Universe Bios 2.1 Released!

[iq_132]

Thanks to Neoaethyr for this bit of news:

 

*Link removed until matter of legality of this bios is cleared up*

 

From the what's new included in the file:

 

WHATS NEW IN VERSION 2.1

------------------------

 

Additions

 

  Added a new MVS general Bios setting 'Enable 1Up Coin Move'. When enabled this setting

    will force a coin entered into a cab with only one coin chute to register on the 2Up

    side as long as the 2Up start button is held down while the coin is entered. The Bios

    should be set to USA region and Arcade mode or VS-Mode must be enabled and supported

    by the game being played for this feature to work.

  Added a new MVS general Bios setting 'Enable Arcade Protect'. This setting is designed

    to allow the Universe Bios to be run easier in an arcade environment. It basically

    protects the Universe Bios settings and operator by doing the following;

     - The Test mode button must also be pressed with the normal button codes to access

       the Main Universe Bios menu, Memory Card Manager, Test Mode or Controller Test.

     - If a game was to crash for any reason the system will reset and start over instead

       of stopping and displaying the error on screen. This is how the normal Bios works.

    When using this new setting one should also disable Input Crossing and the In Game

    Memu to stop other methods of adding credits or cheating.

  Added the ability to fade out music in the Jukebox Player instead of stopping it dead

    (nice if you want to record never ending tracks but it does not work with all games).

  Added an option to soft reset the system from the crosshatch screen.

  Added an option to get to the memory viewer from the crosshatch screen, this can be

    helpfull in tracking hardware faults if you only get the cross hatch from power on.

  Added the ability to change game SLOT in the memory viewer (use select buttons).

  Pressing only button A on the splash screen will make it disappear faster.

 

Speedups

 

  Speeded up the way cheats are patched into memory a little (unlooped code).

  Speeded up coin to select button swapping (code was running twice per frame).

  Speeded up the ingame menu check by putting some code in place of a waitloop.

 

Changes

 

  Removed the welcome message the first time the bios is run on MVS hardware. Instead it

    will default to Euro Arcade mode and the BootUp HW Test will also be disabled.

  The Universe Bios will now force a backup RAM test when its first run in a new system.

  Removed the option to disable the splash screen (MVS hardware only).

 

 

Fixes

 

  Fixed possible gfx garbage behind the SNK logo at the bottom of screen in test mode.

  Fixed possible bug that could cause (under certern situation) the buttons not to respond

    after an exception error on AES hardware only.

  Fixed a NeoGeo logo curruption issue in the Universe Bios menus if you exited the slot

    selection screen without choosing a slot first (affected 2SLOT hardware only).

  Fixed the kof2003 official MVS cart not changing languages correctly in arcade mode. The

    problem was caused by SNK/Playmore locking the language to English on English carts.

  Fixed Matrimelee not changing language when changing region on MVS hardware in arcade mode.

  Fixed Metal Slug 4 music in the jukebox player as it played distorted if you used the

    jukebox before allowing the game to play.

  Fixed the SoftDIPs in Samurai Shodown 4 through Samurai Shodown 5 Special so when in

    Japan region the language setting shows 'Japanese' instead of 'English'.

  Fixed the SoftDIPs in Baseball Stars Pro when in USA region (demo sound DIP placement).

  Fixed a SoftDIP problem that could cause DIP settings to appear wrong in some games after

    changing regions (affected games that have a different ammount of DIPs per region).

  Fixed a minor ingame menu color problem in King of Fighters 2003 on MVS hardware.

  Fixed the exception error and memory viewer screens so that text is now readable

    in King of Fighters 2003 on MVS hardware.

  Fixed Aero Fighters 3 to stop showing level select when in arcade mode on AES hardware.

  Fixed King of Fighters 2001 MVS version console mode menu select pointers.

  Fixed King of Fighters 2001 MVS version console mode menu colors from going wrong when 

    starting a 2 player game (single all and pratice text).

  Fixed the SoftDIPs to work when playing the newer (less censored) version of Samurai

    Shodown 5 Special on AES hardware in arcade mode.

 

Cheats

 

  Made AES Samurai Shodown 5 Special Fatal unlock and sound fix one cheat.

  Added Shrink Mode cheat to Samurai Shodown 5 Special.

  Added cheats to enable blood in King of Fighters 97, 98 and 99.

  Added cheats to enable blood in Samurai Shodown 1, 2 and 3.

  Added cheats to enable blood in Ganryu.

