snes9x v1.53 Super punch out and Hook emulation issues

[joepogo]

On snes9x v1.53 hook and super punch out have some serious issues going on that were not there before.

With Super punch out the game will crash when fighting mad clown, after he does the brain squash the second time the game will hang and become unplayable.

Evidenced here:

http://www.snes9x.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5009

With hook, everything is OK except for cutscenes between levels, there are numbers and letters floating through the screen where the text should be. Tested multiple known good dumps all with the same issue. Using an older version of snes9x did the trick though so something got messed up in the last update.

Please consider fixing these 2 games, snes9x is a wonderful emulator!

[bearoso]

Not a fan of punch out, and I'd suck terribly at it so as to be unable to get to the appropriate part to fix it. A save state is no help because it saves too much and wouldn't work for debugging.

I can look at the hook issue if it's easy to get to.

[bearoso]

Hook cutscenes look fine in 1.54 on Gtk+ port. See attached. May be a compiler bug in the Windows port?

Will try to game-genie to mad clown, but I'm totally lost with Punch-Out!

[bearoso]

Was able to reproduce the punch-out issue with a SRAM found on the internet. Takes a random number of brain squashes to crash, though. Might be the copy protection. Might be an old DMA problem.

[OV2]

The Hook issue only occurs if you allow invalid vram access (in the windows config file it's the BlockInvalidVRAMAccess setting). If you set it to true (the default) the issue disappears.

[bearoso]

OK, so then it's a non issue.

[joepogo]

Thanks guys for the responses. Hmm, so perhaps in the windows code i need to check before compiling i assume. Perhaps i did that by accident.

I assume the super punch out issue is going to be a little harder to fix eh? :) I appreciate your efforts OV and Bearoso. Super punch out had copy protection?

Edit: I looked in wconfig.cpp and it is set to true....

[bearoso]

It's in your config file, not the source. You only really need to set BlockInvalidVRAMAccess to false for certain hacks, like the Bahamut Lagoon translation.

I think the super punch out issue popped up when zones overhauled DMA. As of now, DMA is still pretty archaic, and I'd rather it be overhauled instead of adding a hack, but not, at the least, until after the new sound core gets released.

[joepogo]

Thanks bearoso for the response. One question, what if you are using a console port like snes9x on wii or xbox, and there is no config file to edit and this problem is popping up with this issue? I just checked on the consoles and there is no config file to edit for those...

One other thing, is the new sound core more or less resource intensive? I dont have a rig that can run byus stuff, id rather stick to snes9x. :)

[bearoso]

As OV2 says, that setting should be true by default, as the only thing that requires it is a certain bahamut lagoon patch, and it breaks many more things. Tell the port author to enable it.

The sound core is slightly more intensive, but it's adapted to use less CPU power. The Wii version is already too slow for 1.53.

[joepogo]

Weird, i checked and im pretty sure it is true by default. Still showing green Q's flying across the screen in cutscenes.

[OV2]

Are you sure you are checking the correct config file? Also, for other platforms than windows the setting is called "AllowInvalidVRAMAccess" in the "Hack" section. And make sure you are not running snes9x with the -invalidvramaccess parameter.
I just verified it again, and with invalid vram access blocked all five variants of the ROM I have played the first cutscene fine, when they are not blocked you get the flying letters. The japanese version has the worst corruption.

[joepogo]

Hey OV and bearoso, i appreciate the input. I was able to fix the hook issue, it was an issue on my end. Im pretty sure the punch out issue however is out of my hands and scope of knowledge. :)

One quick question, is the problem with punch out among the same issue as the one that plagues speedy gonzalez freezing when you hit the button on the floor? Or is that some sort of unemulated issue? Sorry, im just a noob. :P

[jcdenton2k]

SNES9X thankfully doesn't force accuracy over performance. If anything, options like PCSX2 that let the end-user choose between accuracy and performance are ideal IMHO.

