DARKSOFT CPS III Bios and CD Releases
XeD
Grand Master
To make a NOCD version you need to to disable the cd check. This can be done by hex editing 1FECB from AC to AA and 1FECC from BD to BC. I have carts running this for a few years now with no problem, all of which run 3rd strike. I myself have done a quick boot test on all the other games and they boot fine except red earth. With red earth you will get random freezing unless you have a drive plug in (I just have a scsi2sd) without a cd in it. I'm not sure why this happen with only this game
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If I boot without CD-ROM, I get a message that the CD ROM is not connected properly
XeD
Grand Master
You can use a free program like HxD and change those 2 value. If you can wait I can send the file later tonight
I checked the BIOS posted on the 1st thread. It works normally like any CD-enabled BIOS but when you exit the BIOS it will activate the NOCD bit, so for the GAME it will be seen as a NOCD cart. I'm not sure which games check it and for what, but that's all it does.
We gave up providing a NOCD bios for a very simple reason. You burn a flash into your cart, then you plug it in and.....now what? You can't change the game inside anymore! You would need 2 carts, one that is CD enabled so you can change games and once you choose the one you want, then you can insert the NOCD cart. I'm not sure what's the advantage of this. I'm telling most of this about the NOCD behaviour from the top of my head.
We gave up providing a NOCD bios for a very simple reason. You burn a flash into your cart, then you plug it in and.....now what? You can't change the game inside anymore! You would need 2 carts, one that is CD enabled so you can change games and once you choose the one you want, then you can insert the NOCD cart. I'm not sure what's the advantage of this. I'm telling most of this about the NOCD behaviour from the top of my head.
J
jassin000
@ekorz and I were actually talking about this via text not too long ago with regards to how (painfully) long it takes to re-write SIMMs/switch games.
I said a "true" CPS3 multi cart would include some type of SIMM replacement module, that would contain every single game pre-written separated via banks.
That way you'd never have to "write" a SIMM/read a disc period, simply switch banks.
however a mod like this would likely require us to desolder the SIMM sockets and replace them with a EEPROM/TSOP bank.
I don't see that as being a very popular option (but I'd do it cuz @ almost 40mins to rewrite a game I only ever play SF3-3rd, so its not really a multi cart at all in current form).
We thought about that with @Mitsurugi-w and actually I tried to rewrite all the flashes using my eprom programmer, the time calculated for that on my modern, brand new USB programmer is about 28 minutes for 3rd strike! So....it's hard to improve, and I would say that nearly impossible via firmware.
However the option of making simms with enough capacity for 6-8 games which can be changed via dip switches is very feasible. It could be done with some sort of PCB that hooks where the SIMMs go, so no soldering would be required. Installation would be a bit like CPS2 Multi but once it's installed it would be 0 seconds game changing.
However the option of making simms with enough capacity for 6-8 games which can be changed via dip switches is very feasible. It could be done with some sort of PCB that hooks where the SIMMs go, so no soldering would be required. Installation would be a bit like CPS2 Multi but once it's installed it would be 0 seconds game changing.
sign me up
J
jassin000
LOL
J
jassin000
Seeing as how I'm asking @Darksoft to create it maybe DarkSIMM?
Then I could say...
"I've got a SuperBIOS CPS3 with a DarkSIMM module installed."
Yup like the sound of that!
Uh... Should we start a Pre-order/Interest Thread?
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Personally I have 4 cps3 systems, 2 with scsi and 2 without scsi, and the NoCD version for me is very useful in systems where I do not have Cd, The writing time of a game for me is absurd, that is why In each system I have a different game, in addition that the version of NoCD is more like the original, a single game per system, There will be the possibility of making the bios of each game so that they are the most original even if they ask for the cd- rom?
xodaraP
Legendary
4?! Wow that's impressive
Yes, 3rd trike, New Generation, 2nd Impact and Jojo's Venture
That would be godlike.
To be honest, my SuperBIOS CPS3 is really just a suicide-free Third Strike, switching games it just too painful to really ever be worth it, especially given that Third Strike is the only game on there people want to play seriously at my place.
But if it was easy to just flip on Jojo for an hour for fun? I totally would.
only 4? Heh, I had 5 but just recently sold my full Asia 3s setup so that I could get another USA 3s cart. I would like 6 or 7 full setups eventually (each game + darksoft) Currently at 2 JP and 2 USA 3s carts...
I have also collected all of the CPS3 carts on battery from JP region
J
jassin000
Nailed it, and exactly what I was saying.
Given the write times involved its downright painful to ever switch from SF3-3rd A (crash patched version).
But if we have that SIMM replacement module, we could power down, flip a dip and reboot.
Don't' forget Red Earth bro, its actually good (I just never play it).
only 4? Heh, I had 5 but just recently sold my full Asia 3s setup so that I could get another USA 3s cart. I would like 6 or 7 full setups eventually (each game + darksoft) Currently at 2 JP and 2 USA 3s carts...
I have also collected all of the CPS3 carts on battery from JP region
Woow congratulations, but I think that at no time try to show off what I have, I just try to say or explain why I like the NoCD version