(Dev Talk News) OpenBor on Wii is possible?? Now!!

[Roel]

I don't think there's a compatible ADPCM library available in libogc yet (although there is one for wav, mp3 and ogg) but then again, I could be very wrong.

Likely, there never will be. Although ADPCM is a very simple form of compression, there are many variations to the basic algorithm. Is seems almost like everybody wants a version of their own (Microsoft, Intel, IMA, ADX, etc). I believe the Neo Geo EAS/CD even uses 2 different ADPCM algorithms in a single machine.

Different ADPCM implementations are not compatible with each other. Most implementations use tables which could be compared to palettes in images. Just like the wrong palette will make an image look garbled, so will the sound become garbled if you don't use the exact same ADPCM implementation.

You should assume that you'll have to add the required ADPCM support yourself then. Fortunately, the code is only a few lines long and the PCM data it outputs should be playable on every current system.

[kungpow12345]

For anyone that's curious, I'm working on modifying the control.c from OpenBoR to adapt it to the Gamecube controls. If we do get this ported over to GC-Linux (You better not let me down SX  ), this (the controls) would be the first big step since most Linux applications are easily ported over to GC-Linux (or Wii-Linux, they're about the same).

The Analog Stick won't be supported in my code (will be added later) but you can still use the D-Pad.

Here is what I have in mind for my Gamecube Controller layout:

Any suggestions/comments/compliments about it?

[moonmaster1]

I think that'll work nicely as the only thing people will use to play bor is with a gc or classic controller, accepting use of the wiimote is confusing and unacceptable!!! 


judging that the wii's memory is on par if not a wii *pun intended* bit over the dreamcast's memory its easy to say that really big mods like return of double dragon and  golden axe will need code optimizations to run on that system, or can we just port over the dreamcast versions or is dreamcast ports too unique?

[kungpow12345]

Well, the linux port will have the same optimization as say the PSP port. Now...the largest amount of memory I've seen allocated to the Wii at the moment by any application is SDL Mame with 52mb of RAM. Right now, we're going to start off with 24mb of RAM and see how that goes. If we need more, we'll allocate it from the Sound's ARAM. Some people don't like GC-Linux because it's "slow" to them, but honestly, there is much more power there when the code is optimized for PowerPC. The Nintendo 64 emulator, Wii64, should be the main example of this. Sure, it's not full speed right now, but all of what it does is through memory swaps and creates "virtual memory" to run the bigger roms like Zelda 64 at a good 18 FPS.

When it comes to the actual optimizations for the newer mods, I'm only going to say is that it's extremely possible to run these games at decent FPS rates, we'll just have to see.

Also, about the wiimote implementation, once this code has been added to the Wii Linux port, BoR Wii will get it. Like I tell everyone else, you can easily buy a Playstation 2 Controller converter to the Gamecube. It works just as well and they each run about half the price of one Classic Controller and you probably have alot of laying around the house. ^^

[moonmaster1]

heh, i once bought a ps2 to usb adapter for 10 bucks at radioshack, never regreted it. 

I personally never seen slowdown in fps because of memory, i always saw it because overabundance in enemies. sorxxx and battletoad's zombie party *best mode ever* has alot of that.
should the enemies become too much can it cause a mod to crash or just render it really unplayable due to slowsown?

[NickyP]

For anyone that's curious, I'm working on modifying the control.c from OpenBoR to adapt it to the Gamecube controls.

.....

Any suggestions/comments/compliments about it?

I'd say personally, switch Attack2 and Special. Maybe it's just me, but I'm used to the Special button being above the Attack one (like triangle on PS2/PSP, or that other button on DC lol I forgot which one.. Y?)

[kungpow12345]

I'd say personally, switch Attack2 and Special. Maybe it's just me, but I'm used to the Special button being above the Attack one (like triangle on PS2/PSP, or that other button on DC lol I forgot which one.. Y?)

