Air Combat (SLUS-00001) Incompatible With PCSX-ReARMed?

RetroArch Android devices
#1

I just now loaded Air Combat into PCSX-ReARMed r22 (2016-10-18 build) and Retroarch nightly from 2016-10-18 and the game doesn’t react to gamepad input. There’s a video intro that I can get past by pressing any button so it seems to detect input there at least, but once the main menu is loaded the game doesn’t detect any input at all. I loaded the same image in Mednafen-PSX 0.9.39.2 (with same general settings) and ePSXe 2.0.6 and there are no problems with the gamepad there. But I can’t run Mednafen-PSX as my main PSX emulator on Shield TV as most games run too slow, except some 2D games. I’ve been playing Crash Bandicoot 2 and 3, Tales of Phantasia, and Ape Escape on the same build of PCSX-ReARMed and the gamepad is functioning just fine in all games.

So, any experience with this?

#2

Could be a dynarec issue. Try switching to the interpreter core.

#3

Dynarec as in Dynamic Recompiler? I always keep it turned off, it causes quite severe slowdowns in 3D games.

#4

That’s weird. dynarecs are generally much faster than interpreters at the cost of accuracy. I’ll try to look into it this evening (if I get some time).

#5

Hmm, no luck here. Could just be broken.

#6

I just needed to change “Pad 1 Type” to “standard”/“default” instead of “analog”…

I noticed one strange thing while doing this

  1. Load PCSX-ReARMed with any other game where there’s no gamepad issues.
  2. Access Retroarch quick menu and core options.
  3. Set “Pad 1 Type” to “analog”.
  4. Close current game and load Air Combat - As in OP, the controls don’t work since it’s set to “analog”.
  5. Access core options and switch from “analog” to “default” and resume game - Still not working.
  6. Switch to “standard” which, as mentioned earlier in this post, is working.
  7. Now, from “standard” switch to “default” and resume game - This time “default” is working.

So: “analog” (not working) -> “default” = no controls “standard” (works) -> “default” = controls working

But these steps only work for the current session of PCSX-ReARMed. If I close the core I have to go back to “standard” to be able to play Air Combat but luckily I can save game specific settings.

#7

Ah, nice! Glad you got it figured out, and thanks for posting your solution :slight_smile:

#8

Do you think that the toggle switch for dynarec/interpreter could be displaying the wrong value? Because when dynarec is disabled in the menu I get some graphics glitches in Air Combat but I haven’t really noticed them in any other games, but when it’s turned on, the more demanding games run slower and it also fixes the graphics glitches in Air Combat. So when the settings menu is displaying dynarec as off, the core seems to behave as it’s actually turned on, i.e. games run at higher fps but with inaccuracies.

#9

It’s possible but unlikely. Nevertheless, I’ll look into it!