[HELP]Error reading games on X68030

[amobile]

Hello !

First, excuse me for my english
I'm gonna try to explain my problem clearly...

I am a proud new owner of an X68030 CZ-500C
So, i'm a newbie in this wonderful X68K world !


But...  like many newbies, i'm faced with some problems

I have 7 original games and 4 doesn't work !
The list is:

• Super Street fighter 2: works but it lag !
• Cotton: working fine
• Naious: working fine
• Sol Feace: doesn't work
• Phalanx: doesn't work
• Twinbee: doesn't work
• Parodius: doesn't work
• Gradius 2: doesn't work

The problem is the same for all games.
I load the floppies in both drives, i reset the X68030, the drive 0 starts loading the floppy, then the drive stop and an incomprehensible message appears


If i try to launch the "X" file ( ) from the X68K OS, i've got this CRC message, i can only choose "I" to ignore


I thought it was a floppy problem.
But some friends on silicium.com think that it rather was a drive problem

One of them, advises me to post here my problem because some of you are X68k reference
So, is the problem due to an incompatibility with my X868030?
or is the problem come from floppies? drives?

Thanks for your help

[TheRogue]

I don't know if you are aware, but a great many games are incompatible with the X68030 due to timing problems.  I almost bought one, but the incompatibility made me instead choose the X68000 XVI (currently hunting for an accelerator to bring it up to spec with the '030 while keeping compatibility). I'm not fully sure which games are '030 compatible, but the errors you are having are typical for incompatible software. The first error is an interrupt. I would say you are trying to run games that have issues on the '030, but if anyone knows better speak up and help our friend.  If you have access to a computer with a 5-1/4" floppy drive, you should try writing a few games to disk using xFloppy and see if that works.

[amobile]

Hello The Rogue

thanks for your reply !
I thought about a possible incompatibility of the 030
But if you use an emulator, and you configure it with a 030 parameters, theses games works !
So i'm gonna search on internet, a knowledge incompatibility 030 list of games...

To be continued...

[aramokona3]

The second picture shows the version of Human68k you started is 2.02.
This version of Human68k does not work with X68030.
To use the version 2.15, you have to hold down the XF3 key and push the reset button.
This method does not fix all problems on differences between X68000 and X68030.

The third picture shows an CRC error occurred.
This error occurs generally on aged floppy disks or drives.
It occurs sometimes on floppy disks formatted specially too.

[amobile]

hello aramokona3

good observation !
This morning i'm gonna try 2.15 manipulation

The CRC error was the cause why i thought it was a floppy problem... 

Concerning the X68030 game incompatibility list, i don't find anything about this on the web...
If someone have a good address...

Perhaps, we can start this listing ?

[aramokona3]

One of the X68030 game incompatibility list in Japanese is here:
http://www.cityfujisawa.ne.jp/~fumiki/x68k/texts.html

According to the list,
PHALANX (ZOOM) and Parodiusda! (KONAMI) have no problem,
Detana!! TwinBee (KONAMI) and Gradius II (KONAMI) need a patch,
and Sol-Feace (WOLFTEAM) had been not tested.

[aramokona3]

Correction:
The third picture shows not a CRC error but an undefined trap exception occurred.
I guess it occurred because you ran a executable file without configuring a
required driver such as a music driver.

[amobile]

One of the X68030 game incompatibility list in Japanese is here:
http://www.cityfujisawa.ne.jp/~fumiki/x68k/texts.html

According to the list,
PHALANX (ZOOM) and Parodiusda! (KONAMI) have no problem,
Detana!! TwinBee (KONAMI) and Gradius II (KONAMI) need a patch,
and Sol-Feace (WOLFTEAM) had been not tested.

Very interesting !
Which sort of patch do Gradius and Twinbee need?

[Magic Knight]

A list of patches are available on the website previously mentioned by aramokona3:
http://www.cityfujisawa.ne.jp/~fumiki/x68k/patchinf.html
The patches were published in Oh!X68000 magazine. I have some included with The File Master (disk copying software).

