SMSAdvance is a Sega Master System and Game Gear emulator for the Gameboy Advance. This page is dedicated to my fork of SMSAdvance to include compression support. Currently this is a beta release, as I've just created this version and it needs extensive testing. For those willing to test this software, download the binary distribution and read the readme, especially the compression support section. Do note, you will need to download apack.exe to be able to compress files.

v2.0k - 2006-09-10 (Kuwanger)
Added compression support

Cologne is a Gameboy Advance emulator of the Colecovision, a system in many ways similar to the Sega Master System. Created before the great 80s video game crash, Colecovision for a time was a strong competetor to Atari's stronghold on home video gaming. In many ways I am still awed by the graphics ability of the Coleco, given my memories of the graphic capabilities of the Atari 2600.

Without digressing further, my work on Cologne has been, again, work on support of compression. Unfortunately, the few games I've used it upon indicate that many games of that area aren't very compressible (very understandable given the time period). There has been discussion by FluBBa that indicates that this compression support will possibly be integrated into future versions of Cologne (mainly at my request), and I have offered to make the appropriate additions.

Please note, this version is based of Cologne v0.5. Cologne v0.6 is currently available. Given the level of compression available (along with Cologne v0.6's working Link Transfer support), I'd recommend the use of Cologne v0.6 until Cologne v0.7 (or whatever) is released with compression support, unless one is truly very desperate for space.

Cologne v0.5 k2 - A second release of my modification of Cologne, including some fixes for Go Multiboot (though Link Transfer is probably broken). This is source and all. Look in the GBABIN/ directory for cologne.gba. You will need the official release, probably. Also, you will need Python to use the compression program cap.py for compression.

We've already gone muzzle to muzzle with Metal Slug Anthology, when the game hit PSP booths at this year's E3 (may it rest in peace). However, SNK Playmore is currently putting the finishing touches to its tenth anniversary collection and we've been twiddling our nostalgia diodes from the comfort and relative safety of the IGN UK office.

Metal Slug Anthology gathers the first six entries in the classic series - that's 1, 2, X, 3, 4 and 5, for your notes (with 6 heading to PS2 independently later this year) - and attempts to weave them into an intoxicating miasma of portable blasting fun. Given the collection's status as anniversary fodder, obviously top of most fans' list of questions is just how good a job's been done with port from Neo Geo originals to PSP.

Well, we summoned our friendly, bearded Metal Slug expert, posing the question, "You man! Man in the chair! Is THIS what you want from your game?" Rather than offering any kind of direct response though, our knowledge-riddled pal squealed and clapped in delight the second he'd powered up the PSP. The reason for his outburst? SNK has used the Japanese originals as the source for their porting prowess - that means blood, blood and more blood, lovingly rendered in quirky cartoon-o-vision.

Hi,

Just a quick note to say the commercial pc versions of raptor(Now synthesis 3dmax) has been released for the price of 25 dollars.

Just to be clear, the psp version will remain freeware, but if you'd like to be able to quickly test your code on pc/mac/lniux you might like to consider the commercial package, which includes support for pc/mac/linux(Using sdl) and also a BlitzMax version.

https://gbp.swreg.org/soft_shop/51012/shopscr2.shtml

I was going to make the pc version free too, but I've just been hit with a phone bill so I have no choice, sorry.

In the eternal battle of pink and black, black seems to have come out on top. While the release of the pink-colored DS Lite to Japan last month was met with early morning lines exceeding 200 in some locations, the release of Jet Black on the 2nd managed to double that!

Yes, it was an expected sell out for the debut of the fifth DS color variation. Nintendo Japan launched the DS Lite Jet Black color on a Saturday morning along side two heavily-advertised titles: Tingle RPG and Chousouju Mecha MG. We're not sure just yet how well the games did (although there were actually some reports of sell outs for Final Fantasy III, which was released the week before), but the hardware disappeared rather quickly.

In Shinjuku, lines of over 200 had formed two hours before the 9:30 opening time of the large Yodobashi Camera shop outside the station's East exit. The store managers decided to open at 8:30. A good thing, as the line continued to grow, until it reached a maximum of 500! It took just an hour for the system to sell out at this location.

As tends to be the case, this scene was repeated throughout Tokyo. The massive Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara (do give this place a visit if you find yourself in Tokyo) had a line of over 300, including one person who'd waited since midnight. Bic Camera's large Ikebukuro shop saw lines of over 400.

Famitsu.com reports that this particular launch appealed to the boys. Said one Yodobashi employee to the site, "At the release of pink, there was a tremendous number of girls. But today, male customers overwhelmingly dominated."

A few customers shared comments with Famitsu.com. "I really wanted black, so I waited for this day," said one person. "When I saw the line, I wanted one, so I just lined up and saw what happened," said another, proudly displaying his beehive mentality.

With the release of Jet Black, Nintendo has run out of announced color variations. Expect the lines to keep on forming, though, especially with games like Pokemon Diamond & Pearl coming later this month.