Nintellivision

NINTV-DS
NINTV-DS
General
Author	Dave Bernazzani (wavemotion)
Type	Console
Version	5.9
License	Mixed
Last Updated	2024/10/27
Links
	Download
	Website
	Source

Nintellivision, also known as NINTV-DS, is an Intellivision console emulator running on the DS/DSi.

Features

All known games run at full speed, full framerate and with the best sound quality on a DSi or above (the DSi has 2X the CPU and 4X the memory of the normal DS handhelds).
Almost every game runs at full speed on the older DS-LITE and DS-PHAT hardware with a slight reduction in sound quality.
Custom Overlay Support. See the 'extras' folder for details.
Manual/Instruction Support. See the 'extras' folder for an example.
Save Sate support (3 save slots per game).
High Scores for up to 10 scores per game with various sorting options.
Cheat / Hack support using NINTV-DS.cht (see 'extras' folder and place in /data directory)
Numerous button / controller mapping options. Dual-Controller support (run and shoot at the same time).
JLP support for accelerated functions (multiply/divide), extra RAM and flash memory. If not auto-detected, when loading a game use the X button to load with options.
ECS support for ECS games including sound-enhanced games like Space Patrol. If not auto-detected, when loading a game use the X button to load with options.
Tutorvision mode is supported which brings in the WBEXEC (REX) revised executive ROM as well as extra GRAM and main 16-bit RAM memory.
Extra 2K GRAM (aka half-Tutorvision mode) is supported on a per-game basis. Select 2K GRAM in the second page of Configuration for any game (reload game for it to take effect).

Installation

You will need to prepare the BIOS files in order to use:

grom.bin
exec.bin
ivoice.bin (Optional for Intellivoice games)
ecs.bin (Optional for ECS games)

Place the nds file on your flashcart or SD card which you can launch.

Put the BIOS files in the same directory as your ROM files (can be changed in Global Options).

User guide

Technical Specs

Loads .ROM or .BIN/.CFG format files.
Up to 1024KB (512K words) of ROM memory emulated.
JLP 16-bit RAM emulated (8K Words) plus all accelerator functions supported.
JLP Flash support of 336 rows (42 sectors) for a total of 64K bytes (actual 64512 bytes). Each game gets their own 64K of file-backed flash.
ECS emulated with the 2K of 8-bit RAM, Keyboard, extra sound channels, etc.
Intellivoice emulated for games that take advantage of voice enhancements.
Up to 8K of extra 8-bit RAM emulated for games like USFC Chess and Land Battle (note, the 2K of ECS 8-bit RAM comes out of this pool).
Up to 16K Words of extra 16-bit RAM emulated beyond dedicated 8K words of JLP RAM.
Paging on all segments of memory provided the full binary is 1024KB (bytes) or less.

How to use

Most games can be loaded by selecting them from the 'Load' list of ROMs, and the game will load and play perfectly. In case a game doesn't load correctly, you can press the X button (instead of the normal A button) to access a list of possible hardware configurations. This includes options for stock Intellivision, JLP, ECS, and Intellivoice in all relevant combinations. The last chosen hardware setting will be saved for the specific game being played.

Intellivision games generally come in two main formats: .bin+cfg and .rom formats. A flat-binary (.bin) may or may not have an associated .cfg file to provide information on where to load it in memory. If no .cfg file is found, the Nintellivision emulator's internal database, which includes information on over 200 games, will attempt to load it automatically.

The Nintellivision emulator also supports the .int extension, which can be either a .bin or a .rom format file. Starting from version 4.7b, the emulator examines the first byte of the file to determine if it's a flat-binary (.bin) or a meta-data .rom file (the file will start with a 0xA8 byte). This distinction is particularly useful for auto-launching Nintellivision with .int files in environments like Twilight Menu.

Controller Types

The Nintellivision emulator provides flexibility in choosing controller types for Player 1 and Player 2. Users can select between Player 1 and Player 2 controllers. More importantly, there are two key options for dual-action configurations:

Dual Action A:

Uses the disc/buttons from Controller 1 (Player 1).
Utilizes the Keypad for Controller 2 (Player 2).
Ideal for games like AD&D Cloudy Mountain or Tron Deadly Discs.

