The Black Screen Hoax (and Compat List Fixes)

[Low Lines]

I'm sure everyone gets really annoyed when they load up a game and all they get is a black screen. Well I have discovered that nearly half of those games do in fact work!!! You just got to know how.

Firstly, the major set-back (I believe) is with the intros, cos neither iDeaS nor DeSmuME can handle them. But the simplest way to get past this is to use the keys (ie A and Start button) cos in most cases, it will skip the intros (like on the original Nintendo DS) and go straight to the menus. Making games instantly a great deal more compatible.

Another note is that both emulators are a bit dodgy when it comes to loading up games. I highly recommend if you are trying out several games consecutively that you close the program and reopen it to ensure maximum working stability. Also some games tend to boot the intros every second attempt (such as Asphalt Urban GT which is now Not Playable!!), so I recommend trying games several times in case this is the problem.

My final note is a common bug found in both emulators where the screens tend to flip back and forth (ie top becomes bottom and bottom becomes top). And for some reason, pressing the keys tends to fix this error (though only in iDeaS). I hope the authors get to read this note cos I believe it is very important, especially since only one screen is a touchscreen.

I've been personally checking through games tested on iDeaS 1.0.0.6 (though most will work the same on 1.0.0.7) and I am happy to say I got some pretty good results which will be changed in the compat list.

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These were tested on iDeaS 1.0.0.6 (and they were double checked).

0012 - Asphalt Urban GT (U)
Original Status - Doesn't Work - black screen
New Status - Not Playable - intros & menus (nice video)

0013 - Yoshi Touch & Go (E)
Original Status - Not Playable - intos only
New Status - Doesn't Work - black screen

0016 - Meteos (J)
Original Status - Not Playable - touchscreen issues
New Status - Playable - minor graphics errors

0017 - Ridge Racer DS (U)
Original Status - Not Playable - intros & menus
New Status - Not Playable - requires save state

0033 - Kenshui Tendo Dokuta (J)
Original Status - Playable - no errors
New Status - Playable - minor graphic errors

0034 - Zoo Keeper (U)
Original Status - Not Playable - touchscreen issues
New Status - Ingame - graphic errors, touchscreen issues & hangs

0036 - Daigasso! Band Brothers (J)
Original Status - Not Playable - intros & menus
New Status - Ingame - graphic errors & touchscreen issues

0039 - Another Code - Futatsu no Kioku (J)
Original Status - Doesn't Work - black screen
New Status - Not Playable - layer transparency issues & hangs

0050 - Zoo Keeper (E)
Original Status - Not Playable - touchscreen issues
New Status - Ingame - graphic errors, touchscreen issues & hangs

0052 - Another Code - Two Memories (E)
Original Status - Doesn't Work - black screen
New Status - Not Playable - layer transparency issues & hangs

0053 - Devilish (J)
Original Status - Not Playable - intros & menus
New Status - Playable - minor graphic errors

0055 - Asphalt Urban GT (E)
Original Status - Doesn't Work - black screen
New Status - Not Playable - intros & menus (nice video)

0136 - Super Princess Peach (J)
Original Status - Doesn't Work - black screen
New Status - Ingame - screens need to be flipped

0177 - Sonic Rush (U)
Original Status - Doesn't Work - black screen
New Status - Not Playable - screens need to be flipped

0192 - Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon Ao no Kyuujotai (J)
Original Status - Doesn't Work - black screen
New Status - Doesn't Work - crashes

Demo - Advance Wars - Dual Strike Wireless Multiboot Demo (U)
Original Status - Ingame - major graphic errors
New Status - Not Playable - graphic errors & hangs in menu

Demo - DS Training For Adults - Work Your Brain (J)
Original Status - Not Playable - touchscreen issues
New Status - Not Playable - hangs in menu & touchscreen issues

Demo - Famicom Wars DS Wireless Multiboot Demo (J)
Original Status - Ingame - major graphic errors
New Status - Not Playable - graphic errors & hangs in menu


special notes:
[screens need to be flipped]
when the game is loaded up, the screens are incorrectly swapped around, this can be fixed via pressing the controls.

[layer transparency issues]
iDeaS is still in its early stages and some effects aren't correctly displayed. Specifically with the Another Code games, it appears to fade in and fade out several times which I think suggest is a separate layer placed over the top of any intros (I could be wrong) and because the transparency hasn't been emulated, all you see is a screen that fades from black to white and white to black.

[requires save state]
The game will not advance because it requires a working save file for it. This can also be classed as a game error.

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If anyone can't work out how I got these results (and you have carefully read the intro to this thread) You can ask me. I only have the first 60 games consecutively, so that is where I am currently up to. I will post any new test fixes here and anyone else is welcome to as well if they find any.
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Oh and with Asphalt Urban GT, if you go to the select car menu, the cars (which are in 3D) display rather well, which is impressive for a VERY primitive 3D plugin. Great work Lino!!

 

[DeathRain99]

Wowzers. These black screens are haunting, but I'm glad we've found ways to get past some of them/all of them so far. This is great, but I'm a bit confused with this.

Is it going under compat. as what this trick does? Should I be retesting what I've alreayd tested for 1.0.0.7?

PS - Yaey, 3D!

 

[spotanjo3]

Remember, he said it is a black screen hoax and compat list fixed..I do not consider it a great things..stick with true 1.0.0.7 and future version anyway.

 

[Low Lines]

What I meant by it was that we think games don't work because all we see is a black screen, when in fact the game is running to some extent. As I said, emulators are still in early stages so many effects that seem to be used in intros don't display properly.
I'll also point out that none of these tested were hacked or fixed in any way, and I'm sure the thing with Super Princess Peach and Sonic is just that when you press the keys, the game skips to the menus just like any NDS Console.
DeathRain99, don't bother redoing games cos that would be wasting your time. All I'm doing is checking the results people post here in this forum and make my own analasis if needed. Alot of those games listed there were just not tested as throughly as they should have been. Just keep my notes in mind for future reference...

 

[diablow]

I think theese games need to be marked with * or something in compatibility list, and in tiny letters below you could write: * - needs a little effort to get something else than black screen

By the way, there's a way in DesMuMe to see if emulator is doing something or is stuck - use debugger.

 

[Low Lines]

Doesn't going through games and checking them use some effort, besides, I don't see how pressing START and the A button or just waiting a little longer for games to load is any different to what already should happen. After all, games are only being tested under compatibility and stability. And most (or all) of the changes I have made won't/don't make games any more perfect, I mean some only get to the menus and that's it. So I doubt it should matter because few games become Playable by just putting a little effort into getting them to run.
But I'll make up some sort of glossary to describe emulation status with as much detail as I can.

Wouldn't it be a little bit more harder if you used the debugger the evaluate the status of a game being emulated?? I don't often dwell in them, mainly because I tend to not understand them anyway.