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NEC PC-Engine/SuperGrafx => PC Engine/SuperGrafx Discussion => Topic started by: Digi.k on June 15, 2011, 04:36:25 AM
Title: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: Digi.k on June 15, 2011, 04:36:25 AM
ooookay... So lately I've been itching to play this game for a while (since I have great fondness for this game considering it practically sold me on the pc engine and was one of the first games I purchased alongside my spanking cute console back in 1987) so inserting the game into console behold.. I was greeted with a black screen.. :o
This only seems to happen with this particular title all the other hucards seem fine.. so thinking that this particular card has died (and trying this on another pc engine and still having no luck) .. I pop onto ebay and purchase another.
about 2 weeks have passed and a new copy arrives... pop it into the console and guess what? a black screen appears.. :(
Black screen of death ?? (http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a348/kwoksta/P1010240.jpg)
anyway.. while switching between the pc engine's and inserting the yokai game guess what.. upon powering up the title appears, "YAY! SUCCESS"!.. (http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a348/kwoksta/P1010243.jpg)
So I plug in my multi tap and to my shock.. the screen goes black... unplug the multi tap the screen re-appears.. so I try it with the single controller and hey presto it works..
What is with this title and having compatibility with this particular multi tap?? I can't try it with any other since this is the only "tap" I have. Yokai Dochuki seems to be the ONLY game that has issues with a multi tap (I tried it with other early Namco games world court tennis, galaga 88, dragon spirit which all seem to run fine)so beware folks...
this is a NO! NO! for Yokai D!! (http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a348/kwoksta/P1010239.jpg)
End of rant.. Back to the monster's path
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: apachacha on June 15, 2011, 05:39:38 AM
That's kinda odd.
As for the game: I have never been able to get through the level with the three bosses, except for the first the other two always kill me.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: Tatsujin on June 15, 2011, 05:43:48 AM
This tab looks approx. 93% new!
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: Arkhan on June 15, 2011, 06:31:09 AM
what happens if you fire the game up with NOTHING plugged in ? :D
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: Mednafen on June 15, 2011, 06:54:03 AM
Youkai Douchuuki has a near-fatal(it's a wonder it works at all) bug in its startup code; it JSRs before setting the MPR for 0x2000-0x3FFF to 0xF8, sets the MPR to 0xF8, and then RTS's to who-knows-where on the real system, presumably executing a BRK sooner or later which calls the startup code again(the vectors used for reset and BRK contain the same addresses in the game) with the 0x2000-0x3FFF MPR valid this time.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: roflmao on June 15, 2011, 07:11:20 AM
Gesundheit. :D
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: Keranu on June 15, 2011, 08:21:17 AM
Youkai Douchuuki has a near-fatal(it's a wonder it works at all) bug in its startup code; it JSRs before setting the MPR for 0x2000-0x3FFF to 0xF8, sets the MPR to 0xF8, and then RTS's to who-knows-where on the real system, presumably executing a BRK sooner or later which calls the startup code again(the vectors used for reset and BRK contain the same addresses in the game) with the 0x2000-0x3FFF MPR valid this time.
I officialy understoon absolutely nothing.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: Arkhan on June 15, 2011, 09:52:43 AM
Youkai Douchuuki has a near-fatal(it's a wonder it works at all) bug in its startup code; it JSRs before setting the MPR for 0x2000-0x3FFF to 0xF8, sets the MPR to 0xF8, and then RTS's to who-knows-where on the real system, presumably executing a BRK sooner or later which calls the startup code again(the vectors used for reset and BRK contain the same addresses in the game) with the 0x2000-0x3FFF MPR valid this time.
*facepalm* I loled. Thats pretty great.
in lamens terms:
They went full retard.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: nat on June 15, 2011, 01:02:12 PM
Youkai Douchuuki has a near-fatal(it's a wonder it works at all) bug in its startup code; it JSRs before setting the MPR for 0x2000-0x3FFF to 0xF8, sets the MPR to 0xF8, and then RTS's to who-knows-where on the real system, presumably executing a BRK sooner or later which calls the startup code again(the vectors used for reset and BRK contain the same addresses in the game) with the 0x2000-0x3FFF MPR valid this time.
Nice to know there's a technical explanation for this, not that I understand anything you said.
I currently own three copies of the game because I thought I got a bunk copy two times in a row, before I figured out all three work on my GT, just not my SuperGrafx or Duo.
