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Dolphin - Emulating Wii and Gamecube Games

Bit-Bit

Member
I hope that Skyward Sword will play on this. I'm buying the game for sure, but would love for my first play through of it to be in HD.
 

Tomodachi

Member
Best. Resident Evil. Ever. I'd really like to play this again.

It's a shame the backgrounds are low-res and get stretched a lot, but characters models are very good. There's some kind of artificial depth of field with blur applied to stuff, it's nice ingame, not so nice in some screenshots.

I also found that with the new Dolphin release a big issue has been resolved: there were huge slowdowns in areas with background FMVs (e.g. in the main hall there's a camera view with flickering candles in the foreground), now it's pretty smooth in those areas too. Of course there's no widescreeen official support (being 2D bitmaps and all) nor i think that it could be achieved with the widescreen hack.

 

Sanjay

Member
EatChildren said:
Oh, and if anybody was wondering, I took a grand total of 1,781 screenshots during this playthrough, resulting in 10.3GB of data. I think I went mad with FRAPS. So, if anybody has any request for any extra shots from anywhere and any cut scene in the game, just let me know because I've probably got more of in the archive.

Re-post them all but this time in native 1080p resolution...
 

Sirius

Member
You're the man EatChildren! Even though I played through it all on GCN with a 30-inch CRT 5 years ago everything is still fresh in mind - I was practically playing the accompanying music in my head while going through your brilliant snaps.

Thanks for reminding me why Twilight Princess is my favourite of the Legends.
 

Red

Member
EatChildren's replay convinced me to head back into the game myself. This is the first time I've been past the first dungeon on Dolphin. I don't want to start reposting a bunch of moments EatChildren has already captured, so I'm thumbnailing only a few.

I have fraps set up to take a screen every three seconds. No real thought being put into these pics, just sorting through them afterward. I'm halfway through the second dungeon and have about 80GB worth so far.

















Hopefully you guys aren't bored of Twilight Princess at this point.

These shots were all taking using OpenGL, 16x AF, 3x native resolution (1920x1584), and 16xQ CSAA. I have texture filtering forced, but don't know if that makes any difference here.

I'm using OpenGL because it seems to have the least amplified bloom out of all Dolphin's rendering options. Also good performance considering how good the IQ is.
 

ThatObviousUser

ὁ αἴσχιστος παῖς εἶ
Hrm, a thought just occurred to me: Has anyone tried Crazy Taxi on Dolphin? Used the widescreen hack? I saw the PC version on Steam, but then I remembered they completely butchered it. :(
 

Tomodachi

Member
Crunched said:
These shots were all taking using OpenGL, 16x AF, 3x native resolution (1920x1584), and 16xQ CSAA. I have texture filtering forced, but don't know if that makes any difference here.

I'm using OpenGL because it seems to have the least amplified bloom out of all Dolphin's rendering options. Also good performance considering how good the IQ is.
I don't know, doesn't it look kind of washed out in some shots? I don't know if that's openGL's fault or simply some game areas or other settings.
 

Red

Member
Tomodachi said:
I don't know, doesn't it look kind of washed out in some shots? I don't know if that's openGL's fault or simply some game areas or other settings.
The only washed out screen I'm seeing is the one on horseback. That was a screen transition. Everything else is identical to d3d9/11 except there seems to be less misaligned bloom. And I need to enable vsync through Dolphin since d3doverrider doesn't work. 3x native res and 16xQ CSAA also gives a cleaner picture than 3x res and 4x SSAA. Tested on both TP and WW. The only downside I've noticed (and this seems TP-specific) is that openGL seems to increase the prevalence or obviousness of texture seams.

Some of the lava dungeon is washed out too I guess, but that's because of the heat and bloom effect.
 

Gwanatu T

Junior Member
Bit-Bit said:
I hope that Skyward Sword will play on this. I'm buying the game for sure, but would love for my first play through of it to be in HD.
Same here, can't wait to find out! I've got it paid off already, should be amazing.

BTW Monster Hunter Tri looks beyond incredible on this thing, runs like a dream too! Didn't try MP but I will at some point.
 

Red

Member
Tomodachi said:
Yeah, that's probably it.
That's the bloom I'm trying to avoid :p

I think during gameplay it actually looks good in this dungeon, though. It's the one area in the game where it impresses and generally adds to the mood instead of taking away. Except when it reflects off of Link's skin and makes him brighter than the sun.
 

jediyoshi

Member
Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny

Locked at 30fps, haven't run into any problems so far

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Kandinsky said:
Weird.. I dont remember that location at all o_O
It's the fancy shop in Hyrule Castle Town before it gets renovated into Malo Mart. I don't think you can afford anything and you have to get your boots shined by a guy outside to get in.
 

