Metal Slug X problems

[fremen]

Hi mates,

I recently got a MS X but it doesn't work, below you can see the screen



I'm sure that the problem is in the PROG board, because I compared this with another fully works MS X board.
I unsoldered the chips and moved to a PROGBK1 board and I obtained this message,



even if I substitute the original V1 and V2 roms for V1 and V2 from Neoragex.

Anybody could help me?

Thank you very much in advance

Saludos

 

[smkdan]

Does the glitchy screen stay there or does the system constantly reset after showing that? Does the game name shows up properly in softdips? Did you verify the P ROMs when you removed it? It looks like a P1/Altera issue or a trace between them.

That red warning screen is because the P1 (only the P1) has some protection that uses the Altera chip. The ROMs will work fine on BK1 but a modified P1 has to be used. It's an option if you can't fix the old MSX board or the Altera chip died.

 

[distropia]

These Altera chips tend to fail easily. In some cases you can even notice what chip is defective just looking at it. Look for a semicircular mark centered on the chip's surface (altera or proms). If present, that one is severely damaged.

 

[fremen]

Hi guys,

Does the glitchy screen stay there or does the system constantly reset after showing that?

It stays there, it doesn't reset

Does the game name shows up properly in softdips?

Yes

Did you verify the P ROMs when you removed it? It looks like a P1/Altera issue or a trace between them.

The P1 was verified and it is the same that the P1 from Neoragex.

I've checked the traces from P1 to Altera and I've found that the pin 5 and 6 from P1 are conected (in the original not), I've fix them and now the crosshach screen appears.

That red warning screen is because the P1 (only the P1) has some protection that uses the Altera chip. The ROMs will work fine on BK1 but a modified P1 has to be used. It's an option if you can't fix the old MSX board or the Altera chip died.

Ok, but how I get this P1 modified?

These Altera chips tend to fail easily. In some cases you can even notice what chip is defective just looking at it. Look for a semicircular mark centered on the chip's surface (altera or proms). If present, that one is severely damaged.

Hola compadre,

Probably the Altera chip is damaged but not external signs are appreciated

Thanks so much for the answers

Saludos

 

[smkdan]

I've checked the traces from P1 to Altera and I've found that the pin 5 and 6 from P1 are conected (in the original not), I've fix them and now the crosshach screen appears.

What pins from the P1 were connected to which pins on the Altera? Was there there was a short on the bad board or a bad trace? Those are 2 address lines and I think they go straight to the ROMs/Altera/connector but I can't confirm that now. If you got proper softdip names on the bad cart before the fix and now you get a crosshatch, then it can't read the P1 at all now. What was changed in your fix?

I don't know if anyone made a fixed P1 for slugx. I was going to make one when my MSX dies but it doesn't take too long to make and test with mame so I uploaded one here. It wasn't fully tested on a real system so I'd play through the whole game on a BK1 to check. The board has to be jumpered for 4MB P2 and 4MB V ROMs but after that you can just move over the ROMs to a spare BK1 and burn a new P1.

 

[Xian Xi]

I'll give it a try later today.

 

[Xian Xi]

Just tried it.

Unibios splash pops up and fades normally then you just get a black screen.

 

[fremen]

Hi mates,

What pins from the P1 were connected to which pins on the Altera? Was there there was a short on the bad board or a bad trace? Those are 2 address lines and I think they go straight to the ROMs/Altera/connector but I can't confirm that now. If you got proper softdip names on the bad cart before the fix and now you get a crosshatch, then it can't read the P1 at all now. What was changed in your fix?

The pins were 5 and 6 from P1, I cutted the traces and soldered directly to the Altera chip after that I obtained the crosshatch screen, obviously I conected the P1 and P2 in the same pins. Then I checked the pins on the P1 again and got different shorters and when I was repaired them I broke some pìns of the Altera chip, so a completely disaster, luckily I have another MSX fully works and now I have replacements for it.

