MiSTer: Retro Computing Redefined

    MiSTer is an open source project making use of the DE-10 Nano FPGA board to develop cores which are re-creations of various hardware specs with the primary goal of providing cycle accurate emulation. Once you have a core loaded, you have access to the native functions of consoles like a Sega Genesis or a classic DOS computer. Any games or programs you used to run on retro hardware can once again be enjoyed as if it were on the real thing. The biggest advantage of owning a MiSTer is that unlike traditional software-based emulators, you don't need to tweak settings after settings to achieve low latency gameplay thanks in part to the FPGA accurately replicating the intended hardware functions. Apart from virtually zero input latency, another instant favorite feature of mine included with some cores is the option to increase the sprite limits which reduces flickering produced due to the original console's hardware limitations making the games move very smoothly.

     Getting started from scratch is very easy and will only require a basic precision tool kit if you plan to attach additional expansion PCBs like a USB hub or I/O board. I can only speak for people in North America, but the best place to grab a complete kit is MiSTer Addons. You do not need to buy everything at once and simply start with a bare DE-10 Nano, then follow up with incremental upgrades if you find the cores you want to use require them. The one add-on I do recommend you get with your DE-10 Nano is a 128MB SDRAM upgrade which will unlock the full potential of the project. MiSTer Addons also offers pre-built MiSTer kits in either Digital or Analog versions with everything you're gonna need to get your FPGA journey started. With the pre-built kit, the most elbow grease you will need to put in once it arrives is running the update script and deciding what ROMs to check out first.

    Regardless of the purpose of MiSTer, the investment alone will definitely have people questioning what the payoffs really are. What made it more than worthwhile for me is that I no longer have to hunt for increasingly rare and expensive consoles and then also have to buy a flash cart or an ODE mod for each console, at least for the ones that have a core available on MiSTer. Regardless of whether you or I are skilled players or not, having no input delay is a very important benefit because many games developed in the 90's and earlier were made when CRTs dominated the consumer display market. CRTs did not have any post-processing done on the final image therefore did not introduce input delay so many games were designed around having the player pull off frame-perfect inputs (Punch-Out for the NES is a popular example). The DE-10 Nano being able to accurately pretend to be a Super Nintendo or PC-Engine and having native digital output from the HDMI port means it is able to bypass the built-in upscaler found in many modern displays which leads to less input delay. Pair the MiSTer with a gaming monitor and you should not be able to perceive any input delay at all. As a retro gaming enthusiast, the costs of having an optimal setup just so I could enjoy and appreciate cycle accurate emulation is beyond made up for when considering that software emulation may offer more features, but won't be able to provide the experience intended by the developers.

     Nostalgia did not play as heavy of a factor when I made the decision to get a MiSTer FPGA. For a long time, I have always wanted to own certain retro consoles because somewhere in the back of my mind, emulating them did not feel genuine. I did not have the words for it either until I learned about this project aiming to provide cycle accurate emulation for the supported consoles. When you emulate on your computer, for example, there are extra layers of variables added that open the door to unintentional results that don't ever happen on real hardware. Some of these unforeseen nuances are the effect of the game not running in time with the original console's intended clock speed. This can be mitigated by playing on a platform that aims to faithfully replicate the hardware. My performance has improved in many games because they behave how they were supposed to in the first place.

    Game collecting has been a thing for a long time and many people welcome opportunities where they can keep their cartridges for display but still be able to play the game itself. There have been efforts made to preserve physical copies of games for many reasons other than collecting. This is where archived ROMs come into play and the methods available to play those ROMs. On real consoles, people have been producing or buying flash carts which can be stuffed to the brim with games when you insert a loaded SD card in. Many of these flash carts also provided additional features not available on the original consoles such as save states. On top of that, modern flash carts like the Everdrive series provide the functions of console expansions like the 32x and CD for the Genesis helping you reduce space. By contrast, with the MiSTer still being sort of in it's infancy not every console expansion is currently supported, but for everything that is will all be contained on one tiny setup.

     It's been a very long road in obtaining a functional retro gaming setup. All I have ever wanted to do was buy the consoles I cared about, fit them with a flash cart or alter them to run backups using a different method. When the MiSTer showed up on the scene, I was very skeptical thinking it was just a more expensive Raspberry Pi hobby board running fancy emulators. The reality is that you effectively have the consoles, except they are stored inside a micro SD chip and are run on a small little hardware setup. Apart from being able to play Sega Genesis, PC-Engine, and NES, now I can check out old computers and consoles I was not able to fully appreciate using emulators. Considering that even at the price a full setup will run you for, it still requires effort on your end to get things actually going. It's probably going to turn off people who don't care about the benefits, but if you want to enjoy your retro games the way the developers intended, MiSTer is the answer to that.