Shahadan

Member
I think Xenoblade's awesomeness killed my laptop :(
Well the power jack is dead, I guess it's because of the heat. My wii is at my parents house so I guess I'm screwed. Now the question is paying for getting the wii back or paying for the laptop repair.

IIRC it's a fairly common problem on laptops, I hope the repair fee is not that high.

Is there any way to transfer the save from the laptop to the wii, btw?

Edit : Crap, 129€ :(
 

Kandinsky

Member
Barrow Roll said:
It's the fancy shop in Hyrule Castle Town before it gets renovated into Malo Mart. I don't think you can afford anything and you have to get your boots shined by a guy outside to get in.
Ohh interesting, thanks!.
 

abasm

Member
I feel like a lot of these HD Wii screenshots look so good because developers have learned how to make a damn-fine-looking game in SD. After a decade of Gamecube-equivalent power, they really know how to get the most bang for their buck in terms of texturing, modeling, lighting, and world design. This somewhat echoes the concept of art design in the late 8 and 16-bit eras, where developers figured out new ways to push each pixel on-screen to further their artistic message. Unlike 2D pixel art, however, 3D is far more scalable, and is helped more than hindered by higher resolutions.

I hope developers for HD consoles reference these images! They do a lot to demonstrate that art direction, not power, ultimately decides how good a game will look and how well it will age.
 
How can someone play SMG2 on Dolphin when there is no (or very little) music?

You're missing out on 2/3 of the game.

says the guy who must have spent at least 10 hours ogling at the graphics at 2560x1440 music-less
 
TouchMyBox said:
How can someone play SMG2 on Dolphin when there is no (or very little) music?

You're missing out on 2/3 of the game.

says the guy who must have spent at least 10 hours ogling at the graphics at 2560x1440 music-less
Use LLE.

Unfortunately, I'm 40 stars into SMG1 on Dolphin and I've been getting some severe framerate drops on occasion with LLE enabled (like down to 45 fps). The hub in particular gets pretty slow once you have a few grand stars.
 

coopolon

Member
nincompoop said:
Use LLE.

Unfortunately, I'm 40 stars into SMG1 on Dolphin and I've been getting some severe framerate drops on occasion with LLE enabled (like down to 45 fps). The hub in particular gets pretty slow once you have a few grand stars.

LLE destroyed my framerate in RE4. And without LLE I get really strange loud interference sounds, so no RE4 for me. At least not until I get a CPU that can do it with LLE.
 

ThatObviousUser

ὁ αἴσχιστος παῖς εἶ
Truth101 said:
Dat Mario.

I really, really can't wait for a new 3D Mario on the Wii U.

TBH I really don't see how much farther the visuals can be pushed. It'll look insanely good, heck the AA alone will make it look amazing... but I just can't see it being a huge jump.

SMG2 on Dolphin maxed out is exactly as good as I want a Mario game to look. I'm hoping they use the extra power for something else, like some insane ideas that require a lot of power.
 
Andrex said:
SMG2 on Dolphin maxed out is exactly as good as I want a Mario game to look. I'm hoping they use the extra power for something else, like some insane ideas that require a lot of power.

The levels won't have to be planetoids in space, they can be like SM64 and SMS. Which is exactly what I want--another game like SM64, or even Sunshine! Miyamoto won't let me down...
 

ThatObviousUser

ὁ αἴσχιστος παῖς εἶ
Error Macro said:
The levels won't have to be planetoids in space, they can be like SM64 and SMS. Which is exactly what I want--another game like SM64, or even Sunshine! Miyamoto won't let me down...

I'm hoping that if Miyamoto directs Zelda Wii U, then Koizumi will have a Mario all to himself. Would love to see what he's capable of.
 

Red

Member
Andrex said:
TBH I really don't see how much farther the visuals can be pushed. It'll look insanely good, heck the AA alone will make it look amazing... but I just can't see it being a huge jump.

SMG2 on Dolphin maxed out is exactly as good as I want a Mario game to look. I'm hoping they use the extra power for something else, like some insane ideas that require a lot of power.
Texture resolution could use a boost, but otherwise I agree: the Galaxy titles are damn fine looking games. They are the perfect imagining of 3D Mario for me.

The type of locations can change (like what Super Mario 3D Land is doing), but the style and color is spot on.

Some of the flat backdrops might be able to be spruced up on a more powerful machine, like the planets and stars floating around the hub in Galaxy 1.

