Xeno Crisis coming to Neo Geo

[TMOSteel]

They put an update on Twitter. Apparently there's still an Omega-specific issue to work out? Not MV-1C-specific?

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1464727760363036676

I asked them to clarify what that was since my Omega is my main MVS system at this time:

 

[bubba966]

Oof, yeah my 2 MVS systems are Omega's as well. Not recalling specifically what's changed on it vs a regular MV1C right meow (I'm half asleep).

 

[TMOSteel]

Oof, yeah my 2 MVS systems are Omega's as well. Not recalling specifically what's changed on it vs a regular MV1C right meow (I'm half asleep).

Other than the audio being tapped from the MB for Stereo, I cant think of anything. When they say "it works perfectly on the two MV1C boards that we have" I wonder if those are tapped for stereo as well. But to be honest they didnt respond to what exactly they mean by an Omega issue...

 

[bubba966]

Other than the audio being tapped from the MB for Stereo, I cant think of anything. When they say "it works perfectly on the two MV1C boards that we have" I wonder if those are tapped for stereo as well. But to be honest they didnt respond to what exactly they mean by an Omega issue...

Well considering the audio issue w/xeno it's probably that. No idea if the neobiosmata install would effect xeno in any manner

 

[Neo Alec]

Yeah, I can't understand what else they would be talking about here. Sounds more like a MV-1C stereo issue. I thought that the rom update already solved it, but if not, that's not great news.

 

[PGorath]

They put an update on Twitter. Apparently there's still an Omega-specific issue to work out? Not MV-1C-specific?

Considering there are problems with 4 slot boards, I should certainly hope they're working on not mv-1c-specific issues.

 

[ysselcneogeo]

Could I get a no BS assessment from you guys - is this game worth playing on the Neo?
For reference, I played the DC version and liked it a lot.

If you own any version of the game there is no other point to own any other version. There is not enough differences or special features to make any one version stand out over another.

 

[420neogeo]

To access the cheat menu on an AES, put the curser on options at the main menu screen, hold left on the joystick and then press all four buttons at the same time while continuing to hold left.

 

[GadgetUK]

December update - https://www.kickstarter.com/project...ame-for-the-sega-genesis-mega-d/posts/3381330

CPLD for the Prog PCB has been made public now. ROM due soon. MV1C issue worked out too - Matt worked out it was a problem with the YSA2, an undocumented bug...

 

[Neo Alec]

Wow, a 25 year-old bug. That's quite the find. If the left channel is ADPCM-A and the right channel is ADPCM-B, I'm curious what the fix is. How will it work on the MV-1C and all other boards with the same fix?

Now I'm curious what other ADPCM-B effects effects use stereo in old games. I always thought most in-game voices used ADPCM-A.

 

[Radiantgun]

If you own any version of the game there is no other point to own any other version. There is not enough differences or special features to make any one version stand out over another.

What he said...for the price you're better off playing the dc version and saving yourself a few hundred quid. Definitely not enough differences and control is worse imo.

 

[420neogeo]

let's not be too negative about the game guys. I am thoroughly enjoying my AES copy. We want developers to keep producing games for the system.

 

[PGorath]

So we're still waiting to hear where USA buyers should send their mvs cart for repair?

 

[Grendell]

Nice got my Download link for the Neo geo Rom of this game.....

 

[bubba966]

Yeah, i just got the d/l link email as well...

 

[traveno]

Bitmap sent me a new cardboard MVS box with my softbox and art set. Their communication was very good. Everything is in excellent condition now and I'm pretty happy. Now I'm just waiting for the ROM fix.

 

[PGorath]

Bitmap sent me a new cardboard MVS box with my softbox and art set. Their communication was very good. Everything is in excellent condition now and I'm pretty happy. Now I'm just waiting for the ROM fix.

I was a little disappointed in the quality of the mini marquee. Not as good quality as even the ebay repro ones, and printed out way too light.

 

[NeoCverA]

 

[Neo Alec]

Well, I just got around to trying the rom version on the NeoSD, and something is VERY wrong with the music. It's mono! Not sure if the sampling rate is worse, but it really seems to sound bad compared to the original cart with the Unibios patch turned on.

@GadgetUK Do you know if this was the intended fix? How should I get in touch with BB other than tweeting publicly?

 

[pva]

Well, I just got around to trying the rom version on the NeoSD, and something is VERY wrong with the music. It's mono! Not sure if the sampling rate is worse, but it really seems to sound bad compared to the original cart with the Unibios patch turned on.

@GadgetUK Do you know if this was the intended fix? How should I get in touch with BB other than tweeting publicly?

From the README:

Please note that currently the MisterFPGA romset is the only one capable of replicating the full stereo output for music, using the original 32MB VROM that comes with the hardware release of Xeno Crisis. The others use a more standard 16MB VROM which plays mono music in over both L+R channels.

 

[Neo Alec]

Thanks for that @pva . So I guess I'm pretty confused what the intention was here, and what we should do. If we send in our carts are we going to get the V rom update? On their site update they wrote that carts will get "a small update to the P ROM and M ROM" I don't really want to send it in without clarification.

So is the issue, as I expected, that there's no way to have the correct stereo sound on the MV-1C and have the same cart work on other boards, due to the hardware bug? So they opted for mono instead?

Or is it because the cart contains hardware that makes the stereo sound possible?

I wrote them a tweet for clarification.

 

[Neo Alec]

Bitmap Bureau did reply and seemed to confirm that the fixed carts will have stereo sound, unlike the rom release.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1473061819929567239

 

[Johnny16Bit]

Make no confusion between "no stereo" and "no stereo music".
Unless they pulled a special trick, you can't have stereo sound on the music, as it's basically got to be a mono track played through a single adpcm channel. But you can have stereo with the sound effects. So you should be looking for "general stereo", not for 'stereo music'. It's got nothing to do with the rom size, imo.

NeoSD doesn't handle 32mb audio vrom, you can only have it through a "real" cart or the mister ROM. So my guess is the 16mb rom designed for the neoSD is indeed downgraded audio (lower sampling rate).

 

[Neo Alec]

Make no confusion between "no stereo" and "no stereo music".
Unless they pulled a special trick, you can't have stereo sound on the music, as it's basically got to be a mono track played through a single adpcm channel. But you can have stereo with the sound effects. So you should be looking for "general stereo", not for 'stereo music'. It's got nothing to do with the rom size, imo.

NeoSD doesn't handle 32mb audio vrom, you can only have it through a "real" cart or the mister ROM. So my guess is the 16mb rom designed for the neoSD is indeed downgraded audio (lower sampling rate).

They did do a trick, and the music is indeed in stereo. NGDevTeam's games after the first Last Hope have stereo music as well.

According to BB's blog they use ADPCM A for one channel and ADPCM B for the other. Apparently it only works with the real cartridge, so the rom version is mono.

 

[Johnny16Bit]

Oh ok, cheers for the info Neo Alec