Universe Bios v4.0

Universe Bios v4.0 is released. The UNIVERSE BIOS is for owners of MVS or AES hardware that want an easy way to change country region or between Arcade or Console mode on boot. Also included are other features that are not possible using the standard MVS bios. The UNIVERSE BIOS is also designed to give easy access to things like inserting coins, test mode and memory card management when using the joystick ports only. Of course the BIOS still allows standard operation too.

Universe Bios Main Features:
- The ability to quickly and easily change operation from MVS to AES. Play your favourite games as the home console version enabling all the extra gameplay options that come with some games.
- The ability to quickly and easily change country region (great for games that disable blood under USA region).
- Access to the DEBUG DIP's and DEVELOPER mode.
- Want unlimited lives or energy... Then cheat in games using the built in cheat engine which currently holds over 1570 cheats!!!
- High score saving support on AES hardware by smkdan (memory card required).
- If you are not happy with the cheats already there then you can patch directly into memory any place you like adding your own.
- Jukebox player where one can listen to game music without sound FX from gameplay over the top. Nice option if you want to create MP3's.
- A ROM CRC32 check where you can confirm a games program roms are good.
- True USA region support (correct coin display on bottom left and right of screen in the same way a true USA BIOS does.
- Arcade VS-MODE support which is known to be in the version 6 JAPAN bios. Turn this feature on via hard dip 2.
- PC-2-NEO which gives the ability to upload and download data from the system using a cable which can be easily built.

Universe Bios Other Features:
- Remapping of coin switches to select buttons and visa versa. This allows a SNK joypad pad to do everything.
- Once region and operation mode is set the BIOS will remember settings until you change them again (memory card required on AES hardware for this to work).
- Access to the standard Memory Card Utility no matter what Mode the BIOS is in (one could never access this menu with the normal MVS BIOS).
- Access to Test Mode on boot without the need of wiring the Test Mode JAMMA pins or fiddling with DIP's.
- Enhancements to the TEST MODE menu and hardware test screens.
- Console mode lockout protection removed from latest games when running on MVS hardware (bypasses the red warning screens).
- Arcade mode lockout protection removed from latest games when running on AES hardware (bypasses the red warning screens).
- Look at internal memory with the built in memory viewer. This is handy for tracking faults with slots that don't work (multislot hardware) or carts that simply won't start.
- The ability to soft reboot the system without the need of powering off and on.

Universe Bios v4.0 Changelog:

To mark the version 4.0 milestone of the Universe Bios I have given it a slight facelift. Some menu layouts are changed and colors used on the splash screen and default colors for the in game menu have changed. This is done to try and replicate the gold coloring on the AES and Joystick shells. You still have the ability to customise colors of the ingame menu if you wish. Additions PICKnMIX MVS/AES (requires the correct 161-in-1 multicart). This feature will use the many games on the multicart to turn the system into the ultimate multislot. It may also work on MVS multislot systems but please insure all other cart slots are empty. The only hacked version of a game used from the 161-in-1 is SNK vs CAPCOM Plus. See www.universebios.com/picknmix.html for more information and how to use. A special thanks to 'ack' for exstensive bug reporting and testing on multislot hardware, also 'miisalo' and 'RockstarRunner' for MVS and AES testing. PICKnMIX IS A TOTALLY UNSOPPORTED FEATURE given the nature of the multicarts. NeoSD related (v1.06 or later firmware required). The following two additions require the ROM 'sfix.sfix' to be placed into the root directory of the NeoSD's SD card. These fixes are not possible without a NeoSD. On AES hardware, when in arcade mode, the 'how to play' screens of NAM-1975, Baseball Stars Professional and Mahjong Kyo Retsuden will have correct graphics. On AES hardware, when in USA arcade mode, the classic 'winners don't use drugs' screen will have correct graphics in all games apart from Garou, Matrimelee, Metal Slug 3, Metal slug 4, SNK vs Capcom and The King of Fighters 2000. Added a NeoSD color theme for the ingame menu (choose bank '03' in the menu color changer). Added new option to disable the daily, weekly and monthly hiscore reset to MVS backupRAM. This option is enabled by default (Universe Bios general settings) but can be switched off if you want hiscores to clear as game maker intended. The following games are affected; Aggrs of Dark Kombat Ninja Combat Trash Rally Art od Fighting Ninja Commando Twinkle Star Sprites Art of fighting 2 Over Top Wind Jammers Art of Fighting 3 Quiz King of Fighters World Hereos Blues Journey Spin Masters World Hereos 2 Crossed Swords 2 Sonic Wings 3 World Hereos 2 Jet Ghost Pilots King of Fighters 2001 World Hereos Perfect Magician Lord King of Fighters 2002 Zintrick Due to the change around of some options to make this possible I advise MVS users check the options in the Universe Bios 'general settings' to confirm they are set as intended. In a games softDIP settings (testmode), pressing 1UP start will reset the DIPs to default. Added English translations for Japanese games that had Japanese only SoftDIP settings. The Universe bios can now detect a 18Mhz overclock (hopefully). Added 'Fast Verify' support to PC-2-NEO (USB only). Changes Changed splash screen and main menu colors, NeoGeo logo is now Gold. Changed the default colors of the ingame menu. You can still choose old colors and edit colors if required by using the ingame menu color changer. Made the In Game Menu and Main Menu more responsive to joystick and button input. There are now five colors you can adjust on the ingame menu color changer. Optimised Code that applies game cheats to memory. Made testmode entry graphically cleaner (less glitching). Made the cabinet softDIP 'Game Select' default to 'Free' instead of 'Only when credited'. Now says 'NGH' instead of 'ID' in the game cart crc check. Improved the 'no cheats in database' message. The main memory viewer (testmode, exception error, hardware error) should now open on the first slot with a game (multislot hardware). Improved the MVS cart version of kof2001 when in console mode. The games menu should no longer glitch from time to time. Also removed the vertical borders on the options screen. Fixes (some of these very minor) Fixed an issue introduced in Unibios v3.1 which caused any set softDIPs to reset after using the soft reboot option on AES haedware. Fixed ingame menu colors saved to memory card from getting corrupted. Fixed AES version of Metal Slug 3 showing the red warning screen when run in Arcade mode. Fixed 'AOF3' from showing the console mode menu when in arcade mode on AES hardware. Fixed V-Liner crashing when the coin entered or select pressed. Fixed overclock info sometimes incorrectly showing after exiting softDIPs (after soft reset). Fixed possible graphic corruption in the testmode main menu if the calendar chip is faulty. Fixed red screen flash when bios draws 'how to play' in early games (issue in original bios). Fixed Top Players Golf from allowing debug DIP editing (game does not have any). Fixed minor graphical glitch entering the ingame menu color changer. Fixed missing values in patch and debug dips editing if game is an original MVS KOF2003. Fixed glitching on cart check entry if game King of Fighters 2003. Fixed glitching when exiting ingame menu if game King of Fighters 2003. Fixed Splash screen and menues if game is MVS version of kof2003 on AES hardware. Fixed Splash screen and menues if game is kof 10th anni extra plus on AES hardware. Fixed font in jukebox and cart check if game is MVS version of kof2003 MVS hardware. Fixed font in jukebox and cart check if game is kof 10th anni extra plus on MVS hardware. Fixed 'King of Gladiator' hack throwing a warning screen when running in arcade mode on AES. Stopped language softDIP showing when in Japan region for games SamSho 4, 5 and 5 Special. Stopped Street Hoop's 'team select' softDIP showing when in Japan region. Stopped gfx curruption on splash screen (at power on) when the 161-in-1 multicart used. Hopefully fixed corruption exiting the ingame menu on a 18Mhz overclocked MVS/AES. Hopefully fixed corruption in the General settings Menu on a 18Mhz overclocked MVS/AES. Hiscore saving (memory card) Added HS saving support for Football Frenzy. Added HS saving support for Goal! Goal! Goal! Added HS saving support for Stakes Winner. Added HS saving support for Stakes Winner 2. Added HS saving support for Real Bout Fatal Fury (Korean). Fixed Neo Bomberman hiscore saving (old HS save will need deleting). Fixed Quiz Diasousa Sen so hiscore displayed during game at top is now correct. Fixed Puzzle Bobble so it now shows correct hiscore table during first attract mode cycle. Fixed Puzzle Bobble 2 not saving the last part of the HS table. Cheats Renamed all 'AES Infin Credits' cheats to 'Infin AES Continue'. Korean games now show correct game in the cheat menu (if different than English names). Corrected Strikers 1945 Plus game name in the cheat menu. Added Real Bout Fatal Fury (Korean) cheats. Added Infinite AES Continue cheats to Blues Journey. Top Hunter 2 cheats improoved. They now work on all worlds. Also, keeping D pressed will disable the gun and ammo cheats (while D pressed) for that player. Renamed all 'Always Score 00' cheats in football games to 'Always No Score'. Knights Chance now reconigsed by the in game menu (no cheats though). Other minor cheat naming issues here and there. Added cheats for Older Power Spikes II (only 'Infinite Iime' cheat atm). CRC database Added alternate Metal SLug 3 CRC (MVS, CRC reported for ROM region - 0x9763419E). Not currently in MAME. P ROMs are on a NGPC style miniPCB with 4 flashchips. Banking matches the parent, it is unknown if the SMA is used or not. Added older Power Spikes II CRC (MVS, CRC reported for RAM region - 0x8FACDE4C) Not currently in MAME, Japanese region game name is 'Super Volley 94'. Added alternate V-Liner CRC (MVS, CRC reported for ROM region - 0x49A94DB5). Not currently in MAME. From 0x8000 has 'DYNA V-L V0.7E'. Added alternate V-Liner CRC (MVS, CRC reported for ROM region - 0xE263DCE8). Not currently in MAME. From 0x8000 has 'DYNA V-L V0.53'. Added alternate V-Liner CRC (v0.7A 0x052F93ED). Added alternate Garou CRC (AES). Added alternate Pochi and Nyaa CRC. Added Last Resort prototype CRC. Added alternate Burning Fight prototype CRC. Added alternate King of the Monsters 2 CRC. Added Real Bout Fatal Fury (Korean) CRC. Added alternate Blues Journey CRC. Added alternate Samurai Shodown V CRC. Added alternate World Heroes 2 CRC. Added alternate Sengoku 3 CRC. Knights Chance is now reconigsed by the CRC checker (reported as custom).

Universe Bios 3.3 is now free

Source: Here