Nec MobileGear. Trying to run games but mostly keyboard not working. My compatibility list. Help?

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nach
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2023 7:10 pm
Favorite Palmtop: Mobilegear

Nec MobileGear. Trying to run games but mostly keyboard not working. My compatibility list. Help?

Post by nach »

Hi everybody, I recently got a Nec Mobile Gear MC-MK12 and I'm trying to run games and also windows but I'm having lot of problems. Tired of checking on japanese dead webpages on the wayback machine and not having almost any info in english i found this forum trying to have some help if possible.

There is a driver called MGCGA that needs a lot of work to have it working but i finally could run i (needs to make many .bat and .dev files, and doesn't work if loaded from the command prompt). The problem is that also changes to the japanese character keyboard and i have not being able to make the cga driver work with pure english keyboard.

I got some games working but LOTS of them freeze or the keyboard is not responding when in game or in the main menu.
Has anybody experience with this machine and knows how to make the keyboard work? may i be doing something wrong? something related with the japanese keyboard layout? just a MGCGA compatibiliy issue and/or Mobile Gear compatibility issue? By the way, i was able to install windows 3.0 but it freezes instantly when starting it and tries to do the final configuration (configure printers etc...)

It is a shame the "no keyboard" issue and the corrupted graphics one. I would pay someone who could fix that issue as i guess that with the knowledge in 2023 there might be ways to fix it or workarounds as the cga driver is from 1998!

It seems it is something related with how the games are programmed or a problem with video modes maybe because i have found some patterns after checking around 300 games, llike for example
- Most of the games made by "Unlimited Software inc." for example Outrun or 4d sports driving/stunts work but no keyboard.
- Versions of games ported from 8 bit computers from europe use to have a splash screen illustration (like the loading screens on cassette) and almost all freeze on that screen.
and so on

I made a couple of fast videos of the palmtop running

Flight Simulator 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3DCC8Bsa4o

Prince of Persia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvnUUBLt2mo

4D sports driving aka Stunts (no keyboard so only intro, but the 3D part is super smooth)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhbX18gkowI

My preliminary compatibility list is (you will see that most of the games work but have "no keyboard" issue) (more coming soon):

GAMES THAT WORK WELL AND GAMES THAT ARE MOSTLY PLAYABLE (APPARENTLY) UPDATED 31/03/2023
Alien Fires: 2199 AD
ALF: The First Adventure
Apollo 18: Mission to the Moon
Aussie Joker Poker
Autoduel
Avoid the Noid
Bad dudes
Ball Race (1988 freeware game)
Black Jack Academy
Card Sharks
Cgampionship Baseball
Double Dare
Dream Zone
Flight Simulator 3
Flight Simulator 4
Gamma Force in Pit of a Thousand Screams (texts partially unreadable though but it is worth to look)
Gauntlet 2
Guerrilla War aka Guevara
Heavy barrel
Hidden Agenda
Into the eagles nest
Jet
Karateka (cannot figure keys yet though, only b to bow and right arrow to tun)
Karnov
Lane Mastodon vs. the Blubbermen (texts partially unreadable though but it is worth to look)
Las Vegas Video Poker
Lucky Luke
Mad Show (screen inverting recommended)
Manhattan Dealers aka Operation: Cleanstreets (screen inverting recommended)
Mars Saga
Master Ninja: Shadow Warrior of Death
Murder Club
NCR Golf (cannot figure how to play though but keyboard is working)
Nobunaga's Ambition II
Omega
Pipe dream (cga command prompt switch is "pipe c")(cursor super faint very difficult to see where it is)
Planet x3
Psycho
Race!
Railroad Empire
Railroad Switch Challenge
Rockn wrestle
Sabotaje (rare spanish game)
Strategic Defense Initiative (graphics partially corrupted)
Shogun
Sim City
Snack Attack (maybe too fast)
Solitaire Royale
Street Hassle aka Bad Street Brawler
Technocop
Tetris (academy soft, text mode game)
Tetris (Spectrum Holobyte)
The Amazing Spider-Man
The American Challenge: A Sailing Simulation
The Twilight Zone (screen inverting recommended)
Ticket to Hollywood
Trump Castle II
Ultima IV
Ultima V
Ultima VI (installation menus corrupted, you have to know what keys to press beforehand (guided by dosbox better). Create a character also in dosbox recommended. Once this is done it works with game.com ... it is a mess but it is worth)
Voyager 1 Sabotage Of The Robot Ship
Welltris
Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune 2nd Edition
Wheel of Fortune Gold
Where in Europe is Carmen Sandiego
Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego (this one works super nice , graphics super viewable and readable and at the correct speed, maybe the best one for now!)

