Wednesday, October 31st 2001 - Last updated @ 20:45 EST
Laser 0.18a - Laser has recieved a small update, adding sound back in for the 8080 games (enable with -sound as always), and a speed throttler for those of us with a system faster than a Pentium I :P
- MetaFox
Happy Halloween from CPS2Shock - Vampire Savior 2 - Donovan *finally* gets emulated! :P Also, Razoola uploaded Dimahoo's USA program ROMs to ABEM earlier.
- prophet
WonderScott Online WIP - Gollum wrote in to say that he has just updated The WonderScott Web Page with some news screenshots of commercial games running in WonderSwan B/W mode & two nice color bumpmapping demos. WonderScott Online is a WonderSwan / WonderSwan Color emulator written in Java.
- chris
Laser 0.18 - Laser has recieved a rewrite to use game drivers by ss_teven. Almost all of the 8080 games have been rewritten into 0.18, and a scramble driver is now available with support for The Ends (Stern), as well as preliminary support for The Ends (the ship does not move), Frogger (bootleg on Scramble; no coin inputs), and Atlantis (also no coin inputs). As always, the source is available, so feel free to submit your own drivers for Laser. :)
- MetaFox
Tuesday, October 30th 2001 - Last updated @ 19:30 EST
Java Tetris - Norbert has added a new game to his excellent JAE site. The latest addition is Atari Tetris (1988)! Norbert says: "The emulator does not perfectly emulate all of the graphics, because the Tetris machine used a dynamic color pallette. To compensate for this, a real-time emulation of Atari's famous "Pokey" sound chip was added, so that you can listen to the cool russian-style tunes, that Tetris plays with its two Pokey chips."
- RocLobsta
ClrMAME Pro 2.30a - Yep, Roman Scherzer updated his excellent ClrMAME Pro ROM management utility! Some small fixes this release, so go get it.
- prophet
Neo-0 Victoly! - Seems Neo-0 has produced a fully decrypted set of KoF2000 ROM images! Congratulations to Manson, Tyris, Wind and the whole team for your diligence, and perhaps more importantly, for your positive attitude. Does this mean they now know how to easily decrypt other Neogeo games? More significantly, could this lead to obtaining the encryption algorithm itself? We shall see...
- prophet
The Mame Song - "Grand Master Peter" has made a Flash movie entitled "The Mame Song," click here to see it. :)
- dutch
New CPS2 Dumps - Some new CPS2 dumps have been uploaded to Usenet, they are on a.b.e.m. They include Giga Wing, Great Mahou D., and Mars Matrix. Whether these are "leaks" or not isn't really my concern, the fact is they're out there. Please note, I can't help you if you don't know how to download, remember you're only legally entitled to them if you own the original PCBs. Also note that these don't include XOR tables that you'd need for emulation (read: they are unemulated). Thanks to Brian Troha for the news!
- dutch
AGES 0.26 Released! - Ooooooh, this Sega Genesis/32X/CD emu has been updated and it finally has sound now, coming from a core that Quinntesson reverse-engineered and wrote himself. Anyway, here's what's new:
-Genesis YM2612 sound (sans LFO, RS, DT, SSGEG, FB, stereo control)
- Genesis DAC sound
- Genesis PSG sound (sans noise channel)
- Sega CD PCM sound
- Finished RasterFX support (palette changes)
- Sega CD/32X games support
- Sega CD RAM cartridge emulation
- HUGE speed up to the Sega CD rotate/scale graphics code
- SMS driver
- Finished Sega Mouse support
- Tons of Z80 emulation bug fixes
- Genesis Collective Offline Database support
- GoodGen.DLL & Good32X.DLL support
- Fixed PNG saving to work with Netscape and IE
- Wave logging
- Sprite limitting and force display are now optional
- Copy DMA implemented
- H counter implemented
- Fixed bugs in 32X-over-Genesis layer combine code
- Tons of other compatiblity fixes
You can download this release from the AGES SITE, thanks to Arakon for the news.
- atila
NeoGeo Goodies - For any NeoGeo fans out there, keep an eye out on ABEM etc. Kai uploaded some encrypted (NOT YET PLAYABLE) dumps of games like Nightmare In The Dark & Garou to ABEM a few days ago, so they should be out there somewhere. AGAIN - these are NOT playable in any emus yet.
- prophet
FANBuild MAME 0.55.3 - Rico2000 of RC-ROMs let me know about the latest build of FANBuild MAME! The main thing here is support for all the latest CPS2 games, redumped NeoGeo S1 images, as well as incorporation of many fixed sources, so various bugs are now dead.
- prophet
TZX Vault Update - Gilby from the TZX Vault informed me about some Speccy news as follows: "Just thought I'd let you know that a great site called speccy.cz has recently removed all of the illegal games from their site and as such became an associate of the .tzx vault. The link to their site is www.speccy.cz. The site maintainers Jan Werner and Milan Hozda have lots of currently unavailable games which they will be dumping in the coming weeks and months which will be made available at both the TZX Vault and their site.
The last bit of news is that an update at the site is coming very soon and will be the biggest update ever with lots of previously unpublished games, MIA and MIS games resolved. The total is currently over 400 and will be nearer 500 when the update is done."
PlayerUp 3.09 - ChrisG updated his multi-emulator frontend, PlayerUp, as follows:
- Emulator Switch for Arcade Mode by Keystroke
- Loader Version Number Display and supported Version
- Bug with 8.3 Conversion without Automatic Unzipping, not copying to Temp
Directory (Fixed)
- Corrected a bug in the 8.3 conversion on Removal of Items.
- Implemented High Quality Image Stretching (real nice, a bit slower though,
switchable)
- Corrected Double Click on Main Dialog Icon for Refresh
- Keyboard Reset of Screen Saver (fixed)
- Image Loading Speed up (enhancement)
- Root Directory Roms could not be loaded (Fixed)
- Some Criteria Matching Issues (fixed)
- Font information is now saved/loaded/Copy
- Focus Given to Arcade view on Change of Emulator
- Duplicate Entries popping up after loading an Emulator (some cases).
- Scroll bar Fixed in Game Preview (Disappearing)
- Add Filter in Arcade Mode
- 8.3 Check removed, it's now standard, no more pu0.* files, it uses actual
DOS names,
will fix problem with save states on some emulators.
- Minimize on Dialog Mode
- [X] Close on Dialog Mode (System Menu)
- Dialog Modes Task Bar Button now appears correctly (never hidden).
- Updated Saver/Loader in Utilities, now can do multiple emulator Save
- Dynamic Image Sets, allows user to create a grouping of Images, like
Cabinents/Flyers/Images/etc.
You will lose your in-game Image settings, just create a new group called
In-Game and add the
directories.
- Icon Buttons now have ToolTips, should help for those people who don't
like to read the Documentation.
- Associations Bug fixed
- Removed "*" from Filter Windows, it's used by Default
- Tiling on Change Emulators after a Configuration Window, not happening
(Corrected)
- MAME Naming (active in Arcade View Only)
- prophet
MAMEFE 1.4 - Fabio updated his MAMEFE frontend as follows:
- Full Games Info now available.
- HTML report for games verify added. Just one click to download Games !!!
- Large Fonts compatibility Added.
- Playing times saved for each game.
- NeoGeo , Stereo, Played , Control, roms selectable.
- Rounded Splash.
- Windows XP full compatible.
- Background and varius bug fixed.
- prophet
Arcade Flyers - HUGE update at the excellent ArcadeFlyers.com! There are now 2,220 flyers in the database. XRay1 wrote "I've added a whole lot of new flyers to the database, most of them are coming from a very cool and professional site called Highwaygames. Take a view, most of them are new flyers (1999 and newer) and from companies that also are pretty new in the arcade business (imho)."
- prophet
KStella 0.5.5 - KStella is a KDE frontend to the Atari 2600 emulator, Stella. It currently supports the display of snapshots, labels, manuals, the configuration of individual game settings and of course, the ability to play games with just a click of the mouse. All these features are fully customizable to allow maximum flexibility. Changes: Many more cartridge labels, and higher quality labels were added. Every game manual was converted to HTML. Game labels don't have to be a fixed size anymore, as they are resized according to current size of the window. License: GPL.
- chris
Fake 64 0.0.2 - Fake64 is an Nintendo 64 emulator for Linux. It is currently in early stages of development. Changes: Basic video and audio support, and a working 1964 demo ROM. License: GPL.
- chris
Monday, October 29th 2001 - Last updated @ 17:16 EST
"It is with deepest grief that In the Autumn of 2001, SNK will close the company history in its business. It was all of your favor and encouragement which made our passion running to make better games for SNK fans. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank and everyone of you for your continuous help and assistance rendered to SNK since its inocorporation in Japan July in 1978. Without your support, SNK Corporaton would not have been possible throughout 23 yers of operation. With all our heart-felt gratitude, thank you once again !"
