Hi there, i got some questions ;)

mog123 · Post by **mog123** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 11:45 pm

Hi, this is my first post on this forum so ill make it a big one

Im from the GBA Emulation scene, I'm involved in a project called SNESAdvance (www.snesadvance.org) it plays a lot of great titles, but still not the Huge titles Compatibility list -
http://wiki.pocketheaven.com/SNES_Advan ... ility_List
Not all games have been tested

Like the name says SNESAdvance is a SNES emulator for the Gameboy Advance! I'm not doing any coding, i'm just finding speedhacks, graphic fixes to improve working games

My friend - FluBBa is a GBA Developer he intends to add some more support for SNESAdvance, and i want to ask you some short questions:)

In SNESAdvance text in Final Fantasy Games doesnt show up. What mode it uses or on which layer is it located?(so we could implement it, and maybe some more info on how to do that)

IPS Patched games often don't start (translated games) any info what culd be causing this?

Bahamut Lagoon doesnt go after the Start screen, what can be the cause of it, what does it use in emulation?

Oh and from all of those special chips, built in the cartridges which could be the easiest to emulate (the less CPU eating) ? Maybe some info on how to do that

Thanks for all replies

signes mog123

mog123 · Post by **mog123** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 8:21 pm

plz, someone from the development ;< Help me ;<

Post by **Nach** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 9:20 pm

mog123 wrote:
IPS Patched games often don't start (translated games) any info what culd be causing this?

You probably patched it wrong.

mog123 wrote: Oh and from all of those special chips, built in the cartridges which could be the easiest to emulate (the less CPU eating) ? Maybe some info on how to do that

DSP-2, OBC-1 are drops in the bucket.
S-DD1 is also pretty easy going.

DSP-1 and the basic parts of C4 also aren't that intestive.

The big guzzlers are the SFX and SA-1.

KingHanco · Post by **KingHanco** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 6:21 am

Weard... SNES is a 16-Bit and GBA is a 32-Bit. I wonder how those work on SNES Advance with 2 differents bit settings.

Imaging ZSNES Advance been made kind of like that. (Which there no plain for that. Because ZSNES will be broken when the GBA source is build in it. It will be screwy.)

sweener2001 · Post by **sweener2001** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 6:41 am

your pc is 32-bit, ponder that. after getting your brain.

jonwil · Post by **jonwil** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 7:08 am

Remember that SA-1 is essentially a complete 65816 CPU (I think)

mog123 · Post by **mog123** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 7:19 am

no i didnt patch it wrong, those patched roms work on ZSNES

I use lips (lunar ips)
so maybe it's the patchers problem?

Oh, and what about the FF text?

Post by **grinvader** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 1:04 pm

jonwil wrote:Remember that SA-1 is essentially a complete 65816 CPU (I think)

It's another custom 65c816.

It's useless to even try to emulate a SNES on a GBA (res/input issues).

Nightcrawler · Post by **Nightcrawler** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 1:27 pm

grinvader wrote:
jonwil wrote:Remember that SA-1 is essentially a complete 65816 CPU (I think)
It's another custom 65c816.

It's useless to even try to emulate a SNES on a GBA (res/input issues).

Yes, this is especially true when you look at the OFFICIAL ports of SNES games. They suck compared to the originals. GBA simply can't do SNES no matter how you slice the cake. Sure, you may be able to get something that RESEMBLES SNES, but in the end, it's inferior.

mog123 · Post by **mog123** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 2:38 pm

just try it and see how the games run t.t
www.snesadvance.org
get the latest superdat file
and Visual boy advance

try running some games

here is the comatibility list:

wiki.pocketheaven.com/SNES_Advance_Compatibility_List

not all games have been tested

and compare Donkey Kong country GBa to Donkey Kong Country SNESAdvance T.T

And can any developer tell me something about the Final Fantasy text ? thats very important. We want to be before squaresoft and play ff5 before they release it ;d

funkyass · Post by **funkyass** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 7:38 pm

mog123 wrote:We want to be before squaresoft and play ff5 before they release it ;d

They already did, on the Playstation. the PSP is a better platform the SNES emulation.

blackmyst · Post by **blackmyst** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 8:26 pm

Nightcrawler wrote:Yes, this is especially true when you look at the OFFICIAL ports of SNES games. They suck compared to the originals. GBA simply can't do SNES no matter how you slice the cake. Sure, you may be able to get something that RESEMBLES SNES, but in the end, it's inferior.

While I agree SNES ports are often not what they should be, I find that fact kind of strange seeing how some games that were designed for the GBA do things the SNES could never even dream of, superFX chip or not. See Doom, Gunstar Superheroes, Iridion 3D, etc.
I wonder why that is.