  Added cheats to Samurai Shodown 4 to play as Zankuro.

  Added cheats to Samurai Shodown 5 to play as Yumeji or Sankuro.

  Added cheats to Kabuki klash to play as bosses.

  Added cheats to Rage of Dragons to play as Abobo and Johann.

  Added cheats to Sonic Wings 3 to play as Red Rabbit or Diabloon.

  Added a secret character cheat to World Heroes Perfect.

  Added a secret character cheat to Magical Drop 2 and 3.

  Added a secret character cheat to The Last Blade.

  Added a secret character cheats to The Last Blade 2.

  Added auto fire cheats to all games in the Metal Slug Series.

  Added auto fire cheats to Sonic Wings 2 and 3.

  Added auto fire cheats to Ghost Pilots.

  Added auto fire cheats to Zed Blade.

  Added Infinite Time cheats for 2Up, 3Up and 4UP in League bowling.

  Added cheats for King of Fighters Special Edition 2004 hack.

  Added cheats for King of Fighters 10th Anniversary hack.

  Fixed cheats to show in the korean version of Samurai Shodown 2.

  Fixed boss cheat to work in the korean version of King of Fighters 1999.

  Fixed cheats in the alt version of Magician Lord.

  Fixed AES infinate credit cheats in Sonic Wings 2 and 3.

  Fixed some minor spelling mistakes in the cheat engine.

 

CRC additions

 

  King of Fighters Special Edition 2004 hack.

  King of Fighters 10th Anniversary hack.

  King of Fighters 2003 Ultra Plus bootleg.

  King of Fighters 1999 (korean MVS version).

  King of Fighters 2002 Plus (alt bootleg).

  Samurai Shodown 2 (korean MVS version).

  Samurai Shodown 5 Special MVS version.

  Samurai Shodown 5 Special newer AES version.

  V Liner alt set.

Edited June 8, 2005 by iq_132

[James]

I think that rom file might not be allowed to be posted here.

[Alpha]

Erghh.. it's in the gray area. Would anyone like to enlighten us?

 

EDIT: From what I remember, it's legal. But at the same time, I can't remember.

[iq_132]

It's completely legal, no gray area afaik. Razoola wrote the bios from scratch in 68k assember from what I can remember.

[sammaz]

just started testing on my FBA-xxx xbox inside MVS-2 neogeo cab wired with 1 coin chute going to 2 slots so they both act as 1 and the new bios works perfectly...its almost like someone heard my requests and fixed it!!!!!

 

 

THANX!

[suvo]

i think it is legal , othewise iq would be introuble

[Darken]

Is it Still Not work in EGCG ?????

[iq_132]

Is it Still Not work in EGCG ?????

And it probably never will be again. Nrx and crappy hacks of it (like the EGCG version) just can't do proper emulation of the neo-geo hardware...

[Robert]

TERMS OR USE

 

You can use the UNIVERSE BIOS as long as you own original genuine NeoGeo hardware. Failure of this may result in you the user violating international copyright laws. New program code within the UNIVERSE BIOS is © Razoola, original BIOS program code remains copyrighted to SNK.

DO NOT DISTRIBUTE A DUMP OF THE UNIVERSE BIOS UNLESS YOU ARE LEGALLY ABLE TO DO SO. I WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR OTHERS ACTIONS.

 

DO NOT PROVIDE A SERVICE SELLING THE UNIVERSE BIOS ON EEPROM (ESPECIALLY FOR PROFIT).

 

 

As you can see this bios may contain some SNK copyright material. In the grey zone IMO.

[Agozer]

TERMS OR USE

 

You can use the UNIVERSE BIOS as long as you own original genuine NeoGeo hardware. Failure of this may result in you the user violating international copyright laws. New program code within the UNIVERSE BIOS is © Razoola, original BIOS program code remains copyrighted to SNK.

DO NOT DISTRIBUTE A DUMP OF THE UNIVERSE BIOS UNLESS YOU ARE LEGALLY ABLE TO DO SO. I WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR OTHERS ACTIONS.

 

DO NOT PROVIDE A SERVICE SELLING THE UNIVERSE BIOS ON EEPROM (ESPECIALLY FOR PROFIT).

 

 

As you can see this bios may contain some SNK copyright material. In the grey zone IMO.

This is exactly why I haven't liked to the Universe BIOS in the past. And the aforementioned text is more than enough proof.

[iq_132]

Hmm.. I'll have to ask razoola about this.