07257: gamegear [popbreak]: "START" from menu won't start game

ID	Category [?]	Severity [?]	Reproducibility	Date Submitted	Last Update
07257	DIP/Input	Major	Always	Mar 9, 2019, 18:00	Apr 30, 2019, 08:16

Tester	trj	View Status	Public	Platform	MAME (Official Binary)
Assigned To		Resolution	Bugs That Aren't Bugs	OS	Windows 10 (64-bit)
Status [?]	Resolved			Driver	sega/sms.cpp
Version	0.207	Fixed in Version		Build
		Fixed in Git Commit		Github Pull Request #

Summary	07257: gamegear [popbreak]: "START" from menu won't start game
Description	Game appears to accept start from initial Sega Screen or Same Intro. However it won't accept start on the next screen that asks for Start to begin game. Popbreak (CRC 71DEBA5A) Also confirmed it behaves the same under MAME 0.204
Steps To Reproduce	Press Start on the Sega or Intro screen. On the next screen - which asks to press start to begin the game - it appears the Start button is not recognized.
Additional Information
Github Commit

Flags
Regression Version
Affected Sets / Systems	gamegear [popbreak]

Attached Files

No.16231 Tafoid Administrator Mar 9, 2019, 18:23	That may not be a bug afterall... It is noted in the hash file that this game ONLY works in the Japanese Game Gear for whatever reason. This may be hardware differences or intended as a region protection, I'm unsure without some more research. I'll leave it open until we have accumulated evidence one way or another.
No.16232 Tafoid Administrator Mar 9, 2019, 18:28	SMS Power has information: http://www.smspower.org/Development/PopBreaker-GG Pop Breaker (ポップブレイカー) Pop Breaker does not work on export Game Gear systems because the code to read the start button does not mask out the region bit (port 00h bit 6). Therefore, since it can only work on Japanese units, this will be considered a "BTANB" or rather, Bugs That Aren't Bugs, because they happen in real hardware. If you want to play this game, use machine "gamegeaj - Game Gear (Japan)"

No.16231

Tafoid

Administrator

Mar 9, 2019, 18:23

That may not be a bug afterall...

It is noted in the hash file that this game ONLY works in the Japanese Game Gear for whatever reason. This may be hardware differences or intended as a region protection, I'm unsure without some more research. I'll leave it open until we have accumulated evidence one way or another.

No.16232

Tafoid

Administrator

Mar 9, 2019, 18:28

SMS Power has information:
http://www.smspower.org/Development/PopBreaker-GG

Pop Breaker (ポップブレイカー)
Pop Breaker does not work on export Game Gear systems because the code to read the start button does not mask out the region bit (port 00h bit 6).

Therefore, since it can only work on Japanese units, this will be considered a "BTANB" or rather, Bugs That Aren't Bugs, because they happen in real hardware.
If you want to play this game, use machine "gamegeaj - Game Gear (Japan)"