Games have their v-blank interrupt code patched to allow going back to the game list menu by holding 1UP start down for 5 seconds. This button check however is quite flawed given it tests the entire byte of REG_STATUS_B and not bit 0 only. The result of this oversight by the coders means the game list menu will not reappear if running on AES hardware (via converter), if a memory card is present, or either 1UP select, 2UP start or 2UP select is also pressed.
Address 0x2FFFE0 (word) is used to communicate with the mcu for storage and retrieval of the game's software DIPs settings and the menu's current position.
Game selection is done through a set of 5 registers; 0x2FFFF0, 0x2FFFF2, 0x2FFFF4, 0x2FFFF6 and 0x2FFF00 (in that order). Each game is identified by a single word value (hex format) which is its position in the game list, KOF99 is 0x0015 for example. What is currently known about these registers is as follows;
Number of game to be selected always written by the UI.
Swaps ROM regions to new game (must be written).
Some notes about game swapping.
To get back into the 161-in-1 game list the game number is set to 0x0000.
Looking at Art of Fighting 2, register 0x2FFFF4 is not used when jumping back to the game list (unsure if this is true for all games).
ROM regions (P,S,F,M and V) switch to the game based on the value written to 0x2FFF00 regardless of the values written to either 0x2FFFF2, 0x2FFFF4 or 0x2FFFF6.
A game can be chosen by writing to registers 0x2FFFF0, 0x2FFFF6 and 0x2FFF00 only. Unknown if all games would function correctly however (lots of play testing required).
No way is currently known to instruct the cart to configure a single ROM region to a different game than whats held in the other regions. Based on what is known already this is probably not possible unless there are registers unused by the UI coding that can be used to instruct the MCU to do it.
Boards
Uses a bunch of uncommon Fujitsu SSOP70 55LV100S 128MB flash chips, which some say were salvaged from other arcade machines.
3 for P (384MB)
5 for V (640MB)
16 for C (2GB)
1 for S
1 for M
PROG board
UP1: EPM3256 CPLD for P ROM and mcu control. Full 68k address and data bus connected. Address bus for the P ROMs comes only from the CPLD. Connected to RESET, PORTWE, PORTOE, ROMOE, AS, RW. JTAG port is JP1.
UV1: EPM3256 CPLD for V ROM bankswitching and PCM replacement. JTAG port is JV1.
U3: Microcontroller (sanded-off PIC ?). 5V-powered, 8bit input bus (3.3V pullups in SIL array) and 8bit output bus to UP1. Not present on earlier multicarts of the same origin with less games. Programming port is J8.
CHA board
Another EPM3256 CPLD for the C, S and M ROMs. A smaller CPLD is used to replace NEO-ZMC.
Uses a daughterboard with 14 flash chips. Lots of unused footprints for additional chips.
Series 1 Game List
Number
Number (hex)
Game Title
001
0x0001
SNK VS CAPCOM +