Regarding Speedy Gonzalez. That is a rare edge-case hardware issue. It was likely added as a copy-protection measure to thwart Chinese-based piracy. Too bad the game itself is garbage and nobody bothered ;)

Source @ byuu : https://archive.is/rrZLY

Let's take the case of Speedy Gonzales. This is an SNES platformer with no save functionality, and it's roughly 2-3 hours long. At first glance, it appears to run fine in any emulator. Yet once you reach stage 6-1, you can quickly spot the difference between an accurate emulator and a fast one: there is a switch, required to complete the level, where the game will deadlock if a rare hardware edge case is not emulated. One can imagine the frustration of instantly losing three hours of progress and being met with an unbeatable game. Unless the software does everything in the exact same way the hardware used to, the game remains broken.

Or consider Air Strike Patrol, where a shadow is drawn under your aircraft. This is done using mid-scanline raster effects, which are extraordinarily resource intensive to emulate. But without the raster effects, your aircraft's shadow will not show up, as you see in the screenshot below. It's easy to overlook, especially if you do not know that it is supposed to be there. But once you actually see it, you realize that it's quite helpful. Your aircraft has the ability to drop bombs, and this shadow acts as a sort of targeting system to determine where they will land.—something that's slightly more difficult without this seemingly minor effect.

[joepogo]

Thanks for posting that. Hopefully one day these will get added to snes9x one day. :)

Also, one other question, if you look at memmap.cpp you will see code for specific hacks that might benefit console or pc users.

`/* DON'T RENDER SUBSCREEN */

    /* Don't render subscreen for games that don't switch to high-res mode 
       in-game or don't use hi-res at all - and yet still need to do stuff 
       with the subscreen FPS improvement ranges from 7/10fps to 20/25fps 
       depending on the game ( +25/30fps in some occassions - benchmarked 
       on PC).

        TODO: This glitches with rewind enabled (RetroArch), force-disable it
        when rewind is active */
    if(
            MATCH_NA("Super Metroid")   /* Super Metroid*/
            || MATCH_NA("DONKEY KONG COUNTRY") /* Donkey Kong Country 1 */
            || MATCH_NA("AREA88")       /* Area 88 */
            || MATCH_NA("U.N.Squadron") /* UN Squadron */
            || MATCH_NA("Perfect Eleven")   /* Perfect Eleven - ISS1 */
            || MATCH_ID("ADNE")         /* Donkey Kong Country 2 (US) */
            || MATCH_ID("AWJ")      /* ISS Deluxe / World Soccer 2 Fighting Eleven */
            || MATCH_NA("JIM POWER THE LOST DIO") /* Jim Power The Lost Dimension */
            || MATCH_ID("A3C")      /* Donkey Kong Country 3*/
            || MATCH_NA("Secret of MANA") /* Secret of Mana */
            || MATCH_NA("Street Fighter2 Turbo1") /* Street Fighter II Turbo */
            || MATCH_NA("Super Street Fighter21") /* Super Street Fighter II (US) */
            || MATCH_ID("A2J")      /* Jurassic Park 2 */
            || MATCH_ID("AJL")      /* Justice League */
            || MATCH_NA("JOE AND MAC")  /* Joe and Mac */
            || MATCH_NA("JOE & MAC 2")  /* Joe & Mac 2 */
            || MATCH_ID("J3")       /* Joe & Mac 3 EU) */
        || MATCH_NA("JYUTEI SENKI") /* Jyutei Senki */
        || MATCH_ID("CQ  ")     /* Stunt Race FX */