Also, many updates were made to existing tables.. Visit AJ's site for details. Thanks to DrtySOUTH for the tip!
- metallik
Audio Overload, a combination NSF/GBS/SNDH/SPC/SAP/VGM/GYM player for Mac OS X, has been updated to v1.4. New:
Audio Overload now uses Carbon Events. One notable difference because of this is that CPU usage while AO is in the foreground on my Mac hovers around 15-20%, compared to 80% with v1.3.
Added support for VGM playing. VGM files contain Sega Master System and Game Gear music. Both PSG (SN76496) and FM (YM2413) sound chips are supported.
Added support for reading GZIP compressed files.
Added automatic volume level adjustment. Please read the section of the manual discussing this carefully, as it can be a bit hit and miss.
Added the ability to pause for a few seconds between tracks for those using Audio Overload to record out to Minidisc players (apparently there are some of you!).
Updated to Fx3¹s latest Konami VRC6 emulation.
Added the ability to adjust the number of seconds used to fade out at the end of a track.
Added a volume level indicator to the main display (and the ability to turn it off).
Updated to the latest YM2612 emulation core - sound is quite a bit better now.
Totally reworked the preferences and channel configuration dialog boxes.
Fixed a number of issues under OS X 10.1.
Fixed the Shuffle Tracks feature so that it doesn¹t jump right back to the track it has just played.
Fixed a bug where AO could occasionally forget what song was playing.
Fixed a bug where AO could sometimes freeze when changing tracks.
Sunday, October 28th 2001 - Last updated @ 14:56 EST
UOMAME Updated - UOMAME32k, the unofficial MAME32 with Kaillera has been updated to version 1027. What's new in this release:
- Changed how savestate works in netplay.
- Added a load auto save state(F8) button.
- Fixed disappear on taskbar bug in netplay.
- Autopause is disabled by default.
- Added X-Men Vs. Street Fighter (US / 4 Players for kaillera)
- Added Marvel Super Heroes Vs. Street Fighter (Japan / 4 Players for kaillera)
- Added Marvel Super Heroes Vs. Street Fighter (US / 4 Players for kaillera)
- Added King of Fighters '97, The (1-6 Players for kaillera)
- Added King of Fighters '98, The (1-6 Players for kaillera)
- Added King of Fighters '99, The (1-6 Players for kaillera)
- Added Kizuna Encounter (4 Players for kaillera)
- Added League Bowling (4 Players for kaillera)
Sorry for the lack of me lately, it's been due to XP totally messing up my system, hopefully all is back to normal now, except for all my roms being lost when I had to format :(
- RocLobsta
Giant Compatibility List For Sega CD Emulators - Christian S. (some of you may know him as Eidolon) provided me the following news :
"Eidolon's Inn has tested 159 games for compatibility with Gens 1.20, Xega 0.09 and the soon-to-be-released AGES 0.26, among some other Sega CD goodies. So, for extensive Sega CD coverage and a "sneak preview" of the new AGES, come over to the Inn :)"
- Opi
WonderScott ONLINE WIP - WonderScott ONLINE is a WonderSwan and WonderSwan Color emulator coded in Java. The site has been updated with some screenshots of WonderSwan Color emulation. Gollum notes that the emulator is progressing nicely and he hopes to run more color demos & maybe commercial roms very very soon. Thanks to Exile`90 for the news.
- chris
Saturday, October 27th 2001 - Last updated @ 15:39 EST
Cinciclassics - Just a reminder, the Cinciclassics retro-gaming event is only two weeks away! If you live in the midwest, you should make an appearance.. Activities include buying, selling, trading, playing, tournaments, auctions, displays of rare classic games and equipment, as well as the unveilings of new games! The location is right off Interstate 275 north of Cincinnati, in the Forest Fair Mall shopping center. Ckeck the official site for more information. See you there!
- metallik
FPSE 0.09 for Amiga - Amidog has ported the Final PlayStation Emulator (FPSE) 0.09 to Amiga. Check out AmiDog's Emulation Corner for info and download.
- chris
VMware Workstation 3.0 Release Candidate - VMware is a virtualization software that allows you to run multiple operating systems at the same time. VMware has put up a new beta copy of the upcoming 3.0 release which you can download here. Changes: Support for Windows XP and new Linux distros., USB, DVD, and generic SCSI device support, improved performance and a new user interface. License:VMware Beta EULA.
- chris
XSteem 2 - XSteem is an Atari STE emulator for Linux (Windows version also available). It has taken about 2 years to get to its present state where it runs the vast majority of ST software without problems. Changes: Screen syncronisation much better (Spec 512 images), Overscan emulation improved (lots of demos/menus), CPU timings (Spec 512 program, lots of demos), Blitter timings, Patches - make programs that still don't quite work usable, Loads of sound options to improve output on some sound cards (especially SoundBlasters), Sound recording to file, Slow motion, Configurable mouse speed, Loads of Disk Manager enhancements, Zips with multiple disk images are now supported. License: Freeware. Thanks to LinuxEmu for the news.
- chris
Kemulator 0.1.1 - Kemulator is a KDE emulator frontend written in C++ using the QT/KDE toolkit. A graphical user interface (GUI) provides users with the ability to configure an emulator without ever touching the command line. The main interface simply presents the user with a list of available ROMs (games). The user selects a ROM and the emulator emulates that ROM. Changes: Systems that are not supported very well were removed from MESS. More systems that have verified MESS support were added. License: GPL.
- chris
Friday, October 26th 2001 - Last updated @ 14:19 EST
Laser 0.17 - My multiple arcade emulator for DOS, Laser has been updated with support for Yosaku To Donbee, 2 player support, Screenshots with F5, and preliminary savestates (F12 Saves, F11 Loads) thanks to ss_teven. License: GPL
- MetaFox
WineX CVS - WineX is a project headed by TransGaming to develop improvements to the Wine project to achieve full Linux compatibility for games developed using the Microsoft® DirectX® APIs. No versions have been released, but source code can be downloaded from the CVS. More information on WineX can be found at the TransGaming website. License: Aladdin Free Public License.
- chris
FinalBurn for Linux (Preview) - ComaC has released a preview version of FinalBurn for Linux. It's not officially supported. It is provided just for those who want to see something. The emulator is usable now and you may perfectly play some games. But it's far from being finished. Changes: Config files implemented, Command line options implemented, Now you can select a game by number or by name. (eg: sf2 instead of 20), 8-bit color supported. Colors are pretty bad, but at lest they're not abstract art, Source code available, Enhanced keyboard response. CPS games don't seem to like the joystick beeing pointing in oposite directions at the same time, Some FinalBurn Alpha code incorporated into the Linux port. License: Free for non-commercial use. Thanks to Hoonis for the news.
- chris
Flynn 0.93 - Flynn is an xmame front end designed for use in an arcade cabinet, but can also be used as a desktop frontend. Changes: larger default jiggliness, smooth-snapping of selected option; idle-sleep based on real-world timeouts instead of frame-counts; more code comments; and removed C++-style comments. License: Public Domain.
- chris
Joyce 1.9.3 - JOYCE emulates the Amstrad PCW on Unix or Windows. Since it's written using SDL, it shouldn't be too hard to port it to other platforms such as MacOS or BeOS. License: GPL. Thanks to LinuxEmu for the news.
- chris
Thursday, October 25th 2001 - Last updated @ 17:24 EST
MAME WIP - There's a new pictureless MAME WIP update online. Gridle posted news from the last two days of MAME development.
Thanks to Brian A. Troha for the notification :)
- Opi
Gamebase 64 Homepage Back & Healthy ! - The Gamebase 64 homepage (famous C-64 frontend) is back after almost a month of downtime (due to a server move). Bolyx - a remake of Firebird's 1987 classic Zolyx is now available for download.
- Opi
"We are preparing the finalized Linux kit for the worldwide market," Okamoto said. During the presentation, another Sony employee demonstrated Linux running on the PlayStation 2 platform, running the X-Windows graphical user interface. During the demonstration, show attendees were shown applications including a word processing program, a spreadsheet program, and an MP3 player running on the system.
Forgotten Interviewed - Thorgal of NGEmu fame conducted a short but nevertheless interesting interview with Forgotten the author of VisualBoy Advance as well as VisualBoy.
You can read this tiny conversation by clicking here - thanks to James Zhang for the news.
- Opi
Unix Amiga Delitracker Emulator 0.50 - UADE (Unix Amiga Delitracker Emulator) plays old Amiga tunes with UAE emulation. It uses original Amiga Delitracker Deliplayer binaries to support at least 90 different sound formats. UADE doesn't depend on proprietary components, since all the needed Amiga Kickstart ROM functions are cloned as GPL. Changes: Playback tempos were fixed various formats / songs. Solaris/Sparc compability (even xmms plugin), new deliplayers (Amos, ASReplay, ImagesMusicSystem, PierreAdane, Soundfactory, SoundFX, THX, TME), improved subsong detection, improved user documentation, and lots of code cleanups added. License: GPL.