If you use a PS2 to NGC controller converter, the buttons will be like so:


I did this about 2 or 3 years ago for a Gamecube SNES emulator. Still, the information is correct. I can more than definitely switch the attack 2 and the special, but once I do, they will stay that way until I understand more about the code to change the button configuration (like you can now in OpenBoR). 

[NickyP]

I didn't notice it until now, but maybe switch Jump and Attack1 as well? That same control scheme was also found in the GC version of MegMan Anniversary Collection, and it made it practically impossible to play (cause you know, compared to even the NES controller, jump and shoot were reversed). Again, that's just me though... you're free to do whatever you please, kungpow!

[Orochi_X]

Well , I know that you hate the current control scheme for other consoles , so I won't bother suggesting that you should follow that. (even though it's the best layout for quite a few mods that are in progress).

Other than that , swap escape with attack 3. It might be wise to keep it as out of the way as possible , and you will also have all the action buttons together that way.

[baritonomarchetto77]

Porting Openbor on Wii would be an awesome thing only if the wiimote and nunchuck are supported  Think it: shacking your controls to move your virtual "sword" and kill enemies... 

[kungpow12345]

Alright, I've swapped Attack 3 for Escape and I've swapped Attack 2 for Special.

So, the new button config is matched up to the Gamecube controller...for now ^^

I wonder how much more of the Gamecube(Wii) build I can do up today...

[kungpow12345]

*Update* I've rewrote the control.c, control.h, joystick.c, joystick.h and the makefile for the gamecube changes based on the latest cvs  status (but I didn't upload my changes yet...)but I just realized something. To make the target file ready for the gamecube/wii (openborwii.elf), we would need to include compiling the linux distro, busybox, and the bor wii filesystem into the unified makefile. How are we going to confront that without blowing up the cvs download size?

[SX]

Thats all up to the user.  The only thing we can do is mention what you need to compile it and where to get it.  Which is just like the linux version.  We don't provide executables for Linux as there are soo many different distro's.

[kungpow12345]

Thats all up to the user.  The only thing we can do is mention what you need to compile it and where to get it.  Which is just like the linux version.  We don't provide executables for Linux as there are soo many different distro's.

That is true for Linux PC, but not for Wii-Linux. There's only one Linux kernel available for that console (Kernel 2.6.24 (wii-linux POC 0.4) - 52MB of MEM2 for swap) and there's only a few toolchains that'll even work correctly in compiling Wii Linux apps (I've noted the one that works the best for Nuvalo (the one I've gotten most of my source code from)in the makefile that I've edited).

Again, this is where I get a little fuzzy since I'm still new to porting on the Linux side of things (and I'm hoping this is where you'll intervene for me SX), but if I can remember correctly, the best thing we can do is make a BoR Wii File system (ex. openbor.bz2) with the menu files and the application in that, and then load the pak files on the SD Card as rvlsda1/openbor/paks and probably go ahead and make a /logs folder there as well. That would be easy for the users who want an easy way of getting OpenBoR on the Wii quick (which is about most of the Wii users out there).

...Also, there's the matter of loading busybox, the kernal, and the ramdisk into an .elf file for the Wii homebrew user.  If I could do this myself, we would already have a BoR Wii port, but it's tough. I'll send you an email containing the files I updated. From there, you'll have to connect the dots for me...help? 

[SX]

Thats sounds a little weird, are you saying that openbor needs to have a linux kernel compiled along side it?  That would be a first!  The linux kernel is the root of a OS, just like windows has its own kernel.  Its not something you would compile together with an application.  Its the foundation for a operating system.  In any case I, don't own a Wii and though I can make suggestions, I really don't want to work on something I don't own.  Just for one reason....  supporting a port  on a console I don't own is a major pain!  Things will break, waiting for others to get back to you for debugging purposes,  Its just not efficient and too time consuming for me.

Best of luck, Like I said, I can help out where I can....   and supporting this port, will have to rest on you for the most part if things break down the road.....