Amiga Game Selector (AGS)

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10th December 2023, 11:19
Harrison

Amiga Game Selector (AGS)

https://www.amigagameselector.co.uk/

Have any of you come across and tried this project yet? It's a curated collection of Amiga games, demos etc packages to work from a frontend. I started using it when I get my A500 mini recently just for a hassle free way to have a pre setup usb stick image I could just download, copy over and use. It contains every whdload game to date, plus lots more and works perfectly.

It also has a lot more included. Versions have been released for every real and emulated hardware version. I know of people running AGS on real Amigas, the A500 Mini, Rasperry Pi, Steam Deck, other handheld consoles, PC, UAE, WinUAE etc.

This is the perfect project now for us to point anyone looking to relive their Amiga days, but with limited knowhow on what to do. It removed all the hassle we have had for years hunting for and downloading games and other files.

Latest release details - version 2.5 has only just been released start of December:

Amiga Game Selector v2.5 Released!

@everyone the latest version of Amiga Game Selector is available to download. I can't believe that the last full release was in July!

This is a milestone for the emulated versions as I've enabled network and internet access and added several web apps. Version 2.5 also brings all the different formats of AGS back in sync with each other. There's even an up to date version for Raspberry Pi users!

Also the Pandory version on the A500 mini has... wait for it... SAVE STATE SUPPORT! This is done through the Amiberry interface.

The other thing with all the installs is that there is no need to install any extra files to get them going. AGS is now completely plug and play!

UPDATE v2.5.1 FOR Pi4/400, WinUAE & A500 Mini
AGS v2.5.1 has been uploaded which has a few bug fixes for the WHDLoad quit key and random themes scripts. Nothing else has changed. Check the group file section and mirror links for the files.
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VERSIONS AVAILABLE
A500 Mini
The original AGS install. The mother of all the other versions. The A500 mini version has config files for normal mode or Pandory mode which has internet access via a USB to Ethernet adaptor. The normal mode is recommended for playing games as it runs a bit faster and is more compatible. The Pandory version is best for Workbench use as it has proper RTG scaling, no slow sound issues, save state support and full web access. A huge thank you to TEAM PANDORY for making this version possible.
A list of USB to ethernet adaptors can be found here. A general rule of thumb is that if the adaptor support linux, it should work. https://www.retro32.com/a500-mini/31...s-aminmiga-faq
This is the adaptor I bought which works fine. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ethernet-Ad...06&sr=8-3&th=1
WinUAE
Works on pretty much all Windows PC's and is now bundled with a fully portable, self contained WinUAE install and launcher. The archive also includes a zipped up portable FS-UAE install as an alternative to WinUAE.
Raspberry Pi
Yes, it's back and just as troublesome! No, honestly this is one of the best versions of AGS. The only limitation is that JIT is disabled as it crashes out Amiberry if you reboot with it turned on. Amiberry has been updated to the latest version (v5.6.4) and DietPi is now running Debian Bookworm.
AGA Real Hardware
Since it's release this version has become a fan favourite as it works amazingly on A1200's and A4000's. There are two versions available; the image version can be written onto a CF/SD card to go inside your real Amiga and the HDF version that can be used in lower powered emulators such as UAE4All and RetroArch/PUAE.
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IMPORTANT!
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO READ THE INSTALLATION DOCUMENTS AS THERE IS A LOT OF EXTRA INFORMATION FOR EACH RELEASE IN THEM. IF YOU DON'T READ THEM AND START POSTING ALREADY ANSWERED QUESTIONS, YOUR COMMENT WILL BE DELETED! BE WARNED!
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PAULY'S COFFEE FUND!
AGS is completely free for all users however I've put a lot of work into AGS over the last eighteen months and if you feel I deserve a coffee for my effort, I have a paypal.me link.
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/paulvinceags2
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STATS
This version of AGS includes...
5134 WHDLoad games and demos (All releases and updates up to 1st December)
355 Extra games.
29 Premium Games.
Over 3000 ROMS and Disk/Tape images for the included emulators.
23 Workbench games.
128 Launcher themes.
6000 Mods
11,000 iff sound samples
57,000 C64 Sid tunes.
Several dozen apps and programs.
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INSTALLATION VIDEO
This video is due for an update but should be fine for all versions of AGS.
https://youtu.be/mtW6tHOLvN0
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LINKS
I will post direct links to the torrent files in the group's file section. The torrents will be slow until there are enough seeders available so please be patient.
All versions of AGS and mirror links for the torrent files are also available on the following sites.
MEGA
MEGA has a 5GB daily limit for non account holder.
https://mega.nz/folder/CR1mlDhD#MLSPitDqr_IuAJFU3p1VgA
Turran FTP
https://ftp2.grandis.nu/turran/FTP/M...GS/AGS%20v2.5/
Other Mirrors
Coming soon!
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USB WRITING SERVICE
Karl Dyson at www.retro32.com has a service for those who are technically challenged and would like a pre-configured USB stick with AGS installed on it. Visit this link for more information... https://www.retro32.com/product/a500...rvice-64gb-usb
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ENJOY AGS v2.5!
That's it. Cross fingers everything works fine. Post any bugs in this thread please. Don't hijack other threads as your comment will be deleted!
10th December 2023, 14:16
Kin Hell