- chris
Wednesday, October 24th 2001 - Last updated @ 14:46 EST
MAME Compiling - Wish you could compile MAME with Visual C++? Well Mike Brehm has setup the VCMAME project here to help you guys out! Thanks to Mike himself for letting me know.
- RocLobsta
Raine v0.34a - A so called "quick bugfix" update of RAINE has been released. Fixed are the following issues :
- Up direction too slow in cave games
- joystick settings not properly restored in win32 and dos.
- Bad CRC for sailor moon original version (Logiqx)
- bad romcheck for hotdogst, sailormn, sailormo, mazinger.
- Made music a little faster for cps1 games like ghosts and ghouls
- Added "fast_set_pal = 2" setting in raine.cfg for those with bad colors in 8bpp fullscreen modes (win9x and linux fbcon).
- Opi
Linux 2.4.13 - Torvalds has released the latest installment of the 2.4 kernel series. The changelog can be read here. Remember, only upgrade if you need to, or if you think having a newer kernel will impress your friends. ;-)
- chris
Tuesday, October 23rd 2001 - Last updated @ 21:20 EST
WLA DX 8.3 - WLA DX is yet another macro assembler that can program the GB-Z80, Z80, 6502, 6510, 65816, and SPC-700 CPUs. Included in the package there is a GB-Z80 disassembler and few converters. WLA DX was initially programmed to compile ROM images for Gameboy, but nowadays it can also patch existing ROM images with code, and even compile program files and ROM files for other CPUs like the NES-6502, C64-6510, and SNES's SPC-700. Changes: The .INPUT directive was added. It is now possible to set the bank/slot size to full 65536 bytes. The u switch was removed. The problem where redefining a value definition to be a string definition would crash WLA has been fixed. Support for SPC-700 systems was added. The class 4 mnemonic ("ADC #x", "LDA #x", etc) decoder for the 658 family now handles labels correctly in 8bit operand mode. "SUB (IX+n)" was mistyped as "SUB A, (IX+n)" in the Z80 processor code. The .SDSCTAG directive for the Z80 family was updated to support version 1.01 of the SDSC ROM Tag Specification. License: GPL.
- chris
Chuchunco City 2000 0.2.3 - Chuchunco City is an OpenSource, cross-platform fighting game developed in Chile. It is inspired by popular fighting games, such as Street Fighter and King of Fighters, but has some unique features and concepts. Chuchunco City aims at portability, speed, and better playability. The code compiles for MS-DOS (with DJGPP) and UNIX (using X11 libraries). Changes: This release adds a new graphical keyboard configuration interface, fireballs (including superfireballs), mana point restrictions, and more internationalized texts. Work is proceeding on skill levels. Some i18n issues have been fixed. License: GPL.
- chris
Generator 0.34 - Generator is a portable Sega Genesis (Mega Drive) emulator with an SVGAlib and Tcl/Tk user interface. It features a dynamic recompiler as its core 68000 processor. Changes: This release has a new GTK/SDL user interface, much better sound, save states, sound logging, and other emulation improvements. License: GPL.
- chris
Fake 64 0.0.1 - Fake64 is an Nintendo 64 emulator for Linux. It is currently in early stages of development. License: GPL.
- chris
RedHat 7.2 - RedHat has released version 7.2 of their OS. RedHat is the most popular of the free operating systems. If you have not tried a free operating system before, I would recommend this one, since it is the one I use. Update: The official announcement with a bunch of mirrors can be found here.
- chris
MAME WIP Updated - Santeri has added another WIP update over on the official page. It's only a small update but you might want to check it out!
- RocLobsta
From darkest dungeons to deepest space - Such was the tagline of Ultima, the first game of what became the greatest computer RPG series ever. A group called Peroxide is in the process of rewriting this venerable classic into a full 3D immersive environment similar to Ultima IX (but without the lame plot). Check out some of the work here. This has been mentioned on Slashdot in the past (and recently) .. now Wired has picked it up as well in an article here. They also mention a fourth installment of the Bard's Tale series is in develoment.. check it out here. As one who grew up playing these and other RPG's such as Phantasie, Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, Questron and Wizard's Crown, I am definitly looking forward to playing these once they're available! Let's hope Electronic Arts lays off and doesn't give the develepors of these "open-source" games any grief.
- metallik
Ms.Pac-Man: Quest for the Golden Maze - Mike Stulir kindly emailed me about this new Pac-themed game, published by Infogrames for Windows PC's - it's due for release later this week! You can find the first screen captures of Pac's latest adventure at Back In Time right now.
- prophet
Owen Rubin's World - Owen Rubin is the creator of some classic Atari arcade games like Major Havoc and Space Duel, and has also worked on many others like Cannonball, Sky Diver, Tube Chase, Tunnel Hunt, Sebring & Malibu Grand Prix. He has now opened a new site with some very interesting stories and photos about many classic games and how they were made - take a look!
*Update* - Oops, I see we reported on Owen Rubin's site last year, so I guess I'm wrong about it being new. Just has a new host now. :) The old www.orubin.com URL should also start resolving again soon too. (Thanks TuxedoMask of VG-Network)
- prophet
Monday, October 22nd 2001 - Last updated @ 19:55 EST
Arcade Heaven - As usual, our friend GuruChoc over at Arcade Heaven has been posting MAME needed-soon goodies on his site and ABEM. Hopefully MAME team will release a new version soon too. :)
- prophet
NeoGeo Again - I received a few interesting emails since yesterday's NeoGeo update, so here goes. First of all, Razoola of CPS2Shock updated his WIP section with some VERY interesting news about his own decryption work. It seems none of the 3 decryption camps (Neo-0, Mr.Lee & CPS2Shock) have forged cooperative relationships, despite public & private attempts by more than one of them. Nevertheless, the end game is in sight, and in my humble opinion, everyone involved deserves credit for their hard work and technical smarts.
Regarding new NeoGeo games, my Bang Bead post garnered an email from Randy Hoffman of MAME Targets and Kazuya_UK from NeoGeo For Life. Both mentioned that Bang Bead was previously one of several fabled prototype games, and pointed me to the excellent NeoGeo Proto page! Considering Bang Bead's recent release, perhaps more of those prototypes will be released someday soon. (It's also worth noting that both Randy and Kazuya's sites also have prototype sections.)
- prophet
WIP Updated - Santeri has updated the official MAME WIP page with updates from the last few days. Check it out here. Thanks to Fandemame for the news.
- RocLobsta
System 16 News - Sixtoe has made a huge update over at the System 16 website. Loads more information added, especially to the Sega section. The Namco, Atari and Konami sections have also had some updates too. This site just keeps getting better! Cheers Six!
- RocLobsta
New VP Table - A new table for Visual Pinball & Visual PinMAME was released a couple of days back by bluejaywpg. Millionaire 0.5 is available for download from here.
- RocLobsta
Sunday, October 21st 2001 - Last updated @ 21:07 EST
NeoGeo Update - Here's the latest NeoGeo game and emulation news I could gather. First of all, NJ has been working tirelessly on his NeoGeo CD Emulator, now up to ver.0.3.0!
In NeoGeo dumping news, we've seen a few developments this past week that collectors should be aware of: Razoola posted a new S1 image for Aerofighters 2 on ABEM (fixes minor graphical errors) and Mr.Lee posted a complete decrypted set of KoF99 C ROM images. Regarding Mr.Lee's decrypted dumping projects, KoF2000 & Metal Slug 3 are his next targets, with KoF2000 C ROMs already done - you'll even find some extracted character images on his site. Rumor also has it that Nicola and/or others are trying to reverse engineer the encryption scheme, which would render decrypted dumps useless and provide truly accurate emulation. Either way, none of the newer NeoGeo games would work in NeoRAGEx due to their ROM banking schemes, so RAGE fans will have to explore other emulators in the future it would seem...
On to Neo-0 news - Manson posted an interesting message to Mr.Lee, but the message is worth reading even if you aren't him. ;) Congrats to Neo-0 team for being free from any egotism in their endeavors.
Finally, some NeoGeo game news: fart_flower (I don't make these nicks up folks!;) posted about Metal Slug 4 (not sure if it's MVS though) being announced, and the_Agent posted a list of undumped games, including a rare one called Bang Bead. I never heard of that game before, but you'll find some screenshots and a Bang Bead review courtesy of Kazuya_UK. :)
- prophet
VisualBoy Advance WIP - Forgotten posted some work-in-progress news about VisualBoy Advance! No new release yet though. (Thanks Jack for the email)
- prophet
ClrMAME Pro 2.29a - Roman Scherzer released another build of ClrMAME Pro, to fix "that annoying FolderBrowser Problem (WP/W2k) and the 'set' + 'name' check is much more reliable now."
