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Flashback Portable: Needed Controller Hacks


doctorclu

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The portable uses the regular version without copyright, I've been told. So whatever trick it is using to merge the two frames (removing the flicker) would be applicable to the regular version only.

 

Spy Hunter test...second fire button remapped to the color switch. Works?

Spyhunter(portable).bin

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The portable uses the regular version without copyright, I've been told. So whatever trick it is using to merge the two frames (removing the flicker) would be applicable to the regular version only.

 

Spy Hunter test...second fire button remapped to the color switch. Works?

 

EDIT Yes, it works!

Edited by ls650
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The portable uses the regular version without copyright, I've been told. So whatever trick it is using to merge the two frames (removing the flicker) would be applicable to the regular version only.

 

Spy Hunter test...second fire button remapped to the color switch. Works?

 

WOOHOOO!!! :D Trying this now.

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Ok Nukey I tested it and all works!

 

For those that are unfamiliar with Spy Hunter you get the weapons from the weapons van. You start with only the front machine gun, and you get oil, smoke screen, and missile from the weapons van.

 

So once the van gives you those, the color/mono button will activate them. (I'll make a video of it soon, but watching live action Attack on Titan right now). :P

 

Missile is the only exception. That fires with the regular fire button only when the helicopter approaches.

 

In short, the game control wise is working great. I was already having a good weekend, but this is the cherry on top. :D Thanks Nukey!

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For those that are unfamiliar with Spy Hunter you get the weapons from the weapons van. You start with only the front machine gun, and you get oil, smoke screen, and missile from the weapons van.

 

My mistake - you're right, it does work.

 

Thanks a bunch!

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Easy to single out a specific rom, I guess. Some games depend on flicker.

 

Star Trek: This one is really messy inside. The portable reportedly has a big issue with the score display for some reason, but I can't see what the deal is (EDIT: the thousands digit is repeated in the hundred-thousands place - 001000 will look like 101000 in the original game). So I replaced it with Tapper's routine ;) To make the game a bit easier to control, impulse engines (forward) also work by pressing Color, Photons (back) can also be fired using Select. No solution for warp drive yet, so you still need to do back+trigger.

 

Bug alert: Stella messes up the score display during challenge rounds (it returns to normal after)...same on the portable?

 

EDIT: Score problem fixed. Display stable @ 260 (original bounces to 259 outside of the title screen). Warp unit indicator increased in size, too.

Startrek(portable).bin

Edited by Nukey Shay
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Beamrider was easy...I changed 2 bytes in Stella's debugger window. Didn't even need a disassembly.

 

*=$F734 (second bank)

LDA SWCHA
 AND #$10
changed to
LDA SWCHB
 AND #$08

Use the color switch for torps.

 

No screen migration issues with that one?

 

Fun game. Not as familiar with this game but I will say

 

1) on the opening screen you can see Activision on the bottom, which in a game like Enduro you could not.

2) In the action screen you can see the number of ships remaining on the bottom.

 

If that is normal operation, then this is good to go for the migration aspect.

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Yes...any paddle game can be switched to use a joystick...just do a +/- routine reading left and right once per frame and store that as the resistance value the program is using. Problem is, it's tough to find a balance of speed vs. accuracy. The trigger can be used to speed up if it's not already being used for something else. Kaboom! might be unplayable at higher levels...you can't move fast enough across the screen without making it hard to control.

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Yes...any paddle game can be switched to use a joystick...just do a +/- routine reading left and right once per frame and store that as the resistance value the program is using. Problem is, it's tough to find a balance of speed vs. accuracy. The trigger can be used to speed up if it's not already being used for something else. Kaboom! might be unplayable at higher levels...you can't move fast enough across the screen without making it hard to control.

 

I get that. I realize there is a trade off as the game becomes more frantic. The way I see it, 1) leave Kaboom as it is, which currently sucks from the start or 2) modify Kaboom so that it is at least fun for at least a while.

