N64 ROM Imitation Attempts

Thanks to Rices Video Plugins ability to dump textures to PNG files, I've found something to put to good use in conjunction with Flash programming.

This is my incomplete project to try and imitate the background of the Donkey Kong 64 menu:

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j112/rswedlo/SWF Objects/SWF.swf

^The black border should not be there. Its there because of a resolution issue. Unless you can resize the view window to a 4:3 ratio resolution, it won't look perfect. Try maximizing the window to reduce the side effect.

This is my attempt to simulate the Zelda Majoras Mask File Select Menu:

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j112/rswedlo/SWF Objects/ZeldaFileSelectMenu.swf

^Again, there are some negative side effects in the alpha blender caused by the non-4:3 ratio view. Try to resize it to make it look better.

This is my incomplete project to try and mimick the TWINE (The World is not Enough) 007 menu:

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j112/rswedlo/SWF Objects/TWINE.swf

So far, I only made it up to the Start Game menu option. When you click "Start Game," press the Left arrow button on your keyboard to return to the main menu.

Of course! Oh, man, I cannot believe I never thought of trying to do that. I'll get right on it. It'll take days, though.

There are three advantages to making a Flash SWF imitation of an N64 ROM:

1. Your system specifications could suck SO bad, Project64 wouldn't even TRY to start emulation of an N64 ROM, yet the imitation I made would still run in full speed, 60 FPS. It was designed by me for the PC, not the N64!
2. You can fix issues. As the reprogrammer, I can easily attempt manipulations in the imitation to built it my own way that performs without any issues at all. For example, the game Ocarina of Time is almost impossible to fix a couple of glitches for, but if I made my own SWF on that game (which is almost impossible to do the entire game), I can fix those emulation issues by totally reprogramming the whole damn thing, though running the imitation SWF would no longer be considered 'emulation'.
3. You can run it in a web page. I have yet to see a NetPlay N64 emulator that lets you play other users online in a web page within a website of any kind. In fact, I don't think there is such think as an emulator for any console that can run in a web page like that. It may even be possible to make an imitation of the ROM with NetPlay capabilities. No lag, no desynch, no issues at all.

But I am only an intermediate Flash programmar. I know enough ActionScript to make some pretty damn convincing imitations, but I'll NEVER be able to make an imitation of the gameplay of any N64 game. I cannot imitate 3-Dimensional programming via this method, only 2-Dimensional programming. The DK 64 menu, Zelda File Select, TWINE menu options, GoldenEye 007 Menu, those are all 2-Dimensionally-programed things that I can make SWF imitations for.

Sadly, I'll never be able to simulate the in-game parts. It makes these SWFs almost completely useless except for entertainment purposes, only. The closest I'll ever get to making an SWF imitation of a 3-D part of an N64 game is when you're in Mini-Game Island in Mario Party, selecting a level.

Toasty said:

Another stickler is copyrights. Remaking a Nintendo game and distributing it would provoke quite an... expensive response.

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'Expensive', huh? Well, then, I'm waiting for that response. Until then, my work continues.

So pessimistic. I just thought I'd share some of my works, and only one user cares. I hardly get any thanks or appreciation for anyone I've helped or anything I've done on this site. All I ever get is complaints about stuff I do being illegal.

Now, uploading reprogrammed versions of N64 games as long as you don't claim them as yours and probably cite the original authors of the actual game (should've done that, I guess) may or may not be illegal, but if it is, it shouldn't be. What should be against the rules is moderators closing a 1964-repackaging thread just because they think, in their own PERSONAL belief, that repackaging emulators is 'generally' (in no way at all, actually, unless you count helping people) a bad idea. Without even checking to see if repackaging 1964 is legal or not, closing the thread out of personal belief, not facts or legal or rule-abiding reasons, is considered abusing your mod powers. It"s also disrespectful to the people who were trying to help, rather than sitting on their asses playing N64 games on Project64 all day enjoying the PJ64 teams progress.

What also shouldn't be illegal is repackaging emulators. There are only two reasons why their authors make this illegal: 1. Because they enjoy the feeling of securing their work from being repackaged or just feel like it for some reason. If its the author"s wish, it should be respected. Like Nintendo"s general wish, DO NOT MAKE EMULATORS FOR OUR GAMES, should be respected? Very hypocritical, by result. Nintendo should have just as much legal power to forbid emulation of their games just as the Project64 team should have to prevent repackaging of their emulator, as both are things that shouldn't be made illegal. In other words, repackaging Project64 is merely as wrong as emulating Nintendo"s games against their wishes, which you guys don't seem to think is wrong. Neither do I. The other 'excuse' is that 2. It is to avoid confusion. That is a white lie, or it is an unjustified assumption. How the hell is uploading your own configured version of Project64 going to 'confuse' users? Because it has more plugins? Because everything is the exact same except for the plugins and multiple emulators configured in the same package? "Oh, wow, the Options/Setting commands gives me more plugins to choose from! So many choices, I'm so confused!" Is that the idea? Just make a note next to the download link of your uploaded version, explaining the confusion and how to take it, and problem solved.

