GUIDE: Playing TSB Online For Dummies (PC)

[Neerrm]

Hello Future Online TSB Player,

If you're looking for how people play Tecmo Super Bowl online, then this is the guide you need to follow in order to get yourself setup and ready to join in on the fun.

 

This guide is designed for those who are brand new to the site and playing TSB online, and those who may not be too computer savvy. Hopefully, this guide will be extensive enough to leave you without problems, but if you should run into any issues or questions, feel free to ask!

 

For the purposes of this guide, all screenshots are based off of Windows 7. Windows 8 and Windows XP shouldn't be much different.

 

If you're trying to play off a Unix based machine (Mac included), then the link below may be helpful.

 

http://tecmobowl.org/forums/topic/58430-guide-playing-tsb-online-for-dummies-macunix/

 

Step 1:                                                                 

Download everything you need...

 

First, you'll need to download the emulator. The emulator currently used by the online Tecmo community for Netplay is Nestopia, with anti-cheat modifications made by Bruddog. This Nestopia emulator can be downloaded here .

 

Second, you'll need to download a ROM (game file) of the original Tecmo Super Bowl itself. This ROM is named "TPC_TSB_tapmeter.nes" and is included in the emulator download above.  This is the ROM used for pickup games and tournaments.

 

And that's it! Those two things will be enough to get you rolling in the online Tecmo world.

 

Step 2:                                                                 

Setting up Nestopia...

 

The first file you downloaded above, brudtopia-full.zip, is an archive folder that contains all the necessary files needed to run the emulator. If you know how to handle .zip files, you'll be all set. If not, here are some helpful screenshots below.

 

When you open the file by double-clicking on it, Windows, by default, will open up a window that looks like any another folder. If you have some other software installed that handles .zip files, you'll see something else. Either way, what you're looking for is to "Extract" the contained files. In Windows 7, this can be achieved by clicking the button that says "Extract All Files."

 

NOTE:  The new emulator available on this site is named "nestopia_unlim_sprites_2.exe.".  This replaced the prior emulator named "nestopia_anticheat_v2.exe".  You will see a reference of this old emulator in the screenshots below but the nestopia_unlim_sprites_2.exe is current.

 

 

 

 

Clicking "Extract All Files" will prompt you for a place to put these files. I recommend making a new folder. Once complete, you should have all of the above files in whatever folder you specified. For the sake of this guide, let's say you named that folder "NES."

 

Within the newly-created NES folder, at this point, I recommend making a folder called "roms." Then, within that newly-created roms folder, place your TPC_TSB_tapmeter.nes file (which was included in the emulator download) into that folder. It should all look something like this:

 

 

Simple enough, right?

 

At this point, if you have a controller that you plan on using, please make sure you plug it in. Do you not have a controller and are looking for one? If you've got a NES controller stashed away and want to be able to use that for an authentic Tecmo feel, try the Retrolink NES to USB adapter . There are many other options available. Ask your fellow players what they have and what they like to use if you're interested in getting something different.

 

Now, it's time to fire up Nestopia! Open nestopia_unlim_sprites_2.exe.

 

[ Note: If Nestopia opens--great! If you get an error at this point about a missing file--fear not! Download and install this  straight from Microsoft and it'll take care of your issue. ]

 

Once Nestopia is open, the first thing you'll want to do is configure your key inputs. This is accomplished by going to Options -> Input. Doing so will bring up the following window:

 

 

This window is pretty self-explanatory. The "Key" in the middle box is what corresponds to the actual NES controller input. The "Mapping" is what you press to achieve that functionality. In order to change these settings, you can either double-click on one of the mappings to change them individually, or you can click the "Set All" button at the bottom to do them all in order.

 

[ Note: "auto-fire A" and "auto-fire B" will do nothing due to the modifications made by Bruddog. I always just set these to some arbitrary letter on the keyboard and forget about them. I'm honestly not even sure what the "Mic" setting is used for. You can set that to some arbitrary letter as well. ]

 

Another example screenshot--here's what mine looks like after it's been configured (I use a controller):

 

 

Once you're done with the configuration, press "OK" at the bottom.