I don't know if anyone made a fixed P1 for slugx. I was going to make one when my MSX dies but it doesn't take too long to make and test with mame so I uploaded one here. It wasn't fully tested on a real system so I'd play through the whole game on a BK1 to check. The board has to be jumpered for 4MB P2 and 4MB V ROMs but after that you can just move over the ROMs to a spare BK1 and burn a new P1.

Thanks for the modified P1, but yesterday I found a MSX hack with a different P1 (MSX enhanced), I tried it in the BK1 system and I obtained the same outcome that Xian Xi has commented, this result is also obtained when the original V1 and V2 are subtituted by V1 and V2 from Neoragex, since I think that the original V1 and V2 are encrypted while the original P1 not.

Saludos

 

[Xian Xi]

It wouldn't make sense to encrypt the V roms instead of the P roms.

 

[Xian Xi]

Also forgot to say that it shows up as MSX in the soft dips and music works in jukebox.

 

[smkdan]

I noticed MSXEH has the same MAME disabled protection I used. I took out a few extra things on top of that but real h/w still isn't liking it. MAME disables the protection already but I have to fix up the leftover bits that would make the game crash on a BK1 board. I have a bunch of ideas on what the problem is but I'll get some 32mbit eproms first so I don't have to rely on guys here for testing. I'll get it done whenever they arrive.

None of the ROMs are encrypted on MSX. It's just some protection code in P1 that has to be patched out properly before it can run on a regular board. Softdips and jukebox working makes sense, it's all a game program issue.

 

[fremen]

Hi guys,

It wouldn't make sense to encrypt the V roms instead of the P roms.

I though this because the original V1 and V2 are completely different to the V1 and V2 from Neoragex and the P1 is the same, and also some games have V roms encrypted

I noticed MSXEH has the same MAME disabled protection I used. I took out a few extra things on top of that but real h/w still isn't liking it. MAME disables the protection already but I have to fix up the leftover bits that would make the game crash on a BK1 board. I have a bunch of ideas on what the problem is but I'll get some 32mbit eproms first so I don't have to rely on guys here for testing. I'll get it done whenever they arrive.
None of the ROMs are encrypted on MSX. It's just some protection code in P1 that has to be patched out properly before it can run on a regular board. Softdips and jukebox working makes sense, it's all a game program issue.

Ok, If you want I can be a betatester since I have the BK1 system already and I can help you to develop your ideas although I don't know how to do it, jejejee.

Saludos

 

[smkdan]

Here's another attempt if you want to try. Are you sure you guys are using boards that are set up for a 4MB P2 instead of 2MB? You will always get the blackscreen on powerup if that's the issue.

 

[Xian Xi]

Yup, I'm sure it's set up for a 32mbit P2. I'll test this one out as well.

 

[Xian Xi]

LOL, just rechecked my BK1 and I guess my nephew moved the jumper for the 32mbit P2. That was my fault, I moved it to the correct place then told him to adjust the other jumpers and compare it to a scan of another game and he moved the jumper back to where it was since that's how it was in the pic.

So the game boots properly with the first file. I'll play it with my nephew all the way through and see what happens.

Sorry dude.

 

[Xian Xi]

Just finished with the playthrough. Only thing that stood out was the scoreboard, everything was zero except my top score, I can't remember if it's always like that.

 

[fremen]

Hi dudes,

smkdan I tested your first file and the result was a black screen, after to read the Xian Xi comment

LOL, just rechecked my BK1 and I guess my nephew moved the jumper for the 32mbit P2. That was my fault, I moved it to the correct place then told him to adjust the other jumpers and compare it to a scan of another game and he moved the jumper back to where it was since that's how it was in the pic.

So the game boots properly with the first file. I'll play it with my nephew all the way through and see what happens.

Sorry dude.

I've revised my BK1 and the jumpers are in the right place, but I remembered that I moved JB5 to JB6 using the original jumper, I've removed the original and done a solder bridge and now it works perfectly, thanks so much guys.

Also I've tested the enhanced P1 and the game doesn't reboot properly.

Just finished with the playthrough. Only thing that stood out was the scoreboard, everything was zero except my top score, I can't remember if it's always like that.

