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'''NESticle''' was a widely popular<ref>Wu, Lori. ''Game and Game Console Emulation: The Preservation of Video Game History'' (prospectus). [[Stanford University]]. Pg.10. 2002.</ref> [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] [[console emulator|emulator]] for [[DOS]], created by [[Icer Addis|Sardu]] of Bloodlust Software. Released on April 3, 1997, the program originally ran under [[DOS]] and [[Windows 95]], offering few features and only supporting a handful of games. It was the first [[freeware]] NES emulator,<ref>Carroll, Martyn. ed. "Emulation Nation." ''[[Retro Gamer]]''. Issue 1. Pg.65. January 2004.</ref> and became widely considered the NES emulator of choice for the 1990s.<ref name=arstechnica>[[Ben Kuchera|Kuchera, Ben]], ed. "[http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/08/accuracy-takes-power-one-mans-3ghz-quest-to-build-a-perfect-snes-emulator Accuracy takes power: one man’s 3GHz quest to build a perfect SNES emulator]". ''[[Ars Technica]]''. 9 August 2011.</ref> Initially offering few features and only supporting a handful of games, development proceeded rapidly and to expand usability such that NESticle is today credited with introducing the concept of [[Screencast|recordable playthrough]] for emulation,<ref>Turner, Benjamin. "[http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3142599 Smashing the Clock]." ''[[1up.com]]''. Pg.2. 10 August 2005.</ref> as well as providing the capacity for users to create their own graphical hacks<ref>Visyak, Matthew Edward ''Terrorism/Capitalism'' (thesis). [[Allegheny College]]. Pp.10-13, 25. 2 May 2005.</ref> via an integrated graphics editor.<ref>Ragan, Jess. "[http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?pager.offset=0&cId=3148820 Singing the Brews: The History & Philosophy of Homebrew Game Development." ''[[1up.com]]''. Pg.8. 20 March 2006.</ref> In pioneering this heightened level of access for users, and providing the tools for fans to hack and remix familiar classics, NESticle has been credited by ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' as representing a milestone toward the development of [[Video game music#Game music as a genre|video game music as a genre]].<ref>Schone, Mark. "The Cartridge Family." ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''. Pg.86. September 2004.</ref>
'''NESticle''' was a popular [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] [[console emulator|emulator]] for [[DOS]], created by [[Icer Addis|Sardu]] of Bloodlust Software. The name is a [[portmanteau]] of "[[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]]" (the [[Video game console|console]] it emulates) and "[[testicle]]".


While the emulator is no longer updated and has became obsolete as other emulation projects have developed and improved, NESticle remains frequently listed among prominent top tier emulators<ref>Sulaiman, Hazimin. "Emulators to revive classic arcade games." ''[[New Straits Times]]''. 24 October 2002.</ref><ref>Vanderburg, Eric. ''Copyright Protection and Infringement Technologies''. 11 December 2003. ISBN 978-3-656-29862-5.</ref><ref>Castro, Radford. ''Let Me Play: Stories Of Gaming And Emulation''. 2004. ISBN 1587363496.</ref> and it is still regarded as a good choice for emulation on older ([[Intel 80486|486]] and earlier) computers.<ref name=kohler>Kohler, Chris. ''Retro Gaming Hacks: Tips & Tools for Playing the Classics''. [[O'Reilly Media]]. Pg.165. 2011. ISBN 9781449303907.</ref>
⚫
NESticle offered its initial release as NESticle v0.2 on April 3, 1997. The program originally ran under [[DOS]] and [[Windows 95]], offering few features and only supporting a handful of games. It was one of the first [[freeware]] NES emulators, and soon became more popular than [[shareware]] rivals such as iNES.

==Development history==
⚫
NESticle offered its initial release as NESticle v0.2 on April 3, 1997. Its name is a [[portmanteau]] of "[[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]]" (the [[Video game console|console]] it emulates) and "[[testicle]]". The program originally ran under [[DOS]] and [[Windows 95]], offering few features and only supporting a handful of games. It was one of the first [[freeware]] NES emulators, and soon became more popular than [[shareware]] rivals such as iNES.


