Version speed differences : Texmaster, MAME and Actual Arcade simulation

Alright, so I'm sure we have covered the slight differences between MAME and the arcade console itself, which explains why some people will prefer the original experience BUT. I might have found more disturbing and so I would like everyone to make a check-up of everything that can go wrong while playing different versions.

I have NO knowledge, so I'll just start with something that's been bugging me for a while :

I'm playing on Texmaster from time to time, trying to make the Arcade play in Japaneese game centers my main thing. However, I can clearly notice, in spite of the arcade stick not being my dominant platform, that I can go much much faster according to the times shown at each section. TGM1 mode, I am currently on 10:02:xx on Arcade, and 10:16:68 on Texmaster. I can barely break 40 seconds on Sudden mode, but playing T.A. Death mode in front of my friend, doing a terrible job optimizing the section I got something along the lines of 39 secs.

So... What could possibly explain this? I am sure that I do better on a keyboard, and I feel pretty sure of the rhythm I have when placing blocks. Even worse when I happen to misdrop on stick when playing TGM1, and I actually get something way better than on keyboard! Help, I have no idea what's going on

 

Texmaster is known to be somewhat innacurate anyway.
Try to check how much lag you have on your tex setup because it steals a lot of time (you may fail to DAS properly).

 

But the detailed time statistics are sooo cool

 

Thank you very much for your answers!

 

It wasn't specifically mentioned above, but even when using MAME, TAP is significantly too slow because there it runs at 60fps. See also:

http://mametesters.org/view.php?id=4662

 

Hmm, interesting Besides playing on an actual PCB, can you recommend a better substitute to Texmaster?

- Jono

 

Though if NDS:TGM has taught me anything it's that TGM is brutally hard with a gamepad...

 

TGM is brutally hard with any controler you are not used to play with. Because you have to learn every manual maneuver again.

 

If it were to have custom keys, I'd have a config. Gotta get those drops off the d-pad and onto the shoulder buttons. Flick L2->L1 to droplock is pretty awesome.

 

I actually play remarkably better on the Nintendo DS Lite d-pad than on any other input device. It's all about what you're used to.

 

DS Lite d-pad, yeah, I could possibly see that. I found that a PS2 DualShock d-pad is just too "heavy" and spread out for the sort of inputs you need to execute in TAP Master or Death, so I shuffled around my config to compensate.

 

my personal and not at all scientific preference is:
pcb > texmaster > lagless mame

 

I didn't know that there is possible to play at TGM clones on a Nintendo DS, it seems pretty fun!

So, for TAP, does a difference of 1.68 Hz is really noticeable you think?
I understand that is not the real speed, but it seems a really really tiny difference, isn't it ?

 

Well, the first time I played on my PCB, I did feel like it was a slight bit faster than what I was used to. But, I kind of dismissed it at the time, figuring it must still be 60hz and that I just wasn't used to the lagless feeling. It wasn't until later on that my feeling was confirmed by muf's findings. So, it is definitely noticeable if you're atuned to it.

Although the difference in the length of each individual frame doesn't seem like all that much, over time it does add up to a fairly significant skew between real time and in-game time. As muf noted in his bug report, 8 minutes on the in-game counter is actually just shy of 7 minutes 47 seconds in real time.

 

Ok, so if Mame and Texmaster are inaccurate, is there only a way to play accurately without buying a PCB or we are constrained to play with a little bit of lag?
(Even if at my level, a little bit of lag is not so annoying)

 

Shmupmame is the way to play with a little bit of lag.

 

In MAME, it is possible to get a bit closer by setting the emulation speed to 1.03x in a configuration file. (It's actually a bit faster, but there isn't support for more decimal precision.) This also slightly affects the pitch of sound/music if I recall correctly.