Dual Action B:

Uses the disc from Controller 1 (Player 1).
Utilizes the Buttons/Keypad for Controller 2 (Player 2).
Perfect for games like Astrosmash, Buzz Bombers, and any game where movement and shooting are involved.

In the configuration settings, users can press the 'X' button to cycle through some common controller mappings or assign their own custom map. Due to the unique controller/keypad arrangement of the original Intellivision, users are encouraged to get creative in how they map their buttons. For example, in Dual Action A configuration, mapping ABXY (and related diagonals) to the 8-arrow-fire keypad buttons can provide an enjoyable experience in games like AD&D Cloudy Mountain or Tron Deadly Discs. This setup allows users to move the character with the d-pad and fire in eight directions with ABXY. Custom mappings and experimentation can enhance the gaming experience, making it closer to the original feel of playing on a real Intellivision.

Overlays

Nintellivision contains a default standard overlay that mimics a real Intellivision controller along with some common menu items. Each game can also have a custom overlay which is user-defined. A large number of custom overlays are provided in extras.zip in the overlay-library folder here on the repository page.

Nintellivision should automatically match up the game you are playing with the correct overlay. If that doesn't happen, you can also name the .ovl file the same as the base filename of the ROM you are loading (e.g. if you have Astrosmash.int or Astrosmash.rom, you would name the overlay Astrosmash.ovl) - loading such a game would bring up the custom overlay automatically.

If the custom overlay doesn't show, double check that the base filenames are exactly the same. By default, overlay files (.ovl) go into the same directory as the game ROMs but you can override this in Global Configuration.

Disc Overlay

Built into the emulator is a full-disc overlay that maps to the 16-digital positions of a real Intellivision controller. It's not perfect - without the tactile feel of a real controller, it's not usable as a generic replacement for the D-Pad for smooth movement but it works great for games like Bowling or Golf where you need the discrete 16-digital position accuracy. The DS START Button will toggle the disc overlay on/off (switching back to the normal overlay for the game).

Tutorvision Mode

Late in the Intellivision life (1989), a joint venture to produce an updated Intellivision Console with a line of educational games was developed. This was known as the Tutorvision - it had some upgraded capabilities over a normal Intellivision. Unfortunately the project was scrapped and only a handful of Tutorvisions exist today. There were 16 educational games developed - of which only 2 (possibly 3) have been dumped. And there is one homebrew game (Little Man Computer) that uses the upgraded specifications.

To run in Tutorvision mode, you must select the X button when you select a game and pick the "RUN AS TUTORVISION". This setting will be saved (so you don't have to do that more than once). Running in Tutorvision mode requires the BIOS files wbexec.bin and wbgrom.bin which you can find with a bit of online searching (do not ask!). In Tutorvision mode, you get the following emulation changes:

wbexec.bin replaces the normal exec.bin for enhanced executive ROM capabilities needed for Tutorvision games
wbgrom.bin replaces the normal grom.bin for a slightly different font
Automatically engages the 2K GRAM enhancement for improved graphics capabilities
Adds addtional 16-bit System RAM from 0x360 to 0x4FF
Identifies as a STIC 1A for purposes of auto-detection by some programs (such as FW Diagnostics)

Some games don't need Tutorvision Mode to run at their best - many of decle's offerings (Chippi-Plus and the Studio Vision games) only need the 2K GRAM expansion to look and play their best. You can enable the 2K GRAM expansion in the Configuration Options menu without the need for enabling the full Tutorvision mode.

Screenshots

Compatibility

Many games run close to full speed on DS-LITE and DS-PHAT hardware, but you can play with config settings to get the most out of these games (even if you have to disable sound to gain the speed).

Also tested on emulator iDeaS and melonDS.

Known issues

ECS support is partial - there is no UART / Cassette handling but all other ECS features are present (page flipping, keyboard, extra 8-bit RAM and the extra PSG sound channels).

Intellivision emulation is NTSC only - no PAL support.

Changelog

V5.9 2024/10/27

Version 5.9 with a large number of new custom overlays (see readme.md and the extras.zip pack).