002
0x0002
SNK VS CAPCOM RMX
003
0x0003
SVC SUPER PLUS
004
0x0004
KING OF FIGHTERS 94
005
0x0005
KING OF FIGHTERS 94 +
006
0x0006
KING OF FIGHTERS 95
007
0x0007
KING OF FIGHTERS 95 +
008
0x0008
KING OF FIGHTERS 96
009
0x0009
KING OF FIGHTERS 96 +
010
0x000A
KING OF FIGHTERS 96 EVO
011
0x000B
KING OF FIGHTERS 97
012
0x000C
KING OF FIGHTERS 97 2003
013
0x000D
KING OF FIGHTERS 97 REMIX
014
0x000E
KING OF FIGHTERS 97 PLUS
015
0x000F
KING OF GLADIATOR
016
0x0010
KING OF GLADIATOR PLUS
017
0x0011
KING OF FIGHTERS 98
018
0x0012
KING OF FIGHTERS 98 +
019
0x0013
KING OF FIGHTERS 98 ULTIMATE
020
0x0014
KING OF FIGHTERS 98 OROCHI
021
0x0015
KING OF FIGHTERS 99
022
0x0016
KING OF FIGHTERS 99 +
023
0x0017
KING OF FIGHTERS 99 CN
024
0x0018
KING OF FIGHTERS 2001
025
0x0019
KING OF FIGHTERS 2001 PLUS
026
0x001A
C.T.H.D
027
0x001B
C.T.H.D SUPER PLUS
028
0x001C
KING OF FIGHTERS 2002
029
0x001D
KING OF FIGHTERS 2002 MAGIC
030
0x001E
KING OF FIGHTERS 2002 MAGIC 2
031
0x001F
KING OF FIGHTERS 2002 CN
032
0x0020
KING OF FIGHTERS 2002 OROCHI
033
0x0021
KING OF FIGHTERS 2002 LUAN
034
0x0022
KING OF FIGHTERS 2002 SUPER
035
0x0023
KING OF FIGHTERS 2002 SUPER 2
036
0x0024
KING OF FIGHTERS 2003
037
0x0025
KING OF FIGHTERS 2004 SE PLUS
038
0x0026
KING OF FIGHTERS 2004 SE
039
0x0027
KING OF FIGHTERS 2004 SMP
040
0x0028
KING OF FIGHTERS 10TH
041
0x0029
KING OF FIGHTERS 05 UNIQUE
042
0x002A
KING OF FIGHTERS 05 UNIQUE 2
043
0x002B
KING OF FIGHTERS 10TH EXTRA +
044
0x002C
RAGE OF DRAGONS
045
0x002D
RAGE OF DRAGONS +
046
0x002E
STRIKERS 1945 +
047
0x002F
STRIKERS 1945 + +
048
0x0030
AERO FIGHTERS 2
049
0x0031
AERO FIGHTERS 3
050
0x0032
METAL SLUG
051
0x0033
METAL SLUG +
052
0x0034
METAL SLUG 2
053
0x0035
METAL SLUG 2 +
054
0x0036
METAL SLUG 3
055
0x0037
METAL SLUG 3 +
056
0x0038
METAL SLUG 4
057
0x0039
METAL SLUG 4 +
058
0x003A
METAL SLUG X
059
0x003B
METAL SLUG X +
060
0x003C
METAL SLUG 6
061
0x003D
METAL SLUG 6 +
062
0x003E
SUPER SIDEKICKS 2
063
0x003F
SUPER SIDEKICKS 3
064
0x0040
ULTIMATE 11
065
0x0041
NEO-GEO CUP 98
066
0x0042
PLEASURE GOAL
067
0x0043
SAMURAI SHODOWN
068
0x0044
SAMURAI SHODOWN +
069
0x0045
SAMURAI SHODOWN 2
070
0x0046
SAMURAI SHODOWN 2+
071
0x0047
SAMURAI SHODOWN 3
072
0x0048
SAMURAI SHODOWN 3+
073
0x0049
FIGHTERS SWORDS
074
0x004A
SAMURAI SHODOWN 4
075
0x004B
SAMURAI SHODOWN 4+
076
0x004C
SAMURAI V SPECIAL
077
0x004D
MATRIMELEE
078
0x004E
MATRIMELEE +
079
0x004F
SENGOKU
080
0x0050
SENGOKU 3
081
0x0051
SENGOKU 3 +
082
0x0052
LAST BLADE
083
0x0053
LAST BLADE +
084
0x0054
THE LAST SOLDIER
085
0x0055
LAST BLADE 2
086
0x0056
LAST BLADE 2 +
087
0x0057
LAST BLADE 2 EASY
088
0x0058
MARK OF THE WOLVES
089
0x0059
MARK OF WOLVES +
090
0x005A
DOUBLE DRAGON
091
0x005B
DOUBLE DRAGON +
092
0x005C
NIGHTMARE
093
0x005D
NIGHTMARE SP
094
0x005E
SPIN MASTER
095
0x005F
SPIN MASTER +
096
0x0060
FAR EAST OF EDEN
097
0x0061
LEGEND SUCCESS JOE
098
0x0062
