This morning I started preparation on the Neo Geo port to support CPC graphics. Whilst enhancing my graphics conversion tool for the Neo Geo, I realised that I'd run out of sprites on the cartridge!
To develop/run a Neo Geo game under MAME, you need to hijack an existing game. That involves taking the original cartridge ROM images for a specific game, replacing select files (68K program code, sprites and FIX layer graphics) with your own content, and running under the original name.
The project template I originally used for my Donkey Kong port (WIP) and subsequently for Lode Runner and now Knight Lore was based on the Puzzle De Pon cartridge (GUID 202). With a single pair of sprite ROM images, that's sufficient for 16,384 sprite tiles. Given that the ZX version of Knight Lore has 12,032 you can see how I need more space to support the CPC graphics.
Looking through the MAME driver source code for the 'minimal' cartridge with twice the sprite ROM image size, I discovered a handful of candidates. The extra criteria was no fancy bank switching or protection schemes on the cartridge. Fortunately the first candidate, Legend Of Success Joe (GUID 029), fit the bill. I've simply chosen to ignore the fact that this cartridge is notorious for being arguably the worst game ever released on the Neo Geo.
In the process of switching the 'host' cartridge, I took the opportunity to clean up the makefile and reorganise ROM files in the development hierarchy. The only other gotcha was that the eye-catcher sprite bank for LOSJ was at $6F, residing in the 2nd pair of sprite files, which required tweaking in my conversion tool. But as of tonight, selecting legendos on MAME runs Knight Lore!
Tomorrow I'll hopefully complete the CPC graphics conversion.
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