Xeno Crisis coming to Neo Geo

TMOSteel

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My AES copy came today. Plugged in headphones to the unit and like everyone else music is 90% left side while other sounds are more evenly balanced.

Graphically, had a couple glitches where the game stuttered for half a second and then some of the sprites (character, dog tags, grenades, ammo) seemed a little screwed up—didn’t make things unplayable. I also kept running into bad contact errors in the Nest so maybe my cart slot just needs to be cleaned. I have another AES I’ll try playing some more on.

As for Neo Geo enhancements to the graphics, I saw the scaling pill on Game Over people have mentioned, and there are some alien crab and bat things that scale in from above the screen. Pretty infrequent though.

Otherwise, control is great and the game is as good as it was before. I like being able to save and resume from certain stages rather than starting from the beginning each time, which I don’t think was possible on Genesis. That and credit feed in MVS mode.

It’s too bad Bitmap Bureau didn’t send out some test copies or make it possible to update these carts like NG Dev does because imo this was only a few fixes away from being a top NG game and the best home brew/indie NG game. The packaging, instructions, label, bonus crap that came with the collectors edition are all on point.

Even with the issues, I’m probably going to play a lot of this…but it would be better if they could be fixed.

Some pictures of the AES cart and packaging:
The AES release seems very high quality, for their first Neo release that says a lot about them. This is my first physical purchase from them and I found the MVS LE to be very well done as well, although I still would have preferred the inclusion of a shockbox and insert. I know they said its going to be offered for sale eventually, I am just hoping this SNAFU with the sound doesn't delay it much more or derail it altogether.
 

Neo Alec

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Awesome work as always, GadgetUK! Thank you!

It would be nice if they figure out the sound issue for the rom release at least. That still obviously doesn't solve the problem for everyone who bought the cart but at least those of us with flash carts could load it up and play it without sound issues in the meantime.
 

GadgetUK

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Awesome work as always, GadgetUK! Thank you!

It would be nice if they figure out the sound issue for the rom release at least. That still obviously doesn't solve the problem for everyone who bought the cart but at least those of us with flash carts could load it up and play it without sound issues in the meantime.
There's a fix you can do if you have a unibios (obviously it needs applying each reboot) - but it puts the game music correctly in stereo! Uploading the short fix in a sec (thanks to BB for this fix!!!). A more long lasting fix is being worked out.
 

GadgetUK

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If you have a unibios, you can switch the banking to fix the sound issue =D Seems to work between soft reboots and resets, but needs re-applying each power cycle. A more long term fix will perma fix it soon. It's amazing how quickly Bitmap Bureau worked this fix out =D Mega thanks to them for sharing this!


In summary - go into UNIBIOS menu (I think just press start and select at same time).
Then select PATCH MEMORY
Change WR to 1
Change Memory to 0x200005
Then go over to Patch on the right until its highlighted. Press A, then C to exit. Should now have the game music in stereo.
From what I've been told it switches the banking correctly so the right channel comes back =D
 
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ggallegos1

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If you have a unibios, you can switch the banking to fix the sound issue =D Seems to work between soft reboots and resets, but needs re-applying each power cycle. A more long term fix will perma fix it soon. It's amazing how quickly Bitmap Bureau worked this fix out =D Mega thanks to them for sharing this!

That's amazing, great that they identified a quick fix that easily.

For those of you who don't feel like looking up YouTube every time, the patch code is below.

0X01 0X200005 patch
 

Neo Alec

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If you have a unibios, you can switch the banking to fix the sound issue =D Seems to work between soft reboots and resets, but needs re-applying each power cycle. A more long term fix will perma fix it soon. It's amazing how quickly Bitmap Bureau worked this fix out =D Mega thanks to them for sharing this!


In summary - go into UNIBIOS menu (I think just press start and select at same time).
Then select PATCH MEMORY
Change WR to 1
Change Memory to 0x200005
Then go over to Patch on the right until its highlighted. Press A, then C to exit. Should now have the game music in stereo.
From what I've been told it switches the banking correctly so the right channel comes back =D
Wow, so it was the banking! Guess it will be fine in the rom release.