Post by **grinvader** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 10:59 pm

blackmyst wrote:I wonder why that is.

The GBA has a faster and (overall) better cpu, so it can calculate more stuff without slowdowns.
But it fails at trying to mimic the snes, since the GBA's audio hardware, screen resolution and input are inferior.

blackmyst · Post by **blackmyst** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 11:51 am

Yeah I know that, but what about stuff like Yoshi's Island, which has slowdowns, and has some of the original effects simplified/removed? I realise the SuperFX 2 chip is something like 20 mhz as opposed to the GBA's 16something, but if the GBA can do all the insane stuff it does in various 2D games, it should be able to handle Yoshi's Island fine, right? Also, look at the difference between GBA and SNES Doom. There's really no question which is technically superior there.

Ah, I guess that's what you get with ports. :\

mog123 · Post by **mog123** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 1:04 pm

u guys are missing one thing here
SNESAdvance is not a PORT it was written from from scratch in ARM ASM

So maybe any developer can tell me about the FF text? how can we make it appear ?

Nightcrawler · Post by **Nightcrawler** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 2:05 pm

It really doesn't matter if it's an emulator or port. We were discussion why the GBA is a poor medium for mimicing the SNES.

Screen resolution, buttons, and audio hardware are the main issues. Secondary issues are it's inability to emulate some of the more advanced cartridge co-processors such as the SFX.

I don't have a GBA, so I can't test your emulator. How are you addressing the screen resolution in the emulator anyway?

blackmyst:

The Yoshi's Island port would probably have to emulate the SFX chip for full effects(if it doesn't emulate it to some degree already) because as nice as the GBA hardware is, it CAN'T do what the SFX chip was designed to do nor is it really powerful enough to fully emulate it at full speed in my opinion.

mog123 · Post by **mog123** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:13 pm

If you dont have a GBA you can use VISUAL BOY ADVANCE (GBA emulator) to scroll resolution you use select+up/down, but there are some games that use sprite follow(it can be found by a comparative search in ZSNES:) )
the joypad has been settled with a SNES Controller adapter (pin up your SNES Controller to a GBA and use it with SNESAdvance)

SNESAdvance doesnt support sound, cuz it would be too much, but also we are thinking of a cheap sound player that would play samples (like the sound of mario jumping from SMW) when you would press a button.

Try SNESAdvance with Kirby's Dream Course or Breath of Fire. you'll be very satisfied how it plays those games:)

Post by **pagefault** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:08 am

The build link is broken I was going to make some small bug fixes, is there an alternative link?

mog123 · Post by **mog123** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 2:14 pm

what build link?

www.snesadvance.org

every tool needed

what bugfixes had you in mind?

also here is our forum:

http://pocketheaven.com/boards/viewforum.php?f=33

And the wikipedia Page:

wiki.pocketheaven.com/SNES_Advance

to introduce you with SNESAdvance and know the basics

Post by **pagefault** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:46 pm

Ah sorry, I was referring to the builder link. I thought that was required to build the source. I have zero experience in coding on the GBA but I am familiar with ARM7/9 assembly language so I think I could help out. I don't currently have a GBA or any flash equipment so anything I do will be limited to what I can do in VBA. I have taken a look at the source and I have already made some changes that should fix some problems with some games, but I am not sure where I should send these fixes. Do you have a CVS server of some kind?

mog123 · Post by **mog123** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:55 pm

hey, maybe start with registering on our forums? If you could help with modifying the source it would be Awesome :O
If you register on the forums msg me (my nick there is also mog123) then i will introduce you to FluBBa (he intends to modify the source) and you both could talk about what could be done.

And don't worry that you dont have a GBA with flashcart, SNESAdvance works the same with VBA as in SNESAdvance.

Post by **pagefault** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:58 pm

Well I don't have a lot of time to work full time on this but I can throw you guys a few fixes here and there.

mog123 · Post by **mog123** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:01 pm

well that would be great, no one has time these days in this huge rat race (XD)

What do you plan to add in the source?

And no we dont have a CVS server, you could put it on rapidshare or sth

Post by **pagefault** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:05 pm

I just have made some small PPU changes. I have no list of what games they fix but they are the correct behaviour of what everyone in the SNES emulation community is using.

mog123 · Post by **mog123** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:07 pm

wow, now that something for starters

Do you think HDMA would be hard?
or scroll value per scanline??

ZSNES board

Hi there, i got some questions ;)

Hi there, i got some questions ;)

Re: Hi there, i got some questions ;)