Retropie on Pie 3 (B). Weird glitch with Twisted Metal 3 and 4

Duxa

I just set up RetroPie this weekend, so all packages are latest.

I have tested quite a few games and all seem to run just fine (including Twisted Metal 2). However with Twisted Metal 3 and 4 I have this really strange issue.

The games run very smoothly, unless I get hit. Once I get hit there is a stutter. It can be me bumping into a wall or someone shooting me, regardless where or how. It seems like whenever I take damage i stutter. If I am good at dodging I can drive around for 10 minutes silky smooth FPS no stutering. When I shoot or when there are effects on the screen its still silky smooth. Its only when I take damage.

Has anyone encountered this before? Its same issue with both 3 and 4 (they probably use the same engine?).

Also when I say stutter, I mean the screen completely freezes for anywhere between 1 and 3 seconds. The framerate goes from full (30 or whatever max is) to 0 immediately, then back to max. No fluctuations.

I have tried both bin/cue and PBP formats, same exact behavior on both.

Additional Info:

Pi Model or other hardware: Pi 3 (B)
Power Supply used: 5v 3Amp
RetroPie Version Used: retropie-4.2-rpi2_rpi3.img.gz
Built From: Pre made SD Image on RetroPie website retropie-4.2-rpi2_rpi3.img.gz
USB Devices connected: 64GB USB storage
Controller used: PS3 Six Axis Dual Shock
Error messages received: None
Log found in /dev/shm/runcommand.log (if relevant): N/A
Emulator: default - lr-pcsx-rearmed
Attachment of config files: default
How to replicate the problem: Start Twisted Metal 3 or 4 as any car on any stage, get hit or run into a wall

Ive googled and searched here and have not encountered any mentions of this issue.

AlexMurphy

@Duxa I see you got no answers on the reddit sub. I assume you are talking about the PSX versions. Which emulator are you using? In fact you should really post all the requested info here before asking for assistance. Please do not post a support request without first reading and following the advice in https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first

Duxa

Hi sorry, Ill edit the post with extra info.

AlexMurphy

@Duxa A few things, first off I would try the standalone pcsx-reamrmed to see how they run. Maybe try a different BIOS as well and / or a combination of these changes. If you are getting the same behaviour on bin/cue and pbp formats it may well just be that the Pi can't handle the games, unfortunately. https://github.com/retropie/retropie-setup/wiki/Playstation-1

Duxa

@AlexMurphy

Hi thanks for the reply. I tried 1001 and 7001 BIOS, same behavior.

When I press a button during boot to bring up a menu where I can select an emulator to use there is only one listed. Do I need to install the one you recommended? If so is there a walk through for that? What I am using now was installed by default when putting retropie on the sd card.

As far as handling the games, I think its just a bug with the emulator. Because it does not lose framerate at any point, it goes from 30 or whatever the max is to 0, then back to 30 and only when the game is trying to play the sound of you getting hit. Its like it cant play that sound or something. I can be in the middle of a crazy battle with everything blowing up on the screen and it will be silky smooth full framerate as long as I dont get hit (I can hit others no problem).. but I can be staring at a wall by myself in the corner of a map with nothing on the screen and just bump it and FPS goes to 0 and it stutters.

Looking at top on rpi resources are sitting at like 20% (CPU/mem).

AlexMurphy

@Duxa To install standalone pcsx-rearmed go into the RetroPie Configuration Menu on ES. Select RetroPie Setup Script> Manage Packages > Manage Optional Packages > pcsx-rearmed>. Install from binary

Duxa

@AlexMurphy Thank you Ill try that and report back (tonight). Are there any other emulators I can try while at it for PS1 games?

AlexMurphy

@Duxa Not on the Pi. There is lr-beetle-psx but that is only for X86 machines.

Duxa

@AlexMurphy Ok thanks. Also I cant seem to find what the difference between lr-pcsx-rearmed and pcsx-rearmed is. The GitHub pages look almost identical. Do you know what the difference is?

mediamogul

@Duxa

I don't have these installed, as they are the two chapters in the 'Twisted Metal' franchise that weren't developed by Incognito Entertainment and don't really have the feel (level design and physics) of the earlier or later games. However, it could be that these games have rumble support that is behaving poorly in the emulator. You might look to see if turning off any settings for rumble would help in either the emulator or the actual games themselves.

Duxa

@mediamogul said in Retropie on Pie 3 (B). Weird glitch with Twisted Metal 3 and 4:

@Duxa

I don't have these installed, as they are the two chapters in 'Twisted Metal' that weren't developed by Incognito Entertainment and don't really have the feel (level design and physics) of the earlier or later games. However, it could be that these games have rumble support that is behaving poorly in the emulator. You might look to see if turning off any settings for rumble would help in either the emulator or the actual games themselves.

Great point! Ill check options when I get home. Would make sense why it doesnt stutter when I hit others (which presumably plays the same sound) because my controller wouldnt vibrate when hitting them... Ill definitely check this one out!

And yeah I agree... Twisted Metal 2 is the best; however because I never really played 3 and 4 thats why I want them on my retropie... to finally maybe play them... they do look A LOT nicer graphically than 2.

While were at it, I saw that there is a way to enable the Analog Sticks on the controller via config item; however it said that if the game came out before analog sticks then controls wont work at all. is there a way to just duplicate D-Pad input with left analog stick so that even the games that dont officially support analog stick would work?

mediamogul

@Duxa

however because I never really played 3 and 4 thats why I want them on my retropie.

As Incognito Entertainment have stated themselves, "They're good combat driving games, just not good 'Twisted Metal' games."

Edit: Admittedly, they're more than a little biased on the subject though. ;)

is there a way to just duplicate D-Pad input with left analog stick so that even the games that dont officially support analog stick would work?

There is indeed, I'm away from my setup at the moment, but I'm sure someone will note the relevant settings here soon.

AlexMurphy

@Duxa I'm not totally familiar with the exact differences between the 2 emus. One is a standalone, the other is a Libretro (RetroArch) core. They no doubt have similar core code but may have differing defaults and optimisations. Worth a try. You can map an analogue stick to behave as a D-Pad in the RetroArch cores by accessing the rgui in-game.

Duxa

Yup confirmed, it was rumble. After turning off rumble in game's option no more issue.