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Turn Your Xbox Series X|S Into A Legit Emulation Powerhouse

August 4, 2022 By ausretrogamer

PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!

Say what? Yep, you read that title properly, you can legitimately download and install emulation open source apps from the Microsoft Store for your Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S consoles!

Sick of setting up emulation on multiple devices? Do you want to centralise all your gaming, both modern and retro, on the one console? If you have an Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S, this is now a reality!

PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!

Thanks to gamr13 and the rest of the clever dev community, the process to turn your Xbox into an emulation beast is simpler and does not need any funky bypassing with whitelisting, going into dev mode or other illegitimate modifications.

PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!

If you have an Xbox One, you can play everything from the 8-bit era all the way up to the 32-bit consoles, like the PS1. If you are part of the crowd that has an Xbox Series X|S then you can play old school games from the dawn of video gaming all the way up to the Dreamcast, GameCube/Wii, PS2 (limited) and PSP! You’re basically making your Xbox console into a RetroPie killer!! Woohoo, we can finally play Virtua Tennis 3 (PSP) on our Xbox Series S!!!

PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!

We know what you are thinking, how complicated is it? Do you have to fiddle with controller configuration? Well, it actually isn’t complicated at all and the controller configs are done for you – even we were able to get it setup in less than 15 minutes – obviously this depends on how many retro games you have – which we will not discuss here.

PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!

Instructions:

Fire up your Xbox Series S or X;
Go to https://gamr13.github.io using the Edge browser on the Xbox and on the GAMR13’S APPSTORE tile, click the Download App button;
In the Microsoft Store, click on the Get button, followed by the Got It button;
Quit out of the Edge browser;
Open Gamr13’s </> AppStore from your dashboard;
Install the emulator(s), tools and games you want from the AppStore; then quit;
1. NOTE: RetriX is a great front-end if you prefer it to RetroArch
Use the Durango FTP app to copy/transfer over the required BIOS files and game files (roms) – obviously we won’t link these here as you should legally own these files.
1. NOTE: If you prefer, and we highly recommend it, use an external drive (256GB USB-3 stick) to host your required files (BIOS, games etc).
You are all done! Enjoy your nostalgia!

Oh yeah, if you are having troubles playing your PS1 or PSP games in RetroArch, then check out the DuckStation or PPSSPP Gold standalone apps respectively. DuckStation has the added benefit of upscaling PS1 games to 1080p at 60fps, making PS1 games look absolutely amazing. The standalone FlyCast emulator works great for Dreamcast, just in case you can’t get your DC games going on RetroArch.

PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!

If you prefer video instructions, then you can follow gamr13’s tutorial here.

RetroArch setup

RetriX Setup

NOTE: This post is informational only. The reader accepts all risk and responsibility in installing and configuring any of the applications/tools/emulators mentioned in this article. These are all open source retail apps available on the Microsoft Store.

PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!

AtGames’ 10 Things You Didn’t Know About the History of Arcade Games

April 1, 2021 By Guest Contributor

Who doesn’t like a bit of trivia? Right, if you put your hand up, you can excuse yourself right now! For those hanging around, check out some cool trivia submitted to us by the folks at AtGames Gaming!

Anyone born in the 90s or earlier probably remembers – or has at least seen – an arcade machine. These cabinets, often built from wood with a CRT screen, joystick and buttons, were coin-operated machines usually created to play a single game. Pinball machines were the first to introduce the concept in the 1930s, whereas classic arcades with video games started making their presence known in the early 70s.

The late 70s and early 80s were the huge breakthrough, with classics like Space Invaders, Missile Command and Pac Man making arcades a hot commodity in fast-food restaurants, as well as college dorms. While the 80s started introducing home consoles in a big way – Atari 2600 and the Nintendo Entertainment System being two of the major players – arcades started to slowly decline in popularity as console games provided an easier way to enjoy arcade-style action at home. By the mid-90s, arcades were mostly a special interest niche, and, today there is a huge surge in retro-nostalgia where avid gamers can get systems that not only play their beloved arcade memories perfectly, like the AtGames Legends Gamer Pro – but a real, full size, multi-game arcade cabinet of their own, like the AtGames Legends Ultimate, with 300 games built in and the possibility to easily add more!