Thing is H, other things are so much further on now, like EMU68....

Don't get me wrong here, PiMiga is a pure Emulator for Pi4B @ 040 Level & is no where near as fast as PiStorm32 Lite with Pi4 or CM4 but is probably faster than AGS on an A500. - EMU68 is aimed @ the faster A1200....

Then add to that..... An A1200 with a PiStorm/Pi4B combo in it is a much better experience than a Pi4B on it's own trying to Emulate an Amiga.

I have a Pironman Emulating an Amiga using PiMiga & whilst it looks & sounds okay, it's no where near like playing on Real Amiga Hardware with whatever is driving it.

It's why I didn't go for the Apollo 68080 affairs. It's FPGA Emulation & not using the native Amiga Chipset. That makes a huge difference bud. :yesyes:

There are some utter Die-Hards/Purists out there that say you need a genuine Amiga Processor for it to be real. - Not so with A1200 PiStorm32 Lite & RPi4B/CM4. It smokes anything currently out there in every manner & gives you Gaming as well as some Severe Productivity Performance.
AIBB Beachball Render in 0.06 Seconds! :thumbs:
10th December 2023, 22:37
Harrison

But you are taking about current Amiga Hardware innovations and advanced. Not sure what that has to do with AGS.

AGS isn't anything to do with Amiga hardware. It's a plug and play USB stick solution that instantly creates a bootable environment to access a frontend to launch its collection of 5000+ Amiga games, demoscene productions, magazines etc.

It's f.ex. for someone who has just bought an Amiga A500 mini and wants more than the builtin 24 games. You download the AGS image, copy it to a usb stick, plug it into the Amiga mini, boot it up and away you go.

It is literally a foolproof way to obtain a near complete set of game roms already tested, setup and easy to just load and go. And for most that's all they want a they haven't touched an Amiga since the 90s.
11th December 2023, 05:28
Demon Cleaner

It's similar to AmigaVision which I posted some time ago, which was formerly known as MegaAGS.
11th December 2023, 09:02
Harrison

Yes very similar idea behind both projects, but I think AGS has recently become better supported by its community and is the go to solutuon for owners of the A500 Mini, which is the reason I've looked at it. Especially as it does now integrate Pandory and Amiberry OS. It's pretty much plug and play.

AmigaVision seems to aim now ata technical side of fan running things like a MiSTer.
11th December 2023, 13:12
Kin Hell

I understand that H. - Not sure you understand what the guts of the mini Amiga 500 are though!

From the link above:

"A compact reimagining of the Amiga 500 home computer, featuring perfect emulation of not only the original A500 but also the Advanced Graphics Architecture (AGA) of the A1200."

Oh yeah... Chipset Emulation....
14th December 2023, 13:08
Harrison

Yes I'm fully aware it's emulating an Amiga using hardware similar in power to a RPi3 or 4. The whole point of the mini isn't Amiga performance. It's just a plug and play device focused on gaming.

I like to collect all the mini systems that come out and mess around with them. Just a bit of great fun.

The AGS project is busy a free to download package provided as a Torrent and well supported so people can just copy it to a uab stick, plug it in and play some games and look at some demos. Nothing more.
16th December 2023, 17:49
Kin Hell

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demon Cleaner

It's similar to AmigaVision which I posted some time ago, which was formerly known as MegaAGS.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harrison

Yes I'm fully aware it's emulating an Amiga using hardware similar in power to a RPi3 or 4. The whole point of the mini isn't Amiga performance. It's just a plug and play device focused on gaming.

