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I know using MAME on a PC,  that once you load in a DECO game the first time, it saves the result somewhere and every time you load the game thereafter it comes right up (versus having to re-load).  This behavior doesn't seem to be happening with the one DECO game I am playing that requires the pre-load... Boulder Dash.

Is there a setting in MAME that I can set to make save the "cassette" load?

Thanks!

It should 'just work'.... it does for me using 274 & 275...  what MAME are you using?  Pretty sure the NVRAM saves the tape load and no extra effort should be needed.

It may be worth deleting the Boulder Dash nvram file from MAME (the version you're using and any other in case MAME is confused...) in case it has become corrupt or omething.

I will lookin to this and get back to you.

Do you still have roms in multiple MAME versions at once?  That could also be worth a look, similar to PR2 issue maybe?

First step... checked and it's happening with every version.  High scores are saving... but none of the versions I tested (.251, .274, .275) "saved" the pre-load.

Next step is to see if the nvram file is corrupted...

Hmmm...

I found... NO NVRAM folder un the NVRAM section of ANY mame... not mame275... not mame274... not mame251 (mame) or even mame172.

It's not there.

SO... I did find the rom in mame251, mame274 and mame172.  I deleted them all except for mame274.

It still will not save the DECO pre-load to nvram.  If I run mame275 or mame274 (the only two I tried) I get the same behavior as before... it goes through the tape pre-load.

... oh well.  Not a huge deal.  I only play Boulder Dash from the DECO games (aside from Burger Time and Bump n Jump which have their own PCB version)... it's only about a 2 minute load.

I just discovered there is a Max-A-Flex version of the same game...



Will look at that as an potential alternative.  Would have been nice if Data East had produced non-Deco Boulder Dash PCBs...

MAYBE this is normal behavior?  I just found this older thread...



Only 6 years ago however... they're talking about using savestates to bypass the DECO load time (in the comments) as well as making some quick key for a fast-forward button (I am guessing that entails changing mame to run 100% speed versus actual "game" speed).

...and another more recent post from the launchbox community... and no one chimed in other than to say... "nope"...

https://forums.launchbox-app.com/topic/80391-deco-cassette-system-games/

It looks like my work-around may be to add the "fast-forward" button in mame (whatever that may be ... have not looked) to the hot-keys.  I'm guessing that won't be too difficult... might look in to that when I have a chance...



It sure sucks when lazy intersects with desire.

Wonder why it's working for me... what rom are you using?  Maybe I am using a different one.

The Max-A-Flex version is the same as the Commodore64 version as far as I know.  If so it's a great game.

EDIT: Unless the loading screen is only a second or two, I am not seeing the issue.

Nope... it turns blue and counts down from 105 to 0.

Takes about 2 minutes.

I SEEMS to want to think I remember mame skipping that after the first run through... but ... ehhh?

Yeah... the Max-A-Flex version is the quicker C64 version... horizontal screen.

...I have an idea,  if you're open.  Look and see if you have an NVRAM folder for it.  If you do... shoot it over and I'll give it a go.

Turns out I don't have any NVRAM for boulderdash either.

Also it worked for me because I wa running the wrong game...  I was running bouldash.zip which I think is the sequel... my bad.

cbdash.zip has the timer.  It can be sped up with f10 (throttle) or pagedown (fast forward), but doesn't seem to save anywhere.  A savestate may be a workaround.

AdvMAME was able to auto fast forward for a certain time to speed up startup.  I don't think any other MAME has had that option though.

I have an idea.  I can probably add an auto fast forward at startup for DECO cassette games, might take a little fiddling to get the timing right but I'm pretty confident it can be done.

Save states wont work as you'd lose high scores unless you saved every time.

Your idea sounds... very interesting...