Asaki Posted January 20, 2017 Share Posted January 20, 2017 I can't believe I didn't notice there wasn't any flicker. Is it tied to CRC? The BIN I have on here is the version with the 1981 copyright screen, and it flickers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted January 20, 2017 Share Posted January 20, 2017 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 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+LS650 Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 (edited) 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 January 21, 2017 by ls650 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorclu Posted January 21, 2017 Author Share Posted January 21, 2017 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!!! Trying this now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorclu Posted January 21, 2017 Author Share Posted January 21, 2017 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). 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. Thanks Nukey! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+LS650 Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asaki Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 So whatever trick it is using to merge the two frames (removing the flicker) would be applicable to the regular version only. I can see why they did it, Asteroids looks especially bad on the Portable, but I wonder why they didn't just make it universal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 (edited) 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 January 22, 2017 by Nukey Shay 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug0909 Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 (edited) Awesome work Nukey, we all thank you. I still think Beamrider with a separate button for torpedoes would be awesome. It's one of the best 2600 shooters IMHO and I hate when I use up the torpedoes by mistake! Edited January 21, 2017 by doug0909 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Beamrider was easy...I changed 2 bytes in Stella's debugger window. Didn't even need a disassembly. *=$F734 (second bank) LDA SWCHA AND #$10changed toLDA SWCHB AND #$08 Use the color switch for torps. No screen migration issues with that one? Beamrider(portable).bin 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorclu Posted January 22, 2017 Author Share Posted January 22, 2017 Beamrider was easy...I changed 2 bytes in Stella's debugger window. Didn't even need a disassembly. *=$F734 (second bank) LDA SWCHA AND #$10changed 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Yes, that matches behavior in Stella. Game screens that DO migrate downward have been pretty obvious so far. Directional controller hack to Beat'Em & Eat'Em: Beatemandeatem(portable).bin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorclu Posted January 22, 2017 Author Share Posted January 22, 2017 Directional controller hack to Beat'Em & Eat'Em: (Tested) Nice. Can you do the same for Kaboom? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorclu Posted January 22, 2017 Author Share Posted January 22, 2017 (edited) 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 January 22, 2017 by doctorclu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug0909 Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Thanks so much on Beamrider Nukey will test it later. On paddle games, I guess it would take a lot of coding but there was my suggestion of bottom diagonals slowest speed, left/right regular speed, top diagonals fastest speed (or second fastest speed if the button is used)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug0909 Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 (edited) 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 January 23, 2017 by doug0909 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinMos3 Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Here's my color hack that gives more contrast between the road and grass, among other things, with Nukey's button hack applied. Spy Hunter (Black).bin Spy Hunter (Gray).bin 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 (edited) 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 January 24, 2017 by Nukey Shay 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorclu Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarifan88 Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinMos3 Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 (edited) 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 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. edit: I probably shouldn't post this in the "controller hacks" thread, so my apologies in advance. Edited January 28, 2017 by KevinMos3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arenafoot Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorclu Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 Any vid of that wall? There might be a workaround possible, if the actual cause cannot be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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