GAMES THAT RUN BUT RUN TOO FAST
Dr. Sleeptite and the Nightmare Factory - runs but too fast
Bouncing Babies - runs but too fast
GBA Championship Basketball Two-on-Two
Zaxxon - too fast (i cannot check if keyboard works or not)

GAMES THAT RUN BUT HAVE MAJOR ISSUES
3D-Ball - Playable but partially corrupted graphics
4D Sports Boxing - works but no keyboard
4D sports driving aka stunts - works but no keyboard (demo loops forever)
Aargh - stuck on "will you attack with 1 or 2 monsters?"
African Trail Simulator - Stuck on main screen illust (no keyboard?)
After Burner II - works but keyboard stops responding after starting a game
Airball - stuck on "get the spellbook" screen
Airborne ranger - black screen after selecting control method (before ranger assignement screen)
Altered beast - stuck when asking "restore previous game"
Arkanoid - runs but freezes when starting round 1
Artic Adventure - Works but extremely corrupted graphics (unplayable)
Astro blaster - runs but no keyboard
Ballistix - Stuck on video mode selection
Barbarian aka Dead Sword - stuck on "how many joysticks are connected" (no keyboard?)
Batman The caped crusader - freezes when the game starts ("the batcave")
Batman The movie - Stuck on main menu (no keyboard?)
BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception - Stuck on main screen illust (no keyboard?)
Bedlam - stuck on main menu, no keyboard but credits scrolling so no freeze
Blades of Steel - freezes on 1 or 2 players selection screen
Block Out - Stuck on "California dreams presents". Curiously the game doesn't even start using the command "bl.exe c" as stated in the manual for CGA
Block Buster - Works but extremely corrupted graphics (unplayable)
Bruce lee - hangs on main menu
Bubble Bobble - Freezes on "fun time arcade" screen (no keyboard?)
Burger Blaster - Works but extremely corrupted graphics (unplayable)
Carl Lewis go for the gold - freezes in the main menu
Castlevania - Freezes on control selection screen
Chaplin - works but no keyboard (screens loops forever)
CD-Man - Crashes at start menu
Chip's Challenge - runs but no keyboard
Circus games - Stuck on "press enter" screen. keyboard works (num lock and caps on and off and can invert screen)
Cobra - Stuck on main screen illust
Colorado - Works but extremely corrupted graphics (unplayable)
Combat course - stuck on display type selection (no keyboard?)
Crazy cars - Shows splash screen and shuts off the palmtop when pressing a any key
Crystals of Arborea - Works but extremely corrupted graphics (unplayable)
Cybotron - no keyboard ingame?
Daley Thompson's Olympic Challenge - Stuck on main screen illust
Dark Side - Stuck on main screen illust (no keyboard?)
Defender - too fast (i cannot check if keyboard works or not)
Demon Stalkers - Stuck on main screen
E-motion - stuck on "present" screen (no keyboard?)
Enchanted pinball - freezes on main menu
Exterminator - no keyboard (demo loops forever)
Fallen angel - freezes on "loading game"
Fire Power - Stuck on "press the spacebar to start a game" (no keyboard?)
Five-a-Side Indoor Soccer - runs but too fast!
Flightmare - freezes after selecting monitor type (shows "press space" screen)
Gato - almost playable, graphics corrupt gradually
Gauntlet - Stuck when trying to start a game
Ghostbusters II - works but no keyboard (screens loops forever)
Grand prix 500cc - Freezes when choosing skill level
Green Beret - stuck in the controls screen when "press escape to start game")
Hardball - stuck on main screen (no keyboard?)
Hard Drivin' - Stuck on main screen illust (no keyboard?)
Hard Drivin' 2 - Stuck on main screen illust (no keyboard?)
Harlem Globetrotters - Stuck on "do you want to play the computer?" screen (no keyboard)
Hammerboy - stuck (no keyboard?)
Hat Trick - runs but no keyboard when the match starts (runs too fast)
High Rollers - works but messed up when changes from graphics - text - graphics mode, stuck on text mode therefore corrupt graphics
Hunchback - Works but extremely corrupted graphics (unplayable)
Impossible Mission 2 - Stuck on main screen illust (no keyboard?)
Indiana Jones Last crusade - Stuck on video mode selection
International Karate - stuck on main screen
Jackal - unplayable, super corrupted graphics (it seems it is running though)
John Madden Football - Stuck on main screen illust
Julius Erving and Larry Bird Go One-on-One - runs but keyboard goes crazy (maybe a hint for the no keyboard issue?)
