Neo Geo CD Conversion Project.

[NeoSeeD]

I can easily make this version of Golden Axe from the Neo Geo CD with the original arcade songs. Just someone can provide me with the arcade songs. Even in the same order as the Neo Geo CD music tracks if you prefer, so I don't have to listen to the songs one by one to know which ones are which when I put them in the right place to play them. It would make my job much easier.

Speaking of Metal Slug 1 & Metal Slug 2 and The Last Blade 1 & The Last Blade 2. I've been analyzing what's left on the CD after inserting the game and audio files, and there's about 150MB of space left. Maybe SNK could have used this free space to put something in, but I believe that the fear of filling the CD to its limit left them with this space.

I believe that if you follow the line of analysis of how the first Last Blade 1 was, which had almost imperceptible cuts unlike Last Blade 2 which is visible and with today's file compression and extraction programs that make a 20GB file become 4GB, for example, I believe that it would be possible to compress the ROM files of the MVS games so that they all fit on a CD, you just need software to distribute them properly in all the parts of the programming that make the game run and be read on CD. And also see that the loading time can be adjusted to make it less painful depending on the extraction speed. This has been shown in many international forums by people showing that it is possible for games like Mega Drive, SNES, Sega CD, PSX, Saturn among other consoles on CD as well. I believe it could work on the Neo Geo CD as well, especially if we knew what software SNK used in the CD conversions.

It's not just about meg size. The biggest official MVS game is only about 13% of a 650MB disc so that's not the issue. Even if someone hacked a 10TB hard drive to work directly with the NGCD, it wouldn't make a difference. The console itself only has so much RAM available to copy data to and even that part of it is partitioned making it tougher for devs to work with.

Data compression also has its limits. Say you have a 300MB PDF of a graphic novel, even with all the compression available, you won't get a 50MB file. Even if you did, the file contents would be heavily altered and all of the decompressing would eat up a ton of CPU making the entire endeavor futile.

But let's say that it's all technically possible. It would still be a massive amount of work to achieve a sub-par result.

 

[NeoSeeD]

You're wasting your breath. This dickhead is a lost cause. I mean, why bother starting with Garou? Why not cram a flawless port of KoF 2K3 on to CD, that has zero loading times, and actually boots from the disc straight from the jewel case to your NGCD/CDZ?

I gave it a shot. Ironically, all of that info is literally covered on the first page of this thread. Doesn't even need to be searched.

 

[UsagiRu_]

Taking advantage of the occasion UsagiRu...
Your game for Mega Drive Nekketsu School Fighters is wonderful! Even the music you chose was perfect. The only thing I could suggest is to add more characters like Provie, Billy, Jimmy and the Bosses Sabuko, Noize, Hibari, Yamada, Ken, Tsuiko, Hasabe, Mami, Primo, Blaire, and the powerful boss Sabu, Criminal Overlord. That is, of course, if it can fit into 5MB of the Chinese Everdrives. I wish success with all your productions! You are a great game artist!

View attachment 84038

I found these images on the internet as a suggestion for a future versus screen. It would really be cool if it was like that!

View attachment 84039
Sorry for so many suggestions, it's just that my creative side for fighting games always goes a thousand miles an hour, going beyond the horizon to make these animated things in the game.​

Provie is confirmed for the next version, this already leaves the game with a 5MB limit, other characters may come in a future version above 5MB.

 

[UsagiRu_]

Is this you as well? If so, that is some nice work porting the sprites over to the MD.

Yes, this will take a bit longer, I'm having some issues with simultaneous sprite limits.

 

[Iori Hakeshu]

Don’t talk to our new little bro like that, he is a specialist on the Neo CD who can swap music on golden axe! He just needs someone to teach him how to download the arcade soundtrack is all

I won't waste my time talking about this since you think I'm lying.

It's not just about meg size. The biggest official MVS game is only about 13% of a 650MB disc so that's not the issue. Even if someone hacked a 10TB hard drive to work directly with the NGCD, it wouldn't make a difference. The console itself only has so much RAM available to copy data to and even that part of it is partitioned making it tougher for devs to work with.

Data compression also has its limits. Say you have a 300MB PDF of a graphic novel, even with all the compression available, you won't get a 50MB file. Even if you did, the file contents would be heavily altered and all of the decompressing would eat up a ton of CPU making the entire endeavor futile.

But let's say that it's all technically possible. It would still be a massive amount of work to achieve a sub-par result.

Here is your request for Golden Axe with the songs from the Arcade version, my friend. I made two versions, one in Wav mode and the other in MP3.

See you soon.

Link de Download (Golden Axe NeoGeo CD Arcade Version OST)

 

[Neo Alec]

@Iori Hakeshu I hope some day you will understand the Neo Geo CD better. I mean that.

Here are the Neo Geo CD's memory limits. This is the amount of data that can be accessible at a given time. The game will need to stop to load to change what's stored here. These limits are the same for all three models: The frontloader, toploader and CDZ:

• 68000 program memory (P rom): 2 MB
• Fix layer memory (S rom): 128 KB
• Graphics memory (C roms): 4 MB
• Sound sample memory (V roms): 1 MB
• Z80 program memory (M rom): 64 kB

Now let's load one MOTW match. We'll need the graphics and sound for two characters, plus one stage. We'll also need the game code for instructions.

1 MB of sound samples won't be enough for one match. Some voices will have to be removed. This is nothing new. This happens to NGCD games all the time.