NESticle was coded in C++ and assembly using Microsoft Visual C++ 4.10. Part of the emulator's appeal was performance: it ran on modest Pentium and 486 DX2 PCs. Its GUI was colorful and easy to use, featuring numerous utilities that allowed user to view, edit, and save custom graphics, palettes, and the like. Within two months of its April release, NESticle could take screenshots mid-game, pause and resume progress at any point using save states, edit in-game palettes and graphics, play games online, save audio output, and record and playback gameplay movies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bloodlust.zophar.net/NESticle/nes.html |title=Official Bloodlust Software NESticle Page |publisher=Bloodlust.zophar.net |date= |accessdate=2013-02-19}}</ref> NESticle, as its name implied, also had a dash of low-brow humor. The mouse pointer, for instance, was skinned with a bloody, dismembered left hand extending its pointer finger.
NESticle was coded in C++ and assembly using Microsoft Visual C++ 4.10. Part of the emulator's appeal was performance: it ran on modest Pentium and 486 DX2 PCs. Its GUI was colorful and easy to use, featuring numerous utilities that allowed user to view, edit, and save custom graphics, palettes, and the like. Within two months of its April release, NESticle could take screenshots mid-game, pause and resume progress at any point using save states, edit in-game palettes and graphics, play games online, save audio output, and record and playback gameplay movies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bloodlust.zophar.net/NESticle/nes.html |title=Official Bloodlust Software NESticle Page |publisher=Bloodlust.zophar.net |date= |accessdate=2013-02-19}}</ref> NESticle, as its name implied, also had a dash of low-brow humor. The mouse pointer, for instance, was skinned with a bloody, dismembered left hand extending its pointer finger.
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The source code for NESticle was stolen from Sardu's computer by a code cracker named Donald Moore (also known as MindRape) of Damaged Cybernetics, who accessed its network shares with [[Samba (software)|Samba]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://patpend.net/articles/zd/article2.html |title=Zophar's Domain: Articles |publisher=Patpend.net |date= |accessdate=2013-02-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://patpend.net/articles/ar/damaged.html |title=¤ archaic ruins ¤ |publisher=Patpend.net |date= |accessdate=2013-02-19}}</ref> Because of the incident, Sardu decided to discontinue NESticle. August 1998 saw the final NESticle release, version x.xx, and support for the emulator was discontinued.
The source code for NESticle was stolen from Sardu's computer by a code cracker named Donald Moore (also known as MindRape) of Damaged Cybernetics, who accessed its network shares with [[Samba (software)|Samba]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://patpend.net/articles/zd/article2.html |title=Zophar's Domain: Articles |publisher=Patpend.net |date= |accessdate=2013-02-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://patpend.net/articles/ar/damaged.html |title=¤ archaic ruins ¤ |publisher=Patpend.net |date= |accessdate=2013-02-19}}</ref> Because of the incident, Sardu decided to discontinue NESticle. August 1998 saw the final NESticle release, version x.xx, and support for the emulator was discontinued.


NESticle eventually became obsolete as other emulation projects continued to develop and improve. However, it was noted for its speed, particularly on lower-end computers.
NESticle eventually became obsolete as other emulation projects continued to develop and improve. However, it was noted for its speed, particularly on lower-end computers.<ref name=kohler/>


The current webpage for NESticle is hosted on [[Zophar's Domain]].
The current webpage for NESticle is hosted on [[Zophar's Domain]].<ref name=kohler/>


== See also ==
== See also ==

* [[Nintendo Entertainment System]]
* [[Nintendo Entertainment System]]
* [[Genecyst]]
* [[Genecyst]]
* Bloodlust Software
* [[List of emulators]]
* [[List of emulators]]


== References ==
== References ==

{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


Revision as of 20:09, 4 July 2013

NESticle
Developer(s)Bloodlust Software
Stable release
x.xx / August 18, 1998 (1998-08-18)
Operating systemMS-DOS, PC DOS
TypeEmulator
LicenseFreeware
Websitebloodlust.zophar.net/NESticle/nes.html

