Gooday Gaming Guests - The First Big 3 Nintendo Systems Boots and the Japan Counterparts

Episode Date: December 20, 2024

The NES Top Loader is Best. There is also the SNES Original Mini.

So today I've been working on getting listings up. So that kind of takes away from trying to do videos. But I can, and I like to, do my little podcasts here. I did a really fun one earlier. That's a fun one to listen to. I don't know how great I do it, but I try to get the information out there. So I learned a lot from that one about how manipulating energy makes a computer basically that sums it right up so that was really fun we're gonna do now is go to I want to know the boot process for the NES we'll start with the

NES so I want to do the NES boot process because yesterday we finished PS1's so let's see what NES comes up with so the Nintendo Entertainment System released in 1985 has a relatively

simple boot process due to it its minimalistic 8-bit software. Here's a breakdown of how this how the NES boots So we did Atari already. So we learned that the Atari 2600 and the 5200 has no BIOS but the 7800 did because it had a backwards compatible mode for 2600 games we did learn that and we learned the chip that was going so let's look at the nes uh probably as simple when the ns is powered on it's r i r i c o h i don't know how to say that word, 2A03 CPU. So it's a RACH.

RICOH 2A03 CPU begins executing instructions from the cartridge's ROM. The NES lacks a BIOS, so there's no BIOS, or built-in firmware. So the boot process is entirely depending on the cartridge. So completely cartridge driven i'm pretty sure the the nes and the super nintendo is the same way until you get to gamecube i don't know if we'll go to three all three but we'll see reset circuit the nes includes a reset reset circuit that stabilizes system system during power-up. Interesting.

Ensures that the CPU starts execution instructions at a constant address, dollar sign, FFF. 3F is pretty cool. C. Prevents glitches caused by voltage fluctuations. And we've learned that now all computers, gaming systems, anything electronic, is just a manipulation of electronics, of electricity. So let's try and keep its voltage where it needs to be to do whatever it does. Cartridge ROM access. The inserted cartridge contains program ROM, PRG-ROM, holds the game's executable code.

Character ROM stores the graphics data if not stored in RAM on some cartridges. So there is some cartridge with RAM on it. The CPU begins executing code directly from the PRG ROM at the reset vector address. Hardware Initialization by the game. The first instructions in the PRG ROM typically initialize the NES hardware. There's a PPU, Picture Processing Unit. The game sets up video memory to determine the graphics and display settings. There is RAM. The NES has 2 KB of RAM. It's clear and initialized for game variables and states. Controllers The input system is prepared to read the data

from connected controllers. Display Output Once initialized, the PPU begins rendering graphics to the screen. The NES uses a vertical blank interval toBI to update the display without visual glitches. Graphics and sprites that's not a sprites word again

are drawn line by line synchronizing with the TV's refresh rate. So it's all about that refresh rate of the TV. After initialization, the game enters its main execution loop. Pull inputs, reads, control inputs. Update game stat.

Modifies variables and positions based on inputs in game logic. Render frame. Updates the display with the current game state. Generate audio. Output sound using the APU audio processing unit built into the CPU. Roll of the 10 NES lockout chip in North America models. So this is the region chip. The NES uses a 10 NES lockout chip to verify that the inserted cartridge is officially

licensed. Also it's also about the license. The 10 NES chip in the console communicates with a counterpart chip in the cartridge. So it's checking the cartridge to be original. If verification fails the system resets repeatedly causing the blinking red light commonly seen from dirty and incomparable cartridges. Yeah, so that brinkly... So if you have an NES, you want to have a top loader. Because the other ones...

Oh, the chip is absent in the Fancom and some international NES models. We were just going to talk about Fancom too. So there is no 10 NES chip in the Fancom as opposed to NES. Fancom is a much funner design. Key differences in the NES boot process compared to modern systems. No BIOS or firmware. The NES boots directly into the game cartridge relying entirely on the game code for initiation. Instant boot. The lack of an operating system or

firmware allows for an instant startup. Simplistic error handling. The system does not provide detailed error messages or diagnosis. Instead the hardware in the cartridge issues typically result in a frozen screen, graphical glitches, and blinking power light. The NES boot process is remarkably simple by today's standards. Power on, cartridge ROM execution, hardware initialization, and GameStop. The reliance of the cartridge for nearly all functions reflects the minimalization design of early home computers, emphasizing speed and simplicity over versatility.

The straightforward approach continued to NES's reliable and iconic status in gaming history. So let's do the Famicom now. Famicom. Fam. Com. Boot process. all right so let's do the famicom now boot process process you can't you can't do nes without doing famicom all right so we'll do famicom next the famicom family computer is the Japanese counterpart to the NES. It has a simple boot process like the NES. Let's see if we can... Same chip.

