Our last core progress report was on December 31, 2019. Below we detail the most significant changes to all the Libretro cores we and/or upstream partners maintain.

In addition to all the changes listed below, there are also various cores that have been updated in order to fix MSVC compilation errors. This would be too exhaustive to list, so we have left that out of the progress report.

Also important to mention – pretty soon DerKoun, the author of all the HD enhancements in bsnes, will grace us with an extra bsnes core with experimental HD features, called bsnes HD! More on that later as this new core surfaces.

bsnes

Description: Super Nintendo emulator core

Disclaimer: Comments below are from byuu’s commits. All changes courtesy of byuu

  • Updated to version 114
    • Added fast PPU override for Marvelous (fixes text rendering)
    • Fixed disassembly of SNES CPU opcodes 0x74-0x76 [invertego]
  • The input workaround for Taikyoku Igo benefits: Williams Arcade’s Greatest Hits and World Masters Golf, in very subtle ways, so enable it for those two titles as well.
  • Updated to version v113.5 – It seems auto-joypad poll timing is needed for most games. So that’s back in as before. Instead, I added an override for Taikyoku Igo – Goliath specifically, until auto-joypad emulation can be improved further.

Dhewm3

Description: Doom 3 game engine core

  • Add 300fps/360fps modes

FB Neo

Description: Successor project to Final Burn Alpha, multiple arcade emulator

  • CPS3: Set refresh rate to exact 59.59949 Hz [barbudreadmon]
  • add GunNail location-test to nmk16 [Bill D – The Dumping Union, dink]
  • aud_dsound3.cpp, hacky work-around for crashy midway (mk2, etc) via kaillera. todo: figure out real cause of the problem, think it has something to do with refresh rate as force60hz solves the problem
  • d_flstory.cpp: added MCU location (nw)
  • d_flstory.cpp: added dip-switch locations [Guru]
  • d_slapshot.cpp: added Operation Wolf 3 (Japan) [ShouTime, The Dumping Union]
  • d_flstory.cpp: updated dips for victnine, taken from manual [Guru]
  • d_kaneko16.cpp: Make it explicit that gtmr parent is a Taiwanese set (nw)
  • d_mcr.cpp: added Tron (5/12) [cdjump @ klov]
  • d_metro.cpp: added Poitto! (revision C) [hammy, The Dumping Union]
  • d_dec8.cpp: added Gondomania (World) [Corrado Tomaselli, The Dumping Union]
  • (nw) d_karnov.cpp: Verified label for karnov (US) i8751
  • d_yunsun16.cpp: added Magic Bubble (Adult version, YS1302 PCB, set 2)[Hammy, The Dumping Union]
  • d_dkong: Remove diag.bin, it did not ship with the boards (nw)
  • d_tumbleb.cpp: decapped chokchock MCU [Team Caps0ff, Guru]
  • d_dreamwld.cpp: decapped dreamwld MCU [Team Caps0ff, Guru]
  • b_time.cpp: added Minky Monkey (Japan) [ShouTime]
  • d_hangon.cpp: added Enduro Racer (YM2151, FD1089B 317-0013A) [Brian Troha, Philip Bennett, The Dumping Union]
  • (nw) minor cosmetic changes
  • add nes_apu wip [dinkc64]

FreeIntv

Description: Intellivision emulator

  • Ported to PSP, running at fullspeed! [fjtrujy]

Flycast

Description: Dreamcast/NAOMI/Atomiswave emulator

Disclaimer: All changes below unless expressly stated otherwise were done by flyinghead