I think that my scoreboard is OK using both smkdan files (I've played in one player mode), I compared them with the original. I'm not an expert, I'll provide pictures to check is the scoreboard is OK or not

I don't note any difference between the second and the first one, I've only play until the three rocket launchers.

Again a lot of thanks indeed men

Saludos

 

[smkdan]

Yeah I was wondering what was going on since I was sure that 2nd ROM won't act any different from the 1st. If the first one works fine then don't bother switching to the second. Cool to have it working on an actual system.

XX: maybe the backup RAM got corrupt when the game failed to start the first time? I only have guesses for the weird high score since I didn't notice anything wrong in MAME and fremen seems to have it working.

Other thing I should mention is that the option of fixing up the original MSX board is there if you don't have spare BK1s, but you'd have to pull the Altera off, add a bunch of wire patches and a little circuit to do a few things that the Altera did. It'll be more messy in the end compared to just pulling 4 ROMs but you have the bonus of reusing the board instead of having to sac a BK1.

 

[Xian Xi]

XX: maybe the backup RAM got corrupt when the game failed to start the first time? I only have guesses for the weird high score since I didn't notice anything wrong in MAME and fremen seems to have it working.

I'll clear it and see what happens.

 

[Alpha Skyhawk]

Would somebody be able to provide a scan of the BK1 with the altered P1 and the jumpers in place? I've got a bad Metal Slug 1 cart, and if I can't fix it, and I determine the BK1 to be good, I might pre-emptively fix my Metal Slug X cart using Metal Slug 1's BK1 board. I don't feel like waiting around for the Altera on my cart to go bad.

 

[Xian Xi]

Would somebody be able to provide a scan of the BK1 with the altered P1 and the jumpers in place? I've got a bad Metal Slug 1 cart, and if I can't fix it, and I determine the BK1 to be good, I might pre-emptively fix my Metal Slug X cart using Metal Slug 1's BK1 board. I don't feel like waiting around for the Altera on my cart to go bad.

It's the same as Fatal Fury 3 except like mentioned above remove JB5 and connect JB6 for the 32mbit P2 rom.

http://mvs.gotwalls.com/images/c/c0/Fatal_fury_3_set1_b1_front.jpg

 

[Xian Xi]

smkdan,

Does this also affect AES carts as well or were they constructed differently?

 

[smkdan]

There's only one mslugx.zip set floating around and I don't know if that covers the AES version too. Someone with the game could use the unibios CRC check to confirm without opening the cart. If it matches the MVS dumps then it'll have the same Altera chip inside.

I saw possible MSX conversions mentioned in your sales thread but it shouldn't be a big deal with this game. You don't even have to physically look at the cart to figure it out. Just using the CRC check will tell you if it's either using my ROMs or if it's just faulty since it'll fail the CRC check.

 

[Xian Xi]

There's only one mslugx.zip set floating around and I don't know if that covers the AES version too. Someone with the game could use the unibios CRC check to confirm without opening the cart. If it matches the MVS dumps then it'll have the same Altera chip inside.

I saw possible MSX conversions mentioned in your sales thread but it shouldn't be a big deal with this game. You don't even have to physically look at the cart to figure it out. Just using the CRC check will tell you if it's either using my ROMs or if it's just faulty since it'll fail the CRC check.

What traces need to be patched to keep the PROGEOP?

 

[smkdan]

D0-D7 from P1 have to be patched to cart edge. Pin 11 on P1 + P2 go to gnd. Pin 13 on P1 goes to ROMOE on the cart edge. Remember to use the pinout on the wiki instead of the PDF since they labelled ROMOE wrong there. Here's BK1's bankswitch circuit on the wiki. That has to be added yourself since the Altera did that too on top of the protection stuff. On P2: "P_A20" is pin 42, "P_A21" is pin 32, "PORTOE" is pin 13. The reset and resistor parts aren't needed for MSX. They can just go to vcc.

But you still need the unprotected P1. The only way to keep the ROMs original is to swap in another Altera from a working cart for however long it'll last.