 

The next step involves a couple of settings that need to be changed in order to prevent problems with desynchronization when playing online, as well as some other issues.

 

Head on over to Options -> Paths.

 

In this window, the first thing you'll need to do is check the box in the "Save Data" section that says "Treat as Read Only." This will prevent desynchronization as the game state does not begin synced if you have a different save file than your opponent.

 

The next setting needing alteration is in the "Save States" section. There is a checked box that says "Use Internal Compression." Uncheck that. Doing so allows information to be read from your save states which is then used by different websites for statistical purposes later.

 

Here's what this screen should look like:

 

Click "OK."

 

Next, you'll need to add the game ROM to our list of available games for Netplay. That can be done by going to Netplay -> Connect. Doing so will open a window with a blank box and a couple of buttons. The button that we're interested in for now is the "Add.." button to the right.

Browse to where you have your TPC_TSB_tapmeter.nes, which, if you have been following this guide, should be in the "roms" folder that you created earlier. Add TPC_TSB_tapmeter.nes to the list, which should look something like this:

 

 

Since we're not actually starting a game just yet, go ahead and click "Cancel" after you've added the ROM.

 

At this point, you are done with the initial setup. To ensure that these changes are saved, go to File -> Exit. Yes, you are sure. At this point, in Windows 7 at least, you will get a message saying that Nestopia has stopped working, and the whole default Windows error report stuff. You can close that out without worry. This happens because Nestopia is expecting a different Netplay client than the one that we use with Nestopia, so it throws a fit when trying to close. An annoyance, but nothing to worry about.

 

Step 3:                                                                 

Setting up Netplay and TPC...

 

Now we're ready to rock and roll and play someone online! But how do you find people to play?

 

Create a Discord account, if you don't already have one. That can be done here. Discord is the primary means of communication for online Tecmo players and where to find pickup games. Once you are registered for a Discord account, there are a number of ways you can access Discord. There is a web-based client here, which does not involve any kind of download or installation. If you're interested in installing something on your computer, grab a Windows or Mac client here .

 

Head to the Discord to begin looking for an opponent. You'll need to navigate to the #looking-for-game channel. Post a message in the channel stating that you are looking for a game. Something as simple as "game?" will work just fine.

 

 

 

When you do find someone willing to play, you'll have to negotiate who will serve as the game host. For the sake of this guide, I will assume that your opponent has the capability of hosting.

 

(Please note that this guide will not cover hosting! That is an extensive topic in itself will be covered in a guide I plan on writing in the near future. A link to that guide will be put here when that's done. In the meantime, reference "Bruddog's Guide to Port Forwarding," which can be found in the post below this guide if you're in immediate need of hosting help.)

 

Your opponent will give you an IP address and port number that you will use to connect to them (for example: 127.0.0.1:6996). Time to fire up Nestopia!

 

Step 4:                                                                

Playing the game...

 

Optional: Recording your game | Part 1 -- Recording your games is a good habit to get in to, especially if you are interested in online Tournament play or League play. Having a video file allows for stats to be extracted in league games in the event of a disconnect, and is also the ultimate evidence if any disputes ever come up. Fortunately, this is easy to do. Once Nestopia is open, navigate to File -> Movie Player -> File... Doing so will open up a window where you can simply insert a file name and click "OK." I usually just type "v" and hit okay, as it takes a whole 3-seconds to write. That's all you have to worry about for now!

 

Navigate to Netplay -> Connect, then click the "Launch" button. You should then see a License Agreement, which you agree to, and then you'll see the following window:

 

 

 

You don't need to worry about too much in this window. For the purpose of this guide, the only two things you need to worry about are the "Nick" field and the "IP/SID" field.

