I noticed that most (almost 2/3s) of the games in the Magnavox database use only a few fonts on the box art (Arial Bold, Helvetic Now Text Medium being the most prominent), and was surprised to see that nobody has put together anything authentic in the way of a wheel set.
I tentatively use the 'HQ' expression, there were a couple of wheels that came from poor sources. I did the best I could with them (I am a weekend warrior, not a pro), and overall I am happy with what I've created. Accuracy was my highest priority. Most of the wheels are quite large (only 15 are less that 800 pixels wide), and as far as I can tell it doesn't slow down HyperSpin at all, since most of them are just plain text, and one color. So, I don't recommend resizing them, why sacrifice quality if you don't need to? That being said, I included a folder with 400x175, if you must have it.
There are quite a few Japanese Sega Pico 'storyware' titles, as well as other countries, but this set is all of the ones that I am aware of that are playable in English. Not much point in playing any of them if you can't read them.
Enjoy.
I pulled most of the wheels in this set from one of Aorin's packs, credit goes to him for organizing it, and all of the contributors that actually made the wheels. All I've done is fill in blanks, so that we can have a complete set for the current database.
I've given the wheels a quick run through - quality ranges from acceptable to excellent. Many of them will need to be redone in order to pass as 'official.' But, that is beyond my ability. They're not terrible. You most likely won't notice flaws unless you are actually looking for them. My hope is that those awesome Adobe Illustrator guys get this system on their radar, and decide to overhaul the entire set. They will surely use at least some of the wheels already in this one. But in the meantime, if 'good enough' is good enough, enjoy this wheel set.
Included in this pack is a folder called 'Large.' It contains WIP photoshop (psd) files, a few alternate logos, and large versions of files before they were resized. I didn't bother to clean it up or organize it.
If you have a better quality version of any of these logos, please upload it to the following thread:
A collection of 976 2D box arts for NES. May contain some duplicates. Contains a high number of hard to find artwork for unlicensed games and prototypes.
Also, a custom database that I am using to go with it, since many games are not in the official database - only 16 games are missing artwork, and 10 of those are prototypes. There are a handful of Famicom and FDS games in there. Use it or don't, I'm providing it as a convenience.
I decided to go ahead and upload my wheels too, since I created several from scratch, and updated some from the FTP set that were incorrect. All games in the database have wheels at least.
HyperSpin is not just a way to play games. That is secondary to me. I see it as a sort of 'digital museum.' That is the inspiration behind my 'Ultimate' default themes. You don't just get the best quality images (box arts, cartridge scans, wheels) I could find. You also get a huge number of custom genre databases, showcasing the games in a filtered fashion. Want to check out all of the 'Mega Mouse' games? With this setup, you can. Want to check out some 'Sega Channel' exclusive games? No problem. Want to see every game that Konami published? I've got you covered.
I've tried to imagine every common filter for games that you could imagine, and implemented it in a fun way. Because emulation to me is about preservation of our culture. 20 years from now, your kids and your grandkids will be able to look at the work we've done here, and hopefully appreciate our culture as much as you and I do.
This is my contribution to the community, I hope you enjoy it. If you like the work that I do, please show your appreciation by clicking the 'like' button or saying a few words. A little bit of appreciation goes a long way, and it keeps me motivated to keep giving you more.
What is included: Full (as in every game) wheel art, full cartridge art, full 3D box art, 857/954 2D box backs +2D box fronts (this will display in Rocketlauncher's 'Pause' if you have it configured correctly), an updated and very much improved official database (using the 'publisher' instead of the developer), 116 different publisher wheels/databases (all but 14) including wheel art, several custom genre wheels+art+backgrounds, regular genre wheels+art+backgrounds, a default theme, letters, sounds, pointer, and every game theme I could find (a couple of them fixed+improved).
What is not included: Videos, games
Instructions:
1.In your HyperSpin\media folder, rename your current 'Sega Genesis' folder to '1Sega Genesis' to disable it (in details view, it will autosort to the beginning of the list). Drag and drop the new 'Sega Genesis' folder that is included into the HyperSpin\media folder. You can delete the old '1Sega Genesis' folder later on, if you decide to keep everything included in this pack.
2.In your 'Databases' folder, rename the 'Sega Genesis' folder to '1Sega Genesis to disable the original database folder. Drag and drop the 'Databases\Sega Genesis' folder that is included into the 'databases' directory.
3. Copy or move your old Sega Genesis videos (or download new ones from emumovies.com) into the new HyperSpin\media\Sega Genesis\Video folder.
4. Open 'HyperHQ/Wheel Settings' go to your Sega Genesis wheel, and click on the 'wheel' tab. Change the wheel image sizes as follows:
Large: 290
Small: 195
This is so that the wheels don't interfere with the Genesis console/cartridges theme, and everything displays properly. The proper settings are pictured below.
Credits: Most or all sounds, wheels, letters, themes, 3D box art and cartridge art came from various sources in the community, I take no credit. 2D box fronts and backs I got from the following thread: https://gbatemp.net/threads/cover-collections-for-emulators-with-cover-support.324714/ and credit goes to the respective contributors. The default theme is not mine, however it was tweaked by me, as were the themes for 'ShadowHunt' and Streets of Rage 2 (to make the videos display correctly), and Sonic Spinball (background was not sized properly).
My own personal contributions:
1. The database. I went through the official database, and changed the manufacturer field to reflect the publisher of the game, rather than the developer. Most people don't care about some obscure developer that developed one or two games, only to never be heard from again. People remember the name on the box. That is what i wanted displayed in the info above the game name. Other changes include adding "Battle Mania Daiginjou - Trouble Shooter Vintage (Japan, Korea) (Translated En)." This is an alternate trasnlation for "Battle Mania Daiginjou (Japan, Korea) (Translated En)," as the creator of both patches stated that both versions were worth a playthrough for fans of the game. I ditched the one French translation "Surging Aura" and reverted it back to the Japanese game. No sense putting extra effort into patching a game or hunting down a patched game if you still can't understand what is being said. Miracle Piano is not an adventure game. Changed to 'Educational' genre. Body Count is a gun game, not a platformer. I'm concerned about the quality of the genre field in the official database as well, but I already put 2 days into this, and to be frank I have better things to do. Hopefully someone will overhaul it in the future. For now, I consider what I've done a significant improvement over the official database and I'm betting you will too. Last change - if a translated game has an alternate title in English, that was preferred as the 'description' entry. The 'name' entry was left alone so that your videos will still work without having to rename them.