#if defined(XBOX1) || defined(GEKKO)
|| MATCH_ID("AD8") /* Doom /
|| MATCH_ID("A3D") / Seiken Densetsu 3 /
|| MATCH_NA("SeikenDensetsu3Sample1") / Seiken Densetsu 3 /
|| MATCH_NA("ROMANCING SAGA3") / Romancing Saga 3 /
#endif
|| MATCH_NA("T.M.H.T.4") / Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles 4 - Turtles In Time (E) /
|| MATCH_NA("T.M.N.T.") / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4 - Turtles In Time (J) /
|| MATCH_NA("T.M.N.T.4") / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4 - Turtles In Time (AU) /
|| MATCH_NA("T.M.N.T. 4") / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4 - Turtles In Time (US) /
|| MATCH_NA("T.M.N.T. MW") / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mutant Warriors (J) /
|| MATCH_NA("T.M.H.T TF") / Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles - Tour Fighters (EU) /
|| MATCH_NA("T.M.N.T. TF") / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Tour Fighters (AU) /
|| MATCH_NA("T.M.N.T.5") / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Tour Fighters (U) /
|| MATCH_NA("SUPER CASTLEVANIA 4") / Super Castlevania IV /
|| MATCH_NA("AKUMAJO DRACULA") / Super Castlevania IV /
|| MATCH_ID("ATVE") / Tales of Phantasia (EN) (DeJap)/
|| MATCH_NA("MEGAMAN X") /_ Mega Man X (US) /
|| MATCH_ID("A7R") / Rockman / Mega Man 7 /
|| MATCH_NA("F-ZERO") / Rockman / Mega Man 7 /
|| MATCH_NA("EQUINOX") / Equinox /
|| MATCH_NA("SUPER MARIO KART") / Super Mario Kart /
|| MATCH_ID("AR3") / Mega Man X3 (JP/US) /
|| MATCH_NA("SECRET OF EVERMORE") / Secret of Evermore_/
|| MATCH_ID("AKL") /_ Killer Instinct_/
|| MATCH_NA("NBA JAM") /_ NBA Jam /
|| MATCH_NA("PILOTWINGS") / Pilotwings /
|| MATCH_NA("FINAL FIGHT") / Final Fight /
|| MATCH_NA("FINAL FANTASY 6") / Final Fantasy VI (JP)/
|| MATCH_NA("FINAL FANTASY 3") / Final Fantasy III (US)/
|| MATCH_NA("ILLUSION OF GAIA USA") / Illusion of Gaia (US)/
|| MATCH_NA("GAIA GENSOUKI 1 JPN") / Gaia Gensouki (JPN)/
|| MATCH_ID("AEJ") / Earthworm Jim_/
|| MATCH_ID("YI") /_ Yoshi's Island_/
|| MATCH_ID("AFJ") /_ Kirby's Dreamland 3 /
|| MATCH_NA("SUPER MARIOWORLD") / Super Mario World_/
|| MATCH_NA("THE LEGEND OF ZELDA") /_ Zelda 3_/
|| MATCH_NA("LA LEGENDE DE ZELDA") /_ Zelda 3 (FR)/
|| MATCH_NA("ZELDANODENSETSU") / Zelda 3 (JPN)/
|| MATCH_NA("SPARKSTER") / Sparkster_/
|| MATCH_NA("SIMCITY") /_ Sim City /
|| MATCH_NA("T2 ARCADE") / T2 Arcade /
|| MATCH_NA("PLOK") / Plok!/
|| MATCH_NA("ALADDIN") / Aladdin /
|| MATCH_NA("ActRaiser-2 JPN") / ActRaiser 2 (JPN) /
|| MATCH_NA("ActRaiser-2 USA") / ActRaiser 2 (US) /
|| MATCH_ID("A8") / ActRaiser 2 (EU) /
|| MATCH_ID("APT") / Pac In Time /
|| MATCH_ID("AXG") /NBA Hangtime /
|| MATCH_NA("THE CHAOS ENGINE") / Chaos Engine /
|| MATCH_ID("AWD") / Weaponlord /
|| MATCH_NA("TALES OF PHANTASIA") / Tales of Phantasia /
|| MATCH_NA("GS MIKAMI") / GS Mikami - Joreishi wa Nice Body/
