Feedback ROM Hack Contra 4 graphical glitches -- possible fix?

[retro_tastic]

Contra 4 has great graphics, but there is a glitch that is almost constantly visible -- you can notice screen tearing at the right edge of the upper screen when you move your character (and at the bottom of the upper screen when there is vertical scrolling). Is this something that could be possibly fixed by a patch?


Another graphical hick-up (admittedly, very tiny) is when the game pauses for loading, for instance, before a boss battle. I wonder whether it could be fixed to load stuff in the background without pausing in such situations...


 

[Kwyjor]

"Everything is theoretically impossible until it is done." -Robert A. Heinlein

I wonder whether it could be fixed to load stuff in the background without pausing in such situations...


The most straightforward solution might be to try running it at TWL clock speed in TWiLight Menu on a 3DS or DSi.

 

[Nutritocaldo]

Does that really bother you that much?

 

[retro_tastic]

Does that really bother you that much?

It is not like I cannot play it. But I think it would be interesting to bring this game to perfection -- as it is considered a true classic.

 

[Lostbhoy]

I don't know why we bother playing games in this ridiculous state lol

Is it a physical /real game? Are you running an emulator? If emulation speak to the devs of said emulator, if real, speak to Shigeru. He's snooping round here somewhere....

 

[retro_tastic]

Is it a physical /real game? Are you running an emulator? If emulation speak to the devs of said emulator, if real, speak to Shigeru. He's snooping round here somewhere....

It happens on the real hardware as well as with emulation.

 

[Lostbhoy]

It happens on the real hardware as well as with emulation.

Its hard coded into the og rom then. A quick Google doesn't find any fix however rom hacking.net would have your been best bet if a fix existed. Not saying there's definitely not one out there however pickins are slim these days for options.

 

[Kwyjor]

But I think it would be interesting to bring this game to perfection

You have no idea how to fix the problem, but you think it would be "interesting" to do it. How nice for you.

If you think it would be so interesting, perhaps you could start by doing the research yourself..?

 

[retro_tastic]

Sorry, I didn’t want to sound like I am trying to force someone to fix this. I dabbled in rom hacking but this looks like something more advanced. Does any expert on this forum know what could be the underlying cause / could give me some pointers? Regards

 

[Kwyjor]

One way to approach an insoluble problem is to find similar problems that can be solved.

Wayforward released a bunch of similar games for the DS. Do any of them have similar problems?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WayForward

As Contra 4 is one of their earlier DS games, it is entirely possible that they re-used much of the code and improved upon it in subsequent releases.