Entrevista a Flavor, perpetuador de la scene de NGP

Hi Flavor ¿How are you?

First of all, thank you for accepting this interview, for us, it’s a pleasure being able to contact with you and thus uniting the Neo Geo Pocket (*NGP) communities despite the distance.

1 – We would like know more about you, so please, introduce yourself. Who are you or how would you like to be known? Should we call you Flavor or Ed Mandy? (name or nick, age, country, occupation, web, social media, hobbies, avatar or pic…)

I think I prefer using my real name, Ed Mandy, but some people know me as Flavor. I guess I could be “Ed Mandy AKA Flavor” which is what I use on Twitter (https://twitter.com/FreeplayTech). I live in the US, and I am a computer programmer. Lately I have been more involved with hardware projects like http://www.flashmasta.com/ and http://gamepieadvance.com/.

2- As users, we see that your works for handheld consoles like NGP or WonderSwan, were made with love, because on your products it’s easy to see the good quality in them. Do you feel a real love for this kind of consoles? If it’s right ¿How did this love for handheld consoles, in special with NGP, start?

Probably just around the time that the NGPC was removed from shelves here in the US, I remember purchasing a single unboxed copy of Card Fighters’ Clash before I owned the actual console. I found a WalMart that had 3 consoles left. I think they were supposed to have removed them from the store, but they made a mistake. After they sat there for a couple weeks, I called and asked if they were going to drop the price. They did, and I went and bought a console with Sonic packed in.

After that, I remember finding a seller on eBay that was close to where I lived. Back then, I would often search for local auctions and pick up items. I remember buying a full boxed Gals Fighters from him (among other things).

For some reason I’ve always been drawn to handheld consoles more than home systems. If I had to pick one favorite, it would be Neo Geo Pocket Color, but I have a good collection of many others, too. (old video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48bQ_WA4EuM)

3 – The people know you by your SNK vs CAPCOM – Card Fighters Clash 2 (*SvCCF2) english translation and the Flash Cart for NGP. Do you have any previous projects before these that you want to highlight? Did you do it alone?

The translation was something I started with help from a couple other guys. Then, we found out that Judge_ was doing something similar, but he had been using a way more technical approach. What basically happened was that I took his work and ran the project. I was definitely not the only person, but I would say that I lead/managed the project and did most of the technical work from that point on. You can see a list of many of the people that helped here .

That was my first (and only real) translation project. I learned a lot from that project. It’s always been a favorite of mine, and I love that it brings the game to many people that would not otherwise play it.

The flash cart project worked out in a similar way in some respects. Early on, I had created some software for the old Bung cartridge and linker. During that process, I learned a lot about how the cartridge and the NGPC worked. I didn’t have any electronic hardware development background, so I set out to find people to give my knowledge to. People would seem interested, but nothing would ever get accomplished.

After years of trying that, I finally decided to try to teach myself to use some of the electronic development tools. I built the USB “linker” on my own, and I partnered with a Canadian guy named Gerry to develop parts of the first prototype of the cartridge.

Now I work on a daily basis with my brother-in-law that has a good background in electrical engineering, PCB layout, and schematic design. He has helped me redesign the NGPC cartridge + linker concept into a single cartridge with USB built in. He has also done a ton of work on the WonderSwan cartridge.

4 – Why you decided to do SvCCF2 english translation? Why did you selected this game? How long did it take to do it? What kind of problems did you find when you did it? Have you make other translations or do you plan to do so?

I really liked Cardfighters Clash (the first version), and I even remember when the sequel was released in Japan. I even remember a fellow NGPC enthusiast and homebrew programmer that went by the name of Fuz ordering one at release. I thought I’d wait until it came out in English, like CFC1 did. As we all know, that never happened. Very soon after Card Fighters 2 came out, SNK went into bankruptcy and pulled the NGPC.

Here’s something specific to CFC2English that may also be an interesting read.

That interview helped me recall some of the specifics. I think the project was started in 2001 and (mostly) completed in 2008. During that time, it sat for years without any progress, until I picked it up and decided to find a translator to help me complete it. I found this guy named Calden that had NO connection with handheld card gaming, and it ultimately turned out great.

