MANX Beta Version 0.1.0

MANX v0.1.0 beta has been launched. WhittyArcade is a dedicated standalone multi-board arcade emulator compatible with Windows and Linux. It supports 26 operational sets that encompass Namco System 22 / Super System 22, System 246, Model 1, Model 2, Namco System 1, Galaga, Galaxian, Phoenix, Sega System 16B, Ghosts’n Goblins hardware, and the Xbox 360. The core behaviour is primarily referenced from MAME’s BSD hardware implementations, while machine integration, scheduling, frontend, storage, and host output are independently functioning.

Current status:
Implemented and tested:
Execution of Motorola MC68020 through the standalone Musashi 4.60 core
Big-endian main memory maps for System 22 and Super System 22, covering the later board’s system controller, mixer, sprite/VICS, gun, and point-RAM areas
System 22 interrupt controller and game-programmable vblank IRQ delivery
Directory and ZIP ROM loading with MAME sizes and CRC-32 validation
Per-game program interleave, ROM-region placement, and CRC validation
Game-specific C370 KEYCUS responses and C139 standalone link status
Loading of internal firmware from namcoc71.zip/namcoc74.zip for C71 and C74
Two actual TMS320C25-derived C71 cores with master/slave configurations for program, data, I/O, point-ROM, and banked polygon-RAM maps
Execution of real M37702 C74 and M37710 with internal peripherals, Timer A0, shared RAM, external sequence/code ROM and board-specific port selection
32-voice C352 mixing capabilities: PCM, mu-law, noise, interpolation, volume ramps, forward/reverse looping, phase flags, and key events
Real C74-to-C352 register communication over a bounded SPSC queue, with C352 mixing and OpenAL streaming managed by a dedicated audio thread
OpenGL 4.3 renderer lifecycle, event handling, and a thread-safe polygon producer/consumer interface
Direct-render command decoding for C71, priority sorting, and hardware triangle rendering of the resulting neutral polygon records
Linked PDP command stream for Ridge Racer, along with object lists, model/view transformations, lighting, culling, and representative-Z priorities
GPU integer-texture indirection for Ridge Racer’s raw 16×16 texels, 1M-entry tilemap, packed transform attributes, color modes, and live palette RAM
GPU text layer utilizing live 16x16x4bpp character RAM and 64×64 tile RAM, featuring scrolling, flip attributes, palette banking, transparent pen, and per-pixel polygon-over-character priority
Sprite-list decoding for Super System 22 C374/VICS and 32x32x8bpp object tiles, managed with mixer-controlled composition of polygons, sprites, text, and backgrounds
RGBA8 scene composition with global 8.8 fade and final red/green/blue gamma-PROM lookup for non-Super System 22
Selection of direct-polygon CZ table and fog color per type for non-Super System 22
Time Crisis gun coordinates, cabinet trigger/pedal, mouse aiming, custom player-colored crosshairs, and its Super System 22 fade/gamma/CZ path
Dirt Dash World DT2 Ver.C with its M37710 cabinet I/O, C418 protection, full C374/VICS sprite list, driving controls, and stable projected shadows
Hot-pluggable SDL/Xbox and keyboard controls for driving, twin-stick, and 2D cabinets, featuring per-device launcher mapping, calibrated axes, and debounced coin/start lines
Framework-free execution of NEC V60 and Fujitsu MB86233, with ROM-backed Model 1 geometry processing, arithmetic tables, shared RAM, FIFOs, interrupts, and ROM-bank machinery for Virtua Formula
Handling of System 24 RAM tile pages, character decoding, split/window modes, and proper backdrop-to-3D-to-HUD composition for the Model 1 video path
Native Model 1 support for Virtua Formula, Virtua Fighter, Star Wars Arcade, and Wing War, inclusive of game-specific ROM maps and sound-board variations
Native Model 2 support for Sega Rally Championship, which includes i960, geometry, SCSP audio, inputs, NVRAM, and race-frame regression coverage. The launcher can differentiate between a single cabinet, two locally linked cabinets on one computer, and one linked cabinet across two LAN computers. These modes automatically save Sega’s corresponding NOTLINK, CAR1, and CAR2 EEPROM settings; these options are also available in the pause/operator menu.
Phoenix, Galaxian, Moon Cresta, UniWar S, and Shinobi machine/video/input/audio pathways are managed using the same board-neutral session and presentation contracts
Shared scaling, filtering, settings, overlays, and ROM menus across OpenGL, Vulkan-transfer, and SDL software presentations
Launch choices adjust according to the implemented cabinet inputs for the selected game. One-player games display a single-screen cabinet only; supported alternating and simultaneous games provide mirrored twin-display options. For standard alternating/simultaneous multiplayer games, Player 1 retains authority over the emulator, sending its final picture to Player 2, while Player 2 returns local controls as the arcade game’s P2 inputs. This ensures that both displays showcase the same game and score, even during player rotation. Sega Rally Championship stands as the sole advertised native linked-cabinet game, operating two emulated Model 2 boards through Sega’s original link protocol.
Two standard WhittyArcade applications will detect each other within the launcher, automatically assigning Player 1/Player 2 roles and revealing a shared Multiplayer game list. Player 1 makes a selection once; Player 2 initiates the same installed ROM without the need for any role, ROM, or IP configuration. In Galaga, two credits are automatically inserted, using the original 2-player start input and immediately switching control/display ownership when the original board progresses to the next player’s turn.
Single-screen fullscreen output utilizes the display while maintaining the original arcade monitor aspect ratio (3:4 for vertical sets and 4:3 for standard horizontal cabinets), with only the necessary black bars.
Twin Screen maintains each board’s precise native framebuffer with a single integer multiplier applied on both axes, featuring a visible border around each player viewport. For instance, Galaga remains 224×288 for each player; on a 5120×1440 desktop, each bordered image measures 896×1152 (4x), centered within its half without any horizontal or vertical distortion.
The fundamental System 22 sets boot the MC68020, both C71s and C74 together, leading to their attract/gameplay rendering. Time Crisis and Dirt Dash boot their Super System 22 MC68020, C71 pair, and M37710, and then reach attract and live gameplay incorporating 3D, sprites, text, and C352 audio. The polygon, sprite, text, priority, and final-mix shader pipelines have been fully tested on an authentic OpenGL 4.3 driver.
Not implemented yet:
Remaining slave-C71 render-device packet variants beyond Ridge Racer’s validated PDP stream
Remaining CZ/fog edge cases and details for Super System 22 sprite alpha/blend
Full external I/O-C74 serial protocol alongside force-feedback/output devices
Complete KEYCUS functionality, EEPROM timing, and the rest of the non-vblank IRQs
Model 1 force feedback, network board, and cycle-level I/O-board Z80 execution
This current binary is still in an experimental phase; the limitations previously mentioned influence hardware accuracy and cabinet peripherals rather than basic startup and rendering.

MANX Changelog:
First public beta release. Expect bugs, as that is the essence of a beta, and a Report a problem link is available on the site.
Windows – unzip anywhere and execute MANX.exe. All necessary files are included in the zip.
Linux – extract the tarball and run ./MANX. There are two builds available: a generic one and one specifically for Ubuntu 26.04 in case the generic build encounters issues with your glibc.
Please bring your own ROMs – MANX supports current MAME ZIP and CHD files without modifying them. Artwork is available as a separate download on the site, or in art-packs released here.
Both platforms are cross-compatible: a Windows machine and a Linux machine can run the same board using the same inputs.

Download: MANX v0.1.0 beta
Source:Here