Cheap GPU, Mazinger Z & Boogie Wings MiSTer, GF1 Neptune, MD Mod | Retro & FPGA Gaming News Ep218

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:02][music] >> Hey guys, welcome to Pixel Cherry Ninjas channel where we have a look at the best in the world of retro and FPGA gaming and from time to time some random gaming news is chucked in there as well. So guys, this episode is brought you by our excellent sponsor the Zapper Roo project and guys, if you do enjoy this type of content then consider subscribing to the channel, liking the video, leaving a comment really really does help out as well. And if you really want to support the channel further, I do have a Patreon as well as becoming a channel member which will get you access to videos like this a little bit earlier. So guys, over here China unveils GPU to challenge Nvidia. And this sounds really really interesting. So without going deep into this guys, apparently uh there you go, look, it's roughly between Nvidia's 3060 and 4060 and it's poised to price around the price is supposed to be between $469 and $530. Let's just say $500 to keep it nice and square. So that's kind of interesting because a lot of stuff like GPUs are inflated in price because of the AI boom or the GP uh GPUs getting bought as well as that SSDs getting bought, RAM prices are crazy. Yes, we are in RAMageddon. So it's kind of interesting to see what will happen with this, you know, can we get a GPU that's in between the performance of a 3060 and a 4060 for $500? Well, let's see what becomes of this, but if you're on the market for one and you've not been able to get one because you're just priced out by the market, you don't want to pay you don't want to pay 2x what the retail price is and queue up and beg for it, this might be something that you guys want to check. Right, so let's uh see what we have next.

[00:01:36]Okay, so uh this looks really super interesting guys. So Monkey Island for the Commodore 64 guys. Absolutely superb guys. So look, Monkey Island POC demo and uh yeah man, I used to play this on the Amiga, but now we have proof of concept a demo available for download on your Commodore 64. Play this on your Commodore 64 hardware, run an emulator or something like the Mr. FPGA Commodore 64 core. But either way, sounds really, really good. Really like Monkey Island, very, very charming games, amazing games, and nice to see it now kind of make a proof of concept debut via a demo for the Commodore 64. Okay, this is really, really cool, guys. So, this game here is Mazinger Z. Now, this is something that's been released for the Mr. FPGA, but as a test core. So, I had a look at this. I did another video on this. Is it even playing? Let's play a little bit, show you the gameplay. It looks really, really cool. So, there was a very, very cool anime with these flying mech robots, which I never watched as a kid, but I have to say it looks really, really cool. Someone actually left a comment on the video. I loved Homie, I did read that. Where apparently one of the robots in here, one of the mechs in here, fires missiles from the breast section. I'm not a kid anymore, but I would still like to see that, right? But yeah, so this is this is available for the Mr. Here you go.

[00:02:50]Gameplay looks really, really good. It's a fun vertical shmup by Cave. Now, the developer, I think that originally worked on this, was now object. They kind of left the scene, and they left their work open to the community. So, what's happened now is the Jesus fish. They have over or they have taken over this project. Now, they are using AI to assist, so they can go from the language chisel and kind of well, bring it to I guess bring it over to the Mr. anyway. But that is the language that this was written in, a higher, more difficult language. So, the cores are available on the Mr. FPGA Discord server under the test builds channel. Every news video that I'll do generically just has a an invite link to the Mr. FPGA Discord server. If you don't want to test that, if you know this game really, really well, then test it out and provide feedback. I wonder if we can get it as accurate as original hardware, you know, using AI. Anyway, very, very interesting. Let me know what you guys think. But yeah, man, this game looks It just looks really, really darn good.

[00:03:43]It's fun to play. Very, very good aesthetics, just good backgrounds. Well, the layer on the you just looks really, really darn good. I had fun playing it I was doing this video earlier, in fact.

[00:03:55]Okay, test builds. Ah, this is really cool. So, okay, so we've got Romaniac 79, uh the developer that's been pumping out lots and lots of cores right recently. Uh well, everything's recently because he's only been making cores for like a month or so, but um Darius, Darius II, uh Warrior Blade is something they're working on. Well, the ones that are released are definitely Darius, Darius II, the Ninja Warriors.