On this website you will find some of the patches:
http://shq.dyndns.org/x68pub/x68data/GAME/PATCH/

Gradius II's is called GRA2PAT2.LZH and Detana Twinbee's is TWIN_PAT.LZH

There's another compatibility list here, also featuring the 060:
http://sai.cside.tv/mycom/x68k/vs060.html

[aramokona3]

According to the X68030 incompatibility list which was published in Dennou-club
volume 58, Sol-Feace (WOLFTEAM) is also available on X68030 without patches.


When you hold down XF3 key of X68030 and push the reset button, the hardware
memory wait control system is configured to perform as slow as X68000-10MHz and
Human68k version 2.15 in the ROM starts instead of obsolete Human68k in the
floppy disk.

When you hold down XF4 key of X68030 and push the reset button, the hardware
memory wait control system is configured to perform as slow as X68000-16MHz and
Human68k version 2.15 in the ROM starts instead of obsolete Human68k in the
floppy disk.

When you hold down XF5 key of X68030 and push the reset button, Human68k version
2.15 in the ROM starts instead of obsolete Human68k in the floppy disk.

[amobile]

big thanks for these tips ! 

I'll try all these manip' this evening

[amobile]

aramokona3 you found the solution

I've tested the combination "XF3+reset" and Parodius and Phalanx have started with the v2.15 human68k (Sol Feace is definitively dead, got a CRC error)! 


On Gradius2 and Twinbee the sound installation starts but an error message appears


I think  patches are needed for both games.

But, what's the method of installation of these patches?
I need to install them on HDD ?
Can it be possible to copy, for example, GRA2PAT2.LZH & TWIN_PAT.LZH on a 5'1/4 floppy through an old Win95 PC, and read the floppy on the X68030?
Do i need a serial cable to open a communication between both X68k and Win95 PC?

Thanks again for your lights

[aramokona3]

I don't have those games at hand. So I'm not sure whether I can explain the
steps to apply patches precisely. Constructive corrections are welcome.

I believe that you have a HDD because the last picture shows the SCSI driver was
configured before a bus error occurred. The following steps use HDD but not
install the games into HDD. You will be able to change the method to install the
games into HDD or to perform without HDD.

Enjoy trial-and-error.


(1) Download files

According to what I have read from attached documents, GRA2_PAT.LZH and
TWIN_PAT.LZH are stable versions.
http://shq.dyndns.org/x68pub/x68data/GAME/PATCH/GRA2_PAT.LZH
http://shq.dyndns.org/x68pub/x68data/GAME/PATCH/TWIN_PAT.LZH

You need bup.x to apply patches to music drivers.
http://retropc.net/x68000/software/tools/archiver/bdifset/BdifSet.Lzh

If you don't have an extraction software on X68030, use LHA.x and lx.r.
http://retropc.net/x68000/software/tools/archiver/lha/LHA_X647.X
http://retropc.net/x68000/software/tools/archiver/lx/LXR120FS.LZH


(2) Move downloaded files to X68030

The floppy disk format of X68030 is not compatible with Windows PC.

If your Windows PC has a sirial communication port and you have a Human68k
version 3.02 system disk, The method using RC-232C cable is available on a
minimum configuration of X68030.
See http://nfggames.com/forum2/index.php?topic=3914.0

If you have a SCSI interface, SCSI CD-ROM drive and a CD-ROM driver on X68030,
burn files to a CD-R. A SCSI MO drive may be more useful. Don't share one HDD
between Windows PC and X68030.


(3) Extract tools

(3.1) Boot up X68030 from HDD.

I assume that drive A: is HDD, drive B: is FDD0 and drive C: is FDD1.

(3.2) Extract LHA.x from LHA_X647.X. LHA_X647.X is a self-extraction program.
A>lha_x647

(3.3) Extract lx.r from LXR120FS.LZH.
A>lha x LXR120FS.LZH lx.r

(3.3) Extract bup.x from BdifSet.Lzh.
A>lx -e BdifSet.Lzh bin/bup.x


(4) Create the new boot disk of Gradius II

(4.1) Boot up X68030 from HDD.

I assume that drive A: is HDD, drive B: is FDD0 and drive C: is FDD1.