Here are ten, little known facts and trivia, about some classic arcade games:

1. Missile Command was among the first group of major arcade hits in the US. It even got its own mod-kits, created by students who were fans from MIT.

2. Pong (1972) was the first successful arcade game brought into American homes through Atari’s Home Pong console, released through Sears in 1975.

3. While the AtGames Legends Ultimate is an arcade machine with more than 300 different games built-in, the original arcade machines and home Pong consoles only played one type of game at a time. The first home video game system to accept interchangeable cartridges was co-created by pioneering African-American engineer Jerry Lawson in 1976. The system was originally called the Fairchild Video Entertainment System (VES), and later the Fairchild Channel F (short for “Fun”). It was, however, soon eclipsed after the third ever programmable video game console, the Atari Video Computer System (VCS, or 2600), was released less than a year later.

4. The inventor of Tetris, Alexey Pajitnov, didn’t get any money from his game until about 10 years after its initial release. He was a Soviet computer scientist and the USSR took all the money he would have gotten.

5. Centipede was one of the first games to become popular with female players. This may be because of the fact that Dona Bailey – who was involved in its development – was one of Atari’s few, female employees at the time.

6. 64th Street – A Detective Story (1991) was a popular beat’em-up in the arcades, published by Jaleco. This two-player revenge story built on the classic beat’em-up legacy from the 80’s like Double Dragon (1987).

7. Asteroids displaced Space Invaders in popularity in the United States and became Atari’s best-selling arcade game of all time, with over 70,000 units sold.

image: Boogie Wings (1992) by Data East

8. Data East’s Boogie Wings – known as The Great Ragtime Show in Japan – was pretty obscure when originally released as an arcade game in 1992. Over time the beautiful shoot’em-up has become a fan-favourite and dark horse classic, often praised and well-talked about in retro-gaming communities for its originality and variety in gameplay.

9. Joe and Mac: Caveman Ninja was such a popular platformer in the arcades that it was later converted to no less than eight different console and computer formats, the latest one being the Nintendo Switch. Not bad for a 30+ year old gaming classic!

10. One of the games revered by arcade-buffs is Zoo Keeper, TAITO’s 1982 classic and one of the first of three arcade games ever released for the American market by the company. The player needs to contain escaping animals from the zoo that have captured the protagonist Zeke’s girlfriend, Zelda (Ed: say what?!)!. This is done by running around the compound, planning your moves. But did you know the game was originally named King Crab?

Well there you have it peeps. What did you think? Some stuff is pretty well known, but there were a couple of things in the list that we weren’t aware of, so we’ve learned something new today!

Internet Connected Pinball Machines – The Future Is (Almost) Here!

July 6, 2020 By ausretrogamer

*This article was nominated in the ‘Favourite Pinball Publication or Article‘ category for The 2020 TWIPY Annual Awards*

The future has caught up with pinball. No longer will this pop culture mechanical icon operate in the old world ways. The online reckoning is here!

The time for real pinball machines to be online has come. The current crop of pinball manufacturers like Stern Pinball and Jersey Jack Pinball are surely tinkering away to have their machines internet ready and connected in the not too distant future. Actually, Jersey Jack Pinball have been beta testing hardware dongles to allow some of their back catalogue machines to connect to the internet via WiFi, but this is still fiddling around the edges of the true potential of pinball machines being online. Companies like Multimorphic have shown the big boys of the pinball world how it’s done by announcing head to head play on their P3 machines, as part of their #PinballEvolved campaign, so the precedent has been set.

image source: Multimorphic via Twitter

We published a speculative feature a few years ago regarding pinball innovation, specifically around the implementation and use of technologies, like utilising telemetry via IoT (Internet of Things), however, this particular editorial explores the possibilities of internet and online pinball and its applications and services manufacturers could potentially use to deliver their online capabilities for the player, collector and operator.

