0.6.0

This release brings macOS and iOS versions, menus in the game's own look, and two save fixes.

• macOS and iOS (new):
  • macOS: ChaotixRecompiled-0.6.0-macos-arm64.zip holds an app for Apple Silicon Macs, with SDL built in (no Homebrew needed).
    • It is signed ad hoc, not notarised, so the first time, right-click the app > Open, or use System Settings > Privacy & Security > Open Anyway.
    • Your data goes in ~/Library/Application Support/ChaotixRecompiled/ChaotixRecompiled/.
  • iOS: ChaotixRecompiled-0.6.0-ios-arm64.ipa, landscape only, for iOS 15 and later.
    • It needs a sideloading tool (AltStore, SideStore, Sideloadly...) to install.
    • Copy your ROM into the app's folder with the Files app (On My iPhone > Chaotix), or tap Browse on the setup page. Mods/ is in the same folder.
    • Touch controls appear when you touch the screen, and the counter in the top-right corner opens the menu.
  • On the M1 Mac all 40 CTest cases pass, and the recompiled code is bit-identical to the interpreter on arm64, including 36,000-frame runs. The iOS build was run in the iOS Simulator; it has not been tested on a real iPhone or iPad, so reports are very welcome.
  • How to build: docs/BUILDING_APPLE.md.
• Menus in the game's look (Issue #8):
  • The menus now use the game's own font: the white digits and yellow letters of its DATA LOAD screen.
  • The menus show a picture of one of the zones behind them, with its colours used for the frames and the selection.
  • Both are taken from your ROM, not shipped. The zone pictures are rendered once in the background, only while a menu is open (never during play), and cached in your data folder.
  • OPTIONS > EXTRAS > MENU FONT (GAME / PIXEL) and MENU BACKGROUND (ZONE / PLAIN) switch back to the old look.
  • Details: docs/MENU_ART.md.
• Save fixes:
  • BACK TO TITLE no longer rolls back progress saved to a DATA slot. It used to restore the save as it was when you started the game, which you saw in DATA LOAD at once, and which the game's next save could write to disk.
  • TIME ATTACK runs no longer save into DATA 1. A time attack run now starts in NO SAVE, as the game's own stage select does. This was found while fixing the first bug, before it was ever released.
  • Note that progress made in NO SAVE (DATA LOAD's first choice) lives only in memory, as in the original game.

Thanks to @datadrivezz for the menu suggestions.

Validation:

• Windows: all 45 CTest cases pass. New tests:
  • a level finished in a DATA slot saves to it, with lockstep holding;
  • a time attack run leaves the save alone;
  • the game font and zone pictures are built from the ROM;
  • the picture renderer pauses during play.
• Lockstep: all 33 sweep runs with random input are bit-identical.
• macOS (M1): all 42 CTest cases pass and lockstep is bit-identical on arm64.
• Linux: all 42 Linux CTest cases pass.
• Packages: the packaged Windows and Linux builds pass the startup tests.
• Android: the APKs have not been tested on a device for this release.

Downloads: the Windows x64 zip, the Linux x64 tar.gz, the macOS arm64 zip, the iOS .ipa, and two Android APKs: arm64-v8a/x86_64 (the usual one) and armeabi-v7a (32-bit ARM). Both APKs use version code 26 and the same signing certificate as 0.5.1, so they update in place.

You must supply your own Knuckles' Chaotix (Japan, USA) ROM. No ROM image or game assets are included.