I like to collect all the mini systems that come out and mess around with them. Just a bit of great fun.

The AGS project is busy a free to download package provided as a Torrent and well supported so people can just copy it to a uab stick, plug it in and play some games and look at some demos. Nothing more.

Slow typing in RAGE to save Spelling mistakes..... usb, not uab.....It's Chipset Emulation H..... :doh2:

It plays like a bag of shit on an Emulated chipset....

CPU Emulation is something else entirely & yet, AmigaVision is better DC....

AGS is just pooey bs 4 me. :thumbsdown2:
17th December 2023, 20:40
J T

Aw, low blow.... Pointing out spelling mistakes is only fun if you can make a pun or manipulate it into a humorously ironic misunderstanding.

I really don't think you are the target market for this, Kin. Some people just want the quick hit of nostalgia without diving deep into the actual innards of the device. I haven't been fussed with any emulation malarky since before 2010 when I pissed about a bit with winUAE, but I applaud the efforts of folk that have made it easy to play the games we loved as youngsters, just as I applaud the passion of those that really do want to preserve Amiga hardware. There's room for both!
20th December 2023, 13:54
Kin Hell

Quote:

Originally Posted by J T

Aw, low blow.... Pointing out spelling mistakes is only fun if you can make a pun or manipulate it into a humorously ironic misunderstanding.

I really don't think you are the target market for this, Kin. Some people just want the quick hit of nostalgia without diving deep into the actual innards of the device. I haven't been fussed with any emulation malarky since before 2010 when I pissed about a bit with winUAE, but I applaud the efforts of folk that have made it easy to play the games we loved as youngsters, just as I applaud the passion of those that really do want to preserve Amiga hardware. There's room for both!

Yeah J T.... you're probably right fella & I'm more of an Amiga purist than most. :eyebrow:

However, not to the point it has to be a Real 060 to be the best out there.....
For my money, EMU68 on a Raspberry Pi completely blows the Apollo FPGA 080 in every manner, despite the latter having USB & Ethernet as standard. :shades:

It's all about number crunching & still being able to play games as they were meant to be played! - Perfect scrolling horizontally & vertically. - Emulation can't do these intrinsic Custom Chipset Hardware calculations.
20th December 2023, 15:13
Harrison

But for most it does just come down to an easy life. Download and copy to a usb stick, plug it in and play a list of thousands of games. Most are just trying to relive their youth with the Amiga and their favourite games. They are not bothered about total accuracy.

Some will them will be bitten by the bug and expand their refound Amiga hobby and go in search of more accuate hardware, but for most they will just be happy to be able to run and replay the games. That's all AGS is about and for.
20th December 2023, 15:42
Kin Hell

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harrison

But for most it does just come down to an easy life. Download and copy to a usb stick, plug it in and play a list of thousands of games. Most are just trying to relive their youth with the Amiga and their favourite games. They are not bothered about total accuracy.

Some will them will be bitten by the bug and expand their refound Amiga hobby and go in search of more accuate hardware, but for most they will just be happy to be able to run and replay the games. That's all AGS is about and for.

Yeah H......

Forget the Quality & enjoy the width! :rolleyes:
21st December 2023, 03:10
Demon Cleaner

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kin Hell

Forget the Quality & enjoy the width! :rolleyes:

To be honest, I'm also not bothered by total accuracy, as long as it runs the game fine.

What do you even need total accuracy for? How do you even notice if the game is not running 100% accurate? :huh2::huh2::huh2:
21st December 2023, 03:43
J T

If it was totally accurate I'd be playing it on a crappy 14" portable TV through the shitty RF modulator, and sound coming through my Sharp dual-tape-deck boom box, while I'm sat on a really uncomfortable office chair that got rescued from a skip, in a bedroom thinking about how awesome it'll be when I'm less of an awkward teen and finally start getting the chicks.

Actually, the boom box was pretty rad.
23rd December 2023, 01:49
Harrison

That reminded me of my computer setup before I built a proper desk. I had a board resting across two chest of draws for my desk and 2 old dinning room chairs we had inherited. During a quite heared multiplayer game the chair I was sat on collapsed. I was left with my legs sticking out through the top and my friend laughing his head off.