Hacking Nintendont

[niuus]

After a few days of messing around with it and seeing it's a long-standing issue with seemingly no fix - posts here along with other places online going back almost a decade - I can confirm Midway Arcade Treasures 2 will work past the legal screen but only if you enable memory card emulation.

My dump was verified against the Redump hashes so I knew the issue was one of the config options. After loading the disc in Dolphin and seeing a memory card prompt immediately after the legal screen, I figured it was likely a memory card issue - which it was! If you try and use a physical memory card (mine is an official Nintendo one with zero issues in any other games so it's not that which is the problem) then the game will just hang on a black screen.

I'm on a PAL Wii which could be the underlying issue with why this game doesn't typically work, but then the reports of a black screen in Nintendont for this title are widespread.

It's not the PAL console. From my tests with Midway Arcade Treasures 2:
- No MC emulation. No Memory Card inserted. May or may not hang after the legal screen, but most of the time I got to the MC prompt. Hangs if you go back to the title selection from any game, same if you press reset.
- No MC emulation. Memory Card inserted. Hangs past the legal screen.

Now, keep in mind that using the GCN BIOS may change compatibility sometimes, I have had this happen before. When you use the file:
- No MC emulation. No Memory Card inserted. Works normally.
- No MC emulation. Have the Memory Card plugged in before loading the game on Nintendont. Works normally.
- No MC emulation. If you plug the Memory Card on the game's prompt, it hangs after pressing Retry on the title selection screen.

 

[skttrbrain]

It's not the PAL console. From my tests with Midway Arcade Treasures 2:
- No MC emulation. No Memory Card inserted. May or may not hang after the legal screen, but most of the time I got to the MC prompt. Hangs if you go back to the title selection from any game, same if you press reset.
- No MC emulation. Memory Card inserted. Hangs past the legal screen.

Now, keep in mind that using the GCN BIOS may change compatibility sometimes, I have had this happen before. When you use the file:
- No MC emulation. No Memory Card inserted. Works normally.
- No MC emulation. Have the Memory Card plugged in before loading the game on Nintendont. Works normally.
- No MC emulation. If you plug the Memory Card on the game's prompt, it hangs after pressing Retry on the title selection screen.

I really appreciate this post. The Midway Arcade Treasures Gamecube ports were only ever released in North America (Xbox and PS2 got PAL releases too) so it felt obvious that the region could be a reason but it was beyond my testing. When looking for assistance in getting past the black screen I saw that some did get past it (helpfully they didn't specify how) but then went on to experience some bizarre timing issues in the included games themselves, issues which apparently didn't happen when played on their Gamecube consoles.
I think we'll just have to chalk this title up to being a port with some strange code in it.. it'd be far from the first!

 

[niuus]

When looking for assistance in getting past the black screen I saw that some did get past it (helpfully they didn't specify how)

Not surprised . Some people can and will be weird.

I think we'll just have to chalk this title up to being a port with some strange code in it.. it'd be far from the first!

Yeah, that's correct. Had a weird error with Alien Hominid yesterday on the last stage, citing a source code .h file on the error screen, while the music played on the background, don't know if this happens on the Gamecube. Funny enough, there are also some shenanigans going on with the games when loading them from compilations made on DVD-R, that do not happen when using SD/USB.

 

[marioxb]

I just got an official Logitech Speed Force GameCube steering wheel (with pedals and AC adapter). I was under the impression it would work on Nintendont on Wii U with my Mayflash GCN adapter. I guess this is not the case? Not sure why we can have PS3 and other controllers working, but not an official GCN controller on a GCN game (F-Zero GX was my test game, since I know its compatible with the wheel). Has anyone gotten the wheel to work on a Wii U? I don't have a GameCube or Wii anymore to test and make sure my wheel is functional. It also doesn't work on Switch or PC using the same Mayflash adapter, but I'm not sure if that's because the wheel only works with certain games.

Secondly, since PS3 controllers are compatible, is there any way to get a Logitech PS3 wheel to be emulated as a GameCube Logitech wheel, complete with force feedback on GCN Logitech compatible games?

 

[Extrems]

The Logitech Speed Force uses a different protocol from standard controllers, so the adapter would need to have explicit support for it.

 

[ccfman2004]

When using the MayFlash adapter on PC you need to make sure that the switch is set to PC. When using it on the Wii/Wii U it needs to be set to Wii U mode.

 

[marioxb]

The Logitech Speed Force uses a different protocol from standard controllers, so the adapter would need to have explicit support for it.

I suppose that makes sense, and explains why the Mad Katz MC2 wheel (GameCube port) works fine on Wii U, since it just emulates a regular controller, unlike the Logitech wheel. Maybe one day some smart programmers would like to add support for the Logitech wheel? I assume similarly, there is no support for PS3 steering wheels?

When using the MayFlash adapter on PC you need to make sure that the switch is set to PC. When using it on the Wii/Wii U it needs to be set to Wii U mode.

Yeah I tried both on PC, but just plugged it in to see if the wheel would be detected. I didn't try to play anything with it, as it didn't seem to be detected.

 

[pedro702]

I suppose that makes sense, and explains why the Mad Katz MC2 wheel works fine on Wii U. Maybe one day some smart programmers would like to add support for the wheel? I assume similarly, there is no support for PS3 steering wheels?



