Need help with Star Ocean please!

[aeternitas]

I have the Star Ocean (J) [T+Eng1.0_DeJap] ROM, and I'm trying to run it with ZSNES Windows v1.51. The game loads fine (picture and sound are great) but I can't advance past the screen where I can rename Ratix. The only keys that seem to work are the up and down keys, which take me from END to RATIX and then back to END. ENTER doesn't work. Neither does SHIFT.

Am I just doing something really stupid?

I also tried using SNES 9x-1.43-win32 but experienced the same problem, and there are now sound issues as well.

And when I try to use the Unofficial SNES9x I again have the same problem, plus the video has severe issues as well.

Could someone please point me to some resources that might help?

[Agozer]

In ZSNES, Config --> Input #1. Check your keys/buttons.

[aeternitas]

I have my keyboard set as input device #1, and RETURN is mapped to START, while RIGHT SHIFT is mapped to SELECT, but neither one is working.

I'm sure this is a dumb question, but on start-up I notice this: CHKSUM: FAIL. What does that mean?

Could my ROM image be bad?

[Gil_Hamilton]

I'm sure this is a dumb question, but on start-up I notice this: CHKSUM: FAIL. What does that mean?

Could my ROM image be bad?

In a way, it is.

It's a hacked version. Specifically, a version that's been hacked to play in english.


That's all the checksum failure probably means in this case.
It just shows that the game's checksum doesn't match the data.

[adventure_of_link]

also keep in mind that star ocean was buggy, even on the original cart

[Gil_Hamilton]

also keep in mind that star ocean was buggy, even on the original cart

Not THAT buggy.

[aeternitas]

@Gil_Hamilton - I think you're right. I tried a Japanese ROM (unpatched) and the checksum was OK.

@adventure_of_link - Seems to be very true. I tested 11 ROMs and ISOs today, and of all those, Star Ocean was the only one to give me any problems.

Apparently I didn't understand the key assignments as shown. I found that if I press the [x] key it functions as an [Advance] key, and the game will actually load to the next screen. Apparently I don't understand the difference between Select [Right Shift] and Advance [x]? Guess I better go over the documentation for ZSNES 1.51 more carefully.

Now my problem is that of the two voices in the intro, the female voice is crystal clear while the male voice is somewhat garbled. If anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears.

[adventure_of_link]

also keep in mind that star ocean was buggy, even on the original cart

Not THAT buggy.

ooh, you're right, hell it even plays in snes9x just fine

[Gil_Hamilton]

Apparently I didn't understand the key assignments as shown. I found that if I press the [x] key it functions as an [Advance] key, and the game will actually load to the next screen. Apparently I don't understand the difference between Select [Right Shift] and Advance [x]? Guess I better go over the documentation for ZSNES 1.51 more carefully.

"Advance?" The SNES doesn't HAVE an "advance" key...

Now my problem is that of the two voices in the intro, the female voice is crystal clear while the male voice is somewhat garbled. If anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears.

If I recall, the mixer defaults are TOTALLY out of whack. He's just distorted to hell.
Go into the sound test and turn that shit DOWN.

[aeternitas]

Apparently I didn't understand the key assignments as shown. I found that if I press the [x] key it functions as an [Advance] key, and the game will actually load to the next screen. Apparently I don't understand the difference between Select [Right Shift] and Advance [x]? Guess I better go over the documentation for ZSNES 1.51 more carefully.

"Advance?" The SNES doesn't HAVE an "advance" key...

Now my problem is that of the two voices in the intro, the female voice is crystal clear while the male voice is somewhat garbled. If anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears.

If I recall, the mixer defaults are TOTALLY out of whack. He's just distorted to hell.
Go into the sound test and turn that shit DOWN.

I didn't know what else to call it. If I press the [Right Shift] key which is supposed to enter the data I've selected, nothing happens. But if I press the [x] key then the selected data (in this case, the name) is entered and the game loads to the next screen.

I don't understand it, but I'm too tired to do any more t-shooting tonight. I'll have to get back to it later.

Oh, and a big "Thank You" to everyone for the helpful suggestions.

[Deathlike2]

Apparently I didn't understand the key assignments as shown. I found that if I press the [x] key it functions as an [Advance] key, and the game will actually load to the next screen. Apparently I don't understand the difference between Select [Right Shift] and Advance [x]? Guess I better go over the documentation for ZSNES 1.51 more carefully.

"Advance?" The SNES doesn't HAVE an "advance" key...

Now my problem is that of the two voices in the intro, the female voice is crystal clear while the male voice is somewhat garbled. If anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears.

If I recall, the mixer defaults are TOTALLY out of whack. He's just distorted to hell.
Go into the sound test and turn that shit DOWN.

I didn't know what else to call it. If I press the [Right Shift] key which is supposed to enter the data I've selected, nothing happens. But if I press the [x] key then the selected data (in this case, the name) is entered and the game loads to the next screen.

I don't understand it, but I'm too tired to do any more t-shooting tonight. I'll have to get back to it later.

Oh, and a big "Thank You" to everyone for the helpful suggestions.

First off, use your brain.

When you are configuring the Keyboard for Input #1, you can click on Set Keys to remap the all the keys (X,Y,L,R,A,B,Start,Select,Up,Down,Left,Right) the way you want it to. If nothing prompts you to set the keys, then you need to enable the device by highlight Keyboard/Gamepad and clicking on the Set button.

Once you're done, learn how the game interacts with each button.

I get the feeling that you've never played the game before (or set up your keyboard for the emu) and expect certain buttons to behavior in a particular manner.

[aeternitas]

First off, use your brain.

When you are configuring the Keyboard for Input #1, you can click on Set Keys to remap the all the keys (X,Y,L,R,A,B,Start,Select,Up,Down,Left,Right) the way you want it to. If nothing prompts you to set the keys, then you need to enable the device by highlight Keyboard/Gamepad and clicking on the Set button.

Once you're done, learn how the game interacts with each button.

I get the feeling that you've never played the game before (or set up your keyboard for the emu) and expect certain buttons to behavior in a particular manner.

You know... you're right.

No, I haven't played the game before, and this is also my first time using any type of emulator. I did set up my keyboard though. If you'll notice my 2nd post on this thread you'll see that I accepted the default settings for the keyboard, but the [Right Shift] key that is mapped to the [Select] function on the Nintendo controller didn't work the way I expected it to.

But now that I think about it, that's not unusual is it? I'm mostly familiar with PS games, and in the example above, some PS games would use the [x] button, some would use the [o] button, some would use [Select] and some would use [Start.]

So yeah, you're right, I've been making bad assumptions. Tomorrow I'll start testing each button as you suggested.

[Gil_Hamilton]

First off, use your brain.

When you are configuring the Keyboard for Input #1, you can click on Set Keys to remap the all the keys (X,Y,L,R,A,B,Start,Select,Up,Down,Left,Right) the way you want it to. If nothing prompts you to set the keys, then you need to enable the device by highlight Keyboard/Gamepad and clicking on the Set button.

Once you're done, learn how the game interacts with each button.

I get the feeling that you've never played the game before (or set up your keyboard for the emu) and expect certain buttons to behavior in a particular manner.

You know... you're right.

No, I haven't played the game before, and this is also my first time using any type of emulator. I did set up my keyboard though. If you'll notice my 2nd post on this thread you'll see that I accepted the default settings for the keyboard, but the [Right Shift] key that is mapped to the [Select] function on the Nintendo controller didn't work the way I expected it to.

But now that I think about it, that's not unusual is it? I'm mostly familiar with PS games, and in the example above, some PS games would use the [x] button, some would use the [o] button, some would use [Select] and some would use [Start.]

So yeah, you're right, I've been making bad assumptions. Tomorrow I'll start testing each button as you suggested.

Generally speaking, select does nothing. It's a controller appendix, left over from the original FamiCom design.
Originally, it was to be used to change menu options, but then someone realized the d-pad worked just as well for that. And it's far enough out from everything else that there's no good way to repurpose it.


I've NEVER seen a PS1 game that used select for the OK button. I'd really like to know which one did that.

[sweener2001]

i like the part where this topic was a waste of everyone's time.

[aeternitas]

I've NEVER seen a PS1 game that used select for the OK button. I'd really like to know which one did that.

I think I was wrong about that one.

@sweener2001 - Sorry, I thought this topic was about me, a beginner, trying to get some help with a game, Star Ocean, with which lots of other people have also had trouble. I didn't realize this topic was supposed to provide you with entertainment as well.

[grinvader]

i like the part where this topic was a waste of everyone's time.

Legendary hilarium award of the month.

[neo_bahamut1985]

If neither Zsnes or SNES9x work out, try out SnesGT; the game doesn't have that bug AFAIK

[Deathlike2]

neo_bahamut, user error is the issue, which you are falling into the same boat.