The final release has been reached.  That's right, we're done.  All the usual information archives have been updated including the game lists and the error / bugs listings.  These lists will continue to grow over the next few months as I slowly flesh them out.

Sometime in the next three weeks an e-mail concerning the end of the project will be sent out to all those who have assisted in development.  Please follow the directions as usual so we can bring this to a close efficiently.

Thank you again to everyone involved that helped bring this idea of a solid development profile to reality.  The archive will remain up for archival purposes as I continue to add to the error / bugs list.

Previously archived news is here.

NESterDC provided the ultimate way to play NES rom backups outside of using the original cartridges.  However those of us who are true NES collectors know that over time our original cartridges will wear down due to how the NES zero insertion force connector is designed.  The solution is to play rom backups, computerized copies, of our original games.  The problem with that was playing NES games on a computer detracted from the experience and over all fun of the games themselves.  Playing these backups on a normal television set is ideal and the Sega Dreamcast along with NESterDC 7.1 is the key.

When it came down to compiling an archive of NES games for play on the Dreamcast it became apparent that the few compatibility lists that were available were incorrect or out of date.  Additionally there were many bad romdumps out there that did not properly recreate the original games.  This is when 8 Bit Flashback was created, a project to test the integrity of existing NES romdumps directly against their original cartridges when run under NESterDC.

As the project grew and testing and development became a larger and more complex undertaking.  It was at that time the request for project contributors began.  In exchange for assistance with development and testing, they would be given regular project update releases.  It is only with the much appreciated advice and error reporting of these contributors that the project was able to rewrite so many compatibility databases.

At the very end of the project a release was made that basically could contain the history of the NES / Famicom on a single disc, allowing accurate play of backups on a normal television - saving those precious NES cartridges from wear and tear.  At the same time this knowledge also finally allowed anyone to be able to build an archive of backups of the games they owned.  However even more important are the error and bug lists which could only be obtained through years of painstaking research comparing emulation performance to the original cartridges on the original hardware.

Although the project is now completed, the information hub remains as a chronicle of this little project and the dozen or so people who helped build a true compatibility and knowledge base for NES emulation on the Dreamcast.  The development notes, bug lists, compatibility lists, and the like remain as a testament to the time spent on creating something long overdue and placing the power of emulation into gamers hands.

Thank you again to everyone who contributed to the project, you are the reason that it was finally completed.