NESticle was a widely popular[1] NES emulator for DOS, created by Sardu of Bloodlust Software. Released on April 3, 1997, the program originally ran under DOS and Windows 95, offering few features and only supporting a handful of games. It was the first freeware NES emulator,[2] and became widely considered the NES emulator of choice for the 1990s.[3] Initially offering few features and only supporting a handful of games, development proceeded rapidly and to expand usability such that NESticle is today credited with introducing the concept of recordable playthrough for emulation,[4] as well as providing the capacity for users to create their own graphical hacks[5] via an integrated graphics editor.[6] In pioneering this heightened level of access for users, and providing the tools for fans to hack and remix familiar classics, NESticle has been credited by Spin as representing a milestone toward the development of video game music as a genre.[7]

While the emulator is no longer updated and has became obsolete as other emulation projects have developed and improved, NESticle remains frequently listed among prominent top tier emulators[8][9][10] and it is still regarded as a good choice for emulation on older (486 and earlier) computers.[11]

Development history

NESticle offered its initial release as NESticle v0.2 on April 3, 1997. Its name is a portmanteau of "NES" (the console it emulates) and "testicle". The program originally ran under DOS and Windows 95, offering few features and only supporting a handful of games. It was one of the first freeware NES emulators, and soon became more popular than shareware rivals such as iNES.

NESticle was coded in C++ and assembly using Microsoft Visual C++ 4.10. Part of the emulator's appeal was performance: it ran on modest Pentium and 486 DX2 PCs. Its GUI was colorful and easy to use, featuring numerous utilities that allowed user to view, edit, and save custom graphics, palettes, and the like. Within two months of its April release, NESticle could take screenshots mid-game, pause and resume progress at any point using save states, edit in-game palettes and graphics, play games online, save audio output, and record and playback gameplay movies.[12] NESticle, as its name implied, also had a dash of low-brow humor. The mouse pointer, for instance, was skinned with a bloody, dismembered left hand extending its pointer finger.

The source code for NESticle was stolen from Sardu's computer by a code cracker named Donald Moore (also known as MindRape) of Damaged Cybernetics, who accessed its network shares with Samba.[13][14] Because of the incident, Sardu decided to discontinue NESticle. August 1998 saw the final NESticle release, version x.xx, and support for the emulator was discontinued.

NESticle eventually became obsolete as other emulation projects continued to develop and improve. However, it was noted for its speed, particularly on lower-end computers.[11]

The current webpage for NESticle is hosted on Zophar's Domain.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ Wu, Lori. Game and Game Console Emulation: The Preservation of Video Game History (prospectus). Stanford University. Pg.10. 2002.
  2. ^ Carroll, Martyn. ed. "Emulation Nation." Retro Gamer. Issue 1. Pg.65. January 2004.
  3. ^ Kuchera, Ben, ed. "Accuracy takes power: one man’s 3GHz quest to build a perfect SNES emulator". Ars Technica. 9 August 2011.
  4. ^ Turner, Benjamin. "Smashing the Clock." 1up.com. Pg.2. 10 August 2005.
  5. ^ Visyak, Matthew Edward Terrorism/Capitalism (thesis). Allegheny College. Pp.10-13, 25. 2 May 2005.
  6. ^ Ragan, Jess. "[http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?pager.offset=0&cId=3148820 Singing the Brews: The History & Philosophy of Homebrew Game Development." 1up.com. Pg.8. 20 March 2006.
  7. ^ Schone, Mark. "The Cartridge Family." Spin. Pg.86. September 2004.
  8. ^ Sulaiman, Hazimin. "Emulators to revive classic arcade games." New Straits Times. 24 October 2002.
  9. ^ Vanderburg, Eric. Copyright Protection and Infringement Technologies. 11 December 2003. ISBN 978-3-656-29862-5.
  10. ^ Castro, Radford. Let Me Play: Stories Of Gaming And Emulation. 2004. ISBN 1587363496.
  11. ^ a b c Kohler, Chris. Retro Gaming Hacks: Tips & Tools for Playing the Classics. O'Reilly Media. Pg.165. 2011. ISBN 9781449303907.
  12. ^ "Official Bloodlust Software NESticle Page". Bloodlust.zophar.net. Retrieved 2013-02-19.
  13. ^ "Zophar's Domain: Articles". Patpend.net. Retrieved 2013-02-19.
  14. ^ "¤ archaic ruins ¤". Patpend.net. Retrieved 2013-02-19.
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