Hacking Emulation POPS on PSP/Vita - Config Research

[Nikokaro]

Hey @The_Ho , did you find a solution for Linda Cube Again, stuck on the ps logo screen? So at least using a PSP 3004.
If anyone got a different result, please come forward and let me know.

 

[ExData7]

When does it crash? Vita has a config for the game within its POPS. It does seem I forgot about porting that one to PSP though...


No need, the game is already japanese, so it's as easy as just writing another game's ID to test.

It crashes on the PS boot logo and doesn't progress past that just stays frozen

 

[Webardo]

Hey @The_Ho , did you find a solution for Linda Cube Again, stuck on the ps logo screen? So at least using a PSP 3004.
If anyone got a different result, please come forward and let me know.

@ExData7 So, the original, untranslated game works fine. Something about the patch is off...

EDIT: Tested some configs (the ones for Dragon Valor and Rollcage II) and it still doesn't boot. The issue is similar to that of Thousand Arms' undub, which also softlocks at the PS logo. I'll report the problem to the dev of the patch and wait things out.

 

[OPPAI_DAISUKI]

When does it crash? Vita has a config for the game within its POPS. It does seem I forgot about porting that one to PSP though...


No need, the game is already japanese, so it's as easy as just writing another game's ID to test.

i taught so its just if it doesnt work on its native JPN there are still USA (SCEA) and PAL (SCEE)... there are many options to do its just we need a long free time...even me im kinda busy in my work...

 

[ExData7]

@ExData7 So, the original, untranslated game works fine. Something about the patch is off...

EDIT: Tested some configs (the ones for Dragon Valor and Rollcage II) and it still doesn't boot. The issue is similar to that of Thousand Arms' undub, which also softlocks at the PS logo. I'll report the problem to the dev of the patch and wait things out.

Yeah hopefully the team behind the patch can fix the issue. On their GitHub they did say the game doesn't work on older PS1 emulators except for Duckstation, BiZhawk etc

 

[Snowbro88]

Hello one question.

PS1 games converted to eboot with Pop Fe where the audio tracks are converted from Wav to AT3 are only compatible with PSP and PS Vita?

Other PC emulators like Duckstation, PCSX, can't they run them in theory?

Thank you.

 

[Webardo]

Hello one question.

PS1 games converted to eboot with Pop Fe where the audio tracks are converted from Wav to AT3 are only compatible with PSP and PS Vita?

Other PC emulators like Duckstation, PCSX, can't they run them in theory?

Thank you.

I only tried on Duckstation a few months ago, and they didn't work. I think it's a matter of implementing an AT3 decoder, which I don't expect many developers to incoporate unless the demand is high.
I could be wrong too and some emulator already has support for it!

 

[The_Ho]

For Linda³Again to work, add a 20 sector Dummy with header to the end of the .bin file then convert to EBOOT... this will leave the game at the default size of the original. This error happens frequently in PTBR translations, these days I found a similar one in Hoshigami PTBR which also had other things.

Post automatically merged: Feb 3, 2024

I made a patch, tested it on PSVita and it seems to work well, PSP should be fine too. The structure of the translation is very different from the original, the order of the files and files that are too large or too small can always cause problems in some emulators and especially in the console. Current translations that do not use console testing as a basis generally need workarounds to be reproduced when using something a little or very different from what was used for testing.


Linda³ Again Patch (REV 1)

Apply to a REV1 JAP image

 

[Ettino]

Eboot is also up at CDromance.

 

[Webardo]

For Linda³Again to work, add a 20 sector Dummy with header to the end of the .bin file then convert to EBOOT... this will leave the game at the default size of the original. This error happens frequently in PTBR translations, these days I found a similar one in Hoshigami PTBR which also had other things.

Post automatically merged: Feb 3, 2024

I made a patch, tested it on PSVita and it seems to work well, PSP should be fine too. The structure of the translation is very different from the original, the order of the files and files that are too large or too small can always cause problems in some emulators and especially in the console. Current translations that do not use console testing as a basis generally need workarounds to be reproduced when using something a little or very different from what was used for testing.


