Retro Computers

Here it is – the Nintendo NAS! (NAS = Network Attached Storage)

The Nintendo NAS contains the following hardware.

• CV860A Motherboard with onboard Via Eden C3 at 800Mhz
• 512 Mb RAM
• 400Gb 3.5″ IDE Hard disk.
• 3 * 100MB Lan connections

The LEDs on the front panel indicate power, disk activity and LAN activity. The power button turns the NAS on (funny that!) The reset button is not connected.

I’ve not put a CDROM drive inside the unit that utilises the cartridge flap on the front. Ive mounted the hard drive behind it instead.

This is the back of the NAS. Its not the best dremmel work, but it will do for now. I’m planning to tidy it up a bit in the future. Im sure a piece of fine sandpaper would do the trick.

This picture shows the inside of the NAS.

The plan was to install FreeNAS, but I’ve now decided to put Ubuntu server on instead. I can then put a Apache web server installation on it and publish its website to the internet. I will put a guest book system on it, so visitors can sigh the log. Keep an eye on http://nintendonas.retrocomputers.eu . I should have the site live by the new year.

Website is now live off line. Take a look at http://nintendonas.retrocomputers.eu

Over the next day or two, I will be uploading photos are information about my new Nintendo NAS. Watch this space…

After making the casette tape cable for the Dragon 32, i managed to load a game onto the system!

Here are the pinouts I used for my cable. I got this info from here.

      /    U    \
     (           )
     ( 3       1 )
     (  5     4  )
      \    2    /

  1  Remote control
  2  Ground
  3  Remote control
  4  Input from cassette (from EAR)
  5  Output from Dragon (to MIC)

To load a tape file on the Dragon, do the following…

1. Create the tape lead.
2. Convert the game from a .CAS file to a .WAV file. Use a tool called DC.EXE(Download HERE!) to do this.
3. Play back the .WAV file with the Dragon connected to your computer via the EAR socket on the tape cable. You may need to experiment with the volume to get the correct volume level for the game to load correctly.
4. Use the relevant loading method for the tape image you are using. i.e CLOAD “” for a BASIC programs for CLOADM”" for a binary programs.

Post a comment if you find this information useful! Thanks.

Games Supremo Nintendo has trademarked the word “Zii” in Japan for use with video games and other electronic devices; the application for the word was accepted by the Japanese Trademark body on the 30th of October and it is only now that it has been publicly released.

According to Siliconera who found this tidbit, it is a tad late for Nintendo to protect the Wii from Typos (ed: in addition, I’m not sure that they got their mitts on the word “Sii”; the letter “s” sits just below “w” on a QWERTY keyboard).

Read more at : http://www.itproportal.com/portal/news/article/2009/12/15/nintendo-trademarks-zii-japan-sends-tongue-wagging/#ixzz0ZqjrG3It

I came across this website today. Very interesting read if you like the Commander Keen range of games.

Welcome to Commander-Keen.com website. This website is made and maintained by a bunch of Commander Keen fans, who are trying to provide the best information and media for all the Commander Keen episodes.

You can visit the site by clicking here.

Picked up this bargain from eBay. Came with these 11 games.

Fifa 97, Clockwork Knight 1 & 2, Croc, PGA Tour 97, Daytona USA,Worldwide Soccer 97, Tomb Raider, Euro 96, Street Racer andy GEX.

I wont be keeping all of these game, and I have to get at least one Sonic game for it. Also need to replace the CR2303 backup battery as its dead.

The Sega Saturn is a 32-bit video game console that was first released on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe. The system was discontinued in Europe and Australia in 1998, April 1999 in North America, and in 2000 in Japan.[1]

While the system was popular in Japan due to its successful marketing such as with the character Segata Sanshiro, it failed to gain a similar market share in North America and Europe against its competitors PlayStation and Nintendo 64.

According to a July 2007 GamePro article, the Saturn had sold 9.5 million units.[1]. However in Invisible Engines: How Software Platforms Drive Innovation and Transform Industries (on p. 131) it was stated that the console had sold 17 million units.