2. Collecting, editing, and creating publisher genre wheel art for 116 different publishers for the Sega Genesis. I combined 'Virgin' and 'Virgin Games,' 'Hi Tech Expressions' and 'Hi Tech Entertainment,' and 'Sportsmaster' and 'Codemasters' (Sportsmaster was a shortlived sub label of Codemasters, and I couldn't find a quality scan, and since it was just a few games, I just combined them). There are only 14 rather obscure publishers that were not included, and they are: C&E, Chuanpu Technology, CYX, Home Data, KABAL_MK (creator of Ultimate Mortal Kombat Trilogy Hack, so not even an actual publisher so much as a hacker), King Tec Information Co., Never Ending Soft Team, Senchi Technology, Shogakukan Production, Sik, Soft Vision, Sportsmaster, Supervision, and Wonder Amusement Studio. I'm only listing them here in case someone wants to contribute the last missing publisher wheels, then this project will be even more complete than it already is. But most (if not all) of those publishers only produced 1 or 2 games. This project was a ton of work. I redrew many (probably 20+) logos. The quality is decent, even with my very average photoshop skills, because I put a lot of work into them. That, and I'm getting better.
3. Custom genre databases, from various sources I've found. They include:
American Games - All games with (USA), (World), or (USA, Somothercountry) in them.
European Games - All games with Europe in parentheses, that did not also have 'USA' in them. Does contain games with '(Japan, Europe).'
Australian Games - The one Australian game (Daze Before Christmas)
Brazilian Games - All games with 'Brazil' in parentheses.
Chinese Games - All games with 'China' in parentheses.
Japanese Games - All games with 'Japan' in parentheses, that did not also contain 'USA' or 'Europe.'
Translations - All translated games.
Prototypes - All prototypes.
Homebrew - All homebrew games in the official list I was able to research and verify.
Hacks - All hacks (only 2 games) that were included in the official database.
Co-op games - All or most co-op games. Very accurate. Credit goes to: http://segaclassics.blogspot.com/2012/11/genesis-multiplayer-co-op-games.html
Best of co-op games - The 'co-op games' database contained 106 games. The source that I used had them rated. This database contains the top 50.
Multiplayer - A list of multiplayer games, data was compiled from multiple sources. Not verified. May contain errors or omissions. Should be considered a guide, not 'the last word.'
Mega Mouse - All 'Mega Mouse' games from the official list.
6 buttons - A list of games that utilize the 6 button gamepad compiled from multiple sources. Not verified. May contain errors or omissions. Should be considered a guide, not 'the last word.' I considered adding a '3 button' database, but since it would be quite a chore to compile the accurate data necessary for such a task, I decided against it.
Sega Channel - A list of 'Sega Channel' exclusives. May have some ommissions, but reasonably accurate, as it's a short list.
Themes: All games with themes included (everything that I could find).
Action, Adventure, Beat'em-up, etc. - Your typical genres. It should be noted that I personally found a few errors without even trying. This database needs an overhaul, but it most likely won't be from me.
That about covers it. If you find any errors, no matter how small, please share them here so that I can fix them.
Tonesmalone had this uploaded over at the RocketLauncher forums. While perfectly fine as it was, I have OCD and reworked it to suit my own needs (namely, I cleaned up the artwork a bit, resized the main window, and took great care to get all 3 windows to fit pixel perfect).
Also included is a new 'pad.png' file for the PicoDrive emulator, to replace the default artwork. It's nothing fantastic, I just took what was already there and cleaned it a bit and skewed the perspective so that it looks right.
Lastly, I've included a user function for RocketLauncher that will move the mouse cursor out of the way while your fade screen is happening, then once the emulator is loaded, it moves the cursor squarely in the middle of the pad artwork, where it should be.
Credit for this set goes to
@goofers - 3D PAL jewel case template
@Black Hazor - source scans, downloads, and photos
@Avar - source scans, feedback, and artistic direction
@fire10 - PAL jewel cases, feedback and artistic direction
@SupraKarma - project lead
This set includes jewel case/DVD case 3D art for every game in the [Official] Sega Dreamcast xml, which you can find here.
Special thanks goes to @JSinn and @Kondorito. Your insight and constructive criticism has made me more aware as a graphic artist. Thank you for taking the time to help me improve.
This set is dedicated to the massive media contributors. As much as I'd like to name people by name, I'd probably forget some very important contributors, and I don't want to do that. If you've sacrificed your time - the most valuable commodity we all have in this life - to make HyperSpin more enjoyable for everyone, this is for you. You are the backbone of this entire community, and in a very real sense - HyperSpin itself.
I had no idea how much work this project was going to be when I started it. I thought I'd have it done in a week, and I underestimated it greatly. There were many unforeseeable obstacles that slowed down progress and turned a one week project into a 2 month project. I have newfound respect for HyperSpin contributors that I didn't before. This set, while not perfect, is as close as I will ever come to putting out A+++ artwork. It is certainly better than I had imagined it would be when I first started it - and I am proud to present on behalf of my co-contributors the [OFFICIAL] HyperSpin Sega Dreamcast 3D Jewel Case Art HD set.
Enjoy.
This is a combination of the official hyperlist xml, the 'official' thread that Tonesmalones and others contributed to, and work done by me.
I'm trying to steer away from renaming 'ROM' names. It's a hassle for the entire community. At the end of the day the 'game name' or 'file name' is irrelevent, what displays in HyperSpin (currently, the description) is what matters. Big changes are coming with the way we do databases, but for now, I prefer to change the 'description' name only, unless the ROM name is particularly offensive to me (e.g. Sega Rally Championship 2 instead of Sega Rally 2: Sega Rally Championship.
Also note that Tonesmalones made it a point to utilize semicolons in the descriptions. I agree with this, it looks more 'professional' like a movie title. Hyphens will still be used for games like Street Fighter 3: Third Strike - Fight for the Future, also in certain instances, like Resident Evil - Code: Veronica. What I'm trying to avoid is double instances of anything. It looks sloppy. Again, these changes are only in the description, the filenames will use hyphens for everything.
I understand that the current consensus is to include 'everything playable,' even mahjong games that require you to navigate a Japanese menu to even play. I have mixed feelings on this. I didn't include stuff like this because I consider it culturally insignificant. If you take issue with this, speak up. But it's more work for everyone involved - it means someone has to make a 'Hentai Tentacle Master Gangbang Mahjong part 5' wheel, box art, video, etc. I have no desire for this kind of stuff in the official list, playable or not.
