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Joined: Oct 01 2009 Posts: 5316

Basically I'm looking for a device that will allow me to create save states for my SNES. I'm not looking for an actual emulator because I want to actually play on my SNES and not my PC. I want to be able to run my SNES while able to have save states going.

Basically I'm doing this because I want to do the 100 Super Jumps on Mario RPG. I've tried for years and years and years, and never gotten past 90. I know it sounds like a strange request, but I'm so tired of trying on it.

Posted: Jun 30 2010 08:30 am

Like this?

http://www.gamersgraveyard.com/repository/snes/peripherals/gamesaver.html

It doesn't sound like it works so well though.

Joined: Oct 01 2009 Posts: 5316

Yeah, something just like that. I would like a device that could save up to 100 save states, if possible. This thing says it saves 3.5 hours, which I don't really get, unless it saves the actual gameplay or it's intended for games that don't allow for a save state. I might take a chance, but like you said, it sounds like it's a piece of junk.

Posted: Jun 30 2010 10:26 am

Doddsino wrote:

Yeah, something just like that. I would like a device that could save up to 100 save states, if possible. This thing says it saves 3.5 hours, which I don't really get, unless it saves the actual gameplay or it's intended for games that don't allow for a save state. I might take a chance, but like you said, it sounds like it's a piece of junk.

Having read the description, I think it provides save states for immediate use, because it runs off the SNES power supply. The model that uses additional batteries can save your game for an additional 3.5 hours while the SNES is off.

Joined: Oct 01 2009 Posts: 5316

Having never used an emulation device before, when making saves, does it allow for multiple files? Such as...let's say I save the game, then I save it again later on, but I decide that the later save was a mistake, can I go back to the original save?

Posted: Jun 30 2010 10:52 am

Doddsino wrote:

Having never used an emulation device before, when making saves, does it allow for multiple files? Such as...let's say I save the game, then I save it again later on, but I decide that the later save was a mistake, can I go back to the original save?

as a save state on a comp, yes. yes, you can do multiple saves.

as that device that you guys are talking about, i have no clue

Title: Comic Author Joined: Dec 12 2008 Posts: 1179

Only if you save to a separate state. With some emulators, that means hitting a different number, then the save state button, or shift + F2 instead of shift + F1, while a few have keys set to change the save state number up or down. If you save over the same save state, though, the old one's gone for good.

Also, most emulators have around 10 save states, ZSNES is the only one I've found that has 100 save states.

Posted: Jun 30 2010 10:59 am

Why in God's name would you ever need 100 save states?

Posted: Jun 30 2010 11:00 am

just to piss you off

Posted: Jun 30 2010 11:00 am

Fernin wrote:

Also, most emulators have around 10 save states, ZSNES is the only one I've found that has 100 save states.

Per game. Ten save states per game. Each one is saved as a file.

Apparently, save states are very difficult to pull off on actual hardware. From the Sonic Cult forums:

Mask of Destiny wrote:

Restoring a save state on the real hardware is a tricky proposition. To make a save state you'd have to get the processor to point to some arbitrary code without messing up the registers. The easiest way would probably be to use something similar to a PAR to override the Level 6 interrupt vector since almost. Of course recording the processor state is only half of it. You also have to grab the status of the video hardware. Getting a dump of VRAM and CRAM is relatively straightforward; however, the VDP registers are read only so getting the status of those is pretty much impossible short of an educated guess.

Memory cards work on a different principle than stave states though. With memory cards the game is programmed to use them whereas save states just save the status of the processor(s) and other hardware.

The closest you could get is a tool to backup and restore the save RAM from games that have it.

blamemyparents wrote:

...uhm, exactly. What MoD said.

Either way, emulators can do stuff like save states, since it actually records what is going on with the game at an exact second. It isn't the games that work with save states, it's the emulator. When a game saves on a real system, it makes a little note about what you've done, and saves it to part of the cartridge that's hooked to a battery, so that it isn't erased when the power is off. In an emulator, the game thinks it's saving to the battery back up, but the emulator just records what it tries to save, and gives it back to the game when the game asks for it.

Joined: Oct 01 2009 Posts: 5316

Pandajuice wrote:

Why in God's name would you ever need 100 save states?

For the 100 Super Jumps Razz

Title: Comic Author Joined: Dec 12 2008 Posts: 1179

Pandajuice wrote:

Why in God's name would you ever need 100 save states?

I rather enjoy ZSNES' hundred save states, coupled with the fact that it continues to run when the window isn't selected. It's nice having a sort of SNES jukebox running in the background of whatever else I'm doing. Very Happy

Though, I haven't used all 100 save states in any single game yet. Closest I've come is 65 save states used for Final Fantasy III.

Posted: Jun 30 2010 02:07 pm

I remember when playing video games was not this weird.

Posted: Jun 30 2010 02:09 pm

You could get an adapter and play SNES on your PC with a SNES controller.

Posted: Jun 30 2010 03:00 pm

Doddsino wrote:

Pandajuice wrote:

Why in God's name would you ever need 100 save states?

For the 100 Super Jumps Razz

So you're going to create a different save state after each and every jump? I think username is right; you are trying to piss me off!

You guys know you can overwrite the save state and don't have to create a new one every time you save, right?

Title: Comic Author Joined: Dec 12 2008 Posts: 1179

I'll have you know I've been using SNES emulators for nearly a decade now, thanks. The 65 save states in FF6 are each for different songs, so I can access whichever one at any point in time. ...Though, admittedly, I'm sure I have a couple of duplicates, it's a lot of music to keep track of while playing through the game.

Title: Kenka Bancho Joined: May 05 2010 Posts: 227

Quote:

I'll have you know I've been using SNES emulators for nearly a decade now, thanks. The 65 save states in FF6 are each for different songs, so I can access whichever one at any point in time. ...Though, admittedly, I'm sure I have a couple of duplicates, it's a lot of music to keep track of while playing through the game.

You know you can just download the soundtrack right? That sounds a tad...excessive.

Title: Comic Author Joined: Dec 12 2008 Posts: 1179

Somehow, I knew someone would bring that up. Keep in mind, I do this with many SNES games, not just ones that have soundtracks released. Also, the FF6 soundtrack doesn't include every song in the game. Also also, only maybe what... 1 in 50 SNES games actually had a soundtrack released? There's way more SNES games than that with music that I enjoy. Plus... saying that playing a video game and hitting a different save state button every now and again is "excessive" is... kinda missing a point, I'd think.

Posted: Jun 30 2010 04:08 pm

I know the flash cart thing over at retrousb has save state comparability, not sure on the snes version though.

Posted: Jun 30 2010 09:25 pm

Good luck with your 100 Super Jumps, Doddsino. I'm curious to see if that device works at all should you get one, though the review isn't all too optimistic.

I'd like to just throw out some random suggestions, Fernin. I forget who, but someone mentioned http://snesmusic.org/v2/ some time ago. You might want to check it out. I can't say they have complete soundtracks, but the tracks should be in their original format, and the site should tell you how to play them. Also, if you have recording software such as Audacity, you can record your music savestates and then export them as different music files. This could be handy for some of the tracks that nobody has recorded, at least. If sounds like you've got a comfortable method set up, but this stuff might help out a little.

2010 SNES Champion Joined: Mar 01 2010 Posts: 31

Well, I think snesmusic.org uses SPC files, and there aren't many programs that can read them. That site offers a WinAMP plugin that does (or at least did when I last used it) work though.