Getting the best N64 experience on a Pi 4

roslof

@ReadyPlayaWon, I just tested out an idea... It might work out for you:

For Doom 64, instead of the stand-alone emulator, use lr-mupen64plus-next. (the intro fly-over will be slower, but gameplay seems just fine)
Launch Doom 64
Select Shaders from the RetroArch Quick Menu
Load Shader Preset
Choose either the "Brighter-with_Contrast.glslp" shader preset or if you have the shaders_glsl shaders installed, better to install presets/retro-v2+image-adjustment.glslp (after selecting, you can tune this one with the Shader Parameters option)
Return to game

Note: There is a "Next" bug, where your game will probably run unthrottled and with no sound for a bit

Otherwise, like the brightness?

Return to Shaders Menu
Select "Save"
Save Game Preset (careful not to overwrite core or content directory, or all games will be affected, and you'll have to remove the shader later)
Quit the game
Relaunch the game

Still looks good? Win.

Cheers

ReadyPlayaWon

@roslof said in Getting the best N64 experience on a Pi 4:

For Doom 64, instead of the stand-alone emulator, use lr-mupen64plus-next

Unfortunately, that is not an option for me.

Performance is terrible and the game runs slow even at 320x240 and the graphics are corrupted (guns missing half the graphics, health and ammo indicators half way up the screen instead of being at the bottom)

using the same ROM file ... with mupen64plus-GLideN64

Performance is great, the game runs fine even at 1280x1024 and the graphics are not corrupted ... every is perfect except for it being too dark.

Zering

Would anybody have any suggestions on how to stop the sound from scratching and screeching in mupen64plus-GlideN64?
I'm attempting to play Sin and Punishment (great game), it runs full speed but the sound is an absolute mess. I've tested most of the N64 library and it seems to be one of the few games that is still affected in my experience.

Thanks guys.

AdamBeGood

@Zering said in Getting the best N64 experience on a Pi 4:

Would anybody have any suggestions on how to stop the sound from scratching and screeching in mupen64plus-GlideN64?
I'm attempting to play Sin and Punishment (great game), it runs full speed but the sound is an absolute mess. I've tested most of the N64 library and it seems to be one of the few games that is still affected in my experience.

Thanks guys.

There is a setting that helps sound, I just can't remember what it is.

Sorry to bother you, @quicksilver - but you told me this setting if I remember, it sorted out my explosion sounds on SotE I believe, and Mario Kart I think. I've tried to go back through posts but I'm struggling to find it.

shavecat

@AdamBeGood said in Getting the best N64 experience on a Pi 4:

sound

in your retrorach file in the n64 folder config
u have those
audio_resampler = "sinc"
audio_resampler_quality = "2"
change them too whatever u wanna , audio quality = 1/5 (1lowest 5 best).

Zering

@shavecat I'll try that, thanks.

Let's assume I pump up the audio resampler quality to 5, how is that going to affect my emulation speed wise?

shavecat

@Zering
Hope im right ;)
Just Try it and see ...

Zering

@shavecat Could you specify which path that file is supposed to be under? I can't seem to find the correct one.

shavecat

@Zering

Zering

@shavecat Thanks.
The sound still crackles despite a little bit of an improvement, but the change hasn't affected the speed in the least, so I'm putting that down as half a win. ^^
If anybody else has more suggestions I'm all ears!

PS. Has anybody managed to run Bangaii-O? It runs worse than any other game on my end.
Admittedly it works great on lr-flycast but I'd like to try the N64 version.

AdamBeGood

@Zering said in Getting the best N64 experience on a Pi 4:

@shavecat Thanks.
The sound still crackles despite a little bit of an improvement, but the change hasn't affected the speed in the least, so I'm putting that down as half a win. ^^
If anybody else has more suggestions I'm all ears!

PS. Has anybody managed to run Bangaii-O? It runs worse than any other game on my end.
Admittedly it works great on lr-flycast but I'd like to try the N64 version.

Stand down, @quicksilver !

The setting was RESAMPLE="trivial", that was the sound setting I changed.

I've only briefly tried Bangaii-O but it seemed okay, not sure what emulator I used though, I'd have to check.

