Jump to content

Smartphone Game Emulators for C550


Guest Parallax20

Recommended Posts

Guest Parallax20

Hi everybody,

I've been hunting on the net for good console emulators for the smartphone and came across PicoDrive and PocketSNES. Unfortunately neither of these emulators worked properly on my C550. So I decided to try and fix it so I could play my favourite games on my phone.

The biggest change is probably getting it to work at QVGA resolution, which was a definite improvement to the postage stamp size window. After much tinkering, I think I've reached a milestone and am happy to share it with the rest of the community.

Disclaimer: These programs have been tested on my C550. I hold no responsibility for any damage caused by running them on your own devices.

Credits:

Full credit should go to the following people for original conversion to smartphone. Please provide donations to the relevant developers for their efforts, so that more projects like these remain open source and free to everyone.

FileDialogSP.dll by STomski

PicoDrive (original source) by Dave @ finalburn.com

PocketSNES (original source) by SpaceMonkey

PocketGNUboy (original source) by ???

MameCE3 (original source) by Techmaster

PocketNester (original source) by Rick Lei

Fixes/Tweaks:

Update: Now works on all smartphones including QVGA screens

PicoDrive (Genesis) PicoDrive_QVGA_19_01_06.rar

-QVGA compatible in all screen modes. (Portrait/Landscape)

-Integrated FileDialogSP.dll by STomski for ROM file selection.

-Game save/restore options

-Added key configuration screen

-Portait mode now uses full width of QVGA screen

- No sound

PocketSNES (Super Nintendo) PocketSNES_QVGA_04_01_06.rar

- QVGA compatible in all screen modes. (Portrait/Landscape)

- CPU cycle adjustment to increase game speed (lower value equals faster emulation)

- Game save/restore options

- Integrated FileDialogSP.dll by STomski for ROM file selection.

- Fixed screen freeze on startup.

- I have provided two version of the app in this archive. Version 1.43 core app will have better compatibility but will only work on QVGA phones. If you have trouble running this please refer to 1.39 version.

- No sound

PocketGnuboy (Gameboy Color) PocketGnuboy_QVGA_08_01_06.rar

- QVGA compatible in all screen modes. (Portrait/Landscape)

- Integrated FileDialogSP.dll by STomski for ROM file selection.

- Game save/restore options

- Added Extended Config Key option to redefine directional and game keys

- Fixed low res screen position offset

- Enabled GAPI draw mode by default and disabled option in Preferences screen.

- Sound enabled

MameCE3 (M.A.M.E) MameCE3_QVGA_25_01_06.rar

- This is a fairly cut down version of the full Mame32. It supports 200+ games but can be enabled for more depending on hardware emulated.

- To "OK" the legal notice screen use LEFT->RIGHT directional keys

- Added key configuration screen

- Fix default mame key quirks

- Game screen now shrinks to display size. Some games may be difficult to view on low-res phones.

- Menu option to turn auto scaling on/off

- Improved screen scaling but still a bit slow.

- Use * and # to adjust frameskip rate.

- Added option to refresh game list

- Sound enabled - but nothing to get too excited about.

PocketNester (NES) PocketNester_QVGA_14_01_06.rar

- QVGA compatible in all screen modes. (Portrait/Landscape)

- Integrated FileDialogSP.dll by STomski for ROM file selection.

- Game save/restore options

- Added key configuration screen

- Extended Sound options

- Sound enabled

There have been changes to the HTC hardware to disallow volume/record/camera keys to be used as game buttons, please stick to the keypad when redefining your own to avoid problems.

I would appreciate some feedback on your experiences with these emus, whether good or bad.

Please send enhancement requests to the original developers as I have no plans for doing any more updates to these programs.

Enjoy!

Kien Phan (Parallax).

Edited by Parallax20
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Seraphic

You are the man! Well done :)

Can't wait for Landscape support (if it is possible). Picodrive runs nicely, PocketSNES struggles a bit but its a great effort to get it working on QVGA.

Edited by Seraphic
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Parallax20
You are the man! Well done :)

Can't wait for Landscape support (if it is possible). Picodrive runs nicely, PocketSNES struggles a bit but its a great effort to get it working on QVGA.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I found PocketSNES to be quite playable if you drop the CPU cycle to about 50 and put frameskip to 2. Tested it on MarioKart and it was great.