Edited by doctorclu
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There's a really weird grahpical glitch with Beamrider..... It has to do with your reserve ships. It reveals two extra ships reserve ships so it looks like you start with four reserves (five total), not two reserves (three total). As the first two on the left are not really there, it treats 1,2, and 4 as one ship, so if you lose your first ship (#3), it then takes (imaginary 1 and 2) along with 4 (really reserve 2), leaving you with one in reserve (as it should be). It does the same thing treating imaginary reserve ships 1 and 2, and reserve ship 4 (really 2) as one when flashing them and calculating bonus points at the end of the round if you hit the mother ship with a torpedo. At first I thought it was a gameplay problem then remembered you are only supposed to start with two, not four, reserve ships. I just tried the the unaltered ROM and the PAL Rom as well and the same thing happened each time...

Edited by doug0909
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Berzerk test: This game does a number of odd things, such as calling Vsync a few cycles into a scanline, reading from HM registers to waste cycles, depending upon cycles added by branching over a page, etc. Hacked to remove the unusual stuff (game-killing attract mode also fixed). Don't know what to look for, since an "invisible wall" does not happen in Stella. Playable?

Edited by Nukey Shay
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Berzerk test: This game does a number of odd things, such as calling Vsync a few cycles into a scanline, reading from HM registers to waste cycles, depending upon cycles added by branching over a page, etc. Hacked to remove the unusual stuff (game-killing attract mode also fixed). Don't know what to look for, since an "invisible wall" does not happen in Stella. Playable?

 

I knew I should have brought the Atari Flashback Portable to work to play more of KevinMos3's spruced up Spy Hunter roms. (Played the black version last night, quite good. Haven't tried the gray version). Can try Berzerk when I get home.

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Berzerk test: This game does a number of odd things, such as calling Vsync a few cycles into a scanline, reading from HM registers to waste cycles, depending upon cycles added by branching over a page, etc. Hacked to remove the unusual stuff (game-killing attract mode also fixed). Don't know what to look for, since an "invisible wall" does not happen in Stella. Playable?

 

Is this supposed to fix the bug in the portable version where some areas you on the screen you cannot shoot?

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Berzerk test: This game does a number of odd things, such as calling Vsync a few cycles into a scanline, reading from HM registers to waste cycles, depending upon cycles added by branching over a page, etc. Hacked to remove the unusual stuff (game-killing attract mode also fixed). Don't know what to look for, since an "invisible wall" does not happen in Stella. Playable?

 

Seems to not affect the shooting issue, although it is still playable.

 

I've been using your 2-player version from a few years back, for the nice title screen, alternate mazes, and graphical game select. I just changed the title screen to say "Flashback" instead of "2-Player", since I'm using it on the FB and don't do 2-player. Again, it still has the shooting issue, but it's quite playable. Fixed

post-9364-0-47708000-1485187381_thumb.png post-9364-0-96806200-1485187484_thumb.png

Edit: Updated ROM with Nukey's fix

Berzerk2player-FB(portable).bin

 

 

 

On a separate note, in case anyone missed the Popeye hacking thread, there's been some nice changes to the playfields. Still a few things to do. It's compatible with the AFP.

post-9364-0-12645500-1485137425_thumb.png post-9364-0-06195400-1485627807_thumb.png post-9364-0-05799000-1485244693_thumb.png

 

edit: I probably shouldn't post this in the "controller hacks" thread, so my apologies in advance.
Edited by KevinMos3
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Berzerk test: This game does a number of odd things, such as calling Vsync a few cycles into a scanline, reading from HM registers to waste cycles, depending upon cycles added by branching over a page, etc. Hacked to remove the unusual stuff (game-killing attract mode also fixed). Don't know what to look for, since an "invisible wall" does not happen in Stella. Playable?

the invisible wall is still there on this version - but is playable like the original ROM after you move around it

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edit: I probably shouldn't post this in the "controller hacks" thread, so my apologies in advance.

 

 

Meh, we already have accomplished what this thread was started for (getting working controls for Star Raiders, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Spy Hunter). Other hacks are being found, but this thread has also addressed the Vblank screen migration issue and other things that make the games incompatible with the AFP.

 

There is a "AFP Compatibility page" and page about games we'd like to see working on the AFP. But here is where most of the technical talk is being done on sprucing up games for the AFP. So talk away! :D

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