64DD Cartridge Conversions Released

I think that both carts have their pros and cons...

for gamers:
64drive:
- nearly complete device that handles all kind of save-types and games
- better fragmentation handling, if you want to remove files from your sdcard
- agbd can dump game boy carts, rom and ram but not write
- 64dd conversion rom saving over usb and disk swapping
- nicer menu design
- gameshark support atm. only with n64hijack (https://github.com/jfktrey/n64hijack)

ed64v3:
(- Dezaemon 3D save support is coming with the next firmware)
- Ultracic: same cart works on PAL and NTSC consoles (has a universal case, too) (colorful playing without rgb mod? ^^)
- gameshark support
- ips patching (who uses that?)
- hardware rtc
- gameboy emulator (gnuboy 64) ( better use a more powerful console for emulation anyway )
- 64dd conversion roms, autosaving on sdcard (atm. only via alt64) (no disk swapping)
- can use Everdrive GB with transfer pak (edgb loader)
- libgbpak can dump/write game boy carts, ram and rom

for developers (who is programming for the n64 anyway? ^^):
64drive:
- usb support works without mips code and you could dump/write the savetypes, too.
- fat64 sources are available for sdcard/fs access
- good hardware documentation

ed64v3:
- it boots into the menu first and then you could quickload your homebrews via usb
- IO-LIB package with FAT library DMA-functions and usb example
- no hardware documentation
- alt64 menu is open source (as one big code example) (https://github.com/saturnu/alt64)

quality:
like Zoinkity said, the ed64 lacks of a reliable fragmentation handling, so you better don't delete anything and just overwrite the clusterchains
the pcb and parts are both ok, but you can find reports about broken devices on both support forums.
i just can't say what cart is of better quality, both carts are getting bugfixes over the time, no software is perfect. ^^

conclusion:
I think in the future, the 64drive is going to add gameshark support, too. Parasytes GameShark engine is opensource available in alt64.
There will be a point at which both carts are nearly identical. The realtime clock of the ed64 is only useful for one game and it's not so that
you couldn't set the time manually on the 64drive, so speaking about hardware this is no big drawback.

if someone is saying, that one cart is better than the other, than this is just a fanboy answer. ^^

maybe i would just buy a ed64v2.5, 'cause it's cheaper than the 64drive or ed64v3.
...but this cart has no dedicated sram for saving.

 

I'm having a bit of an issue with F-Zero XP. I can't get any custom machines/courses to save on the cart conversion. Is there a fix for this or is it a problem with the ROM itself?

I'm using Project 64-git 06/23/15

 

Saturnu's post should be a stick one here and in Krikks forum's.

 

Thanks for the details. Why would you need a V64jr when you have a flashcart like 64Drive anyway.
If I remember, Marshall wanted to release some extra features and improvements.

Ah yes I remember now what was a bit annoying to me. CIC is either NTSC or PAL. Can´t get an UltraCIC on 64Drive like I would on Everdrive 64 V3 (I wanna buy a preinstalled CIC since I don´t want to do this by myself). But does it mean that I can not run NTSC games in 60hz iif I buy a PAL CIC preinstalled version on my N64 PAL ?

Programming on N64 is one of my goals for this year (Basically I would like to develop a multiplatform action RPG on SNES, PSX, N64, Dreamcast and NDS using the official tools of each platform with graphic level adapted to each platform and using some unique features like SuperFX on SNES). I know it is quite ambitious but It is something I´m very excited to do. I will probably start in August beginning with N64. So it was to say that I would need a good and reliable device for development to replace my Partner-N64. I heard that i could actually convert a retail N64 into a Partner-N64 but I would also need the RGB mod to get a better display on my Full HD TV making the modifications more complicated I guess. The perfect setting would be retail N64 converted to Partner-N64 with RGB mod and a flashcart for dev and to play games plus the official SDK for development. I don´t know if this is actually possible (Wonder if converting my retail N64 to a Partner-N64 is so useful...)

The only point that makes me a bit worried with 64Drive is that the community is a lot smaller than Everdrive and might be not supported or updated at some time in the near future. I may be wrong but Everdrive is very known to be active and has a huge community.

 

You can't save. The contents disappears once you stop emulation. And that's normal because it's not implemented... and I honestly don't feel like doing it and prefer doing real 64DD emulation with saving support.

In my case, consider 64DD conversion support as something in the meantime real 64DD emulation is becoming a thing.

EDIT:
You may still dump Project64's memory and get back the ROM data as saving tampers with the ROM array itself.