Knight Games - Stuck in game selection screen, no keyboard, text scrolling so no freeze
L.A. Crackdown - Stuck on main screen illust (no keyboard?)
Lee Trevino's Fighting Golf - works but no keyboard (title screen and press f1 to start screens loop forever)
Life & Death - freezes when asked to sign in
Lock-on - Stuck on video mode selection
Loopz - Works but extremely corrupted graphics (unplayable)
Macadam bumper - crashes to command prompt when pressing enter on main menu
Mach 3 - Stuck on main screen illust (no keyboard?)
MadMix Game - Stuck on main screen illust (no keyboard?)
Manhunter - Works but at a point the cursor starts moving to the left side and keyboard stops responding like the left arrow is all the time pressed
Manhunter 2 - Works but at a point the cursor starts moving to the left side and keyboard stops responding like the left arrow is all the time pressed
Maniac Mansion - Works but extremely corrupted graphics (unplayable)
Marble Madness - Stuck when trying to start a game (no keyboard?)
Mind-Roll - no keyboard and crashes before demo
Moon Patrol - Crashed with invalid opcode trap error
Moonwalker - freezes when redefining keys (no keyboard?) (note: any way to skip the forced keyboard redefinition?)
Murders in Venice - Stuck on main screen illust (no keyboard?) (note: "venise cga english" to start the game)
Ninja - freezes when starting to play
Ninja Gaiden - runs but no keyboard
Out Run - Works but no keyboard (demo loops forever)
Paganitzu - Crashes with illegal function call error (anyway extremely corrupted graphics)
Paperboy - Stuck on "press a key when ready" (no keyboard?)
Paratrooper - works but cannon stuck to the right side (maybe a hint for the no keyboard issue?), num lock doesnt change anything
Phantom Fighter - Stuck on main screen (no keyboard?)
Pick 'n Pile - freezes on control options screen
Platoon - stuck on main screen (platoon illust)
Pole Position II - freezes on "press f1 to start" screen
Prime Time - freezes in the main screen
Prophecy - Stuck on main screen illust
Psychic War: Cosmic Soldier - freezes on "match the ally..." screen
Purple Saturn Day - freezes in the main screen
Pyramid Power - freezes when starting to play
Pyramids of Egypt - freezes when starting to play
Qbert - no keyboard when starting a new game (not stuck, enemies and everything moving except qbert)
Rad Warrior - Stuck on "MAXX OUT! series" screen
Robocop (data east) - freezes on main screen (shows Robocop screen and a letter "B" on top when it sould write "BEST PLAYERS")
Robocop (ocean) - stuck on control selection (no keyboard?)
Rockford: The Arcade Game - works but movement stuck on the right arrow (like paratrooper) (maybe a hint for the no keyboard issue?)
Saboteur II: Avenging Angel - wrong screen mode/monitor error message
Saint & Greavsie - Stuck on main screen illust
Sky runner - menus ok, freezes when starting a game
Sky Shark - stuck on main screen illust
Space attack - runs but corrupted graphics
Space Station Oblivion aka Driller - Stuck on main screen illust (no keyboard?)
Spy hunter - stuck in select composite or rgb (no keyboard?)
Spy vs Spy 3 - stuck on "how many joysticks would you lke to use" (no keyboard?)
Solomon's key - stuck on main screen after pressing a key
Sol Negro - stuck on main screen illust (no keyboard?)
Star Lord - stuck on main screen illust (no keyboard?)
Star Wars - freezes in the main menu
Street fighter - runs but no keyboard
Strider - freezes when starting a game
Superbike Challenge - freezes in the main menu
Superleague Soccer - freezes in the main menu
Tapper - stuck in main menu (no keyboard?)
Tera - creation menus ok but corrupted graphics when starting the actual game (it seem doesn't change to graphical mode but stays in text mode)
The Games: Winter Edition - freezes in the first screen of the game
The King of Chicago - freezes in the main menu
Thexder - runs but no keyboard (demo loops forever)
Tie Break - stuck in main menu (no keyboard?)
Tiger Road - runs but no keyboard
Tournament tennis aka Match Point - runs but no keyboard when the match starts
Treasure Hunt - almost playable (fairly corrupted lieft side of the screen)
Ultima VI - won't start (maybe requires to be an specific directory?)
Vixen - Works but extremely corrupted graphics (unplayable)
Wheel of fortune - Works but extremely corrupted graphics (unplayable)
Wings of Fury - stuck in main menu (no keyboard?)
Winter Games - freezes in the "opening ceremony"
Wizball - runs but stuck on "get ready!" screen