Games that are either 'unplayable,' undumped, or 'culturally insignificant' have been exported to an 'exclude' list. The idea is, you can easily merge the official list and the exclude list, to have every game if you so desire. This should please everyone. If you're mad that a game wasn't included, well, there's the exclude list. Feel free to add it yourself. If you believe there have been errors made, and some Japanese games belong in the main list, by all means, bring it to my attention, we'll make it happen.
Games have been checked for publisher and rating accuracy. The list is certifiably 96% accurate, there may be minor updates as I continue to work on my 'Ultimate Sega Dreamcast' project.
As always, if there are errors, feel free to bring them to my attention. We all want the same thing here - accurate data.
You're scrolling through your awesome Sega Genesis collection in HyperSpin you spent many an hour scouring the internet to amass, and you stop on a game. Which one is it? Why, it's Spider-Man (World) (Sega). The box art that you downloaded clearly says "Sega." But the description above the game reads "Recreational Brainware." Recreational... Brainware?!? Who.... tf is that?
So you scroll through some more games. John Madden Football. Everyone knows that's an EA Game... right? WRONG. The description says Park Place Productions.
At that moment, did you feel like throwing a shoe at your TV screen? Did you get the urge to go through and fix the database to by hand, and fix every single entry, so that the name in the box is the name that appears in the description? No... that was just me, you say? Well, I did in fact change the database by hand, and it sucked. You're welcome.
This database is not as accurate as my 'Gamecube' database thread that I started. I resorted to using the Wikipedia database, (because I didn't want to spend 3 days on this like I did with GC) which actually turned out to be decent. I randomly checked games, and occasionally found mistakes. But what I have here is far more accurate than what I started with. To be quite frank, the original didn't even get the developer right half the time.
Putting together a database is a lot of work. Tedious, mind numbing, unpleasant work. Props to whoever made the original Official Sega Genesis database. It must have taken days, and any mistakes made are certainly forgivable. I certainly do not claim that what I am offering here is without error. But at the same time, I feel overwhelmingly compelled to express my opinion that nobody cares about the developer. The name on the box is what people remember. The *publisher* should be the standard for the manufacturer field in the database.
If you agree, hit that like button after you're done downloading it. If I get enough support, I'll share more of them.
Credit goes to Tonesmalone, chex, and Retro Goonie. Special thanks goes to Kondorito for already having box art for the entire database - that made my job a lot easier.
Game names were not changed at all - if you were already using the development thread database, switching to this one should not break anything, and you will get the benefit of improved meta data.
I have taken the development thread [Official] database, and done the following
1. Corrected errors in the <manufacturer> field. I am primarily concerned with the name reflecting what is written on the box - and I tried to be as accurate as possible. So if one game uses the typical 'Taito' logo, but another one uses 'Taito Corporation,' I entered the data accordingly. Sometimes there is no logo, and I had to use the small print on the back of a box or the cartridge. And some cases, I had to use the title screen. I tried to give respect to any situations where there were multiple names on the box. In that situation, I entered the data in the format of developer/publisher, or in some cases, developer 1/developer 2/publisher.
2. Re-added two games that were taken out of HyperList - Super Mario Bros (25 Anniversary Edition) (Japan) and Super Maruo (Japan) (Unl) (Translated En). Super Maruo has the enabled="0" feature activated, and if you want it in your collection, you will have to manually alter the database and either change it to enabled="1" or delete it, so that it it is the same as the other entries. It is not just an 'adult' game, it is also pornographic and vulgar. It should be in the list, simply because it exists - but it's also trash in every sense of the word.
3. Changed the Shufflepuck Cafe rating back to HSRS - GA. This game is harmless. There were rumors back in the Amiga days that the scantily clad female would flash you but they are bogus as far as I can tell. And I personally played the Famicom version - there's no nudity.
4. Added 4 new games.
Downtown - Nekketsu Koushinkyoku - Soreyuke Daiundoukai (Japan) (Translated En)
Gimmick! (Japan) (Translated En)
USA Ice Hockey in FC (Japan)
Venus Senki (Japan) (Translated En)
USA Ice Hockey is not a translation obviously, but any Japanese game with 'USA' in the title fascinates me.
I've included a genres.zip download, that includes custom manufacturer genres for every single developer/publisher, years, ratings (even though Super Maruo is the only 'Adult' game), and two custom genres - Translations, and Sports Complete.
That about covers it.
If you have any suggestions/improvements to offer, please visit the following thread:
I hope there's some Sega Saturn fans out there, because I really put some love into this one. If you are... this is the Sega Saturn setup you want, I promise you.
Honestly at this point, just describing what this is, is probably the most exhausting part. If you don't know, you should check out my 'Ultimate Sega Genesis' pack for a better description.
For those that *do* know, this is my most thorough one yet. Box backs, 2D box fronts, and 3D box artwork for every single game. I always try to do this if possible. Disc scans for all but 30 games. Full publisher wheels for every single publisher, all taken directly from the Sega Saturn era for authenticity. This pack also contains a custom database, using the *publisher* as the standard, and not the developer. I added 23 new games. Don't worry, they all have artwork and wheels. And, I even included videos for the new games, so you don't have to go hunting down any new media. All the typical genres you're expecting, e.g. Action, Adventure, etc.
I'm not going to explain all of the custom wheels this time. If you know how to add 2+2, then it should all be self explanatory.
Credit and thanks: Most of the artwork and wheels came from the community. I added some disc scans (located in artwork4), however, we're still missing 30 or so games. I actually resorted to photoshopping ebay images to get a few. That sucks, let me tell you. But...! I made them look decent, anyways. I turned to segaretro.com to fill in blanks, and for the new games I added to the database. It's a great site for researching anything Sega. Many thanks to them for not putting a crappy watermark on their images, like so many other sites of that nature do.
All the publisher wheels and custom database wheels were done by me. It was a lot of work. I probably have a solid week in this. My hope is that this inspires someone to do something similar.
A brief description of the new games added, and why they were added:
1. Akumajo Dracula X - Gekka no Yasokyoku (Japan) - This is the Japanese version of 'Castlevania - Symphony of the Night, and it has added features (2 new areas, new items, and the ability to play as Maria) that the PS1 version does not. It's worth checking out if you're a fan of the PS1 version.
2. Burning Fest. Limit Over. (Hack) (Japan) (Translated En) - This is a translated version of the hacked version of Asuka 120% Burning Fest Limited. The first of 8 fully playable translated games available on this platform, that were left out of the original database.