The only valid reason to disallow emulator repackaging is, and I am really surprised that nobody came up with this excuse, the concern that the user might have actually screwed everything up or configured everything wrong. That wasn't checked when the 1964-repackaging thread was closed, though, as the link to it was obviously deleted.

So, you gave your legal 'warning', and I gave my complaint. Whatever happens to this thread if I continue this, let it happen. I'm not just going to give up like RealityMan did on his UltraHLE emulator; I'm not going to listen to these complaints about my efforts of help being illegal. Although, posting SWF imitations of N64 games isn't exactly helping anyone, but at least one user admitted he was pleased by my efforts, and then theres the repackaging instance where I tried to help. You never know if that was going to confuse users or if I might have really helped out a lot of users, because no one ever looked at it.

Toasty said:

That's not quite a fair comparison. Nintendo did not write the emulators (and they cannot copyright the hardware they are based on) and as such, they have no legal control over the emulators themselves, only most the games that run on them. The emulator writers themselves do have a right to decide how their own creation is distributed.

I am sorry that you feel victimized. Just because I quote the law doesn't mean that I agree with it; I only wanted to point out a potential problem if your projects progressed further. I find your work interesting and creative, but am afraid that it might not be allowed to flourish to its full potential in the current backwards legal system.

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Yeah, sorry, I overreacted. I don't know what came over me; I guess a bunch of tensity of past dealings with some users here built up on me. I really shouldn't have been angry at any of those people.

Nintendo didn't design the emulators and has no control over them, but I sort of meant the games Nintendo made. Nintendo does not want programmers to design emulators for their games (because they are paranoid with having their games emulated or copied), and to match that, the Project64 team doesn't want their emulator repackaged (which, they also shouldn't be so serious about, no more than Nintendo is about having their games emulated). On both sides, Nintendo might have a valid reason to concern emulators being created because they're afraid it will provoke users to illegally download their ROM files from the Internet, and the Project64 team might have a valid reason to prevent emulator-repackaging because they're afraid it will be done wrong or something will be screwed up. I'm starting to doubt my own comparison, somewhere, not sure...am I missing something?

Yeah, I soon realized you were only trying to point out that it was illegal to warn me of unexpected reactions. Although, I didn't know this was illegal. Even if I "cited the authors?"

Bah. I don't think there is anything wrong with it. (I'm only saying. I understand you were basically saying the same, or at least you said quoting the law meant you didn't agree.) I'm not harming anyone; I'm entertaining some users. I'll keep working on that GoldenEye menu. And if authorities revolt, so be it.

BTW, you are the only user I've seen so far who types two spaces after a period, uses proper grammar, and semicolons. I was beginning to think I was alone!

Yeah, it is weird.

åsabo said:

Is'n't MM/adobe Shockwave better?? 3d???????????

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I've never seen it in action with 3-D performance, but I hear it has better scripting. Sometimes, I really hate my school life. I would have more time to learn stuff like that, but all I can do now is Flash programming. Of course, I also know DOS and some other programming languages, but DOS would be the last thing I'd ever manage to pull off making an imitation for.

decspage said:

let me get this right, you are going to make each nintendo 64 game in flash? and your going to do this over a period of hmmm 3 years per game yes? flash is not designed as a 3d game maker. but good luck.

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No, I'm not redesigning Nintendo 64 games in Flash, only the two-dimensional parts of them. I know it sounds pointless, but it's fun, and a little entertaining to be able to see parts of N64 games running in a web page instead of a C++ executable program.

I started a Mario Kart 64 imitation. Because I forgot my Flash drive and left it at school, I'm helpless as to the fast sound effects during the missing logo, which I plan on putting in as well as the checkered flag if I can find out why the hell hi-res texture replacement to make logging the flag easier just crashes every emulator....

http://img112.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mariokart64au5.swf

Menus and all that will come later. Gameplay...do not count on it. Needs Flash Player 7+, best viewed at 320x240. Accurate texture mapping is disabled by setting option "Quality" to low.

Again, obviously, nothing much done, just a preview.

Images used so far: