Homebrew RetroArch on Wii - Most MAME ROMs aren't working?

[gamingsincethe80s]

Hi all, I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong with RetroArch on Wii - the vast majority of my MAME ROMs aren't working (even ones that work fine on MAMEWii).

I start RetroArch with a fresh install and default config and choose "Load Core" and then I choose "Arcade (FB Alpha)". I understand there is also "CPS-1" and "CPS-2" for Capcom games but it doesn't matter as I get the same result no matter which core I choose. I have also tried the "Select File and Detect Core" as well as "Select Downloaded File and Detect Core" options but I get the same result.

After loading the core I go to "Load Content" and then "Select File" and navigate to my ROMs folder. All the ROM zips are displayed fine.

When I choose a ROM, the vast majority cause RetroArch to simply reboot to the Homebrew screen. A handful of them did work (e.g. Atari Tetris, Contra, Donkey Kong) but the vast majority just show a black screen for a couple of seconds and then take me back to Homebrew (e.g. berzerk, burning rubber, centipede) . I can't believe that all of those ROMs aren't compatible so I must be doing something wrong.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

BTW - I am using the latest stable build of RetroArch (1.3.0).

 

[soniccomcisbr]

First, remember that Mame2000 roms are not the "normal MAME" roms.You need to use Mame 037b11 Roms for it. (tip: "Love roms" on google).
Here some useful links.

MAME 2000 ver. 1.0.2 - https://mega.nz/#!05NSWAYR!d5lNabGd4Ep9jzF3BNSPU8-b1w7gobzmGAYmgSCVPmo
Mame 078 (or 2003) ver 1.2.2 - https://gbatemp.net/threads/question-about-mame-etc-and-240p.397200/#post-5721502
Mame Extra to run only 3 games (Runs Edward Randy, Robocop 2 and Wrestlefest) - https://anonfiles.com/file/a920e4ee4bc04358dda7c9e5230c7474

IMPORTANT! When you use a 1.0.2 core and back to one 1.2.2 or 1.3.0 your control configuration will become crazy, so, you have to delete your .cfg, or save a backup from your .cfg files first, before try the 1.0.2 cores.

Now I will post images from the folders that I'm using in every arcade emulator for wii. If they not run for you, something is wrong with your roms or your retroarch files.

 

[gamingsincethe80s]

Many thanks Sonic - I had no idea about the different types of ROMs. I downloaded my ROMs more than a decade ago so I wouldn't be surprised if they are the wrong type.

And thanks for the screenshots - I'm going to redownload and organize my ROMs in the same way.

 

[soniccomcisbr]

Just remember that 037b11 roms are only for mame2000. For the others, use normal mame roms.

 

[mugli]

Thanks a lot, Sonic! This was extremly helpful!

Before reading your instructions, it was very confusing to handle the different cores.
Putting the games in folders indicating the corresponding emulators is the only way to go.

Is there a compatibility list / wiki / core collection for wii mame emulation? All the information appears to be scattered around.
So far, your answer was the best source of information I found.

 

[soniccomcisbr]

Well many things change since Mame 2000 was updated.

 

[Linkuei]

Just use mame 2000 core+any Rom from the Mame 037b11 romset= be happy!

 

[soniccomcisbr]

Im not using the ones with deformed graphics

 

[tallpr24]

any idea how to get the mame in wiiflow to read the roms off my usb hard drive? im trying to edit the .ini file but dont know the correct syntax to chang the path to usb

 

[vEN2]

hello everyone. so, can somebody compile\find mame2000 core for Retroarch 0.9.9 ? ANy retroarch from 1.0 and newer works with insane controls (no way to configure it) and no way to save any settings. But 0.9.9 works VERY nice for me

MAME Core for 1.0.0.2 works like i said before.. unable configure controls and save any settings

 

[beerbarian]

I know this might be an aged thread but it ranks high on Google search for a compatibility list for MAME 2000 core for RA Wii.
Here's a sheet I did for it - it's good for the 1.4 and 1.5 releases.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1y8RbIV_7w1jUZGhbeaHokRNi3-r80Fw8pLoUqJdrLKw/
As observed by myself and others, a lot of games have a graphics garble problem, but there's still loads that work great.
I've documented what I could find where there is an overlap with FBA, and a recommendation for what you should use
As a general rule I think MAME 2000 is best for golden age games, including some great and unusual mid to late 80's Atari games, and FBA best for mostly late 80's thru 90's.
An added complexity: RetroArch 1.4.x and 1.5.x on Wii right now have an audio problem with the CPS2 and Neo Geo cores.
So... if you want the normal audio for those... you'll have to use 1.3.6 release (or earlier)... which doesn't have the MAME core included.
Until they fix the audio bug, I tend to swap between versions using custom paths on SD:
sd:/apps/retroarch-wii-1.3.6
sd:/apps/retroarch-wii-1.5.0
and I edit the app icon to watermark the version onto it so make it easy to spot on the HB channel.
You'll have to wipe the config files each time you switch to a different release.
I also find it best to sort out the roms from their parent romsets (FBA 0.2.97 and MAME 0.37b5) into dirs for loading by varying cores
sd:/retroarch/roms/FBA-CPS1
sd:/retroarch/roms/FBA-CPS2
sd:/retroarch/roms/FBA-NeoGeo
sd:/retroarch/roms/FBA-bigcore
sd:/retroarch/roms/MAME0.37b5
sd:/retroarch/roms/MAME0.37b5/samples <= put your samples zips here, works great

By the way, if you want the compatibility list for FBA for RA Wii, here it is:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18wYfqmi01HpPBlMnCclVfIhDfVW-SeN6mEdpYSK9VjQ

 

[beerbarian]

OK so after more digging through posts I found that some unofficial MAME builds were built and shared out:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/retroarch-unofficial-extra-cores.405410/page-3#post-5874339
So I just dropped the MAME 2000 / 0.37b5 core into the matching 1.3.3 official release and works great.
This gives great stability across both FBA and MAME.... think I'll be sticking with this for some time
Haven't had much luck getting the MAME 2003/0.78 working.

