New MIST core: PC Engine!

[javidoom]

Hi!

I've just seen the new core released by Alastair M. Robinson, few minutes ago.

It's a new core supporting PC Engine. With some limitations, but it's very good news indeed!

Here are the binaries: http://retroramblings.net/?page_id=962

I'll test it tomorrow

Regards.

[remowilliams]

Just gave it a quick spin with Raiden and a few other games - it looks great!!

It doesn't seem to like my large(ish) listing on the MiST SD though (it didn't pick up the PCE directory I made) but it could find the few ROMs I dropped into the root.

[NML32]

Just gave it a quick spin with Raiden and a few other games - it looks great!!

It doesn't seem to like my large(ish) listing on the MiST SD though (it didn't pick up the PCE directory I made) but it could find the few ROMs I dropped into the root.

Same here no directories show up. It ran nice and smooth for the few games I tried.

[Newsdee]

For some reason my TV doesn't recognize either video choice (VGA = 720x480p at 60hz, TV = 720x240p at 60hz),
but they work great with my XRGB-Mini (especially with scanlines added by it).

I made this video to demonstrate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dA1-ohB_Ak
(I remove scanlines at the beginning to help frame blending for YouTube upload)

You might notice the OSD has a strange wobbling to it, but it doesn't affect main video.
The one limitation is that you need to use an empty SD card without any folders, and even then it will only recognize a few files.

In terms of games: Devil's Crash and Pac-Land didn't work;
Super Star Soldier works great, BomberMan '93 works fine on the main game but crashes in battle mode.
PC Kid and SF2:CE have serious graphical glitches but run; R-Type seems to have colors off but otherwise OK.

[javidoom]

Hi

I've just tested the core... With different results...

Always testing with the core alone in a 2Gb FAT32 SD Card. No subdirectories, and a few roms.

Games tested:

- Blazing Lasers (USA): TurboGrafx mode black screen. in PCEngine mode only sound.
- Devil's Crush - Naxat Pinball (USA): doesn't work.
- Dragon's Curse (USA): doesn't work.
- Space Harrier (J): Working!!
- Space Harrier (USA): doesn't work.
- Raiden (J): Working, but after first death it hangs.
- Raiden (USA): doesn't work.
- Bonks III (USA): doesn't work.


Seems Turbografx 16 don't work properly... And PCEngine is working partially.
I'll try som more later...

The OSD trembles a bit... but nothing more

Regards.

[javidoom]

Hi!

Tested some more, here the results:

As USA didn't work all I've tried are Japanese roms:

1943 Kai (J).pce WORKING
Adventure Island (J).pce WORKING
Aero Blasters (J).pce WORKING
Alien Crush (J).pce WORKING
City Hunter (J).pce BLACK SCREEN
Dai Makaimura (Super Grafx) (J).pce BLACK SCREEN
Darius Alpha (J).pce BLACK SCREEN
Darius Plus (Super Grafx-compatible) (J).pce WORKING BUT SCROLL GARBLED IN A LINE UPSIDE OF THE SCREEN
Devil Crash - Naxat Pinball (J).pce BLACK SCREEN
Dragon Spirit (J).pce WORKING
Fantasy Zone (J).pce WORKING BUT SHAKING SCROLL
Final Lap Twin (J).pce BLACK SCREEN
Final Soldier (J).pce WORKING
Final Soldier (Special Version) (J).pce WORKING
Gradius (J).pce WORKING
Gunhed (J).pce BLACK SCREEN
Jackie Chan (J).pce WORKING
Kiki Kaikai (J).pce BLACK SCREEN
New Zealand Story, The (J).pce WORKING GARBLED GRAPHICS SOUND OK
Ninja Warriors, The (J).pce BLACK SCREEN
Pac-Land (J).pce WORKING WEIRD CONTROLS
Raiden (J).pce WORKING
Salamander (J).pce WORKING
Skweek (J).pce WORKING
Super Star Soldier (J).pce WORKING
Terra Cresta II - Mandoraa no Gyakushuu (J).pce WORKING
Volfied (J).pce WORKING GARBLED GRAPHICS

Seems far more stable now trying only japanese roms

Regards.

[Newsdee]

Started this google docs sheet for compatibility list:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

[MasterOfGizmo]

Bomberman, Galaga and Son Son also work

[eeun]

Very cool! R-Type (Japanese release version) runs fine. Incidentally, the ST version of the game is nicer

I did notice that during gameplay there's a division about 1/3 of the way across the screen from the left, where the portion on the left is all about a pixel or two higher than the other side.