3. Daytona USA - CCE Netlink Edition (USA) - The Netlink version of Daytona USA - Championship Circuit Edition. Considered one of the rarest Sega Saturn games. I think of HyperSpin as a sort of 'digital Museum,' and no museum is complete without the rarest game. A database should not be about including only the most fun games, or leaving out duplicates. A database should be *complete*, and it should be up to the user to decide what to include or exclude.
4. Dragon Force II - Kami Sarishi Daichi ni (Japan) (Translated En) - The 2nd of 8 translations available. The description has the alternate title of 'Dragon Force II - The Godforsaken Land (Japan) (Translated En).'
5. Dungeon Master Nexus (Japan) - A Japanese RPG. It's in Japanese so you won't be able to play it unless you have a guide or can read the language. But, it's a Saturn exclusive. As far as I'm concerned, every Saturn Exclusive should be in the database as a matter of principal. This is gaming history here people. If you don't want unplayable games in your HyperSpin, don't add it.
6. Dungeons & Dragons Collection (Japan) (Disc 1 & 2) - Considered to be one of the best imports, contains 'Tower of Doom' and 'Shadow Over Mystara.' It's playable, even with the language barrier.
7. Final Fight Revenge (Japan) - A totally playable Japanese game. In fact, if you have your system settings set to 'English,' the game is totally in English. This game should have been in the original database for sure.
8. Grandia - Digital Museum (Japan) - Another Japanese RPG that you probably won't be able to play due to the language barrier, but again, a Sega Saturn Exclusive. There's no law that says you have to add every single game in the database. But if you're a completionist, and you love this system and it's history, it belongs in the database.
9. Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (Japan) - Totally playable, the language barrier is practically a non issue.
10. Policenauts (Japan) (Translated) (Disc 1-3) - The sequel to Hideo Kojima's first game ever, 'Snatcher.' The 3rd of 8 translations.
11. Sega Rally Championship Plus - Netlink Edition (USA) - Supports the 3D control pad and has some bugfixes, and is considered the 'definitive version.'
12. Segata Sanshirou Shinken Yuugi (Japan) - A collection of mini games. Somewhat playable. A Sega Saturn Exclusive, starring the funny Japanese guy from the Sega Saturn commercials that aired in Japan.
13. Shining Force III - Premium Disc (Japan) (Translated En) - The 4th of 8 translations, and a Sega Saturn Exclusive.
14. Shining Force III - Scenario 1 (Japan) (Translated En) - The 5th of 8 translations, and a Sega Saturn Exclusive. The USA version was already in the database (Shining Force III (USA) ). I did not include the title following 'scenario 1' as it would make the display name ridiculously long, and wouldn't display properly on your HyperSpin.
15. Shining Force III - Scenario 2 (Japan) (Translated En) - The 6th of 8 translations, and a Sega Saturn Exclusive. We only got 'Scenario 1' in North America in the form of 'Shining Force III (USA).'
16. Shining Force III - Scenario 3 (Japan) (Translated En) - The 7th of 8 translations, and a Sega Saturn Exclusive.
17. Shinrei Jusatsushi Taromaru (Japan) - A Sega Saturn Exclusive. From Wikipedia: "The game has the distinction of being one of the Sega Saturn's rarest and most difficult games to obtain, mainly due in part to Time Warner Interactive ceasing operations after only 7,500 copies of it were manufactured. eBay auctions for the game can start for as high as $1,000." "Retro Gamer included it on their list of ten essential Saturn imports, described as "a delightfully nutty game that takes elements of Shinobi and Alisa Dragoon and marries them to insanely over-the-top action scenes that involve gigantic frogs and fantastic scaling and rotating effects. "
18. Shoujo Kakumei Utena - Itsuka Kakumei Sareru Monogatari (Japan) (Translated En) (Disc 1 & 2) - The 8th of 8 translations. Seems to be a graphic novel type game.
19. Virtual-On - Cyber Troopers - Netlink Edition (USA) - The Netlink Edition game of the same name. A two player online version. I'm not sure if that means anything to a gamer or not, perhaps an emulator can implement the feature somehow.
20. X-Men vs. Street Fighter (Japan) - The definitive version of my personal favorite in the Capcom 'Vs.' series. Puts the PS1 version to shame (which lacked several of the arcade features). This game is totally playable, language barrier is barely an issue (if at all).
A few tips on making the translations work. I'm using the Mednafen emulator. It's the best. The Retroarch Mednafen Saturn core isn't as good, it doesn't have 3D Control Pad support working properly, and the Bios settings come up for every single game. That being said, you're still better off getting all your files in bin/cue format (which is what the RetroArch core uses). If you download a game in any other format, try mounting the disc image to a virtual drive (like Daemon tools lite), then open up ImgBurn, and convert the image to bin/cue.
If you apply a translation patch, and the patch changes the format, follow the same process to get the game back to a cue and single bin file format. If a game gives you a 'disc read error' in the emulator itself, try this process also. If Imgburn gives you an error while trying to convert anything, you know you have a bad file.
Have you noticed that some of the vertical games for Sega Naomi look terrible stretched out (even to 4-3 aspect ratio)?
Well, this is an attempt to address that. If you have bezels turned on in RocketLauncher, and set the aspect ratio to 'stretch' in the Demul module, it should display correctly for vertical games with this bezel. So far, I've only tested a few games.
Here's a before and after:
As you can see, in the 'after' shot the Naomi logo doesn't look distorted. When I was tweaking the display, I simply compared a Naomi logo (with the correct aspect) with a screenshot, and I made adjustments until it was close to perfect. (note that I cut out part of the bezel to make sure the sides are lined up properly).
So while I am not entirely sure if this is 'perfect' vertical aspect, Demul has no setting to do so, and this was a trial & error attempt at improvement.
I've updated the files, and figured out all (I think) of the vertical games. All you will need to do is unzip this download into your \RocketLauncher\Media\Bezels\Sega Naomi folder.
When Kondorito and I started on this set, we had decent source material to work with - but the boxes were aged, rough, and somewhat worn. We proceeded to crop fronts, sides, and bottoms (in case we wanted to go a different direction), and we began to realize... these worn boxes didn't look *that* bad. In fact, they looked like they could realistically be a part of someone's actual collection (because they were, in fact).
Personally, when I determine a box's overall condition when shopping on ebay, I have an idea in my mind of what is acceptable condition. If the box is a solid B, I'll buy it. The same principle applies here - if the box was a B or better, we didn't bother airbrushing them. To us, there is a certain charm to an age worn box. Not to mention, we also concurred that spending hours making the blacks pitch black, whites whiter-than-white, the colors too vibrant, airbrushing all dust specks, etc. was not the direction we wanted to go.