 

The "Nick" field will be your nickname in chat during the game. Change it to whatever you like.

 

The "Port" field does not matter unless you are hosting.

 

The "IP/SID" field is where you will copy/paste the IP and port of your opponent that they sent to you, the 127.0.0.1:6996 number or whatever similar address. Be sure when you're entering this, you're entering it without any spaces before, after, between:

 

 

 

Once you have that taken care of, click "Connect." If all goes well, you should see this:

 

 

[ Note: If you get this window without the "Connection confirmed" message, then the connection was not successful. Sometimes, for the first time you use Nestopia, Windows Firewall will prompt you on whether or not you'd like to allow Nestopia to communicate across the network. You may have to allow it, then close the chat window, and try again. If problem persists, you may have other programs installed that are interfering with the connection, or you may not have a problem at all, and it could be your opponent's issue. ]

 

At this point, the person who wants to be "Player 1" hits the "change game" button and loads the game ROM. After the ROM is loaded, both players have to click the "ready" button, and then gameplay begins. Good luck!

 

Optional: Recording your game | Part 2 -- Another place to begin recording your game is when you reach the TSB coin toss screen, go to File -> Movie Player -> Record. This will begin the recording of the match-up. (Some players claim that you also have to stop the video file once the game is over in order to have it successfully record, but this has never been the case for me.)

 

If you've made it all the way to this section of the guide, then congrats! You've now joined the ranks of the online Tecmo community. Eventually, you'll want to set yourself up with the ability to host games, which can be a slightly difficult process based on how your connection is setup. Once again, for help on hosting online Tecmo Super Bowl games, please reference "Bruddog's Guide to Port Forwarding", which can be found immediately below this guide in this same thread.

Good luck and see you on the field!

 

If anyone has any questions, feel free to go on discord and post a message in #questions.  Someone from the community will be able to assist.   

 

Frequently Asked Questions                            

 

"I'm getting an error when opening Nestopia, saying a file isn't found! Help?" -- Download and install this.

 

"I uploaded a game wrong/someone uploaded a wrong game against me on TPC! What do I do?" -- All TPC related requests should be posted in the TPC subforum found here.

 

"Why do I keep lagging and/or getting disconnected during games?" -- The connection between you and your opponent is bad. This might be your fault, but it might not be. Try to avoid playing on wireless connections if you find yourself experiencing lag or disconnects. If you do play on wireless on like a laptop, move as close to the router as you can so that there's less to interrupt the connection. Also, make sure you're not in the process of downloading anything, or streaming movies or something along those lines, and that no one else in the household is either. Try to eliminate anything that could be taxing on the Internet connection.

 

"I'm on a Mac! Can I play?" -- Yes

Edited December 31, 2021 by Darth RockMan
Removed TPC upload references in step 4.

[Yak]

[This guide on Hosting an Online Game / Port Forwarding was written by forum member Bruddog.]

Introduction                                                        
BRUDDOG'S PORT FORWARDING GUIDE...

I get requests to help host online TSB games on AIM pretty frequently. So, I wrote this guide. If you can't get Nestopia to host, then that means you are likely behind a router and need to forward your ports.

A simplified summation of this problem is that your router is blocking incoming requests that are trying to connect to your computer from the outside internet (WAN). The requests that have permission can connect. You need to set up your router so that it knows that an incoming request on port 6996 (Nestopia's port) is okay to pass through.
 

Step 1:                                                                 

FIND YOUR PC AND ROUTER INFORMATION...

These are things that you will need, and that no one can help you with.

 

1. Your router’s admin name.

2. Your router's password. Typically, the default values are listed in the manual or can be found by doing an Internet search for your router's specific model. Sometimes, the admin name and/or the default password is labeled to the side or on the bottom of the router itself.

