreciate his software, so I don't have much problem paying this token amount of money to get the latest version. (Though I don't plan on paying for each new version. This version is the first version to really "work" for me for DS games, so I'll just wait until he releases a newer version that I have for free.)

I've also paid for license keys for Getright and WinRAR. In hindsight, getting the license key for Getright was probably a mistake, because their software has become much less useful in the new world of widespread broadband, but on the other hand, I had been using pirated keys for years, so I'm really just retroactively paying for all that time I pirated it. As for WinRAR, I thought I might as well show my appreciation for the software, and I wanted to get rid of the damn reminder window.

Hell, I even paid for a legit license for Office 2007 Ultimate ($60 via http://www.theultimatesteal.com).

[byuu]

do you seriously believe that laws (and the violation of them) is absolute or black and white or can be objectively decided?

I agree that the reality is quite different, but that is the idea behind law, yes. That all laws apply equally and the same to all citizens. Of course that's rarely the case, and the Bush administration more than anyone has shown what a farce that is.

Still, you can ask the question, is no$gba legal? And the answer is yes. Can Nintendo lobby enough and get a judge to interpret the same text that exonerated Bleem! over and over again (until they finally went bankrupt from all the court cases) differently? Sadly, probably yes.

But morality ... I feel it's wrong to profit off of a system, especially one that's still for sale. I think about how I'd feel if I spent years designing hardware, investing in its manufacture, and marketing it, just to have some kid clone my work and try and profit from it. And I think I'd feel pretty bad.

I look at a system like the SNES, and I see a system Nintendo has conveniently forgotten about. I can't buy a console to play my old carts on from Nintendo anymore. I can't even transfer my cartridges onto the Wii and play them on their (game-specific) simulator. They want me to re-buy all of my games over (and over) again. And I look at the age, the console is seventeen years old. I feel it's well worth the time for the SNES, and most of its software, to be in the public domain. Nintendo's potential losses on Wii virtual console licensing sales, which will be worthless in six years when the Wii is discontinued, really don't elicit any emotional response at all from me. Yet I still wouldn't feel right charging money for a pure software emulator.

Again, I don't ask others to agree with me. If you give me any credit at all, you can at least say that I practice what I preach.

Anyway, about my comment on ideals. It is my opinion that $2.50 is a quite reasonable amount of money for what you get

I agree. For all the work he put into it, $2.50 is a steal. I'd probably buy most commercial software if it were as reasonably priced, and there was no free alternative. Sorry, I got the wrong impression from your post. It seemed like you were saying ideals only matter when the dollar amount is too high.

I've also paid for license keys for Getright and WinRAR.

Hah, WinRAR. I just stopped using it because of that nag screen. I reboot to Linux and use file-roller now instead. If anything, it encourages me to stick to an OS that coincides with my ideals on the value of software.

Myself, I've probably spent about $1,000 on PC software in my lifetime.

---

EDIT: here, I wrote an article on my feelings on this matter. Feel free to disagree with me if you choose.

http://byuu.cinnamonpirate.com/articles/emuethics/

[neo_bahamut1985]

Games run real nice now (like Tony Hawk's Downhill, etc) run at near full speed!

[PHoNyMiKe]

gameshark wouldn't exist without all the other games, talk about piggybacking. let's form a boycott on that.