Of course the argument could be made that we just didn't want to put forth 10x more effort into making them look perfect. And there's some truth to that, at least for me. But it was a solid 120 hours of work on my end (at least), plus however long it took Kondorito on his end of things. I'm glad it's done, I'm satisfied with the less than perfect result, and I have no plans to improve on it.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
This set isn't for everyone. If you want a perfect looking set, look elsewhere. However, if you like the 'realistic' look, I think you'll be quite happy with this set. Many of the boxes look like actual photos - the cardboard looks realistic, and the wear and the dust adds to that effect.
Enjoy.
Credit and very special thanks goes to @Avar and @Black Hazor, who contributed towards this project in a big way - actually purchasing some missing games, so that we could all have nice artwork.
This is @Avar's set that he uploaded several weeks ago, with 'inauthentic' artwork that I was able to identify replaced, and missing discs added. There may still be a few inauthentic discs here and there, but there are substantially less than there were.
In some cases, ebay photos were used. The quality is not the best. The discs are round and authentic, but maybe they have a reflection or light that wouldn't be present if we had been using actual scans to create the artwork. They're acceptable, but ideally, they will eventually be replaced with something better.
The short list is as follows:
AeroWings 2 - Air Strike (USA)
Bust-A-Move 4 (USA)
Capcom vs. SNK - Millennium Fight 2000 Pro (Japan)
Ducati World Racing Challenge (USA)
Giga Wing 2 (USA)
Godzilla Generations - Maximum Impact (Japan)
Grinch, The (USA)
Gundam Side Story 0079 - Rise from the Ashes (USA)
Hello Kitty no Magical Block (Japan)
Inhabitants - Dreamcast (World) (Unl)
Magforce Racing (USA)
Marvel vs. Capcom - Clash of Super Heroes (USA)
Maximum Pool (USA)
Monaco Grand Prix (USA)
MTV Sports - Skateboarding Featuring Andy McDonald (USA)
Netto de Tennis (Japan)
Next Tetris - On-line Edition, The (USA)
Puyo Puyo 4 (Japan)
Q-Bert (USA)
Rippin' Riders (USA)
Sega Marine Fishing (USA)
Sno-Cross Championship Racing (USA)
Speed Devils - Online Racing (USA)
Speed Devils (USA)
Sports Jam (USA)
Super Euro Soccer 2000 (Japan)
Super Runabout - San Francisco Edition (USA)
Surf Rocket Racers (USA)
Urban Chaos (USA)
Virtua Striker 2 (USA)
Wacky Races (USA)
Wild Metal (USA)
Yu Suzuki Game Works Vol. 1 (Japan)
If you own any of these games, please help by getting involved. If you have a collection of Sega Dreamcast discs, a decent scanner, and would like to contribute towards making better quality artwork, please visit the following thread:
Also be sure to post a reply if you've identified 'inauthentic' artwork, and we'll do the best we can to get it replaced with something better.
I did some work on this database a while go, and I had big plans - I was going to have a 'players' field, a 'developer' field, and all kinds of other stuff. But I've scrapped that, because HyperSpin in it's current state can't even utilize any of these fields. Instead, I've opted to create custom XMLs. At the moment, I have a 'Two Players' and 'Multiplayer' XML finished - and they are quite accurate, as I compiled the data directly from the backs of the boxes, that clearlly state how many players the game has. Please note that this is for *english games only*. I found the Japanese games too frustrating to navigate menus, and I don't like compiling data from 3rd party sources, so that's that.
Otherwise, hyphens have been replaced with colons in the description field. The manufacturer field now accurately reflects the name of the publisher. It makes no sense to have the name of some obscure, uncredited developer as the name in the description, when we have nice box arts that clearly tell you who published the game. The publisher should be the standard for all console/handheld systems, at least in this version of HyperSpin. An alternative of course is to put both - developer/publisher - and that's always an option. But at the least, the publisher should always be there.
Prior to my work, this database was very flawed in respect to the manufacturer field. Sometimes the developer was used, sometimes the publisher was used, sometimes the data was completely wrong.
Special thanks goes to JSinn for having a complete set of box backs for me to use to compile the data for the two player and multiplayer XMLs.
If you'd like to contribute to GameCube database development, please visit the following thread.
I decided to make a fade screen out of the work I did for the pointer.
This is supposed to look like the Nintendo Vs. Unisystem arcade cabinet side art:
I spent way too much time on this, and it didn't even turn out as good as I'd hoped, but meh. Here it is if you want it. I've included my .psd files (they're a mess) if anyone else wants to work on what I was.
For those who are familiar with my "MAME 0.181 full wheels (minus casino), genre art, databases" project, you should already know what to expect.
The idea is, you get everything you need as a one stop solution. Hopefully I'm saving someone else time that they could be spending actually playing the games.
Included in this pack is an edited version (for typos, errors, and inconsistencies) of the official database, 132 (genre, publisher, and custom) genre databases, genre wheel art to go with it, every theme I could get my hands on, a default theme, wheel sounds, letters, the official wheel art, and complete 2D, 3D, and cartridge art.
When I say 'complete,' I mean even the protos and homebrews. Every game in the official list has a 2D box, 3D box, and cart.
Credit and thanks:
Themes: Everyone who contributed an SNES theme. Too many people to name. I'm not sure who made the default theme included in this pack but it wasn't me. I simply tweaked it to make the videos display properly. If you know who did it, please PM me so I can give proper thanks.
