Introduction

With its original N64 target, Dinosaur Planet aims to render at 30 FPS. However, the game is often far from this framerate target in practice due to hardware limitations. Gameplay typically hovers between 10 and 20 FPS, only reaching 30 FPS when looking towards a wall. This also applies when running the game in an emulator in its stock configuration (without an overclock applied).

With modern emulators, it is not only possible to push this framerate to a truly stable 30 FPS (thanks to overclocking), but you can even go further and force the game to run at 60 FPS (thanks to a cheat code). The game speed will remain correct when doing so. This increased framerate greatly improves fluidity while also reducing input latency, making your character feel better to control. Playing at 60 FPS comes with some caveats documented below, but the game has been confirmed to be finishable at 60 FPS in emulators.

Setup

Which emulator to choose?

From testing, RMG (Mupen64Plus) seems to offer a more steady framerate with a given overclock modifier, but it will drop to a stable 30 FPS in some areas. On Android, M64Plus FZ can be used with the same cheat codes, although the overclock factor can only be increased up to 5 in that app.

Project64 doesn't have this 30 FPS lock in certain areas, but it takes more time to stabilize its framerate after loading a new area.

If you run into performance issues with one of the emulators listed above, give the other one a try.

Instructions common to both emulators

• Patch the Dinosaur Planet ROM for essential bug fixes by following the Getting Started page. The cheat codes listed here will not work with an unpatched ROM.

Using RMG (Mupen64Plus)

• Move the patched ROM to a folder where RMG can see it.
• In RMG's ROM list, right-click the patched ROM and choose Edit Game Settings. Go to the Game tab then the Game subtab. Decrease Counter Factor to 1, as lower counter factor values make the game run more smoothly.
• Go to the Game tab then the Core subtab. Set Overclock Factor as high as possible in RMG's per-game configuration menu.
  • As a good baseline, set it to 11 then decrease it if your CPU can't keep up – if this happens, the game will run in slow motion. The faster your CPU's single-core performance is, the higher you should be able to go with the overclock factor.
  • If values above 8 are not displayed in the dropdown, update RMG to the latest version.
• Right-click the patched ROM and choose Edit Cheats. Add the following two cheats:

Cheat 1: Sixty Frames

This code changes the general 30 FPS cap for a 60 FPS cap.

• Name: Sixty Frames
• Author: theboy181
• Code:

D103C3DA 0001
8103C3DA 0002
 

Cheat 1: Sixty Frames Toggle (alternative to Sixty Frames)

This is an alternative to the above Sixty Frames cheat, which allows toggling between 30 FPS and 60 FPS at runtime. The cheat defaults to 30 FPS, so remember to use the toggle after starting the game. Use this to complete sections of the game that have issues at 60 FPS without having to restart emulation.

• Name: Sixty Frames Toggle
• Author: retroben
• Code: Choose between one of the two below

Toggle with D-pad Up/Down on controller 2 (useful for playing on a keyboard)

D00CD3FC 0008
8103C3DA 0002
D00CD3FC 0004
8103C3DA 0001
 

Toggle with R + D-pad Up/Down on controller 1

D10CD3F4 0810
8103C3DA 0002
D10CD3F4 0410
8103C3DA 0001
 

Cheat 2: Force Sixty Frames Access On Snowbike Sections

By default, the game is capped at 20 FPS during snowbike sections. This code forces these sections to run at 60 FPS.

• Name: Force Sixty Frames Access On Snowbike Sections
• Author: retroben
• Code:

D0096CBC 0080
8105DA04 2404
D0096CBC 0080
8105DA06 0001
D0096CBC 0080
8105DA0C A024
D0096CBC 0080
8105DA0E CE34
 

• Ensure both cheats are enabled by ticking the checkbox on the left of their name.
• Start the game.

You can check whether the overclocking and 60 FPS patch works by enabling the FPS counter in the emulator's video settings (in the OSD tab). By default, it appears in the bottom-left corner when enabled.

Using Project64

• Go to Options > Configuration and uncheck Hide advanced settings.
• On the left, choose the Advanced tab that appears below General settings and check Remember selected cheats. Otherwise, the cheats will be unapplied when you restart the game.
• Right-click the patched Dinosaur Planet ROM and choose Edit Game Settings.
  • Set Memory size to 8 MB, Counter factor to 1, Overclock modifier to 20 and uncheck Sync using audio.
    • Sync using audio will prevent the emulator from going idle and result in stuttering, so it needs to be disabled.
    • If your CPU can't keep up, the game will appear to run in slow motion. You may need to use a lower overclock modifier value (try 11).
• Right-click the patched Dinosaur Planet ROM and choose Edit Cheats....
• Add both cheat codes and enable them as done on the RMG setup (see above). The syntax is the same. Make sure the checkbox on the left of both cheats is checked.
• Start the game.

