The first fully functional emulator for Philips CD-i system has been released named simply as CD-i Emulator. From this official website you can demo a time limited release of the emulator bearing in mind you need the full original CD-i ROM (BIOS) in order for the emulator to function. Full support including player compatibility listings and details about how to obtain your CD-i players ROM is also provided.
Holy grail in reach? Have we acquired the marketed range?
27/10/2009 | 22:03 GMT - Devin | Blog | Forums
Being the 'Game of the Decade' on Black Moon it should come as no surprise that I am obsessed about Burn:Cycle! I know everything about this game and also that it doesn't bloody work in any emulator to date. Well, finally thanks to CD-i Fan the hordes of Sol Cutter worshippers can see a glimmer of hope with news that CD-i Emulator is showing signs of life when playing this game. Much better than the Black/Blue screen the emulator splutters out at the moment in the commercial release! It's reported the game plays just shy of 5 minutes before faltering, fingers crossed this number can be improved for the 'Green Stamp' of full support!
October 18, 2009
News Round Up - The Endians are Coming!
18/10/2009 | 14:27 GMT - Devin | Blog | Forums
In a feeble attempt to hold back the damn of CD-i news hitting us, here's another news round up!
First there has been a great deal of movement on the MESS CD-i driver as you can see from these videos showing Lemmings, Hotel Mario, Whack-A-Bubble and Pac-Panic.
In further news on the emulation front, the CD-i Emulator website has been updated with pretty pictures of the Digital Video Cartridge in various guises. Although be careful if your viewing these pictures in a place of work as they do contain bare circuit boards. A very fine selection of robot porn I might add, which can be found under the hardware section.
If that hasn't titilated you enough, then Bas has posted some more on interactive Dreams trying to define what it is to be CD-i, is it 16 bit or 32 bit? The mystery of CD-i continues!
October 14, 2009
Forget the Zelda Games!
14/10/2009 | 23:36 GMT - Devin | Blog | Forums
So if you had the time to read this months edition of Games™ you'll find yet another article about Zelda's Adventure and how crap it was! Well actually it was the 'collectors corner' where some Joe Smoe was showing off his original copy of the game like it's some fantastically rare item. Which incidentally, it's not, just over-priced and under-rated! Yet they still manage to put a shoe into CD-i with the classic line, 'it did have a few good games but nothing compared to the [insert console here].' Not that the publicity is unwelcome, I just wish they'd get over peddling CD-i as some mystical machine with strange, bizare and unknown games (List is under the Games Archive if you care to read Mr Games™!). Then again maybe a decent article in the 'Retro-Chic' of gaming publications is too much to ask for? An In-depth analysis of Philips ADS, the downfall of Philips Media empire and dare I dream it, an article about The Apprentice? No, it's Zelda games, that Mario prototype and the plumber in a Hotel!
This is a nice example of the synergy that the MESS guys and CD-i Fan have developed whilst working on their individual wares. So I've pulled it out of the techno babble posted on the Emuversal forums under the CD-i WIP thread, which, if you can make sense of it, your a better reader than me!
In laymans terms this is what CD-i Emulation of the pinball game Zenith looks like with v0.5.2...
This is what it looks like on the developmental v0.5.2a courtesy of CD-i Fan on YouTube...
Quite a difference I think you'd agree!
October 12, 2009
News Round Up
12/10/2009 | 20:18 GMT - Devin | Blog | Forums
It seems the long CD-i drought has ended at last, so it's a pleasure to write a little news round up of all things CD-i...
First, after a vacation putting Black Moon to shame The New International CD-i Association has spun into action with a deluge of technical notes to daze and confuse most but maybe useful to a few of the engineer ilk. Speaking of which, if you have the notion to belittle yourselves with lack of 'te tek speak' then head over to the Emuversal forums where you will find some technical sorts discussing a new CD-i Emulator. Just check out this thread where the boffins working on MESS, otherwise known as Multiple Emulator Super System, are constructing a driver to enable CD-i wares! Our very own CD-i Fan is on hand to provide advice. With a wash of screen shots and videos it's fascinating to see the pace MESS CD-i Emulation is advancing!
Not one to be left out of the action, the CD-i blog, interactive Dreams, has produced news of a CD-i game in concept called 'Falco & Donjon & The Sword of Inoxybur'. The article shows a mosaic of pixels typical of the time, displaying various icons, letters and characters intended for the game itself. It's a very intriguing find and one to keep an eye out for in the future. Also a few short days ago some cheeky chap going by the name Devin posted the following image on the CDinteractive forums...
Seems to be a teaser of sorts and I suspect we'll learn more in the coming weeks!