Box Art: (see the following thread) https://gbatemp.net/threads/cover-collections-for-emulators-with-cover-support.324714/
Azzbarb @ Hyperspin
Koolbrez67 @ Hyperspin
Mildanti @ Hyperspin
BajaResident @ Hyperspin
Donnie1979 @ Hyperspin
JuniorUnderground @ Hyperspin
BBB @ Hyperspin
WallyWonka @ Hyperspin
Crapahute @ ColecoBoxArt.com
Shenske @ TheCoverProject.net
Arseen @ TheCoverProject.net
Lumberjack42 @ TheCoverProject.net
Rx_79 @ TheCoverProject.net
segagamer @ TheCoverProject.net
EktoPhase @ TheCoverProject.net
Sheep2001 @ TheCoverProject.net
1980coelho @ TheCoverProject.net
mel @ TheCoverProject.net
PeachWaffles @ TheCoverProject.net
Raven1280 @ TheCoverProject.net
Other Cover Artists @ TheCoverProject.net
mastershoes @ DarkUmbra
Jabossi @ DarkUmbra
ToddofWar420 @ gbatemp
Tetsuo Shima @ gbatemp
sion_zaphod @ gbatemp
mike1 @ gbatemp
drakorex @ gbatemp
RiCK420 @ gbatemp
halen @ gbatemp
Cypher16 @ gbatemp
Seam @ gbatemp
halen @ gbatemp
Wiimpathy @ gbatemp
Pepois @ gbatemp
ModdingBird @ gbatemp
Keith_Loving @ gbatemp
Beast @ DarkUmbra
Timothy Rooker
NeoCverA/loopyeddie @ Southtown
Other Cover Artists @ Southtown
travistouchdown @ AtariAge
Felyx @ AtariAge
Jeffrey_Bones @ AtariAge
2D box: Basically all I did here was set up a batch routine in photoshop to crop out the fronts and backs, using the art from the above link. It took me all of 5 minutes to make the best quality SNES box art I've seen. Then I used azzbarb's set to fill in some blanks. Fixed Barbie Vacation Adventure box, Super Copa box (looked kinda rough).
Box Backs: All the box backs (700 out of the official 807 games) are in Artwork4 folder by default. If you have Rocketlauncher configured properly, you can read the backs of the boxes in the 'Artwork' tab in Pause.
Cartridge: I used the Official HyperSpin set and filled in the blanks.
Database: The official of course. This database needs some work in my opinion, particularly to double check the 'manufacturer' field.
I fixed the following entries:
Jim Power - The Lost Dimension in 3D (USA) database entry, manufacturer is Electro Brain (with a space), consistent with other games containing the space
Ultima - Runes of Virtue II (USA), manufacturer/publisher is FCI, not Electronic Arts Victor
Legend (USA), manufacturer/publisher Seika Corp. (entry did not have the period before, added for consistency)
Changed all entries of 'Sun Soft' as a manufacturer to SunSoft, there should be no space, all other databases I've encountered have it as one word. Plus, there were both Sun Soft and SunSoft in the original database.
Ninja Warriors, The (USA), changed manufacturer 'Taito corporation' to 'Taito Corporation.'
Super Caesars Palace (USA), changed manufacturer from 'Virgion' to 'Virgin.'
Added, created, or edited artwork (Box 2D, Box 3D, Cartridge) for the following games:
Apocalypse II (Europe) (Proto)
Arcus Odyssey (USA) (Proto)
Batman - Revenge of the Joker (USA) (Proto)
Classic Kong (World) (Unl)
Congo - The Movie - The Secret of Zinj (USA) (Proto)
Dragon Ball Z - Hyper Dimension (France)
Dragon Ball Z - La Legende Saien (France)
Dragon Ball Z - Super Butouden (France)
Dragon Ball Z - Ultime Menace (France)
MazezaM Challenge (World) (Unl)
Miracle Piano Teaching System, The (USA)
Mr. Bloopy - Saves the World (USA) (Proto)
Network Q Rally (USA) (Proto)
Nightmare Busters (Europe) (Proto)
RHI Roller Hockey '95 (USA) (Proto)
Skipp and Friends (World) (Unl)
SpellCraft (USA) (Proto)
Super Probotector - Alien Rebels (Europe)
Super Shadow of the Beast (USA) (Proto)
Tinhead (Europe) (Proto)
Uwol - Quest For Money (World) (Unl)
Wheels: The official set. I edited 'Mr. Bloopy Saves the World (USA).' It is spelled 'Bloopy,' as per the title screen, original logo had 'Bloppy.'
A brief description of some of the custom genre database wheels.
All Games: Takes you back to the main wheel. Serves no purpose, other than a starting point.
Publishers (Activision, Acclaim, Konami, etc): I've included genre databases (and wheel art to go with them) for 72 different publishers. I didn't get them all, but I got most of the well known ones. I also tried to use a logo that was consistent for the SNES era, but there's a few I couldn't find quality scans for (Gametek and Bulletproof Software comes to mind), so I had to use what I could find. If you'd like to contribute SNES era logos to this project, or higher quality logos than what I've included, please feel free to share them. I have very amateurish photoshop skills. I attempted to do a few redraws (Koei, Sofel, FCI, Hot-B, THQ Toy Headquarters, and Ubisoft. They're acceptable but they could be better.
European Games: All games from the official database with (Europe) and (France) in them.
Prototypes: All games from the official database with (Proto) in them.
Homebrew: All homebrew games that I am aware of from the official database.
2 Player Games: A list of most (if not all) 2 player games. Credit goes to MPQC, see this thread for more details: https://forums.emulator-zone.com/showthread.php?t=15458
Multiplayer: A list of most (if not all) games that use the multitap. I found a google group dedicated to this list. Credit goes to them. Not linked, because I'm not sure if they'd like to be associated with this or not.
Super Scope: All Super Scope games.
Super: Ever needed to find a game that begins with 'Super' in your alphabetical list, and been frustrated at the hundred thousand regular 'S' games you had to scroll through, then the additional hundred thousand 'Super Something' games you have to scroll through to get to the one you actually wanted? Well, you're not the only one. This was my solution.
Themes: All games that have themes.
Hacks: A list of unofficial hacks.
Action, Adventure, Sports, etc.: Your typical genres.
Brief instructions: This should be self explanatory, if you've even found this. But a quick rundown.
Copy all 139 database files included in this pack to wherever your SNES database is located. You need all of them in order to make the 'genres' function properly. The genre.xml file is already set up and ready to go. Just drag and drop. In my setup, the folder is Databases/Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
Copy the 'images,' 'sound,' and 'themes' folders to wherever you have these located. On my setup, it is Media/Super Nintendo Entertainment System. If you want to test the new stuff out without losing the old, just change the folder names of the old by putting a '1' in front of them (e.g. 'Images' becomes 1Images). If you're using 'details' view sorted by name, the folders you just disabled will auto-sort to the beginning of the list. If you don't like the new stuff, just delete it, and rename the old stuff back by removing the '1.'
I think that about covers it.
If you find any errors, please post them here.
This *could* be an ongoing project. The whole idea behind this is to have the 'ultimate SNES' solution. If you have ideas on how to make it even better, and would like to contribute, be sure to share them.
I have more of these up my sleeve. Particularly, my NES wheel, which puts this project to shame. But it's also a lot of work organize, put together, and upload. So, we'll see.