- prophet
Meka 0.60 Released - Meka the cool multi-system (mainly Sega 8 bit) emulator has been updated to version 0.60. Lots of fixes and updates to be found in this release. It is available from its homepage here. Thanks to Marc for the news.
- RocLobsta
New Retrogaming Times - Stuck for something to do on a boring Sunday? Why not check out Issue #50 of the Retrogaming Times. I just had a read, some good articles on classics games in there, definately worth a look!
- RocLobsta
Saturday, October 20th 2001 - Last updated @ 10:47 EST
It's back! - CPS2Shock is reopen! It also now has it's own domain name too! Thanks to Treble Winner for letting me know.
- RocLobsta
Saturn Graphics - A Sega Saturn graphics ripping/editing tool by Omoto Takashi has been released over at SegaXtreme. Thanks to IceMan2k for letting me know.
- RocLobsta
Friday, October 19th 2001 - Last updated @ 12:08 EST
Gens 1.20 - Gens has been updated, bringing better SegaCD emulation, as well as ISO and MP3 support. There have also been some bugs squashed in the Sega Genesis and SegaCD emulation.
- MetaFox
DVD2DAPH v2.0 Released - This excellent utility allows you to convert your Space Ace DVD-ROM VOB files to work properly with Daphne. You can grab it from it's homepage here. Thanks to Brad O for the news.
- RocLobsta
Raine 0.34 "Speed" Released! - It's true, it's true! Raine 0.34 has been released and you can check out the changes here. And yes, the emulation SPEED has increased in various games :)
- atila
MAME WIP - Gridle has posted another MAME WIP update, among other things, Nicola has decrypted Spatter (Sega System 1)
- atila
Thursday, October 18th 2001 - Last updated @ 15:20 EST
AdvanceMAME Release! - AdvanceMAME v0.55.2, AdvanceMENU v1.15.2 and AdvanceCAB v0.10.2 have been released over on the AdvanceMAME homepage. AdvanceMAME is the unofficial MAME DOS version with advanced video support for use with TVs, Arcade Monitors, etc.
New in this release:
- Solved a bug that prevented the read of the vbeline_* options.
- Solved a bug that prevented a lot of games to start(centiped, nibbler, tempest)
- Added the `[config] expand' option to use a bigger screen area when playing vertical games on horizontal monitors.
- Added the MMX implementation for the color conversions 888 -> 332 and 555 -> 332 (mainly used in vector games)
- RocLobsta
Ages Moved - Ages the Genesis/Sega CD/32X emulator for Windows has moved to Emuitalia. The new site can be found here. Thanks to Zydio for letting me know.
- RocLobsta
Daphne 0.99.4 Released! - A new version of Daphne, the Laserdisc game emulator has been released! The list of additions and updates is huge! Here's some highlights:
- Preliminary Badlands support added
- Preliminary Goal to Go support added
- Fixed VLDP hardware acceleration problem
- Super Don Quix-ote should now be totally playable
If you're a laserdisc fan I suggest you check it out right now! Thanks to Roslof and Gemini78 for the news.
- RocLobsta
PocketGB Updated - Version 1.39f of this excellent emulator has been released. PocketGB is an emulator for Windows CE 2.11 or higher. It allows you to play GameBoy, NES, Sega Master System, Sega GameGear, and TurboGrafx-16/PC-Engine games on your PocketPC, Palm-Sized PC or HPC Pro device. You can also find an alpha of his GB Advance port which runs on PPC ARM. Thanks to TheInformer for the news.
- RocLobsta
Wednesday, October 17th 2001 - Last updated @ 22:12 EST
MESS Moves - The official MESS Web site has moved to http://mess.org, please update your bookmarks. Thanks to Todd Papaleo, and Sean Young who made this move possible.
- chris
ClrMamePro Updated - News in from Roman Scherzer: "I decided to give you a current build (without the new profiler and without the ziprepair...but with all the rest". ClrMamePro 2.29 is available for download from his homepage here.
- RocLobsta
Tuesday, October 16th 2001 - Last updated @ 20:09 EST
Flyer Pack #13 has been released over on the MAME32QA page. Visit it right here. Thanks to Eldio for the news.
- RocLobsta
MESS Bug Tracking - Sean Young has set up a new web site for MESS Bug Tracking, using bugzilla software! If you are an active MESS user, and you find a bug, please post it here. On another note, it seems my post about that MESS ROMs site on retrogames killed the site :((. However I have heard a replacement site is in the works.
- chris
UOMAME Updated - The cool unofficial build of MAME, UOMAME has been updated for the last time before .56 is released. Here's what's new:
Fixed Super Chase, Gun buster, Under Fire crash bug.
Fixed AY8910 sound chip crash bug.
Fixed Midway games crash bug.
Added Dipswitch sending in netplay.
Added Autosave in netplay.
Added Desync checking(on when autosave is enabled).
Added Close client feature.
Added Shift Player 1 position functions in netplay.
- RocLobsta
More MESS - Whilst on the subject of MESS, those Coleco prototypes, one of which I mentioned yesterday, all also work fine with MESS. Thanks to Zan for the tip. Update: A couple people seem to be having problems actually getting these to run, I'm checking with Zan and will post an update as soon as possible. Second Update: OK then, here's the answer: Joust works "the other 2 were uploaded in Mac Binary format. You need to strip the header from those roms to get them to work". A hex editor will remove them, but hopefully someone will upload ready made versions soon. Third Update: Cowering says you need to do the following: "You have to remove all the bytes upto the $aa55 or $55aa starting 'marker' of a real coleco ROM. This should leave you with a file size of an 2^x number of bytes just like a normal ROM should be." Hopefully that's sorted now :)
- RocLobsta
Monday, October 15th 2001 - Last updated @ 22:36 EST
MESS ROMS - For those of you interested in BIOS ROMs for use with MESS, you can find most of them here.
- chris
Kemulator 0.1 - Kemulator is a generic emulator frontend for Stella and MESS for KDE/Linux systems. Version 0.1 is a developer release which must be compiled. License: GPL.
- chris
Razoola please don't quit! Don't let a few trash-talking individuals bother either you or your wife, there are plenty more fans out here who appreciate your work! Of course the ultimate decision is yours but you will be sorely missed. As you always say, PEACE! :(
- dutch
RomCenter Updated - RomCenter, the excellent rom management tool has been updated to version 2.30! There is a huge list of updates, so you'd be best to check out the full details on it's homepage here.
- RocLobsta
Angry Emails - OK, now I'm getting angry emails because people are blaming Retrogames for Raz quitting! C'mon people, CPS2Shock is HOSTED here at Retrogames! And as for your opinions of certain boards or staff... Well, I don't own this site - I just help out here. So please no more emails to me on the subject. If you want to vent, post on the messageboards. Thanks.
- prophet
That Would Be A Really Sad Decision ! - Come on Razoola - please don't punish 99.99% of the grateful loyal and normal minded people due to the "bad mouthing" acts of a few idiots.
- Opi
Bliss 1.9d - A new version of Kyle Davis' Bliss, the Intellivision emulator, is ready! Zip support and an official Linux port are all set now, plus 2 great new team members were added to the project's roster - Nephrite and Atani. Plus there's hints about a Dreamcast port someday! Lastly, a new team member is needed to help out with the site's HTML, maintenance etc. Take a look if you're interested.
- prophet
Raz... - Don't close CPS2Shock over some words on a messageboard. I hope you'll reconsider.
- prophet
CPS2Shock -- Over And Out - Razoola has closed CPS2Shock :x
- atila
Coleco Prototype Joust - has been released over at System Failure. It seems mostly complete and works on ColEm. Thanks once more to The Informer!
- RocLobsta
New Atari 2600 game - A new game for the Atari 2600 game has been developed. Mental Kombat is nearing completion and will be released in a limited run of signed and numbered cartridges! Read about it here. Thanks again to The Informer.
- RocLobsta
SNeSe 0.62 Released - SNeSe (Nintendo SNES emulator) has been updated to version 0.62! Here's what's new in this release:
Sound: Fixed severe slowdown when sustain was set to infinite
Sound: Fixed severe slowdown with noise
65c816: Fixed a crash bug related to WAI instruction
Render: Fixed a bug where sprites were not recomputed when highest priority sprite was changed (fixes star sprite test in test ROM)
Timing: Changed first non-vblank scanline to 0
LaserDC r1 (beta1) - ss_teven has ported Laser 0.16 to Dreamcast with LaserDC. Some games run too slow, while others run too fast. If a game doesn't run in LaserDC, it's not ss_teven's fault, it doesn't run in Laser DOS either. 33 games are supported in this release.