(4.2) Extract GRA2_PAT.X, GRA2_0X0.X and GRA2_SD.BFD from GRA2_PAT.LZH.
A>lx GRA2_PAT.LZH GRA2_PAT.X GRA2_0X0.X GRA2_SD.BFD

(4.3) Insert a blank disk to FDD0. It becomes the new boot disk.

(4.4) Format the new boot disk and copy Human68k.
A>format /s B:

(4.5) Copy COMMAND.X to the new boot disk.
A>copy A:\COMMAND.X B:

(4.6) Insert the master disk of Gradius II into FDD1.

(4.7) Copy all files from the master disk to the new boot disk.
A>copyall C:\*.* B:

(4.8 ) Copy GRA2_PAT.X to the new boot disk.
A>copy GRA2_PAT.X B:

(4.9) Apply patches to GRA2.X.
A>gra2_0x0
<1><C><:><ENTER> (set source directory)
<2><B><:><ENTER> (set destination directory)
<SPACE><Y> (start)
<ESC><ESC> (end)

(4.10) Apply patches to SD_DRV.X.
A>bup -IC: -OB: GRA2_SD.BFD

(4.11) Rename old CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT. AUTOEXEC.BAT may not exist.
A>B:
B>ren CONFIG.SYS CONFIG.ORG
B>ren AUTOEXEC.BAT AUTOEXEC.ORG

(4.12) Create new AUTOEXEC.BAT.
B>B:
B>echo Echo off>AUTOEXEC.BAT
B>echo GRA2_PAT.X>>AUTOEXEC.BAT
B>echo Echo on>>AUTOEXEC.BAT


(5) Run Gradius II

(5.1) Insert the new boot disk into FDD0.

(5.2) Hold down OPT.1 key and push the reset button.

The new boot disk will be ejected automatically.

(5.3) Insert the master disk into FDD0.


(6) Create the new boot disk of Detana!! TwinBee

(6.1) Boot up X68030 from HDD.

I assume that drive A: is HDD, drive B: is FDD0 and drive C: is FDD1.

(6.2) Extract TWIN_0X0.X, TWIN_PAT.X and KMDRV.BFD from TWIN_PAT.LZH.
A>lx TWIN_PAT.LZH TWIN_0X0.X TWIN_PAT.X KMDRV.BFD

(6.3) Insert a blank disk to FDD0. It becomes the new boot disk.

(6.4) Format the new boot disk and copy Human68k.
A>format /s B:

(6.5) Copy COMMAND.X to the new boot disk.
A>copy A:\COMMAND.X B:

(6.6) Insert the master disk of Detana!! TwinBee into FDD1.

(6.7) Copy all files from the master disk to the new boot disk.
A>copyall C:\*.* B:

(6.8 ) Copy TWIN_PAT.X to the new boot disk.
A>copy TWIN_PAT.X B:

(6.9) Apply patches to TWIN.X.
A>twin_0x0
<1><C><:><ENTER> (set source directory)
<2><B><:><ENTER> (set destination directory)
<SPACE><Y> (start)
<ESC><ESC> (end)

(6.10) Apply patches to KMDRV.X.
A>bup -IC: -OB: KMDRV.BFD

(6.11) Rename old CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT. AUTOEXEC.BAT may not exist.
A>B:
B>ren CONFIG.SYS CONFIG.ORG
B>ren AUTOEXEC.BAT AUTOEXEC.ORG

(6.12) Create new AUTOEXEC.BAT.
B>B:
B>echo Echo off>AUTOEXEC.BAT
B>echo TWIN_PAT.X>>AUTOEXEC.BAT
B>echo Echo on>>AUTOEXEC.BAT


(7) Run Detana!! TwinBee

(7.1) Insert the new boot disk into FDD0.

(7.2) Hold down OPT.1 key and push the reset button.

The new boot disk will be ejected automatically.

(7.3) Insert the master disk into FDD0.

[amobile]

big UP for you aramokona3 

i've tested your tutorial through XM6 emulator and that's worked fine !
So, if it can help someone, the image of the gradius 2 system patched floppy is available >> here <<