EverDrive-N8 PRO bug reports.

[germanmago]

Spartan X 2

Don't work stay in black screen an flashing red led in cartridge

OS 2.05
Rom spartan X 2 (Japan).nes

[KRIKzz]

Spartan X 2

Don't work stay in black screen an flashing red led in cartridge

OS 2.05
Rom spartan X 2 (Japan).nes

Accidentally removed bunch of mappers begins from OS V2.04. Just uploaded v2.06 with fixed mapper pack

[OopsAllBerrys]

SUPER MARIO BROS. 2 [JAPAN] (FDS)
after finish 4-4, than N8 pro red light reading forever and no response.
It cannot start the 5-1 stage.
Sharp twinfamicom with OS v2.03
The save state is attached.

Same problem here with OS v2.06. Tried with auto swap fds on and off but didn't make a difference. My save state is attached.

[KRIKzz]

SUPER MARIO BROS. 2 [JAPAN] (FDS)
after finish 4-4, than N8 pro red light reading forever and no response.
It cannot start the 5-1 stage.
Sharp twinfamicom with OS v2.03
The save state is attached.

Same problem here with OS v2.06. Tried with auto swap fds on and off but didn't make a difference. My save state is attached.

Game just freeze and even not ends disk reading cycle. I have no ideas about this problem so far. May be some data in memory were corrupted  due save state using or something. Pass few levels without save states for check require too much time.

[neorocker7]

the volume settings seem to do nothing on the current OS, or at least, nothing for the NSF playback. the NSF player also isn't playing the FDS channel

[KRIKzz]

the volume settings seem to do nothing on the current OS, or at least, nothing for the NSF playback. the NSF player also isn't playing the FDS channel

Audio balancing is not applied to NSF at the moment. NSF uses multiple audio chips and single mapper, but system designed to set one volume per mapper. This problem can be solved using specific configuration for nsf mapper, i will work over this in future update.
There is no fds channels because all expansion chips not fits in fpga at the same time.

[Aether Knight]

SUPER MARIO BROS. 2 [JAPAN] (FDS)
after finish 4-4, than N8 pro red light reading forever and no response.
It cannot start the 5-1 stage.
Sharp twinfamicom with OS v2.03
The save state is attached.

Same problem here with OS v2.06. Tried with auto swap fds on and off but didn't make a difference. My save state is attached.

Game just freeze and even not ends disk reading cycle. I have no ideas about this problem so far. May be some data in memory were corrupted  due save state using or something. Pass few levels without save states for check require too much time.

OK I checked out SMB2j by using an in-game level editor and removed everything obstructing so I can pass each level easily. What I noticed on the emulator is that as soon as you're done on level 4-4, the game seems to pause for a little bit almost as if it's switching disk sides. Most FDS games I think prompt you to switch to A or B, but it seems SMB2j does this automatically.

[nuu]

SMB2j is a 1-side disk game so you never flip the disk. The RAM adapter is too small to load the whole disk side though so it loads only 4 worlds at a time. This is why it pauses after beating stage 4-4, to load worlds 5 to 8.

[Aether Knight]

SMB2j is a 1-side disk game so you never flip the disk. The RAM adapter is too small to load the whole disk side though so it loads only 4 worlds at a time. This is why it pauses after beating stage 4-4, to load worlds 5 to 8.

Really? If that's the case then the game is going to lock-up on two more occasions on the N8Pro. Right after you beat 8-4 (to load the ending) and the other after you beat the game eight times and try to load worlds A-D (both have the exact same pauses)

*Edit ; Yep, sure enough. Attempted to load my eight-star SMB2j FDS file, and it froze when trying to access worlds A-D just as it does after world 4-4. Can I upload the modified ROM? (It's really just a template, all the levels have been removed and the flagpole is right at the beginning in most levels)

[nuu]

So it freezes when trying to load anything at all except for the initial boot load (which only includes worlds 1 to 4). I don't think it needs to read the disk just for the ending music or does it?

[Aether Knight]

So it freezes when trying to load anything at all except for the initial boot load (which only includes worlds 1 to 4). I don't think it needs to read the disk just for the ending music or does it?

If I had to hazard a guess it pauses exactly 4 times in the entire game. Once after 4-4 (to load Worlds 5-8), Once after 8-4 (to load the ending) Once after going through the entire game without warps to load World 9, and finally at the title screen by holding down "A" after you beat the game eight times to load worlds A-D. That's how many I counted going through the entire game.