Linda³ Again Patch (REV 1)

Apply to a REV1 JAP image

Turns out the problem was a lot simpler than it being a fault of the hack haha.
It's just that the bin building tools they used were broken, which resulted in a TOC bigger than that of the original game itself.

Anyway, they released a new version using another imaging tool (https://github.com/Eight-Mansions/linda-cubed-again/releases/tag/release-3), so the game should work fine on both PSP/Vita (or at least boot, don't know about configs).

 

[The_Ho]

Turns out the problem was a lot simpler than it being a fault of the hack haha.
It's just that the bin building tools they used were broken, which resulted in a TOC bigger than that of the original game itself.

Anyway, they released a new version using another imaging tool (https://github.com/Eight-Mansions/linda-cubed-again/releases/tag/release-3), so the game should work fine on both PSP/Vita (or at least boot, don't know about configs).

You are very quick, now that I saw the GIT, if I had seen that you had already requested it I would wait for the correction.

Thanks for the request @Webardo.

And also to the translator for their interest in making it work, most don't care much, from what I see here in BR translations.

I don't mind playing in English, but I like to help those who like to play in translation, and last week I had the trouble of finding two workarounds to make Vandal Hearts and Hoshigami BR work on Vita and PSP, audio problems on CDDAs because they have injected wrong headers, wrong calls and organization of LBAs was easily found.

One that people ask me a lot to try something is Digimon 2003 BR, Mednafen can be used as a test in this case, the game always crashes after selecting the Digimon selection, I injected the Japanese translation into this EUR version and it works without problems, but with each BR that I manage to overcome, another one appears and unfortunately the translator who still keeps the Facebook page active does not provide any support.

I really don't know what else to do with this game other than a retranslation of 0, something I really don't think about doing.

 

[Webardo]

You are very quick, now that I saw the GIT, if I had seen that you had already requested it I would wait for the correction.

Thanks for the request @Webardo.

And also to the translator for their interest in making it work, most don't care much, from what I see here in BR translations.

Yeah, the translator answered extremely quickly and got the issue out just as fast.
Even then, your solution is quite good too. Can't always depend on the developers of hacks to have interest in fixing issues.

I don't mind playing in English, but I like to help those who like to play in translation, and last week I had the trouble of finding two workarounds to make Vandal Hearts and Hoshigami BR work on Vita and PSP, audio problems on CDDAs because they have injected wrong headers, wrong calls and organization of LBAs was easily found.

Quite troublesome, huh. Lots of people play with translation patches that never come around these forums, so fixing those issues for everyone to enjoy is a great way to have people enjoy foreign games.
Thankfully I haven't seen that many issues in spanish translations (personally I never had problems with any on my PSP), and sometimes they are better than the english patches. The spanish translation for Mizzurna Falls is a lot more stable than the other two english translations.

One that people ask me a lot to try something is Digimon 2003 BR, Mednafen can be used as a test in this case, the game always crashes after selecting the Digimon selection, I injected the Japanese translation into this EUR version and it works without problems, but with each BR that I manage to overcome, another one appears and unfortunately the translator who still keeps the Facebook page active does not provide any support.

I really don't know what else to do with this game other than a retranslation of 0, something I really don't think about doing.

So, for every fix there's a new issue? I understand it crashes on emulators other than POPS, but even then I could try to port the config for this one too.

 

[The_Ho]

Yeah, the translator answered extremely quickly and got the issue out just as fast.
Even then, your solution is quite good too. Can't always depend on the developers of hacks to have interest in fixing issues.

I checked the new version and now it's much better, with all the sectors in their place, before adding the dummy, I had reorganized the game's sectors according to the original, but the dialog boxes looked strange with large and displaced fonts . Then I saw that there were a few more sectors missing compared to the original and just like some PTBR games the same thing happens, I remembered that trying to match the size, even with a dummy, usually did the trick, and it worked. But the current version is as it should be.

