Gp32 Mame V2.20 Wip

[slaanesh]

Sorry - I've run a little behind but I will release *this* week:

Summary of what's new:

• Sample support. MAME 0.34 uses .sam format - I've collected all these samples and I will release a companion file containing these.
  
• New module - Sega System 16 game support. Altered Beast, Alien Syndrome and Shinobi are the highlights here. Golden Axe would work but doesn't fit in the 8MB RAM. Bummer!
  
• Latest version of Cyclone 68K core.
  
• Improvements to sound subsystem. Additional option to play in 11025 mode instead of 22050 - gains a couple FPS doing so with reduction in sound quality. I also plan some further improvements here like triple buffering.
  
• CPU cores recompile with gcc -O1 flag instead of -O3. This improves sound quality considerably and many games are very clear (again). As a result, some games will be a little slower, however improvements in other areas have made up for this to a degree. Generally, if a game was previously fast enough to play with sound, then there isn't a problem.
  
• The usual slew of other fixes. More details in the whatsnew.txt in the release.
  
• Optimized graphics subsystem (from GP2X/MAME4ALL version, thanks Franxis and Chui).
  
• I'm considering removing support for the "fast" version set of modules as they aren't really that compatible. If someone could create a list of games which fully work with DrZ80 I will create a few seperate modules for those games.
  For example, the new Sega System 16 only uses 68K and Z80 cpus. Seeing as Cyclone and DrZ80 are both available, that would make a perfect pure assembler core module. However, in reality whilst this does work and I get around 18-23FPS with sound, the game will always crash when exiting (which is annoying). This seems to happen with the GP2X version too. :-(
  There are only a handful of Z80 games that I know work with DrZ80. If Galaga was one of these I'd be very happy, but it isn't. Sure it works, but not with sound :-( Whenever there are multiple CPUs or multiple Z80s involved there seems to be less chance of compatibility.
  
  The other option is to use the -O3 cpu cores for the 'fast' modules. Tell me what you think!

Anyway! Enough! Release later this week!

 

[triksR4rabits]

Hell yea! this is great, thank you for keeping up the project slaanesh. Can't wait to try it out

 

[cozmic]

Great news. I think you should keep a "fast" option in, but only as an option.

When the user decides to play just one game or something, he can experiment with the option.

Byee

 

[Hooka]

Well, it's a compile time option for some of the "fast" mode stuff I'd presume so he'd have to release a fast binary and normal binary, it couldn't be just an option (as far as I'm seeing but I could be wrong...)

 

[cozmic]

ok that's fine too

 

[classicgmr]

This is great news! Here's hoping Jungle King works!

*MAME drool*

 

[slaanesh]

Well at it's a compile time option for some of the "fast" mode stuff I'd presume so he'd have to release a fast binary and normal binary, it couldn't be just an option (as far as I'm seeing but I could be wrong...)

It is indeed a compiled option. So no "fast" mode would mean no second set of modules. On the positive side, you'd save about 5MB of space on your card

Okay, I won't abandon it and include it in this release again, but I'd like to trim this down. Any volunteers to test which Z80 games work with this?

This is great news! Here's hoping Jungle King works!

*MAME drool*

Jungle King! Great game! Hmmm, yes it just goes blue after the swinging vine stage. Ummm... I'll look into it - no promises though.

 

[classicgmr]

Jungle King! Great game! Hmmm, yes it just goes blue after the swinging vine stage. Ummm... I'll look into it - no promises though.

Can't ask for more than that.

I just now noticed that this is for the GP32 (I'm apparently a GP2X owner who can't read - who knew? ) but whatever the version Jungle King is still a great game! Besides the fix might leak over to the 2X version...

 

[sensible GP32]

great stuff this is a awesome port time to wang the ole gp out once more

 

[slaanesh]

In a fit of nostalgia i've added another new game: Canyon Bomber!

It's the first game I ever put any money into (AUD 20c, admittedly my parents money!) at my local shopping centre which hosted the first arcade back in 1978 or so. I was surprised that GP32/GP2X MAME did not already support it!
Anyway, I had a bit of fun play testing this last night. The controls are pretty straight forward - press the button to drop your bomb!

EDIT:
Added another game: Liberator. Was curious about this one as I liked the pretty planet on the screen. Turns out that it rotates around. The game is basically a missile command style game. It's not bad!

I've also tried to add Punchout (on request). It works but there are some severe graphic glitches. Looking into this. Hopefully released Friday evening Australian time.

 

[slaanesh]

Right I've found enough reason to keep the DrZ80 cores.

Some games work that don't otherwise on the 'C' core - one of these is Jungle King! It seems to fully work with sound with the "fast" version whereas the regular version fails after the first scene.

I'll look into the "C" Z80 core and see what's changed as Jungle King works fine on MAME 0.36, so there must have been an update to the core there somewhere.

 

[classicgmr]

Right I've found enough reason to keep the DrZ80 cores.

Some games work that don't otherwise on the 'C' core - one of these is Jungle King! It seems to fully work with sound with the "fast" version whereas the regular version fails after the first scene.

I'll look into the "C" Z80 core and see what's changed as Jungle King works fine on MAME 0.36, so there must have been an update to the core there somewhere.

Woot! Thanks! This is a favorite game of ours here and was a shame to see it hit a white screen on the GP2X. A fix on the GP32 MAME gives me hope for any new GP2X updates!

Nice work! It is appreciated!

:lol:

 

[slaanesh]

Woot! Thanks! This is a favorite game of ours here and was a shame to see it hit a white screen on the GP2X. A fix on the GP32 MAME gives me hope for any new GP2X updates!

Nice work! It is appreciated!

Well it will work right *now* on the GP2X - just use the "fast" version of the executable. It uses the alternative Z80 core.

(EDIT: In fact, it will work on the current release on the GP32 by using the "fast" version as well!)

Also, I've modified the sound on Jungle King on the GP32 to give priority to sound effects rather than the music. This means you get to hear Tarzan's yell ("arrrgggoooo") at the start of the game, which is of course very important.

 

[classicgmr]

Well it will work right *now* on the GP2X - just use the "fast" version of the executable. It uses the alternative Z80 core.

Wow... I feel stupid. I never thought to try the other 2 executables since everything seemed worked with the main executable.

Thanks Slaanesh! I played through the level though it took me 2 attempts to get to the headhunters.

 

[slaanesh]

I've just made some nice progress with the 'C' Z80 core.

A few games now work perfectly including:

Jungle King

and the long awaited....

1942

1942 should now be fully playable and works beyond level 1. I just played to level 2 (and then died horribly).

I'm sure that there will be loads more Z80 based games that will see improvements as a result of these updates.

 

[Franxis]

I've just made some nice progress with the 'C' Z80 core.

A few games now work perfectly including:

Jungle King

and the long awaited....

1942

1942 should now be fully playable and works beyond level 1. I just played to level 2 (and then died horribly).

I'm sure that there will be loads more Z80 based games that will see improvements as a result of these updates.

YOU ARE GREAT SLAANESH

I start my holidays today, i will be out of my home for 2-3 weeks and without Internet, i will test your very promising new MAME GP32 version and include your changes in MAME GP2X afterwards.

Regards.