Finally! A Kung Fu Flash In The Shack - But Is It Any Good??

[@TheBasementChannel]

Great video! Nice and clear showcase of this device, thanks for posting.

[@TheRetroShack]

Glad it was helpful! :)

[@macstar8317]

The 1541 Ultimate II+ is a beast. You'll love it.

[@TheRetroShack]

Here's hoping! :) :)

[@TheKetsa]

it's WAY TOO EXPENSIVE

[@macstar8317]

@@TheKetsa For what you get, it's not. It's excellent value for money

[@BarrowZigger]

I've just bought one of these off ebay. It doesn't have the USB port and I didn't actually knew there was normally one until seeing this video!

[@mikeh_nz]

Ultimate II… “Just for completeness…” :) and also because you want one!

[@HifiCentret]

I believe you got the flashing part wrong. To my knowledge it doesn't flash a cartridge to the onboard memory but it generates a setting file on the SD card with the data from the CRT file. If it was to flash the onboard flash then it would quickly wear out. SD cards doesn't have the best wear leveling yet it is miles better than the onboard on the ARM controller which is designed to contain firmware - not constantly writing of large data.

[@L.C.A.car_adventure_channel]

Great video. I have for now only an unknown C64 EPROM module and Amiga 500 Action Replay 2 cartridge what I still didn't test.

[@TheRetroShack]

Let me know if it works when you test it :)

[@L.C.A.car_adventure_channel]

@@TheRetroShack Will do 👍

[@BillAnt]

Most of these types of carts have a built in safe-mode bootloader. Even if the cart flashing fails, the main menu is hard coded which let's you reflash it again.

[@LongyFromCork]

I have the C64 BackBit cartridge from Evie. It has instant disk loading capability, as well as support for CRT, and PRG and many other file formats. It's also worth checking out. Firmware updates are regular, with new features added frequently. Keep up the great content. Thanks

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for the info! I'll check it out :)

[@RudysRetroIntel]

I too have the BackBit cartridge and find nothing else compares. There is even an adapter so you can use it in a VIC20

[@303gntle]

Turbo Chameleon 64 -> 1541u2 and + or Ultimate64 -> Pi1541 etc .. The Turbo Chameleon is a FPGA device thou and works as a vampire for a C64 if used in the Cart port and with a RRNet in it on the clock port you get Ethernet to. Expensive solution but look in to that and you will never need another cart, or some retro computers as it has quite some nice cores like Speccy, Amiga, Vic20 etc .. :D

[@TheRetroShack]

Wow! That thing is a computer in it's own right! It's like the C64 is the add-on :)

[@frankrowland63]

Is there a parts list so I can build one.

[@RacerX-]

I like the idea of the Kung Fun Flash but didn't try it because up until recently it was PAL only. One thing that you might like is the BackBit cartridge. It seems to me it does most of what the Kung Fu or Easy Flash 3 does plus it has DMA loading of disk images so loading near instant speeds.. It is a great cart you should try.

[@TheRetroShack]

Someone else also recommended the BackBit - I'll have to take a look! :)

[@claudioquintanilla1471]

Nowadays KungfuFlash it's PAL and NTSC compatible (since a couple years ago), I made by my self some KFF units, I tested it widely and It has DMA load too, so it's extremely fast, besides it has excellent compatibility with a lot of formats D64, D81, CRT, PRG, T64 and it has frecuently firmware updates available so more and more functionalities are added, but the best part it's a Open-hardware project so anybody can made it.

[@brostenen]

The question with me, if I am going to get one? For testing and checking it out, then yes. What would I use instead on daily use? I would get an EasyFlash-III and keep using my PI-1541-Zero-Fastloader combo. For tape, I still use original drive, because it is nostalgia to me using real tape.

[@TheRetroShack]

Nice to see another advocate of the Pi1541-Epyx combo :)

[@brostenen]

@@TheRetroShack Yup. It is a great combo. And cheap. But only because it is what it is. I believe a full sized PI-1541 is more stable.

[@paulspark7287]

Off-topic: I still don't know why they named it Last Ninja Remix instead of Last Ninja 2 Remix.. I sold my C64 during that era which promised many an amazing cartridge game - probably about the same time that the C64 console (C64GS??) was introduced. It would be interesting to see how many amazing/modern cartridge games did get produced. On-topic: I own a Turbo Chameleon myself. It's been sitting in the cupboard with my C64 stockpile for quite some time. The main reason I bought it was to have everything load from SD and have VGA output. That crazy little cartridge can run different computer cores itself though - I had it running in standalone mode as an Amiga (probably running an early Minimig core). That would be an interesting cartridge for you to play with.

[@TheRetroShack]

Indeed it would:)

[@merman1974]

System 3 advertised it as a remix of Last Ninja 1 and 2, because that would make it sound better value than "we changed the music and a few graphics". (Alright, the C64 version added a brilliant cinematic intro too, but it was really just a way of promoting the game's conversion to 16-bit and PC).