  • Reduce savestates size by 20MB
  • (ARM64) Fix xtrct dynarec implementation – fixes Speed Devils issues
  • (CUE) Set proper CTRL value – fixes Windows CE games hanging at startup
  • (NAOMI) EEPROM for Spawn [barbudreadmon]
  • (AICA) Generate samples when ARM is disabled (dynarec) – fixes Twinkle Star Sprites sound
  • (GL/GL4) Recreate VMU and crosshair textures at context reset – Fix all lightguns using player #1 texture – Fix broken alpha blending
  • (GL4) OIT/Per-pixel alpha sort:  only use OIT pass in autosort mode
  • Use regular color pass in manual sort mode. Fixes issues with Psyvariar 2 and HeadHunter radar/map.
  • (Fix) Crash on successive load content – VMEM – unmap all reserved vmem space on unload
  • (Vulkan) VMU screens and lightgun crosshairs support
  • (Vulkan)  Only use OIT pass in autosort mode – fix glitches when switching per-triangle to/from per-strip
  • (Arcade/Atomiswave) Use light guns for Ranger Mission

Genesis Plus GX

Description: Sega Genesis/Mega Drive/Game Gear/Master System/Sega CD emulator core

  • Allow full access to Sega CD’s PRG RAM using retro_memory_map [negativeExponent]
  • Add 68000 RAM to memory maps [negativeExponent]
  • (MSVC 2017) Build fix

Kronos

Description: Sega Saturn/Arcade Sega S-TV emulator

  • (S-TV) Added S-TV game – Fantasy Zone (J 990202 V1.000)
  • (S-TV) Fix controls for most ST-V games
  • (SCSP) SoundRam is 4MB max – Fixing Memory access [FCare]
  • (SCSP) Do not sync when the access does not come for xSH2 [FCare]
  • (SCSP) Do not divide the panning value [FCare]

LRMAME

Description: MAME mainline emulator core

  • Updated to version 0.217 [tcamargo]

LRMAME 2000

Description: MAME 0.37b5 emulator core, aims to be mostly adherent to mainline 0.37b5 with selective backports 

  • (MSVC 2017) Buildfix
  • Ported to PSP, running at fullspeed! Using Cyclone/DrZ80 [fjtrujy]
  • Cyclone and DrZ80 support – Enabled for Vita – major performance improvements for 68K/Z80 based games [Frangarcj]
  • (Cyclone) Fix for speedups on Altered Beast [Frangarcj]
  • (Emscripten) Buildfix [ToadKing]

LRMAME 2003

Description: MAME 0.78 emulator core, aims to be mostly adherent to mainline 0.78 with selective backports

  • (MSVC) Buildfix
  • Cyclone and DrZ80 support – Enabled for Vita – major performance improvements for 68K/Z80 based games [Frangarcj]
  • (Cyclone) Fix for speedups on Altered Beast [Frangarcj]
  • (Emscripten) Buildfix [ToadKing]

LRMAME 2003 Plus

Description: MAME 0.78 emulator core with significant additions

  • Operation Wolf C-Chip Simulation [Arcadez]
  • GunNail graphics improvements [Arcadez]
  • U.N. Defense Force – Earth Joker fix rowscroll on final level [Arcadez]
  • Cyclone and DrZ80 support – Enabled for Vita – major performance improvements for 68K/Z80 based games [Frangarcj]
  • (Cyclone) Fix for speedups on Altered Beast [Frangarcj]
  • (Emscripten) Buildfix [ToadKing]
  • (MSVC 2017) Buildfix

Mr.Boom

Description: Bomberman-like game engine clone core

  • Updated to version 4.9 – performance improvements (standalone can now run on an Atari Falcon as a result) [franck]

NX Engine

Description: Cave Story game engine core

  • Adding diacritics support – support non-English translations with the bitmap font [leomontenegro6 ]

OpenLara

Description: Tomb Raider 1/2/3/4/5 game engine core

  • Add 300fps/360fps modes

Picodrive

Description: Sega Genesis/Mega Drive/Game Gear/Master System/Sega CD/32X emulator core

  • (MSVC) Buildfix

Play!