Landscape is possible, but I didn't like playing it in that mode when maxh2003 first released it for PicoDrive. I found the keys to be quite awkward to play side on, hence the exclusion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Seraphic

Thanks for the tip - indeed it plays quite nicely when you change the frameskip. Landscape is excellent when playing Sonic games on Picodrive - you can use the right softkey as jump and its really good, would it be possible to make a build with a working landscape mode? That'd be excellent :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Parallax20
Thanks for the tip - indeed it plays quite nicely when you change the frameskip. Landscape is excellent when playing Sonic games on Picodrive - you can use the right softkey as jump and its really good, would it be possible to make a build with a working landscape mode? That'd be excellent :)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

OK, my nature to please people has gotten the better of me and I've started work on the landscape modes for PocketSNES. If this works well, I will translate this over to PicoDrive.

Just to let you know, the OPTIONS key on my version of PicoDrive is actually the Application Exit key. So use this to cleanly close the application mid game. Your game state will be saved. I won't be writing an options page as there really aren't any options to change, apart from the landscape modes, but I will somehow hardcode this feature so you can change screen modes in game.

So keep an eye out for the next updates here!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Jamma14

Great work parallax! Cheers for this. ;)

Landscape for Picodrive would be sweet too!

O and I know you said no more requests but... :) could you include access to the original picodrive menu in the next release (rather than just quitting on a press of the options button). This was good because you could change the framerate and choose when to save/load etc??? :D

Thanks, James

Edited by Jamma14
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Parallax20

Hi guys,

OK new update.

PockSNES now has working landscape modes. I can also confirm that the CPU setting does indeed speed up the screen frame rate. I've only tried this on a couple of games and it works a treat. Depending on the type of game it may have an adverse effect, so use cautiously.

Let me know what you think!

Parallax

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Parallax20
Great work parallax! Cheers for this. ;)

Landscape for Picodrive would be sweet too!

O and I know you said no more requests but...  :)  could you include access to the original picodrive menu in the next release (rather than just quitting on a press of the options button). This was good because you could change the framerate and choose when to save/load etc???  :D

Thanks, James

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Jamma14 - the options screen you are refering to wasn't in the source that I downloaded from the finalburn.com website. I don't think Maxh2003 released that version of the code, hence its not in any of my builds. I'm not keen on adding extra screens and features, as these requests should go to the original developer(s). I try to fix what is there to make it work for QVGA smartphones and generally improve its usability. To be honest, PicoDrive runs pretty quick, so frameskiping isn't quite an issue. I can't remember any other options... Landscape mode is the only thing I can think of which might be of use.

Parallax

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Jamma14

Well I only really used the saving and loading features. The auto save/load at the moment is annoying if I muck up something, so I have to back up my saves. Any chance maybe to configure another few buttons for saving and loading?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Parallax20
Well I only really used the saving and loading features. The auto save/load at the moment is annoying if I muck up something, so I have to back up my saves. Any chance maybe to configure another few buttons for saving and loading?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

OK, here is the updated version of PicoDrive.

Volume Up - changes screen orientation and directional key remap whilst in game. (You guys were right, landscape does look much better! :))

Home Key - loads save state

Back Key - saves current state

Hopefully that should be the last of the changes....now go and play!

Again some feedback would be nice! :D

Parallax.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Parallax20
Mate you are a legend!! Cheers for this!! :)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A pleasure mate. I will modify PicoDrive again to auto save/restore your last screen orientation so you don't have to keep flipping the screen when you first start up a game. So keep a look out for the next update.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest trevdixon

WOW!!

Just tried both on them on my imate SP5 and they're fantastic!

Pocket snes is not quite full speed but still enjoyabley playable, but it cannot beat playin sonic in full landscape mode on picodrive :-), its sooo much better than portrait mode.

Jus wish i could use the camera,volume or comunications button on my phone as the jump button for playin sonic, think it would be easier to play, then both hands would be either side of the screen.

Got a 3 hour train journey on saturday, at least i'm not gonna be bored now!

cheers Parallax20

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, here is the updated version of PicoDrive. Attached File  PicoDrive_QVGA_01_12_05.rar ( 51.19k ) Number of downloads: 9

Volume Up - changes screen orientation and directional key remap whilst in game. (You guys were right, landscape does look much better! icon_smile.gif)

Home Key - loads save state

Back Key - saves current state

Hopefully that should be the last of the changes....now go and play!

Again some feedback would be nice! icon_smile.gif

Parallax.