[00:04:16]Then you've got stuff like the side-scrolling Gundam game. Uh amazing stuff. They're also working on Raiden, Act Fancer, and this game here, uh Boogie Wings. Not something I'm familiar with, but it does look good. It's a horizontal schmup, and something to kind of look forward to. So, I'm looking forward to playing this. It does look good, and I like this about the MiSTer.

[00:04:35]I'm discovering games that I didn't play in the arcade, and games that I completely avoided on emulation um an emulation program such as MAME when going through those lists. It's It's still nice that in 2026 we can find new games, but this is their latest work.

[00:04:48]This is what they've uh shared in in a public Patreon post, yes. Not It's not a post um that's It's not a Patreon uh paying Patreon member post. Anyone can actually view this. So, good stuff there. Boogie Wings, there you go, guys.

[00:05:00]Coming soon uh to MiSTer FPGA.

[00:05:04]Okay, good stuff here from Antun, where Antun says, "If anyone is interested in testing the Taito System SJ Jet Set Willy, uh let me know. The test version of the game has the ability to turn collision detection off, infinite lives, warp mode, and importantly, turbo Willy." And guys, if uh if your Willy has slowed down, and you want a turbo Willy, uh then guys, you might want to check this out. So, there you go. Get in touch with Antun, and uh yeah, help test this out, especially if you played uh with your Willy or your Jet Set Willy growing up. Right, let's uh let's move on.

[00:05:36]>> [laughter] >> Okay, really cool over here. A big shout out to a subscriber of the channel, Nostromo HD. They actually asked a question. You can see it there on the right-hand side as the bottom question.

[00:05:44]Any idea on price, release date, and supported resolutions. Now, they didn't get or they didn't get a an on Well, they got an answer, but it didn't get an answer answering those questions. They said they're not sure of the price and the release date yet. So, the GF1 Neptune is an FPGA device based on the canceled Sega Neptune device and it's going to play Mega Drive and it's going to play the 32X. But, what's interesting is I wonder because it's an FPGA device, will we get like additional cores for it, right? Will there be some arcade cores for it? Will it also do Master System? Will it do some other stuff? So, yeah, so really, really interesting with this is it's an FPGA device. We have dedicated FPGA devices that Analog make, you know, latest one being the Analog 3D. We've got the Mod Retro M64 coming out at some point soon. As well as that, you know, we've had the previous one, Super NT, Mega SG. So, now we're getting this one over here, the GF1 Neptune. And it's interesting because I think they're working on a new game sort of something that looks really, really cool as well. So, good stuff there. Kind of looking forward to this. Not something I'm personally going to purchase because I'm actually really happy with what I have on the Mister in regard to the Sega Mega Drive, fantastic core. The Sega 32X feels great to me as well, but it's not a system I'm too familiar with. But, either way, guys, GF Neptune is getting closer. You might want to keep an eye on that.

[00:07:04]Ah, here we go, guys. So, now we have this core available. When I say available, it's available, but it's it's it's hidden it's hidden in a members-only exclusive this core. So, it's not something that you can just grab via update core, but essentially it's Super Space Fortress Macross, which which okay, which is based on an anime called Oh, I can't remember the full name now, but yeah, it's based on an anime again by Banpresto, the way we had a look at Mazinger Z. It's a vertical shmup. Yes, yeah, got the screen, okay. Really Wow, okay, released in 1992. I think the anime might have been from 1984, if I am not mistaken.

[00:07:42]But it's cool, guys. It's a good-looking It's a good-looking schmup. Plays really, really well. Let's just skip into it so we can see some of the gameplay. And you can see it looks good.

[00:07:51]Down below, the background looks good.

[00:07:54]Really, really nice that we're getting some of these NMK games that were published by Banpresto. Over to the Mr. FPJA. Oh, and the analog pocket as well, guys. Sorry. Didn't mean to neglect that. The footage here is from the Mr. FPJA, but it is also available for the analog pocket. This is currently a a premium core uh not available even via a patron via a um invite-only kind of paid for Discord server. So, I won't say anymore, but it is out there. If you want it, go seek it.

