I will test SMB3 and Ninja Gaiden after I wake up.
I should be able to run the test on an NROM-128 that I have with some modification - namely the test is using CNROM for some reason but the actual code size is quite small and only exists in the second half. If I duplicate this, it'll probably work.
Edit: Got stuck being busy, couldn't test until now.
* Re: SMB3 I still need to write the dumper. This won't take long but give me until this weekend.
* Re: the test rom, it doesn't work on NROM after all, so the test ROM is probably using features of the mapper. I can't run this right now unless a version is made that runs on NROM, TKROM/TLROM, SLROM, AOROM, UNROM or whatever mapper Rockman 2 uses as those are the boards I have now.
* Re: Ninja Gaiden, with both old and new robots, ninja never inched forward at all. I will need to see how my robot is responding to see if it is a timing issue. Maybe I am clearing my clock interrupt late rather than early, but I think I am clearing it right away so DPCM glitch can trigger it again. .....wait, my mistake! I implemented a DPCM glitch workaround on the new robot (and I think implicitly have on on the old robot), though I don't remember the details - haven't looked at the code in a long while. I imagine it is just shifting when this clock interrupt re-enable happens. I just disabled this mode and it synced with the enemy hitting at 111 on the timer as in the movie.
What this means of course is many NES runs syncing (including Ninja Gaiden) have a caveat that the controller is acting like a very slow to respond register (compared to normal CD4021) in order to work around emulator deficiencies. If emulation is accurate enough, NESHawk verifications should trump FCEUX verifications.
Aww so the test rom didn't work after all, too bad, I had high hopes for that one. Thanks for trying anyway. Maybe I will try porting it if it seems simple enough.
Hmmm so the bot was working around the glitch after all. Can you try the published run again now and see if it still syncs? My guess is that it won't but it would be really really helpful to know where it desyncs and if it is consistent. I think we're making progress here!
The published run is an FCEUX run. Post files you specifically want me to test.
Also, if you want me to test with DPCM glitch, it'll be at earliest this weekend when I write the dumper for that.
Huh? I must be misunderstanding what you said in your previous post then. If the NG test run hit the enemy, doesn't that mean you are already accounting for the DMC glitch?
My understanding of the dump script is that it pulls inputs from the movie file and uses them if there is no lag frame. But it's not the movie file that contains the glitched reads, they only show up on playback. So shouldn't it not matter what the source of the input file is, whether it be FCEUX or BizHawk?
Well either way, here is an NG test run, for me Ryu jumps onto a wall early in level 1 and just kind of sits there. I'll be interested to see what happens on console.
http://tasvideos.org/userfiles/info/34390976874363545
But it's not the movie file that contains the glitched reads, they only show up on playback. So shouldn't it not matter what the source of the input file is, whether it be FCEUX or BizHawk?
That's not the problem, the testing and conversion is. I've already tried with another movie you said was converted and it didn't work. I've been working 12-14 hour days and while I am willing to test, I don't have time to play with inputfiles to figure out how to convert them across emulators.
I'll test NG this weekend, or at least probably will; I've been working nearly all waking hours this week.
No worries take your time :)
Also I have made some progress on reconciling start up state as tested by blargg and others with how start up happens in emulator.
When I corrected start up timing to match NESDEV wiki, (first VBlank ~ 27384 cycles after power ) and sync the warps run it turns out that the game end glitch run also changes. Instead of looking more like the FCEUX run, it almost completely matches what you posted in your console verification. This is good because I was a bit puzzled by why the two results were so different.
The only problem is that it now fails to end the game. So it seems I still have a bit more research to do. Even a single PPU clock changes results quite a bit, so if I can match the console verification test it will be really strong evidence that start up state is correct.
This severe graphical bug in Recca's title screen after you beat the game (or use a debug/stage select feature to start from e.g. Area 1) still persists:
Video link
It's fine on FCEUX, Nestopia and QuickNES.
To access the stage select, select any mode while holding Select, A and B. You will reach a sound test. Keep A, B and Start (maybe?) pressed, then press Select until you hit the desired stage (Area 1 is Stage 5) as indicated on the bottom right corner.
Looking into it it seems like an IRQ timing issue. I was supposed to look into this with Burai Fighter too but never got around to it, looks like I'll have to move it up on the priority list though if more games are effected.
This severe graphical bug in Recca's title screen after you beat the game (or use a debug/stage select feature to start from e.g. Area 1) still persists:
Still? Was this brought up somewhere before? Are there other bugs you are aware of?
Ever since 1.11.7, the frame the title screen can accept input on the game Balloon Fight keeps changing. Pre-11.7, it would accept input on frame 18, then 11.7 it changed to frame 16, now in 11.8 its changed to frame 17.
I checked FCEUX to compare to the current version and it also accepts input on frame 17. Does this mean that it's now more accurate? :o
Tests are showing that it does seem to be more accurate.
FCEUX startup state seemed to resemble console in most cases I have timed (can't think of any outliers that were definitively shown not to be measurement error), but I don't know about Balloon Fight specifically.
NESHawk is undergoing substantial sync-unstable changes. If your goal is to TAS with it, I would suggest picking a specific version and going with it or wait until it's stable. If you run with 1.11.8, your run will be more likely to be console verifiable than if you ran with an older version.