Zering

@AdamBeGood Is that still in retroarch.cfg?

AdamBeGood

@Zering Nope mupen64plus.cfg, you are using the non Libretro core aren't you?

Zering

@AdamBeGood Of course.
The only game I'm using the libretro for is Ogre Battle 64, as I can't get past the first few minutes of the game in standalone mupen64.

EDIT : It worked! Thank you @AdamBeGood
Now I can finally enjoy this Treasure masterpiece <3

EDIT 2 : Can this 'trick' be applied to other systems that suffer from poor sound? I'm thinking of the Jaguar and the 3DO for example.

AdamBeGood

@Zering said in Getting the best N64 experience on a Pi 4:

@AdamBeGood Of course.
The only game I'm using the libretro for is Ogre Battle 64, as I can't get past the first few minutes of the game in standalone mupen64.

EDIT : It worked! Thank you @AdamBeGood
Now I can finally enjoy this Treasure masterpiece <3

EDIT 2 : Can this 'trick' be applied to other systems that suffer from poor sound? I'm thinking of the Jaguar and the 3DO for example.

On Edit 2 - not that I'm aware, I think it is specific to this emulator and system unfortunately. It should be the default on the core, I think.

Zering

@AdamBeGood I agree, I find bad sound to be more of a deal breaker than slow gameplay.
Shame about the other cares, while playing AvP on lr-virtual-jaguar I couldn't help but think it would be well served by a fix like that.

roslof

@Zering said in Getting the best N64 experience on a Pi 4:

Would anybody have any suggestions on how to stop the sound from scratching and screeching in mupen64plus-GlideN64?
I'm attempting to play Sin and Punishment (great game), it runs full speed but the sound is an absolute mess. I've tested most of the N64 library and it seems to be one of the few games that is still affected in my experience.

Thanks guys.

I know I'm late to the party here, but this runs really well with lr-mupen64plus. Seems to run perfectly.

If you couldn't find "Sin and Punishment" on my compatibility chart, it's because I used the optimized name "Tsumi to Batsu". I've since added the subtitle if people begin to search for the American name.

Zering

Just glancing over the list, and I just wanted to add that Conker runs fine for me on a stock Rpi4 with regular Glide.
However I'm surprised by some of your findings, ie. Mischief on Glide-Hires. It runs poorly on regular Glide, even after the invasion, and the gameplay is very sluggish. I'll check tonight on Hires but I'm finding it difficult to understand how it could run better on higher resolutions than on standard. If anybody could explain that that'd be grand.

roslof

@Zering said in Getting the best N64 experience on a Pi 4:

@shavecat Thanks.
The sound still crackles despite a little bit of an improvement, but the change hasn't affected the speed in the least, so I'm putting that down as half a win. ^^
If anybody else has more suggestions I'm all ears!

PS. Has anybody managed to run Bangaii-O? It runs worse than any other game on my end.
Admittedly it works great on lr-flycast but I'd like to try the N64 version.

Still catching up...

This game is listed on the compatibility list (as Bakuretsu Muteki Bangai-O). It's noted that this game starts off rough with the lr-mupen64plus emulator, but eventually recovers to full-speed. So if you don't mind being a smidge patient, the game will eventually play as expected.

Also, if you note any discrepancies between your reality and the list, please let me know, as I always want to keep it up to date.

Zering

@roslof It doesn't start off rough on my end, it starts off unplayable ^^ But I might try it, especially since I haven't actually tried to run it off the libretro core.
I'd add a couple of things to the list : Conker runs completely fine on a stock Rpi 4 with regular Glide, although rice is a mess.
On the other hand, I've had very little luck with Mischief Makers, but your list says it's fine on Glide-Hires. It was terrible on standard Glide, is it actually possible that the Hires plug-in works better for certain games? If anybody could explain that, that'd be grand.

Edit : Ogre Battle crashes every single time on Glide after you're done answering the guy's questions at the academy. The camera pans out and fades, and then it crashes.

Edit 2 : It's beautiful how much of this list is green now, the RPi3 compatibility chart was like a graveyard ^^

Edit 3 : Doom 64's intro runs full speed in Glide.