Trully amazing in landscape mode. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Parallax20
Picodrive works a charm on the Wizard.

Not sure what the equivalents of home and back are for pocket snes :-/

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There is no equivalent in PocketSNES. The option was never available on that emulator. It only saves your game on termination and restores on startup of the app. If I have time I will add these extra functions into the emulator for convenience. So keep a look out for it here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Parallax20

PicoDrive update 04-12-2005.

OK guys, I think this will be my final release of PicoDrive.

New updates :

1. All new menus added to emulator. This can now be activated during game play.

2. PicoDrive KeySettings.exe is no longer required. I have coded new key config screens into the app itself, so please use it to reconfig key mappings.

3. I have moved ScreenMode, Game Load/Save, into the menu system, but have allowed key mappings to these options for direct access from within game.

4. Included options to load new rom/reset/resume without restarting emulator each time.

5. Please use the exit option to cleanly shutdown app.

OK, I think that about wraps it up for now. I'll continue to look at PocketSNES to see if I can re-code the menus to be more accessible like I have with PicoDrive.

Please continue with the feedbacks. The more I get, the more motivated I am in getting things done before boredom sets in and move onto something else.

Cheers,

Parallax

Edited by Parallax20
Link to comment
Share on other sites

PicoDrive update 04-12-2005. 

OK guys, I think this will be my final release of PicoDrive.

New updates :

1. All new menus added to emulator.  This can now be activated during game play.

2. PicoDrive KeySettings.exe is no longer required.  I have coded new key config screens into the app itself, so please use it to reconfig key mappings.

3. I have moved ScreenMode, Game Load/Save, into the menu system, but have allowed key mappings to these options for direct access from within game.

4. Included options to load new rom/reset/resume without restarting emulator each time.

5. Please use the exit option to cleanly shutdown app. 

OK, I think that about wraps it up for now.  I'll continue to look at PocketSNES to see if I can re-code the menus to be more accessible like I have with PicoDrive.

Please continue with the feedbacks.  The more I get, the more motivated I am in getting things done before boredom sets in and move onto something else.

Cheers,

Parallax

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

absolutely stormin mate i am just using the pico drive but it,s x-cellant , but any chance of using vollume keys & explorer keys for a b c.

MUST SAY AGAIN THOUGH THIS IS X-CELLANT MANY THANX

SNOMC

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest arman68
absolutely stormin mate i am just using the pico drive but it,s x-cellant , but any chance of using vollume keys & explorer keys for a b c.

I remember that's how I used picodrive on my old SPV E200, and that was a great key configuration for playing. With the C550 and this version, I found a b c can be mapped to those, but the other apps take over :-(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Jamma14

Ever since the e200, the hardware for the volume keys has been changed making it unusable in games. :)

EDIT: Parallax, saves are meant to be 136.8kb I think but sometimes your version (haven't tried latest but happened on previous so I assume still happens) creates bigger ones that seem not only to store the state of the game, but also the buttons that are pressed afterwards.

It seems to happen after saving and loading a lot, for example save sonic 2, go a bit further save again, go further til you die, reload, die again, load again and then it goes through the same process as before - going through the motions you did before you die (annoying). Saving it again as it does this stops the keys been virtually pressed like this.

I wouldn't mind that too much but a couple of my saves have become corrupted - a sonic 3 one of about 137.1kb which you load and it is just frozen, and a phantasy star online one which is a big bloated one, around 222kb which just makes the program quit when you load it. Anything you can do about this? Anyone else noticed it? I don't remember it happening on maxhs versions.

Posted below are a correct size, perfectly working sonic save, and the bloated phantasy star save. I've had a look in a hex editor for anything noticeably different but it's all random crap and I couldn't find anything. If you find a way of getting the ps save to load it would be good too as I hadn't backed it up for a while. :D

Anyways dude don't let that all get you down tis great work! Thanks a lot! :)

EDIT2: Would it be a lot of work to be able to get picodrive to accept megadrive games via the command line? If not, I think that would be a good idea, then you could use smart explorer to make .smds open with picodrive and put sonic2 eg in you start menu.

Feel free to shout me down if I'm pestering you too much for new features. :D

Jamma

EDIT3: (last one I promise ;) )Just tried the latest version and it autoloads your save, any chance you could make it so it doesn't again, or include an option? Coz i prefer it to do a normal boot up, for sonic etc.

Saves.rar

Edited by Jamma14
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.