JOTEGO
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The other avengers
🕑 Added 2024-09-20 13:54:27 +0000 UTCThere have been developments related to CAPCOM's Avengers (1987). A copy of the Trojan schematics appeared on the internet a while ago. It included a sheet for an MCU (microcontroller unit) that was not used on Trojan. Looking more into it, this was for Avengers. Recently too, a dump of this MCU also appeared on the internet. Dumping MCU ROMs is often done through silicon die shots. You have to identify each bit visually and we are talking of 32768 bits. If you are looking for an evening's passtime, here is a good one.
With this new information, I looked at my JTTROJAN files and made changes to make it a multi-game core. Both Trojan and Avengers are very similar. The bootleg version of the game (without the MCU protection) works well. Find it in the alternatives folder. But the original versions, with the MCU, work correctly too, but they do require a dump of the MCU ROM. Without it, the game backgrounds will not look correct.
This game is kind of CAPCOM's Commando but using only your fists and footworks to defeat the powerful gang enemy ‘Geshita’ and rescue six kidnapped women. There are six stages in total, with a different boss at the end of each stage.
Boss Strategies
Stage 1: Hit the boss with one kick just after he throws the iron balls at you, not when he is swinging it, and run away.
Stage 2: The boss splits into three. If you move the protagonist to the top left corner of the screen, he will not be attacked. Keep turning and kicking at that spot. When the boss splits into three, the real one does not flash.
Stage 3: If you attack the boss, the ball-spitting man, from his bottom left, the balls are less likely to hit you.
Stage 4: Stay at the beginning of the suspension bridge and lure the boss into attacking you. Dodge and kick back.
Stage 5: Attack the boss, the snake charmer, by moving forward getting closer and closer. Then the boss will repeatedly move in and out of the swamp, so attack him from the side.
Stage 6: The final boss ‘Geshita’, his weak spot is behind him. Lure Geshita out from the right by shifting the protagonist downwards slightly, then quickly kicks him sideways and escapes immediately upwards.
There are also hidden rooms, check out our X post about them.
I was considering whether to move JTTROJAN back to beta for the addition, but it is a small one and I think it would be confusing to move a core back to beta after releasing it. So this new game comes out directly as public. Let me know if that is the choice you like as a patron member, please.
Reference MAME Version
The MAME version used as reference for ROM filenames has been moved from 0.251 to 0.261 in order to include changes related to Avengers.
Advancing MAME automatically generates MRA files for other cores too, like:
Hyper Street Fighter 2 (Japan) revision 040123
X-Men vs Street Fighter (Japan) revision 970113
Midnight Resistance
I had forgotten in the last JT Friday that the JTMIDRES core, compatible with Data East's Midnight Resistance had not been ported to the Analogue Pocket yet. It is added now as a new beta core. Go into the settings menu to adjust the rotation sensitivity to your preferences.
Other updates
JTCIRCUS public: There was only one issue reported about the Circus Charlie (already addressed) and there are no plans to add more game to this hardware. Hence, JTCIRCUS core is promoted to public.
JTCPS1 layer priority changed to fix Carrier Air Wing and Three Wonders, at the price of arguably breaking Nemo. Thanks to paulb-nl for the patch.
Brightness support added to JTRIDERS, this is noticeable at the end of each boss fight
Screen orientation fixed on JTSHOUSE for horizontal games. You may need to delete old save files as the fix consists of adding default values to these files so the correct flip setting is applied
Fixed color for the bottom half of the background in JTVIGIL, this was noticeable in the last stage of Vigilante
Made video output for Toki-compatible core now has a more standard timing
Added display modes to Analogue Pocket cores
Added a third button to start 1P/2P VS CPU matches on JTWWFSS
Removed the lock that kept JTDD always in turbo mode
ZIP files for beta cores will not be available on the Discord channel anymore to simplify the release process. They will only be served through Patreon attachments and the JTBIN repository.
Coming Up
We keep preparing the xmen core. We have fixed some sprite scaling issues this week and we are working on the shadows at the moment. This is likely to be the next beta we publish. It may still take a few weeks to be ready.
Comments
JOTEGO
There was a problem in the NGP color files on Friday. They were pointing to mistake to the NGP monochrome core. I corrected that over the weekend. The installer version should work now.
Findamember
Thanks Jotego for this new release. It has been a long time since last CAPCOM "pre-CPS" game. Hope you find time and motivation one day to finish the few remaining ones (Sonson, Last Duel, LED Storm, any other?). No problem with the public release. You are the most prolific FPGA developer, supporting various platforms and maintaining your cores over time. You deserve our support regardless of the way you decide for your releases Thank you!
Fender
Any solution to Neo geo pocket games doesn’t start? If I install the latest pocket zip manually I lost most of the arcade cores. That way neogeo pocket works but….
Tim Oaks
Ok got it. Thanks again for all your hard work!
JOTEGO
No, it isn't included as it is a ROM. The bootleg version of the game is called Buraiken Bootleg and it can be found in the alternatives folder.
Filip Kindt
Hehe an invite to get a dual screen pcb version donated ;)
Shannon Thomasson
Im fine with small releases for public.
Tim Oaks
Yeah I know the roms aren't included, I have those. I meant specifically the mcu processor dump you referred to.
JOTEGO
I do not have that version of the board so for now I am only targeting the single screen version
JOTEGO
We’ll double check i on the Pocket. We had only tested it on the MiSTer.
JOTEGO
I understand. Thank you.
JOTEGO
No ROM dumps are ever included in any core. The cores are compatible with specific hardware for which you have to provide the software.
Tim Oaks
So is the mcu dump included in this release for the non bootleg versions of Trojan? Also which is the bootleg? None of mine are labeled as bootleg so I wasn't sure. Thanks to you and your team for another great release!
evilsim
"If you are looking for an evening's passtime, here is a good one." Good, clean fun. Thanks for the many hours of effort ! Jotego patreon sub - the gift that keeps giving
Big Al.
Thanks for the update, Have a good weekend.
Kelvin Hoyle
I just tried applying the Splatterhouse update on my Analogue Pocket and am still getting the flipped screen.
Sayit BELET
Good reasoning, agreed.
Jolakandul
For the reasons you provided, it makes sens for the core going/statying public. Keep up the good work!
Gary Nicholson
Thank You JT and Team, greatly appreciated
OldManBog
I'm cool with it going public, I joined to support the efforts not to have exclusive access. Please do not follow the private server verification method proposed by other devs, no need to have users private info sent to yet another place. Thanks for the great work!
Filip Kindt
Are you switching to the same method as the coin ops group (pramod) is planning to use. Which would aid in a better automation of the beta key zip-file?
Filip Kindt
Yeah OK for direct public for minor core updates like this. Only if test would show that it would degrade the quality of the core there should also be a beta branch of the same core for none public core patreons.
Filip Kindt
Yeah dual monitor gogogogo ;) and then a sega mega tech core. (Internal joke)
SuperKeeks
I agree that in this case, because the reasons you exposed, makes sense to publish directly to public
Steve
To be honest if cores just go public straight up I see no reason to join this patreon anymore.
Mark Saunders
Enjoy the weekend team JT many thanks . Avengers is a really cool game not too hard either first level , what a nice surprise of a game thanks 🤩
John Fletcher
Thank you.
LiteUp X
I’m OK with a core going public right away.
Gabriel S
Totally makes sense launching Avengers straight to public, thanks for the continuing work!
Pixel Cherry Ninja
Thanks JT and Team. Have a great weekend.
Omega16bit
About the X-men core: Will it have dual monitor or widescreen support?