Quite troublesome, huh. Lots of people play with translation patches that never come around these forums, so fixing those issues for everyone to enjoy is a great way to have people enjoy foreign games.
Thankfully I haven't seen that many issues in spanish translations (personally I never had problems with any on my PSP), and sometimes they are better than the english patches. The spanish translation for Mizzurna Falls is a lot more stable than the other two english translations.

I agree with you about the Spanish translations, I think that compared to PTBR, it is a total advantage to use these, even for Digimon since the language is completely understandable. But there are still resistant people anyway.

So, for every fix there's a new issue? I understand it crashes on emulators other than POPS, but even then I could try to port the config for this one too.

I've already tried what I could for this game, I believe the problem must be in the exe, but this was one that left me really lost even for a simple workaround, the game has several modifications in addition to translation such as sprite modifications (coloring ), images, the famous ID modification, among others.

Things I've already tried:

- Restore all sprites.

- Restore images (figures).

- Restore ID

- Equalize file sizes, sectors.

All the attempts above make the game work the same way, it basically crashes whenever an NPC talks to you.


- Introducing other official languages in the EUR version, even Japanese, fixes the game, any official file language that I replace with BR makes the game normal.

I also tried to find a memory address at 0x11 using no$psx and using as a parameter the JAP version mentioned in the PSP WIKI by kozarovv, to my bad luck the value that hit was exactly the same for the Normal PAL version which was: 0x80020D09

Or I did something wrong lol.

Well, I would welcome your help if you could take a look.

A search for:

"Digimon World 2003 (100% PT-BR) v1.01 by Julio Gawleta"

will make you find the version.

Thank you, big hug.

NOTE:Mednafen and no$psx can reproduce the same error on the PSP and PSVita, so I don't think you need to use EBOOT for portable devices, it will crash as soon as you select the digimon and the NPC tries to talk to you.

 

[The_Ho]

It's impressive how MKT doesn't respond to anything, not even to failures than it already fails.
He looks like a terminal patient where no medication works.

I spent a good few days trying different ID configurations that I've never tried before and didn't even know they were useful for anything before kozarovv's work, and nothing has any effect on any existing or custom config as far as I've looked... The game remains neutral with its damn Bugs in Demo, Loading and Tournament Mode x8 (CD Error).

Really cursed. I believe DDerby 2 is the case too... Both just a miracle patch.

I saw about a Bug in the Valkyrie profile in the Forest of Spirits phase.

@Webardo did you get a save for me to test it too?..
While I'm still not active on PSXPlace xD.

I saw that they updated the list on PSPWiki.. where is Jackie Chan needs to be changed, just ripping the videos doesn't work, for it to work I needed to modify the .exe to jump the videos straight to the Loadings, if this is done the videos can stay There intact they will just take up more size, so resetting(00) them is a good option just to make the file smaller.
I released SLUS in @wad11656 Excel.

But I'll see if I can make a .ppf or xdelta to make it easier. But pop fe seems to use ppfs better, right?

 

[mrjaredbeta]

I saw that they updated the list on PSPWiki.. where is Jackie Chan needs to be changed, just ripping the videos doesn't work, for it to work I needed to modify the .exe to jump the videos straight to the Loadings, if this is done the videos can stay There intact they will just take up more size, so resetting(00) them is a good option just to make the file smaller.

Hi, yeah I was the one that started moving everything over to the wiki, but I never finished the migration. Maybe I will finish this weekend.

For any changes that you see need to be made, please make the edit and I will approve it. I will update that entry for Jackie Chan with this information!

 

[Webardo]

@Webardo did you get a save for me to test it too?..
While I'm still not active on PSXPlace xD.

Yes, I'll upload it here. I didn't even try it, college has me more busy than expected.