GAMES THAT DON'T RUN
Alien Syndrome - Won't run
Arcade volleyball - won't start
Arkanoid 2 - won't start
Atomino - Won't run
Awesome Earl in SkateRock - won't start
Back to the Future Part II - won't start
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure - won't start
Buck Rogers planet of zoom - Won't run
Cabal - won't start
California Games II - won't start
Captain comic - does not start
Circuit's Edge - needs installation (note: try again later)
Contra aka gryzor - Won't run
Commando - Won't run (black screen)
Crazy cars - Won't run (shuts off the palmtop)
Demon Stalkers - Won't run
Digger - Won't run (black screen)
Don't Go Alone - Won't run
D/Generation -
F40 Interceptor - Won't run (shuts off the palmtop)
Fire! - Won't run (black screen)
Fire and Forget - Won't run (shuts off the palmtop)
Frank Bruno's Boxing - Won't run (black screen)
Galactic Conqueror - Won't run (shuts off the palmtop)
Grave Yardage - Won't run
Hacker II: The Doomsday Papers - won't start
Hole-In-One Miniature Golf - won't start
Ikari Warriors - Won't run (black screen)
Klax - Won't run (freezes and doesnt let even choose video mode)
MGT aka Magnetik Tank - Won't run
Mental Blocks - Won't run
Metal Mutant - Won't run
Mini-Putt - Won't run
Mission - Won't run
Motor Mania - Won't run
Nuclear War - Won't run
Obliterator - Won't run
Off Shore Warrior - Won't run (shuts off the palmtop)
Omnicron Conspiracy - Won't run
Pocket rockets - Won't run
Popcorn - Won't run
Qix - Won't run
Quadralien - Won't run
Rampage - Won't run
Renegade - stuck on "loading"
Revenge of Defender - Won't run
Rock n Roll - Won't run (shuts off the palmtop)
Rose Pennant Fever - Won't run
Sentinel - Won't run
Sherman M4 - Won't run
Shufflepuck Cafe - Won't run
Side Arms - Won't run (black screen)
Snarf - Won't run
Sopwith - Won't run, after selecting keyboard
Speedball - Won't run
Skweek - Won't run
Stargoose Warrior - Won't run
Storm - Won't run
Superman: The Man of Steel - Won't run
Super Ski - Won't run (shuts off the palmtop)
Super Solvers: Midnight Rescue! - Won't run
The Amazing Spider-Man and Captain America in Dr. Doom's Revenge! - INITGRAPHICSSYSTEM: Unable to set mode 4 error
The Simpsons : Bart vs. the Space Mutants - Won't run
The Three Stooges - Won't run
Thunder Blade - won't start
Toobin' - won't start
Treasure Trap - won't start
Trojan - won't start
Up'n Down - won't start
Victory Road - won't start
Video Vegas - won't start
Where in time is Carmen Sandiego
Wibarm - won't start
Windsurf Willy - won't start
World Karate Championship - Won't run
World Tour Golf - Won't run
ArchiMark
Regular user
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2023 4:40 pm
Favorite Palmtop: HP200LX

Re: Nec MobileGear. Trying to run games but mostly keyboard not working. My compatibility list. Help?

Post by ArchiMark »

Wow!

Looking at your list it seems like you have been very busy trying out games......

Unfortunately, can't really help you much.

Did you read about this machine prior to buying it?

https://gadgets.notjakob.com/DOSPALMTOP/necmcmk12.html

Seems like the model you purchased has some limitations besides being for Japanese market use.

Maybe someone else here can help you.

Best,

Mark
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