Can anyone make Alcon 2020 work on Amstrad CPC/GX4000?

[JimmyFromTheBay]

Alcon 2020 is a free legal download from here:

https://abalore.com/alcon2020.html

It's a fantastic homebrew re-port of a game better known as Slap Fight, but in both lr-mess-system-cpc6128p-cart and lr-mess-gx4000 it always seems to crash halfway through the first stage (usually at Area 1-11, although it can happen anywhere between 1-10 and 1-13).

It doesn't work at all in lr-caprice32 as that doesn't support cartridge games.

I've tried jiggling every setting I can think of and I've gotten nowhere.

[testudo]

@JimmyFromTheBay

No luck. I even tried on lr-caprice32 using Para DOS(ENGPADOS) so I could use the cartridge.

Really nice game though!

[Folly]

@JimmyFromTheBay

I did have the same freez in mame-cpc6128p-cart when I was in 1.10 .
Tried some slider cpu underclock settings in mame but then it crashes earlier.
So perhaps a bit overclocking will make it better.

Perhaps an idea to contact them about the issue (email is here) :
https://abalore.com/

[JimmyFromTheBay]

@Folly said in Can anyone make Alcon 2020 work on Amstrad CPC/GX4000?:

@JimmyFromTheBay

I did have the same freez in mame-cpc6128p-cart when I was in 1.10 .
Tried some slider cpu underclock settings in mame but then it crashes earlier.
So perhaps a bit overclocking will make it better.

Oh my word, he's only gone and solved it! It never occurred to me that that would be the issue.

I set the overclocking to 50 and it crashed within a second or two of starting the game. At 100 it crashed in the usual place, but at 150 it seems to be working flawlessly (been to 1-37 so far with no crashes).

Brilliant work, cheers!

[Folly]

@JimmyFromTheBay

Perfect ;-)

[Folly]

@testudo said in Can anyone make Alcon 2020 work on Amstrad CPC/GX4000?:

@JimmyFromTheBay

No luck. I even tried on lr-caprice32 using Para DOS(ENGPADOS) so I could use the cartridge.

How did you use that Para DOS ?
If you are able to load .cpr files with that, don't you have to increase the ram in the core-options to make room for the cartridge ?

[Folly]

@testudo

I found some more information about lr-caprice32.

Seems it does support .cpr files in some way :
https://docs.libretro.com/library/caprice32/

Testing the file will indeed fail with an error.
The runcommand.log explains that you have to put the model to CPC6128+.
I edited (6128+) in the retroarch-cor-options.cfg file, though it will not stick.
When changing it via the retroarch menu it will stick now.
The retroarch-cor-options.cfg will now give :
cap32_model = "6128+ (experimental)"
So when you add that manually it should stick.
Now it looks obvious that .cpr support is somewhat experimental because support for the 6128+ is also experimental.

One other problem I found is that I had double options in the retroarch-cor-options.cfg file.
Seems older version used partly capitalized options.
So I removed them to be sure they were no issue.

So part of the error is now gone with testing a .cpr in lr-caprice32, though the game will sadly still not run.

[testudo]

@Folly said in Can anyone make Alcon 2020 work on Amstrad CPC/GX4000?:

@testudo

I found some more information about lr-caprice32.

Seems it does support .cpr files in some way :
https://docs.libretro.com/library/caprice32/

Testing the file will indeed fail with an error.
The runcommand.log explains that you have to put the model to CPC6128+.
I edited (6128+) in the retroarch-cor-options.cfg file, though it will not stick.
When changing it via the retroarch menu it will stick now.
The retroarch-cor-options.cfg will now give :
cap32_model = "6128+ (experimental)"
So when you add that manually it should stick.
Now it looks obvious that .cpr support is somewhat experimental because support for the 6128+ is also experimental.

One other problem I found is that I had double options in the retroarch-cor-options.cfg file.
Seems older version used partly capitalized options.
So I removed them to be sure they were no issue.

So part of the error is now gone with testing a .cpr in lr-caprice32, though the game will sadly still not run.

@Folly

IGNORE THIS POST. I AM AN IDIOT. JUST REALIZED I WAS LOADING THE PARADOS FILE WITH lr-mess and not lr-caprice32

To load a cartridge on lr-caprice32 in regular cpc128 mode (not +), I followed a @JimmyFromTheBay post on how to get Frogger to load, but with a little twist as modified in the original instructions below:
@jimmyfromthebay ParaDos instructions

"Get a copy of ParaDOS, which I believe is legally available from here:
http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/ParaDOS

Extract ENGPADOS.CPR and put it in your CPC ROMs folder. You don't need the other files from the zip.

Load ENGPADOS.CPR from EmulationStation, and choose <lr-caprice32> as your emulator from the Runcommand options."

When the PARADOS screen loads, Hit <Tab> and scroll to File Manager, hit <ENTER> and then scroll to the cartridge (cart) field (where you should see ENGPADOS.CPR is listed) and press <ENTER> to bring up your ROM directory.

Scroll through your ROM directory to find the cartridge file you want to load, in this case alcon2020v1.0.zip and press <ENTER>.

You should now see the file you selected (alcon2020v1.0.cpr) populating the cartridge (cart) field as the active [FILE]. Scroll to/highlight the [FILE}]and press <ENTER> to load your cartridge file.

The game should load

[Folly]

@testudo

I don't want to disappoint you but I don't think you have to use parados to get Alcon2020 to work like this in lr-mess running cpc6128p, in my opinion.
You see both are cartridge files, you just swap parados for Alcon2020, so the computer ejects parados, inserts Alcon2020, resets and runs Alcon2020, don't you agree ?
Explained a bit better you don't even use parados in this process , if you know what I mean.

I also read the parados manual quickly.
Looks like is only used for running High capacity disks, cartridges aren't mentioned.

For a test I did run ENGPADOS.CPR with lr-caprice32 (using experimental 6128+) and it does run, so lr-caprice32 does support cartridge files to some degree.
Not sure if we can use it for high capacity disks with parados on lr-caprice32, this way, though.

[testudo]

@Folly
I think you missed my edit disclaimer. I completely didn't realize I was running PARADOS from lr-mess. So alcon2020 was running on lr-mess, even with the default set to lr-caprice32.

Concur, no need for PRADOS on lr-mess or MAME. Same issues trying to run with lr-caprice32 in cpc1628+ experiential model selected you experienced.

[Folly]

@testudo said in Can anyone make Alcon 2020 work on Amstrad CPC/GX4000?:

I think you missed my edit disclaimer.

Yes, I did ;-)

Concur, no need for PRADOS on lr-mess or MAME. Same issues trying to run with lr-caprice32 in cpc1628+ experiential model selected you experienced.

Ok, so we are on the same level now.