The final Analysis!

[runehero123]

Within the Rare patent lies an astonishing discovery that until now has never been revealed. Through much research and analyzation, Mike and I have learned the truth about how Stop 'N' Swop really worked. What did Rare really have in mind on how the data would be swapped? Read all about it right here!

Thanks for being so patient everybody!

Note: Keep in mind that Mike from Bthive.co.uk helped with this discovery, and gets half credit for it .

[Muere Loco]

Nice job, Rune. I myself would have never figured that out.

[Sojiroh]

Yeah, nice work indeed. Now we finally know how SnS worked, the long wait has paid off.

[ssj]

Sorry guys, Ive known about the discovery the whole time.

[runehero123]

Unless Mike or Foxmcbanjo told you that's impossible.

[Monkey Boy 64]

Nice work! I have no clue what the heck any of it meant, but still, great discovery.

[BK-SNS-BT?]

LOL i heard about the second memory, but i did not think it could have been used for secrets

[DeLMrcs]

I knew most of this already, though it was a very interesting read.

[Whyme123]

I knew it!

No, srsly I read that huge thing GM2k write about it, and because that sites background is unplesent, I won't read it. So I know most of it because of GM2k's topic.

Anyway, gf

[SubDrag]

I read through your article. The Rare patent is a real mess to read, so I haven't fully analyzed it, but maybe I should since I probably have the technical know-how. I applaud your efforts at doing so. Unfortunately the problem is that the D-cache and I-cache are not things a programmer could access. They are tied to hard-drive and are automatically utilized by hardware to speed up reads and writes. Try writing to your PC's D-cache or I-cache. You can't, at least not directly or accurately. You could maybe think of a set of instructions to issue that would do so, but it's not really something one does. I assume also, once you turn off your system (cold-swap), the values register as stale and require being regrabbed by the cache from memory (game pak). That wouldn't necessarily happen on a hot-swap, but it still doesn't really make sense. You also don't know your cache state at any time (it's a black box, except to the architects really). Still, are they really missing a reference to Memory 20? That's sort of odd, especially since the patent was approved, and those things are read scrupulously. It's more likely (I think) that data was held in the n64's 4 meg/8 meg memory for about 30 seconds, and the next game would check what data was there when hot-swapped. It could be done vice-versa, although would take careful planning. Generally I'd want to have that done at the same time, making DK <> BK more likely (ice key), and maybe BT a bit too experimental. Anyways, good efforts, good read.

[Mandolin]

I guess I ought to congratulate you on your sleuthing, guys.

I'll read your article after I log off, or else I'll take too long and the server will automatically log me off.

[Scienceman123]

Is it possible "Memory 20" referred to extra memory in the N64DD? According to http://ign64.ign.com/articles/061/061129p1.html, "Ultra Donkey Kong" by Rare was originally planned for the DD. After all, maybe it would have used the extra memory instead of the Expansion Pack?

[runehero123]

I knew most of this already, though it was a very interesting read.

Yah, just some review in there for people who might not be aware of the patent.

Originally Posted by Subdrag

I applaud your efforts at doing so. Unfortunately the problem is that the D-cache and I-cache are not things a programmer could access. They are tied to hard-drive and are automatically utilized by hardware to speed up reads and writes. Try writing to your PC's D-cache or I-cache

Is it possible that the processor, by detecting that a certain event happened in RDRAM, could set the flag itself into the d-cache or I-cache?

Originally Posted by Subdrag

Still, are they really missing a reference to Memory 20? That's sort of odd,

Yes, and im sure it's not RDRAM.

Memory 16(RDRAM) is used only once in the description, whereas memory 20 is used 3 times.

Then, at a step 52, the video game system determines whether a trigger event has occurred indicating the existence of information for storage in a universally accessible location of the memory 16

if the system determines that a trigger event has occurred, the processor 12 then writes information pertaining to the trigger event into its memory 20

the processor utilizes the software of the second game cartridge in addition to the flagged information from memory 20, transferred from the first game cartridge

permitting the second game cartridge to store information in memory 20 for retrieval by the first or other game cartridge.

So, I dunno...

Originally Posted by scienceman123

Is it possible "Memory 20" referred to extra memory in the N64DD? According to http://ign64.ign.com/articles/061/061129p1.html, "Ultra Donkey Kong" by Rare was originally planned for the DD. After all, maybe it would have used the extra memory instead of the Expansion Pack?

It says you have to swap the games. In the 64DD the games wouldn't need to be swapped. So I doubt it.

[Glaber]

Hmm this still sounds simaler to the alternate easier way Sonic 3's level select was accessed. I wonder if it even still works? (doubt it.)

[StevethemasterX]

Originally Posted by ssj

Sorry guys, Ive known about the discovery the whole time.

Originally Posted by runehero

Unless Mike or Foxmcbanjo told you that's impossible.

or i told him...

your forgetting you told me rune

the only thing i have to say to rare right now is

WTF wuz dat?
ass this **** asshole ***** n00b!!