GBA Emu for DC Update

[GPF]

Little update I have converted the SDL rendering to use DMA PVR instead for a couple of frame speedup. Still needs some work to either make the picture centered or stretch to fit the 320X240 screen, since the GBA resolution is 240X160.

I was able to get the GBA emulator running under Chanka .2a , if I use non DMA PVR rendering.



Troy

[wraggster]

Excellent news GPF

any speed increases?

[MetaFox]

[quote author=Wraggster link=board=dcemu;num=1084378886;start=60#61 date=06/15/04 at 20:03:35]Excellent news GPF

any speed increases?[/quote]
[quote author=GPF link=board=dcemu;num=1084378886;start=60#60 date=06/15/04 at 17:31:38]Little update I have converted the SDL rendering to use DMA PVR instead for a couple of frame speedup.[/quote]So, in otherwords - that'd be a yes.

[wraggster]

sorry im really tired at the mo, ive so much to do and not enough time

[warmtoe]

When are we going to see a release of this excellent GBA emulator GPF? I want to take a look at the rendering code, see if I can tinker some

[Christuserloeser]

Hey, Warmtoe! Welcome to DCEmu.co.uk


Chris

[wraggster]

Yeah welcome Warmtoe

i sent you a pm at dcemulation a few weeks ago, not sure if you got it?

im hoping to write a review of the GBA emu tonight once i get spare time.

[vipor231]

any reviews wraggster on the emulator?

[Cap'n 1time]

Its getting really hard to wait. Every time i think about it a get flutters in my stomache.

[curt_grymala]

Having tested this emu myself, here is my review:

This emulator is showing great promise. I am absolutely amazed to see GBA games running on my Dreamcast.

• Currently, the games are running pretty slowly, but that is expected with any major undertaking like this.
• I tested two different Arkanoid clones, and found that they are playable. 1BitBallWall and Arkanorb run pretty slowly, and with the frameskip turned on, the images are almost like a series of still images (the paddle and the ball will disappear from one spot, and appear in another). However, they are playable, as you can see where the ball is going to go, and you can direct the paddle in that direction.
• When I played 1BitBallWall, everything seemed to be working the way it should, but when I played Arkanorb, the color pallette seemed to be off by quite a bit (the colors in Arkanorb were almost monochrome, which is not at all the way this game actually appears in Visual Boy Advance).
• The menu system for the emu is set up very nicely, and is very easy to understand. The graphics for the menu system could probably use a little work, but that is the last thing I would worry about at the moment.
• The controller is mapped very well.
• The "Exit - Reboot Dreamcast" command seems to be currently only set up for people using coder's cables, as it did nothing but stop my Dreamcast (similar to hitting "Start" while using DreamInducer).
• It appears that, at the moment, you can only play one game per session. Whenever I would return to the emu menu, and start a different game, the controls would stop working for me.

I hope that I have added some worthwhile information about this emulator, and that I have offered some helpful information to GPF. I will be testing this emu more intensively in the future, and trying many of the homebrew games that are available from GBAX.com and PDRoms.com.

BTW - If you are a fan of Arkanoid, and have not yet tried "Arkanorb", you really should. Of the 15 or 20 different Arkanoid clones I found on PDRoms.com, Arkanorb is by far the best one.