IMBerzerk

Anyone have a solution to replacing all intro and exit screens for WinXP? I'd like it to just be a black screen into GameEx startup from the BIOS checks. Thanks, IMB

Wow! Thanks Tom! I really appreciate this! Kudos to Celly and Draco as well. A great way to start the new year. IMB

Draco, Great question. I don't know the answer, but if you check the CC64 website, it might have some specs listed as to what it supports. I just know from using it 10 years now that it's always been a very good rendition with color, sound and video of the C64. IMB

I find CCS64 to be the best C64 emulator out there. It allows for easy keyboard to joystick mapping, and you can also map each C64 to specific buttons. Some suggestions as you WILL need these buttons... 1. F1-F7 need to be mapped 2. Remapping the Ctrl/Break key to something other than <esc>. 3. <spacebar> is optional, but might be needed. 4. If you use CCS64, or even WinVice you will need to map your F9 and F10 keys as well. Read this http://www.gameex.info/forums/index.php?showtopic=3&st=20 Greatflash really nailed the GameEx/CCS64 setup and makes it a world easier. It is a little tricky at first, but once you get it setup with his files, it works great! IMB

It's not GameEx, it's your setup. Make sure MS Media Player has the library updated. I don't even use a playlist anymore, everytime I add a song, I refresh the library. Post your config file as well. IMB

Database Flood... new and updates. OK, here are the latest revisions of some present databases and a few new 'old skool' ones as well. Bare (or 'bear') in mind that this WILL effect your games and how they are displayed. I've been able to link many titles in the various databases, but most likely, unless you view the databases and check your ROM/artwork file names, you won't see the changes, and some will loose their info as well. Before installing, make back-ups of your present databases so you can always fall back in case you are not happy with the results. Please don't hold me responsible if your PC blow-up, just fall back to what you had prior. Here are some examples of what has changed: 1. Spy vs. Spy was changed to Spy vs Spy in all listed databases, and will be the same throughout as it allows the C64, GameBoy Color, SMS versions to link 2. Ghosts'n Goblins which is often listed as Ghosts 'N Goblins, or Ghosts N' Goblins which is wrong. It's now Ghosts'n Goblins, which will link the several versions. Same for Q-Bert, Pac-Man .. etc. 3. Some game names were changed so that they would link to their MAME counterparts. Games like Elevator Action in the GBC database were listed as Elevator Action GB... the 'GB' was dropped from the nameset so that it will link with the MAME and other console versions. 4. Many games that had an 'II' instead of a numeric '2' in the title were changed to the '2' as they show in the title screen and box/cart artwork. I've tested these on my set, however, again, you're going to have to do some more work to get it straight on your set. If you want GameEx to link and show all the variations, it's a lot of work, but I've done the hard part for you. Unfortunately, because several folks have created the many databases in GameEx, using Good Names, No-Intro or TOSEC, there are different combinations of the same name in different databases. Most, but not all of the below databases have changes to the 'No-Intro' and or 'Good Name' lists. Also, punctuation effects the name, if a comma is in different spots... it won't link. I sorted as many issues as I could find as well. Maybe some day I can go through more, but after the Genesis (over 900+), and Game Boy Advance (over 600+) ... I don't know... Anyway... here they are... I will be posting updates from this thread, so come back now and then and check. Present WIP is the Game Boy database. The one listed has been cleaned up a little, in the No-Into list. All Databases created using MS Access. All the best, IMB ------------------------------------------------------- Updates : 07 Jan 11 - Added Epoch Super Cassette Vision 13 Jan 11 - Updated Nintendo GameBoy - added 74 new games, corrected naming 18 Jan 11 - Large update to Sega Genesis DB. Added over 100 games and corrected many games listed as 'beta' 24 Jan 11 - Updated Atari Jaguar - Corrected/added many names to Good and NoIntro. Console Bally Astrocade.zip Console Emerson Arcadia 2001.zip Console GCE Vectrex.zip Console Interton VC 4000.zip Console Magnavox Odyssey 2.zip Console Sega Master System.zip Handheld Nintendo Game Boy Color.zip PC Commodore 64.zip Console Epoch Super Cassette Vision.zip Handheld Nintendo Game Boy.zip Console Sega Genesis.zip Console Atari Jaguar.zip