The important limit we run into is the graphics memory (C roms). To fit two characters and a background into 4MB, lots of graphics will need to be cut. This will need to be done intelligently, and won't be easy. AOF3 CD proves anything is possible, but the amount of effort needed is well beyond a typical fan project. Plus someone has to divide the game up into sections and program all those loads (fan conversions usually don't do any of this)!

And with the cuts will the resulting game be any good? Just play the cartridge version instead.

 

[Tarma]

Need some help - so I've burned 4 discs of Zupapa! and every time I get the boot screen, a blast of static at the end, and then it just reboots. And it'll loop like this until you pull the disc out.

@Neo Alec was very helpful in getting me to understand the iso/bin transfer, but I'm not sure what's going on now.

Had a similar situation with Shinobi - the bin file works perfectly, but there's no sound, and I can't see an obvious way of burning the wav files to the disc with the bin.

Advice please!!!

 

[NeoSeeD]

Which OS are you using? If it's Windows, I use IMGBURN. Back when OSX was still good, I used LiquidCD. Unfortunately, it doesn't work on current OSX and I haven't bothered to burn a CD on it for ages. "BURN" might work for it, but I haven't tested. On Linux, I recall using Brasero.

 

[Tarma]

Which OS are you using? If it's Windows, I use IMGBURN. Back when OSX was still good, I used LiquidCD. Unfortunately, it doesn't work on current OSX and I haven't bothered to burn a CD on it for ages. "BURN" might work for it, but I haven't tested. On Linux, I recall using Brasero.

I'm using Imgburn.

 

[NeoSeeD]

I'm using Imgburn.

I'll burn a copy and see if I have the same issue.

 

[Tarma]

Lol, well, I need to figure it out as I'm just wasting CD's right now

 

[NeoSeeD]

Lol, well, I need to figure it out as I'm just wasting CD's right now

PM sent.

 

[Tarma]

@NeoSeeD has shown me where I was going wrong - props to that man!

Now... I can finally play an arcade perfect port of Garou on my CDZ!!

 

[Hattori Hanzo]

Was it the copy protection of the CDZ?

 

[Neo Alec]

Was it the copy protection of the CDZ?

That has to be implemented by the game. So homebrew doesn't have that.

 

[Tarma]

Was it the copy protection of the CDZ?

It was, but, thanks to the collective powers of the neo-geo.com community, we came together to, as we always do, to defeat the will of the tyrannical corporate overlord that was SNK.

Let us go forth my brothers, and together, forge a new history, where technical limitations do not exist, and only the sheer will of the collective, viz a vis the status quo, triumphs over the evil of the dark forces.

Power to the people!

Power to the Neo-Geo CD!

 

[Tarma]

Oh FML. Why does the Zedblade package not create an ISO file? I've tried two different ROM sets from two different sources, and every time I use the runbat it won't generate an ISO file in the OUTPUT folder - just WAV files and the disc image file.

 

[NeoSeeD]

IQ_132's scripts require very specific ROMS to build. Try ROMS from the Mame 0.260 set as those have always worked for me. Alternatively, the Justin Gibbin's script includes Zed Blade and uses Darksoft set ROMS as a base. Better yet, that script has unibios support (dips, cheats, etc) and complete soundtracks/voice samples.

 

[iq_132]

Hello again!

Here's a conversion of Nightmare in the Dark.

Things of note:
- It has a rather long load between levels 4 and 5.
- I don't know if the slowdown is worse than on cart, but there is slowdown on busy screens.
- Nothing is cut.

*edit*
I updated the original package about 25 minutes after posting as I had failed to remove an "unlimited lives" cheat on the original.
added the "jump" sound fix, extract the zip over the "DATA" folder once you extract the package and rebuild the iso with the run me.

 

[Neo Alec]

Hello again!

Here's a conversion of Nightmare in the Dark.

Things of note:
- It has a rather long load between levels 4 and 5.
- I don't know if the slowdown is worse than on cart, but there is slowdown on busy screens.
- Nothing is cut.

Hi @iq_132. Just curious, does it include this fix?

Fix: Nightmare in the Dark crackling audio sample

I fixed the crackling audio sample when jumping in Nightmare in the Dark. The fix is a single byte patch to the V-ROM 260-v1.v1: 0x50820: 6E -> 08 Enjoy 🧛‍♂️

neo-geo.com

 

[iq_132]

Ho @iq_132. Just curious, does it include this fix?

Fix: Nightmare in the Dark crackling audio sample

I fixed the crackling audio sample when jumping in Nightmare in the Dark. The fix is a single byte patch to the V-ROM 260-v1.v1: 0x50820: 6E -> 08 Enjoy 🧛‍♂️

neo-geo.com

I went ahead and added a fix file to the original post.

 

[NeoSeeD]

It's been a while since I played the MVS version but I did not notice any additional slowdown. I was able to complete the game in about 20 minutes thanks to the unlimited lives. Another great addition to the platform. Thanks IQ!

 

[NeoSeeD]

Out of curiosity, can the unlimited lives be turned off @iq_132 ? I changed the dips from unlimited continues down to 4 but could not get the game to stop giving me lives.

 

[iq_132]

Out of curiosity, can the unlimited lives be turned off @iq_132 ? I changed the dips from unlimited continues down to 4 but could not get the game to stop giving me lives.

You'll have to redownload the package and rebuild the ISO. I accidentally left the cheat enabled. Let me know if that doesn't work.

 

[NeoSeeD]

You'll have to redownload the package and rebuild the ISO. I accidentally left the cheat enabled. Let me know if that doesn't work.

Thanks. Will do. For a second, I thought I had gotten really good at the game.