V5.8 2024/10/20

Fix for game selection to revert to the proper directory (the last one you were in to select games).
Fix for MOB collisions to not render for off-screen pixels which fixes the various Baseball Games (couldn't pick up ball in outfield).
Many new and improved overlays. Almost 180 overlays in the extras.zip pack!

V5.7 2024/10/12

Fix to allow JLP games to execute out of 16-bit RAM. Fixes Defender of the Crown.
Fix ECS keyboard emulation to properly read back either port if configured for output (was causing FWDiagnostics to fail).
Improved UI display of 'JLP FLASH' so it shows a bit longer (but doesn't interfere with emulation speed)
Numerous new overlays added and updated some older ones.

V5.6 2024/10/06

Massive overhaul to the way overlays are found and loaded. No longer do you need to have the overlays named the same as the game ROM file - the emulator should find the matching overlay 99% of the time (and yes, you can still force the issue by naming the .ovl the same as the base game .int/.bin/.rom file)
If the system BIOS files are not found by name, a quick search is done by CRC32 to see if the emulator can load it.
These improvements should go a long way to helping people get their Nintellivision system running quickly and with less fuss.

V5.5a 2024/10/01

Improved ECS support with new full-screen ECS Keyboard and ability to switch between keypad controllers, disc and full keyboard.
Hotfix 5.5a to avoid the ECS keyboard or Disc overlay from inadvertently coming up with some custom overlays.

V5.5 2024/09/23

Improved ECS support with new full-screen ECS Keyboard and ability to switch between keypad controllers, disc and full keyboard.

V5.4 2024/09/10

Full Tutorvision Mode supported. See Tutorvision section in this README for details.

V5.3 2024/09/07

Integrated 2KGRAM build into the main code. There is now one unified Nintellivision build. Use Configuration to select 2KGRAM (aka Tutorvision mode) for games that support it.

V5.2 2024/06/22

Improved MOB collision detection to fix GORF
Improved MOB rendering so that Y coordinates of zero don't draw (fixes minor glitch in Beauty and the Beast at end of levels)
Improved JLP detection so we don't enable it inadvertently.

V5.1 2024/05/28

Improved STIC emulation to properly restrict MOBS for both GRAM and GROM to cards 0-63 in FG/BG mode.
Separate 2K GRAM build - experimental but functional. Use NINTV-DS-2KGRAM (will coexist with the normal NINTV-DS build)
New Gold/Black menu buttons!
Minor cleanup and tweaks as time permitted.

V5.0a 2024/03/08

New splash screen jingle.
Boosted audio output by almost 25% so you don't have to max out your DS volume.
New audio ramp down/up to help soften (and partially eliminate) audio pops/clicks when transitioning in and out of a game to the menus.
Minor cleanup and tweaks as time permitted.
5.0a with new Gold/Black menu buttons!

V4.9 2024/02/01

Improved cheat database selection - after selecting cheats, just press START to reset and apply cheats directly on the cheat picker screen.
Improved bankswitching/paged roms so that partially filled banks can be switched (some recent homebrews require this).
Updated internal database so more games load and run properly without tweaks.
Minor cleanups across the board as time permitted.

V4.8 2024/01/24

.int files are now auto-detected as either .bin(+cfg) or .rom files. This allows you to rename .rom files or .bin files to .int and let Twilight Menu++ auto-launch Nintellivision.
Slight improvement to the Intellivoice driver to give a minor boost in performance (mostly for DS-Lite/Phat).
Added new keyclick enable option in Configuration (page 2) that produces the typical Intellivision keyclick when you press the 12-button keypad (on the DS lower screen).
Added a new level of sound quality 'Ultimate'. The default for the DSi and above is still 'High' as 'Ultimate' consumes significant CPU time but you can enable it on a per-game basis for some of the more simple games (e.g. Astrosmash, Beauty and the Beast, AD&D Tarmin, etc)
DS-Lite now enables Intellivoice on World Series Major League Baseball - sound quality is a bit rough on the older handheld but very playalbe.
Fixed save/restore state including when backtab latched is TRUE (Stampede, Masters of the Universe)
Fix for intellivoice games so there are no more glitches on the updated version of Same Game and Robots.
Fix for ecs games so they don't inadvertantly write over the last graphics card in memory (causing minor graphics corruption on some games)
Correction of one intellivoice coefficient value (thanks to documentation in JZINTV) so voice games sound their best.
Other minor tweaks and cleanup as time permitted.