Well... since it's cold as hell outside, and I can't strip the paint off my '66 Nova Wagon anymore... I decided it would be a good time to FINALLY tackle all those old skool game lists and databases. I've since either created or completed as much information as I could in each of the following databases: Emmerson Arcadia 2001 Bally Astrocade GCE Vectrex Interton VC4000 Magnavox Odessey 2 Sega Master System Nintendo Gameboy Color Each of them have either a few or over 100 games added, with descriptions, and other info. They use mostly Good Name, or No-Intro, but again, check what you have against the lists. The hardest was Vectrex as for whatever reason, renaming the overlay artwork with extra characters with brakets seemed to kill off the overlays in MESS. Some still need work, and others you can call complete as I tried to look everywhere for info. These are not the end-all, there were still other games to be added, but most of what I added would be what you would like to have displaying... ie... no little kiddie games, or 5 versions of each game. Consider these to be more consolidated for the user that wants the 'bread and butter' lists. Hey... that's a cool nick-name for these... I will be posting these in the Database update thread for all to download shortly. All the best, IMB

Because of GameEx, my main cabinet (BerZerk) has become a living game museum of sorts, while the others are just MAMEed.

Done! It was a pleasure.. well.... a nightmare, but a pleasure doing it for GameEx. GF was right about the C64 list.. it's gotta be the biggest next to MAME. All the best, IMB

Commodore 64 Database update: Using Great Flash's original work to build on, I added in as many Good and NoIntro names as I could find. It is not the complete definitive game database, but it will cover many of the more notable and popular games we all remember from back in the 80's. I will try to keep updating it as time goes on, and if I find a good Tosec list to build from, I will add them as well. But for now, this should be a very comprehensive start at 2179 games listed. All the best, IMBerZerk [attachment deleted] - Database has been updated since posting, use from list below.

Using GreatFlash's C64 database, I've added 100 or so more games and filled in many of the Good and NoIntro names slot to help them 'light-up' with info and be active in other systems game lists. I have no Tosec names in there as of yet as I don't have any lists for them. It's still not 100% complete as many of the games I added I have not yet added in the publisher/developer info, but the descriptions are there if there was one available. I can post it here, or simply submit it as part of the next database updates. Let me know what's best and I'll do it that way. All the best, IMBerzerk

Hiya GF, Good to see you again. I've been out of touch for a while, but it's my routine when it gets cold out here in NY to hibernate into my cabinets again. I like the new theme and thanks for posting it. I think I'm going to work with it and make my own set as well... Talk to you soon, All the best, IMB.

Yes, you can. What Hunk is referring to is possible to do. BUT... might be easier to leave it alone. Look at that drawing, you need to find which pins that connector engages on that panel, and match them to the ports on the ribbon. You can do this with the conductive setting on a voltmeter (the setting that beeps when you touch the leads together). Follow the wires down the ribbon to the switch, stick the leads in the connector and press the button, when it beeps you know you have them, then match the posts on that board. Most of the wires on that ribbon are probably LED's anyway, so once you find the right ones, you can most likely toss that ribbon aside and not use it. Now if you have an old pc laying around, snip the leads off the power switch, go to Radio Shack, buy a single push, single throw switch (or you can use an arcade button), and solder the wires to it... it should do the trick for you. It can be a frustrating process, but I've done it more than once, and it always worked out OK. Good luck. IMB PS... or you can mount the PC directly in front of the coin door, and reach your hand in to turn it off/on.

Draco, drop back to the original 140 version, recompile with the hi_diff and see if you get the same error. Chances are updating to the u2 patch created compatibility issues with your rom set. Everytime there is a xxxux update, the core of the roms change, because they might have changed a driver ... not all of the roms change, it depends on what was done in the update. You might have to find the newest roms or update your set with the latest dat file and clrmamepro. Personally, I find it's simply not worth updating Mame until I read something has changed in the 'whatsnew' file that effect some of my games in a real positive way. Somtimes I update, and the update makes the games worse.. like Stratovox... the digital voice has been screwed for 2+ versions now. I hope that helps a little... IMB

You also need 'highscore.dat' in the main MAME (mameui) folder. Also... and often forgotten... create an nvram folder in the main root of mame, and pull down the core of the nvarm files from here. That folder is very important to saving the high scores for some games, it allows the game to auto create the nvram if it uses one. Nvram is what some of the original cabinets used back in the day to store the high scores once it was shutdown for the night. Keep in mind that MAME emulates the action of the original cabinet, so if the nvram file is not there, and it requires one, it will never save the high scores. On a side note... always save those two folders (hi and nvram) to a back-up drive. As you update MAME, you can carry them forward, literally archiving your best hi scores for YEARS... I know this because I've been doing it with my Berzerk cabinet for 10 years now. It makes for great conversation for friends that still see their best scores on display so many years later. All the best, IMB