Uses the R-I-C-H... R-I-O-H. R-I-C-O-H. 2A-03 CPU. So same CPU. Does not have a BIOS or a lockout system. The process is entirely based on the cartridge. Program ROM has the character ROM.

The CPU executes in the same dial sign FFFC. Pretty fun. My FFF, I like that. The hardware newsletters of the games, 2 kilobytes. Uses the same picture processing unit. Inputs the controllers updates game calculates renders frame has an apu no lockout chip unlike the nes does not have the 10 nes lockout chip no bios hardware controllers all the hardwares have built-in controllers so the controller is straightforward does not depend on external connections because remember

the FanCon controllers are attached. No lockout system. Simple hardware design with straightforward power and additional hardware accessories. Unlike the NES, the FamCon controller and microphone on the controller 2 are integrated into the system, simplifying input initialization. The Famicom Boot Press is one of the simplest in gaming history. Power on, cartridge ROM, hardware initialization, game start. Without a BIOS, lock chip, or firmware the Famicom Boot Press is almost instantly relying completely on the game.

So that's pretty fun all right so let's go we have yeah we go so so now we're gonna go to so NES let's see how much upgrade is from that NES boot process I'm gonna run on memory on my chat. GPT, I've got to keep clearing out memory. Something I didn't expect. So we'll do NES next. And then we'll compare that to Super Pancon. And that should be giving my... I'll try to do 20 minutes.

Although I've been rambling a lot longer today than yesterday. All right, so the Super Nintendo was released in 1990 and it has a different chip in it it's powered by the same name r-i-c-o-h but the chip is a 5 a 2 2 cpu so a little bit a little more a little more power unlike modern consoles it does not have traditional BIOS cartridge ROM access insert cartridge contains game code so as the same program ROM as character ROM expansion chips optional some cartridges include custom chips like super fx dsp or sa-1 to enhance game performance

these are mapped into nes's address space huh interesting i didn't know that i actually know I know a lot of this reset vector execution the CPU executes at dollar sign 0 0 FFC 0 in the ROM and then okay so then we go hardware initialization the Super Nintendo has W RAM work RAM. The SNES has 12 kilobytes of work RAM which is cleared and set temporary storage from game variables and states. It has the PPU. It also has VRAM loads graphical assessment into VRAM for rendering. It has an APU, the SPC 700, the sound processor initializes to handle audio output. I bet you that's where the sound box is.

Because if you know the Super Nintendo, their early ones had a sound box that you can remove, and then the other models didn't have a sound box. Audio data is loaded into 64 kilobytes of audio ram aram so big difference between um the two after initialization pull inputs update game state render graphics generate sound role of expansion chips some

nes cartridges include additional processes to enhance capabilities oh so we get some idea super fx chip enables 3d rendering and advanced graphical effects star Star Fox is a game that has a Super FX chip. Although if you play that today, it's pretty silly. SA-1 chip provides additional processing power and memory management. And then there's a DSP chip. And these are the chips

that are on the cartridge, not inside the Super Nintendo. Enhances mathematical operations often used for scaling and rotation effects. During boot, the CPU recognizes the chips, integrates them into the system. Differences from the NES boot process, increased hardware complexity,

support for expansion chips, more memory, has a RAM, VRAM, ARAM a ram w ram all kinds of ramp uh supports multiple graphical display modes including mode 7 which must be configured during an initialization uh game start process okay so now let's try theom. It should be basically the same. Famicom. Famicom. Super Famicom boot process. I can learn so much from doing this.

It's just incredible. I can just sit here and learn anything that I want to learn. I don't have to go to school to learn it. I got the school right here. And I can tailor it to my only needs per day. I've already learned a lot of stuff that I didn't know already. Alright, so the SuperFanCom. Let's go see. We'll kind of breeze through this one.

Powered on. Same chip. The RICOH. I think we'll go up to N64 because that's where everything changes in N64. Because you can play both US and Japan games. They didn't put in sort of a lockout chip. I wonder why. Maybe they'll tell me why.

Because they use the cartridge slot as a blocker. So you just take the cartridge slot out. Different spots on the N64 Japan and US games alright so like the

NES there's no boot so I'm just doing a quick overview of so it has program ROM character ROM it has expandable chips. Somewhere I lost my...