V4.7 2024/01/19

Major refactor of the audio processor for a big speedup in rendering especially with more than one audio processor (i.e. ECS or Intellivoice)
Switched from individual pixel output to 16-bit (two pixel) output when dealing with scrolling games (big speedup for games like Tron Solar Sailor, Space Spartans, Sorrow, TNT Cowboy, etc).
The DSi now defaults to NO frameskip on any game and the 'High' (best) sound quality.
Aggressive frameskip no longer an option - it's not needed for any game even on the older DS hardware.
The DS-Lite/Phat gets a 15% improvement in sound quality and many of the classic games now run without frameskip.
Fix for B-17 Bomber so it doesn't flash the screen when in Pilot/Gun view.
With the many updates, the config format changed and will be wiped back to defaults - sorry!

V4.6 2024/01/15

Massive overhaul to the core emulation to reduce memory footprint. The older DS-Lite/Phat (with 4MB of memory) can now load all of the newest homebrew games!
Optmizations in Video, Audio and CPU cores providese 10% speed up across the board.
Improved sound quality for the DSi including a new "BEST" option (not enabled by default) that will render the sound as good as I can make it on the handheld.
A few small fixes for the CPU core to improve the cycle accuracy.
With the improved speed, the DSi largely disables frameskip for the best visual experience.

V4.5 2024/01/01

Added new Screenshot handling (press and hold the L+R shoulder buttons for ~1 second to take a .bmp snapshot written to the SD card)
Added new meta key mapping to un-throttle (Speedup) the emulator. Useful for games where your character is resting and you want the emulator to run the frames as fast as it can.
Minor cleanup on the internal database for the latest and greatest homebrew games.
Lots of new and improved overlays in the extras.zip pack.

V4.4 2023/10/30

Major overhaul of configuration to provide for better future enhancements. Your old configurations will be wiped in favor of the new defaults.
Major cleanup of overlay support - gone are the built-in overlays except for the normal Intellivision controller graphic and the mini-ECS keyboard. All other overlays are stored externally and a library of more than 40 custom overlays for personal use are provided.
Simplified use of custom overlays - if the .ovl file exists (with the same base name as the .ROM or .BIN file), it will automatically be loaded and used (you no longer need to specify that the overlay is 'Custom').
Other minor cleanups and tweaks as time permitted.

V4.3 2023/09/25

Improved 8-bit RAM support to provide a full 8K of 8-bit RAM (the ECS 2K of 8-bit RAM comes from this pool).
Added parsing of the .ROM enable/access table so that we properly allow for writable memory segments (allows the 'lilBro' games to work).
Added opening jingle.
Other minor cleanups and tweaks as time permitted.

V4.2 2023/08/15

Improved JLP 16-bit RAM when it contends with similar 16-bit RAM specified in a config (.cfg) file (games like TNT Cowboy and A-F now run properly).
JLP Flash maximum increased to 64K per game.
Other minor cleanups and tweaks as time permitted.

V4.1 2023/07/04

Added the ability to map any DS key to the DISC UP and DISC DOWN which makes platform games like Rick Dynamite much more enjoyable.
Force load of JLP/ECS/IVoice will now save out to configuration for the game so you don't have to do that more than once.
Games of 16K or less without a specific .cfg or database entry will load at 5000h which is very likely where it wants to load.
Numerous homebrews and hacks added to the internal database.

V4.0 2023/04/22

Small optimizations and cleanup across the board - utilizing every bit of the NDS instruction cache to squeeze out another frame or two of performance.

V3.9 2023/03/05

Improved ECS keyboard handling so we can handle 'transposed' scanning of columns/rows (allows demos like Adventure to run).
Improved banking / page-flipping for faster page switches and more robust. There should be no more small audio 'gaps' when page-flipping music.
For the DSi we now support 1024KB (512K Words) of binary ROM which is almost unfathomably large in the world of Intellivision games (130% larger than anything I'm aware of).

