Experimental 2600+ Firmware and Dumper

[jjfen]

Mac user here. How can I update the firmware on my Mac? Is the official release coming with a Mac version? And had any date been discussed for the release? can the bata version be loaded on a Mac using windows 10 in virtual pc mode? Sorry lots of questions but frustrated I can’t play all my games out of the box.

[CPUWIZ]

10 hours ago, amidarman said:

That is not my side, that is the public side.  That is what John Van Ryzin twice asked for here.

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe deleting the account isnt an option with the forum software and ban is all that is available?  If that is the case it does not look to see him banned.

 

Why can't you leave it be?  There are reasons, other than some clown asking for his account to be deleted.  And we do not delete accounts, as every post is part of a persons history.

[2LTIME6100]

Can anyone tell me if there are any new advances in compatibility for PAL games? I'm still on 1.1x r3 with the latest dumper. In PAL Frogger, sprites occasionally disappear and there is noticeable flickering, which has already been reported by some users here. Today I played Joust (PAL), and sprites disappear there too from time to time.

[JetmanUK]

6 minutes ago, 2LTIME6100 said:

Can anyone tell me if there are any new advances in compatibility for PAL games? I'm still on 1.1x r3 with the latest dumper. In PAL Frogger, sprites occasionally disappear and there is noticeable flickering, which has already been reported by some users here. Today I played Joust (PAL), and sprites disappear there too from time to time.

If you have updated to r3 successfully then I would say keep going, get it on the latest one. Most disappearing sprite issues have been noted as issues with peoples TV's trying to do some anti flicker filtering, but yeah, you aren't on the latest firmware... so update and tell us what you find... but check those TV settings too!

 

Share your findings on here when you have done the above, as feedback helps the devs out.

 

Edited July 6 by JetmanUK

[AtariYMás009]

22 hours ago, raz0red said:

Can you please provide the debug info?

Very strange, the game is displayed at 60Hz on the TV, however it runs at around 50 FPS (as it should), but as you can see, the screen is scrolled down (preventing seeing the lives) and the colors are not the correct ones (at least for this version).

 

 

displayed TV info:

 

 

Dedbug info:

 

 

*EDIT: Here is how it looks on real hardware

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 6 by AtariYMás009

[RevEng]

1 hour ago, AtariYMás009 said:

Very strange, the game is displayed at 60Hz on the TV, however it runs at around 50 FPS (as it should), but as you can see, the screen is scrolled down (preventing seeing the lives) and the colors are not the correct ones (at least for this version).

 

Originally the game you reported from the multicart was Beany Bopper. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think this game ever got an official pal release. I do see there was a homebrew era conversion to pal60, which would make sense with your report that the games run at 60Hz with the wrong colors. We can't distinguish pal60 from ntsc.

[AtariYMás009]

13 minutes ago, RevEng said:

Originally the game you reported from the multicart was Beany Bopper. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think this game ever got an official pal release. I do see there was a homebrew era conversion to pal60, which would make sense with your report that the games run at 60Hz with the wrong colors. We can't distinguish pal60 from ntsc.

I have now given the example of space jockey because due to the scrolling of the screen, the lives are not visible, furthermore the cartridge in question is totally PAL50 and as can be seen in the dedbug information, it runs at around 50 fps but the TV shows it as an NTSC game (60hz) instead of a PAL 50 which is how it should

 

I Hope the dedbug info can help @raz0red to solve the issue

Edited July 6 by AtariYMás009

[RevEng]

5 minutes ago, AtariYMás009 said:

I have now given the example of space jockey because due to the scrolling of the screen, the lives are not visible, furthermore the cartridge in question is totally PAL50 and as can be seen in the dedbug information, it runs at around 50 fps but the TV shows it as an NTSC game (60hz) instead of a PAL 50 which is how it should

Agreed with Space Jockey. (thanks for identifying it). Given it's a multi-cart from various sources, we can't assume the same format and problem for both roms here.

 

Does Beany Bopper also report 50ish FPS, or is it just Space Jockey?

[AtariYMás009]

To tell the truth, it reminds me a lot of the case of maze craze, which was previously displayed at 50Hz instead of 60 and purple instead of green. This being the opposite case, it should be displayed at 50Hz instead of 60

[AtariYMás009]

2 minutes ago, RevEng said:

Given it's a multi-cart from various sources, we can't assume the same format and problem for both roms here.

I can confirm that both are the exact same format (PAL50) and are in the same cartridge.

And yes, the beany bopper version also runs around 50fps but is displayed at 60Hz, and with wrong colors and screen position. Te same case as with space jockey.

[RevEng]

1 minute ago, AtariYMás009 said:

I can confirm that both are the exact same format (PAL50) and are in the same cartridge.

And yes, the beany bopper version also runs around 50fps but is displayed at 60Hz, and with wrong colors and screen position. Te same case as with space jockey.

Ok, it seems something is throwing the initial region detection. Can we get the debug screen for every game that exhibits the issue? We'd need the md5sum to force the proper region.

[Striker667xbl]

Just updated to the latest FW and Dumper last night. Have to say that the NTSC colors seem better to me now. Pitfall's trees were almost black befor and are now brown again for example! 👍👍

[AtariYMás009]

1 hour ago, RevEng said:

Ok, it seems something is throwing the initial region detection. Can we get the debug screen for every game that exhibits the issue? We'd need the md5sum to force the proper region.

I'll do when I get home 

[shane857]

4 hours ago, 2LTIME6100 said:

Can anyone tell me if there are any new advances in compatibility for PAL games? I'm still on 1.1x r3 with the latest dumper. In PAL Frogger, sprites occasionally disappear and there is noticeable flickering, which has already been reported by some users here. Today I played Joust (PAL), and sprites disappear there too from time to time.