[@paulspark7287]

​@@merman1974 Yeah I still prefer Matt Gray's music. Reyn's tracks I always found too short before they repeated (like on Last Ninja 3) but the cut scenes etc were awesome. Reyn is an excellent composer though. I guess it's like any song remake - I always prefer the original.. unless I hear the remake first :-)

[@nothingtosee6776]

Thank you for the video, question what size sd cards can you use in the Kung Fu Flash? What is the largest sd card you can use ?

[@C64_Universe]

I don't know about the maximum but it was shipped with a 32 GByte card so that size is works out of the box which is really enough for everything on Commodore 64. 🙂

[@CSIG1001]

Which flash cartridge do you recommend for d64 disk swapping?

[@TheRetroShack]

This is my current squeeze :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGXLoYJ4iZuBgZI

[@mikeh_nz]

Can you review “Easy Flash 3” if you haven’t already. I’m wondering how that compares to this

[@imnickleonard]

I can’t help thinking this is an incomplete project. As for remembering the last flashed file, isn’t that a given anyway as opposed to a design feature, Please correct me if I’m wrong. But the main thing here is really enjoyed the video, thank you

[@TheRetroShack]

You're very welcome :) Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@mrsnaglepops1876]

nice cartridge good as a actionreplay

[@alerey4363]

I'll never be comfortable with push buttons going upward, meaning you are pushing vertically into the port (risking both, electric connections and physical stress to the mainboard); I prefer pushing the buttons towards the port, thus relieving the main board from any problem derived from constant operation of the buttons

[@TheRetroShack]

You're probably right there! I'll be careful :)

[@TheUtuber999]

Oh no, not you again. 😁

[@alerey4363]

@@TheUtuber999 facts don't care about your feelings get over it

[@thiesenf]

Ultimate II+ or better yet Ultimate 64... Both are FPGA based... ie NO emulation but rather recreations of the logic gates used in the real hardware (or modern equivalents)... *Silently whispering with a roar from Hell* VAMPIRE 4 Stand Alone... That's the true power of FPGA's. Ok... I can just as well mention MiSTeR... but that's more for the Old Skool consolers... hehehehe

[@TheRetroShack]

Ultimate 64 is 240 euros... That's a lot to spend on a c64 - especially when you have loads of c64s :) :)

[@jesperlundbyrasmussen7844]

ultimate II+ is great..!!

[@stevesmusic1862]

Shout out to all the Donators!!!

[@TheRetroShack]

It's what keeps the channel going at the moment - couldn't afford to buy this stuff and despite what people may think, 10k subs makes about enough to buy a sandwich each day :) :) :) I really do appreciate everything that gets sent in!

[@MichaelDoornbos]

Oh good. I thought I was being grumpy about it. The Ultimate II+ is much much better.

[@TheRetroShack]

It’s on the review list :)

[@gaborszabo6406]

And more more more expensive

[@MichaelDoornbos]

@@gaborszabo6406 It is, but when you consider that it replaces about 5 other things, it's really not

[@gaborszabo6406]

@@MichaelDoornbos yes, if money does not matter… and if you can order ultimate 2 with post.

[@PaulTaylor1]

Number one superguy!

[@TheRetroShack]

Quicker than the human eye!

[@brostenen]

Dont worry. I am late to the party, with the PiStorm that I just recieved. And it does not help that EVERYTHING from outside the EU, are charged vatt and import fee now. We were able to order up to 79 Kroners worth, but that is gone now.

[@TheRetroShack]

PiStorm? Golden Rocking Horse Dung is more readily available :) :)

[@brostenen]

@@TheRetroShack www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164957576593

[@brostenen]

@@TheRetroShack Did you get the PiStorm link I posted?

[@TheRetroShack]

@@brostenen Yep! Thanks for that :) :) :)

[@brostenen]

@@TheRetroShack No problems. It is from the UK as well. 🙂

[@FuckYou69420]

Bean man

[@francoisleveille409]

Absolutely NO CONCERN at all for the fact the edge connector isn't gold plated. This thing will scape off the second you start using it.

[@TheRetroShack]

Well I’ve used it extensively for a couple of months and there’s no sign of any of it scraping off so far - clearly can’t comment yet on it’s true long-term durability but I’ll be sure to make a comment on it here after a full year of use.

[@TheUtuber999]

@@TheRetroShack Update please?

[@Ndlanding]

This bored the arse off me.

[@TheRetroShack]

Lol - ok! Not a fan then :). Never mind and hope it was just this video ;)

[@merman1974]

Have done an article on it for a forthcoming issue of ZZAP!, it's got some useful features. Check out the EasyFlash versions of some big games (Ultima IV Remastered, Speedball Duology) as they make excellent use of the cartridge format.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks! I'll grab those and take a look :)