- MetaFox
SMSPlus for Dreamcast 1.0 Beta 7 - ss_teven has updated his port of SMSPlus for Dreamcast. The download file was missing, but it is fixed now.
- MetaFox
SegaXtreme Update - IceMan2k just mailed to tell me that SegaXtreme just added Shenmue Artwork to its growing Sega Art section! Check it out here.
- RocLobsta
News Updaters - I received 80 mails from people wanting to be a part of the RG staff. I'm not done with the mails yet, although I did add MetaFox and RocLobsta already. Everyone will also receive a reply in the next day or so.
- atila
RIAA's "LICENSE TO HACK" - The RIAA wants to be able to hack anyone's computer and then delete "illegal" MP3s off their pc aswell. This is no joke!. The bill also says that if they screw up and (for instance) wipe your HD, you can't sue them and it's not their fault. How's the RIAA gonna know if the MP3s on a HD are "stolen" or have been ripped by the person themselves? Could someone please slap some sense into the RIAA for me ? Thanks to DrtySOUTH for the news.
- atila
AdvanceMAME Prophet Style :) - A few people asked about this, so here ya go, freshly compiled by your's truly this morning: AdvanceMAME 0.55.1 P2/3 Optimized with Kai's updated NJ NeoGeo driver (source) and all the latest CPS2Shock releases (source)! Please note this is an unofficial build of Andrea Mazzoleni's latest AdvanceMAME sources, which is itself an unofficial version of MAME - so don't bug anyone but me about this particular build. Not that I can help you much either. ;) It does work, I tested it briefly, so enjoy. MSHvSf looks great at 120Hz doublescanned with horizontal interpolation! =)
- prophet
NeoGeo Update - Over at Neo-0, you'll find some interesting sk3n3 news, including a V-Liner fix and screenshots, as well as some interesting news regarding Mr.Lee's dumping! Mr.Lee released some decrypted KoF99 C ROM images as well. *UPDATE* - According to this post by Razoola, the remaining NeoGeo games could be decrypted _without_ cart donations. Hmm... (Thanks Class316)
- prophet
SMEG 0.84 - A new version of HelioPhobe's SMEG, a SMS/GG emulator for Dreamcast, was released! New stuff includes:
-Improved game compatibility (Puyo Puyo 2, Global Gladiators, many others)
-Improved sound engine, handles speech better that before, and will no longer 'freeze' like in earlier version
-Screen repositioning now works on TV's as well as VGA monitors
-New GUI Font, with font smoothing enabled
-Rom menu now remembers the last ROM loaded, so you don't have to find it on the list again.
-You can switch the button mapping
-Option to switch to 50hz gameplay (-not- 50hz output signal, however).
-Emulator no longer quits when controller 1 is removed.
-A few smaller fixes that I have forgotten about.
- prophet
Donkey Kong Megasite - Please welcome our new hosted site by Jm099xr: dkmegasite.retrogames.com! This site is a great mix of retrogaming nostalgia and next generation enthusiasm, all tied together by a love for Nintendo games. An excellent browsing destination, so please take a look. :)
- prophet
MAME FE 1.3 - Fabio released a new version of his MAME FrontEnd! New stuff includes:
- Full ROMs Check !!!! With Report Creating.
- Background And Color fully selectable.
- Play Random Game added.
- FAQ File added.
- Many minor bug Fixed.
- prophet
Daedalus 0.08 Pre-1 Source - The current source code to Strmnnrmn's Nintendo 64 emulator has been released - get it now from EmuHelp!
- prophet
New Arcade Panel: RomBoxx - I received an email about a new commercial arcade panel for PC emulators, called the RomBoxx! It looks pretty interesting, and has a trakball - something most panels don't offer. They're also having a renaming contest right now, because they want to change the product's name - a FREE panel goes to the winner, so it's worth trying out your ideas. :)
- prophet
Sunday, October 14th 2001 - Last updated @ 16:52 EST
StretchMame Final - Here we are, the end of the Stretchmame road :( The final version is now out and can be picked up as usual from the Stretchmame homepage. I'd like to says thanks to Smame for all his hard work on this awesome MAME version.
- RocLobsta
MAME Classic Updated - MAME Classic is an excellent MAME frontend and it has been updated to version 1.0.0. This update adds support for MAMEW instead of DOS MAME. However Richard states that he will keep the last version online also for DOS users.
- RocLobsta
Emu Unlim have a few new hosted sites! First up is Quantum7800 (Atari 7800) and QuantumGB (Gameboy/Color) also there is BBMAME (version of MAME designed to run only the Bubble Bobble arcade units). Be sure to check them out! Thanks to The Fox for letting me know.
- RocLobsta
FreezeSMS updated - Jason Starr has released a new version of his cool Sega Master System emulator. FreezeSMS Build 3.2 contains the following updates:
- Fixed a small BIOS bug which was writing data into the wrong pointer
- Changed the Master System memory allocation to a more standard one
You can download from it's homepage here.
- RocLobsta
Saturday, October 13th 2001 - Last updated @ 20:49 EST
Mozilla 0.9.5 - The world's greatest browser suite, Mozilla, has just been upgraded to version 0.9.5! Some new features include Venkman the JavaScript debugger, tab support (experimental), and Optimoz, a gesture recognition add-on. The full changelog can be read here. License: MPL/LGPL/GPL.
- chris
Apple DOS 3.3 filesystem driver 0.0.5 - This filesystem driver lets you mount your old Apple ][ DOS 3.3 images as a Linux filesystem. It works fine with the standard disk image format used by most emulators. Also included is an Applesoft-Basic detokenizer to convert old BASIC programs to plain text. License: GPL.
- chris
TurboGrafx/PC-Engine fans - will be happy! Charles MacDonald has updated his page a few times over the last few days with lots of interesting information on this excellent console. He has also released a utility that allows you to use HES files on a real console! There's a wealth of information on other systems too! Thanks to Dusk for the news.
- RocLobsta
TZX Vault News - The site database for this ZX Spectrum archive has been tidied up so that now a lot of the tape images are available in single .zip files, also there are navigation links for the a..z lists at the bottom of each page and there are two new pages for Interface 2 roms and also +3 disk images! Also mentioned is that some .tzx files had problems with missing pause information, these are being redumped and uploaded. Visit the TZX Vault here.
- RocLobsta
EasyEmu Updated - MrV2K has made a huge update to his EasyEmu emulator help site. This site contains lots of emulator tutorials and guides and is a great resource, especially for newbies. New in this update are:
Updated Guides - Mame, CLRMame Pro, Visual Pinmame and WinUAE.
He also says that if any emulator authors are fed up with repeated emails asking for help then he is happy for them to link to his site in the emulator readme files.
- RocLobsta
More Java - Whilst I'm on the subject of Java emulators, don't forget that Norbert has a site which also contains online Java based classic arcade games. His site is here. He has such games as Carvinal, Berzerk, Tempest and Arkanoid online amongst many others. Enjoy!
- RocLobsta
JEmu Updated - JEmu is a java based arcade emulator that enables you to play several classic arcade games in your browser. New additions are:
- Solomon's Key
- Donkey Kong
- added sound to Green Beret (still not perfect)
Space Invaders and Pacman are amongst the other games available. Visit it's homepage here.
- RocLobsta
The Fox of EmuUnlim asked me to pass on this bit of news: "In the next week or so I will be conducting an interview with Matthew Smith (author of classic titles Jet Set Willy/Manic Miner), if anyone would like to submit a question(s) to Matthew, please email me at emuunlim@emuunlim.com as soon as possible, and it will be included in the interview.". Should be a good read!
- RocLobsta
Fruit Machine Emu - There have been several new MPU 3/4 fruit machine releases over at Maroney's. Cash Lab, Andy Capp and Nifty Fifty are the latest machines to be emulated. Thanks to Cornish Dave for the news.
- RocLobsta
Friday, October 12th 2001 - Last updated @ 18:51 EST
MAME WIP - There's a new interesting update at the MAME WIP page ! Metamoqester (Cave), Wai-Wai Jockey Gate-In, Star Guards and Chameleon have a first appearance in MAME !
Yes, I'm alive .... still looking for a new job (maybe I'll have a good one soon). Thanks to all the kind emails I've received, sorry for not answering but I'm still not in that mood. Hello to our new team members - I'm glad that you've both joined and kept this baby running ! So long :)
- Opi
Laser 0.16 - after 8 months of being idle, I have decided to release a new version of my multiple arcade emulator, Laser. Space Invaders (TV) is now playable, and Space Attack II, Super Invaders (three sets), Alien Invasion Part II, and Ozma Wars Set 2 have been added.
