Donkey Kong: Walking Sound Hack?

[Robgus]

Just tried it out! It definitely sounds better. I checked an old MAME video on YouTube and indeed it sounds sequential. I think it's still a bit off from a real board, but it's a big improvement, thanks for making this happen!!

I totally agree, it sounds alot better, thank you so much

However, I get some weird issues. It doesn't work to reboot in to last core. And after reboot, it freezes with a stuck Jumpman and some numbers and letters are on the monitor... please see the attached photos.

With that said, I really hope that this improvement makes it in the "official" core.

All the best!

[pgimeno]

I haven't had a chance to try this yet, but can we get this into the main core if it is indeed better?

I've added the patch so that someone else can submit it, because I left GitHub when MS acquired it. Sorg or anyone else should know what to do with the patch, so someone needs to file an issue linking to the post with the zip.

However, I get some weird issues. It doesn't work to reboot in to last core. And after reboot, it freezes with a stuck Jumpman and some numbers and letters are on the monitor... please see the attached photos.

I can't reproduce it. When does this happen? Right away when starting a game? Are you saying that going back to the previous core does not fix it?

Does anyone else have the same problem?

[Robgus]

Brilliant!

Ok. When I first added the files as you described and booted up, it worked fine. It was when I restarted the mister (to see if it booted in to "your" core), where the issues appeared. At first the core didn't start at all. I rebooted again, in to the menu and chose the patched version and then I got the numbers and letters on the monitor. So it happened right away.

When I tried to start the previous original DK-mra, the walking sound was totally off.

So I opted to remove your patch and copy my original setup to the card - so basically back to the original DK.

[Aspie]

There is a .patch file, is this supposed to be added to folder too?

[pgimeno]

The .patch file is for submitting the changes to GitHub, it's not necessary to copy it to the MiSTer.

@Robgus I don't understand how that may be happening to you, sorry. My changes are quite aseptic and shouldn't affect anything but the wav output module. The only explanation is that there is some setting that I needed to set but failed to set before compiling the core, but I have no idea which. It apparently works for everyone else too.

[mhartman]

Just tried it out! It definitely sounds better. I checked an old MAME video on YouTube and indeed it sounds sequential. I think it's still a bit off from a real board, but it's a big improvement, thanks for making this happen!!

I totally agree, it sounds alot better, thank you so much

However, I get some weird issues. It doesn't work to reboot in to last core. And after reboot, it freezes with a stuck Jumpman and some numbers and letters are on the monitor... please see the attached photos.

With that said, I really hope that this improvement makes it in the "official" core.

All the best!

This isn’t related to the sound hack, it’s related to the high score save I believe. Mine does this and I haven’t loaded the sound hack yet. I think you have a corrupted nvram file. Delete the nvram file for DK and you should be back in business.

[Robgus]

Cheers! It started after I loaded the sound hack, so maybe I did something wrong... Where do I find the nvram file, and I can still have the highscore save on right?

@pgimeno No need to say sorry. I'm really happy that you took your time to look this over!

[neurorulez]

I haven't had a chance to try this yet, but can we get this into the main core if it is indeed better?

I've added the patch so that someone else can submit it, because I left GitHub when MS acquired it. Sorg or anyone else should know what to do with the patch, so someone needs to file an issue linking to the post with the zip.

However, I get some weird issues. It doesn't work to reboot in to last core. And after reboot, it freezes with a stuck Jumpman and some numbers and letters are on the monitor... please see the attached photos.

I can't reproduce it. When does this happen? Right away when starting a game? Are you saying that going back to the previous core does not fix it?

Does anyone else have the same problem?

I was added the patch to my personal repo, and when i tested it well, i will make a pull request in your name.
https://github.com/neurorulez/Arcade-DonkeyKong_MiSTer
Let's see if they accept the changes

[pgimeno]

Ohhh I just noticed, there's been one commit after the latest release, which fixes an issue with high score saving (this post gave me the hint). I was using current master, which included that commit. So yes, it's expectable that you need to delete the savefile (which you would need to do in the next update anyway). (Update, see my next post)

That explains the issue that @Robgus was having. If anyone else was saving high scores, the same applies. Thanks also to mhartman for pointing in the right direction.

