Welcome back to 1994! The Retrocomputing.Network XBAND server is a reimplementation of the original XBAND server by natalie. It is based off the network protocol as implemented in the original source code, but is otherwise written from scratch, with some tweaks to improve compatibility with modern connection methods such as VoIP. Read below for instructions on how to get connected.
Supported Platforms:
- Genesis
- Super Nintendo
- Super Famicom
Setup Instructions:
Choose your connection method: Supported Features:
- X-Mail (cross-platform on Gen/SNES supported, not yet supported on SFC)
- BANDWIDTH
- XBAND News
- Player Lists (cross-platform on Gen/SNES supported)
- Gameplay (with some caveats, see below)
2023 Update:
Gameplay testing is underway with a new PC-based modem tunnel solution by community member SEGA RPG FAN. Test results are looking very promising, with multiple people reporting usable gameplay across both SNES/SFC and Genesis. Support for DOOM was also added in 2022, thanks to the efforts of Randy Linden (original SNES DOOM port author) and community member play134. For more info and player matchmaking, please join the Discord!
Gameplay via VoIP or landline is technically possible, but connections are extremely laggy, or in some cases not possible at all.
Gameplay support should be considered experimental. Please keep in mind that XBAND was designed for the phone network of the 1990s, which had several low-latency properties that simply do not exist in modern home networks.
Supported Games for Gameplay:
- Genesis: Madden 95 (US)
- Genesis: Mortal Kombat (US)
- Genesis: Mortal Kombat II (US)
- Genesis: NBA JAM (US, experimental)
- Genesis: NHL 95 (US, experimental)
- Genesis: Road Rash 3 (US, very experimental)
- SNES/SFC: Doom (US)
- SNES/SFC: Super Mario Kart (US, expect graphical issues)
- SNES/SFC: Super Street Fighter 2 (Japan)
The 16-bit XBAND community lives on the BANDWIDTH Discord server!
Find players for matchmaking and lots more info, plus community discussion about XBAND and beyond.
Wiki:
We are working on populating a wiki with documentation and lore. Assistance is appreciated.
XBAND Wiki
Battery Info:
XBAND works much better if you have a battery in your modem. I've tried to make the server work as well as possible for modems without batteries, but every time you turn the console off you'll have to download your info again.
The battery type is either CR2430 or CR2032, usually CR2430. Here's how to identify the battery size if your modem is missing it.
CR2430 as compared to US Quarter:
CR2032 as compared to US Penny:
