BupBoop! (Rikki & Vikki)

[CommodoreCEO]

On 7/28/2023 at 4:49 PM, TailChao said:

For your (in)convenience, I've dragged this tool kicking and screaming back into Visual Studio 6. This should work on Windows 95 up to whatever the current number is. I don't have a 7800GD to test with, but it seems to generate identical data to SainT's build.

 

If the attachment to this post doesn't work, it's also available here.

Pentium Pro or above is recommended, my apologies to all three of you still using 386es.

BupBoopConv.zip 47.59 kB · 18 downloads

 

 

Thank you so much for this! I have an original Rikki & Vikki cart but I wanted to be able to play it on my 7800GD for saving purposes, and this helped me immeasurably!

 

I must admit that the BUP sound is going loud and quiet from time to time with mine.

 

Nevertheless, thank you!

[SainT]

Yes, the volume issue is something I need to investigate!

[Hasan Coskun]

I can play the game OK the first time I run it but when I die I cannot replay it, buttons 1 and 2 don't respond. It will continue to play the demo where the characters run around the game logo. I have to then turn off the 7800, and wait for a couple of minutes, then I can play again but only for one credit. I'm running the latest firmware. Is anyone else having this issue? My version of the game is from the Steam download which has been patched.

[SainT]

This is an issue with the 2nd controller port and button inputs floating as I remember, it's related to the 7800 hardware itself, not the 7800GD. If you plug a proline (or other compatible controller) into port 2, it should solve the issue.

[Hasan Coskun]

23 minutes ago, SainT said:

This is an issue with the 2nd controller port and button inputs floating as I remember, it's related to the 7800 hardware itself, not the 7800GD. If you plug a proline (or other compatible controller) into port 2, it should solve the issue.

Thanks for the quick reply, that worked. It's actually playing a lot better with the second controller connected as picking up the blocks was quite erratic.

[Dire 51]

I'm about ready to give up. I've been trying this on and off since the last time I Posted, with zero success. I've tried using different versions of the BupBoopConv, I've got the files directly from my Steam purchase, I've followed the instructions to the letter and... nothing. This is all it does.

 

Guess I'll just wait for Stone Age Gamer to get the GD back in stock so I can get the digital copy.

[+DrVenkman]

59 minutes ago, Dire 51 said:

I'm about ready to give up. I've been trying this on and off since the last time I Posted, with zero success. I've tried using different versions of the BupBoopConv, I've got the files directly from my Steam purchase, I've followed the instructions to the letter and... nothing. This is all it does.

 

Guess I'll just wait for Stone Age Gamer to get the GD back in stock so I can get the digital copy.

Do you have Windows Powershell installed? If not, download it from the MS Store, then open up a Terminal window as Administrator before you run the converter tool. 

[Dire 51]

1 hour ago, DrVenkman said:

Do you have Windows Powershell installed? If not, download it from the MS Store, then open up a Terminal window as Administrator before you run the converter tool. 

I don't, so I'll give that a try. Thanks!

 

edit: I've done that, and it's doing exactly the same thing. I am stumped.

Edited August 29, 2023 by Dire 51

[SiLic0ne t0aD]

I was just about to post about the volume increase/decrease bug and even took a video of it, but I read back few posts and discovered I'm not alone. Glad it's being looked into.. It kind of caught me by surprise when it started doing it, I was like WTF? Lol

(NTSC - early AT84 7800, modded with UAV S-video board & Crossbow's Mount board, but now using 7800GD RGB output instead).

 

What an incredible game though.. So glad I finally got to play this! The music is so sick! The death screen also looks amazing. Love it. A top tier game, all around! 😎

Edited November 8, 2023 by SiLic0ne t0aD
Added console region & mods

[SainT]

If you pop the memory card out and back in again it fixes it. I'm finding it very hard to replicate the issue. I know roughly why it's happening, but catching it happening so I can see why is proving very difficult. 🙄

[SiLic0ne t0aD]

Not sure if this has been documented anywhere yet, but I've just ran across another interesting audio-related bug on Rikki & Vikki, regarding save states in particular.

 

I finally acquired the Mega Adapter and have just started playing around with the break menu & save states today. Anyway, while playing, I beat the 1st boss, and progressed to the 2nd stage, immediately creating a new save state there, but overwriting a previous one.  Everything was running like normal, but while on the 2nd level in the Egypt  stage (Sand Cavern), I died, and when the death animation/game over music started playing, I immediately loaded that new save state, never giving that previous musical sequence a chance to end.

 

Here's where it gets interesting - When my save state loaded, the death/game over music still continued to play, instead of the usual background music, and when that sequence ended, there was no background music at all, just like how a game over screen would behave. Only the sound effects (jumping, block throwing, bonking off of stuff, etc) were audible. When I went to the 2nd level on stage 2, still no background music, and so on. The music that's supposed to play never comes back.