[00:08:21]Oh, really cool here. This James Lambert, man. What a talented guy, man.

[00:08:25]I mean, this is the guy that has really, really pushed the N64 to its limits. Uh they'd on this game, uh Junk Runner.

[00:08:32]Absolutely amazing. It literally is the Skyrim of the N64. Crazy draw distances, massive open world. Absolutely superb.

[00:08:39]And if that data is this video here inside the N64 cartridge, how hardware actually works. So, if you want a little bit of education, you might want to check this out. So, good stuff over there. Ooh, let me press the like button. And guys, if you haven't pressed the like button, press that like button.

[00:08:54]Do it for beautiful Karen and gock gock hyper man over there. Right. Okay. Let's Let's move on.

[00:09:01]Okay, this is really cool. So, Castlevania games here. The Mega Smart Drive by X Rider 74 has entered the castle, making your console region-free.

[00:09:10]Power USA and Japan with automatic 50/60 Hz frequency. And guys, if you've played games at 50 Hz like costs in the Power UK, uh you can go back to that. I do think some Mega Drive games were specifically optimized for 50 Hz, but most of them weren't. So, anyway, frequency management, region switch switching via controller or reset button, integrated OSD display, and in-game reset included. This just looks really, really darn cool. So, if you have your Mega Drive, you'll want to find the Oh, wow. Okay. Uh Okay. It doesn't let me go in by my VPN. Never mind.

[00:09:43]Okay. But yeah, you can Yeah, you can make your Mega Drive region-free. And if that's something you want to do, check it out.

[00:09:52]Okay, this is really really interesting.

[00:09:53]So, Billy Time Games over here was contacted by a Reddit user, Chance Revolution 315 on Reddit about a future Streets of Rage 2 hack with his version of Adam Adam. And oh my god, OMG. Take a look at this, guys. This is amazing. And Billy goes on to say, "This whole sprite sheet was created on mobile, guys. That's insane. Please give your support. They have some awesome skills and a burning passion for for Streets of Rage. Are we getting a Billy Time TM hack?"

[00:10:22]Had to ask that. Right. Okay. Let's Okay, there's the Reddit thing, guys.

[00:10:27]Absolutely amazing. Let's see. When I click on that, okay, makes it a little bit bigger. But here you go, guys. That just looks absolutely superb. And to think this is a person that does not have a PC, and they have made this 100% strictly on their mobile. Which I'm making it bigger again, guys. I would love to see this hacked into Streets of Rage 2. Absolutely amazing. Someone goes to say it looks like like the retro version of Adam in Streets of Rage 4 that you can get as an unlockable. But either way, Streets of Rage is an amazing series.

[00:10:56]Streets of Rage 2 is superb. And yeah, man, I really do hope one day we do see a a hack a ROM hack that brings this version of Adam into Streets of Rage 2.

[00:11:07]It looks very very darn authentic. All right. Okay. Final story here now, guys.

[00:11:11]This guy is just a darn wizard. And Robert Dale Smith, honestly, another day and another controller conquered. So, PlayStation Namco Negcon controller converted to USB and working with Steam. And here you go, guys. They're running what looks like Wipeout over here. And they are playing it with What's it called again? The Negcon. Right. Okay. Interesting stuff here. Twisting it for turning it. I'm not sure how comfortable that is to play. I never really tried it back in the day, but wow, man. Absolutely amazing. The things this guy does with controllers, wow, absolutely amazing.

[00:11:42]I've never seen anyone so freaking badass, man. Absolutely superb. So guys, that kind of brings us to the end of this video. I really, really do hope that you enjoyed this. I don't like liking my own videos, so that's not something I'll do, but I I I don't know if that's a viable thing to do, actually. Maybe I should do it, huh?

[00:11:59]Maybe or help boost my videos or something. But guys, if you have enjoyed this video, then a subscription and a like is always super duper appreciated.

[00:12:06]Uh pressing the like button, hyping the video is super, super helpful. But I should be around tomorrow for another news episode. In the meantime, guys, be freaking awesome to one another, guys.

[00:12:15]This is Pixel Cherry Ninja flying out.