[Robgus]

Ohhh I just noticed, there's been one commit after the latest release, which fixes an issue with high score saving (this post gave me the hint). I was using current master, which included that commit. So yes, it's expectable that you need to delete the savefile (which you would need to do in the next update anyway).

That explains the issue that @Robgus was having. If anyone else was saving high scores, the same applies. Thanks also to mhartman for pointing in the right direction.

Awesome!

Sorry to bother… where do I find the save file? And, I can still have the high score save on right?

Thanks!

[pgimeno]

Yes, you can keep the high score saving.

The high score file should be in /media/fat/config/nvram/ as seen from the MiSTer's Linux, or just /config/nvram/ relative to the SD root, depending on how you access the SD.

And I think I misunderstood the commit log, so my previous post is inaccurate. I hate merge commits >.< Apparently the fix is in the latest release, 211025, so most probably you (@Robgus) didn't update to the latest 211025 core which is why you didn't have the problem yet and only experienced it with my patched version, which includes that change.

[Robgus]

Yes, you can keep the high score saving.

The high score file should be in /media/fat/config/nvram/ as seen from the MiSTer's Linux, or just /config/nvram/ relative to the SD root, depending on how you access the SD.

And I think I misunderstood the commit log, so my previous post is inaccurate. I hate merge commits >.< Apparently the fix is in the latest release, 211025, so most probably you (@Robgus) didn't update to the latest 211025 core which is why you didn't have the problem yet and only experienced it with my patched version, which includes that change.

There must be something with my Mister setup... I get the same issues eventhough I deleted the save file (the weird numbers on the monitor and a frozen jumpman). I have the "DonkeyKong_20211025.rbf" by the way.

The autoload last core works though!

Guess I'll have to keep my fingers crossed that this makes it in the official core.

[neurorulez]

I've made this, which I don't know if it will help.

Includes patch in `git am` format. The .MRA changes are not in the patch though.

(Edit: new version fixes an inconsistency with tabs and spaces in the patch, but the core is unchanged)

Changes merged.
https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Arcade- ... 5681168336

[Robgus]

Brilliant, happy days!

I was thinking, could it be that I have a bad rom that's causing the issue?

[sardine]

I fired up my mister tonight and performed an update_all ,,,, and,,, Donkey Kong walk sound is wrong but another port of it is ok.

to me ( after also playing a few other games ) the games are running too fast ( since I perfo4md update_all , was ok previously ), could the game speed be slightly too fast its cutting off the walk sound too soon. its as if a PAL games is running on NTSC hardware as an example.

[pgimeno]

Changes merged.
https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Arcade- ... 5681168336

That's great! Thank you very much.

I want to clarify that I am NOT this guy: https://github.com/pgimeno - apparently my old username got taken by someone else.

[Robgus]

Am I the only one here?

I did a fresh install, ran update all and I still have the weird DK issue...

I deleted every cfg file and the nvram file. The only thing I did was change horizontal to vertical, save the config and did a reset - then the issues appeared again.

Why does saving settings in the DK menu cause this, I don't get it..?

(Edit. Highscore saving was off)

[netbeui]

I have a similar problem, the only difference is that I'm saving high scores. I ran update_all and noticed my Donkey Kong was all messed up. So I deleted the NVRAM file, played a full game and entered my high score and saved it. Played a game of Donkey Kong Jr (no issues on that core btw) and when I went back to Donkey Kong I see my recently entered high score at the top of the screen but it's not in the high score table and the attract mode screen has numbers/glitches on it. No biggie, just wanted to let you know I'm also experiencing issues.

[mhartman]

I was having the same issue, but before the walking sound hack. It’s something else. I guessed high score save but maybe something else.

[Robgus]

I was having the same issue, but before the walking sound hack. It’s something else. I guessed high score save but maybe something else.

Interesting. I had the latest, previous version and it worked flawlessly. Went back to it yesterday.

[thorr]

Just tried this and there is some garbled text at the bottom that when you walk over it, you fall through the floor and proceed to level 2. If you try it on level 2, you fall through the floor and to the top next to the girl and die.
The walking sound is missing samples (I only have one). I used the update_all script, and it appears it doesn't get everything that is needed.