A 'Console Hacks' wheel I made using the 'Pretendo' font in a faux Nintendo logo, and the word 'Hacks' made from SNES letters I made myself.
Enjoy.
I got sidetracked from 'Ultimate Sega Dreamcast,' and this is the result. Originally I just intended to get the wheel looking 'respectable,' but then my OCD took over, and well, you know the rest.
I hesitated to call this one of my 'Ultimate' setups, because there aren't many games, nor is there a lot of media associated with this system, but then, what else would I call it. So maybe I should define what an 'Ultimate' setup is. An ultimate pack is the best available media, database, and whatever else I could think to include for a system. I take the best stuff I can find from the community, organize it in my own way, then add my own content to spruce it up some more.
Credits:
Aorin already did up a set of wheels. They're title shots mostly. I prefer plain text for any Japanese system (so that I can easily read the titles), but I've included his set, because I realize some people prefer artwork. This system doesn't have any box art, because the games were broadcast via satellite.
Ninja2bceen did a nice pointer.
Sounds and letters I grabbed from the community.
My contribution:
I already had most of the publisher wheels, so I went ahead and did up the rest. Full publisher wheels, and genres/backgrounds.
I made modest changes to the database. Usually, I prefer to use the publisher, but in this particular instance, I left things alone for the most part. The publisher would have been Nintendo in most cases.
Nippon Computer Systems Corp. became NCS Corp. Panel de Pon - Event '98 (Japan) had 'Intelligent Systems' as the manufacturer, but there is no mention of them anywhere in game - Nintendo takes credit. So I changed it to Nintendo. I did a little bit of research, Intelligent Systems was a 2nd party developer for Nintendo. So either way, it isn't inaccurate to just use Nintendo.
Golf Daisuki! O.B. Club (Japan) has a translated patch availabe. I changed the name of the entry to reflect that, and the name in the description is the English name "I Love Golf! (Japan) (Translated En)." The crc was changed to reflect the crc of the file after it is patched, which probably won't do you much good lol. When you go to look for this game, it more than likely won't be the right one. The crc you need is BA9C98D3. I found the forum of the creators of the patch, there's a thread there where someone was complaining about not being able to find the right ROM with the right crc, and they released a patch to convert the ROM to the correct one. Rather than make you go through all that, and since it is simply a patch with no legal nefariousness involved, I've included it here (golfromfix.rar). And also, the IPS patch to translate the game. Apply the golfromfix first, then the "I Love Golf! - Out Of Bounds Club v1.00 IPS.zip" second.
I added alternate versions of "BS - Legend of Zelda." They are as follows, with a brief description:
1. BS Legend of Zelda, The - Third Quest (Japan) (Translated En) - Removes the time limit that the normal game has, so that it plays just like a normal Zelda game. Beginners should start with this one.
2. BS Legend of Zelda, The - Link Version (Japan) (Translated En) - Play as Link, instead of the dufus with the baseball cap.
3. BS Legend of Zelda, The - Mottzilla Project (Japan) (Translated En) - Has map 1 and map 2 built in.
Since you're going to have a hard time finding videos for this system, I went ahead and included what I have, and screenshots for what I didn't, so that your wheel isn't completely bare.
If anyone knows a good source of videos for this system, please do share.
If there's any mistakes, please message me so I can fix them. If you feel you have a contribution to improve this project, I welcome any support.
golfromfix.rar
I Love Golf! - Out Of Bounds Club v1.00 IPS.zip
I've corrected the 'manufacturer' meta data to reflect the developer/publisher accurately. I've also added the following games:
Dragon Slayer V - Sorcerian (Japan) (Translated En)
Nyancle Racing (Japan) (Translated En)
Xak - The Art of Visual Stage (Japan) (Translated En)
Xak II - Rising of the Redmoon (Japan) (Translated En)
Ys III - Wanderers from Ys (Japan) (Translated En)
Also please note there is a game in the database called Ys III - Wanderers from Ys (Japan) (Translated En) (Disk 1) (Alt for Tiger Quarry crash). You will need the Japanese version of the disk for only the Tiger Quarry area, otherwise, the game will crash when you enter. This game isn't actually worth playing if you ask me, as the SNES version and TG16 versions are far superior, but it exists, so it's in the database.
Changed hyphens to colons in the descriptions.
Final notes - I realized I didn't follow the existing name scheme of "Disk 1 of 4" and just opted to use "Disk 1" on my new additions. I've already got everything set up on my end, and I am uploading my work as a courtesy - but if this bugs you, by all means, drop by the development thread, and upload a corrected database for others to use.
Development thread:
So I was looking for a Wii development database thread in the forum. There wasn't one, but I found this from 6 months ago instead:
"That Wii DB is a mess.
Someone did a CTRL+H to replace all instances of the word "Racing" with "Driving"
While all they had to do was change "<genre>Racing" with "<genre>Driving"
Then circo took that faulty xml and made it "official" =___=!"
I have zero plans to do anything special with this database. All I've done is correct the instances of 'driving' in the descriptions/game names, and replaced hyphens with colons in the description.
I've made a development thread - if you want to contribute to this database, please do. I am not the keeper of these databases, I'm just a contributor.
http://hyperspin-fe.com/forums/topic/34045-official-nintendo-wii-xml-database-thread/
This is the official Hyperlist database, cleaned up heavily by myself over four days. It is worth noting for anyone who has downloaded my 'Ultimate SNES' pack that this new database will completely break functionality for that. But, 'Ultimate SNES v2' is in the works, so keep that in mind.
Quick list of changes:
1. A more pedantic naming scheme for games. E.g. "Eye of the Beholder" becomes "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Eye of the Beholder"
2. Game name on the box gets priority over the title screen. E.g. "Sporting News Power Baseball, The" becomes "Sporting News Baseball, The." "Ultima VII - The Black Gate" becomes "Ultima - The Black Gate."
3. Blatant errors.
4. Liberties that were taken in naming that I felt should not have been taken, if any. Again the game name on the box is gospel (with the notable exception of 'Mr. Bloopy Saves the World.' The box misprinted the name as Mr. Bloppy.)
5. ESRB ratings added for all games 1994-present. I checked authentic ebay photos for every single game, as prior to my work, there wasn't a single reliable source for this data, at least that I could find. K-A (Kids to Adults) chosen if the game was released with that rating first, then re-released later with E (Everyone). Some games were initially released with no rating, then released later with E. So for those games, the E rating stays. ELSPA was supposedly around, but I could not find a single PAL SNES box or cartridge with any rating information on it. So I didn't bother adding ratings for the 43 post 1994 Europe games.