Laughing Banana said:
Wait the game is out already for the Wii....?
I haven't heard of it before, but google says it was released today.
 
jediyoshi said:
Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny

Locked at 30fps, haven't run into any problems so far
Looks great, I'd love to see comparison shots with the PS3 version. If the PS3 graphics are just simply upresed Wii ones, no better polys or textures, then I'd rather play it on Dolphin.
 

ThatObviousUser

ὁ αἴσχιστος παῖς εἶ
Otrebor Nightmarecoat said:
I wish for the day an emulator runs SMG 2 with good audio and a stable framerate.

What's the best PC that's run it so far, and did it have those problems? Genuinely curious.
 

Gvaz

Banned
The aspect ratio on that dolphin shot is wrong, but it looks like if the ign shot isn't completely shitty (which it seems it is) then the ps3 version has slightly higher texture assets.
 

jediyoshi

Member
Gvaz said:
The aspect ratio on that dolphin shot is wrong, but it looks like if the ign shot isn't completely shitty (which it seems it is) then the ps3 version has slightly higher texture assets.

Nope. Believe it or not, Wii games run in 16:9. You're just too used to seeing BlackBeetleKing's shots.
 

jediyoshi

Member
Gvaz said:
No i mean, it clearly looks stouter than the ps3 version.

That's a matter of perspective, they're not from identical frames in the cutscene. The shot from Dolphin is when the camera is rotated around more towards the back than from the side.
 

Gvaz

Banned
jediyoshi said:
That's a matter of perspective, they're not from identical frames in the cutscene. The shot from Dolphin is when the camera is rotated around more towards the back than from the side.
Well yeah I was taking the perspective into consideration. Like look at his head/hair, his coat tails, etc

anyways this is a minor thing
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Andrex said:
TBH I really don't see how much farther the visuals can be pushed. It'll look insanely good, heck the AA alone will make it look amazing... but I just can't see it being a huge jump.

SMG2 on Dolphin maxed out is exactly as good as I want a Mario game to look. I'm hoping they use the extra power for something else, like some insane ideas that require a lot of power.

You could still take it further. SMG2 looks as good as it does by focusing on minimalistic environments. It's literally about as good as it can look within the context of it's design. I cant wait to see what the Galaxy team does with the Wii U. I'm expecting some amazing stuff.

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ThatObviousUser

ὁ αἴσχιστος παῖς εἶ
I'd go crazy if the next Mario had SotC/GoW3 type massive environments/levels and SMG2!Dolphin graphics.

Absolutely crazy.
 

reektann

Member
How are you finding the emulation on SMG2? I had a quick go on my i5 2.8 and it was pretty choppy. I'd love to play it running smooth though, for sure.
 

Xun

Member
EatChildren said:
What to play next, what to play next...

marioqutn.jpg
This and the SMG2 boxart always send dirty thoughts into my head.

Make it stop!

Andrex said:
TBH I really don't see how much farther the visuals can be pushed. It'll look insanely good, heck the AA alone will make it look amazing... but I just can't see it being a huge jump.

SMG2 on Dolphin maxed out is exactly as good as I want a Mario game to look. I'm hoping they use the extra power for something else, like some insane ideas that require a lot of power.
More can be done believe it or not.

It does look impressive though.

There are a lot of elements in the two games that look to be straight from a 360/PS3 game (aside from the resolution on the Wii).
 
reektann said:
How are you finding the emulation on SMG2? I had a quick go on my i5 2.8 and it was pretty choppy. I'd love to play it running smooth though, for sure.


Its okay but not at the point where I would enjoy a solely Dolphin first time play through. Too many irritating issues. Music cuts off with DSP HLE. DSP LLE just sounds unnatural like milliseconds of sound are being randomly sucked out of a stream. The frame rate is pretty good but certainly not perfect. It even drops to noticeably unsatisfactory in certain areas. I have i7 and 5830. I run it at 1920x1080 (I originally did 1920x1200 but switched when I noticed that extra 120 of vertical resolution was just black bars). Anyway I'm hoping that more work makes it better because experimenting I've turned off everything (AA, AF) and turned the resolution as far down as it could go and I still notice the things that I previously mentioned.

All that being said it still looks great. When its perfect it really is perfect.
 

Red

Member
How does SMG 2 work for you, EC? I haven't tried it on Dolphin, but I can only get full speed in the original by disabling AA. I assume they'd run identically.
 
So, would anybody be kind enough to post the best revision (is it r7716?) and optimal settings for Xenoblade chronicles please?

My system:

I7 2600k
GTX 580
8GB RAM
 
So what do people think are the chances of Zelda SS running well on Dolphin? Is it doing anything effects wise that could cause Dolphin some trouble? I'm hoping for perfect emulation, can't wait to get my Gold Motion+ remote bundle for Christmas :)
 
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