|| MATCH_ID("ATQ") / Theme Park /
|| MATCH_NA("TOTAL CARNAGE") / Total Carnage /
|| MATCH_ID("AJOJ") / Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius_/
|| MATCH_NA("ROCK N' ROLL RACING") /_ Rock 'n Roll Racing /
|| MATCH_NA("RISE OF THE ROBOTS") / Rise Of The Robots_/
|| MATCH_ID("A3T") /_ Top Gear 3000 /
|| MATCH_NA("MORTAL KOMBAT") / Mortal Kombat I_/
|| MATCH_NA("MORTAL KOMBAT II") /_ Mortal Kombat II_/
|| MATCH_NA("STAR FOX") /_ Star Fox (US/JP)/
|| MATCH_ID("ST2") / Star Fox 2 /
|| MATCH_NA("STAR WING") / Star Wing (EU)/
|| MATCH_NA("TINYTOON adventures") / Buster Busts Loose /
|| MATCH_ID("3Z") / Demon's Crest_/
|| MATCH_NA("AXELAY") /_ Axelay_/
|| MATCH_NA("JAKI CRUSH") /_ Jaki Crush /
|| MATCH_NA("ZOMBIES") / Zombies (EU)/
|| MATCH_NA("THE JUNGLE BOOK") / Jungle Book /
|| MATCH_NA("ZOMBIES ATE MY NEIGHB") / Zombies Ate My Neighbors_/
|| MATCH_NA("UNIRACERS") /_ Uniracers_/
|| MATCH_NA("UNIRALLY") /_ Unirally_/
|| MATCH_NA("CHRONO TRIGGER") /_ Chrono Trigger_/
|| MATCH_NA("JURASSIC PARK") /_ Jurassic Park_/
|| MATCH_NA("THE MAGICAL QUEST") /_ The Magical Quest_/
|| MATCH_NA("SOULBLAZER - 1 USA") /_ Soul Blazer (US)/
|| MATCH_NA("SOULBLAZER - 1 ENG") / Soul Blazer (PAL)/
|| MATCH_NA("SOULBLADER - 1") / Soul Blader_/
|| MATCH_NA("GOKUJYOU PARODIUS") /_ Gokujou Parodius_/
|| MATCH_ID("ABT") /_ Adventures of Batman and Robin_/
|| MATCH_ID("5M") /_ Mario All-Stars + World_/
|| MATCH_NA("SUPER MARIO ALL_STARS") /_ Super Mario All-Stars (EU/US)/
|| MATCH_NA("SUPERMARIO COLLECTION") / Super Mario Collection (JP)/
|| MATCH_ID("4Q") / Super Punch-Out_/
|| MATCH_NA("HARVEST MOON") /_ Harvest Moon_/
|| MATCH_ID("ADZ") /_ Dracula X_/
|| MATCH_ID("A3M") /_ Mortal Kombat 3_/
|| MATCH_ID("AM4J") /_ Do-Re-Mi Fantasy - Milon no Dokidoki Daibouken_/
|| MATCH_NA("BT IN BATTLEMANIACS") /_ Battletoads in Battlemaniacs_/
|| MATCH_NA("SPACE MEGAFORCE") /_ Space Megaforce (US)/
|| MATCH_ID("ARX") / Mega Man X2 /
|| MATCH_NA("SUPER ALESTE") / Super Aleste (EU/JP)/
|| MATCH_NA("VALKEN") / Assault Suits Valken (JP)/
|| MATCH_NA("CYBERNATOR") / Cybernator (EU/US)/
|| MATCH_NA("SUPER BOMBERMAN") / Super Bomberman 1_/
|| MATCH_NA("SUPER BOMBERMAN2") /_ Super Bomberman 2_/
|| MATCH_ID("AS6") /_ Super Bomberman 3_/
|| MATCH_ID("A4B") /_ Super Bomberman 4_/
|| MATCH_ID("AYL") /_ Tetris Attack_/
|| MATCH_NA("POCKY ROCKY") /_ Pocky & Rocky (US/EU)/
|| MATCH_NA("KIKIKAIKAI") / Kiki Kaikai (JP)/
|| MATCH_ID("ANI") / Lufia 2 / Estpolis Denki 2_/
|| MATCH_ID("AQT") /_ Terranigma_/
|| MATCH_NA("twinbee") /_ Twinbee Rainbow Bell Adventures_/
|| MATCH_ID("AO7") /_ Tactics Ogre_/
|| MATCH_NA("Ogre Battle USA") /_ Ogre Battle (US)/
|| MATCH_ID("AQ3") / Dragon Quest 3_/
|| MATCH_NA("DRAGONQUEST5") /_ Dragon Quest 5_/
|| MATCH_ID("AQ6J") /_ Dragon Quest 6_/
|| MATCH_NA("DARIUS FORCE") /_ Darius Force_/
|| MATCH_ID("AGC") /_ Front Mission_/