 

LuigiBlood,
did you post a thread anywhere explaining in details how you managed to dump the retail 64DD games ? Did you use the dumper you wrote or some hardware or custom modification to figure out what to do to release a public dumper working on 64Drive ?
For Blue disks with proto or betas, I guess I would only need to use Partner-N64 + 64DD development unit using the Partner SDK functions to do that ? IPL ROM is included in the SDK if I remember correctly ? Am I right ? I saw you release a dumper working with retail or blue disks but can i use it on 64Drive plugged in a retail N64 (maybe need to be converted to a KMC N64) connected to 64DD devkit ? (Can we use a retail N64 with a 64DD devkit ?)

 

I see, well thanks anyway.

And about dumping project 64's memory, are you talking about save states? I've already tried and it sort of only half works. Only one course can be loaded at a time, all others get corrupted. Again, thanks anyway. I look forward to seeing actual 64DD emulation.

 

I did not dump anything myself. I just have a PAL N64 and nothing else. I don't even have a N64 flashcart. Too expensive for me.

I made the dumper on my own, which uses N64 SDK's libleo then hacked to unhide System Area (which Nintendo likes to hide). More hacks were also made to force 64DD recognition, mostly for development drives, so you can actually dump blue disks. The dumps of the retail games you are seeing online are from other people who were kind enough to let them be public, which I credited on the page from who they are from.

You just need to plug a 64DD development drive into your retail N64. No need to use a Partner-N64, just put that and a 64drive, run the dumper, and you're set to dump blue disks. Same way for grey disks. I made it easy on purpose.

I recently released the source code of my dumper, so people can modify it:
https://github.com/LuigiBlood/64dddump
However you really need to do the hacks described on HACKS.TXT after compiling. It's really important so you can make it work.

But you don't need the source, just downloading the binary is enough:
http://bsxproj.superfamicom.org/64dd/

I chose 64drive because it's much easier and more reliable to work with (and because marshallh was helping me), you can just directly dump the blocks into the SDRAM and then save the dump as a file on the SD/CF card.

If you find any good blue disk content... I would like to hear more about it, even via PMs.

I don't mean save states, I meant doing a memory dump via Task Manager. Then you have to search the ROM data.

 

Could you write a quick guide on how to do that? Specifically finding the ROM data and saving it to the ROM?

 

I have never done it myself to be honest. Just search for the first bytes of the ROM in the memory dump, then find the end of it and make a file out of it. That's how I would have done it.

 

Okay I've tried that about 6 times now and the ROM doesn't have anything saved on it. I think maybe you should try it and tell me what I'm doing wrong. I did it exactly how you told me.

 

Thank you for the great explanation.
I will keep you informed if I find some good contents on blue disks. Otherwise if you know a website listing and sharing prototypes and betas on 64DD I´m all ears (I can find a listing of known protos or betas but I can not find a website sharing them).
Last question, let´s say I wanna program a 64DD game which should be 64DD original structure and format by using the Partner-N64 software devkit (without the hardware part of the Partner-N64). If I upload the game to a 64Drive, is it supposed to work smoothly without any conversion or modification of the game itself ?

PS : Do you plan to release a writer ? (If this operation is possible from a 64Drive to a 64DD blue drive). I would love to see this feature implemented for game development (64DD RTC or mouse features by example might be usable thanks to this writer). Except if I can (allowed) use some 64DD features with a 64Drive containing the game rom, a retail N64 and a 64DD (retail or development kit) without any disk inserted.

 

My website can act as a list. I still should add Paint Studio, Doshin and Sim City 64 blue disks to it, as it's known to have been found on those M3 disks from back then. Supposedly preserved on ASSEMbler but I highly doubt if they got the System Area. I don't have the dumps though so I can't say.

EDIT: Added M3 disks to the list

I can't help you about programming a 64DD game. It's not my cup of tea. What I can tell you however, you can't just run a 64DD game on the 64drive. It needs to be converted, and that has to be manually done.

About a disk writer, I'm not sure about it. If I ever make one, expect me to only have it working on 64drive.
Someone asked me to make a disk writer for grey disks, but I'm rather reticent about it.

EDIT2: Feel free to PM me about any sort of thing about blue disks if you don't want information to be public yet. I'm always interested on blue disks, and I'll always personally help.

I don't think I'll be able to help much. Maybe it doesn't work. I don't know if it's worth it to add a ROM saving feature but I'll think about it.

 

Programming will be my problem, I will have to code then put the code on the 64Drive. For the conversion, I will probably need your help (if you have a tuto that could be very useful). To run the code, do I need a 64DD plugged to my retail N64 with 64Drive or not ?
Regarding the disk writer, It doesn´t really matter if you make it work only on 64Drive as I´m planning to buy one (I got convinced by Assemblergames members to choose it over the Everrive 64 V3). Everdrive users will have to hack your writer to make it work on Everdrive 64 (if you release the code).
A writer for grey disks... hummmmm I don´t know what to think about it. If you have followed my discussion about N64 development, I´m planning to create a multiplatform action RPG game and if everything goes as I wish it will I would like to release the game in the same form as Pier solar which has been sold to gamers with a real cartridge. So I would like to sell a N64 cartridge and one expansion pack on a 64DD disk. Now you understand that I will have to figure out how to build a physical grey disk and this writer could be useful to write the code on it. I´m probably the only guy on Earth who would like to play with 64DD programming I guess...