What I am doing is deleting the games in the main list, going back into the Advanced set up, copying the list from that section of the configuration tool, then pasting it into a text file so I always have it and can toss it back in if I loose the settings. The list is getting very large now, but as long as I have it saved, it's no problem for the future. I can then transfer that same info on to my other cabinets without worrying about it anymore. It has to be done, yesterday I was going through it and decided to play what looked like an innocent Poker game called Championship Poker. Cool game, setup easy... first hand I won it showed me a pretty good Anime cartoon pic of a scantly dressed blonde girl with her a$$ pointed at me... it asked 'high or low'.. I picked 'high' and off went whatever was left of what she was wearing... WTF?!?! I mean, I liked it... but jeeze!!! Ah.... the joy of having children... more worries... more work. IMB

I've been tweaking the 'Black Glass' theme to fit my screen as precise as possible. It's a really nice looking, sleek theme that works well with my Berzerk cabinet, but I have one issue that I can't find the settings for. The scrolling song title routine. Where can I edit that and make it smaller as to not over-run the playback controls as it presently looks. I looked under the objects list, and opened the task bar, the buttons... etc.. but I don't see where that setting is? I need to make it smaller horizontally, and change the font to a smoother, thinner font. Thanks for any help in advance. IMB PS... I think it's 4 years I've owned GameEx and I love it still. It really makes owning a cabinet a blast... let alone that I own 3 all with GameEx running on them...

Well, I'm finding out by going through the games one at time that it's not as thorough as I'd like it to be. My settings are Clones, Filter on, No brackets, No Adult games, No Mahjong... for starters. I'll try and get you that ini tomorrow. But truthfully, because my kid, her friends and my nieces and nephews all use my cabinets often, I am doing it all manually to make sure nothing is missed. I can't take any chances with the young kids and these filters. All the best, IMB

Yes. It's all working now... it doesn't fileter every game, but it gets the bulk of them. I intend to manually filter all the crap stuff out myself anyway. But try what I did... I gave up and figured what the hell, and it worked. Again, I don't know why my install was flogged, but it certainly was. All the best, IMB

Well, I found the problem. As I was going through my list of games, I noticed a lot more were missing that just Jungle Hunt/King. Spent a while playing around with the filters again to no avail, then I tossed in the towel and upgraded to the latest GameEx version. Not that this solved the problem, but however GameEx creates the list and uses the filters was flogged on my running setup, so installing new, to a new directory just allowed me to ignor the problem. Maybe over-writing the installs so many times did something, who knows because other than upgrading now and then both MAME, MESS and GameEx, I really don't mess around with my settings/cabinets. Thankfully it's fixed, but why it happened and that I could not correct it without updating GameEx I don't know/understand. At any rate... I love the new version... lot's of new options to play with, especially the youtube link and the 3D Cabinet displays! Great stuff as always Tom. IMB

Tom, sorry to trouble you with this, but I've tried everything else, even advice from Frequency didn't cure the problem (thanks anyway Freq). In my previous thread I wrote about missing Jungle Hunt/King from my list. I pointed out that it appears the only way to get this game to appear, is to turn-off bracketed text anmd refresh my list. Once I do that, eveything displays, but my list looks like crap and is loaded with games I don't want displayed. I added the 2 related Jungle games to the overide area in the Advanced Config, but when I turn off bracketed text, I still loose them. All other filters are off, and I am even allowing clones just to try and force the issue. So it's down to that. I don't know what other games are effected, seems my other Taito games from the same era all display OK. But for whatever reason, I loose the Jungle games as soon as I turn-off bracketed text. On my original thread, Adultrey suggested that there is a known problem with some filters, which would be fine as long as the user could ultimately overide the filtering. But it seems even that does not work. No matter what I do, I can't get the Jungle games to display on a 'clean' list with no brackets or clones. Is it something I am doing wrong, or is there more to this than I can correct. It's a classic game I'd hate to not have playable. THanks IMB

Draco, IIRC, those nvram files are important to games that actually had ROM chips in them to save the high-scores. The MAME Devs are so devoted to making MAME as close to the original game function that they do not allow games to save high-scores unless they have the NVRAM or you recompile with the high-score.diff. Back in the 80s, most cabinets lost the scores and reset all back to default once you shut them for the night. The NVRAM file is how the base MAME build saves the high score IF the game was capable of saving the scores. But once patched, it creates the hi score files. I forget which version this started with, but it racked everyone that used older versions of MAME. Users were posting like mad flagging MAME as broken etc. Or something like that... IMBerzerk

Is Tom aware of this?

Yes, that's what I'm seeing. Either their all on, or when I enable the filter, it wipes many games out even if I have added them to the over-ride list What version of GameEx are you running? I'm somewhere in the 10's as I have not updated it since last year. IMB