FrodoDS(C64 emulator) updated

[Bri-]

So, "fit width" (option 2) actually displays 256x160 which is 80% of the C-64 resolution, right? That should potentially look better than option 1 for graphics while still not losing any screen real-estate (other than the border at the left and right and part of the border at the top and bottom similar to the 75% option). For text, 250x150 which is 75% (option 1) should look better because each character could be the same number of pixels (40 columns divides evenly into 250 width and 25 rows divide evenly into 150 height). Is that correct?

BTW, is there a way to scroll around the screen during game play for those modes that cut off some of the screen? For example, pressing a button or shoulder button while using the D-pad might scroll the screen in those modes that crop part of the screen?

-Bri

[db73]

Just discovered FrodoDS after recently getting a DS flash card (EDGE). Was really pleased to see a C64 emulator on the DS.

Having problems loading games though. I installed & ran FrodoDS & it fired up no problems. I'd already copied a whole bunch of .d64 files to the /rd folder. I can see these when I browse the files from FrodoDS. But when I select & then use the right trigger to load I get this message;



Bit green to all this homebrew & emulation stuff. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

Cheers

[db73]

Eureka!! Figured it out. I didn't have my /rd folder in the root of my flash card (EDGE). When I moved it here I was able to run C64 games (.d64).

I've tried 3 so far. Choplifter worked fine. Dropzone (my favourite C64 game ever) loaded but I couldn't start the game using the 'A' button on the DS. Any ideas on this? I also tried Raid on Bungeling bay (anothr favourite C64 game of mine) but this still produced the 'device not present error'. Maybe it's just a bad .d64 file?

[db73]

Hold the phone - I downloaded a whole bunch of .d64 files & only a couple of them seem to work. The ones that do run a bit on the slow side. Anything I can do about this?

I've been searching through the forums for any tips & information about getting the games working. Plenty of stuff on here but it spans a couple of years at least so I don't know how relevent some of the info is these days. Obviously newer versions of FrodoDS have been released over the years so a lot of the info might be out of date now ..... although being a complete newb to this it's hard to pick up on what's what!

[Sektor]

Try congoblase modified FrodoDS. Congoblase's versions needs the files to go in d64 folder. Some games will require enabling true disk emulation but that makes them load really slowly.

[db73]

I tried Congoblase's version of FrodoDS. Had a little more success running games. But the main problem now is that they are all running slow. I'd estimate around 80-85% of the original game. I've read ellshwere that it may be limitations with running the emulator on the DS. But surely the DS is capable of running these games at full speed? I'm not sure if any of the settings in Congoblase's version would make any difference to the speed.

[db73]

Not having much joy here. Tried about 25 .d64 roms so far & only about 5 have worked with or without 'true disk emulation' (nothing worked with that on. It just says 'loading' & that's as far as it seems to get). The games that do work all run at about 80% speed of the originals so what's the point?! Seems daft playing games in slow motion! Are people not talking about FrodoDS because it doesn't actually work that well? Brilliant effort on the part of the programmer but clearly it's got some way to go yet. I hope it gets there because it would be brilliant & I'd love to have my old C64 games on hand held. As it is unless there is actually a way to get things running at the right speed (nobody seems to have posted much about this that I can find) FrodoDs offers novelty value at best it seems.

[congoblase]

many games do work with true drive. you just have to wait until loading is finished. loading times were awfully long in those days.

[db73]

many games do work with true drive. you just have to wait until loading is finished. loading times were awfully long in those days.

Yes I remember. Manic Miner, released before the days of turbo load, went to abot 220 on the C64 tape counter before loading With true disk emulation enabled does anything happen on the screen? For me it just said 'loading' & then sat there. The screen didn't change so I assumed it wasn't working.

Loading times aside is there anything we can do about the games speed on the settings page of your version of FrodoDS? Getting the games to run is one thing but if they all run at 80% it seems a bit daft even trying in the first place. Great to see those games on my DS screen but they are not really playable at the speed they run.

[db73]

Been scouring the boards for snippets of info that sound like they could help with the speed issue. This sounded interesting;

When the field "Limit speed" is active, the emulation is slowed down when its relative speed exceeds 100%. If you set the value in "Every (n)th frame" so that the speed is just over 100% and activate the speed limiter, the emulation always runs at the original C64 speed, with the highest possible precision.