- MetaFox
Final Burn Next 011011 - The Japanese build of Final Burn, Final Burn Next, has been updated, adding the latest XORS, and switching some of the USA and Euro ROMsets to English with Japanese options. Thanks to TheInformer for the news.
- MetaFox
Final Burn Alpha 0.138a - The Final Burn Alpha team has updated their src & release zipfiles to be compliant with Logiqx dats. The cheat dat has also been updated with cheats for Marvel Super Heroes Vs. Street Fighter. Thanks to TheInformer for the news.
- MetaFox
Virtual Super System - There is a new version of Virtual Super System out! Version 0.80 is available for download from here. Virtual Super System is a DOS based Atari 5200 emulator. Thanks to Griking for the news.
- RocLobsta
Stingray - Ti-BOne has released a new version of his Stringray Cps2Mame Launcher for Windows. New for version 0.1.5 is support for all the latest CPS2MAME releases. Grab your copy from its homepage here.
- RocLobsta
Thursday, October 11th 2001 - Last updated @ 19:29 EST
CPSMAME Updated! - CPSMAME 10.10.01 for the Mac was released yesterday, adding support for all the latest CPS2Shock releases! You can download it from it's homepage. Thanks to EmuHQ for the news.
- RocLobsta
Linux 2.4.12 - Torvalds has released linux kernel 2.4.12. The 2.4.12 kernel is a fix release for 2.4.11. The changelog for 2.4.12 can be found here and the changelog for 2.4.11 can be found here. Update: It appears this kernel has a nasty bug in it as well (so much for stable kernels). A patch to fix 2.4.12 can be found here.
- chris
Xega 0.09 - Xega, a Sega Genesis and SegaCD emulator for Windows, has been updated, fixing a few bugs and improving SegaCD support.
- MetaFox
BoycottAdvance/MacOS has been updated to v0.2.3. The new version is in sync with v0.2.3 for Windows.
- richard
Modeler/MacOS has been updated to v0.9.2. The new version fixes an endian bug that caused some games not to display any sprites.
- richard
Arnold/MacOS has been updated to v1.5.2. The new version fixes a bug that caused InputSprocket not to work.
- richard
ROMBrowser 0.3 - ROMBrowser is a Java tool for organizing emulator ROMs. It will identify rom files by their CRC, give information about their characteristics (game title, parent rom, etc), and organize those ROMs with different filters. Changes: A ROM handler for Super Nintendo (SMC) ROMs and a lot of GUI functionality. License: GPL.
- chris
Wednesday, October 10th 2001 - Last updated @ 19:07 EST
XCPMAME Released - XCPMAME is a CPS2MAME for Linux, it adds all the latest CPS2Shock releases and can be picked up from it's homepage. Full xmame .55.2 binaries can also be found on his page too! Thanks to Hoonis for the tip.
- RocLobsta
UOMAME32k 1010 released - A new version of this unofficial MAME32 has been released. New in this version:
- Added new cps2 games.
- Fixed control bug for capcom fighting games in netplay.
- Removed vsav, region changed to USA.
Grab your copy from it's homepage. Thanks to K.K. for the news.
- RocLobsta
StretchMAME Test 31 released! Smame has released another test version of StretchMAME with Kaillera! Test 31 is available from his test version page here.
New additions include:
- Fixed midway game crash problems
- Fixed NinjaKid2 crash problem
- Added save state support to NinjaKid2 and Galaga
- Added region changed CPS2 games
- Enabled KOF99 secret characters at Kaillera
- RocLobsta
Nebula 1.92 - ElSemi released a new Nebula! New stuff follows:
NEOGEO
-Neogeo Raster effects added. Note rasters are disabled by default in NEBULA.INI.
-Adjusted (again) the Z80 sound timing.
-Added fatfury2 protection (thanks Mr K).
CPS-2
-Fixed BlackHeart's stage of MSH missing rowscroll in the background.
-Better sprite timing/buffering that solves some desync (ssf2 portraits, ecofght, sfa3).
-Fixed CPS2 eeprom problems that caused problems in some games (csclub, ssf2t).
-Fixed Super Hyper turbo mode in SSF2T, I left the CPS2 CPU clock running at 20Mhz.
CPS-1
-Fixed Mercs graphics.
GENERAL
-Improved the cheat engine with conditional cheats, indirect addressing (for neogeo), etc. Check the CHEATS.TXT file for info.
-Added force feedback support. Some fighting games allow detecting the hits, so nebula will use force feedback to make you "FEEL" the hits. In the CONFIG dir are 2 .ffe files with the data that can be edited with Microsoft FEdit to make your own force macros.
Kawaks 1.32 - A new Kawaks is ready! Here's the new stuff:
-Drivers added:
Armored Warriors (Euro 941011)
MSH Vs. Street Fighter (US 970625)
MSH Vs. Street Fighter (Japan 970707)
MSH Vs. Street Fighter (Japan 970702)
Vampire Savior (US 970519)
-Fixed driver of Street Fighter Alpha (US 950627).
-KOF99 now uses correct 'P' ROM's.
-CPS2 romset changes to accommodate new dumps.
-Louder QSound and YM2151/OKI.
-Added option to control QSound amplification.
-NeoGeo sound interpolation (Thanks ElSemi).
-Fix in NeoGeo savestates (compatible with old).
-Corrected NeoGeo Y zoom emulation to use the real hardware method (needs NG-LO.ROM).
-Finally added an "Auto start game" option :)
-Added individual saving for 68000 overclocking.
-Fixed protection for RealBout Fatal Fury 2.
-Added protection for Fatal Fury 2.
-New, much improved Redefine Keys dialog box.
-Changed the Joypad code. This should solve the problems some people have had with their pads.
-Added support for screenshots in the Load game dialog box. -Shots should be in BMP format and stored in your screenshot directory.
-Somewhat Skin support :) Just put a SKIN.BMP in your Kawaks dir to change background image.
CPS2Shock XOR Madness - Razoola released a TON of CPS2 XORs, including (drumroll...) Marvel Vs. Street Fighter! Get 'em from CPS2Shock. You'll also find Razoola's updated CPS2MAME as well, supporting the new releases. (Thanks Swirler)
- prophet
U64EMU2 1.94a Released - This cool KI2 emulator has received another release, this one fixes a few issues including problems with the 3D stages and the movies should appear correct now. "It is possible that the *4* CPU core bugs that fixed number 1, also fixed this". You can download it from its homepage. Thanks to PeterD for the news
- RocLobsta
12 new C64 TAP files have surfaced over at Lemon64 (thanks to Andrew Barker for transferring them). Games are: Soccer Pinball, Indiana Jones in the Lost Kingdom, Metropolis (TopoSoft), Miami Chase, Fruit Machine Simulator 2, Red Max, Seymour goes to Hollywood, Seymour Stuntman, Pro Boxing Simulator, Super G-Man, Tilt and Wrestling Superstars! Thanks to Paratech for the news.
- RocLobsta
PC Gamer Mention - According to a post by Lorsua, Retrogames was mentioned on page 82 of the recently released December 2001 issue of the excellent PC Gamer magazine! Inspiring to say the least. =)
- prophet
CPS2Shock NeoGeo WIP - Razoola emailed me about a new work-in-progress report at CPS2Shock! Apparently he's made some major discoveries about the NeoGeo encryption, for example "all games looked at use the same decryption process for these ROM's." Go read the rest for yourself.
- prophet
Tuesday, October 9th 2001 - Last updated @ 21:26 EST
"NeoGeo Fix" MAME Binary - I just compiled this MAME 0.55 P2/3 Optimized Binary using Kai's updated NJ MAME NeoGeo driver! Enjoy. :) The big deal here is that raster effects are MUCH, MUCH faster - 60fps in Galaxy Fight for example. Remember, this is entirely unofficial, so don't bug anyone at the Official MAME Site about this binary. Note: the source changes are included, or get them seperately here.
- prophet
MAME Testing News - Hey guys, don't forget to check out Mame Testers, Smitty and the boys have been working hard adding all the latest bug reports to the current bugs page, be sure to check it out before posting any bugs on the message boards. Any help you can give checking bug reports is greatly appreciated.
- RocLobsta
BoycottAdvance - BoycottAdvance, Gollum's Gameboy Advance emulator, has been updated to 0.22bR3, adding better speed, compatibility, and sound. Boycott Advance Online 1.2, the Java edition of Boycott Advance, was also released, also bringing better speed and compatibility (sometimes even more than BoycottAdvance Windows!).
