Irem Arcade Hits for PC - R-Type Leo, Air Duel etc.

[PepsimanVsJoe]

Oh I've started looking at various Irem arcade games including the ones on this compilation over here: http://pepsimanvsjoe.blogspot.com/2009/ ... ation.html
Any feedback would be appreciated but I'm trying to write reviews not Hardcoregaming101 articles. Uh..I guess just let me know about any glaring errors and if I missed some feature or aspect of the games that would effect the review. I honestly haven't played a lot of Irem's library(I pretty much wrote them off in the past due to my hatred of R-Type).

Undercover Cops is really awesome btw. All beatemup fans should check it out(JPN version of course).

[Observer]

Well, I'll be checking out this soon because I won the compilation during the random retweet contest dotemu did two days ago. (I STILL can't believe it, jeez)

I pointed them to this thread so they can check all the suggestions but I hope Ghegs already did the same. I'm always glad to see efforts on the PC so I always try to promote and recommend these.

edit: I'm having a serious issue with the sound in all the games.

It comes super-choppy and full of stuttering, did anyone experience anything similar?

[Ghegs]

Just got this e-mail, new version is released and they've done most of the updates we've asked for already!

Please find below the list of fixes and enhancements :
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Game options are now saved
- GUI is now compatible with netbook 1024x600 resolution
- Added support for vertical screens (90° and 270°) rotation
- Added for choosing "number of lives" in game options
- Added autofire to supported games : Air Duel, Battle Chopper, Dragon Breed, Cosmic Cop, Image Fight, Mystic Riders, R-TYPE Leo, In The Hunt
- Fixed character names in Undercover Cops game description
- Fixed In The Hunt game description
- Global performance improvement(s)
- Default difficulty and lives to "normal" settings

Known issues in Update 1:
---------------------------------------
- Some games still run too slow on very low-end netbooks (Atom N230 / N270). This will be addressed in Update 2, which is planned during January 2011.

Awesome.

[MathU]

So can anyone tell me if you can indeed run everything off this collection right through MAME yet?

[Ghegs]

Should've tested the new version first, but I was unable to when I received the e-mail. The autofire is implemented rather strangely - instead of what we're used to (having the autofire on the normal fire button or a separate button), activating the autofire simply makes the player fire all the time, except when the fire button isn't being pressed. Which is of course rather problematic for inserting initials, choosing ships in Air Duel and so on...and it just feels unnatural. And I'm not sure why it isn't available for all the games, I'd sure like autofire in my Gun Force II.

I sent an e-mail to them asking about these things. I also asked if having Japanese versions as well in the collection would be a possibility.

That said, the other changes make the collection pretty damn sweet and I can always just use XPadder to get my autofire on if I need to.

[Ghegs]

And once again, a very quick response:

We are doing final double-checks on legal for Japanese/Alpha versions of UC, and it should be okay to do so.
Howver, as you can guess, it was not possible in such a short time frame to hook it up.

We are therefore thinking about either adding Japanese version of UC in Update 2, or replacing the current version by the "Alpha version".
Update 2 is planned in January 2010, as we stated in the changelog.

I will forward your remarks about autofire implementation details to the main developer.
That's definitely a behaviour we can upgrade/change in U2.

Thank you again for your feedback and support !
It's great to get some, especially since we've been hurt damn painfully by piracy.

Sounds very, very good.

[Limbrooke]

And once again, a very quick response:

We are doing final double-checks on legal for Japanese/Alpha versions of UC, and it should be okay to do so.
Howver, as you can guess, it was not possible in such a short time frame to hook it up.

We are therefore thinking about either adding Japanese version of UC in Update 2, or replacing the current version by the "Alpha version".
Update 2 is planned in January 2010, as we stated in the changelog.

I will forward your remarks about autofire implementation details to the main developer.
That's definitely a behaviour we can upgrade/change in U2.

Thank you again for your feedback and support !
It's great to get some, especially since we've been hurt damn painfully by piracy.

Sounds very, very good.

Double very good. Based on updates they've already done this is looking like a solid deal as far as getting the collection up to par. Should be a worthy purchase come 2011.

[Drum]

Good to know they're serious about this, and so quick.

If anybody involved in the collection is reading this: Thanks a whole lot for providing this. I've discovered and enjoyed a lot of these titles via emulation and it's awesome to finally be able to go legit - these are great games and they deserve this treatment.

[Observer]

Found about this today and, yes, besides the autofire, the rest of the changes are sweet and it's really starting to feel like a more complete pack. The addition of TATE modes is seriously welcomed.

I could use an extra scanlines option, something to make them even more visible.

I don't know if I'm the only one with the sound issues but it's a problem that seems to come and go randomly, I don't understand this one...

Other than that, by the speed of response alone I'm more than happy with these guys. Hope they keep up with the good work.

[Jeneki]

Nice update. I'll pick this up for sure when I get home tonight.

[PepsimanVsJoe]

Yeah the piracy concerns really bug me.
I noticed that a few of the people who read my blog were googling for irem arcade hits cracks.
It's a $10 release for crying out loud.

It's really great that there have been solid updates in such a short time and so much communication. I wish console game updates were this speedy.

[jochen]

A nice dream - this collection on PS2, Wii or maybe even the Dreamcast.

[Dave_K.]

So can anyone tell me if you can indeed run everything off this collection right through MAME yet?

This would be nice if true, essentially being a $10 home license to the original roms (similar to the Williams Arcade Classics PC-CD). So no more excuse that A) companies aren't making profit off these roms anymore, and B) there is no legal way to play these games in mame without owning the PCB.

I noticed that a few of the people who read my blog were googling for irem arcade hits cracks.

And then this happens.

[The Coop]

So can anyone tell me if you can indeed run everything off this collection right through MAME yet?

Nope.

I checked out the ROM zips, and they look to have been redone. As an example, R-Type Leo has CPU1.BIN, CPU2.BIN, CPU2D.BIN, GFX1.BIN, GFX2.BIN, and SOUND.BIN in there. Needless to say, they don't open in MAME.

[The Coop]

Okay, I'm getting a little pissed off now.

When I first started playing this compilation, everything was fine. Now, every game's sound stutters like crazy, and the games are running slower. Doesn't matter if it's full screen or windowed, V-sync on or off, triple buffering on or off... it all stutters. It was fine six hours ago. Any ideas as to what happened?

[Observer]

It's the same problem I'm having. At first I thought it was a random bug because it all worked nice. Now everything stutters like hell... Glad to see I'm not the only one with that issue.

I get the feeling that the moving background when you enter the menu/pause is somewhat causing these problems because it flickers and behaves really weird.

[MathU]

So can anyone tell me if you can indeed run everything off this collection right through MAME yet?

Nope.

I checked out the ROM zips, and they look to have been redone. As an example, R-Type Leo has CPU1.BIN, CPU2.BIN, CPU2D.BIN, GFX1.BIN, GFX2.BIN, and SOUND.BIN in there. Needless to say, they don't open in MAME.

Well that's disappointing. I'll have no problem with it though if they can manage to emulate them well without problems and with a reasonable amount of features.

[BPzeBanshee]

Okay, I'm getting a little pissed off now.

When I first started playing this compilation, everything was fine. Now, every game's sound stutters like crazy, and the games are running slower. Doesn't matter if it's full screen or windowed, V-sync on or off, triple buffering on or off... it all stutters. It was fine six hours ago. Any ideas as to what happened?

Is there multiple forms of it showing in Task Manager's process list or anything like that?

[The Coop]

Okay, I'm getting a little pissed off now.

When I first started playing this compilation, everything was fine. Now, every game's sound stutters like crazy, and the games are running slower. Doesn't matter if it's full screen or windowed, V-sync on or off, triple buffering on or off... it all stutters. It was fine six hours ago. Any ideas as to what happened?

Is there multiple forms of it showing in Task Manager's process list or anything like that?

Nope. Just the menu launcher and a single instance of whichever game I chose. I've even tried starting a game without using the launcher, and the sound still stutters.

[BPzeBanshee]

Okay, I'm getting a little pissed off now.

When I first started playing this compilation, everything was fine. Now, every game's sound stutters like crazy, and the games are running slower. Doesn't matter if it's full screen or windowed, V-sync on or off, triple buffering on or off... it all stutters. It was fine six hours ago. Any ideas as to what happened?

Is there multiple forms of it showing in Task Manager's process list or anything like that?

Nope. Just the menu launcher and a single instance of whichever game I chose. I've even tried starting a game without using the launcher, and the sound still stutters.

Sounds very strange, that sort of problem tells me that there is something clogging up the performance of the program. You using an Intel GMA graphics card or something crappy like a netbook?

[The Coop]

Sounds very strange, that sort of problem tells me that there is something clogging up the performance of the program. You using an Intel GMA graphics card or something crappy like a netbook?

Desktop PC, Nvidia 7800GS Overclocked, Pentium 4 3.00GHz, 2GB of PC3200 RAM, Realtek AC97 sound, Dell 60Hz monitor at 1920x1080 native reso. All drivers are up to date.

It may not be the most powerful PC to be sure, but if it ran the compilation fine in the beginning, that shouldn't change abruptly.

[BPzeBanshee]

Sounds very strange, that sort of problem tells me that there is something clogging up the performance of the program. You using an Intel GMA graphics card or something crappy like a netbook?