It's been the same address vector. Dollar sign 00FFC0. It has work RAM. 1220K work RAM. PPU processing unit. APU. Uses that same SPC700. so that has a sound box too so buzzer boards look almost the same in the back the RF says 1 & 2 as opposed to

us is 3 & 4 region coding unlike the Super Nintendo the super fan conches do not rely on the lockout chip to enforce regional code. Okay so let's see where I'm at. Unlike the NES, the Super Fancom do not rely on lockout chips. Physical cartridge shape preferences prevent Super Fancom cartridges from being inserted into the cartridge without modification so it's a difference it doesn't has different size like the n64 has different notches the lack of north american cci checks integrated circuit lockout chip makes the boot process simpler one less thing to check through Does the same pull inputs render generate sound. Rolls of the expansion chips are the same. Super FX chip for Starfax SA-1 chip.

DSP chip. The difference from SNES boot process, lockout chip does not use a CIC lockout chip physical region enforcement cartridge shape differs game but you can get an adapter to make it to different pins and then you can play that so I believe now that now that I read this Super Fancom and Super Nintendo probably can play the same games on them from what I'm getting on just reading this

correctly. And then we'll go on to N64 which is the same. So everything initialized is identical everything else is identical to the Super Nintendo. And they look pretty much the same and 64 process now we're really gonna now we're really going up. It should be significantly better.

Alright, so this should be a huge jump. N64 features a more complex boot process compared to its predecessors. As it includes a BIOS. I didn't know it had a BIOS in it. Preferred to as the PIF ROM. It incorporates advanced 3D hardware capabilities.

Remember also the N64 had the jumper pack. It had the other thing you could put in the controller. When powered on, reality coprocessor, interesting, RCP, and NEC, VR4300 CPU initialized.

So there's two different things going on there. Pretty cool. Then you get the extra memory pack to play some games. You can only play with that. The system executes code stored in PIF, Peripheral Interface ROM, located in the console itself. So it actually boots from the console. I was always thinking that N64 was cartridge-driven only, but I'm wrong. Ooh, glad I knew that now.

Although you do have to have a cartridge to do anything. There's no boot screen. The PIF ROM acts as a rudimentary BIOS. It performs the following tasks. Systems checks. Verifies that the connected cartridge is properly seated. Performs a checksum on the cartridge header to assure its integrity. Region lock check.

This is interesting. Verifies that the cartridge matches the console's region. If the cartridge fails the region check, the system halts. I don't understand that one because there is no region lock that I'm aware of.

I take my N64 and throw Japan or US games in all the time. Hardware initialization sets up CPU, RCP and other components. Transfers control, transfers execution, game code code located on the cartridge. Alright so now we're on the cartridge. Game code stored in the ROM which the CPU begins to execute graphics and sound data additional stored in the ROM additional saved data EE prom we said we said we eat prominent electric something something something I can't

remember now SRAM and flash memory what's the game code accesses as needed. Hardware Initialization by the game The N64 is 4MB of RDRAM expandable to 8MB with the expansion pack. So there's your jumper pack and then the red one, the expansion one. The game clears and configures this memory for use. RCP consists of two components. Reality signal processor, handles audio and geometrical process,

and then reality display processor, renders graphics and outputs to the display. The game sets up the process to handle 3D graphics and audio. And then the controller input. Game logic execution, pull inputs, update game stat, renders frame, generates sound. Role of the expansion pack. If the expansion pack is installed, the game can use the additional 4MB of RAM to improve texture and resolution, enable

more complex geography and larger game worlds, run specific games, marriage of the mask, perfect dark, which require expansion pack. Donkey Kong 64 is another one. I have some sort of a Zelda game that also needs it. The PIF ROM detects expansion pack during initialization allowing compatibility games to play The difference of previous Nintendo consoles the PIF ROM BIOS unlike Super Nintendo NES Famcom the NES includes a built in ROM that performs basic system checks

and initialization the PF ROM enforces region locks but I don't understand why they're talking about region locks I don't know I've never had an N64 motherboard and I've had other motherboards motherboards are number 3 number 4, number 5

I found a 6 and a 7 and lots of 8's and a few 9's and I can play both so I don't know what that's talking about it's only region locked by it's slot on the cartridge itself so that's wrong

I'll question them about that one I will after the NES RCP provides advanced 3D graphics module save system save data is managed through the cartridge specific memory EEPROM SRAM and flash or external controller pack so you can put that pack memory pack on the controller boot process power on CPU P, PIF, ROM execution, game code execution, hardware initialization, game code.

The Nintendo 64 boot process reflects its leap into 3D gaming with more sophisticated initialization sequence and hardware configuration compared to earlier Nintendo consoles. This setup enables the console to live an immersed and visible experience that defined its era. Which I agree, that was a really cool N64 smartphone. Alright, so we'll stop there because then we'll go to a big

jump to the GameCube. But we'll save GameCube and Wii and Wii U for next time. Alright, so I'll talk to you later on. Alright, bye.