What emulators are you using

[luc-ita]

Hello to all.
I've a question: What are the best emulators, in your opinion, for various systems, that are useful, or have a tracer with the ability to save the log, to use with the Abystus' BranchFinder or to do researches for create the "anywhere" codes?

I'm sorry for my english. I hope my question is understandable.

Thank you

EDIT:
Another important question: How to use the tracer's function\button in the NO$GBA?

[Demonic722]

MAME - arcade
MESS - emulates various consoles
FCEUX - NES emulator
Geiger's SNES9X - SNES emulator

[Tony H]

Gens Tracer - Genesis

[luc-ita]

Many thanks Demonic722 and Tony Hedstrom.

Hope someone could help me to find a solution for the second question

[Abystus]

NO$GBA has no trace log option that I'm aware of. If you want to trace GBA games, then use MESS. NDS tracing is still up in the air until Martin chooses to get off his butt and implement it. I made a request for it here earlier this year.

[Helder]

He does have some tracing options but they pale in comparison to the mentioned emulators and wtf is up with gba games moving at a snails pace once you start going into breakpoints? The older version you had to pay for never had this problem and I have a beast pc build too so can't be that.

I use MESS for most systems when I can but use the mentioned SNES emulator as well as the mentioned NES emulator. I use no$psx along with MESS for Playstation games.

[luc-ita]

Thank you all!
Yeah NO$PSX is an excellent emulator, in my opinion.

I'm trying to use MESS...but...I need some help. I can't find a decent tutorial on how to configure this emulator. I've all the bioses.
When open the MESS.exe and select configure otions and change some options, then when I come back to main screen MESS closes itself!

How I can configure this emulator? Where I've to put the bios zips? And where's the trace (and\or debugging) option?

[Helder]

Get MessUI as that makes it much easier to configure.
http://messui.1emulation.com/

[luc-ita]

Many thanks Helder! MessUI is done well and makes all more simple.

Now I ask you: How I can set a breakpoint or view the memory of the game or there's a debugger? And for the trace log?
Sorry for my questions

[Abystus]

How I can set a breakpoint or view the memory of the game or there's a debugger? And for the trace log?
Sorry for my questions

Right-click on the system and check the properties. There should be an option to enable the integrated debugger. After enabling that, use the following:

Ram Searching:

ci -- Initialize Memory
cn ? -- Search Type
   replace ? with the following:
	* eq 	   -- Equal To Last
	* eq, val  -- Equal To Value
	* -        -- Less Than Last
	* -, val   -- Less Than By Value	
	* +        -- Greater Than
	* +, val   -- Greater Than By Value

cl 	           -- List Results to Screen
cl, Filename       -- List Results to File
trace filename     -- Trace to File
trace off          -- Stop Trace

Breakponts:

(Read/Write)

wp address, 1, w   -- Breakpoint Write
wp address, 1, r   -- Breakpoint Read
wp address, 1, rw  -- Breakpoint Read/Write

(Execution)

bp address         -- Breakpoint Execution of ROM

[Helder]

When the debugger is checked off it will always show when you load a game. Press F12 to run game when you get this screen or a breakpoint, ~ opens the debugger manually to do searches or set breaks and traces. F5 lets the debugger run while game is running (good to see memory live), the rest of what's needed is explained above by Abystus.

[luc-ita]

Very much appreciated answers! Thank you very much!

[BigBossman]

All of the emulated games that I have are emulated on my original Xbox.

-For Arcade I have MAME (but most of the games don't work. The ones that do work are twitchy almost like Max Headroom). On another Xbox system I have an older version of Coin Ops(Those games actually work great).
-For NES games I use FCE
-For Sega Genesis games I use Neo-Genesis
-For Atari Lynx games I use Lynx-Box
-For Game Boy, Game Boy Color, & Game Boy Advance games I use X-Boy
-For Super NES games I use SNES9X (The downside is I must have an older version. While I'm able to store Game Genie & Pro Action Replay codes, I can't actually hack games with this emulator. I have to enter addresses in for example: from 7E0100 to 7E010F to see what effects the PAR codes have. Then I have home in on the code(s) creating the effects.)
- I'm not sure of the emulator names, but I also have them for Sega Master System games & an emulator for Sega Game Gear (but no hacking capabilities for the Game Gear).

I was going to get another soft modded X-box system with mostly PS1 games, but the guy that I bought my second system from ripped me off. Just a word of wisdom, if you go online & deal with a guy from Jacksonville, FL by the name of Jason Horine, don't buy from him. Next time, I'll deal with someone locally & someone I know & trust.

When my wife manages to land a job & I can save some more money, I'm planning to get another softmodded Xbox system that has mostly PS1 games (US, Japanese, & European) so I can sell the PS1, Gameshark Pro, & the massive stockpile of games I have for it. Not to mention other NES, Famicom, Super NES, Super Famicom, Genesis, & Megadrive games that I don't already have on the one I currently use.

[luc-ita]

Another unexpected answer! Thank you very much for all your informations!
As in the early 90s I was a bit too young to know the existence of the Sega MegaDrive\Genesis, my dream is to have my favorites games and a cheat device for testing on real HW my works.
But here in Italy I doubt I could find someone that sell all I want and trust him.
However thanks again!
It's cool that you use an xbox system with emulators!!!
Has the MegaDrive a system for loading roms instead of using cartridges? I just ask.

[BigBossman]

Has the MegaDrive a system for loading roms instead of using cartridges? I just ask.

Before I got the Xbox system softmodded, I used to use only the real games to hack & used a real Game Genie & a real Pro-Action Replay (which I had to order from Germany). Once I got them emulated, I decided to sell most of what I had.