MiSTer FPGA – Étoile Princesse (エトワール プリンセス) / Sharp X68000 [BETA]

Here’s an interesting one I discovered while going through the X68000 library. Nice hi-res graphics and good sound design, with some rather simple gameplay that includes a fair amount of secrets if you search around a bit. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be able to switch characters from the selection screen that comes up before each stage, but perhaps that’s something that is unlocked later on in the adventure. Overall its a pretty decent game that I look forward to playing more of later on. I couldn’t figure out how to get saving working, and am guessing the floppy disk version is necessary to use this function, possibly with a blank formatted disk. Some minor graphical glitches I noted but nothing major or progress-stopping.

Preview video for the work-in-progress Sharp X68000 core. Currently this core is getting rapid improvements and I wanted to share some of the experiences I’ve had with it so far. This amazing late 80’s computer is shaping up into a wonderful core on MiSTer, but has many quirks as you might expect from a Japan-only computer from this time period.

The X68000 features top-tier visuals and audio for its time, often surpassing what was available in arcades even. MIDI implementations for many of the games in its library sound fantastic and what I’ve heard with MT-32pi on MiSTer so far is very promising. Videos for other systems may be a bit slower on my channel as I help to test and report things with the core, but I will try and share what I can along this journey. Thanks for your patience! With these preview videos I hope you can look forward to this system being realized to its fullest potential on MiSTer in time. This is a very exciting development!

Thanks to Puu for the original implementation to FPGA, and to Wark for further work on that. Currently Kitrinx and Sorg are working heavily on the core to implement things correctly and smooth out some rough edges to make the system easier to use with modern displays and hardware.

Also thanks to the team of testers, original hardware owners and translators helping to make this a reality.

*NOTE – There may be some stutter in scrolling due to the system’s display output of 55hz. The core has a 60fps option to help smooth this out, but either way the scrolling will look better in-person on a compatible display compared to what is captured in videos. 60fps mode may speed up gameplay by ~9% if the game uses raster interrupt.

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X68000 BETA core 12-09-2021 build – Etoile Princesse
A.K.A: エトワール プリンセス , Star Princess

Filter: Hi-Res Gaussian Sharp 07 // Gamma: Off

Display Frequency: 60fps

Played using a Hori Fighting Commander (PS4 v2) w/ 1ms USB polling.

Video: Integer scaled to 1080p // HDMI to Datapath e1s capture card

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|:=-Timestamps-=:|
00:00:00​​ – Boot
00:00:46​​ – Title / Intro
00:02:35 – Gameplay (First three stages)

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Occasional livestreams on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/WalrusFPGA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WalrusFPGA

=—————CONTRIBUTE—————=

None of this would be possible without the constant hard work of Sorgelig. It cannot be overstated how much he has done and continues to do for this project, since its beginning. You can support him either at his Patreon in the link below, or on Paypal, depending on your preference. MiSTer is a paradigm shift in how we can experience these classic games. This is a long-term preservation project that will continue to grow so that gamers today and in the future can experience these excellent systems as accurately and lag-free as possible. Donating what you can will help keep the updates coming. Thank you.

Patreon: https://patreon.com/FPGAMiSTer

PayPal: https://paypal.me/FPGAMiSTer

NOTE: I am not affiliated with Sorgelig and am only sharing these links as a fan of the project who wishes to see it continue to grow rapidly.

=—————–INFORM—————–=

Github link for this core: https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/X68000_MiSTer

MiSTer Forum/Wiki/Github (source, guides and info): http://MiSTerFPGA.org

Official MiSTer Discord for live chat/help: https://discord.gg/4xKVg4XVYn
(Be respectful; this server is moderated. New users must be verified.)

=——————BUILD——————=

Worldwide list of sellers for MiSTer expansion boards: https://misterfpga.org/viewforum.php?f=34&sid=74e1c5e7dae1b99284789d93194cfa0b

I have personally ordered all my parts from https://www.MiSTerAddons.com and have been 100% satisfied with the quality and service there. (North American seller. If in a different region, check list linked above for best local shipping rates.)

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