The long-awaited iDeaS 1.0.0.5 has been released.

* Implemented IPC Synchronise Register

* Implemented IPC Fifo Control Register

* Implemented graphic modes 3 and 5

* Implemented Memory Card Register

* Added extended palette layers

* Added extemded palette sprites

* Fixed some errors in FIFO 3D

* Fixed some errors in texture loading

* Fixed some errors in Video Memory remap

* Fixed some errors in new System Control Coprocessor

...and other small things

»» Official Site

»» Download it Now! [1Emulation Server]

Credits: News - File - Changelog

Two new releases for Nintendo-64 emulation!

Project 64 1.6 has an updated games list, beta 10.

*NHL Breakaway 98&99: Added note to use v1.5.2 video plugin - res detection bad in v1.6

*Derby Stallion: Changed Status Compatible>Issues (core). Save problem prevents play (trusting olivieryuyu on this, i can't read Jap!)

*Command and Conquer: Added note about texture errors in mission briefings

*Mario Golf: Added GameFAQ entry about MiniGolf depth problem (thanks Techman)

*Ready 2 Rumble Boxing (E): Added GameFAQ entry about clipping problem (thanks Speedfreak69)

*Tarzan: Added GameFAQ entry about butterfly video regression (thanks Speedfreak69)

*Winback/Operation Winback: Added video note and gamefaq entry about grey square

*Nascar 99 & 2000: Changed video note to say splitscreen multiplayer unusable.

*Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling: Added video plugin force res height 240, seems playable now, some minor depth problem still

*Monopoly: Added video setting force height 240, added note to GameFAQ about Force Alpha needed

*South Park - Chef's Luv...: Changed (E) status to Region Issue (p) for obvious gfx problem, suggesting use (U) ROM

*Scooby Doo: Added video plugin force res width 480

»» Official Site

»» Download it Now! [1Emulation Server]

Glide64 has been upgraded to v0.8; it is a graphics plugin for N64 emulators such as Project64, 1964 and Mupen64. It uses the 3dfx Glide3x API, and it supports many games. If you don't have a 3dfx card, you can use a Glide Wrapper.

Glide64 has made another big step toward perfect emulation of N64 graphics. New version is loaded with new features, fixes and improvements. It’s impossible to describe all of them. Here the list of most noticeable changes:

 

Core changes, common for all games

 

* New fog. Now fog is calculated exactly the same as on real N64.

* Software depth buffer render. Some effects work correct only if memory area corresponding to N64 depth buffer is filled with actual depth values. Software depth buffer allows plugin to correctly emulate such effects. This is CPU-demanding feature; don’t use it if your CPU is below 1Ghz.

* Dithered alpha. N64 hardware supports randomized alpha compare. It is not easy to emulate since PC hardware does not have direct analog of this feature. I finally found glide functions, which do the job. These functions are not supported by Voodoo1/2, and may not be supported by some drivers. To be sure that your driver support it, try to find string “Stipple” in your glide3x.dll

* LOD calculation. N64 uses specific mipmapping, which is nearly impossible to emulate correctly on PC hardware. I have implemented a rough approximation of it. It seldom works well, but one specific effect, based on this feature, is working fine – it is well known “Peach/Bowser portrait transition” in Super Mario 64.

* Emu-plugin synchronization. Previous versions of Glide64 sometimes had problems with synchronization with emulator’s core, and few games did not started because of it. These problems are fixed now.

* LookAt functions support. LookAt functions emulation is important for correct automatic texture coordinates generation, which is used for reflections and other shining objects.

* Napalm combiner extensions. Glide API has combiner extensions, which are much more powerful then standard combiner functions.

 

These extensions allow me to emulate most of N64 combine modes 100% correct. I have redone complex combine modes for some games using combine extensions and got very nice result. These extensions are supported by Voodoo 4/5 only; other voodoos have no benefits from it.

 

Special games fixes

 

* Roadsters Trophy, rear-view mirror emulation.

* The New Tetris, all graphics bugs are fixed.

* International Superstar Soccer 64, fully playable.

* 1080 Snowboarding, replay is fixed (with hardware frame buffer emulation only).

* Paper Mario

  * flickering problem is fully fixed.

  * special kind of lighting for flat objects, “2D lighting”, is implemented.

  * most of frame buffer effects are emulated now

  * lot of combiner modes are implemented.

* Perfect Dark, new frame buffer effects are implemented.

* The Legend of Zelda - Majora's Mask, point lighting is implemented; “Link meets princess Zelda” cutscene is black&white now (with hardware frame buffer emulation only).

* Resident Evil 2, fully playable now with movies and correct depth buffer emulation. Check compatibility list for details.

* Conker's Bad Fur Day, dynamic lighting emulation. Motion blur in this game now works too.