3. Your router's IP address. An IP address is used to locate another device or computer on a network or the Internet.
 

Below are the most common default router IP addresses by router manufacturer:

3Com - 192.168.1.1
Apple - 10.0.1.1
Asus - 192.168.1.1, 192.168.1.220
Belkin - 192.168.2.1, 10.1.1.1
Buffalo - 192.168.11.1
Dell - 192.168.1.1
D-Link - 192.168.0.1, 0.30, 0.50, 1.1, 10.1.1.1
Linksys - 192.168.0.1, 1.1
Microsoft - 192.168.2.1
Motorola - 192.168.10.1, 20.1, 30.1, 62.1, 100.1, 102.1, 1.254
MSI - 192.168.1.254
Netgear - 192.168.0.1, 0.227
Senao - 192.168.0.1
SpeedTouch - 10.0.0.138, 192.168.1.254
Trendnet - 192.168.0.1, 1.1, 2.1, 10.1,
U.S. Robotics - 192.168.1.1, 2.1, 123.254
Zyxel - 192.168.1.1, 2.1, 4.1, 10.1, 1.254, 10.0.0.2, 0.138

As you can see the most common ones are 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. To verify your router's IP addess, open up a command prompt. (We will also need the command prompt to get your computer’s IP address.)

Windows Vista and 7 Users:

 

1. Click "Start"

2. Type "cmd" and press "Enter"

 

[ Note: For some commands and options to work in the Windows Vista and 7 command line, you must run the command line as an "Administrator." To do so, right-click on the cmd icon and choose "Run as administrator." ]

Windows NT, 2000, and XP Users:

1. Click "Start"

2. Click "Run"

3. Type "cmd" or command and press "Enter"

The command prompt screen should look something like this:



Next, type "ipconfig" and press "Enter." You will see a screen that looks something like this:



Your router address should be the number listed where the green box is. Your computer's IP address will be listed where the red box is. (Remember or write down both of these numbers, as you will need them soon.)
 

Step 2:                                                                 

LOG INTO YOUR ROUTER...

Next, log into your router to setup port forwarding.

Open up your Internet browser and type in your router's address into the address bar and press "Enter."



You will be presented with a log-in screen asking for an admin/log-in and password. If you don’t have these, try any combination of:

admin
user
password
administrator
 

Step 3:                                                                 

SETUP PORT FORWARDING...

After you've logged into your router and are ready to setup port forwarding, you should know that every router is a little bit different, so you'll want to look for something like the following list, as 'port forwarding' can be under different tabs or names in your router's menu. Here are some possible names or keywords:

 

1. Port Fowarding

2. Port Triggering

3. Applications and gaming

4. Virtual Server

5. Firewall > NAT/Gaming

6. NAT

 

Here is one example:

 

1. In the Applicatoin box type: "Tecmo Super Bowl" (or whatever name you like).

2. In "Port from" type "6996"

3. In "Protocol" choose "Both." (If your router only lets you choose UDP or TCP, you will have to create two identical entries choosing TCP for one entry and UDP for the other entry. The name in the application box will need to be different.)

4. In "IP Address" you'll need to type in your computer's IP address that we found previously in the above steps.

 

ADDITIONAL TIPS:                                             

 

1. Uninstall Hamachi if you have it installed. This will likely screw up port forwarding.

2. Disable or turn off Windows Firewall or any Software firewall programs as they will also prevent connections from coming into your computer.

3. Make sure you aren’t behind multiple routers or modems. If you are, you may have to setup both routers for port forwarding.

If you still can’t get things working, you may need to put your router in "DMZ Mode," but this should be a last resort as it removes the protection your router is giving your computer and allows you to assign your Internet IP to one of the computers on your network.

IF YOU STILL NEED HELP:

Have the following information ready and try and find someone who is familiar with this process. You can find me on AIM at the username: bruddog

 

1. Internet Service Provider (AT&T, Time Warner, Cox, etc.)

2. Router Model

3. Router Password

4. Operating System (Windows 8, Windows 7, XP, Vista, etc.)

PORT FORWARDING GUIDE.doc

[cubsfan5150]

Great info kweh... now get back to that pokeman marathon.

