Strange opcode problem

[aplsin]

So I have this strange problem with F-Zero X:
The game plays fine until I have cleared the first 3 Cups (Jack, Queen, King), when that is done and I'm about to go play the (unlocked?) Joker Cup I get an error after I have selected difficulty (just before the Cup-selection menu):
"Unhandled R4300i OpCode at: 80124000
Unknown 7C 7C 07 2C

Stoping Emulation !"

So I tried "everything"; resetting graphics plugin options, reinstalling PJ64 and reverting to default settings, nothing worked.
Until I got the idea to erase (well just rename acctually) the Save directory, and then it worked again, until I finished the first 3 Cups again, then I get the same error again.

So, any idea why? It's like my savefile gets currupt or something after the first 3 Cups.

The rom I'm using is "F-ZERO X (E) [!]" and it's verifyed by PJ64 as goodname "F-ZERO X (E)". I'm gonna try a rom with a different region as soon as I get one but atm I just got this one.

 

[Agozer]

Please use the NTSC versions of games over PAL, unless you really want to have more than one language in the game, and a slower game overall. Not only are NTSC games faster and smoother, they're usually a lot better emulated as well.

 

[X-Fi6]

Like Agozer said: use an F-ZERO X (U) [!] ROM, with a (U).

 

[aplsin]

Thanks for the tip, I'll try that!

But is NTSC games really "faster and smoother" than PAL games? As far as I know NTSC-games run at 50fps while PAL runs at 60fps, am I wrong?

 

[Agozer]

It's the other way around; NTSC games run at 60VIs (60Hz, 60fps max for the non-tech savvy, although wrong), while PAL games run at 50VIs (50Hz, 50fps max).

 

[aplsin]

Oh I feel stupid now, ofcource you are right, I guess I just got confused by the fact that they introduced "PAL60" in the 90s.

 

[Agozer]

Well yeah, although PAL60 was nowhere to be found in console games until the Dreamcast and the PlayStation 2. It's not really even PAL actually, just NTSC specs with better color management.

 

[aplsin]

Was just about to write that F-Zero X supported PAL60, but now that I think about it that was probably F-Zero GX.

Anyway the game seems to work fine if I use the NTSC-version, it even used the savefile created by the PAL-version! :bouncy:

 

[Agozer]

In-game saves are more often than not compatible between different regions of the same game.