What a f*cking joke.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: Bernie on June 15, 2011, 01:11:31 PM
I wonder why if thats the reason mine wont start from time to time.. I thought I just had a bad/dirty copy. Weird.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: Arkhan on June 15, 2011, 03:02:29 PM
Youkai Douchuuki has a near-fatal(it's a wonder it works at all) bug in its startup code; it JSRs before setting the MPR for 0x2000-0x3FFF to 0xF8, sets the MPR to 0xF8, and then RTS's to who-knows-where on the real system, presumably executing a BRK sooner or later which calls the startup code again(the vectors used for reset and BRK contain the same addresses in the game) with the 0x2000-0x3FFF MPR valid this time.
Nice to know there's a technical explanation for this, not that I understand anything you said.
I currently own three copies of the game because I thought I got a bunk copy two times in a row, before I figured out all three work on my GT, just not my SuperGrafx or Duo.
What a f*cking joke.
hmm my single copy works on my duo-r.
this raises an interesting thought.
I got it for free. I also got Street Fighter 2 for free.
I got them both from FallingJunk.
SF2 didn't even work. "It was free, oh well" was my thought.
Yokai worked fine. I wonder if it didn't work for them and so Alex went HEY LETS GIVE OUT THESE BROKEN GAMES TO LOOK COOL.
COLLECTORS DONT PLAY THIS CRAP. NOONE WILL KNOW.
END RESULT?
BEST YEAR EVARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR *echo*
lol
I just tested it out in my supergrafx and it doesnt work.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - ?????
Post by: turbogrfxfan on June 15, 2011, 03:08:31 PM
Is it even a good game?
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: Tatsujin on June 15, 2011, 03:39:17 PM
I consider it a good game and a good arcade port cosidering its release date (early '88). But nothign that will blow you out of your socks. It is also one of those games you either love or hate. it is also quite a tuffey.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: hoobs88 on June 15, 2011, 04:01:48 PM
I have never had any problems with mine. It does seem to be the most common game for the PCE. Every game lot has a copy and there are tons of loosies going around. Must have been Japan's equivalent of Keith Courage.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: Tatsujin on June 15, 2011, 04:14:17 PM
There are many equivalent of Keith Courage in Japan then.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: Digi.k on June 16, 2011, 09:29:26 AM
At the end of an area Tarosuke will be greeted by gatekeeper who will demand your money. You can decide whether to give or keep it. Either way you still have to defeat these demons along with their henchmen. Tarosuke will run towards a shrine to Buddha and prays, summoning Mon motaro who is a ancestral spirit and hopefully with your control will protect Tarosuke till you defeat the guardian gatekeeper.
Tarosuke has a psychic ability and can power up Ki by holding down on the directional pad can power this KI up but holding down for too long Tarosuke will become exhausted and vulnerable for few seconds. Tarosuke can also bounce upon the heads of most of the monsters. Tarosuke will also at some stage have to do some swimming and diving deeper into the oceans.
You can buy stronger KI within the shops along with food replenishing items and other items to help you along your way (http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a348/kwoksta/scan0005.jpg)
There are a few mini games that appear : gambling dice, odd or even number.
Also the game can branch into different routes so depending on where you go it could have an effect to your ending.. there are 5 different endings to this game.
This is one of those games that seems to penalise you the longer you spend wasting time wandering..
I hope my thread is correct *sweats*
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: apachacha on June 16, 2011, 09:49:10 AM
So, instead of making a new thread, I think I could just ask here:
is anyone able to help me ? I have no idea how to beat two of the three bosses in that one level where you fight the fire and the tree stump. I can kill the first, but the other two just rape me senseless before killing me.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: Digi.k on June 16, 2011, 09:53:03 AM
So, instead of making a new thread, I think I could just ask here:
is anyone able to help me ? I have no idea how to beat two of the three bosses in that one level where you fight the fire and the tree stump. I can kill the first, but the other two just rape me senseless before killing me.
you need to pick up a heart object from the goddess Miko at the pond: Path of Penance (which is basically on the 2nd stage) and carry some of the food items which you can buy along the way from monsters that seem to help you. Beware tho.. you might meet a tiger or white dog which can help you defeat monsters for a short while they will ask you give up your food items..
Those fights you might need to strategically place yourself or jump over/bounce on things that come into your way.. once you get a clear shot, time your power up KI and unleash it. This will require serveral powered hits before you can defeat them..
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: Digi.k on June 16, 2011, 09:55:39 AM
there are also some vids on youtube..
Also after the underwater sea palace dance (which costs 30k)!!!!!.. if you turn into an old man.. you can purchase the "?" for 5k in the shop and it should change you back into normal but beware those monsters at the start jump around.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: apachacha on June 16, 2011, 10:03:46 AM
I can only find videos for the NES, aside from brieg game "samples" that don't help me at all.