V3.8 2022/12/26

Improved memory handling so we don't run out of memory on the DS-Lite/Phat and no more crashes!
ECS and extra cart RAM now in faster VRAM to improve performance.
Fixed sound channels so that PSG + ECS + Intelivoice can all play nice together (mostly for World Series of Baseball)
Improved .ROM parsing support - now checking the CRC integrity and properly parsing the compatibility tags so more games run with the right settings (Intellivoice or JLP or ECS, etc).
New Game/Emulator Information screen to let you know if you are running in DS compatibility mode (less RAM, slower CPU) or DSi compatibilty mode (more RAM and faster CPU).
For the DSi or above we now support a much wider range of binary files (up to 512K) with page flipping.
New menu to allow you to launch a game with specific hardware configurations. Use X to load the game instead of A (launch instructions are on-screen).
Lots of small improvements and cleanup as time permitted.

V3.7a 2022/12/23

ECS style page flipping (aka bankswap). DS-Lite will support World Series of Baseball without voice. DSi and above will support any binary up to 512K including WSoMLB with voice.
Improved error handling with better messages on-screen to help diagnose problems with missing roms, roms that are too big/complex, etc.
Cleanup across the board - reorganized memory to free up more resources for the future.

V3.6 2022/05/24

Added cheat support. Place NINTV-DS.cht into /data directory. See 'extras' folder.

V3.5 2022/03/01

Added support for ECS and ECS-Sound-Enhanced games.
Improved internal database so more games are recognized correctly.
Save states changed with ECS support. Finish your 3.4 games before upgrading or lose your progress.

V3.4 2021/12/04

Added support for more ROM segments so games like DK Jr Homebrew will run.
New global nintv-ds.man manual support - see extras folder.
Other small cleanups as timer permitted.

V3.3 2021/12/02

Added use of generic.ovl which replaces the generic overlay if found.
Fix for custom overlay manual/instruction meta key.
Cleanups for .bin file reading and other small tweaks under the hood.
Code commented throughout for better maintainability.
More than 50 manuals added thanks to ts-x! See extras folder.

V3.2 2021/11/04

Fixed .cfg file reading (last line was skipped if there was no CR).
A few homebrew and missing games added to the internal database.
A slight speedup on Intellivoice games which really helps the older DS hardware.
Another half-dozen game manuals added to extras.zip (thanks ts-x).

V3.1a 2021/10/31

Favorites support - you can select up to 64 games as 'favs'.
Sound sync when running faster than 60FPS.
If BIOS files not found, emulator will search for them (slow but effective).
Tiny bit more speed and optimization.

V3.1 2021/10/31

Favorites support - you can select up to 64 games as 'favs'.
Sound sync when running faster than 60FPS.
If BIOS files not found, emulator will search for them (slow but effective).
Tiny bit more speed and optimization.

V3.0 2021/10/25

Sound fixed - no more zingers.
New global menu option for green vs white font.
New Aggressive frameskip to help with older DS-LITE/PHAT play.
Many small cleanups and improvements under the hood.

V2.9 2021/10/24

Minor sound improvement across the board.
Significant speed improvement - games run 6-12% faster. DS-LITE will run more games.

V2.8 2021/10/21

First round of sound cleanup - two new improved settings in configuration.
Fixed crash with 'complex' custom overlay (out of memory) coming out of menu/config.

V2.7 2021/10/19

Fixed graphical glitches on D1K and D2K.
Proper fix for Q-Bert so it plays perfectly (no patch needed).
Fix for .man manuals sometimes missing last line.
Minor sound cleanup and other under-the-hood improvements for speed.

V2.6 2021/10/18

Added disc controller direction support to custom overlays. See Vectron.ovl in extras.
Patched Q-Bert so it doesn't lose a life after each board.
Fixed save states so we can save games with extra RAM (old save states will not work - sorry).

V2.5 2021/10/15

Horizontal Stretch/Offset now saved on a per-game basis.
Custom Palette support (see example in 'extras' folder).
Ability to map DS key to bring up manuals.
Added combo key mapping (AX, XY, YB, BA) for diagonal shooting.
Updated example .man manuals (see 'extras' folder).