Yeah I tried both on PC, but just plugged it in to see if the wheel would be detected. I didn't try to play anything with it, as it didn't seem to be detected.

ps3 controllers work becuase they are hid controllers... any hid controller can work as long as you make an ini for them, so if there are hid steering whell out there i have no idea, and even if they existed you would have to make an ini for yourself.

 

[Misunderstood Wookie]

Palying with Classic Controller and Wii U game pad I find some games have swapped A and B button mappings.
I wish to fix this and re-map so that it matches the game UI.

Now from reading docs I can see this may not be possible since they are not USB connected and this will not use the controller mappings ini files.
I have not looked yet if you can change it from the nintendon't configs but I do think I can do it from rebuilding the source modified with changed native controller mappings.

Should I rebuild the source with the changes or can this be patched easily by someone and changed file sent to me to rebuild?

 

[godreborn]

Palying with Classic Controller and Wii U game pad I find some games have swapped A and B button mappings.
I wish to fix this and re-map so that it matches the game UI.

Now from reading docs I can see this may not be possible since they are not USB connected and this will not use the controller mappings ini files.
I have not looked yet if you can change it from the nintendon't configs but I do think I can do it from rebuilding the source modified with changed native controller mappings.

Should I rebuild the source with the changes or can this be patched easily by someone and changed file sent to me to rebuild?

pretty sure you have to recompile the source. I could try to compile it for you with the changes. I know where the gamepad ones are (drc), but I've never looked for the classic controller's.

 

[pedro702]

Palying with Classic Controller and Wii U game pad I find some games have swapped A and B button mappings.
I wish to fix this and re-map so that it matches the game UI.

Now from reading docs I can see this may not be possible since they are not USB connected and this will not use the controller mappings ini files.
I have not looked yet if you can change it from the nintendon't configs but I do think I can do it from rebuilding the source modified with changed native controller mappings.

Should I rebuild the source with the changes or can this be patched easily by someone and changed file sent to me to rebuild?

you can press the minus button (-) to swap the face buttons not sure if they will go your way but you can try this.

 

[godreborn]

I made the changes and recompiled. tested both classic controller and gamepad, and B and A are now swapped.

 

[Misunderstood Wookie]

I made the changes and recompiled. tested both classic controller and gamepad, and B and A are now swapped.

you can press the minus button (-) to swap the face buttons not sure if they will go your way but you can try this.

Thanks you both
I was going to have a crack at rebuilding the source this weekend as I have a Native Linux shell running in windows.

 

[marioxb]

The Logitech Speed Force uses a different protocol from standard controllers, so the adapter would need to have explicit support for it.

Alright, so I my old Wii is in storage a few states away, so I picked up an old junker Wii that doesn't play discs well. I used letter bomb and modded it. The GC Logitech wheel works great on F-Zero GX through Nintendont. Love it! This is the first time I've ever used a Logitech wheel. Sadly (as I pretty much expected), it doesn't work on the three Triforce racing games: F-Zero AX, and Mario Kart Arcade GP 1 and 2. Is there any way to play these 3 games with a steering wheel and force feedback on a Wii? I know the Logitech Speed Force only works on certain games (about 20) and other games simply don't detect it at all. I know they can be played with GC wheels such as the Mad Katz MC2, which get detected as a normal controller. Maybe some PC or PS3 wheels as well. But what about force feedback? Anyone figure out a way to have that working on Triforce games on Nintendont (or Dolphin for that matter)?

 

[Nomado]

I made the changes and recompiled. tested both classic controller and gamepad, and B and A are now swapped.

I tried this and it works good. Thanks. Pressing minus changes B from Y to A; Y from X to Y; X from A to X on Wii U Pro Controller. A on B button stays unchanged. Is there a way to disable minus on Wii U Gamepad, Wii U Pro Controller or Wii Classic Controller or can pressing minus just revert them like before but start with Minus pressed like your changes?

Or is my controller at fault here with buttons shuffling like this?

 

[godreborn]

I tried this and it works good. Thanks. Pressing minus changes B from Y to A; Y from X to Y; X from A to X on Wii U Pro Controller. A on B button stays unchanged. Is there a way to disable minus on Wii U Gamepad, Wii U Pro Controller or Wii Classic Controller or can pressing minus just revert them like before but start with Minus pressed like your changes?

Or is my controller at fault here with buttons shuffling like this?

I'm not sure on that one. before pedro, iirc, mentioned it, I didn't even know that that button did that.

 

[godreborn]

I think I found the code for that. please test this. I only changed the minus button press button of A and B or swapped them rather:

 

[godreborn]

@Nomado , above post. btw, it's only swapped on the gamepad.

 

[godreborn]

@Nomado , I realized I made two buttons B and maybe two buttons Y. here's it fixed along with the button configuration of how it was with B and A swapped for both gamepad and wii classic controller and plus. I also changed the minus button press for both. let me know if it works.

 

[elpapadelospollitos]

Is it possible to adjust the analog deadzones for the gamepad? At least double from default, my left stick drifts a lot.

I searched for the control.ini but I couldn't find one for the gamepad, just for external controllers