Red screen is a checksum error thrown up by the Genesis, it'll do the same thing on a real console if you use cheats and do not enable a "master code". I assume this behaves like a real console does so you've either got to enable the "master code" when first booting the game, or don't turn any cheats on until after the game screen has booted (same as a real Game Genie).Originally Posted by omegadevil
Thanks for the info. Thought there might be something wrong with my unit, bad firmware or cheats not working correctly.
I have used a real Game Genie on a real Genesis many times and never experienced this symtom. It's not like the later Action Replay / Game Shark devices which edited RAM instead of ROM, and required an "M" or "Always On" code for each game.
Anyone with the R5 have some freetime and a decent library of games, time to waste, or accessories to screw with?
The tech confirmed to me that the SNES Mouse worked out of the box with Firmware 1.0 and that they added more easter eggs to the system with a smile but would not say what leaving them to be discovered.
I think we were issued a challenge and I'd love to know what they cooked up.
So far we know the vaus controller is out, for now, until he gets one mailed to him or found locally to add it. And we know they snuck the SNES mouse from launch to work the menus a bit like a computer. I do know if you stick that horrible Deadly Towers game it jokes on you for it. It will say 'we recommend another game' with a frowny face before you click to load it.
I don't keep accessories around, my limits are the zapper and an ascii pad(snes) I got on Sunday which is awesome but that's really it. It would be interesting if the power pad got added like he talked about, or if one of those other weirdo accessories from the vibrating jacket to the zapper (pranking for putting in there?) were in it.
I Just bought a black Retron 5 from my local game store. Upgraded to the newest firmware and the only game that doesn't run is Fantasy Zone 2 for Famicom. This game uses mapper 67 which must not be in the firmware yet.
Not all games do it. If you look at a Genesis code list and it has a master code, you've got to put the master code in otherwise the game fails a checksum routine when booting and often results in a frozen red screen. On a real machine if you don't want to waste one of your available code lines you can flip the FX switch down until the game boots to the title screen then flip it back up. SFII'.SCE pops into my head as a game that does that, Contra Hardcorps too I think.
Those same games will often fail the checksum routine if you hard patch the ROM (manually via hex edit or IPS) then try and boot it in an emulator.
I noticed with these updates Famicom oddities seem to be making big strides. Family Kid (Somari) works great, Master Fighter III plays with garbled graphics, a several multi-game pirates dump and boot to the game selection screens. Impressive stuff being that out of the box the system didn't even detect them being inserted.
One thing puzzles me about the console; I fully recognize that the return on investment just isn't there since virtually nobody cares but it seems it would be a (relatively) small thing to implement 32x support. Unfortunately the cart slot isn't wide enough to physically accept them so we'll never see that.
Hopefully down the road, 32X support will be realized with a Retron 5 follow-up. With it not requiring any specialized hardware, it's one of the more realistic additions that they could make.
Last edited by Leo_A; 07-07-2014 at 08:34 PM.
Right. I've tested about 120 games and the only legit cart I have had problems with so far is Fantasy Zone 1 for Famicom.
The Retrode dumps 32X games flawlessly or so I hear, with the 32X attached. Since the Retron5 dumps games prior to emulating them, it seems simple enough to add 32X game support if the 32X is used as a pass-through like they did with SMS.
Maybe the 32X is a pain to emulate, I dunno. Setting one up with an original console and the RGB video dongle is a bigger pain IMO. I looked into the 32X library and compared to the Genesis library, it didn't seem like there are enough good games to be worth arsing around with.
I'm quite sure that if they ever implemented 32X support in a future Retron console, you'd simply plug the 32X cartridge directly into the Genesis cartridge slot of the Retron clone.
Last edited by Leo_A; 07-08-2014 at 12:28 AM.
I don't have many accessories to test either. I have heard a lot of people talk about SNES controllers not working right and being unable to map them correctly. Do you know if the tech is fixing that issue also?
I'm aware of the button mapping issue, it was repaired along with the GBA and NES which were backwards too, and SNES was flipped and backwards. Since then they've also allowed the mapping now of Select and Start to something else too on the R5 pad.
Ok I've got a paid of updates if anyone wants this. The first anyone with GBA can have, they've added a tester for EEPROM save support read and now finally WRITE back to cart. This is the same update as the last link but adds EEPROM. http://retron5.in/?src=e369853df766fa44e1ed0ff613f563bd
That update above will get you rolling on a ton of the popular GBA games that use it from Street Fighter 2X, DOOM1+2, Grand Theft Auto, and a lot more. Just be smart and use it on a game you don't have a critical save on in case it nukes it.
