
 ============================================================================
 SMS Plus
 ============================================================================

 A Sega Master System and Game Gear emulator for DOS.

 Version 0.7.0a
 by Charles Mac Donald


 What's New:
 -----------

 [Version 0.7.0a]

 - Fixed a lot of bugs that caused crashes.
 - Game Gear games properly detected now.
 - Fixed a bug that caused stereo sound to not work.
 - Much faster display rendering.

 [Version 0.7.0]

 - Improved compatability, most all games work flawlessly.
 - Added Richard Mitton's blazingly-fast RAZE Z80 emulator.
 - Rewrite of the VDP emulation; much more accurate than before.
 - Speed throttling, VSync polling, FPS meter.
 - Configuration file for easy customization.
 - Support for "full-screen" 512x384 / 400x300 scaled displays.
 - YM2413 FM sound emulation courtesy of Zoop and Hiromitsu Shioya.
 - MMX enhanced graphics routines.
 - Stereo sound for Game Gear games.


 Requirements:
 -------------

 - Low-end Pentium processor.
 - About four megabytes of free RAM.
 - VGA video card.

 Optional:

 - OPL-2 based sound card for sound output.
 - OPL-3 based sound card for Game Gear Stereo sound.
 - A video card that supports 320x200, 400x300, and 512x384 low-res
   8-bit linear displays via VESA VBE 2.0.
 - Standard gamepad, SNES pads, Sidewinder, etc., for input.


 Controls:
 ---------

 Alt            -       Button II
 LCtrl          -       Button I
 Arrow Keys     -       D-Pad
 Enter          -       Pause (SMS) / Start (GG)
 Tab            -       Reset

 Tilde          -       Hold for fast-forward
 F8             -       Save screen to PCX snapshot
 F9             -       Toggle speed throttling
 F10            -       Toggle VSync polling
 F11            -       Toggle FPS meter
 F12            -       Switch to "full-screen" mode
 Esc            -       Quit program


 Performance:
 ------------

 You can get a respectable 20-30FPS on a 486, but this program is really
 intended for use with Pentium CPU's and has been optimized accordingly.
 It runs *way* over full speed on a Cyrix P166, so it should perform equally
 well on low-end Pentium machines.

 The SMS/GG run at 60FPS, and chances are the emulation will run faster
 than that. To compensate, you can enable speed throttling (hit F9) which
 keeps the emulation at around 60FPS. This is enabled by default.

 To avoid flickering and tearing of the display while scrolling, you can
 enable VSync polling as well (hit F10). Only use this option if you can
 run things at full speed. If you have a tool to adjust the refresh rate
 such as the Unicenter utility included with the Scitech Display Doctor
 package, it may improve performance to increase the refresh rate when
 using the VSync polling option.

 I get a good 10-12FPS boost from having MMX support enabled when in
 the "full-screen" display modes (that's where it's used), so I'd recommend
 leaving it enabled if your CPU supports MMX instructions.

 If you're running SMS Plus under Windows, please be sure to close any
 other applications that are running, to ensure maximum performance.


 Configuration:
 --------------

 You can edit the configuration file ("sp.cfg") in a text editor such
 as MS-DOS Edit or Notepad. Here's a list of the options you'll find:

 'vdriver'

 This option allows you to use the VGA, VESA2L, or VESA3 drivers.
 You need to use VESA2L or VESA3 to enable the "full-screen" modes.

 'alternate'

 Set to YES to use the full-screen display by default, otherwise
 the 320x200 display will be used.

 'use_fps'

 Set to YES to enable an on-screen display of the FPS count.

 'use_vsync'

 Set to YES to sync display updates to vertical blank. This reduces
 flicker and tearing during scrolling.

 'use_throttle'

 Set to YES to enable speed throttling, useful if things are running
 a bit too fast.

 'jdriver'

 Set to the appropriate driver for the input device you want to use.
 See the configuration file for a list of available drivers.

 'psg_enable'

 Set to YES to enable PSG sound output.

 'fm_enable'

 Set to YES to allow FM sound output.

 'territory'

 Set to USA or JP for American and Japanese territory modes, accordingly.

 'fm_detect'

 Set to YES if you want the YM2413 FM sound chip to be detected by games.

 'stereo_enable'

 Set to YES if you want stereo sound in Game Gear games.

 'disable_mmx'

 Set to YES if you want to disable MMX support.


 Assistance Needed:
 ------------------

 - I'd love to get my hands on the Yamaha YM2413 programmer's manual,
   all that's currently available is the data sheet which doesn't
   explain much.

 - If you would like to donate a Super Magic Drive backup device,
   don't hesitate to contact me. :)


 Thanks and Greetings:
 ---------------------

 - Zoop for hosting my website and for sharing many tips and tricks.
 - Richard Mitton for his Really Amazing Z80 Emulator.
 - Nick Jacobson for beta testing and suggestions.
 - Kao Megura for moral support and ideas.
 - Richard Talbot-Watkins for his excellent SMS documentation.
 - James McKay for information on the YM2413 detection scheme.
 - Hiromitsu Shioya and Zoop for the YM2413 FM emulation.
 - Frank Hughes for sending me the IPS file format.
 - Paul Leaman for his YM2413 emulator from MAME.
 - Intel for having decent documentation and examples at their
   developer website.
 - Nyef for information about interrupt behavior.
 - Eric Quinn for information about bank switching.
 - Sean Young for some invaluable NTSC VDP timing information.
 - Shawn Hargreaves and all the Allegro contributors.

 And especially to all users of previous releases who pointed out bugs
 and made suggestions.


 Contact:
 --------

 Some reminders:

 - Do not tell me about games that do not work correctly, I am aware
   of the few games that are troublesome.
 - Read the documentation carefully before asking a question.
 - Do not request copies of this program or game images.

 I'd like to hear any comments, questions, or suggestions you might have.

 Charles Mac Donald
 E-mail: cgfm2@hooked.net
 WWW: http://www.emucamp.com/cgfm2/


 Legal:
 ------

 "RAZE Z80 core, by Richard Mitton (richard.mitton@bigfoot.com)"

 This program cannot be distributed on floppy disk or CD-ROM format.
 This includes in a software collection or on the coverdisk of a
 magazine.
 This program cannot be sold for profit, nor can it be distributed for
 promotional reasons.
 The archive this program and it's related files come in cannot be
 modified, including the addition of other files.
 This program cannot be distributed with game images.

 If you disagree with any of these terms, then you must delete this
 program immediately. Failure to do so means you are bound to the
 aforementioned terms.

 All trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective companies.