- MetaFox
NeoGeo News Galore - First of all, welcome to RocLobsta and MetaFox! Good to have you guys aboard. :) On to NeoGeo news... BillyJR posted another report on our NeoGeo board - apparently Mr.Lee has got his decryption dumper working 100% now! In Neo-0 news, Manson has continued to make progress as well, but nothing new has been released yet. BillyJR and Neo-0 *have* been in contact though, so perhaps they will form a partnership soon. For you MAME compilers, Kai (AKA HeHateMe) adapted the excellent NJ NeoGeo driver for MAME to support bank switching (needed for KoF99 and any newer games). Get the *UPDATED* sourcehere (resampling code back in now), but be sure to delete your "kof99 nvram files before firing it up." And speaking of NJ, he just released his NeoGeo CD Emulator Ver.0.2.2 Fix3! Lastly, Raz of CPS2Shock released a correctly redumped S1 ROM for Street Hoops to the A.B.E.M. newsgroup. This fixes some minor graphical problems the old S1 caused.
- prophet
Dega 1.08 - Dave has released a new version of his emulator of Sega's 8-bit systems, Dega. He added a reverb effect to channels 0 and 1 in Enhanced PSG mode, resulting in a much nicer sound quality.
- MetaFox
MIMIC WIP - Mike Beaver has updated the MIMIC homepage with news that he is now working on Sega Genesis emulation.
- MetaFox
Ultimate Pac Guide - OK now before you all wonder, I'm not gonna be plugging MAMEWorld all the time, but you've gotta check out KC's new Pac Guide! He's worked long and hard on this & it deserves a mention. "Gameplay, techniques, tips and tricks, strategies and more, all graphically outlined and downloads of highscore INP files" is what KC has to say. If you're a Pac fan you must go see it!
- RocLobsta
CAPS Project - News in from Kieron Wilkinson about a new Amiga project, here's what he says about it: "The CAPS project has been launched! A project aimed at saving original Amiga games from floppy extinction. Games are being dumped and can be re-mastered to fix originals with the copy protection intact!" You can visit their website here
- RocLobsta
Hi all, I'm now a news updater here at Retrogames as well as site-op at MAMEWorld. I will be updating you with mainly MAME bits as that's primarily what I get sent, but it won't be exclusively MAME. I doubt I'll be updating every day, but if anything you should know about comes to my attention and nobody else gets here first then it'll be up as soon as possible. In the meantime feel free to drop me a line with any news that you have and I'll get it posted ASAP.
- RocLobsta
Monday, October 8th 2001 - Last updated @ 23:54 EST
'U64Emu2' 1.94 - PeterD has announced that RCP has released his latest beta of U64Emu with Killer Instinct 2 Support. This version only runs KI2, so it is branded 'U64Emu2'.
- MetaFox
xmame binaries - Hoonis has put up some binaries for the lastest xmame here.
- chris
xmame-0.55.2 - xmame-0.55.2 is out! The changelog is short, but some of the new features are quite impressive. Thanks for the patches/suggestions/etc.
Changes since 0.55.1 include:
Added special-cased fast 2x1 and 3x1 scaling to the blit core. (Adam Moss)
Added several AdvanceMAME effects, available via -effect/-ef. Note that these effects are not available for some video drivers, nor do they work on actual 24-bit (packed) displays yet. (Ben Saylor)
Added mame-listmissing to contrib/tools. (David Griffith)
Fixed compilation errors reported in snprintf.c on some platforms, e.g. HP-UX 10.20 with GCC 3.0. (Stefan Becker)
MAMECAT 0.43 Beta 15 - MAMECAT stands for M.A.M.E. Catalog/Launcher. It consists of three programs: qmamecat, an X11/Qt based GUI and the main application; qmsetup, a startup setup wizard for qmamecat; and catgen, a simple catalog generator. qmsetup and catgen are started on demand by qmamecat. Changes: This is the first version with Qt 3.x support. The GUI was made more responsive during gamelist-refresh and preview-checking. New "overall" gamelist statistics counters were added. Progress dialogs are now displayed while the catalog, the ROM status cache, and "additional info" (manufacturer & year) are loaded/parsed. Closing the log- and previews-windows via the window-manager is now correctly handled. The initial size of the options dialog was reduced. A preview toggle was added to the menu. License: GPL.
- chris
Been A While... - But here's another link to Sinfest :)
- atila
Pocket Genesis 1.0 Beta 1 - Pocket Genesis, a Sega Genesis emulator for iPaq and Cassiopeia Pocket PCs by Domenico Dato, has been updated, fixing a button problem with the Cassiopeia. Thanks to TheInformer for the news.
- MetaFox
NeoGeo CD Emulator 0.2.2 fix - NJ's NeoGeo CD Emulator has recived a bugfix release that fixed some problems with CD-DA, and fixed a bug in Real Bout: Fatal Fury.
- MetaFox
SSF 006 Prototype r2 - A new version of the Japanese Sega Saturn emulator, SSF, has been released, fixing a problem that made the old version slow down.
- MetaFox
Big Brother on your hard drive - The entertainmant industry in America and Europe is trying to pass (purchase) laws (SSSCA) that would mandate copyright enforcement at the hardware level, in any "digital media device" made. This, combined with the DMCA, would have dire consequences for consumer rights - you would no longer be able to work with *any* digital content on your own computers or electronic equipment without "approval" from the media giants. This includes music, video, pictures, emulators and associated rom/image files. Basically, the RIAA, Disney and the MPAA could dictate exactly when and how you could use content you purchase. A good article about these laws is here. I strongly suggest you write your elected representatives and express your displeasure with this "Big Brother" attempt, and let as many other people know about this as you can. Don't think "It'll never pass.." - the DMCA passed, didn't it?
- metallik
Handy SDL WIP - A release should of the Atari Lynx emulator for *nix systems with SDL, Handy SDL, should happen soon with sound support, scaling up to 4X, scanlines, and joystick support.
- MetaFox
U64Emu - PeterD has updated the U64Emu homepage with news that a new version might be released in the next few days with Killer Instict 2 support.
- MetaFox
Future DVD's - Remember all those (usually cheesey) '70s and '80s movies you watched on cable between rounds of Atari, Colecovision or Intellivision? Ever wonder if and when they were ever going to be released on DVD? Shane Monroe, of Retrogaming Radio fame, has created Future DVDs, a site where you can look up your favorite movies and track their release to the DVD format. In addition to release dates, the site also tracks "special" versions that may be available, such as director's cuts and limited editions. Definitly a useful site.. check it out!
- metallik
Phoenix Remake for PC - Raoul Scerra has written a perfect port of the arcade classic Phoenix for the PC using the DIV Game Studio development tool. Check it out and download it here. Browsing around the site, I noticed some other cool looking classic remakes.. be sure to check those out also!
- metallik
MAME WIP - Gridle has posted another MAME WIP update; Chinese Exorcist is now fully playable!
- atila
NGEMU.COM - By now, you probably know that psxemu.com has closed up shop, but the gang has returned and created a new site: NGEMU.COM, which concentrates on next-gen emulation, although ye olde PSX is included aswell :) Bobbi has posted a status update for various PSX emulators, so be sure to check that out if you're interested in PSX emus.
- atila
SegaXtreme Updates - IceMan2k has added 3 'Silhouette Mirage' movies to the SegaXtreme "Sega Movies" section and he's also added a brandnew art section, containing lots of game related wallpapers.
- atila
TOSEC - Grendel has added 46 new dbases to the TOSEC site, yes, that 46(!!) new dbases "for your renaming pleasure" ;)
- atila
Arcade Flyers - The Arcade Flyers site has been updated with 40 new flyers and 5 updated ones. You can use these flyers with your MAME frontends or MAME32. Then again, you could just view 'em online, because they are pretty cool :)
- atila
Razoola Interviewed - CPS2 Mania has posted an interview they did with Razoola. You can read the (short, yet informative) interview here.
- atila
"Real Pinball" pinball news - Stern Pinball is now shipping Monopoly, designed by Pat Lawlor Design Co. Reviews of this game among the very cititcal participants of rec.games.pinball (usenet) have been VERY positive. If you're a pinball fan, ask your local operators to put this game on location. Or, if you want the ultimate in home gaming, you can buy your own brand-new machine for apprx. $3600 USD. Check out Stern's contact form for more details. Some distributors I have heard good buying experiences about include Betson, Brady Distributing and Pinball Sales.
- metallik
Visual Pinmame pinball news - Lots of updates and new releases in the last week and a half. New tables include:
Lots of great new tables, including some classic Stern games! Get them at AJ's Visual Pinball tables site. Many other tables have received updates as well.. be sure to check the news over at AJ's.
- metallik
Sunday, October 7th 2001 - Last updated @ 12:46 EST
WAR! - The US have begun bombing Afghanistan, cnn.com and msnbc.comhave now been updated. Bush addressed the nation and TV channels are reporting live.
- atila
Atari 2600 Prototype - AtariAge has released a dump of Squoosh, a rare prototype game. The game was developed by Apollo, but was never finished, due to the fact that Apollo crumbled after only one year in the business. Thanks to postamessage for the news.