Now here's one you have to PM me on as I'm allowed to share this, but not on a public forum with a large easy download because a big WARNING is involved here. Here's the deal, they've dug into the firmware on the system side of things and droped the startup time from 5 seconds to .5 seconds when pushing the power buttons. Huge I know! I"m directly quoting the tech here so read along.
We've prepared an update which will reduce the time you need to hold the power button to switch on the RetroN 5 unit to about 0.5 seconds (as opposed to the original ~4 seconds). This is still undergoing internal testing and we cannot at this stage deem it 100% stable nor suitable for a widespread public release. If you would like to test then please feel free, but take note that while we cannot think of any possible ways that this could fail, there is still the off chance that it may somehow corrupt the firmware on your unit thus forcing you to perform a factory recovery procedure. If you would rather not take this risk then we recommend you wait for the public release of this patch.
If you're interested: to install, download and extract REDACTED, PM me for the link! and then install like you normally would with a RetroN 5 system firmware update. After the installation you will not see any difference in the reported version numbers but you will notice that the unit will switch on much quicker than before.
That's all I've got for now. I've been without power since 9PM last night and got it back around 90min ago. Straight line winds took down a 50year old maple and splattered it all over 2 other trees, power poles and lines, a couple peoples fences and backyard. The mess is there, but the lines are back or I'd have shared this last night.If I go quiet again today they had to pull junk to fix it, or another storm rolled in which was predicted but it's sunny at the moment.
In fair disclosure.
I updated the new system firmware, the quick boot is instant. Just push the button and release and the lights go on and it powers up nicely. I think the disclosure is just there to cover their butts, but that makes sense since someone could flip out.
EEPROM seems to work so far. I've toyed with DOOM 1, DOOM 2, Super SF2X Revival (JP), Final Fight One(JP), Sim City 2000, and Grand Theft Auto. They both copy correctly to system and copy back to the cart with no issue. I can't say it's not 100% solid or not, but so far it has worked for me. I was surprised using the pocketheaven.com release list to find that 1/2 the GBA games I have use that save type so this was big for my interests.
sent you a PM
It's all yours, have fun with it. It's nice being able to just push the button and not hold it anymore. If any NA members were the good people who liked the updates I did over there before the issue over nothing, feel free to contact me on here for the link as it will not be cross shared back over there.
I just got the Violinist of Hamlin repro, put it in the retron and it showed unknown cart as usual and I selected to play anyway but the retron goes into an infininte loop where it will load the cart, reach 100% and start the process all over again. Kind of sucks. I was looking forward to playing it. Has it happened to anyone with repro carts? Can someone let the R5 Tech know about this.
Last edited by omegadevil; 07-09-2014 at 12:55 AM.
Do you know those who made the cart if it is an original new board or what game was killed to make it? The problem with a lot of bootleg repros is that they use random junk and one copy of a game may work and another won't. I could let him know the game isn't going, but if he's got a legit cart from Japan and it's fine, it won't help.
By the way so far so good on the requests I've had with the fast boot, seems the disclaimer was a cover your butt warning, nothing has gone bad so far.
I don't really know who makes the cart but I believe they mentioned that they used new boards. I have purchased from them before and all the other games worked fine. Some repros were recognized and some were not but they all played and they played fine before any updates to the Retron were made. I do appreciate you letting the tech know. Maybe in another update I'll be able to play it.
I passed it along a moment ago.
Presents!
http://retron5.in/?src=1c383cd30b7c298ab50293adfecb7b18
Preview build of v1.5 of the game firmware, should be finalized during the week most likely.
Tanooki, thanks for providing the preview build last night. It does, indeed, turn on after pressing the power button in for only half a second or so, and I haven't run into any issues so far. Since I have no idea what type of save my Mother 3 repro is using (certainly not the flash type of the original), I'll probably test that one tonight just to see if there's any progress with it erasing saves.
Otherwise, the system has been a joy to use. I'm actually on the 6th Dark World dungeon in Link to the Past because I've been enjoying re-experiencing my games in HD without having to buy a Virtual Console release... the first time since 2002 since I've gotten this far in the game, and the first since the 90s that I've played through the SNES version.
The only weirdness I've noticed so far is that in the 5th dungeon, there's a room where you have to kill two Stalfos Knights and the game slows down on that screen, at least until the two Knights are dead. I put my SNES away after all my games tested fine so I don't have an easy way to test... does anyone remember this slowdown in the original?
Otherwise, yeah, I'm loving it.
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