Known bugs

Legend:

• 💥 Game-breaking issue
• 🕹️ Altered gameplay
• ✨ Visual issue (does not affect gameplay)
• 🔊 Audio issue
• ❓ Unconfirmed issue (the issue is present, but it may not be related to 60 FPS)

General

• 🕹️ Log steers twice as fast when riding it, making it easier to control.
• 🕹️ Rope baddies (the yellow enemies that hang on ropes) move twice as fast.
• ✨ Bats move twice as fast, although this seems to have no practical gameplay consequences.
• ✨ Scorpions move twice as slow, although this seems to have no practical gameplay consequences.

Prologue

• 🕹️ During the first segment where you ride a CloudRunner, its movement movement is twice as fast. It is possible to complete the prologue nonetheless.
• 🔊 Voice lines are repeated twice as often.

SnowHorn Wastes

• 💥 An early cutscene after the snowbike race may not transition from a black screen, leaving you with a permanent black screen but audio still playing.
  • This can be alleviated by performing a save state before reaching that point, and reloading the save state after you encounter a black screen. Trying a second time can sometimes suffice to resolve the issue. If this doesn't suffice, turn off the 60 FPS cheat, try again and re-enable the 60 FPS cheat.

Cape Claw (first visit)

• 💥 ❓ The log may not be rideable correctly, making it impossible to get one of the shiny nuggets without noclipping. This manifests as Krystal sinking into the log while riding it.
• 💥 Kyte may not land correctly on levers when using the Find Command, particularly on the second lever starting from the left.
  • To resolve this, save the game, disable the 60 FPS cheat and the overclock (disabling only the 60 FPS cheat won't suffice). After doing this, restart emulation and reload the save. Complete the puzzle, then you can re-enable the 60 FPS cheat and overclock.

Discovery Falls

• ✨ Capy (the small yellow dinosaur that helps you during a puzzle) moves twice as fast and may sometimes run in circles, but the puzzle is completable nonetheless.

DarkIce Mines

• 🕹️ During the Galadon boss fight, he won't aim at you correctly, resulting in his projectiles rarely ever hitting the ground.
• 💥 After completing the Galadon boss fight and being teleported back outside, you will fall through the floor and respawn in the DarkIce Mines (possibly with Sabre and Tricky having "disco" colors). You won't be able to exit and the game will likely crash if you move around.
  • To resolve both issues listed above, disable the 60 FPS cheat before starting the boss fight. If you've already started it, restart emulation and reload the save. Complete the boss fight again. If you leave the overclock on, you will still fall through the ground at the end of the cutscene outside the mines, but you will respawn in the correct location. Since falling has no real consequences in this spot, you can keep going after respawning.

Diamond Point Bay

• 🕹️ The crushing pendulums in the cave bridge move twice as fast, making them nearly impossible to avoid. It is possible to walk through the bridge nonetheless, but you will be hit between 3 and 4 times. Healing items are located just past the bridge, so you can regain the lost health here.
• 🕹️ ❓ The Test of Strength Krazoa shrine goes backward quicker, so it's more difficult. However, it can still be beaten without the help of external macros.

CloudRunner Fortress

• 💥 If you trigger a cutscene just after saving the first of Kyte's brothers (within the ship), the UI for Kyte's brothers won't go away. This may break progression by making the locked doors on the side of the fortress never open (although you may be able to noclip through them).
• 💥 ❓ Crashes may occur when saving Kyte's brothers before or after each perching cutscene plays. Making frequent savestates is recommended here, as Kyte will get stuck if you reload a save.
• ✨ After saving Kyte's brothers, part of the cutscene that shows up after getting through the locked door won't display (a black screen is visible instead), but audio will keep playing.

Desert Force Point Temple

• 🕹️ The pressure plate at the beginning of the temple may be activated multiple times when you move away from it, making the combination you were looking at incorrect. To avoid this, step on the plate for a split second only (or stay on its edge), instead of staying on it for a long time.
• 🕹️ During the pushing block puzzle at the bottom of the temple, you may have to push the block multiple times for it to move.

Warlock Mountain

• ✨ The orange crystal in the middle of Warlock Mountain spins twice as fast.
• ✨ Skeetlas move twice as slow, although this seems to have no practical gameplay consequences.

Test of Skill

• 🕹️ Cups move twice as fast, making them harder to follow. It is still possible to complete the test on the first try, but it's significantly more challenging.