diff --git a/BizHawk.Emulation/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/NES.cs b/BizHawk.Emulation/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/NES.cs
index 1e4ade3ba3..eba99d3b96 100644
--- a/BizHawk.Emulation/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/NES.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.Emulation/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/NES.cs
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Consoles.Nintendo
 		static readonly bool USE_DATABASE = true;
 
         //Game issues:
-        //3-D World Runner - UNROM - weird lines in gameplay (scanlines off?)
         //JJ - Tobidase Daisakusen Part 2 (J) - same as 3-D World Runner
         //Castlevania II (U) - Black screen only
         //Zelda II (U) - Black screen only
@@ -24,7 +23,6 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Consoles.Nintendo
         //Dragon Warrior (SAROM) - Black screen only
         //Family Feud - Fails to get past intro screen
         //Air Wolf - Black screen
-        //Boyo and His Blob - Hangs on intro screen
         //Goal = graphics garble (looks identical to Zelda 2 problem)
         //Nobunaga's Ambition - black screen
 		//Knight Rider - very glitchy and seems to be a good timing case!
@@ -34,6 +32,9 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Consoles.Nintendo
         //Indiana Jones Temple of Doom - Puase menu flickering (in FCEUX as well, haven't tested other emulators)
         //Tecmo superbowl - wobbly "NFL" logo at the end of a game (even skipped game)
         //High Speed - garbled graphics
+
+		//Game issues for tester to check off
+		//3-D World Runner - UNROM - weird lines in gameplay (OK i think - should be similar to other emulators now)
 		public NES()
 		{
 			BootGodDB.Initialize();
diff --git a/BizHawk.Emulation/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/PPU.run.cs b/BizHawk.Emulation/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/PPU.run.cs
index 2d91b3c6e7..2e59682749 100644
--- a/BizHawk.Emulation/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/PPU.run.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.Emulation/Consoles/Nintendo/NES/PPU.run.cs
@@ -283,22 +283,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Consoles.Nintendo
 					}
 					oamcounts[scanslot] = oamcount;
 
-					//FV is clocked by the PPU's horizontal blanking impulse, and therefore will increment every scanline.
-					//well, according to (which?) tests, maybe at the end of hblank.
-					//but, according to what it took to get crystalis working, it is at the beginning of hblank.
-
-					//this is done at cycle 251
-					//rendering scanline, it doesn't need to be scanline 0,
-					//because on the first scanline when the increment is 0, the vs_scroll is reloaded.
-					//if(PPUON && sl != 0)
-					//	ppur.increment_vs();
-
-					//todo - think about clearing oams to a predefined value to force deterministic behavior
-
-					//so.. this is the end of hblank. latch horizontal scroll values
-					//do it cycle at 251
-					if (reg_2001.PPUON && sl != 0)
-						ppur.install_h_latches();
+	
 
 					ppuphase = PPUPHASE.OBJ;
 
@@ -354,30 +339,33 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Consoles.Nintendo
 							//so we just need the line offset for the second pattern
 							patternAddress += line & 7;
 
-							//garbage nametable fetches
-							//reset the scroll counter, happens at cycle 304
-							//TODO - compact this logic
-							if (realSprite)
+							//garbage nametable fetches + scroll resets
+							int garbage_todo = 2;
+							if (reg_2001.PPUON)
 							{
-								if ((sl == 0) && reg_2001.PPUON)
+								if (sl == 0 && ppur.status.cycle == 304)
 								{
-									if (ppur.status.cycle == 304)
-									{
-										runppu(1);
-										ppur.install_latches();
-										runppu(1);
-									}
-									else
-										runppu(kFetchTime);
+									runppu(1);
+									ppur.install_latches();
+									runppu(1);
+									garbage_todo = 0;
+								}
+								if ((sl != 0) && ppur.status.cycle == 256)
+								{
+									runppu(1);
+									//at 257: 3d world runner is ugly if we do this at 256
+									ppur.install_h_latches();
+									runppu(1);
+									garbage_todo = 0;
 								}
-								else
-									runppu(kFetchTime);
 							}
-
-							//..etc.. hacks about dragon's lair, MMC3, crystalis and SMB3. this should be implemented through the board
+							if (realSprite) runppu(garbage_todo);
 
 							if (realSprite) runppu(kFetchTime);
 
+							//TODO - fake sprites should not come through ppubus_read but rather peek it
+							//(at least, they should not probe it with AddressPPU. maybe the difference between peek and read is not necessary)
+
 							//pattern table fetches
 							int addr = patternAddress;
 							oam->patterns[0] = ppubus_read(addr, true);
@@ -399,6 +387,11 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Consoles.Nintendo
 
 					ppuphase = PPUPHASE.BG;
 
+					//so.. this is the end of hblank. latch horizontal scroll values
+					//do it cycle at 251
+					if (reg_2001.PPUON && sl != 0)
+						ppur.install_h_latches();
+
 					//I'm unclear of the reason why this particular access to memory is made.
 					//The nametable address that is accessed 2 times in a row here, is also the
 					//same nametable address that points to the 3rd tile to be rendered on the