Viva le Mame32.exe!

I decided to try to figure out why my games weren't running (the afore mentioned "merge" issue as well as other lag issues). Rather than tackling the roms themselves, I first tried using Mame32.exe as my chosen mame executable in mamewah. This fixed EVERYTHING! Games that wouldhn't run now run, games that ran slowly now run at full speed! I no longer think the celeron is too slow -- seems fine! I will undoubted still hit a performance wall eventually but not for a while hopefully. If i can make it to mid-90's that'd be great. If I can play even more modern 3D fighters via Zinc as well as LaserDisc style games via Daphne, all the better (we'll find that out later).



Last night I decided to tackle the trackball working in windows but not in games. Turned out my friend Trif, the grand king of all creation and lover of all things DOS, told me to simply tweak the mame32.ini for mame32.exe (aka mame.ini for mame.exe) file for my emulator. This INI is not to be confused with the ini files that Mamewah uses. Just had to change a 0 to a 1 for mouse support. INI files contain all the startup prefs that you want to engage when using the program from commandline (avoids the need for an overabundance of commandline flags).

I now am back to having all my mame roms and all my atari roms running, with art wherever possible. I think I'm next going to tackle getting all the rest of the buttons working before continuing the long rom sorting process.

I've also ordered 2 replacement ball-top handles for the Mag-Stick Plus as well as a replacement microswitch for the joystick whose switch I broke while trying to bend the prong. $14 is some hefty shipping but I guess it is DHL from the UK.

I bought some quick-disconnect crimp connectors from Radio Shack (by arriving *before* 8pm). While the cashier barely knew what I was asking about, I think I still ended up getting what I need. I've never had to crimp this type of connectors -- my past crimping/punchdown experience has been limited to RJ45's and RJ11's for ethernet and phone. Among the new crimp connectors are some "flag" style connectors which make a right-angle to the prongs. Maybe that will avoid any need to bend anything.