Building my Naomi set up. Part 1 (WIP)
Long story short, I want a Naomi just for CvS2. I used to have it on Dreamcast but I gave that away and now only have a PS2 copy.
Getting another Dreamcast is out of the question since no other game interest me aside from CvS2 on it (I’m beyond done for MvC2). The arcade port is the basically the perfect version of CvS2.
I’ve spent almost two decades with this game. I think its fitting I own a piece of the legacy which I spent a good chunk of my young adult life playing.
Getting the Naomi console/motherboard is pretty inexpensive, less than $120 USD. However, that is just the beginning of the many components I have to get.
Below is my shopping list I made before the purchases, while updating along the way:
My first calculation was that I should be able to build a Naomi System for under $500. I could get the barebones with CvS2 and security chip, GD-ROM and GD reader, but where is the fun in that? I want a jail broken system.
Besides, I do not want a GD-ROM and reader. These are ancient pieces of technology with too many delicate and moving parts that are almost 20 years old. The latest technology is flash storage and cloud storage. I’ve decided on a Netdimm with the Zero chip but will hold off on the Raspberry Pi and LCD since I still have a laptop at home which barely gets used. The idea is to run the game through the network. Perhaps in the future, I will try to boot the game via wifi or cellular data.
A few things were unexpected like the Sega I/O needed to run most games but more on that later.
Everything was place a week to two weeks ago, and now the long wait. Ugh, the worst part.
First thing that arrived,
EVGA 400W PSU ($35):
At 400w, this feels like an overkill, but this looks like it was the best one out there on Amazon for its price range. There were ones as cheap as $22 but the reviews on it were horrible. I have read that the Naomi are very finicky on the voltage and I figured this was the most reliable one at its price range with a reputable brand. The native PSU for the Naomi is a Sun PSU. The market price on ebay was $60. No thanks, thats too much for a used almost 2 decades old PSU.
Nothing else arrived that week. Since I bought the Naomi motherboard and Netdimm from China via eBay, it is going to take some time.
Since the Naomi uses different connectors than the ATX PSU, you will have to build your own harness. Fortunately, Mitsurugi-W were making harnesses and I snatched one up along the maple bus board. More on the maple bus board later.
Meanwhile, I did some more research and found out that I will need an I/O board for CvS2 to boot. You can run the game on Dreamcast controllers, you can plug the Naomi System directly into VGA yet you still need an I/O board for CvS2. Sigh….more money down the drain.
After doing more research on the I/O board, I found a lot of people swear up and down by the Capcom I/O board. It offers jamma connection, 3.3v, inputs for all punches and kicks, etc. However, the listing price is $150 minimum. That is wayyy too much. Considering I only needed the I/O board for the game to detect and boot, I want to find the cheapest option. After all, I’m planning on using the built VGA port, sound jack and maple bus to run my video, sound, and controls, not some outdated jamma connectors. There was also a video of how someone made and programmed their own I/O board but its currently out of my scope of technicality.
I found a cheap Sega JVS Type-2 I/O board for $57 on eBay. I actually bought it but I changed my mind at the last minute. Despite the JVS Type-2 board working for CvS2, I’ve heard that it doesnt configure all buttons and not all games work for it. I know I said I will be using the maple bus for the controls, but I also want more options if possible. This guy here was able to wire the green goblin to his Sega JVS I/O board and it ran fine. On his video, he also had a link that showed the pinouts of the I/O board. I looked up his I/O board and it was the original Sega JVS Type 1, Model number 837–13551. I found one on eBay for $65 from the same guy that I bought my Net Dimm from. I’m sure the JVS Type 2 I/O board would still have worked fine but that video gave me a piece of mind.
Just today, pretty much everything came at once:
The Naomi System ($118 shipped):
The system feels super light. I guess its because its basically a motherboard with no power supply or any moving component minus the fan. System looks a little worn, speaker jacks looks dull and oxidized. Maybe I’ll use some sandpaper to smooth it down somewhere down the line. Motherboard looks fine and the super capacitor didn't look like it leaked.
Mitsurugi-w’s ATX2Naomi Adapter ($25+ $4 shipping):
This is quality craftsmanship. It definitely save me the hassle of building my own connector and figuring out which wire goes to which wire.
Mitsurugi-w’s Maple Bus Adapter ($15 + $4 shipping):
I was almost tempted not to buy this, but gave in. The alternative way is to buy 2 dreamcast extension cords, cut it in half and wire it to my existing dreamcast cords. However, I still had Dreamcast controller ports I never threw away (yes, I’m a hoarder). Thank goodness I didn't throw it away. I knew it would come in handy one day. I will solder it all together another day.
The Muti BIOS and 0 Chip ($19):
Since my NetDIMM has not arrived yet, it is still in its holder. Below is the original BIOS chip. The Multi BIOS has been installed. However, I still haven't figure out how to use the dipswitches yet. I’ll mess around with it more tomorrow.
With everything wired and ready to go, I’m ready to test it out.
Test 1. System boots up as I plug it in. Fan is quite loud on the Naomi though. I might replace the fan to a quieter on in the future along with replacing with super capacitor. Also, I notice there is no ON OFF button on the PSU or on the Naomi. Ah well, I’ll just use this handy ON OFF switch.
Test 2. Wiring my $4 VGA cable to my ASUS Evo Monitor. I’m praying it works since I heard the Naomi is also picky with the monitors. I got signal out of range. After a quick google look up, it looks like I have to have all dipswitches down for 31khz higher resolution.
It runs!
to be continued.