FrodoDS(c64) page added

[GPF]

I am suprised that I'm the first person to post about this problem, but... I am getting TWO WHITE SCREENS on SuperCard Lite Rumble when I try to run unpatched file or when I try to patch it using DLDI patcher, SuperCard Magic Homebrew Patcher or SCR Patcher... I've tried all builds of FrodoDS available in this thread and all I get are two white screens showing up immediately after launching the emulator :/

The DLDI-enabled version from this link - http://forum.gbadev.org/viewtopic.php?t=12146 - works fine (when patched correctly with DLDI), but it's outdated

Biggest difference between that old build and new build is gba_nds_fat vs new libfat library support, not sure about the Rumble device though. Hopefully someone else has tried it and can recommend how they got it working or maybe some ideas on things I might be able to do in my code.

Troy(GPF)

[Gunnex]

Nice sound, tested with Treasure Island Dizzy

[Mastastealth]

Wow, this has sure improved! I can now run Ghosts n Goblins, and pretty much all my other games without issues! Very nice work!

A question though, how does the scaling work? Text in some games (e.g. Ghostbusters) looks a bit squished, is there anyway I can improve it?

[chimpwithalimp]

Just another quick post about game loading. I've actually gotten a bit used to typing the method we have to use now:

load"$",8
List
load"<gamename>",8
run

but still, its more complex than it really needs to be.

Seeing as Frodo has been ported to absolutely loads of different platforms, and has communities on each of them, I went looking for inspiration for how to get around the semi-awkward file loading system thats affecting us.

Basically, most every site and forum I've read* has had the same development issues that Troy has experienced, and that we experience as "testers"

Usually on Frodo, only 75% games work at all.
Fine, we can't do anything about this really.

Sound can be dodgy
SID emulation is just about perfect now for the DS version, thanks Troy for that.

People have trouble loading games if the PRG isn't the first on the list
Bingo.

What I did notice is that, each of the different platforms (xbox, GP32, even some mobile phones are running Frodo) seem to have gotten around this loading problem in their own way, after trial and error and multiple releases. The Xbox one for example, can load D64, T64 and PRGs directly, but it usen't to be able to.

Anyway, to cut to the chase, I'm curious would there be any way to contact one or two of the developers who've already 'invented the wheel' so to speak and have gotten through the major hurdles. Perhaps their code, or at least their suggestions might be of some use to the development of the C64 on the DS.

Maybe some small touchscreen buttons above the keyboard to automate the tasks, like a 'list' button to show the inner files on a D64. It sounds lazy but it's only through trawling this and other forums that I learned the basic code to get the games running, and some others might never get to do that.

Just for reference, heres one google search that may lead to answers...

http://www.google.com/search?q=frodo+c64+loading+games


As always, these are just suggestion, and I love the way this emulator is going. I've played Blue Max, Jack the Nipper, Ghost and Goblins, and a few others with no problems, once I learned the secret

*And I read a few

[crookedmouth]

What I've read about Frodo is with "precise cycle" mode it is slower but 95% compatible. Usually it goes on to say that the standard version is slightly less compatible, which is all the DS can handle I guess.
While testing Frodo on the PC, to see what works and doesn't,what I noticed is that so far some of the games I thought wouldn't run under frodo did after enabling 1541 emulation. Yes you have to wait a long time for loading but Sid Miers Pirates! was one game that had an error in the beginning but then got through it with 1541 drive emulation. That game is awesome.

[frykas]

Biggest difference between that old build and new build is gba_nds_fat vs new libfat library support, not sure about the Rumble device though. Hopefully someone else has tried it and can recommend how they got it working or maybe some ideas on things I might be able to do in my code.

Troy(GPF)

I'm pretty sure that there are no differencies between SC and SCRumble other than the lack of GBA RAM (ROM?) support in Rumble. But it also refers to all SLOT-1 devices and I don't see people reporting about any problems with FrodoDS on their S-1 cards. I've never had any problems with homebrew stuff on SCLRumble, execpt the original LemmingsDS builds that store some data in GBA RAM area for some reason - same result: two white screens (but it's a known issue on all Slot-1 and Rumble devices).

So can someone confirm that FrodoDS works on his SC Rumble devices?

I've tested the latest build on my friends DS (w/M3) and it's kinda jawdropping - Great work, GPF! A long time ago I was using Frodo on my unexpanded Amiga 1200 and it was slow as hell, I had to use it in 1bit color mode and big frameskip to get about 50% speed of C64, without sound of course...

[gho]

Just another quick post about game loading. I've actually gotten a bit used to typing the method we have to use now:

load"$",8
List
load"<gamename>",8
run

but still, its more complex than it really needs to be.

It can be even shorter if you know what you want to load. For e.g. Ghosts n goblins

LOAD"G*",8,1

could do the trick. It simply loads the first program with a G in the disk´s directory. Even shorter:

L<shift-O>"G*",8,1

The <shift-O> key combination produces a character similar to a rotated L.

[GPF]

It can be even shorter if you know what you want to load. For e.g. Ghosts n goblins

LOAD"G*",8,1

could do the trick. It simply loads the first program with a G in the disk´s directory. Even shorter:

L<shift-O>"G*",8,1

The <shift-O> key combination produces a character similar to a rotated L.

Another option if you put the KERNAL ROM in the /rd folder is press F7 to load"$",8 and F1 to LIST

F5 types LOAD"

F3 types RUN:

Also the KERNEL ROM defaults to drive 8 secondary 1, so you could do F5 G* <enter> F3
to be the same as LOAD"G*",8,1 and then RUN

Troy(GPF)

[Lodovik]

Great work, GPF!

I have an M3 Simply with a 1 GB MicroSD and I too had problems with loading games. Sometimes, removing some games from the RD directory helped. But now, since the last version, the bug is gone and the sound is dramatically better.

A quick suggestion: the Select button is now toggling between joystick ports A and B. Maybe it could cycle through a third option that would allow to move the cursor with the D-Pad by emulating keypresses on the keyboard. That would allow easier editing of on-screen filenames for loading programs. Also, the mode in which we are (Joy1, Joy2, Crsr) could be displayed on-screen (above the virtual keyboard, maybe?)

Keep up the good work!

[GPF]

Great work, GPF!

I have an M3 Simply with a 1 GB MicroSD and I too had problems with loading games. Sometimes, removing some games from the RD directory helped. But now, since the last version, the bug is gone and the sound is dramatically better.

A quick suggestion: the Select button is now toggling between joystick ports A and B. Maybe it could cycle through a third option that would allow to move the cursor with the D-Pad by emulating keypresses on the keyboard. That would allow easier editing of on-screen filenames for loading programs. Also, the mode in which we are (Joy1, Joy2, Crsr) could be displayed on-screen (above the virtual keyboard, maybe?)

Keep up the good work!

Thanks, great idea yeah have the d-pad act as cursor keys would be a great addition, I didn't do the keyboard code so I still have to learn how to draw on the keyboard screen so i can add stuff like that and figure out how to interact with it.

Troy(GPF)