Donkey Kong Forum

Related Games => Crazy Kong => Topic started by: Sock Master on June 18, 2023, 11:38:10 am

Title: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: Sock Master on June 18, 2023, 11:38:10 am
Hi All!

I've been doing a bit of thinking about Crazy Kong lately and I've been wondering...

How many people actually have Crazy Kong PCBs?
And..  How many would be interested in some of these Crazy Kong kits or hardware add-ons?

I'm going to try to add a Crazy Kong PCB to a Nintendo PCB switcher.  Of course, Crazy Kong is not compatible with the Nintendo Classic pinout, so I'm going to have to build a hardware adapter to do it.  Well, since I'm going to try to build one myself,
Would it be worthwhile to build more of them in case other people are interested in it?

It'd be an adapter that plugs into the edge connector on a Falcon Crazy Kong PCB and gives you a Nintendo Classic edge connector on the other end - with inverted video and all, so it could then plug directly into a Nintendo cabinet and/or Nintendo game switcher for use in a Donkey Kong cabinet.

Also..  since I'm looking into doing that.  Why not also look into a kit that would allow a Crazy Kong PCB to also play other versions of Crazy Kong, like Big Kong.
Are there also other variants of Crazy Kong aside from Big Kong that would be interesting to include?  I seem to recall there was another one but I can't remember what it was at the moment.

Anyway, it'd be interesting to hear some feedback.  Is it worth taking the time and effort to develop something here??  Any other ideas for things that I could include as well??

Thanks
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: Simpsons99 on June 18, 2023, 12:40:54 pm
there are many different Crazy Kong Sets that Run of the different board sets like Scramble .
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: Sock Master on June 18, 2023, 12:57:51 pm
Quote from: Simpsons99 on June 18, 2023, 12:40:54 pm
there are many different Crazy Kong Sets that Run of the different board sets like Scramble .

I'm mainly talking about a kit or hardware for the Falcon or clones of the Falcon PCB.  It would be near impossible to make kits for all the other bootlegs of bootlegs of bootlegs - Scramble, Galaxian, etc.. versions of the game that get progressively more and more janky anyway.
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: f_symbols on June 18, 2023, 07:37:41 pm
I have a PCB from D Dock that I never used.  Brazil Kong was big back in the day IIRC.  Would be interested in the things.

 <Tim>
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: VeryApe121 on June 19, 2023, 07:59:33 am
I have Falcon boards for both Pt. 1 and Pt. 2.....and let me say the adapters I have make it a pain in the ass....I think I got them from Mike's.  Without looking, I'm pretty sure I ended up with 3 or 4 things attached the board, including the mr video.

I'd totally get one if you had an all encompassing solution!
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: Simpsons99 on June 19, 2023, 12:28:30 pm
I personally have no interest in this
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: xelnia on June 19, 2023, 01:10:06 pm
I personally have an interest in this
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: muscleandfitness on June 20, 2023, 11:51:40 pm
Brian Pls lol classic . <Allen> <Allen> <Allen> FailFish <Billy>
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: Sock Master on July 04, 2023, 05:36:33 pm
So, I've cobbled together a really hacky hack prototype "Falcon Crazy Kong to Nintendo Adapter" and it works!
I've now plugged Crazy Kong into a 3-way Nintendo switcher and I can play Crazy Kong on my DK cab!

It turns out, though, that there are no less than four different pinouts for various Crazy Kong PCBs.  It'd be pretty insane to make PCB designs for all four of them unless there were enough people who were interested in each type.

So here's the question, if you'd like to do this, which type of Crazy Kong PCB do you have?

https://www.arcade-museum.com/pinouts-game/7430.html

Of the ones listed there in order:
1 - Crazy Kong (not sure which version)  44 pin edge connector with ground on pins 19/20/S/T and +5V on pins 17/18/Q/R
2 - Crazy Kong (Falcon single PCB)         36 pin edge connector with ground on pins 1/2/3/A/B/C and +5V on pins 9/K
3 - Crazy Kong (Falcon double PCB)        36 pin edge connector with ground on pins 16/17/18/P/Q/R and +5V on pins 10/J
4 - Crazy Kong (ORCA)                          44 pin edge connector with ground on pins A/B/1 and +5V on pins 3/E
5 - Something different still? Please describe it.

After I get this sorted out, I'll start looking into designing the appropriate adaptors and then into coming up with a kit that would let you play multiple versions of Crazy Kong so I can maybe have Crazy Kong, Crazy Kong Part 2, Big Kong and Crazy Kong with alternate levels all playable on the same PCB (this would plug into the Z80 on your CK PCB).

Thanks much for your feedback
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: xelnia on July 05, 2023, 03:08:31 am
I have #2.
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: Sock Master on July 19, 2023, 09:43:53 am
It's still way early but I'm making some progress with this.
I now have my Crazy Kong PCB running in my Nintendo cab along with a switcher and Mr. Video as well and I just did the first tests of loading alternate versions of Crazy Kong into the PCB - it's all very janky and hand-wired so far, but things are looking pretty good.

Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: VeryApe121 on July 20, 2023, 05:42:17 am
Both of my Falcon boards are #2


Quote from: Sock Master on July 04, 2023, 05:36:33 pm
So, I've cobbled together a really hacky hack prototype "Falcon Crazy Kong to Nintendo Adapter" and it works!
I've now plugged Crazy Kong into a 3-way Nintendo switcher and I can play Crazy Kong on my DK cab!

It turns out, though, that there are no less than four different pinouts for various Crazy Kong PCBs.  It'd be pretty insane to make PCB designs for all four of them unless there were enough people who were interested in each type.

So here's the question, if you'd like to do this, which type of Crazy Kong PCB do you have?

https://www.arcade-museum.com/pinouts-game/7430.html

Of the ones listed there in order:
1 - Crazy Kong (not sure which version)  44 pin edge connector with ground on pins 19/20/S/T and +5V on pins 17/18/Q/R
2 - Crazy Kong (Falcon single PCB)         36 pin edge connector with ground on pins 1/2/3/A/B/C and +5V on pins 9/K
3 - Crazy Kong (Falcon double PCB)        36 pin edge connector with ground on pins 16/17/18/P/Q/R and +5V on pins 10/J
4 - Crazy Kong (ORCA)                          44 pin edge connector with ground on pins A/B/1 and +5V on pins 3/E
5 - Something different still? Please describe it.

After I get this sorted out, I'll start looking into designing the appropriate adaptors and then into coming up with a kit that would let you play multiple versions of Crazy Kong so I can maybe have Crazy Kong, Crazy Kong Part 2, Big Kong and Crazy Kong with alternate levels all playable on the same PCB (this would plug into the Z80 on your CK PCB).

Thanks much for your feedback
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: Sock Master on August 24, 2023, 01:31:52 pm
I have some updates!

I have a working prototype of a "Multi Crazy Kong" kit that plugs into the Z80 socket of a Crazy Kong PCB.  This is for Crazy Kong boards that are based on Crazy Climber hardware, not other bootlegs-of-bootlegs that are Galaxian or other hardware.
If your Crazy Kong board has a Z80 that is soldered directly to the board, you'd have to desolder it and solder in a socket.

I also have a working prototype of a Falcon Crazy Kong to Nintendo adapter which would allow you to add a Crazy Kong board to a Nintendo cabinet with or without a game switcher.   If your cabinet uses al the little connectors to connect to a PCB instead of the edge connector you'd have to buy a Nintendo Pin to Edge adapter from Mike's Arcade - https://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?sku=DK-EDGE2PIN


And lastly, I also made a Crazy Kong version of Donkey Kong Remix -- Crazy Kong Remix to add to the Crazy Kong Multi Game kit.

The multi Crazy Kong kit also allows you to run your main PCB ROMs, so if your Crazy Kong board has some oddball version of Crazy Kong on it, you can still play it along with all the other games - or burn whichever extra version of Crazy Kong you'd like and plug it into your board.

The kit includes:

Crazy Kong Remix
Crazy Kong
Crazy Kong Part II
Big Kong
Crazy Kong (alternate levels)


Here's a video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aObLJF0ozcc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aObLJF0ozcc)
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: pcfreak324 on September 10, 2023, 07:10:27 am
Thank you Sock Master for your work! This is very appreciated!

Here are some alternate versions of Crazy Kong that might be worth taking a look at for your Multi Game kit:

Also a bugfixed version of Crazy Kong would be nice.

Here are a few patches I collected: https://misterfpga.org/viewtopic.php?t=7051

Would it be possible to use the fixed Kong sprite (from HBMAME romset ckongfix) for Crazy Kong Remix?
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: Sock Master on September 12, 2023, 12:19:59 pm
Quote from: pcfreak324 on September 10, 2023, 07:10:27 am
Thank you Sock Master for your work! This is very appreciated!

Here are some alternate versions of Crazy Kong that might be worth taking a look at for your Multi Game kit:
  • Big Kong (Crazy Kong bootleg on Galaxian hardware) (MAME romset bigkonggx (http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/dettaglio_mame.php?game_name=bigkonggx&arcade_only=0&autosearch=1)) - has a different Kong sprite for the ending compared to bigkong - maybe it is possible to use just this alternate sprite for your version of Big Kong?
  • Crazy Kong (bootleg on Scramble hardware) (MAME romset ckongs (http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/dettaglio_mame.php?game_name=ckongs&arcade_only=0&autosearch=1)) - has custom music
  • Donkey Kong (Spanish Crazy Kong bootleg) (MAME romset ckongdks (http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/dettaglio_mame.php?game_name=ckongdks&arcade_only=0&autosearch=1)) - is in Spanish and has some difficulty adjustments (if I remember correctly you start on a higher level and the kill screen appears earlier)

Also a bugfixed version of Crazy Kong would be nice.