 

Here's what I've noticed - whatever music was last playing, that's what will continue to play when I load this save state. Even if I power off the console and restart the game, then load the save state, ie. Stage 1/level 1 music playing on the 2nd Egyptian stage, etc. Weird eh?! 😛

 

I also have a different save state too, created right when I get to the boss on Stage 1, so I'll try playing around with that, but will be more patient and let any musical sequence end this time, before saving or reloading any save states, etc, to see if any other anomalies occur again, or if it fixes itself. 👍

 

Anyway, just thought this was pretty interesting and thought I'd document it here. Hopefully it's something that can be fixed in the future.

 

EDIT - tried my other save state and the audio fixed itself.

Edited November 17, 2023 by SiLic0ne t0aD

[SainT]

Yes, this is a known issue! The audio state is not saved and restored for BupChip currently.

[SiLic0ne t0aD]

Oh, well nevermind then. Man, you're on it! Lol. I try to read through all these threads, but I miss things here & there. Just glad you're already aware.

[SainT]

Hehe, there’s not many issues, but I think this and the volume fluctuation issue with BupChip are the main outstanding two!

[Feinsveur]

I have the audio fluctuation as well. Seems like the issue always starts acting up in the 2nd area for me.

[SainT]

2 hours ago, Feinsveur said:

I have the audio fluctuation as well. Seems like the issue always starts acting up in the 2nd area for me.

Yes, everyone will have.

 

If you pop the memory card out and back in again it will reset the audio levels. I'll see if I get any difference in repeating the issue further into the game, I have a hard time getting it to trigger which makes it very difficult to track down. 🙄

[MiCV2]

I also successfully converted the Steam version, music plays wonderfully. But I have a problem with the demo. The logo is displayed with the two actors, then the hiscore and then a black screen. I have to restart the A7800. What is that? 🤔

 

Edit: I checked on Steam, the demo always has to restart, so it's a loop. It freezes on my A7800 (black screen), doesn't restart.

Edited June 21 by MiCV2

[SainT]

I’ve never had any problems with R&V, and equally have never heard of anyone else with problems. The only oddity I can think of is the 2nd controller port ghost input issue, but I’m not aware this causes a black screen. Out of interest, does the issue change if you plug a controller into the 2nd port as well?

Edited June 21 by SainT

[MiCV2]

Problem solved! I played a prototype yesterday (Plutos), which I switched to 1- Player (difficulty switch - Port1). That was the problem.. Thanks, my mistake 🙄

 

Edit: But this also means that the switches have a negative impact on the game 🤷‍♂️

Edited June 21 by MiCV2

[thecavalry]

I'm having an issue starting this game on the 7800GD. I used the conversion tool and can load the game without issues.

 

After pressing a button to start at the first screen I'm visited by the Misery Dragon and asked to insert a compatible controller and press a button to continue. I've tried using both controller ports, pro-line controllers as well as both the Mega 7800 (with six and three button genesis controllers) and the CX78+ controller. None of them will allow me to start the game.

 

Is there a fix?

Edited July 6 by thecavalry

[SainT]

That’s odd, it means the game is detecting your controller as an old style single button 2600 controller. Do both controller buttons work on other games and in the 7800GD menu (they do different things in the GD menu, so it should be easy to tell)?

[thecavalry]

Yes, both buttons do different operations in the 7800GD menu. One selects, the other goes back.

 

It is very strange that this game doesn't detect the controller as such.

 

However, now that I'm testing in other games it doesn't appear that the controllers are behaving as it should. They are not operating with both buttons.

 

Edit:

The controller issue persists into regular game cartridges. This isn't a 7800GD issue. It looks like I have some kind of internal failure happening on the 7800 console instead...

Edited July 7 by thecavalry

[Trebor]

8 hours ago, thecavalry said:

Yes, both buttons do different operations in the 7800GD menu. One selects, the other goes back.

 

It is very strange that this game doesn't detect the controller as such.

 

However, now that I'm testing in other games it doesn't appear that the controllers are behaving as it should. They are not operating with both buttons.

 

Edit:

The controller issue persists into regular game cartridges. This isn't a 7800GD issue. It looks like I have some kind of internal failure happening on the 7800 console instead...

Could be the console's RIOT chip.

[thecavalry]

3 hours ago, Trebor said:

Could be the console's RIOT chip.

I agree. I've opened this console up and the chips are all socketed. So, I've ordered a 5 pack of 6532's from china and with any luck this will be an easy fix.

[+wongojack]

On 7/7/2024 at 3:36 PM, thecavalry said:

I agree. I've opened this console up and the chips are all socketed. So, I've ordered a 5 pack of 6532's from china and with any luck this will be an easy fix.

Can you post a link to the chips you ordered?  Did you get them yet?  Did replacing RIOT with one of these chips work?