|| MATCH_ID("AZGJ") /_ Front Mission Gun Hazard_/
|| MATCH_NA("GANBARE GOEMON") /_ Ganbare Goemon (JP)/
|| MATCH_NA("GANBARE GOEMON 2") / Ganbare Goemon 2_/
|| MATCH_NA("mystical ninja") /_ Legend of Mystical Ninja (US/EU)/
|| MATCH_NA("NOSFERATU") / Nosferatu_/
|| MATCH_NA("PAC ATTACK") /_ Pac Attack_/
|| MATCH_NA("PARODIUS") /_ Parodius 1_/
|| MATCH_NA("PRINCE OF PERSIA") /_ Prince of Persia_/
|| MATCH_NA("FINAL FANTASY 5") /_ Final Fantasy 5_/
|| MATCH_NA("OUT OF THIS WORLD") /_ Out Of This World (US)/
|| MATCH_NA("OUTER WORLD") / Outer World (JP)/
|| MATCH_NA("ANOTHER WORLD") / Another World (EU)/
|| MATCH_ID("ABZE") / Ballz 3D_/
|| MATCH_ID("AXSP") /_ Winter Gold_/
|| MATCH_ID("APJJ") /_ Wonder Project J_/
|| MATCH_NA("KRUSTYS SUPER FUNHOUSE") /_ Krustys Super Fun House_/
|| MATCH_NA("KRUSTYS SUPERFUNHOUSE") /_ Krustys Super Fun House_/
|| MATCH_NA("LEMMINGS") /_ Lemmings 1_/
|| MATCH_ID("A3Z") /_ Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3_/
|| MATCH_ID("ARFJ") /_ Star Ocean_/
|| MATCH_ID("AXBE") /_ Bahamut Lagoon_/
|| MATCH_ID("ARQ") /_ Realm /
|| MATCH_NA("S O S") / SOS /
|| MATCH_NA("SUPER DONKEY KONG") / Super Donkey Kong /
|| MATCH_ID("AC6J") / Cu-On-Pa_/
|| MATCH_ID("ASR") /_ Street Racer_/
|| MATCH_NA("SUPER WIDGET") /_ Super Widget_/
|| MATCH_NA("WILD GUNS") /_ Wild Guns /
|| MATCH_NA("R-TYPE 3") / R-Type 3_/
|| MATCH_NA("THE NINJAWARRIORS") /_ Ninja Warriors /
|| MATCH_ID("ARW") / Super Mario RPG_/
|| MATCH_NA("SHVC FIREEMBLEM") /_ Fire Emblem - Monshou no Nazo_/
|| MATCH_ID("BFRJ") /_ Fire Emblem - Thracia 776_/
|| MATCH_ID("A32J") /_ Fire Emblem - Seisen no Keifu_/
|| MATCH_ID("AR9") /_ Primal Rage_/
|| MATCH_ID("APUE") /_ Prehistorik Man_/
|| MATCH_ID("ALSJ") /_ Lady Stalker_/
|| MATCH_NA("ROCKMAN&FORTE") /_ Rockman & Forte_/
|| MATCH_NA("SUPER SWIV") /_ Super SWIV_/
|| MATCH_NA("CONTRA3 THE ALIEN WARS") /_ Contra 3 The Alien Wars_/
|| MATCH_NA("EARTHWORM JIM 2") /_ Earthworm Jim 2_/
|| MATCH_NA("CHOHMAKAIMURA") /_ Chou Makai Mura_/
|| MATCH_NA("SUPER GHOULS'N GHOSTS") /_ Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts_/
|| MATCH_NA("X-KALIBER 2097") /_ X-Kaliber 2097_/
|| MATCH_NA("PHALANX") /_ Phalanx /
|| MATCH_NA("FINAL FIGHT 2") / Final Fight 2_/
|| MATCH_NA("SUPER TURRICAN 2") /_ Super Turrican 2_/
|| MATCH_NA("DUNGEON MASTER") /_ Dungeon Master_/
|| MATCH_NA("DOOM TROOPERS") /_ Doom Troopers_/
|| MATCH_NA("XAK 1") /_ Xak 1_/
|| MATCH_NA("XARDION") /_ Xardion*/
)
PPU.RenderSub = FALSE;
else
PPU.RenderSub = TRUE;

    #ifdef __LIBRETRO__
    fprintf(stderr, "PPU.RenderSub = %d\n", PPU.RenderSub);
    #endif`

Problem is, i have no idea what PPU.RenderSub is, is this something they totally added on their end? I do not see in the source for snes9x itself, only retroarch.

[bearoso]

That's a nasty, nasty, nasty hack, and won't ever be added to Snes9x mainline.