I would update to 1.1x r5 and see if you get the same issues. I'm on 1.1x r5 so I'll have to try my PAL copy of Frogger to see if issues are still there.

[JetmanUK]

I'd like to say, anyone asking questions, please update to the latest firmware and dumper first. The Devs are doing an amazing job, please keep up to date and share your debug info to give them a chance to fix things. Love this community, amazing people here. 🤟🏻♥️

[raz0red]

5 hours ago, AtariYMás009 said:

To tell the truth, it reminds me a lot of the case of maze craze, which was previously displayed at 50Hz instead of 60 and purple instead of green. This being the opposite case, it should be displayed at 50Hz instead of 60

Yes, the issue is that it is selecting the wrong display format. We can force that once we have the hash values (MD5s).

 

This occurs frequently for PAL-based games that are less common. The fallback is to detect the format based on the ROM file name (which would contain PAL, etc.). This does not work on the 2600+ as it uses a generic filename (the ROM is the output of the dumper).

 

Thanks,

Chris.

Edited July 6 by raz0red

[DhaemonX]

I'm on R5 Dumper 2 and I'm having the strangest issue. Raiders of the lost ark, I cannot buy anything. Tried with both new controllers (1 button and the 2nd button). I can use the whip, shoot the gun, but I can have two pots of money and cannot buy the damn flute and the parachute. I have it selected with the second controller and tried to buy with the first controller hitting the fire button and nothing happens, cannot make the purchase. 

 

ET the Alien prompt when you collect all the phone parts and need to make the call is knowwhere to be found and I scoured everywhere. 

 

Is it me or is anyone else have these issues?

 

 

[tradyblix]

8 hours ago, JetmanUK said:

I'd like to say, anyone asking questions, please update to the latest firmware and dumper first. The Devs are doing an amazing job, please keep up to date and share your debug info to give them a chance to fix things. Love this community, amazing people here. 🤟🏻♥️

But haven't there been a few regressions in the latest builds ? I mean, I'm not leaving r3 because there was a whole thing in r4 about wrong colors. Plus everything I play is working atm, so yeah. While I would like to...  I think I'm gonna wait until it's official, whenever (if ever) that is. 

 

Only thing that could get me to move now is support for those champ games titles or penult, maybe

Edited July 7 by tradyblix

[Striker667xbl]

1 hour ago, tradyblix said:

But haven't there been a few regressions in the latest builds ? I mean, I'm not leaving r3 because there was a whole thing in r4 about wrong colors. Plus everything I play is working atm, so yeah. While I would like to...  I think I'm gonna wait until it's official, whenever (if ever) that is. 

 

Only thing that could get me to move now is support for those champ games titles or penult, maybe

NTSC colors were inaccurate in r3. r5 is much better imo. If your talking PAL... than never mind me

[tradyblix]

41 minutes ago, Striker667xbl said:

NTSC colors were inaccurate in r3. r5 is much better imo. If your talking PAL... than never mind me

No, the vast majority of games I play are NTSC. Since when were the colors inaccurate in r3 ? we got the colors fixed when they were inaccurate from earlier builds... Right ? Oh I can't keep up with it anymore. it looks fine to me lol 

[JetmanUK]

7 hours ago, tradyblix said:

But haven't there been a few regressions in the latest builds ? I mean, I'm not leaving r3 because there was a whole thing in r4 about wrong colors. Plus everything I play is working atm, so yeah. While I would like to...  I think I'm gonna wait until it's official, whenever (if ever) that is. 

 

Only thing that could get me to move now is support for those champ games titles or penult, maybe

Well, if all the people who are trying out the experimental builds keep up with the latest version then there is a larger pool of feedback of relevant info for the devs. Also it must be easier if all feedback is pertinent to the latest version only too.

 

All this would surely mean that issues are found quicker and with a higher chance of actually finding any issues that are present, especially so in less popular games, different versions and/or regions of carts.

 

Obviously anyone is entitled to use a version that they are happy with and remain on that, fine. But feedback from them is not as helpful and they are basically 'tapping out’ of the helping process at that point, again which is fine.

Edited July 7 by JetmanUK
Typos

[MarcinJ]

I have Rev3. When playing Stay Frosty 2 all looks fine but I cannot throw snowballs after eating a carrot on level 3 with the CX 78 controller. Jumping is fine. Is this a problem of 2600+ or the controller? 

[JetmanUK]

1 minute ago, MarcinJ said:

I have Rev3. When playing Stay Frosty 2 all looks fine but I cannot throw snowballs after eating a carrot on level 3 with the CX 78 controller. Jumping is fine. Is this a problem of 2600+ or the controller? 

I don't have this game. How is it on r5? Perhaps it works on that rev?

[yamazaki]

11 hours ago, DhaemonX said:

I'm on R5 Dumper 2 and I'm having the strangest issue. Raiders of the lost ark, I cannot buy anything. Tried with both new controllers (1 button and the 2nd button). I can use the whip, shoot the gun, but I can have two pots of money and cannot buy the damn flute and the parachute. I have it selected with the second controller and tried to buy with the first controller hitting the fire button and nothing happens, cannot make the purchase. 

 

ET the Alien prompt when you collect all the phone parts and need to make the call is knowwhere to be found and I scoured everywhere. 

 

Is it me or is anyone else have these issues?

 

 

For Raiders, stand over the item and drop the money (1st controller button whilst coins are selected).

 

I'm not good enough at E.T. to test, sorry  

[DhaemonX]

1 hour ago, yamazaki said:

For Raiders, stand over the item and drop the money (1st controller button whilst coins are selected).

 

I'm not good enough at E.T. to test, sorry  

Sorry I get confused with controller one or controller 2. Do I DROP the money with the inventory controller  fire button or USE the fire button on the movement controller on the item?