Like the fire head guy, I can't even kill him right now, I can barely ever hit him thanks to all the fires in the way.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: Digi.k on June 16, 2011, 10:12:06 AM
:P just spend it all in the shop.. some areas where you fall down will take you back to the start of the level and you can always pop into a shop and re-buy more food items XD
there is a great nico-video on this link showing all the different endings of the arcade/pce/and famicom versions
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: apachacha on June 16, 2011, 10:55:16 AM
Why....WHY are there more then 12 flying grey heads and why are they constantly multiplying ?!!
edit: Say, would I perhaps need the heart to get the ending ? Cause the Buddha is giving me like thirty questions beyond what the guy in the LP I ussed got ! It's maddening.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: spenoza on June 16, 2011, 02:02:38 PM
I say you folks with extras should start spreading the love. Some of us have none! ; )
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: nat on June 16, 2011, 02:10:26 PM
PM me if you want a copy and don't care if the contacts are visibly filed.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: vestcoat on June 16, 2011, 04:03:43 PM
Youkai Douchuuki has a near-fatal(it's a wonder it works at all) bug in its startup code; it JSRs before setting the MPR for 0x2000-0x3FFF to 0xF8, sets the MPR to 0xF8, and then RTS's to who-knows-where on the real system, presumably executing a BRK sooner or later which calls the startup code again(the vectors used for reset and BRK contain the same addresses in the game) with the 0x2000-0x3FFF MPR valid this time.
This should be thrown in the Hall of Shame. Not because it's not informative, well intended, and most likely true, but because anyone who can toss this kind of jargon around is a menace to society.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: Tatsujin on June 16, 2011, 04:25:12 PM
I find it great. Not everybody needs to (or will) understand everything written in there, but some of us sure do. For all the others (including me), at least we do know now that there was some messy code in the startup procedure which may cause a problems under certain circumstances aka the game won't boot. What more is needed to know?
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: spenoza on June 16, 2011, 04:28:06 PM
Youkai Douchuuki has a near-fatal(it's a wonder it works at all) bug in its startup code; it JSRs before setting the MPR for 0x2000-0x3FFF to 0xF8, sets the MPR to 0xF8, and then RTS's to who-knows-where on the real system, presumably executing a BRK sooner or later which calls the startup code again(the vectors used for reset and BRK contain the same addresses in the game) with the 0x2000-0x3FFF MPR valid this time.
Tell you what. I bet some of us could make sense of this if use replaced the abbreviations/acronyms with full terms. I can't even find on-line what a JSR is, for example.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: Arkhan on June 16, 2011, 05:46:21 PM
Youkai Douchuuki has a near-fatal(it's a wonder it works at all) bug in its startup code; it JSRs before setting the MPR for 0x2000-0x3FFF to 0xF8, sets the MPR to 0xF8, and then RTS's to who-knows-where on the real system, presumably executing a BRK sooner or later which calls the startup code again(the vectors used for reset and BRK contain the same addresses in the game) with the 0x2000-0x3FFF MPR valid this time.
Tell you what. I bet some of us could make sense of this if use replaced the abbreviations/acronyms with full terms. I can't even find on-line what a JSR is, for example.
Youkai Douchuuki has a near-fatal(it's a wonder it works at all) bug in its startup code; it JSRs before setting the MPR for 0x2000-0x3FFF to 0xF8, sets the MPR to 0xF8, and then RTS's to who-knows-where on the real system, presumably executing a BRK sooner or later which calls the startup code again(the vectors used for reset and BRK contain the same addresses in the game) with the 0x2000-0x3FFF MPR valid this time.
Holy Shit.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: Bonknuts on June 17, 2011, 03:59:53 AM
Youkai Douchuuki has a near-fatal(it's a wonder it works at all) bug in its startup code; it JSRs before setting the MPR for 0x2000-0x3FFF to 0xF8, sets the MPR to 0xF8, and then RTS's to who-knows-where on the real system, presumably executing a BRK sooner or later which calls the startup code again(the vectors used for reset and BRK contain the same addresses in the game) with the 0x2000-0x3FFF MPR valid this time.
Tell you what. I bet some of us could make sense of this if use replaced the abbreviations/acronyms with full terms. I can't even find on-line what a JSR is, for example.