Tests are showing that it does seem to be more accurate.
FCEUX startup state seemed to resemble console in most cases I have timed (can't think of any outliers that were definitively shown not to be measurement error), but I don't know about Balloon Fight specifically.
NESHawk is undergoing substantial sync-unstable changes. If your goal is to TAS with it, I would suggest picking a specific version and going with it or wait until it's stable. If you run with 1.11.8, your run will be more likely to be console verifiable than if you ran with an older version.
Well that's good to hear. I think i'll just end up waiting for the most stable version anyways. That way I can be sure that it's console verifiable.
Well either way, here is an NG test run, for me Ryu jumps onto a wall early in level 1 and just kind of sits there. I'll be interested to see what happens on console.
http://tasvideos.org/userfiles/info/34390976874363545
On console, it syncs as it should, and Ryu gets to the next section. It does not match NESHawk.
Left+Right test confirms I am in the correct mode. I can't rule out the robot as the culprit but it is unlikely.
Streamed on twitch if you want to see how it looks.
True, maybe you could add your twitch link to the signature? I have it bookmarked, but for instant reference that way would be easier.
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
This severe graphical bug in Recca's title screen after you beat the game (or use a debug/stage select feature to start from e.g. Area 1) still persists:
Still?
It's at least been like this since the early days of BizHawk. By "still", I mean despite all of the accuracy improvements, this particular issue is still there. It's also the only issue I'm currently aware of.
I wanted to bring it up when 1.11.7 got released, but it completely slipped through my mind.
@True:
http://tasvideos.org/userfiles/info/34498057663840024
Here is a new NG run that syncs on 1.11.8 up to the first ladder in level 2. 1.11.8 should have a start up state that is very close to a real console, given that it is anchored by your previous Battletoads tests and conforms with NESDEV info about VBlank timing. The only variable left SHOULD be the state of the DMC timer at power on, which I don't have any info on but I should be able to infer from where the run (hopefully eventually) desyncs on console.
@fsvgm777:
I tried the game on FCEUX but I couldn't get the level select feature to work in the debug screen. It worked just fine in BizHawk so not sure what's happening. Do you have a savestate or movie file for FCEUX that gets to the title screen in new game plus mode?
@fsvgm777:
I tried the game on FCEUX but I couldn't get the level select feature to work in the debug screen. Do you have a savestate or movie file for FCEUX that gets to the title screen in new game plus mode?
There is also a romhack called Recca Pure. You can change "difficulties" in that romhack just by pressing "select" on tittle screen and it have glitched title screen in BizHawk to. So it can be pretty handy to use that romhack for tests.
Ok I just commited a fix to MMC3 IRQ clocking that fixes Recca, Burai Fighter, and Mickey's Safari in Letterland. All 3 of these games are known to require precise IRQ clocking behaviour and didn't work properly before this patch.
Most of the relevent info can be found on this thread:
https://forums.nesdev.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11361
However, there seems to be some disagreement over exactly what is happening here on a hardware level and different emulators seem to be dealing with the edge cases a little differently. New hardware tests would likely be needed to resolve them.
All the MMC3 test ROMs still pass with this patch though, and I have noticed no deficiencies with any other MMC3 games. (The changes would be invisible to most games anyway as they only really effect edge cases.)
Still I would greatly appreciate anyone willing to test their favorite MMC3 game and let me know if anything is wrong.
I'll test the Ninja Gaiden run the next time I have some time, probably in a week, or maybe throughout the week if I have an early day at work. (
I have a TKROM board, so if you have either a romhack or a test ROM that will work on TKROM/TLROM/TSROM, and an inputfile with test input, I can check what you need.
I've made some progress on VS System, and now you can play some VS system games on NESHawk.
There is no 'insert coin' feature yet, but you can play in free play mode by setting dipswitches 1,2,3 to '1' in the NES->advanced settings tab, then reboot core.
This is a work in progress, so some games will still be incompatible, but I should be able to make rapid progress and have it pretty well finished by the next release. Right now you can play VS Super Mario Bros and several other games from the dev build.
*NOTE* Controller registers are reversed in VS System, so EMUHawk player 2 is VS System player 1, so make sure you set up player 2's controller. I might end up changing this to normal later but for accuracy right now that's how it works.
Having very serious personal life issues, it will be a bit before I can pick up tests again. Starting over, over and over again, year after year, is taking its toll. And I'm forced to do it again now. Sorry.
If you have any tests feel free to accumulate them and if nobody else does them, I will try to get to them done within 1 to 3 months.
I've made some progress on VS System, and now you can play some VS system games on NESHawk.
There is no 'insert coin' feature yet, but you can play in free play mode by setting dipswitches 1,2,3 to '1' in the NES->advanced settings tab, then reboot core.
This is a work in progress, so some games will still be incompatible, but I should be able to make rapid progress and have it pretty well finished by the next release. Right now you can play VS Super Mario Bros and several other games from the dev build.
*NOTE* Controller registers are reversed in VS System, so EMUHawk player 2 is VS System player 1, so make sure you set up player 2's controller. I might end up changing this to normal later but for accuracy right now that's how it works.