 

 

- And many, many, many more.

 

 

As you see, a lot of things have been changed, and probably new bugs have been added.

 

Notes for non-voodoo users. I have changed color format from ARGA to RGBA. RGBA is used by N64 itself, so code became clearer and a bit faster. Besides, RGBA is native format for OpenGL, so it will be easier to port Glide64 in future. However, RGBA is not supported by popular eVoodoo glide wrapper, thus this version of Glide64 is not compatible with it. It is strongly recommended to use Hacktarux's glide3x wrapper included into this release. This wrapper is designed specially for Glide64, it supports functions required for dithered alpha emulation and VSA100 combiner extensions. The only real alternative for you is zeckensack's glide wrapper. It is currently the only wrapper, which correctly supports depth buffer writes required for correct Resident Evil 2 emulation.

»» Official Site

»» Download it Now! [1Emulation Server]

Credits:

Project 64 beta 10: News - File - Changelog

Glide64 v0.8: News - File - Changelog

With this new version comes a long-requested feature, and only 5 days after the introduction to rewinding in olafnes...

- Background layer disabling of video is now possible

- Improved netplay, 6502 execution, video rendering, and other functions

- Now supports individual palettes again

- Changed many hotkeys and menus

- Fixed a tiny error in rewinding

- Official Homepage

During the week, Pete released a bunch of new GPU plugins to improve the performance of various PSX emulators.

Pete's OGL/D3D Plugin 1.76

 

Ok, some of the new 1.76 plugin features I have described in the OGL2  version file (OGL2 V2.07):

* floating point fps limit value

* y sprite mirroring (thanx to smf)

* fixed psx gpu blending mode (thanx to softm)

* fast forward key

* I've added a "pause" key, if you have to do a break, and you don't want to quit the emu (my other gpu plugins already had this option)

* I've noticed the "G4 polygon cache" special game fix (for FF9) was a bit overdone. Should be better now.

 

 

 

Pete's OGL2 Plugin 2.07

 

* Some users wanted the possibility to enter a floating point value as framerate limitation. Ok, done (doesn't make much sense, imho, but it will not hurt as well... my personal advice: use the "auto-detect  limitation value" option whenever it is possible).

* softm reported on my messageboard, that one of the PSX blending modes looked different in my plugins, compared to the real PSX. You will notice the difference only in a few games (softm found Diablo, Legend of Mana and Castlevania), but nevertheless I've fixed this glitch.

* In some games the "Flicker-Fix border" option (needed in combination with the fullscreen shader option) actually didn't fix flickering borders. That's fixed.

* Many users requested a "fast forward" key, which deactivates the frame limitation while pressed (to skip boring parts of a game). I've added this feature, you have to configure it in the "GPU key configuration" (hint: look for a small "..." button in the main config window).

* smf of MAMEdev found a new psx gpu feature: y sprite mirroring.  With his help (thanx for the small psx demo!) I could add this psx gpu capability to my plugins.  Don't ask me if a console psx game will use such a mirroring (I've never noticed it), but who knows... there are many psx games out there

* ShadX and guest® created all kind of interesting and nice looking OGL2 fullscreen shaders, which can be found in the shader forum on my messageboard. With version 2.07, even better shaders can be made:  I've added the possibility to access own textures (stored as tga files), which can be used as look-up-tables, for example. If you want to know how to use this multi-texture option, I've put two small shader demos on my web site as well. Happy shading.

 

 

 

P.E.Op.S. Soft Plugin 1.17

 

* MxC added HQ2X, HQ3X and Scale3X display filters to the Windows version.

* smf of the MAME team found a new capability of the PSX gpu: sprite Y mirroring. I've added this to the P.E.Op.S. gpu, big thanx to smf for sharing this info (and for coding a small psx demo showing this feature)

* softm informed me on my messageboard that one of the transparency modes seems to be wrong in some games (Diablo, Legend of Mana, Castlevania).  I've repaired that, now it will look fine.

* Sometimes small (wrong) texture distortions happened in the soft gpu.  That's caused by internal precision issues, when the plugin is drawing quads using two triangles (needed to get the PSX g-shading right).  I've made a special game fix (0x200), now users can decide if they want a correct g-shading (fix activated) or textures without distortions (fix deactivated).

* The frame limit value is now a floating point number, so you can set (for example) "50.1" as limit. Dunno why, but many users requested this...anyway, my advice: use the "auto-detect limit" option whenever it's possible

As mentioned above, there are a number of new Pixel Shaders available. You can get them here.

»» Official Site

»» OpenGL GPU plugin

»» Windows GPU plugin

»» Soft GPU plugin [1Emulation Server]

Credits: News - Files - Changelog (thanks to NGemu)

Aldo has updated his Plugins Pack, which contains over 90 plugins in one file.