JSR and RTS are pretty common terms in assembly language, regardless of the CPU. JSR calls a subroutine (for which you can return back). RTS is the return instruction for the JSR, ReTurn from Subroutine. Uses the stack. The address following the JSR (the PC is pushed onto the stack) is pushed to the stack, but the stack is in ram and in a fixed location. RAM hasn't been mapped yet, so when the RTS hits whatever the stack pointer is at and whatever is mapped is popped from that address (stack+stack pointer). The BRK is BREAK opcode on the PCE. It's basically a software interrupt call. Since it's mapped to the same location as the Reset Vector (the address for the PC (Program Counter) on reset/power up), eventually the cpu should execute either random data, ports, or open bus as BRK (opcode $00) and thus fix itself. I've seen famicom games map BRK to Reset as well. Matter of fact, Megaman resets the whole game for every level selection (and after every level completion or no continue on out of lives), and level select screen.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: spenoza on June 17, 2011, 12:36:35 PM
Thanks, Bonknuts. I am familiar with programming ideas and terminology, but not so much with assembly or assembly abbreviations. Once I know the abbreviations I can get an idea of what's going on. Arkhan, I searched for JSR but I kept getting stuff related to Java Specification Requests. And that block of babble will make perfect sense to me once I get the last piece, what an MPR is. : )
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: TheOldMan on June 17, 2011, 01:40:47 PM
Quote
what an MPR is. : )
Not sure what the abreviation means, but that's the part of the cpu chip that maps physical memory (up to 1M byte) to cpu logical memory (64K bytes). Changing the values map different parts of physical memory into where the cpu can actually use it. And for reference, I believe block f8 is the system RAM. So effectively, the code tries to stack the return address from the subroutine call somewhere that doesn't exist (to the cpu). Then, when it tries to return from the subroutine, it's anyones guess where it actually returns to.
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: Bonknuts on June 17, 2011, 03:25:08 PM
Quote
the cpu chip that maps physical memory (up to 1M byte)
Actually, the physical address range is 2megabytes. The hucard games have only uses the lower 1megabyte, but the hucard port itself is the full 2megabyte range. It's how the Arcade card maps into its registers into bank $FF at location $1a00-1aff. There's lots of other free/open bus space in the upper 2megabyte range as well. I think it's just that NEC reserved it for back end peripherals for developers, but that's only by choice - not function. With a tiny bit of glue logic and no mapper required, you could technically make a 12megabit hucard (and bigger too). IIRC, banks $88 to $F6 are open bus. And bank $F8 has open bus from $1c00 to $1ffff still open, after the arcade takes what it needs (great for mapping in new hardware device registers).
Quote
what an MPR is
I forget what it stands for. But the R stands for Register. Though we tend to say MPR register, which is redundant. Probably MaPper Register. The cpu has a logical address range and a physical address range. Unlike the original line of 65x CPUs that only have 16bit physical (64k) and logical (64k) address ranges, the PCE's 6280 has 16bit logical and 21bit external address ranges(2048k or 2megabytes or 16megabits). This means there's not need for additional hardware like external mappers to get past the physical address limitations (like NES or A8 or C64, etc). Anyway, the logical address range is 16bit or 64k. This 64k is divided neatly into 8 segments of 8k. So $0000-$1fff, $2000-$3fff, etc. The stack pointer register is an indexing register, but the base address for the STACK itself is fixed at location $2100 of logical address range. So no matter what you have mapped there, it will try to read or write from $2100 to $21ff range (8bit index). Some other things are fixed in location too. Zeropage (these are basically Address registers for any other type of processor and general purpose as well, with one distinction that they exist external to the CPU. Makes is cheaper for the CPU, though at a cost of an additional cycle or two - but the amount of registers (especially Addressing) is increased dramatically) is fixed at $2000-$20ff logical range. All the interrupt vectors reside in $fff6-$ffff logical address range. So, ram needs to exist at least at $2000-21fff range for ZP and STACK to work correctly (disregarding all-rom-mode and writing special code for that setup, waaaaaaaay beyond the scope of this topic). So you have MPR 0 to MPR 7. MPR 0 being $0000-$1fff and MPR 7 being $e000 to $ffff. On power up, the only MPR mapped with a specific constant value is MPR 7. And it automatically mapped to physical address range $000000-$001fff. A game can put whatever addresses it wants for any of the 5 interrupt vectors, but Reset (start up code) should always have a logical address range of $e000-$fffff, since nothing else is guaranteed to be mapped. If you don't use BRK for anything, you could always use it as a generic bug trapping feature. And if you put the same address value as the Reset vector, then you'll just get a restart (although game code could easily be made to look at ram and see if it's been previously initialized with an ID string, and thus call an output message. Or do nothing at all and just let the game reset. No fun to the gamer either way).
I digress a bit, but it would have been nice to have just a few special long address opcodes. Easy enough, since mapping is all handled internally. Even opcodes specifically for transferring values from the Acc register between the MPR registers (they're cpu based). MPR<n>+PC address mode, 24bit direct addressing (similar to paging on the x86). But oh well, it's not needed for speed - just convenience. And I always find something to rant about that's "should have been added".
Title: Re: Yokai Dochuki - 妖怪道中記
Post by: IDCHAPPY on June 30, 2011, 09:04:04 AM
This might explain about the dud copy i thought i got :-k