[Knobbe]

If anyone has any more FAQs, please add them.

[keirre21]

Great tutorial.

[chekreyes]

Can you post this over in TRL on TW as well? Awesome stuff.

[bgboud2]

hey look

 

http://pastebin.com/V02u4FeH

 

http://web.archive.org/web/20100322231331/http://www.tecmoworld.com/ntl/nestopiaguide/

 

Once upon a time I was a nice helpful guy.

[tecmobo]

hey look

 

http://pastebin.com/V02u4FeH

 

http://web.archive.org/web/20100322231331/http://www.tecmoworld.com/ntl/nestopiaguide/

 

Once upon a time I was a nice helpful guy.

 

And now?

[Knobbe]

And now?

 

Helpful in other areas

[bgboud2]

And now?

 

i can say i've been both helpful and a pain in the ass

 

not sure if you've ever been helpful, but i'll give you pain in the ass

[buttdouglas]

This is great stuff! I tried following it before from other posts on other forums and they didn't go to the lengths or break it down for dummies like me. Thanks!

[Knobbe]

This is great stuff! I tried following it before from other posts on other forums and they didn't go to the lengths or break it down for dummies like me. Thanks!

 

[Yak]

Kweh, would you mind if I acted the editor and modified some of your grammar? I mean this as no disrespect, but I think I could eliminate a lot of unnecessary word additions from your text to clean it up some. Let me know if you're cool with this. I wouldn't be changing/adding anything, just paring down on some of the extra words. Also, perhaps you'd be okay with me formatting some of the text in a way that uses similar aesthetics to the other pinned threads around the forum? I'm a guy who likes to keep things similar in appearance.

Let me know!

ALSO, have you spoken to Bruddog about adding your guides together to make one big guide? I'd love to pair down on the the pinned threads in the forum. We can credit you both for writing the one big guide.

[bruddog]

Anyone feel free to edit away or combine as they see fit. 

[Yak]

Anyone feel free to edit away or combine as they see fit. 

Excellent. Thank you!

[Yak]

Heyo! So, I updated Kweh's guide with some editing / formatting changes to more resemble some of the other pinned threads on the forum. I've also updated his links to "Bruddog's Port Forwarding Guide" to send forum users to my post found immediately underneath Kweh's guide for ease of access, keeping users in the same thread. I've also updated the thread tags. Enjoy!

[Chris R./Big Poppa Poops]

What remote/controler are people ussuallty using to play online?  I have a replica USB NES remote but the down on the contol pad is bad so looking to what everyone else is using so i can spead the word to others were are hopin to starta league with.

[Yak]

Get a USB adapter for your actual NES controller.

 

What remote/controler are people ussuallty using to play online?  I have a replica USB NES remote but the down on the contol pad is bad so looking to what everyone else is using so i can spead the word to others were are hopin to starta league with.

[Chris R./Big Poppa Poops]

Get a USB adapter for your actual NES controller.

OK cool I will have to look for one of those and spread the word with my friends.  We ae hoping to strt a leagueo we can play each other more then  couple of times a year.

[bruddog]

Kweh, 

 

What was the trick for people that keep getting accept licence agreement every time they run it. Didn't a file have to be deleted or something? 

[Neerrm]

I honestly don't remember what it was. Maybe try running it as admin so it'll save it? Is it in the n02.ini file anywhere?

[RUNJLDMC]

Can't get the rom downloaded. Had a choice with paretologic or using a windows file. I had pressed windows media center. How do I back out of the media center and hopefully download the actual TSB ROM game?

[Neerrm]

Right click the link and try Save Target As... or whatever your browser's similar feature is.

[BO-RIDA]

I've done everything. I wanna play against the CPU for some practice. How can I?

[DFM]

I've done everything. I wanna play against the CPU for some practice. How can I?

This lays is out perfectly for you. What are you having trouble with specifically?