I suppose it's technically 5 if you count the initial loading of the game.

[nuu]

Ok, if you tested it I guess I'm wrong.

If you are not comfortable uploading the hacked fds image, just upload an IPS file. You can make one easily with Floating IPS for example.

[Aether Knight]

Ok, if you tested it I guess I'm wrong.

If you are not comfortable uploading the hacked fds image, just upload an IPS file. You can make one easily with Floating IPS for example.

Alright so I removed any and all levels with the editor. Should be easy to test all the possible points it pauses to load. This file is what FCEUX spits out after you beat the game once. (it just copies the .fds file) It should have all stars on the title screen and just hold down "A" when you hit start to access worlds A-D. The longest to test will be world 9 since you have to go through all eight worlds without warping to get to it (the flagpole is at the beginning....but you'll get tired of seeing that course clear countdown) The level of -4 still has to be run completely but it just means you'll be dashing until the end. There is a Bowser at each end, just save state before each one just in case.

[nuu]

Thanks! I tested it in Mesen and unfortunately it doesn't appear to simulate the disk access LED on the disk drive, so there was no way to know if it accesses the disk for sure. But it does pause with a black screen at some points so I'm pretty sure it's accessing the disk at those points to read or write to it.

I should just explain how the disk system works: The BIOS reads data from the disk to the RAM adapter at boot (files to be loaded by the BIOS is specified in the game's disk header). After that the game is fully playable like a normal cartridge game since it's running on the RAM adapter (which works just like a normal game cartridge as far as the Famicom is concerned). The disk drive doesn't use any power at this point (which is why batteries lasts so long) and you could even unplug the RAM adapter. As soon as it needs to access the disk (either for reading to load more data or writing to the disk to save data) it must be plugged in and powered though. When it does, the red LED lights up on the disk drive.


With my observations using this hacked disk image in Mesen, the number of points of gameplay it needs to access the disk, not counting the boot load, is 5 (although it may vary depending on how you count):

 1) After saving the Toad in stage 4-4, to load worlds 5 to 8.
 2) After reaching the door at the end of stage 8-4 and D-4, to load the
    ending.
 3) After the ending, to write a star (8-4 ending only) and to load world 9
    (8-4 ending only and only if all Toads are saved).
 4) After the ending of 8-4 (only if not all Toads saved), after the ending
    of D-4 and after a miss in world 9. In all cases to load title screen and
    worlds 1 to 4.
 5) When pressing A+START to enter the letter worlds (requires 8 stars).

[Aether Knight]

Thanks! I tested it in Mesen and unfortunately it doesn't appear to simulate the disk access LED on the disk drive, so there was no way to know if it accesses the disk for sure. But it does pause with a black screen at some points so I'm pretty sure it's accessing the disk at those points to read or write to it.

I should just explain how the disk system works: The BIOS reads data from the disk to the RAM adapter at boot (files to be loaded by the BIOS is specified in the game's disk header). After that the game is fully playable like a normal cartridge game since it's running on the RAM adapter (which works just like a normal game cartridge as far as the Famicom is concerned). The disk drive doesn't use any power at this point (which is why batteries lasts so long) and you could even unplug the RAM adapter. As soon as it needs to access the disk (either for reading to load more data or writing to the disk to save data) it must be plugged in and powered though. When it does, the red LED lights up on the disk drive.


With my observations using this hacked disk image in Mesen, the number of points of gameplay it needs to access the disk, not counting the boot load, is 5 (although it may vary depending on how you count):

 1) After saving the Toad in stage 4-4, to load worlds 5 to 8.
 2) After reaching the door at the end of stage 8-4 and D-4, to load the
    ending.
 3) After the ending, to write a star (8-4 ending only) and to load world 9
    (8-4 ending only and only if all Toads are saved).
 4) After the ending of 8-4 (only if not all Toads saved), after the ending
    of D-4 and after a miss in world 9. In all cases to load title screen and
    worlds 1 to 4.
 5) When pressing A+START to enter the letter worlds (requires 8 stars).

Also to be noted that maximum amount of stars is 24 (18h) The game still pauses even if you have the maximum amount. I probably should've uploaded that save (you can still change it in any file, open up the file and change $CC2C to 18) Regardless though it should make it easier to test out the game (special thanks to ALXR of romhacking.net for his SMB2j utility)