Marble Madness leds don't flash in freeplay

freeplayinc

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I was wondering if anyone has looked into why this happens, seems others have the same issue and it doesn't seem to be a driver issue.

When I take my MM out of freeplay so it requires coins to play, first coin make the player one blink, second coin makes both flash so the circuit is working.

Now I place my MM into freeplay, save and exit and now the game is in freeplay but no blinking lights.

Seems like a software glitch of some sort or maybe a rom revision that is not letting the lights blink in freeplay. Anyone have any info on this?
 
No one has any info, maybe I need a different approach. How about does your MM lights flash in free play....yes or no and what version of MM roms are in your machine? I'm pretty sure this is going to come down to a rom revision unless someone knows better.

I'll update later on my roms revision, when I can get to the machine.
 
Do a search. There was a thread about this last week. No mine doesn't flash in freeplay.
Jayme

I know I bumped it, it was in the discussion area though so I made a new one. Hoping enough people jump on the my lights don't work band wagon so we can get some resolution.

I bet if you take you game out of freeplay they will flash with coins and this is why I say I think it's a rom revision issue.
 
Are you saying some of them do flash?
Jayme

Read my first post, they flash fine when not in freeplay as long as there is two credits but as soon as you put into freeplay they don't flash. I have been reading on the rom revisions and all I have found so far is that there are 4 versions and the first version is easier in normal setting as found per Twin Galaxies, I guess it gives you 5 more seconds then the rest of them.
 
Read my first post, they flash fine when not in freeplay as long as there is two credits but as soon as you put into freeplay they don't flash. I have been reading on the rom revisions and all I have found so far is that there are 4 versions and the first version is easier in normal setting as found per Twin Galaxies, I guess it gives you 5 more seconds then the rest of them.

I think that was done on purpose to prevent the bulbs from burning out too soon. I think I seen this on a starcade video comment but can't remember.
 
That is my point. I read your post. I just don't understand why you think they are supposed to flash, when it seems they are all this way.
Jayme
 
That is my point. I read your post. I just don't understand why you think they are supposed to flash, when it seems they are all this way.
Jayme

Every Atari game know to man has the blinking leds on freeplay (that is the games that have led start switches) I have read many people claiming that their start buttons flash on MM and again with every other Atari game with leds they all flash on freeplay so I tend to believe that they do flash in freeplay for MM as well.

Just to see,

Is there anyone here that can verify that they do flash in freeplay?
 
Every Atari game know to man has the blinking leds on freeplay (that is the games that have led start switches) I have read many people claiming that their start buttons flash on MM and again with every other Atari game with leds they all flash on freeplay so I tend to believe that they do flash in freeplay for MM as well.

Just to see,

Is there anyone here that can verify that they do flash in freeplay?

I have brought this up before and as best I can determine, comparing several (at least 5) Marble Madness games, none flashed in freeplay. All flashed fine on regular coin up.
 
I have brought this up before and as best I can determine, comparing several (at least 5) Marble Madness games, none flashed in freeplay. All flashed fine on regular coin up.

Wow, that's sucks. This game next to all my other Atari games just seems broken, all these cabinets on freeplay with flashing leds and then theres the broken MM. I have already been asked several times if they need to put money into this game to play since the lights don't flash like the others games do.

I'm suprised that no one has modded the code to make them flash since I know it bugs the shit out of me and I'm sure it bother others too. Just a shame.....shame I say.

Guess I'll just have to sell the POS. LMFAO.
 
Wow, that's sucks. This game next to all my other Atari games just seems broken, all these cabinets on freeplay with flashing leds and then theres the broken MM. I have already been asked several times if they need to put money into this game to play since the lights don't flash like the others games do.

I'm suprised that no one has modded the code to make them flash since I know it bugs the shit out of me and I'm sure it bother others too. Just a shame.....shame I say.

Guess I'll just have to sell the POS. LMFAO.

If it really bothers you that much, there is other things you can do to make them lights flash.
 
Well, If someone is working on a rom hack to fix this, please PM me. Otherwise I'll start work on this next week.

Wow that would be awesome!! I would love to hear back what you find in the code, there are 4 revisions for MM so I would be interested if you find that one version does have the code for the leds in freeplay. I have heard and read from others that they do flash in freeplay but they may be mistaken.
 
Well, If someone is working on a rom hack to fix this, please PM me. Otherwise I'll start work on this next week.

Did you ever get a chance to look at the code? Still wondering if this issue is a rom revision thing or if Atari really did make them not blink in freeplay.
 
Did you ever get a chance to look at the code? Still wondering if this issue is a rom revision thing or if Atari really did make them not blink in freeplay.

I'm currently working with the romset that MAME refers to as "marble".

When the game is in "coin" mode, I can see where, when credits are added, the memory is set that tells the code to blink the LEDs.

Freeplay mode does not set values in these memory locations.

So I know where the leds are told to flash for coin mode, and the code necessary to make the lights flash. All I need to do is set some values into memory and the code automatically takes care of blinking the LEDs.

Surprisingly, I'm having difficultly figuring out the exact branch in the code, when it detects free play, to place the hack. Have it narrowed down to about seven places; hopefully I can get it sorted out this week.
 
Wow that would be awesome!! I would love to hear back what you find in the code, there are 4 revisions for MM so I would be interested if you find that one version does have the code for the leds in freeplay. I have heard and read from others that they do flash in freeplay but they may be mistaken.

Ack, didn't see this post before. Guess I should check the other ROM versions first to see if one of those sets don't already have the logic for flashing the LEDs.
 
None of the ROM sets cause the LEDs to flash in free play mode (at least emulated in MAME). Going with this until some proves me wrong.
 
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