0.37 BETA 8 These drivers have improved GRAPHICS: ------------------------------------- - Fixed scrolling in Major Title and priority in Hammerin' Harry. [Nicola Salmoria] These drivers have improved SOUND: ---------------------------------- - Preliminary sound in Blade Master, Gunforce, UUCops and Lethal Thunder. [Bryan McPhail] Source: ------- - Major changes to the memory interface. Drivers must use the new MEMORY_READ_START etc. macros, and for 16-bit CPUs the API is completely changed: the new READ16_HANDLER, WRITE16_HANDLER function types must be used for memory handlers. The macros READ_WORD(), WRITE_WORD() etc. are obsolete: handlers must directly access 16-bit wide arrays (use data16_t * instead of the old unsigned char *); always use the new macro COMBINE_DATA() to store data in the arrays correctlyhandling 8-bit wide memory accesses. Use ACCESSING_MSB and ACCESSING_LSB to know if the specified byte is being accessed (necessary for 8-bit wide external hardware). You no longer have to use MRA_BANKx for sparse RAM areas, you can use MRA_RAM just like with the 8-bit games. A handful of drivers haven't beenconverted to the new API yet, and therefore don't work. On startup, they will give the error cpu # uses wrong data width memory handlers! and refuse to start. The cheat system might be broken for 16-bit CPUs (untested). [Juergen Buchmueller] - Changes to the tilemap API: - tilemap_render() is obsolete - struct tilemap is private - can't be accessed directly - tilemap_set_transparent_pen() and tilemap_set_transmask() replace direct poking in the tilemap - tilemap_mark_all_pixels_dirty() is obsolete (replaced by tilemap_dirty_palette() which is automatically called by palette_recalc()) - additional parameter to tilemap_draw() to specify the priority mask to be stored in the priority buffer [Phil Stroffolino] - Removed palette_transparent_color which is no longer needed by any driver. [Nicola Salmoria] - Removed the "ui" parameter from osd_mark_dirty(). [Nicola Salmoria] - Removed osd_clearbitmap(). The correct way to black the screen in drivers is, and has always been, fillbitmap(). osd_alloc_bitmap() no longer has to clear the bitmap (it isn't necessary since it's cleared by the drivers anyway). extern int need_to_clear_bitmap removed as well; use schedule_full_refresh() instead (clearing the bitmap is not necessary because drivers are required to redraw the whole screen when full_refresh is 1). [Nicola Salmoria] - Rewritten the Nec CPU core, with correct timing and support for encryption. [Bryan McPhail] - Preliminary Irem GA20 sound emulation. [Bryan McPhail] - The profiler also watches memory read and write handlers. They were previously cumulated with the CPU emulation. Also, the profiler is now disabled in non-debug builds because the performance hit is quite noticeable. [Nicola Salmoria] - The x86 asm 68000 core now has limited 68020 support and runs the Psikyo games, so is reenabled by default. [Darren Olafson] New games supported: -------------------- dozens of Nichibutsu mahjong and quiz games [Takahiro Nogi] Super Dodge Ball [Paul Hampson, Nicola Salmoria] Macross [Mirko Buffoni] Macross II [Nicola Salmoria] Nouryoku Koujou Iinkai [Nicola Salmoria] Strahl [Bryan McPhail] Pushman [Bryan McPhail] Bomberman [Bryan McPhail] Bomberman World [Bryan McPhail] Donpachi [Luca Elia] Blaze On [Luca Elia] Beezer [Mathis Rosenhauer] Sel Feena [Jarek Burczynski] Libble Rabble [Edgardo E. Contini Salvan] New clones supported: --------------------- Hissatsu Buraiken (= Avengers) Sky Adventure (Japan) Gunforce (Japan) Daiku no Gensan (Japan, M72) Warriors of Fate (US) Street Fighter II (US revision I)