Super Mario Galaxy Cutscenes Choppy/Stuttering

[Nyaako]

Not sure if this is related to the whole shader cache thing, but when I tried starting up Super Mario Galaxy, the first cutscene (where Bowser appears before kidnapping Peach), it was stuttering a hell lot. And then, after the cutscene I restarted the game and saw that the cutscene was now smooth with no stutter. Well, until the next cutscene which was Bowser summoning that UFO to pick up Peach's Castle and in that cutscene it stuttered the same exact way unless I finish watching the whole cutscene and restart the game again.

Any ideas?

Using Dolphin Nightly Build 5.0-600

[ExtremeDude2]

Sounds like shader cache to me

[Nyaako]

Sounds like shader cache to me

Very strange. Other pre-rendered cutscenes in other games (like Mario Sunshine) doesn't have this problem.

[Admentus]

Super Mario Galaxy is a lot heavier to emulate than Super Mario Sunshine.

[Nyaako]

Super Mario Galaxy is a lot heavier to emulate than Super Mario Sunshine.

Well, I can play Mario Galaxy just fine. Again, it's just the pre-rendered cutscenes that are stuttering. Unless the stuttering problem in pre-rendered cutscenes is actually a common thing for Galaxy.

[Craftyawesome]

Are the games stored on something extremely slow? Try adding a portable.txt. See if that fixes it.

[Nyaako]

Are the games stored on something extremely slow? Try adding a portable.txt. See if that fixes it.

My games are stored in a 7200rpm HDD. Pretty sure it's not slow for it.

[DrHouse64]

Did you enabled "Load custom textures" ? Sometimes it can cause cutscenes to be slow.

[Admentus]

In case you did use "Load Custom Textures" (for hires texture packs), you should also enable "Prefetch Custom Textures". This require a fair amount of RAM but it will completely remove any stuttering that is related to custom textures. You should also trying playing the Galaxy games with D3D12, which works prettly smoothly and solid.

Regarding shader chache... It is a common issue (if we could define it as an issue) with emulation. Unlike normal native PC games, the shader cache can not be compiled ahead of when actually being put to use. In emulation, shaders are compiled when the effects are first seen. Updating your GPU, GPU driver or Dolphin version causes your shader cache to reset. Not a big deal, just play again so the shader cache will be remade. Super Mario Galaxy is well known for it's shaders, just like Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story. The reason why you don't experience the stuttering when playing the same section over is because it is already compiled in the shader cache. The many uses of shaders apply from special effects to textures and more, which is all to be cached. If it will eventually be fixed (made faster), only time will learn... *looks at Ubershaders*.

As Wikipedia states:

In the field of computer graphics, a shader is a computer program that is used to do shading: the production of appropriate levels of color within an image, or, in the modern era, also to produce special effects or do video post-processing. A definition in layman's terms might be given as "a program that tells a computer how to draw something in a specific and unique way".

With modern games, there are moderns ways to apply effects. The GameCube and Wii are simply more advanced than the N64, SNES, NES, GBA and GB.

[leolam]

the shader cache can be compiled ahead of when actually being put to use. In emulation, shaders are compiled when the effects are first seen.

I think you meant that unlike PC games, shaders (not the cache; if you had a cache, problem solved) can not be compiled ahead of time.