 

Sorry, but I'm not so much of a N64 hacker. Zoinkity's the one who knows the ins and outs. I don't have any tutorials to help.
I only host his conversions through a server that I don't even own.

About the disk writer for blue disks, I'm pretty sure it's possible to write just fine. For grey disks, if the 64DD doesn't lock me to do it, I can probably do it. But I'm not really interested about making one as of now.
Also, you have better luck with a N64 cartridge. 64DD disks will probably cost a lot to produce today, especially considering people who tried to produce floppy disks before had some money problems.

 

OK I will ask him how to proceed with the conversion (I will most likely need it only for development purpose considering the fact that I will use the 64Drive to test my code, then once I manage to make it work properly I will need the writer to write the final code of this expansion pack on a Blue or Grey disk). The purpose of this conversion is basically for me not to have to keep my Partner-N64 devkit to code a 64DD game. I will have to buy a 64DD retail or devkit expansion only and only once my code is ready (depends on the available writer, preferably grey if you manage to code one).
For the cost, you are right. I´m just expecting to produce a very limited amount of expansion disks (100 or 200 maybe). I could probably try to buy a lot of grey disks (the cheapest possible) to rewrite a new code on it thanks to a grey disk writer, then label them and sell them instead of producing my own disks. It is a long process and could last up to 2 years for me to produce something nice and playable.
Thanks for your time and your patience.

 

Pretty sure you'd have to reverse the microsequencer to figure out how to get it to rewrite gray disks--assuming retail drives even can. There are no "cheap" disks.

Except for Dezaemon the conversions are cutting out most of the leo library. That isn't exactly the best idea for testing new code. You'd be much better off using MESS, which not only emulates 64DD but also has a debugger.

If you have an actual Partner64 it's vastly superior to any other development solution. All that extra hardware isn't just there for show, and you can use pre-existing code to use its dev features. If you happen to have a development 64DD there are tools in the devkit for writing disks.

You're going to have to plan out ahead of time how you'll access the expansion on the disk and code in any disk access on the cart side of the expansion. You could use the "replacement" method Nintendo preferred, but then you'll effectively have a disk game that keeps the cart on the side for fast access of, say, sound or images and such. The IPL provides a basic sound font and some font samples of its own.

Real 64DD access is somewhat slow. The 8MB pak was there to give you a large buffer to load disk data into.

 

Thanks for the tip about MESS. I thought emulators were far from 100% compatible with advanced N64 code (The Marshall demo is actually not working on emulators if I remember correctly).
I have a Partner-N64 but I´m going to sell it on the forum since I need space and money, I can not keep everything (I will keep my dreamcast and PSX setups).
Am I not supposed to be able to write code with my second Partner-64 software development kit I have separately on the side anyway ? (I will release it on the forum pretty soon) Then launch and debug the Partner-N64 compatible game code on Mess possibly and use 64Drive to load the game on a retail N64 to see the result on the real hardware. I guess the Partner-N64 hardware is a lot better than emulator + 64Drive when it comes to fast development / testing and debugging but the code will be produced the same way. Wat do you think Zoinkity about such a setup for development ?

 

Marshallh's demo is designed not to work on emulators. That said, you can get it working by changing either 1 byte or skipping a test in Nemu. Another example of this is when you run the 64drive menu in an emulator. No emulator can pass that test, and if you look at it it's rather obvious why.

When you develop using a Partner and the official debug libs it will optionally hook the Partner64 with a trainer, very similar to the way a GameShark works. You have direct control over game code via PC, you should be able to test different degrees of read/write capability, and can use existing tools in the SDK to analyze and debug. Plus, since it works based on detecting the hardware even if you forget to excise the code it will run without complication on any cart (in read-only mode). It looks for both the Partner and KMC in the codebase, though the feature it makes available differ depending on which is found and how it is set up. The advantage here is all the fun work--interface + tools--is already done for you.

Incidentally, some retail games left in the Partner64 and KMC interface. Should you flash them onto the Partner you will have all the same debug capability the devs did without any actual effort. Doshin 2 comes to mind.

In other words, if you have an SDK + Partner64 + PC interface for it you have a really good dev platform and don't need anything else. If you intend to use homebrew stuff like libdragon, etc. it isn't going to be all that handy though.