When it comes to online services, there are really two main options, free or paid subscriptions. No one likes to pay for an online subscription, but the precedent has already been set by Microsoft and Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) with their respective XBox Live and PlayStation Network (PSN) subscription platforms. These platforms have a decade plus head start and provide a myriad of services for their subscribers, so the value proposition of having an annually paid membership is enticing. Pinball has a lot to learn and catch up on in this regard, so careful consideration must be given when creating an online service, ensuring it provides everything pinball players have been craving for, and more importantly, what players have been complaining about. Studying the two video game online service platforms from Microsoft and SIE will definitely give pinball manufacturers the edge in delivering an online platform rich with options and services for their subscribers straight off the bat, thus giving them value for money. But, things are never clear cut or that simple!

image source: pinballandmore

Pinball manufacturers implementing a paid subscription for their online service must tread carefully. When users pay for an online service, their expectations (of what is offered), must come close to being met, otherwise there will be a backlash which will be difficult to recover from. Meeting users’ expectations of an online service is no small feat and is quite unrealistic. If an online service is priced reasonably and competitively, then expectations will be tapered down, but users will still want to see value for money.

The flip side to the paid subscription is offering the online service for free. One thing we have all learned over the years is that nothing truly is for free. If pinball manufacturers (the providers) offer their online pinball services for free, then rest assured that you will be bombarded with online ads and the data collected (by the provider) will be sold to interested parties to recoup their costs in keeping the lights on and ensuring the service keeps running as expected – pretty much what Google does when you create an account to use their services, like Gmail. If you don’t like ads popping up while using an online service, then you are out of luck. Free (or freemium) services still cost money to run, so the provider will do what is required to ensure their services can keep running and investment being made for new and improved services.

Enough talk of free and paid online subscriptions, we want to throw around some ideas of what applications and services could potentially be offered by pinball manufacturers to home collectors, players and operators in connecting their silverball playing beasts to their online services.

We gazed into our crystal ball and came up with a few applications, but you be the judge if these will be of value to you when choosing to subscribe to an online pinball service (free or otherwise) to connect your pinball machine:

Underpinning all of this online connectivity is security, from secure login to ensuring users do not cheat or circumvent online services. How these online pinball service providers ensure that your data will be secure in transit and at rest? How will they ensure someone isn’t cheating in tournaments? This is fundamental to any online offering, as the implementation of the security construct needs to be at the heart of the online service and its many applications. A good start would be to use multi-factor authentication or one-time pin (OTP) services like LastPass’ Authenticator. As for ensuring a level playing field (pardon the pun) for tournament play, service providers could ‘push’ tournament settings with a checksum to ensure all participants are playing to the rules – levelling the machine is another variable here, perhaps a digital level display on-screen could be used, ensuring everyone participating sets their level per the tournament rules, otherwise they will not be allowed to compete.

The one thing we do not want to see with an online pinball service is the enforcement of downloading the latest software code and updating your machine before you are able to play it – that would be the fastest way to lose subscribers and put the fan base offside. The online pinball service should allow freedom in how it is to be used and it’s interaction with the machine. A fine balance that should be tweaked and set right from the start.

There is precedent already set by video game providers in how and what to offer to their players when it comes to an online gaming service, so pinball manufacturers can learn from these providers to ensure they strike a good balance of offering services, be it free or otherwise. In an ideal world, an online pinball service would offer all users to register for free and provide a number of basic services free of charge, including software / code updates and social media integrations as a minimum. A paid or premium level service should be compelling and provide value to the target users, otherwise, they would not be worth pursuing.

The time has come for pinball to enter the 21^st century and join the internet age. Pinball is in a unique position where it can definitely be fun in its current format or provide the means for its users and players to go online and unlock new ways of playing and interacting with their machine and others around the world. The future of internet pinball connectivity is now, so the silverball is in the pinball manufacturers court – make it happen!