Description: PlayStation2 emulator core

  • Latest updates from Github upstream repository [Zer0xFF]

P-UAE

Description: Commodore Amiga emulator

  • Add support for auto-generated save disks in M3U playlists [jdgleaver]
  • LHA + MDS support [sonninnos ]
  • FastRAM option for CD32 [sonninnos ]
  • WHDLoad.hdf compatibility updates [sonninnos ]
    • Hold down fire button at boot for .info selector
    • Hold down spacebar at boot for Readme and MkCustom
  • Added long press sticky keys for VKBD + renovations [sonninnos ]
  • Fixed a human rounding error in analog stick mouse [sonninnos ]
  • Statusbar automatic recoloring [sonninnos ]
  • Add compression for savestates [sonninnos ]
  • Analog stick mouse fix [sonninnos ]
  • Default blitter wait changed back to automatic + savestate cleanups [sonninnos ]
  • Horizontal centering fix for hires-singleline [sonninnos ]

PX68K Libretro

Description: NEC X68000 home computer emulator

  • Add input bitmask support [negativeExponent]
  • Add core option to enable or disable saving disk path [negativeExponent]
  • Move menu items to core options [negativeExponent]
    • move Frame Skip to core options [negativeExponent]
    • remove Sound Rate – fixed to 44100 [negativeExponent]
    • removeVKey Size – we dont use virtual keys [negativeExponent]
    • remove HwJoy Setting [negativeExponent]
    • move Joy/Mouse to core options [negativeExponent]
    • move Vbtn Swap to core options [negativeExponent]
    • move No Wait Mode to core options [negativeExponent]
    • remove JoyKey, which is suppose to allow controlling gamepad buttons using a keyboard. Its not necessary in a libretro port due to how keyboard and joypad inputs already works [negativeExponent]

Prboom

Description: Doom 1/2 game engine core

  • Add 300fps/360fps modes
  • (MSVC) Buildfix
  • (Emscripten) Buildfix [ToadKing]

RACE

Description: Neo Geo Pocket / Neo Geo Pocket Color emulator core

  • Add optional dark filter [jdgleaver]
  • Add input bitmask support [negativeExponent]
  • Fix incorrect palette [negativeExponent]
  • Remove serialization quirks [negativeExponent]
  • Fix runtime error: misaligned reads [negativeExponent]

Snes9x 2002

Description: Super Nintendo emulator core

  • Added frameskip for GCW Zero/Dingux
  • (MSVC 2017) Buildfix
  • (Emscripten) Buildfix [ToadKing]

Snes9x 2005

Description: Super Nintendo emulator core

  • (Emscripten) Buildfix [ToadKing]

Stella

Description: Atari 2600 emulator core

  • Latest updates from Github upstream repository

Theodore

Description: Thomson MO/TO emulation emulator core

  • Latest updates from Github upstream repository

Tyrquake

Description: Quake 1 game engine core

  • Add 300fps/360fps modes

VitaQuake 2

Description: Quake 2 game engine core

  • Add 300fps/360fps modes
  • Prevent reduction in texture quality [leilei-]

VitaQuake 3

Description: Quake 3 game engine core

  • Add 300fps/360fps modes
  • Prevent reduction in texture quality [leilei-]
  • Hor+ Widescreen option [leilei-]
  • Overbrights option [leilei-]
  • A bunch more video resolutions including 4:3 resolutions; 640×480 new default (native UI res) [leilei-]

VitaVoyager

Description: Star Trek: Elite Voyager game engine core

  • Add 300fps/360fps modes
  • Prevent reduction in texture quality [leilei-]
  • Hor+ Widescreen option [leilei-]
  • Overbrights option [leilei-]
  • A bunch more video resolutions including 4:3 resolutions; 640×480 new default (native UI res) [leilei-]
  • Flares implemented by traces (not accurate, but works) [leilei-]
  • Environment maps on view weapons now reflect from the light [leilei-]
  • Specular on view weapons (not perfected yet) [leilei-]