Retrogames' CPS2 Emulation FAQ
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(original text by Frogacuda (thanks!), edited & supplemented by Prophet - 3/4/01)
"Capcom" background ripped from CPS2Shock. :)
Q: What is CPS2?
A: It is the arcade hardware favored for 2D Capcom games from 1993 to 2001. The first CPS2 game was Super Street Fighter 2, and the most recent was Progear no Arashi. It is very similar to CPS1, the Capcom arcade hardware that was used for games like Street Fighter 2: The World Warriors and Final Fight. Like SNK's NeoGeo, CPS2 hardware has lasted much longer in the arcades than most arcade hardware platforms. In fact, both are still very much alive!
Q: What are the CPS2 games?
A: The following is a list of all games released on the CPS2 hardware and the year it was released:
Q: But I thought SNK vs Capcom/Marvel vs Capcom 2/Street Fighter Zero 3 Upper were CPS2?
A: No, those are Naomi based. Naomi is an arcade hardware platform similar to the Dreamcast. And no, it's not emulated and most likely won't be (in truly playable form) for quite a while. Buying a Dreamcast can give you the same overall experience.
Q: But I thought Street Fighter 3 series/Jojo series were CPS2?
A: No, those are CPS3. CPS3 is very different hardware, and cannot easily be emulated despite having CPS1 and CPS2 emulated. Perhaps in time... Again, Dreamcast ports of these games are quite good.
Q: CPS2 doesn't seem too advanced. Why did it take so long to emulate?
A: The stumbling block here wasn't emulation, it was decryption. CPS2's program ROMs are heavily encrypted (meaning scrambled, to prevent copying) and it wasn't until recently that Razoola, and the other members of CPS2Shock were finally able to figure out how to produce unencrypted data to make games playable. Their work made it possible to emulate CPS2. Pretty cool, eh?
Q: What emulators are there for CPS2?
A: MAME (www.mame.net) and Final Burn (www.finalburn.com) are the two CPS2 emus available right now. CPS2Mame (cps2shock.retrogames.com) is a more up-to-date version of MAME which plays CPS2 games only. If other emus support CPS2 in the future, you will hear about on the Retrogames news page as well as on our heavily trafficked CPS2 messageboard. :)
Q: Which emulator should I use?
A: CPS2Mame is the most accurate emulator out there, but it is available for DOS only, and must be run using a command prompt or front end utility. MAME is available on a wide range of platforms, so if you use Linux or Mac, or BeOS or whatever, go for MAME. FinalBurn is generally the fastest and easiest, and is for Windows, so it is recommended for beginners.
Q: What is a XOR table (AKA "decryption table")?
A: These files allow the emulator to read the encrypted program ROMs in unencrypted format. They are released by *only* CPS2Shock and are required to play any CPS2 game in an emulator.
Q: How do I use a XOR set?
A: Download them at cps2shock.retrogames.com, then unzip it and add the files to your zipped ROM set. If you have winzip installed on your system, this is as simple as dragging the files into the zip you wish to add them to.
Q: Why isn't (insert CPS2 game) supported?
A: Because CPS2Shock (the only ones in the world outside of Capcom employees who know how to decrypt/unencrypt CPS2) haven't released the XOR tables for that game yet. This is either because they do not yet have the game in their posession to decrypt it, or it was released after 1997.
Q: Why can't they decrypt games released after 1997?
A: They can, but they do not want to. These games are simply too new, and are still making money, and the folks at CPS2hock do not want to interfere with current games. Presumably that date will change in the future. If you don't like this policy, feel free to create your own decryption table dumping rig & support software, and do it yourself. Period.
Q: I saw/have the ROMs for an unemulated game. Why do they have ROMs if the game is not decrypted yet?
A: Games are dumped so that original board owners can fix their boards, and also so that emulator authors can try to emulate them. However, encrypted ROMs won't be playable until the game is decrypted. Having encrypted ROM dumps are often instrumental in decryption efforts, if not absolutely necessary.
Q: What do I do if I want Marvel Vs. Capcom playable *NOW*?!
A: If you're reasonable, take a moment to reflect upon what you've paid (nothing) for what you're getting and just go play a game. Or purchase (buy, pay money, lawfully own) a Dreamcast and a copy of the game. It's quite a good port, and the sequel is even a better one. If you're still unhappy, well, we don't really care. Have a nice day. ;)