6. Very accurate (~98%) publisher data, with publisher named pedantically after the label they used on the actual box, with a few judgement calls by myself. A huge step up from before.
7. A very accurate 'Shoot'em-up' genre now exists, Before, all games were classified as 'shooter.'
8. A new HyperSpin rating has been created - HSRS - EC (Early Childhood). This was inspired by the ESRB rating of the same name, so that HyperSpin users can identify games for their kids to play on their favorite systems. Thanks to @Kondorito for providing new artwork. For people who use RocketLauncher fades, the new rating will be included with future versions by default. In the meantime, I'll upload it here. So far, I've only identifed one game to give the rating to - Math Blaster Episode 1. Future versions of this database may have more.
9. A handful of games that I was able to easily identify were given HyperSpin Rating System ratings. I didn't feel comfortable rating every single unrated game personally, I simply rated ones that were obvvious (e.g. a game would have a recommended age group right on the box, prior to ESRB)
10. Description names have colons (:) instead of hyphens, for a more professional look.
I decided against putting a lot of time and effort into date checking. To do so accurately (my own standards) is too much work, and yields too little benefit. I made it a point to research a game when a conflict arose, and that's that.
If you find any errors in this database, no matter how small, please bring them to my attention so that I can fix them. I want this database to be the best it can be.
I've made an official thread for this - you can find it here:
I've fact checked the entire database for accuracy of the <manufacturer> field, and this is the result. Five new games have been added. I've been given the ok to release this as official.
List of some of the changes:
Top Gear Rally - Publisher is Midway instead of Kemco
Electro Brain changed to Electro Brain Corp (as per their logo)
Changed games released under 'Acclaim Sports' sub label instead of Acclaim
Changed games released under Activision O2 (Tony Hawk Pro Skater Series) sub label instead of Activision
Starshot - Space Circus Fever - box label says Infogrames Entertainment, changed to reflect that
NBA Live 2000 - EA Sports instead of Konami
Mindscape Inc. changed to Mindscape Entertainment (the label they used on this platform)
F1 World Grand Prix II (Europe) - Changed publisher from Nintendo to Video System
Diddy Kong Racing - Changed publisher from Nintendo to Rareware (says 'published by Rareware' right on the box)
All games developed by Rare and published by Nintendo, changed from Nintendo to Rareware/Nintendo (because Rareware was a huge presence and deserves to be acknowledged)
Changed Rare Ltd. to Rareware (as per their logo)
All games published by Nintendo with the name of the developer on the box, changed to (developer)/Nintendo.
Changed Donkey Kong 64 from Rare Ltd. to Rareware/Nintendo (was officially published by Nintendo, even though it has the Rareware logo)
All instances of Ubisoft changed to Ubi Soft Entertainment (as per their logo during the N64 era)
F1 Racing Championship changed from Ubisoft to Ubi Soft Entertainment/Video System (has both logos, Ubi Soft Entertainment developed the game and published it in Japan, while Video System published it in Europe)
UFO Interactive changed to UFO, as per their logo (I don't like unnecessary additions like "Co." and "Inc.", these things should only be added if the company used it in their logo during the era of the platform)
Finally, I added 5 games. I went through romhacking.org's N64 translations section, and added four of the games that are playable. The other two I couldn't get to work, and if I can't, I doubt anyone else can. The four games are:
1. Bomberman 64 (Japan) (Translated En) - Japan got an exclusive 'Bomberman' title that was released in 2001, which is different from the 'Baku Bomberman' (Bomberman 64 in the USA). Translation works great in Retroarch/Parallel core.
2. Chameleon Twist (Japan) (Translated En) - Japan got a superior version of this game, and someone translated it. Has extra features not in the USA version. Works with RetroArch/Parallel core.
3. Densha de Go! 64 (Japan) (Translated En) - A train simulator. Works in Project 64 only, and you have to fiddle with some emulation settings to make it work (game conifg, change from recompiler to interpreter)
4. Wonder Project J2 - Josette of the Corlo Forest (Japan) (Translated En) - This game has some weirdness. After the initial story fades out, the game actually seems to freeze. There's nothing you can do except reset or end the emulation. But when you go to play the game again, your file will be there, and when you load it, the game will start. I don't know if this is perhaps the way it is on real hardware. But regardless, the game is working and playable.
5. Tetris 64 (Japan) (En) - This game is fully in English without having to patch anything. It is published by Seta and is different from any of the USA Tetris games.
I added CRCs to all the new games I added.
I've decided to take this one in a different direction. Included as a separate file are genre xmls, Publisher/Developer xmls, year xmls, ratings xmls, and two custom xmls - Sports Complete, and Translations. Also included is the genre.xml itself already sorted the way I prefer things on my system, for all the included files.
This database actually wasn't terrible to begin with - there were errors of course for the manufacturer field (my personal source of OCD), but there didn't seem to be any bogus developers that I was unable to verify.
I've given much more respect to the developers in this database than I have in the past. I am still primarily concerned with the manufacturer field reflecting the name on the box - however - the source site I was using (http://www.pcengine.co.uk) made it *extremely* easy to include both developer *and* publisher data in most cases.
The format is typically Developer/Publisher. If the developer was the publisher, then only a single name was used. If there were multiple developers, the format is Developer1/Developer2/Publisher. In some cases, a game may have been developed previously by another company, but had nothing to do with the current port - e.g. Sega/NEC Avenue for 'Bonanaza Bros.' In this situation I felt it to be relevant information. Knowing this stuff as you scroll your games makes HyperSpin more fun.
The reason I decided to include genres this time (and possibly in future database contributions) is because with the multiple entities being listed in the <manufacturer> field, it's actually a lot of work to create a genre for every single listing. But that's what I want on my setup. And, if I'm going to put in the work anyways, why not share it with the community? That's what it's all about. If you've done something to make things cool on your end, why not let everyone else enjoy it too? A strong sense of community = a better HyperSpin for everyone.
This is more or less one of my 'ultimate' setups without any graphic art. There are no plans to create custom wheels for every single publisher/developer - I'm ok with having plain text for most of my wheels. But if you want the graphic art for the main genres (action, adventure, etc.), all you have to do is copy and paste it from one of my 'ultimate' setups (or better yet, sym link it) into the genre\wheel and genre\backgrounds folder.
I didn't touch the file names, except for two. I added 4 translations. No corrections to year or ratings. But the manufacturer data is now top notch - which is my thing.
Enjoy.
I've made a development thread here, for anyone who wants to contribute to development: