Screen goes blank on startup and then game closes by itself

[Straik43]

2026-08-21_21-11-09.mp4

[MysteriousAeon]

Could you confirm which OS and exact build/release you're using?

If this is the Windows v0.4.0-alpha ZIP, please open Command Prompt in the extracted game folder and run these two tests.

First:

set NDS_3D_RENDERER=auto

nds_runner.exe "bios" --interactive --rom "Metroid Prime Hunters.nds" --config "game.toml" --freebios --generated-firmware --boot direct > runner-auto.log 2>&1

Then:

set NDS_3D_RENDERER=soft

nds_runner.exe "bios" --interactive --rom "Metroid Prime Hunters.nds" --config "game.toml" --freebios --generated-firmware --boot direct > runner-soft.log 2>&1

If your ROM has a different filename or path, replace the ROM path in both commands.

Please attach both log files and let me know whether the software-renderer run stays open.

This should tell us whether the startup failure is in the OpenGL/compute path or earlier in the boot/config path.

[Straik43]

Could you confirm which OS and exact build/release you're using?

If this is the Windows v0.4.0-alpha ZIP, please open Command Prompt in the extracted game folder and run these two tests.

First:

set NDS_3D_RENDERER=auto

nds_runner.exe "bios" --interactive --rom "Metroid Prime Hunters.nds" --config "game.toml" --freebios --generated-firmware --boot direct > runner-auto.log 2>&1

Then:

set NDS_3D_RENDERER=soft

nds_runner.exe "bios" --interactive --rom "Metroid Prime Hunters.nds" --config "game.toml" --freebios --generated-firmware --boot direct > runner-soft.log 2>&1

If your ROM has a different filename or path, replace the ROM path in both commands.

Please attach both log files and let me know whether the software-renderer run stays open.

This should tell us whether the startup failure is in the OpenGL/compute path or earlier in the boot/config path.

Windows 10

[Straik43]

Could you confirm which OS and exact build/release you're using?

If this is the Windows v0.4.0-alpha ZIP, please open Command Prompt in the extracted game folder and run these two tests.

First:

set NDS_3D_RENDERER=auto

nds_runner.exe "bios" --interactive --rom "Metroid Prime Hunters.nds" --config "game.toml" --freebios --generated-firmware --boot direct > runner-auto.log 2>&1

Then:

set NDS_3D_RENDERER=soft

nds_runner.exe "bios" --interactive --rom "Metroid Prime Hunters.nds" --config "game.toml" --freebios --generated-firmware --boot direct > runner-soft.log 2>&1

If your ROM has a different filename or path, replace the ROM path in both commands.

Please attach both log files and let me know whether the software-renderer run stays open.

This should tell us whether the startup failure is in the OpenGL/compute path or earlier in the boot/config path.

How do you do that? I have no idea what “Command Prompt” is—do you mean CMD? Do you have a video showing this process?

[MysteriousAeon]

Yes, Command Prompt means CMD.

You don't need a video. Here's the easiest way:

1. Open the folder where you extracted the game.
2. Click the address bar at the top of File Explorer.
3. Type:

cmd

4. Press Enter.

A black CMD window should open already inside the game folder.

Then copy and paste this first command into CMD and press Enter:

set NDS_3D_RENDERER=auto && nds_runner.exe "bios" --interactive --rom "Metroid Prime Hunters.nds" --config "game.toml" --freebios --generated-firmware --boot direct > runner-auto.log 2>&1

Wait until the game closes by itself.

Then copy and paste this second command:

set NDS_3D_RENDERER=soft && nds_runner.exe "bios" --interactive --rom "Metroid Prime Hunters.nds" --config "game.toml" --freebios --generated-firmware --boot direct > runner-soft.log 2>&1

After that, two new files should appear in the game folder:

runner-auto.log
runner-soft.log

Please drag both files into a reply here.

Also let me know whether the second test with the software renderer stays open or closes the same way.

[Straik43]

Yes, Command Prompt means CMD.

You don't need a video. Here's the easiest way:

1. Open the folder where you extracted the game.
2. Click the address bar at the top of File Explorer.
3. Type:

cmd

4. Press Enter.

A black CMD window should open already inside the game folder.

Then copy and paste this first command into CMD and press Enter:

set NDS_3D_RENDERER=auto && nds_runner.exe "bios" --interactive --rom "Metroid Prime Hunters.nds" --config "game.toml" --freebios --generated-firmware --boot direct > runner-auto.log 2>&1

Wait until the game closes by itself.

Then copy and paste this second command:

set NDS_3D_RENDERER=soft && nds_runner.exe "bios" --interactive --rom "Metroid Prime Hunters.nds" --config "game.toml" --freebios --generated-firmware --boot direct > runner-soft.log 2>&1

After that, two new files should appear in the game folder:

runner-auto.log runner-soft.log

Please drag both files into a reply here.

Also let me know whether the second test with the software renderer stays open or closes the same way.

runner-auto.log
runner-soft.log

Well, this is what I got. And as for that test with the software renderer, how do you do it?

[MysteriousAeon]

Thanks, the logs show what happened. There was a small mistake in the commands I gave you: CMD included a trailing space in the renderer setting, so both tests exited before actually starting. Sorry about that.

The second command below is the software-renderer test you were asking about.

Please run these corrected commands the same way as before:

set "NDS_3D_RENDERER=auto" && nds_runner.exe "bios" --interactive --rom "Metroid Prime Hunters.nds" --config "game.toml" --freebios --generated-firmware --boot direct > runner-auto.log 2>&1

After that finishes or closes, run:

set "NDS_3D_RENDERER=soft" && nds_runner.exe "bios" --interactive --rom "Metroid Prime Hunters.nds" --config "game.toml" --freebios --generated-firmware --boot direct > runner-soft.log 2>&1

The second one is the software renderer test.

Please attach the two new log files again, and let me know whether the second test stays open or closes by itself.

[Straik43]

runner-auto.log
runner-soft.log

Here it is: I tried the “auto” command, and well, it loaded and then crashed (at least that's what happened in the video I sent). Now, with the second command—the one for software rendering—the game did load and start, but I experienced severe drops in FPS, and the audio would distort or slow down. This happened both in the menus and once I was in the game.

[MysteriousAeon]

Thanks, the new logs isolated the problem.

Your normal auto run successfully gets through the ROM, firmware, direct boot, OpenGL initialization, and shader compilation, but then the compute renderer fails with:

compute frame render/readback submit GL error: 0x0502

The software renderer continues running, so the startup closure is specifically in the OpenGL compute-renderer path.

I have a test build with a candidate fix for a known compute-renderer memory-barrier bug:

https://github.com/MysteriousAeon/ndsrecomp/releases/download/intel-gl-diagnostic-1/mph-issue23-barrier-test-win64.zip

SHA-256:

e518639ae6564e18c54ab603c61c03b24c1e90f5421a27a13d5ead6b71be92a8

This one is easier to test, no CMD commands are needed:

1. Extract the ZIP into a fresh folder.
2. Copy your USA ROM into that folder and name it exactly:
   Metroid Prime Hunters.nds
3. Double-click:
   run-issue23-barrier-test.bat
4. Let me know whether the game now stays open and reaches the menu/gameplay, or still closes like before.
5. Please attach the generated:
   issue23-barrier-test.log

The software-renderer FPS/audio performance is not part of this test.

[Straik43]

Thanks, the new logs isolated the problem.

Your normal auto run successfully gets through the ROM, firmware, direct boot, OpenGL initialization, and shader compilation, but then the compute renderer fails with:

compute frame render/readback submit GL error: 0x0502

The software renderer continues running, so the startup closure is specifically in the OpenGL compute-renderer path.

I have a test build with a candidate fix for a known compute-renderer memory-barrier bug:

https://github.com/MysteriousAeon/ndsrecomp/releases/download/intel-gl-diagnostic-1/mph-issue23-barrier-test-win64.zip

SHA-256:

e518639ae6564e18c54ab603c61c03b24c1e90f5421a27a13d5ead6b71be92a8

This one is easier to test, no CMD commands are needed:

1. Extract the ZIP into a fresh folder.
2. Copy your USA ROM into that folder and name it exactly:
   Metroid Prime Hunters.nds
3. Double-click:
   run-issue23-barrier-test.bat
4. Let me know whether the game now stays open and reaches the menu/gameplay, or still closes like before.
5. Please attach the generated:
   issue23-barrier-test.log

The software-renderer FPS/audio performance is not part of this test.

The game opens and then closes (just like in the video)

issue23-barrier-test.log

[MysteriousAeon]

Thanks. The memory-barrier-only test still failed with the exact same OpenGL error, so I prepared one more isolated test build.

This build contains the memory-barrier fix plus a guard around a compute-renderer texture-size uniform update that can also trigger GL_INVALID_OPERATION on some drivers:

https://github.com/MysteriousAeon/ndsrecomp/releases/download/intel-gl-diagnostic-1/mph-issue23-barrier-uniform-test-win64.zip

SHA-256:

c65e24ae8125759e047c99ab2ca5b418f0ddeae16601cb0acc0036e8ea7538cb

Testing is the same simple process:

1. Extract the ZIP into a fresh folder.
2. Copy your USA ROM there and name it exactly:
   Metroid Prime Hunters.nds
3. Double-click:
   run-issue23-uniform-test.bat
4. Let me know whether the game now stays open and reaches the menu/gameplay, or still closes like before.
5. Please attach:
   issue23-uniform-test.log

No CMD commands or software-renderer test are needed this time.

[Straik43]

Thanks. The memory-barrier-only test still failed with the exact same OpenGL error, so I prepared one more isolated test build.

This build contains the memory-barrier fix plus a guard around a compute-renderer texture-size uniform update that can also trigger GL_INVALID_OPERATION on some drivers:

https://github.com/MysteriousAeon/ndsrecomp/releases/download/intel-gl-diagnostic-1/mph-issue23-barrier-uniform-test-win64.zip

SHA-256:

c65e24ae8125759e047c99ab2ca5b418f0ddeae16601cb0acc0036e8ea7538cb

Testing is the same simple process:

1. Extract the ZIP into a fresh folder.
2. Copy your USA ROM there and name it exactly:
   Metroid Prime Hunters.nds
3. Double-click:
   run-issue23-uniform-test.bat
4. Let me know whether the game now stays open and reaches the menu/gameplay, or still closes like before.
5. Please attach:
   issue23-uniform-test.log

No CMD commands or software-renderer test are needed this time.

issue23-uniform-test.log

The game just wouldn't open here

[MysteriousAeon]

The previous test package had a bad batch file and did not actually launch the game in interactive mode. Sorry about that.

I've replaced the ZIP with a corrected package:

https://github.com/MysteriousAeon/ndsrecomp/releases/download/intel-gl-diagnostic-1/mph-issue23-barrier-uniform-test-win64.zip

SHA-256:

9453df6eaaa6ef987e78cac9b767c49013a074456c1f9c8872d0b239fb6f8bc7

Please delete the previous copy, download the ZIP again, extract it into a fresh folder, copy your ROM there as:

Metroid Prime Hunters.nds

Then double-click:

run-issue23-uniform-test.bat

Please let me know whether the game now stays open and reaches the menu/gameplay, or still closes like before, and attach:

issue23-uniform-test.log

[Straik43]

issue23-uniform-test.log

I have a question: how many more tests are left? Because I have a feeling that all of this will be in vain and the real problem will be my computer.

The game opened, but it was really laggy and the audio is glitching. Here, the menu doesn't load at all—that is, it's there and you hear a sound when you tap any of the options, but the graphics don't load and there's just the giant Samus sprite.

[MysteriousAeon]

I have one final diagnostic build for the remaining AMD compute-renderer corruption.

This is the final planned diagnostic run.

Test package:
https://github.com/MysteriousAeon/ndsrecomp/releases/download/intel-gl-diagnostic-1/mph-issue23-deep-diagnostic-v6-win64.zip

SHA-256:
6349cb269350a10cd55a6d855d4dba67b2d94767009725f57507494355656ea4

Please place your USA Rev 0 ROM beside the BAT as:

Metroid Prime Hunters.nds

Then run:

run-issue23-diagnostic.bat

Please reproduce the broken menu/gameplay state as you did with the previous combined build, then close the game normally.

Afterward, please attach:

• issue23-diagnostic.log
• every generated issue23-gen-* file

Screenshots are optional if they help show which corrupted state was visible when the diagnostic ran.

The diagnostic searches a bounded set of compute frames over roughly the first 30+ seconds and only finalizes a capture when it can prove that the same generation was actually presented on the physical top screen. If no suitable top-screen generation is found, the log will say so rather than producing a misleading complete capture.