But I'll see if I can make a .ppf or xdelta to make it easier. But pop fe seems to use ppfs better, right?

Ppfs are plenty fine, even more if they work out of the box with pop-fe. I had made one for Codename Tenka that was easier than getting the patcher for the memory card conflict, but didn't submit it yet because it only works with Rev 0 of the game and not Rev 1.

 

[Playa-V]

I saw about a Bug in the Valkyrie profile in the Forest of Spirits phase.

I believe thats mine. Thanks @Webardo for posting the save file.

Here is some of what I posted over at PSX place:

I created the EBOOT, using POPS-fe v1.8, which was the nost recent release, up until a week ago. The freezing doesn't happen in every single battle, it happens like every 1/3 battles, it’s random. Some times, while the screen is frozen, I press buttons and can hear while I move around the actions, and after a few moments, the game goes back to normal. At other times, the screen freeze completely locks everything out.

I didn't try going into a different area, so I don't know of other sections of the map will give the same freeze problem.

In the meantime, I've gone back to the romantic site EBOOT to proceed with the game (Increasing Adrenaline to 333mhz helps a bit with some of the games problems) but would love to do another replay of it with the performance/sound fixes.

 

[mrjaredbeta]

Some times, while the screen is frozen, I press buttons and can hear while I move around the actions, and after a few moments, the game goes back to normal. At other times, the screen freeze completely locks everything out.

The issue at least seems to be stemming from the added 0x0B command that fixes the audio crackling. The Vita config value may just need to be altered if PSP works fine…or both. Maybe I can do some tinkering with it this weekend.

 

[The_Ho]

After practically doing everything in the forest of spirits with the group formed in the save and not encountering a single crash, I managed to find how to finally make it happen easily. It was almost giving a false positive lol...

Go to Venomus Spider or any nearest Boss, I haven't tested it with common enemies, but I believe it should happen too. Put Aelia and Janus in your group, perform a combo until you can release Aelia's special and the screen will freeze.

Sometimes it freezes and comes back, other times it freezes completely.

Tested on PSVita.

=======================

@Webardo

I understand you, when I was in college I almost locked her out more than once. When you combine studies, work, health problems, a girlfriend and various responsibilities, time becomes really short.

@mrjaredbeta

Ok, I can release the tests I completed and posted here on the PSP Wiki.
About Valkyrie Profile I remember that I finished it on the PSP using SLES00972 on the PSP without any crashes other than Yumei where I switched to POPs 6.39 at the time to recruit her, just the known sound problem and the sound crackles, maybe this ID has some part of the config that helps.

Post automatically merged: Feb 8, 2024

The issue at least seems to be stemming from the added 0x0B command that fixes the audio crackling. The Vita config value may just need to be altered if PSP works fine…or both. Maybe I can do some tinkering with it this weekend.

On the PSP the crash does not occur, I just tested it, only on the PSVITA.

Ppfs are plenty fine, even more if they work out of the box with pop-fe. I had made one for Codename Tenka that was easier than getting the patcher for the memory card conflict, but didn't submit it yet because it only works with Rev 0 of the game and not Rev 1.

Codename Tenka is a great game, I don't know why the hell it requires 1 single memory card connected, what kind of bug caused the Devs to leave it there... For consoles this never caused a headache, but for emulators it already did what to say.

 

[mrjaredbeta]

Oh. I think I just made a mistake with the original config I posted. Command 0x0E was erroneously enabled (on Vita config only).

Valkyrie Profile test

70 00 07 06 00 00 06 06 00 00 00 00 FF FF FF FF
FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 04 00 01 00 FF FF FF FF
FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 00 00 00 00
CC 23 01 80 FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 00 00
FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 FF FF FF FF 00 00 00 00
FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 08 00 01 00
FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
00 00 00 00 CC 23 01 80 FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
FF FF 00 00 FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
FF FF FF FF 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 FF FF FF FF

@The_Ho If you or someone else would like to test and see if this fixes it, please do!