ART OF FIGHTING 2
099
0x0063
ART OF FIGHTING 2+
100
0x0064
KARNOV'S REVENGE
101
0x0065
KARNOV’S REVENGE +
102
0x0066
LANSQUENET 2004
103
0x0067
SHOCK TROOPERS 2ND
104
0x0068
PUZZLE BOBBLE
105
0x0069
PUZZLE BOBBLE 2
106
0x006A
PANIC BOMBER
107
0x006B
STREET HOOP
108
0x006C
NEO BOMBERMAN
109
0x006D
ZUPAPA
110
0x006E
BLAZING STAR
111
0x006F
NINJA COMMANDO
112
0x0070
OVER TOP
113
0x0071
PULSTAR
114
0x0072
TOP HUNTER
115
0x0073
GANRYU
116
0x0074
EIGHT MAN
117
0x0075
MUTATION NATION
118
0x0076
BASEBALL STARS 2
119
0x0077
ALPHA MISSION 2
120
0x0078
PRE ISLE 2
121
0x0079
THRASH RALLY
122
0x007A
ANDRO DUNOS
123
0x007B
CAPTAIN TOMADAY
124
0x007C
ZED BLADE
125
0x007D
BANG BEAD
126
0x007E
NEO DRIFT OUT
127
0x007F
NEO TURF MASTERS
128
0x0080
3 COUNT BOUT
129
0x0081
BURNING FIGHT
130
0x0082
LAST RESORT
131
0x0083
NEO MR. DO!
132
0x0084
ROBO ARMY
133
0x0085
PUZZLE DE PON
134
0x0086
MAGICAL DROP 2
135
0x0087
FATAL FURY 1
136
0x0088
MASTER OF SYOUGI
137
0x0089
VIEWPOINT
138
0x008A
WORLD HEROES 2
139
0x008B
SOCCER BRAWL
140
0x008C
BREAKERS
141
0x008D
BREAKERS REVENGE
142
0x008E
BATTLE FLIP SHOT
143
0x008F
2020 SUPER BASEBALL
144
0x0090
WORLD HEROES
145
0x0091
MONEY PUZZLE EXCH
146
0x0092
KING OF MONSTERS
147
0x0093
FOOTBALL FRENZY
148
0x0094
BLUE‘S JOURNEY
149
0x0095
CROSSED SWORDS
150
0x0096
STAKES WINNER
151
0x0097
STAKES WINNER 2
152
0x0098
PUZZLE DE PON! R!
153
0x0099
KING OF FIGHTERS 2003 CHANGE
154
0x009A
SUPER DODGE BALL
155
0x009B
MAGICAL DROP III
156
0x009C
SAVAGE REIGN
157
0x009D
KIZUNA ENCOUNTER
158
0x009E
KING OF FIGHTERS 2002 ICE-BLUE
159
0x009F
KING OF FIGHTERS 97 PJ
160
0x00A0
KING OF FIGHTERS 97 YL
161
0x00A1
KING OF FIGHTERS 97 CR
Known Game Issues
Aero Fighters 2 - Will not play correctly unless in Japanese region (button check code inserted into ROM over game data).
Magical Drop II - Hiscore table is broken when drawn to screen (the start button trigger timer var stored at 0x10FF20, a region used by the game and MESS_OUT). This issue may affect other games also.
Magical Drop III - Hiscore table is broken when drawn to screen (the start button trigger timer var stored at 0x10FF20, a region used by the game and MESS_OUT). This issue may affect other games also.
Blue's Journey - Game will not have sound until system soft reset (probably due to corrupted Z80 ROM image).
Puzzle Bobble 2 - Can causes crash when selected from the game list. Looks dependant on MVS type (happens on my MV-1FS but not MV-1FT). The game works correctly once a soft reset is done after the crash.
Alpha Mission II - Game name displayed in the testmode softdip settings screen is byte flipped (stored incorrectly in the carts game name tables).
Metal Slug 3 - Has NGH of 0x299 which belongs to the mslug6 hack. When in USA region the 'parental advisory warning' screen is corrupted. When set to Japanese language (softDIP) the Japanese how to play font is corrupted.