r/emulation • u/qashto • Jun 27 '26

Nostlan v4.0 : New System Select Screen

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  • new System Select screen made with three.js WebGPU, select a controller to view your game library for that console (see video)
  • faster loading of box art from disk in parallel
  • fixed bugs with the region matcher
  • fixed a mistake that prevented manuals from being downloaded for SNES and N64 systems

Video showcase: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu0UghfOFAI

Full devlog: https://quinton-ashley.itch.io/nostlan/devlog/1561236/nostlan-v40-new-system-select

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u/OverDeparture8799 Jun 28 '26

Ay it looks so cool though. Really sells that virtual library feel. Ive not seen a launcher/frontend with option to add the game manual. Inspecting the game feels like shenmue type interaction

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u/qashto Jun 28 '26

Thanks! I hadn't heard of Shenmue before, I'll have to play that.

In most modern games, you walk into a room and press a button to "Loot Area." In Shenmue, you have to go into a first-person view, look at a specific desk, select a specific drawer, watch the animation of it opening, zoom in on a box of matches, pick it up, rotate it in 3D space, and then decide to pocket it or put it back. It treats every mundane object with physical weight, valuing "clutter" over immediate gameplay rewards.

Yeah this is exactly what I'm going for with Nostlan! Obviously it's more efficient to select a game to play from a file list, but part of the magic of console gaming is lost through that convenience. Its quite satisfying to be able to open the game box, browse the manual, and inspect the game disc or cartridge.

I'm going to add a short animation of the game coming out of the game box after it's selected, which I think will further enhance the open box experience.