Desktop PC, Nvidia 7800GS Overclocked, Pentium 4 3.00GHz, 2GB of PC3200 RAM, Realtek AC97 sound, Dell 60Hz monitor at 1920x1080 native reso. All drivers are up to date.

It may not be the most powerful PC to be sure, but if it ran the compilation fine in the beginning, that shouldn't change abruptly.

Yeah, the specs seem perfectly up-to-scratch for something like this, so whatever's hogging the usage must be big indeed.
I don't own the collection but I'd say it could be a memory leak in the program itself from being a new release. Can anyone get a hold of the older version and check the RAM usage to confirm this?

[The Coop]

Well, I'm definitely feeling like I just pissed $15 down the drain. The thing worked fine for an hour this afternoon, then I closed the program as I had to leave. I start it back up an hour ago, and it's stuttering like crazy again. I've gotten to play it for about two hours total so far, with the rest of the time just me swearing and closing the window because it's stuttering from the get go (though oddly enough, the launcher music doesn't stutter).

[Ghegs]

Did you ask the Dotemu guys what it could be about?

[The Coop]

That I did. It's supposedly being addressed in patch #2. However, they gave no insights as to exactly what could be causing it, beyond saying that my P4 was a bit weak and likely the cause.


Edit: MOTHER FU...

I got to play Cosmic Cop and Gun Force 2 a couple times each just now. I fired up R-Type Leo, and it was stuttering again... that fast. I went back to CC and GF2... AND THEY WERE STUTTERING AGAIN!

I've owned this thing for four days and I've hardly gotten to play it. This is bordering on being infuriating.

[BPzeBanshee]

That I did. It's supposedly being addressed in patch #2. However, they gave no insights as to exactly what could be causing it, beyond saying that my P4 was a bit weak and likely the cause.


Edit: MOTHER FU...

I got to play Cosmic Cop and Gun Force 2 a couple times each just now. I fired up R-Type Leo, and it was stuttering again... that fast. I went back to CC and GF2... AND THEY WERE STUTTERING AGAIN!

I've owned this thing for four days and I've hardly gotten to play it. This is bordering on being infuriating.

I think you should try some other games besides Irem Arcade Hits before you throw the kitchen sink at it, a computer that behaves that way would tell me that its CPU is dying or some weird crap like that. If other games that have previously worked fullspeed started slowing down for performance your problem may only be just beginning.

[Observer]

The Coop:

Again, I can confirm you are not alone in this. Don't go crazy. It's not your CPU, I have an AMD 64 X2 and a computer under Windows XP SP and it's doing the same damn thing. Stutters like crazy and I really want to play In the Hunt as, the few times I tried it, the game ran super smooth. At first I thought I messed up with my sound settings but this pack is the only one doing this out of the 100 games I have installed on this comp.

I really get the feeling that it is the embedded animated background they put when you pause the games. That thing looks truly buggy and should definitely NOT move!

Hopefully, they respond fast and show signs of improvements and patching. You don't see this frequently...

Like they said, play something else (KETSUI/ESPGALUDA/DDP-DOJ TIEM) and come back once it's fixed.

[burgerkingdiamond]

So it's download only? Gay. I would have likely bought it as a disc release with a nice little package and whatnot. But to pay to download games that I already have in MAME isn't gonna happen.

[The Coop]

Did a few tests based on BPzeBanshee's comments...

DOSBox (with Ultimate Doom and Quake)- fine. MAME (with GunForce 2 and In the Hunt)- fine. Taito Legends- fine. Taito Legends 2- fine. F.E.A.R.- fine. F.E.A.R. 2- fine. Flatout 2- fine. Tyiran 2000 (from GOG using its pre-programmed version of DOSBox)- fine. Resident Evil 5- fine. Dragon Age: Origins- fine.

I'm very much doubting it's my CPU getting ready to die, if those more demanding games are running as they always have. Something definitely seems wrong with the compilation, but the $64,000 question is... what?



Observer- I've got a pair of questions for you, if you don't mind...

1) Did you contact the DotEMU folks about your issue as well?
2) What kind of sound are you using? Is it on-board (like my Realtek AC97) or a sound card?

[nZero]

I think you should try some other games besides Irem Arcade Hits before you throw the kitchen sink at it, a computer that behaves that way would tell me that its CPU is dying or some weird crap like that. If other games that have previously worked fullspeed started slowing down for performance your problem may only be just beginning.

No need for the FUD. A dying CPU generally results in crashing (flip a random bit during address generation? you'd better believe that's gonna crash the system), failure to consistently boot, or otherwise much stranger errors than stuttering (which is usually software or driver related, or sometimes a hard disk on the way out in the case of constant random stuttering).