[Newsdee]

I made a video of the MiST running R-Type:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yksB6eKfxVY

I noticed there's some odd palette effect, where different regions of the screen would have a different tint. It doesn't bother gameplay and in fact is a nice quirk to add variety but I thought I'd mention it (very noticeable after 1:00 in the video).

[NML32]

Second update for PC Engine for the MIST

From Retro Ramblings web page: http://retroramblings.net/?page_id=965

2014-11-15 – This release adds multitap gamepad support, allowing up to five controllers. This version should also be able to cope with 768k ROMs, and allows a keyboard shortcut when loading ROMs; instead of pressing Enter to load a ROM, you can now press “P” to load the ROM as a PC-Engine ROM or “T” to load it as a Turbografx 16 ROM, avoiding the need to use the main menu each time. http://retroramblings.net/downloads/MIS ... 141115.zip

[Newsdee]

Wow! Now we need somebody with two DB9 and three USB joysticks to try Bomberman

[mahen]

Hi everyone ! Just tried the latest PCE core. Actually I tried 6 games : all black screens (Bonk, SSS, Bomberman 94, Dead Moon...). Strange ?

[NML32]

I just tried Bomberman 94 and Dead Moon and they both loaded.
Instead of pressing Enter try pressing “P” to load the ROM as a PC-Engine ROM or “T” to load it as a Turbografx 16 ROM.

[Newsdee]

The Run/Start button is fixed, but it looks like scanlines no longer work
Also Parodius now shows garbled backgrounds.

Is it the case that TG16 should be used for US games and PCE for Jp ones?
Maybe I can separate the runs in two SD cards... (the OSD doesn't support folders)

[Paradroyd]

This is a great core! A lot of stuff works.

[NML32]

Updated core released 11/22/2014.

PC Engine core - third release

Scanlines are fixed

[Newsdee]

DEVIL'S CRUSH!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqkAILkPe5I
(the genesis version was better... but it still remains one of my favorite 16-bit games)

Amazing update - the scanlines are fixed and a lot more games work... need to revisit the old compatibility list.

[Gryzor]

Is there a list somewhere of PCE games one must play?

[NML32]

Newsdee, don't forget to add a link in the PCE Wiki to your compatibility list.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing
Do you think it would be helpful to add another column to your compatibility list for loading a game.
Ex. T on the keyboard to load Turbografx 16 ROM or P on the keyboard to load PC-Engine ROM

FYI
32 Gamebases including PCEngine

[Newsdee]

Added the column, I'll starting making a note of which mode worked as I go along.

Does anybody know the "spec" of the file handler?
It seems like some long names cause the file list to stop (so I see less games than those actually on the card).

[jerome777]

I don't know the specs, but I have asked Alastair ( http://retroramblings.net/?page_id=962 )
if he could add some features :

- filter file names to only display PCE files
- be able to browse into directories
- long file names support

But I guess it's not simple to do that with this OSD (different from the one we've got for most cores on the MiST).

[mahen]

For some reason, I used to have a black screen on ALL games.

Now that I put the PCE core on its own SD, and as the default core, everything works ! Woohoo ! Compatibility is pretty good already and scanlines are a very nice addition.

My only issue is that my screen doesn't seem to like the frequency used a lot, and so, horizontal scrollings do not feel perfectly smooth (depending on the speed, it's a if they were wiggling -- I have a similar issue with the NES core with all my screens). Would it be possible to optionally have a more standard frequency ? (or maybe it's due to the resolution ?)

Edit : OR maybe it's not due to my screen, but only to the fact the output picture is 640x480 which is obviously not an integer multiply of the original PC Engine resolution. Would be nice if some alternate resolutions / some other filters could be used. Well, it's already pretty good and compatibility is the main issue anyway

[Gryzor]

I don't know the specs, but I have asked Alastair ( http://retroramblings.net/?page_id=962 )
if he could add some features :

- filter file names to only display PCE files
- be able to browse into directories
- long file names support

But I guess it's not simple to do that with this OSD (different from the one we've got for most cores on the MiST).

Indeed. I just tried the core out and the UI is pretty unusable as it is... Long filenames are urgently needed and sub-dirs of course. Right now I've got a few files in the root of the SD and it can't even show these since the file selector doesn't scroll, so I'm stuck with only a handful of ROMs I can choose from...

Otherwise: beautiful!

[Newsdee]

The file selector scrolls if you keep pushing down arrow... I discovered the feature accidentally