Today I released an update for PSQTOOLS, the toolset for the PlaySoniq module.

Changes:

• changed: SMSLOAD, allow to disable the memory configuration lock, which will potentially corrupt the SRAM save data. Set the PlaySoniq master volume to maximum
• changed: PSG2SCC, set the PlaySoniq master volume to maximum

Today I've released an update of the MoonBlaster v1.4 driver:

Changes in this version:

• added detection for memory mapper availability and size in DOS1
• added detection for other than real MSX-AUDIO
• improved stability when switching between Z80 and R800 on MSXturboR

Also the official assembly sources updates are available. The changes are:

• merged MBPLAY.SRC and MBPLAY2.SRC
• translated the comments to English
• added conditional assembly flags
• added detection for other than real MSX-AUDIO

The driver can be downloaded from my Home Page or MSX Banzai!.

Introduction

In 1997 and 1998 Konami released a collection of MSX games for the PlayStation spread of 3 volumes which are sold separately. In 1998 a version for Sega Saturn was released containing the same titles combined on 1 disc. The disc contains the ROM images of the MSX games replacing BIOS video routines by unused Z80 instructions. Some of these games are also known to have extra features by inserting certain Konami games in the second slot of the MSX computer, or by built in cheats.

This article contains all cheats for the games per volume, and how to activate them on the PlayStation discs. This information is accumulated by trial and error, sometimes with help of a few existing pages. At this moment no information is known about how to activate these cheats on the Sega Saturn version.

The formatting of each entry is as follows:

• Game title
  • Game title (combination) or Description of the cheat.
    Button or buttons to start the game with from the menu.
    Description of what it does.

Volume 1

The games affected on Konami Antiques MSX Collection Volume 1 are:

• Gradius
  • TwinBee (combination)
    
    Vic Viper will turn into TwinBee and the power-up capsules will turn into bells.

Volume 2

The games affected on Konami Antiques MSX Collection Volume 2 are:

• Yie Ar Kung Fu 2
  • Yie Ar Kung Fu (combination)
    
    Starting from stage 3, once your life bar is almost depleted, Lee Young from Yie Ar Kung Fu will drop you some tea.
• Knightmare
  • Invisibility on demand
    +
    You will become invisible for 100 in-game counts. This can be done 3 times.
  • Invisibility on demand
    +
    You will become invisible for 100 in-game counts. This can be done as often as you want.
  • 26 lives
    +
    (on MSX with LEFT+RIGHT+SELECT+N).
    You will start with 26 lives in stead of 3 lives.
  • 26 lives & invisibility on demand
    ++
    This combines the two afforementioned cheats.
• Gradius 2
  • Penguin Adventure (combination)
    +
    Metalion will turn into Penguin and power-up capsules will turn into fish and a seagull.
  • Q*Bert (combination)
    +
    Enter passwords for special features:
    Fully power-up Metalion.
    Skip to the next stage.
    Create a temporary green shield around Metalion.
  • The Maze of Galious (combination)
    +
    Get a Weapon Backup feature when you die. This does not apply after a Game Over.

Volume 3

The games affected on Konami Antiques MSX Collection Volume 3 are:

• Salamander
  • Gradius 2 (combination)
    There is no special combination to specifically start this combination.
    Enables the possibility to reach the Good Ending of Salamander.

Referenced pages

http://urawaza.in/ps/konami.htm
http://urawaza.in/ps/konami2.htm

Today I released the start of a toolset for the DalSoRi R2.0 OPL4 extension.

Changes:

• new: DSR2SET, configure every setting in the DalSoRi R2.0
• new: DSR2SROM, load a customised Sample ROM in SRAM

The toolset is released as TNI product.

A new version of the Multi IPS Archive tools have been released. Version 1.1 comes with an addition to the MIA format as well:

• added a disk switch feature
• added a rename feature

The disk switch feature will allow applying patches on multi-disk file based software. MIAPPLY will display which disk to insert and wait for a key press. The rename feature should preferably only be used to change filenames that are part of a translation and which are not hardcoded in the software.

Also the MIA format specification has been given an update in the existing part. More information regarding this is available in the package to create MIA files.

The tools are available on MSX Banzai!, BiFi's Home Page and MSX IPS Patch Archive.