- MetaFox
QuantumGB 0.55b - Scott Glover has released another version of his Gameboy emulator for DOS, QuantumGB. After a fix in the z80 core and a fix of a inversed palette problem, this version now runs some commercial games, and just about all demos.
- MetaFox
New News Updater - Hi, I'm MetaFox, but you might know me as Lopantu or Bender. I'm the new news updater here. I'll be posting as much as I can, so if you have any news be sure to let me know about it. :)
- MetaFox
The Official X-BOX Magazine has a little article about the MAME port. If someone could provide me with a scan it'd be great. Mine got tea spilled all over it. :\
- dhalamar
Hmm... - As you might've guessed, I haven't been posting near as much as I used to. I've got a good enough reason. ;) I'm happily married as of August 15th, and on the 6th of this month at 2:17 p.m., my wife gave birth to a healthy baby girl. :) We're working on moving out right now and all that good stuff, so wish me luck!
- dhalamar
Saturday, October 6th 2001 - Last updated @ 23:58 EST
Game Lad v1.61 - This Windows Gameboy emulator has had a small update, so if you wanna give this a spin, head on over to the official page and download away. Thanks to Emuholic for the news. :)
- dhalamar
1964 v0.6.4 - 1964, an open-source Nintendo64 emulator for Win32, has seen an update to version 0.6.4. This emulator has come a long way - you really have to admire the dedication and perseverance of its authors. Changes include improved compatibility and stability, speed, and user interface, a new memory model, cheats, and new plugins. Grab the binary and source here.
- david
MEKA 0.60 - MEKA 0.60, the latest release of a fantastic Sega Master System emulator, is now available to registered users. Changes include improved VGM (sound format) support, timing fixes, support for the new Coleco Dig Dug and Pacman roms, and other good stuff (themes, compatibility, etc.) The rest of us will have to wait just a (unbearable^^) bit longer.
- david
Dumping the NeoGeo Encryption - Our friend BillyJR just posted a detailed explanation and photos on our NeoGeo board of the dumping system Mr.Lee constructed! A good read for NeoGeo emulation fans. In related news, Wind of Neo-0 recently posted that they'd like to cooperate with BillyJR & Mr.Lee. So it would appear that despite SNK's untimely demise, their last few NeoGeo games will be preserved via emulation. I'd still like to know why Metal Slug 3 never made it to the Dreamcast?! Woulda sold very well IMO... *sigh*
- prophet
MUPPET POWER!! - The Modeler team have released another sound player, this time it's a KONAMI GX sound player called GXP 0.1. The site lists that "the source as well as precompiled versions for Windows and Linux are available in the 'misc' section. Please read the included documentation." And for those still not 'getting' the Muppet joke, please go the the ImpactEmu site and click on "FORUMS". Hope that clears a few things up :)
- atila
Fresh Blood! - As you can obviously see, things at RG have unfortunately slowed down to levels previously not seen. There's already one new updater, who will hopefully help revive RG, he'll be making his first posting soon. If you can help us out, feel free to mail me and perhaps you can be a part of this staff aswell :) The pay is lousy, btw.
- atila
Friday, October 5th 2001 - Last updated @ 04:52 EST
AdvanceMAME 0.55.1 - *Sigh*... This is old news by now, but here goes anyway since nobody reported it here yet. :( Andrea Mazzoleni recently released a *bugfix* update to AdvanceMAME and AdvanceMenu - get 'em from the AdvanceMAME Projects homepage!
- prophet
Bruce Lee Remake Done - Mark Rosten completed (all levels now done) his excellent Bruce Lee remake! Nice work - definitely brings back good memories. :)
- prophet
BillyJR: NeoGeo Decrypted - BillyJr posted some very interesting messages on our NeoGeo board! Apparently he (and Mr.Lee?) successfully found a method for dumping decrypted ROM images of encrypted NeoGeo games. Now that SNK has sadly closed up shop, emulation might be the only way for some people to ever see it's last few games.
*Personal side note* - my 'real life' has changed significantly these past few weeks. Suffice it say that my time and interest has become very limited. My apologies for my absence. No way will I be able to sift through all my emails and news right now... But here comes a few items that I noticed.
- prophet
Thursday, October 4th 2001 - Last updated @ 17:50 EST
Sneak preview of Lynx Cybervirus - Just announced - Songbird Productions will have a special preview version of their upcoming Atari Lynx game Cybervirus at the upcoming Cinciclassic event! This long-awaited Lynx game will be released in 2002, but you can check it out and even purchase a limited-edition, fully playable 8-level preview cartridge at Cinciclassic. Two of the eight levels are exclusive only to this version! Here's the full press release. Be sure to check out Songbird's other cool Atari titles as well.
- metallik
Wednesday, October 3rd 2001 - Last updated @ 11:31 EST
Sega Model 1 & 2a Sound Emu Released! - Muppet R. Belmont has released a sound emulator for use with Sega Model 1 & 2a sound roms. M1, as it's called, offers full CD quality playback for the following games:
- Virtua Fighter (1993, Model 1)
- Virtua Racing (1993, Model 1)
- Virtua Cop (1993, Model 2A)
- Daytona USA (1993, Model 2A)
I can't wait to hear that: "dodoodo dooo dooooo, DAYTOOOOONAAAAAAAA!" in Daytona again :) This is for both Windows and Linux and has no GUI!! MUPPET POWER! *UPDATE* If you're getting a message that you're missing a DLL, you should read this message by R_Belmont and download the linked archive with the missing DLL.
- atila
BleemDirect.Com - Now you can order Bleem!/BleemCast and other Bleem-related things at BleemDirect.Com, "a shop Sony can't bully around", as they put it. Thanks to John for the news.
- atila
Kazaa, Music City & Grokster Sued! - The MPAA and RIAA have sued Kazaa (based in The Netherlands) and 2 companies using Kazaa's sharing software, Music City and Grokster. This will be a special case, since Kazaa is not a US company they're not sure if a US judge should handle the case, or if the case should be handled in The Netherlands. To make things even worse for the RIAA and MPAA, there's no central server, so if they take out Kazaa, the network will still be up :) You can read the Dutch article here, I'll see if I can find an English version of this aswell. *UPDATE* You can read an English version here, courtesy of CNET.
- atila
Scans Removed - EGM have asked me to remove the scans, which is why you cannot view them anymore. I apologize for any inconvience, but I guess you could also go out and buy the mag, if you want the article :)
- atila
Tuesday, October 2nd 2001 - Last updated @ 16:29 EST
EGM Scans - CD scanned an article in the new EGM about emulation, they talk about emulators and some of the issues that come with emulators. They even have Nicola Salmoria and Mike Balfour answering a few questions :) Anyway, the scans are about 150kb each (I forgot that not everyone is on broadband :), you can view them by clicking the following links: page 1 - page 2 - page 3 - page 4 - page 5. Thanks again to CD for the scans.
- atila
MAME WIP - Gridle has posted another MAME WIP update; Chinese Exorcist looks interesting, to say the least.
- atila
Thanks to generous hosting from Dark Unicorn Productions, the Amiga CD32 Zone is now back in operation! This site features nearly complete game lists, cover shots, rare CD32 media (including commercials and FMV rarely ripped from CD32 games and demo CDs), a nice CD+G section, and more! Check it out here!
- metallik
SNK Is Dead - SNK abandoned its court-mandated reorganization of corporation on Oct 2nd. This means SNK's complete bankruptcy. KOF 2001 will be released according to schedule - in November, although details like its distributor are yet to be announced. Thanks to Fujix for the news.
- atila
New Retrogaming Radio - Shane Monroe has just released the October 2001 edition of his Retrogaming Radio show! Head on over to the official site to check it out.
- metallik
Carrots Are Good For You! - Well, maybe that was a lie :P Thanks to blamezore for the link.
- atila
Vega Strike 0.0.9 - Vega Strike is a a action space simulator reminiscent of Wing Commander, bringing some of the old ships from the original Wing Commander era back to life in full 3D. Changes: An intelligent, programmable AI, varied weapons on different starships, explosions that literally tear a starship into pieces, shields that glow upon hit (in the location hit), customizable missions, and stars that fly past as you explore the system. License: GPL.
- chris
Monday, October 1st 2001 - Last updated @ 15:06 EST
Arnold/MacOS, the CPC464/664/6128/464+/6128+/KC Compact emulator for Macintosh, has been updated for the first time in over two years to v1.5. The new version includes a huge number of new features and improvements. Get it from my page. Don't forget that Arnold is totally free!
- richard
SEGA CD EMU!!! - You betcha, Xega 0.08 runs Sega CD games and ISOs! Sascha M. also mailed me and said that Xega "crashes bigtime when USB devices are attached", so be sure to take note of that.
- atila