I think the main hurdle to overcome is the fact that this type of project takes either 1 VERY specialized person that can translate and do some very technical programming and ROM hacking, or a team. If you have some translation skills, but you aren’t a programmer, it’s not likely to work out. If you’re a programmer, but you have no translation skills (like I am), it’s not going to work out. To make it work out, you need to become a project manager and bring the people together.

I haven’t done any other translation projects, but I do try to offer information and encouragement to those that ask.

5 – Can you give us any tips for doing translations?

I think maybe I just did.

If you’re a technical person, you job will be to make a set of tools that give a translator the ability to work autonomously without needing any knowledge of ROMs, programming, pointers, string manipulation, etc.

If you’re a translator, your job will be to find someone that can do the ROM hacking and give you all the text to translate. You will likely need to learn as much as possible about how text is stored inside of a game ROM, and what else is stored in there with the text (like control codes that tell the game to do specific game-related things).

6 – We have noticed that the price of NGP games and the console has increased over the years. Nowadays, we think that the best way to enjoy all games is a flash cart. How did the idea about to create your flash cart “Flash Masta” come to your mind? Are you still working on it or is this is a finished revision? Would it be possible to see a version with a SD or microSD extension in the future?

We are always working on things, and we always have ideas about how to make our products better. Sometimes that means making new products, and sometimes that means changing older products. I feel like I can’t say too much about this right now, but let me just say that the short-term plan for our Neo Geo Pocket cartridges has more to do with making them cheaper than adding many new features.

In fact, during the time I was responding to this interview, we just announced that the Neo Pocket Flash Masta cartridge can now be purchased for less than $50 USD (and we have cheap international shipping options).

I know that many readers here may already have a cartridge, but I would encourage you to share that link in an effort to attract new people to the Neo Geo Pocket scene.

7 – Nowadays, what is your personal opinion about NGP? Do you keep playing it?

Sometimes I pick up Card Fighters 2 and play it for a bit. Sometimes I pick up a simple game like Sonic and play that a bit. I haven’t really gotten into any long-term games on it for years. I wish a new translation would come out for a game maybe like Biomotor 2. That would be exciting.

I’d also like to see some better emulation for NGP. I worked on a project called RACE! many years ago. It’s a very good emulation core for the NGP, but it wasn’t well accepted, because NeoPop worked well and was easy to port to other systems. The problem now is that systems like RetroPie (Raspberry Pi emulation package) use the NeoPop core, and it doesn’t run at full speed. I think it gives players a bad impression of NGP when they try it, and they don’t see the full potential right away.

8 – Something that users claim as the real problem of this console is the lack of light of the LCD screen. It’s true there are homemade mods but the final result is not the best. Are you planning to develop a new product to illuminate us NGP consoles?

To be blunt, no. I have definitely looked into this at multiple times in the past. I have never come up with a solution that I think we can produce for people. The best thing you can do now is to see what people are doing with GB/GBA consoles, and adapt the techniques to NGPC.

I have never tried this one, but I think it would be the place I’d start if I wanted to do a new one today.

9 – At present, very few communities are dedicating time or a space for NGP. Do you know any of them? Which of this communities would you say is the best? What is your opinion about this communities?

Besides yours? To be honest, I’m not great about keeping up with people on forums and such.

I think that neo-geo.com/hnadheld-systems has always been around, so you have to look there.

Neo Geo For Life is another that has been around forever.

Ever since I found it, I’ve always had a fondness for Sector: Neo Geo Pocket.

http://www.paleface.net/z/sngp/ but it’s a very small (close-knit) group.

Of course, I also have to recommend the Freeplaytech Forum . It probably has the most NGP “development” talk of any online community at the moment.

10 – If you had to choose a game to enjoy a good time lonely with the NGP, what game would you choose?

Card Fighters 2. Even if I haven’t played it for a long time, I can pick it up and play a few matches with my old deck.

