Tecmo NBA Basketball (NES) playoff bug?

[the_wizard_666 | 1,325]

Hey guys.  I just ran through a full season with an 80-1 record as Golden State, and started the playoffs.  I was initially seeded against the Clippers, and oddly, they showed that they had already had a win despite no games being played.  I then proceeded to beat them and advance, being seeded against the Lakers in the second round.  In this series, despite winning four games in a row, much to my chagrin it showed that LA, not Golden State, had advanced through to round three (it should've been a four game sweep in my favour).  I'm playing the REV-A ROM on Mesen, but I don't think that'd factor into this, as it seems like just a weird bug that I've encountered.  Lucky for me I saved state after each game in case of crashes or similar issues, and I'd encountered another glitch a couple times where the ball would disappear (no idea what triggers it, but both times was off a missed dunk).  Anyway, that one resolves itself once the shot clock winds down (you get hit with a time clock violation, but the game then proceeds normally).  Anyway, I don't want to switch teams, as I'm really comfortable with Golden State and would hate to have gone all this way just to change in the semifinals, so if anyone has an idea how to progress past this bug, I'm all ears...

EDIT: I have also tried the unorthodox method of simming and reloading state until GS got the win...even in that circumstance, the Lakers advanced.  I'm completely at a loss for what causes this or how to fix it.  Anyone?

Edited June 21, 2022 by the_wizard_666

[the_wizard_666 | 1,325]

Well, I think I figured out the trigger.  Apparently somewhere along the course of my season, the game decided one of the games didn't count - I think it was the final game, as both GS and Seattle (the last team I played) showed one fewer game played than there should've been.  Anyway, as a solution, I screen capped the standings, but put in the correct game totals in order to start the playoffs again.  It means I'll have to sweep the Clippers again, but that's a small price to pay.  Better to lose the results of 7 games than 89 games.

[Dr. Morbis | 2,091]

14 hours ago, the_wizard_666 said:

 I'm playing the REV-A ROM on Mesen, but I don't think that'd factor into this, as it seems like just a weird bug that I've encountered.

Well, you are emulating, and emulators can do strange things with the code. I know many people think emulators and NES are one to one, but I strongly disagree.  I guess playing the game on a real NES would be the only way to know for sure, as I don't usually put much stock in people's bug reports on old gaming consoles, when, in fact, they're not actually playing on the console at all.  It's like when some people reported last year that their Jay & Silent Bob carts were broken because they wouldn't work with their supposedly "perfect" AVS machines, when in fact the carts themselves had no issue at all.  So it definitely could be the emulator and not the ROM.  Just saying...

Definitely a weird bug, though...

[the_wizard_666 | 1,325]

Yeah, I hear that.  It could be specifically tied to Golden State and Seattle, since they're the last regular season game on the list, and I feel like few would've played through a whole season with either of them back in the day.  My 80-1 record should've stood out to me anyway, what with there being 82 games in the season, but at least I found a workaround to at least not have to replay the entire season.

Anyway, after beating the Clippers once, it seems to be working as it should, so here's hoping.

[the_wizard_666 | 1,325]

One thing I've noticed now that I've swept the Clippers is that the remaining schedule shows up after the playoff brackets.  When the game crapped out on me, that didn't happen, it brought up a blank screen instead.  So basically, whatever bug I encountered screwed a good chunk of the game, not just awarding my wins to the other team.  Again, I have no clue what triggered this bug to happen, but at least I found a workaround.  Although now instead of the Lakers I've got to play the Blazers, which I find a much tougher team to beat...but really, after an 81-1 season, I should be just fine

[Bonanza125 | 55]

I play this game a lot. It's very easy to steal the ball when your opponent in bounds a pass after a made basket. You can rack up points quickly and win every game by 30 or more in 2 minute quarters.