High score woes. I'm dumb.

[katuuuz]

I can't get my hi scores to save, and I'm not too mame compile savvy... I've also been out of the mame game for a a few years. 

I'm running mame32v106 like i did back when I had my other machine, solely for the fact of saving hi-scores.  From what I've been reading anything after Mame v108 no longer has hi-score support.  What I've also found is that although my v106 has hi-score support, Donkey Kong in particular doesn't save hi scores probably because the original donkey kong game never did when powered off either. 

Now I'm in a debacle.  I saw the hi-score .diff file sticky thread on top, and the versions range from 108 - current.  I downloaded  mame0133u3 with the corrosponding hi-score file I found linked from the sticky, but I don't know how to run this version.  I launch mame and it tells me to set up the rom path in the .ini file, but the .ini file is only like 3 lines long and doesn't say anything about pathnames. 

I need someone to steer me in the direction of being able to save my dk hi-scores.  I wouldn't care that some games support hi-score saves, and some don't, but DK is a particular favorite of mine that my friends and I are always trying to top one another in. 

Hope someone can help.
Thank you.

[katuuuz]

Ok, I got it to work by downloading version 108 and the corresponding .diff file. 

Now when I boot up DK after setting a hi-score, it says "Save State Successfully Loaded" along the bottom.  Any way to get rid of that message?  Also, (I just plugged in my speakers) I just realized the jump and walking sounds aren't emulated.  Is this normal or is there a better version of the rom I can get to better emulate the sound?

thanks in advance.

[abispac]

Ok, I got it to work by downloading version 108 and the corresponding .diff file. 

Now when I boot up DK after setting a hi-score, it says "Save State Successfully Loaded" along the bottom.  Any way to get rid of that message?  Also, (I just plugged in my speakers) I just realized the jump and walking sounds aren't emulated.  Is this normal or is there a better version of the rom I can get to better emulate the sound?

thanks in advance.

"Save State Successfully Loaded" To fix that , you need to edit your mame.ini file to not save states.
and about your sounds, you need the smaples for dk game. download the correct samples, place them in your samples directory.

[WhereEaglesDare]

is there a reason you are using 108?

[katuuuz]

@ abispac:  if I tell mame not to save states, won't that defeat the whole purpose of the diff file?  i.e. won't save my high scores in games with no nvram chips?

@ eagles: i originally used v106 back in 2006 when i built my first machine.  so all my roms are v106 and i dont feel like upgrading my entire library.  i've "upgraded" to 108 because it was the first version with an available .diff file.  i'm in the process of trying to compile the latest version of mame with ui and the proper diff patches/updates/hiscore.dat files.  so far, no luck.  all for these f'ing hi scores.

[TOK]

I don't have a solution for you, but high scores are a huge thing for me too. My buddies and I have scores on my original MAME machine going back to 2004. It definitely keeps the games fun! I've stayed with an old version of MAME that supports hiscore.dat natively (.99) because I really don't need anything more, but I'm sure a day will come when I need to deal with this.

Good luck!

[katuuuz]

yeah, my friends and I have started duking it out trying to top each others hi scores lately.  DK especially.  If i'm not mistaken, your version shouldn't save DK hi scores after you exit out.  just started messing with DK and lost a 40,000 point score before I realized that it was one of the games that didn't support hi score saves; even on the original game board back in '81.  If it wasn't for that I would too still be using my 2006 mame version 106 because I never had the need to upgrade either.   

[TOK]

My cab definitely saves high scores on DK!

[katuuuz]

I've never used a MAME without the windows interface like MAME32 and MAMEPLUS have, until now.  I finally have a compiled version of MAME 0140u2 that saves my hi scores... in DK as well!  (Thanks to eagles on this forum). 

My only problem now is without that windows interface, I have no idea how to configure MAME.  As stated before, this will be a dedicated vertical game cabinet.  I see by pressing TAB in game... I.E. Donkey Kong, I have a video options choice that allows me to rotate the display 90 degrees how i want it.  I would like to think there is a way I can make the vertical display default for all my games wihtout doing them all one by one in game -- and have it save as default.  Also, upon hitting ESC, I'd like the program to quit out completely, not bring me back to my rom list. 

This fix will mark the end of my software end of this build.  Please help!

[WhereEaglesDare]

cant you use your windows video drivers to rotate the display?

[Gray_Area]

I've never used a MAME without the windows interface like MAME32 and MAMEPLUS have, until now.  I finally have a compiled version of MAME 0140u2 that saves my hi scores... in DK as well!  (Thanks to eagles on this forum).  

My only problem now is without that windows interface, I have no idea how to configure MAME.

You can have the MAMEUI exe in the folder, too, when you want to do 'maintenance'.

[katuuuz]

Ok, I just found out that my front end of choice, GameEx allows for auto ratation of vertical games, so this problem is solved.

But with every problem solved, a new one arises.  Eagles, I've implemented the compiled version of mame you directed me to, meaning I put the roms/flyers/marquee/etc folders and mame itself into a directory on C: named MAME.  I changed the paths in my front end, and repopulated the rom list.  Only now when I launch from GameEx, I get graphical jarble on the top and bottom of the screen (Pic attatched)

When I launch it straight from MAME, it is clear as crystal.  Any idea as to why?

[WhereEaglesDare]

No, I use GameEx too and no problems like that.  is it just that rom or every rom?  perhaps that rom is corrupted.

[katuuuz]

For some reason it didn't work.  I then went into the "hi" folder and deleted the dkong file.  upon doing so the game launched as it should.  i set a high score just to test if it would record it, and it did.  so we are in business, and thank you again Eaglesdare

[wol-nz]

Where are you getting the old source files - it seems MAME DEV have a 404 file not found error.

[WhereEaglesDare]

For some reason it didn't work.  I then went into the "hi" folder and deleted the dkong file.  upon doing so the game launched as it should.  i set a high score just to test if it would record it, and it did.  so we are in business, and thank you again Eaglesdare

Yea I leave my old dkong hi file in there for testing when loading a new MAME.  Sorry bout that.

[GoTheBunnies]

Ok, I just found out that my front end of choice, GameEx allows for auto ratation of vertical games, so this problem is solved.

Got some bad news for you - I use GameEx as well, but it doesn't do what you want it to do. All it will do is rotate games that it thinks should be vertical - great, until it comes to Player 2 - the screen wont flip.

After searching the forums for weeks, I had to change the cocktail dipswitch in each individual game - over 200 of them in total (used Romlister to identify them all). It's actually not as bad as it sounds - changing some of the switches doesn't actually do anything to the game, so it helps to test them individually. Happy to walk you through what I did and share the list of games with you if you like - just let me know.

[katuuuz]

Well luckily my set up is one player, 3 button for vert games only.  And it's a miniature upright so no need to rotate the screen anymore than 90*cc.  I will bookmark this post in case I need it in the future though.