V2.4 2021/10/12

Fixed horizontal and vertical offset/scrolling. Christmas Carol should now work.
Improved memory handling so we can load larger games.
Allow Manual/Instructions to be mapped to keys.
Improved generic overlay graphic.
Beta version of screen stretch/offset.

V2.3 2021/10/10

New Custom Overlay Guide (see 'extras' folder).
New Manual/Instructions Support (see 'extras' folder).
Improved speed, reduced memory usage.
Full JLP flash support.
DS-LITE/PHAT sound improvment.

V2.2 2021/10/07

Stampede graphics fixed.
Minor artifacts in Masters of the Universe fixed.
Centipede working again.
Improved speed across the board.

V2.1 2021/10/03

Nova Blast fixed.
JLP random fixed and improved JLP compatibility.
Reduced dynamic memory allocation.
Added headers and cleanup under the hood.

V2.0 2021/10/02

Improved loading from command line so overlays work again.
Improved first-load of a game so it's faster/smoother.
Added new SWAP handling to instantly swap left/right controller (for Swords & Serpents "co-op" play).
Patch for Q-Bert so lives are not lost (ever... it's not a great patch but makes the game playable).
Another frame or two of speedup.
Other cleanups under the hood.

V1.9 2021/09/27

Removed reliance on knowncarts.cfg. Internal database handles most games and you can use a "romname".cfg for new .bin games.
Added command line support so it can be called via TWL++.

V1.8 2021/09/26

Reworked configuration options - new game specific and global options available. Unfortunatley your old config will be wiped out in favor of the new format. Sorry.
Improved sound quality for the DSi.

V1.7 2021/09/24

New Palette options.
New Brightness options.
New Save State options.
New MENU button for custom overlays (and START defaults to MENU now).
Other cleanup as time permitted.

V1.6 2021/09/23

Save State support added.
Fixed EVEN frameskip.

V1.5 2021/09/21

Better .ROM support (CVDEMO will now play)
More CP1610 optmization squeezing out a few more frames of performance.
Improved Frameskip and Speed options in Config area.
Cleanup for custom overlay support.
Other minor cleanups where time permitted.

V1.4 2021/09/14

Custom overlay support. See custom-overlay.zip in the distribution.
Hide bios files from game listing.
New d-pad configuration options.
Ability to map DS keys to meta-functions such as load, config, score, etc.
Other cleanups as time permitted.

V1.3 2021/09/12

Basic JLP support for Accelerated functions and extra 16-bit RAM (hello Grail of the Gods).
Major internal cleanup for better memory management.
Squeezed out a couple more frames of speed improvement.

V1.2 2021/09/10

More speed - many games now playable full speed on the DS-LITE/PHAT.
On the DSi, even the Intellivoice games should be running full speed now.

V1.1 2021/09/09

Big boost in speed. Just about everything full speed on DSi.
A few more overlays added.

V1.0 2021/09/07

First major release.

V0.9 2021/09/06

Major sound improvement (finally).
High Score Support added.

V0.8 2021/05/05

Two types of Dual-Action controllers supported (A=Standard, B=buttons on Controller #2).
More overlays added (Astrosmash, B-17 Bomber, Atlantis, Space Spartans).
Switched to a retro-green font for Game Select/Options.
More new homebrews supported.
Minor sound improvements.

V0.7 2021/09/04

Ability to save configuration on a per-game basis (START button in Config).
Minor sound improvements.
Moved FPS and Turbo mode to Config.
More homebrews added to "knowncarts.cfg".

V0.6 2021/09/03

More speedup and polish - especially for intellivoice games.
New config options for frameskip, sound quality.
New overlays for MINOTAUR and ADVENTURE (in Config settings).
New dual-action controller support (in Config settings).
Can now map START and SELECT buttons.

V0.5 2021/09/02

First pass release.

Credits

Special Thanks to BLISS - Intellivision Emulator. Originally developed by Kyle Davis. Contributions by Jesse Litton, Mike Dunston, Joseph Zbiciak.

External links