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DKAFE - Donkey Kong Arcade Frontend (Windows and Raspberry Pi4)
ncflagg:
I see that rotating the frontend in Windows Vista+ is now available (thanks!), but rotating Windows XP is currently a no-go due to the Python issue you mentioned in Github. I wanted to see if I could get a couple of the rom hacks working manually and I am able to, but dkwolf only seems to work in GDI video mode and runs at about 75% speed. I tried an older (and more efficient version of MAME on my setup); DK Rainbow seems to work ok as do the other roms but features are missing (no lava in lava hack for example). I thought these were straight rom hacks but there appears to be some overlay component?
How do hacks like dklava and galakong work, in general?
If there is some overlay component involved, is there some way to call the game directly to an alternate emulator while skipping the frontend?
10yard:
--- Quote from: ncflagg on January 03, 2024, 07:30:37 pm ---How do hacks like dklava and galakong work, in general?
--- End quote ---
Several hacks (including dklavapanic and galakong) require a MAME plugin. That plugin can be found inside the dkafe\dkwolf\plugins folder. The plugin contains LUA scripting which adds features that cannot be implemented by a traditional Z80 rom hack. Most of my plugins are made compatible with MAME versions from 0.196 (when LUA was properly introduced). The current DKWolf runs on my own build of WolfMAME version 0.241.
My plugin scripts query the ram after each frame update to ascertain information such as Jumpman's X, Y position. I manipulate the ram to change behaviour during gameplay. I made a routine to draw additional pixel graphics on top of a frame.
--- Quote from: ncflagg on January 03, 2024, 07:30:37 pm ---If there is some overlay component involved, is there some way to call the game directly to an alternate emulator while skipping the frontend?
--- End quote ---
Yes, you will need to have the associated plugin installed.
You can get the rom hacks working on regular MAME (or WolfMAME).
Copy the associated plugin from the dkafe\dkwolf\plugins folder into your emulators plugin folder. Do not copy all of the plugin folders, as some come bundled with MAME and are specific to the version. Only copy the plugin(s) you need.
In MAME settings you can then enable or disable the plugin.
You can also launch from command line using the -plugin argument i.e.
--- Code: ---mame dkong -plugin dklavapanic
--- End code ---
For reference, this video review of my DKCoach plugin (by GenXGrownup) includes steps on how to install.
If you want to install all of my current plugins then you should copy these plugin folders.
allenkong
dkchorus
dkcoach
dkend (coming in version 0.55)
dklavapanic
dklevel22 (coming in version 0.55)
dkstart5
dkwho
galakong
gingerbreadkong
konkeydong
vectorkong
XP performance can be improved by dropping your screen resolution. I was able to drop my XP setup to 512 x 448px which is perfect for upscale of DK which uses 256 x 224 graphics.
ncflagg:
That was most helpful.
It may be another side effect of GDI mode, but Mame (dkwolf) was not defaulting to fullscreen and was running at 640x480. I was able to get dklavapanic working at full speed at a more appropriate resolution in WinXP like below.
run_dklavapanic.bat
--- Code: ---qres.exe -x 256 -y 240
cd \DKAFE\dkwolf\
dkwolf.exe -video gdi -ror -nounevenstretch -rompath C:\dkafe\roms dkong -plugin dklavapanic
qres.exe -x 640 -y 480
--- End code ---
EDIT: Some of the hacks still aren't very playable. allenkong and galakong (for example) stutter a bunch when the MP3s are played.
10yard:
--- Quote from: ncflagg on January 08, 2024, 11:12:41 pm ---That was most helpful.
It may be another side effect of GDI mode, but Mame (dkwolf) was not defaulting to fullscreen and was running at 640x480. I was able to get dklavapanic working at full speed at a more appropriate resolution in WinXP like below.
run_dklavapanic.bat
--- Code: ---qres.exe -x 256 -y 240
cd \DKAFE\dkwolf\
dkwolf.exe -video gdi -ror -nounevenstretch -rompath C:\dkafe\roms dkong -plugin dklavapanic
qres.exe -x 640 -y 480
--- End code ---
--- End quote ---
Great solution!
--- Quote ---EDIT: Some of the hacks still aren't very playable. allenkong and galakong (for example) stutter a bunch when the MP3s are played.
--- End quote ---
For galakong, i'll convert the .mp3 files to .wav on the XP release.
I'll probably drop XP support for allenkong.
ncflagg:
--- Quote ---For galakong, i'll convert the .mp3 files to .wav on the XP release.
I'll probably drop XP support for allenkong.
--- End quote ---
Instead of putting the extra work of converting to WAV (including the FE music) on you for the XP use-case, I'd be happy converting audio myself where needed. If it doesn't already, maybe just alter the behavior of the FE and MAME to first look for .MP3 and fall back to .WAV? That way, you don't have to increase the download size and I'll still have the option to fill up my mostly empty disk with giant WAVs to eke out some performance.
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