Here are a few patches I collected: https://misterfpga.org/viewtopic.php?t=7051

Would it be possible to use the fixed Kong sprite (from HBMAME romset ckongfix) for Crazy Kong Remix?

I'm currently working on creating a bugfixed version of Crazy Kong Part II that has the sort of visual improvements that are in Crazy Kong Remix.

Although it would be cool to include all the crazy variants of Crazy Kong, the versions for different hardware like Galaxian or Scramble wouldn't run on Crazy Kong/Crazy Climber hardware without reprogramming and it probably wouldn't be worth the extra time and effort to somehow shoehorn them in.  The kit has basically reached it's limits of capacity anyway so I'm stopping at the bugfixed CK Part II.

As for changing the graphics ROMs... I'm avoiding doing that even though I know I could have made the game look a lot closer to Donkey Kong if I did.  The type of EPROM chips used on Crazy Kong boards are very expensive and nearly impossible to actually get.  It'd be a much more expensive and more complicated kit if it also changed the graphics ROMs.
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: Sock Master on October 03, 2023, 06:32:59 am
It's just about ready to go!

I now have boards for the Multi Crazy Kong kit and also the Falcon Crazy Kong to Nintendo edge adapter.
I just have a few things left to check to make sure everything is good.

The newest addition to the game kit is Crazy Kong Part 2 2023 revision which fixes many visual glitches and missing animations (plus hammer music) in Crazy Kong to.. well, make the game a nicer experience.

Thanks all!
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: homerwannabee on October 03, 2023, 07:18:24 am
Cool!  Awesome job  8)
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: spindaddy56 on October 03, 2023, 12:04:39 pm
What PCB is needed?
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: Sock Master on October 03, 2023, 01:08:04 pm
Quote from: spindaddy56 on October 03, 2023, 12:04:39 pm
What PCB is needed?

The Crazy Kong to Nintendo edge adapter is specifically for single PCB Falcon-style Crazy Kong boards.  They have a 36 pin edge connector.  Clones or copies of Falcon's Crazy Kong board should work too.
Other kinds of Crazy Kong boards have different edge pinouts, including the two PCB Falcon boardsets.


The Multi Crazy Kong/Crazy Kong Remix kit on the other hand should work on pretty much any *normal* Crazy Kong board - Falcon, Orca, etc...  ...as long as it isn't a bootleg of a bootleg (eg: actually bootleg Galaxian or Scramble hardware)
This kit though, expects Crazy Kong Part II color PROMs to be present.  If you have green girders or something else unusual, the game ought to  run but who knows what colors you'll get.

And lastly, the kit plugs into the Z80 socket on your Crazy Kong PCB.  Some boards have their Z80 soldered directly to the board.  If your board has a soldered Z80, you will need to desolder it and solder in a 40 pin socket.
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: Sock Master on October 15, 2023, 07:16:11 pm
This is it.  The boards are ready and I'm ready to start sending them out to people!

The Crazy Kong Remix Multi-Game Kit includes:
Crazy Kong Remix
Crazy Kong 2023 Revision (fixes many visual glitches, restores some missing animations and adds hammer music!)
Crazy Kong
Crazy Kong Part II
Big Kong
Crazy Kong Alternate Levels
Plus all the extra stuff like options for free play, saving scores for all games, each game has it's own settings and a game select menu.

https://www.dkremix.com/product/ckremix/15 (https://www.dkremix.com/product/ckremix/15)


The Crazy Kong to Nintendo Adapter:
Plugs into Falcon-type Crazy Kong boards and converts the 36 pin edge connector into a Nintendo compatible 44 pin edge connector to make it easy to connect a Crazy Kong board into a Nintendo cabinet!  For use with or without a Nintendo switcher but if your cabinet uses all the little individual connectors to connect to your DK PCB, you will need to get a separate Nintendo Pin To Edge adapter from Mikes Arcade as this adapter doesn't include all the little connectors, just the edge connector.

https://www.dkremix.com/product/ck2nintendo/14 (https://www.dkremix.com/product/ck2nintendo/14)

Thank you

Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: homerwannabee on October 15, 2023, 07:33:09 pm
Kongrats!  8)
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: Sock Master on October 20, 2023, 07:11:36 pm
Here's a higher quality video of the final Crazy Kong Remix kit showing gameplay from Crazy Kong 2023 Revision (same gameplay as Crazy Kong Part II but with quality of life improvements to the graphics) and Crazy Kong Remix.

Video captured using Mr. Video + GVUSB2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tSv570ff34 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tSv570ff34)
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: jammvyy on October 21, 2023, 08:02:08 am
Cool, I love the mini games and Big kong adition :)
Title: Re: Crazy Kong kits and hardware development
Post by: _Zaphod_ on November 23, 2023, 09:16:37 pm
I have what should be a very simple request for these modifications.

Extend the spinning death animation to actually sync with the crazy kong death music.  specifically, mario should stop on his back at note 15, where the long pause is. This changed animation will take no more time, but spend more time spinning and less time on the back.

I can't imagine why this change was not made. :)