11 – Talking a little about development on NGP, I’m developing a mini game. I have been able to talk to Thor (a good guy), creator of various indie games for NGP like “Gears of Fate”. Are you or have you been in touch with people of the NGP scene? if this is true, who would you highlight?

Thor is a great guy, and he’s the best homebrew programmer on the NGP. Without him, there may not be any homebrew scene at all. He must be the number one guy that is still involved with the scene.

Over the years, though, I had spent a lot of time talking to Ivan, Fuz, Mr. Spiv is another guy that I’ve been in contact with over many years. Even though he isn’t working much with NGP anymore, he is definitely someone I would highlight. Mithris, Rob B, and Empee are a few others that I associate with Mr. Spiv.

Dark Fader (https://www.darkfader.net/ngpc/) did a lot of great work early in the NGP homebrew scene, so he must be looked at as a key player in the history of the online community. I would also put Jeff F. (http://www.devrs.com/ngp/) in this group. Their websites are like a step back to a very nostalgic time for me.

Kojote (http://www.pdroms.de/) has always been a big advocate for the homebrew scene, and he’s been around since the NGP days. He’s also worked with Thor on some very cool projects (like those at http://www.retroguru.com/).

12 – Not long ago, the community was surprised with the news of the existence of the Magician Lord 2 cart, a cancelled game by ADK for NGPC. What is your opinion about it? Honestly, do you think that we will be able to play it some day?

I think we will, but I wonder if such things get built up too much. I feel like it may be disappointing when it finally gets released and it isn’t as playable as people want it to be.

I always wish we will find more unreleased games like this, but, as time passes, more things get lost. I want to see NGPC Ikari Warriors some day!

I think that it is more likely that people will help translate games that were never released outside of Japan. This may not be quite as exciting as a cancelled game, but it is much more likely to happen and to be fully playable/enjoyable.

13 – We are about to finish the interview. What future projects do you have in mind for the consoles world?

Before I talk about future projects, I would like to highlight a past project that anyone interested in SvC:Cardfighters should try. I did a lot of development work on a game called Trouble With Robots that came out for iOS and Android. Most people don’t know this game exists, but the people that do really enjoy playing it. It’s completely FREE, so why not take a bit of time to see if you enjoy it as much as Cardfighters Clash?

iOS: http://itunes.apple.com/app/trouble-with-robots/id849799076

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.art.twr

As for future projects, we are working heavily on a new game console, actually. While you may not think of a Raspberry Pi as a game console, you might want to start considering that. At the moment, we call our latest version the Game Pie Advance, because it fits inside of a GBA shell. That means it looks like a GBA, but it can do everything a Linux computer can do. You can check out the website, but I recommend just scrolling down a bit on the following page and watching the videos to get an idea of how it works.

Game Pie Advance: http://gamepieadvance.com/

We are also doing some recent work on recreating the clicky stick of the NGPC. I can’t yet say what we might do with the research, but I think many people would love to have the feel of the NGPC thumbstick in a new product. What do you guys think? Is a dpad good enough for retrogaming, or should we try to make a new clicky stick?

14 – Do you know any funny facts from SNK with NGP that you want to share with us?

I can’t think of any. I kept thinking I’d come back to this question, but I’m blanking.

15 – A favourite phrase or message that you would like to tell to everybody who is reading this interview?

“Game On!”

And of course…

“Thank you!”

16 – From the Hispanic Community and from neogeopocket.es we want to thank at you for your contributions, works, information, forum response and all contributions for this console, because are scarce or rare to find. Thank you for all emails that you answered me when I had any doubt without expecting anything in return.

I try to help as much as possible. I am usually good about responding to emails, but I can also get busy and forget to reply.

17 – I could thank you in a normal way, but it would be enough. Maybe in Japanese you can understand what I mean. どうもありがとうございましたフレーバーさん。(domo arigatou gozaimasu Flavor-san!!)

But I don’t know Japanese. 😀 I do like it, though. Of course I can read that much Japanese.

Thank you for helping to keep the Neo Geo Pocket scene alive!