Great news that Unibios users already have a fix, but really a shame that it shipped like this.

If Razoola were still updating the Unibios, he could probably add a cheat to make the fix even easier to enable.
 

smokey

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Super great that they got around fixing it so quickly. Does make you wonder did they flash the wrong version and didn't test out the carts after that?
Or did a hearing-impaired guy did the testing? Their main programmer did suffer some head trauma a year or so ago. Maybe his hearing isn't the best?
 

GadgetUK

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I think perhaps they tested them on a BVM - speakers are close together, easy to miss that issue.
 

Mr. Mort

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I can't seem to get the patch to work. Not sure if I'm doing something wrong?
Playing on an Omega, Unibios v3.3. Pressing A when "patch" is highlighted then pressing C has no effect.
Not sure if there's a Unibios setting or dip switch preventing this from working?
 
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Neo Alec

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Got mine today. I confirmed the patch works on my MV1FS and MV4F.

However, I'm experiencing the same problem that @Mr. Mort reported on my MV1C (the Omega uses an MV1C). Applying the patch doesn't seem to do anything. I wonder if that requires modification to the boards, or if there's a different fix.

By the way, I'm running Unibios 4 on all of them, except it v3.3 on the MV1C. So it could be a Unibios issue.

I have not experienced any of the graphics glitches that @GadgetUK reported on any of the three boards.
 
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Mr. Mort

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By the way, I'm running Unibios 4 on all of them, except it v3.3 on the MV1C. So it could be a Unibios issue.
The above video shows it working in Unibios v3.3, so I don't think that's the issue. I found someone else on Twitter with an Omega saying the patch doesn't work for them either. I'm thinking it's the board revision (MV1C) that isn't compatible with the patch. Isn't the Z80 incorporated with another chip on the MV1C? Maybe that's why the patch doesn't work?
 

Neo Alec

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Your're right; I confirmed. It's not a Unibios issue. I swapped the Unibios 4 into the MV1C and it didn't help. The problem seems to be the MV1C.
 

heihachi

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Tried patching my AES copy on consoles with unibios 3.3 and 4 installed, and it seems to have worked with both. I think they’re both rev 3-5 or 3-6 consoles. Can hear both left and right channels through headphones and they seem balanced. As of right now, with the patch fix, I think my AES copy seems all good. Will keep an eye out for other stuff that comes up.
 

NeoCverA

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Isn’t the MV1C a mono board but omega taps for stereo?

nobody mentioned it but the mv1c was tested in both AES and MVS modes with no success.
 

GadgetUK

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It could be due to the 1C being different regards both the Z80 and the YM2610 - they are internal to the large ASIC I think (almost system on a chip). I suspect the proper fix will work, but for some reason this quick fix doesn't (as it is). The 1C also lacks the SM1 ROM. I am sure they will test against the 1C today, maybe it needs a tweak (additional step or something) to get it working on the 1C.
 

GadgetUK

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I've heard from a couple of 1C owners that they do have stereo?!?! Is it something Omega related perhaps? It's possible (perhaps) that the bank switching on the fly is somehow not working with the YM2610 being "different" in that its part of a larger ASIC on the 1C. What I mean is, the proper fix (to CPLD) would likely work, but for some reason when its done "on the fly" it doesn't perhaps. BB are investigating the 1C issue!
 

Neo Alec

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Are they sure their MV1C's are connected for stereo? Stereo was optional on the DIY Omega kit.

Bitmap Bureau responded to me on Twitter and said they would test on their MV1C's.

The logic of the Z80 and YM2610 should be identical on an MV1C. There are other minor differences like the SM1 you mentioned. It will be interesting to know what's going on. If anyone happens to know what that address in memory belongs to, I suspect the hack is taking advantage of something that works a bit differently on the 1C and probably the 1B too.
 
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GadgetUK

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They've tested it on their 1C's and it works - perhaps some of these Omegas aren't proper stereo?
 
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