[pgimeno]

Hm, the samples are in the MRA, maybe install it manually? It's here: https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Distrib ... t%201).mra

[thorr]

Hm, the samples are in the MRA, maybe install it manually? It's here: https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Distrib ... t%201).mra

Thanks for the help. This is pretty weird. The Donkey Kong I am selecting is called "Donkey Kong". However, I downloaded the above mra and overwrote a file called "Donkey Kong (US, Set 1).mra". The mra for "Donkey Kong" is dated 4/25/2021. When I select "Donkey Kong" it works but is screwed up as previously described and is missing samples. When I select "Donkey Kong (US, Set 1)" it says it can't find an rbf file for it. It seems like the update_all script isn't working correctly, at least in my case.

[Robgus]

I’ve tried both a manual install and a fresh install. I didn’t work for me in either case :/

[pgimeno]

@Robgus I'm sorry, I really have no idea what may be going on. I've had weird issues that no one else seemed to have with some cores too.

Is it possible that you have two DonkeyKong cores in the cores folder? In that case there's the possibility that the wrong one is being picked.

@thorr Yes, the `Donkey Kong.mra` file is outdated but the updater apparently does not remove old files. It is no longer in the MRA list: https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Distrib ... in/_Arcade. It seems to have been renamed to conform to MAME naming. I have no idea why the new MRA doesn't find the core though. I always do my updates by hand, so it's possible that the updater has issues, but without a proper diagnostic of what's going on, it's hard to tell.

[Robgus]

@Robgus I'm sorry, I really have no idea what may be going on. I've had weird issues that no one else seemed to have with some cores too.

Is it possible that you have two DonkeyKong cores in the cores folder? In that case there's the possibility that the wrong one is being picked.

No need to say sorry, I’m really happy you had a go at this to begin with!

That can’t be the case I believe. As I said, I got the glitches after fresh install also :/

[Zeosstud]

@Robgus I'm sorry, I really have no idea what may be going on. I've had weird issues that no one else seemed to have with some cores too.

Is it possible that you have two DonkeyKong cores in the cores folder? In that case there's the possibility that the wrong one is being picked.

No need to say sorry, I’m really happy you had a go at this to begin with!

That can’t be the case I believe. As I said, I got the glitches after fresh install also :/

I think I have the fix for this..
make sure you delete the current nvram file
then edit the .mra and at the bottom replace what is there under </rom>
with this..

</rom>
<rom index="2"></rom>
<rom index="3" md5="none">
<part>
00 00 00 00 00 FF 00 02 00 02 00 01 00 FF 02 00
00 00 61 00 00 AA 94 76
00 00 60 B8 00 03 50 00
00 00 76 41 00 01 00 00
00 00 76 21 00 01 00 00
00 00 76 01 00 01 07 07
00 00 75 E1 00 01 06 06
00 00 75 C1 00 01 05 05
00 00 75 A1 00 01 00 00
</part>
</rom>
<rom index="4"></rom>

<nvram index="4" size="179"></nvram>

<remark></remark>

<mratimestamp>20210430005030</mratimestamp>
</misterromdescription>

This fixed the issue for me, I could 100% recreate the issue your having where odd character come up and mario falls thru them, but only when you play the game a 2nd time after a save file was created.. This hack fixed it for me.. I DID not like magically come up with this, I am not a programmer at all, I just took the nvram part of an older .mra file that worked before and added replaced what was sent down from Update_All and got lucky, I hope you have similar results

-Zeosstud

[zakk4223]

It looks like the PR removed one line from the MRA that is part of the high score saving system, so it's probably saving and restoring to bunk addresses.
I don't know if it was removed by accident, but it needs to be there. Restoring it should fix things

[Zeosstud]

It did for me for sure.. my ears are not good enough to really appreciate the sound difference but when you mess with saving high scores, well that certainly gets my attention!! Hope this is sorted for everyone soon..

Zeosstud

[thorr]

Thanks everyone, you are all amazing. How do we get the update_all script to fix all this? I would rather have it automated than have a screwed up system by editing things. I am ok with deleting some files and having it re-download them if needed.