How do YOU make cheats work?

[Ummon]

Specifically, I'm wanting to see the kill screens for DK, Pac, and MsPac and don't know how to warp up there. As I didn't see this particular cheat in the list of mame .104 and the cheat engine appears to still be broken in current mame, I'm wondering, is there a particular version point that this is enabled for these? And can you give me the procedure for doing so?

[Ummon]

Okay, I found some instructions on the new cheat files and did as instructed. I went to the 'start level' cheat and it would only go to 98. I was able to pass the girders and rivets level and then it went back to girders and though the timer didn't run out, when I got to the middle of the second to last full girder, it made a sound like I'd fallen or hit something and I died. This happened twice in a row. Is this right?

[Ummon]

bump - no one familiar with this behavior on DK?  (I haven't tried the pacs yet.)

[payment_due]

You should probably do some research and check some faqs or wikis.

[ChadTower]

Oh snap, he got a "use the search n00b" from an actual n00b!

[Ummon]

You should probably do some research and check some faqs or wikis.

Dude, shut up. I've looked at the faq at Pugsy's and if it was there for these specific cheats in these specific games I didn't see it. I've also looked in the readme, etc. If you say it's in one of those, and your hand (or chad's) isn't in your pocket and working, I'll go look again.

[TheShanMan]

Oh snap, he got a "use the search n00b" from an actual n00b!

I don't think he was telling you to research the answer to the cheat question. I think he was referring to what happens on the kill screen. So you were pwned by a noob.

Yes, you just spontaneously die for no apparent reason. I've experienced it once by using the infinite lives cheat.

[Ummon]

Actually, Shan, I think he was, though I think pulling my chain was a greater part of it.

Anyways, recall above I said the timer didn't expire. In reading Don Hodges article on the DK kill screen, I was under the impression that the counter rapidly decreased such that one couldn't finish the game. In my case, I got to exactly the same place on the screen and then just died. Maybe my timing was close between runs? Also, I thought the kill screen was level 256. Maybe I'm off.

I tell ya one thing. After reading that article on Mitchell, I feel better about myself some in that he seriously studied the game and all to get there. He wasn't just some wiz-kid that sorta intuited everything through a hundred (or less) plays. I do find it interesting he's also the Pac/Mspac champ.

[TheShanMan]

That was the impression I had, but no, you just die for apparently no reason.

[scotthh]

I googled "donkey kong kill screen". The first two entries were:
1. Steve Wiebe reaching it: youtube.com/watch?v=ZPglteec8BA
2. Somebody doing it in MAME: youtube.com/watch?v=UmkhXdSC62w

According to Wikipedia the DK kill screen is the 22nd stage, the 117th screen. According to the Don Hodges page you need to "warp to level 22". It's odd in the MAME video that the counter isn't counting down and it isn't making the "almost out of time" sound. But the bonus starts at 100 in the video and you are dying because you run out of time according to what I've read.

[scotthh]

And someone appears to use MAME to get to the Pac Man screen as well: youtube.com/watch?v=JdctZpE-EJA&feature=related

[CrazyKongFan]

The DK kill screen isn't on level 256, but it does have something to do with that number. Visit this site:
http://www.jeffsromhack.com/products/donkeykong_tech.htm
and it'll tell you why you get the kill screen at level 22. Jeff is the guy who programmed D2K, so he's disassembled the DK code and probably can write it in his sleep
Yeah, the timer starts at 100, then jumps to 4000 and counts down to 3700. That's the 4 ticks off the timer that the formula explained on Jeff's page due to the 8 bit overflow. I'm not sure why the "almost out of time" sound doesn't play though. There's probably some formula in the game that decides to play that sound and the kill screen timer doesn't trigger it (that's my guess anyway). The timer is counting down in MAME, if you watch the video, it just stops at 3700 (which is the equivalent of 0 due to that overflow). Normally, when you hit 0, you have a few seconds before you actually die. I'm guessing it's the same amount of time after it hits 3700 on the kill screen than when it hits 0 on any other level.
Hopefully that made sense

[Ummon]

DK killscreen: In my case, the counter was at 7000 and I was near the top . Yeah. I'll have to go back and try it again. Maybe Mame isn't accurate, or perhaps the cheat engine is erring. Also still a question is that the engine goes up to level 98. (?)

And someone appears to use MAME to get to the Pac Man screen as well: youtube.com/watch?v=JdctZpE-EJA&feature=related

Yeah, of course. Don Hodges says he warped to each one via Mame. And he was using an older version. Essentially, I was asking to see what others' experiences were in getting there, and what versions of mame they were using. I should've asked those specifically.

[scotthh]

Maybe Mame isn't accurate, or perhaps the cheat engine is erring. Also still a question is that the engine goes up to level 98. (?)

The DK kill screen is the result of a math "error". I doubt when they designed the game they imagined someone could play for 5 hours on one quarter.  The game doesn't end, you just don't have enough time to finish the screen. If you warp beyond the kill screen level, you can continue to play.

Yeah, of course. Don Hodges says he warped to each one via Mame. And he was using an older version. Essentially, I was asking to see what others' experiences were in getting there, and what versions of mame they were using. I should've asked those specifically.

Oh, I thought you were trying to warp to 256, but should have been warping to 22.

[TheShanMan]

I doubt when they designed the game they imagined someone could play for 5 hours on one quarter.

Actually it takes about 2 hours to get to the kill screen, but I'm being nit-picky of course.

[scotthh]

I doubt when they designed the game they imagined someone could play for 5 hours on one quarter.

Actually it takes about 2 hours to get to the kill screen, but I'm being nit-picky of course.

I learned something today! 2 hours 39 minutes

[TheShanMan]

Yeah, of course it depends on strategy. Steve Wiebe's 947,000 game was right around 2 hours IIRC (I watched the video).

[loess]

i never tried to, and won't cheat forever

[Ummon]

Maybe Mame isn't accurate, or perhaps the cheat engine is erring. Also still a question is that the engine goes up to level 98. (?)

The DK kill screen is the result of a math "error". I doubt when they designed the game they imagined someone could play for 5 hours on one quarter.  The game doesn't end, you just don't have enough time to finish the screen. If you warp beyond the kill screen level, you can continue to play.

Yeah, of course. Don Hodges says he warped to each one via Mame. And he was using an older version. Essentially, I was asking to see what others' experiences were in getting there, and what versions of mame they were using. I should've asked those specifically.

Oh, I thought you were trying to warp to 256, but should have been warping to 22.

Well, there's '256 levels' to these games, and then in DK there are levels and boards; boards equal 'level' in this case. But still, that's what I'm saying, Mame's cheat engine goes up to 98 and this happens, but the time is longer.