 

[soniccomcisbr]

OK so after more digging through posts I found that some unofficial MAME builds were built and shared out:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/retroarch-unofficial-extra-cores.405410/page-3#post-5874339
So I just dropped the MAME 2000 / 0.37b5 core into the matching 1.3.3 official release and works great.
This gives great stability across both FBA and MAME.... think I'll be sticking with this for some time
Haven't had much luck getting the MAME 2003/0.78 working.

Yeah, mame 2003 have a small compatibilty and the roms are hard to find, but you can play some rare games like Buck O Hare and Cowboys of Moomeesa.

 

[beerbarian]

Yeah, mame 2003 have a small compatibilty and the roms are hard to find, but you can play some rare games like Buck O Hare and Cowboys of Moomeesa.

Actually it seems most of these rom sets are on archive.org now.
But agreed ... compatibility is low and it's a large dol when compiled, as has been mentioned, and so leaves little free space on the scarce Wii RAM for game rom code.
mame 0.37b5 is much more compact of course, but unfortunately has that graphics garble issue on Wii for many games.
Really intrigues me where that graphics bug could be... I've been try to cross compare hardware sets during rom testing to see if any obvious trends pop out that could lead to driver code issues.
An interesting example: Sky Kid and Sky Kid Deluxe.
As far as original board hardware goes, same CPUs in each; Sky Kid has 1 x M6809 and 1 x HD63701 whereas Sky Kid Deluxe has 2 x M6809 and 1 x HD63701.
Sky Kid is fine but deluxe version has garble. Deluxe has additional YM sound chip of course.
Just theorising... the boardset driver source is listed per game on the test sheet if it helps anyone who still might be building that core.

 

[Nobu]

Actually it seems most of these rom sets are on archive.org now.
But agreed ... compatibility is low and it's a large dol when compiled, as has been mentioned, and so leaves little free space on the scarce Wii RAM for game rom code.
mame 0.37b5 is much more compact of course, but unfortunately has that graphics garble issue on Wii for many games.
Really intrigues me where that graphics bug could be... I've been try to cross compare hardware sets during rom testing to see if any obvious trends pop out that could lead to driver code issues.
An interesting example: Sky Kid and Sky Kid Deluxe.
As far as original board hardware goes, same CPUs in each; Sky Kid has 1 x M6809 and 1 x HD63701 whereas Sky Kid Deluxe has 2 x M6809 and 1 x HD63701.
Sky Kid is fine but deluxe version has garble. Deluxe has additional YM sound chip of course.
Just theorising... the boardset driver source is listed per game on the test sheet if it helps anyone who still might be building that core.

Hi, the graphic garbled issues are like damaged written for an example? (see pic in attachements)

I have dropped the MAME 2000 / 0.37b5 core into 1.7.0. and 1.6.9 retroarch release and the problem is the same, the ROM work well but with these strange written.

Anyone has solved?

 

[caronte23]

OK so after more digging through posts I found that some unofficial MAME builds were built and shared out:
gbatemp.net/threads/retroarch-unofficial-extra-cores.405410/page-3#post-5874339
So I just dropped the MAME 2000 / 0.37b5 core into the matching 1.3.3 official release and works great.
This gives great stability across both FBA and MAME.... think I'll be sticking with this for some time
Haven't had much luck getting the MAME 2003/0.78 working.

Does anybody have an old version of retroarch to share, like 1.3.3 ?
This link isn-t available anymore, and you can-t get it from the official site anymore...

1.7 looks completely different and can-t find any tutorials on how to use it with arcade games..

 

[Arnol1985]

Does anybody have an old version of retroarch to share, like 1.3.3 ?
This link isn-t available anymore, and you can-t get it from the official site anymore...

1.7 looks completely different and can-t find any tutorials on how to use it with arcade games..

Run retroarch with thousands of games. 100% working.

 

[Linkuei]

It's a shame that mame2000 core in years is still broken (garbage graphics in SEGA, TAITO, KONAMI games) even running 95% of the games in fullspeed
Looks like theres no love to optimize the core to the Wii...

 

[MiggsKirby888]

Hold on. The Mame 037b11 roms are the Japanese roms. Couldn’t we have roms in English?

 

[Cecilmax]

Hi, does mame078 supposed to run all roms of 78 ? I try to run asterix and it doesnt work ...

First, remember that Mame2000 roms are not the "normal MAME" roms.You need to use Mame 037b11 Roms for it. (tip: "Love roms" on google).
Here some useful links.

MAME 2000 ver. 1.0.2 - https://mega.nz/#!05NSWAYR!d5lNabGd4Ep9jzF3BNSPU8-b1w7gobzmGAYmgSCVPmo
Mame 078 (or 2003) ver 1.2.2 - https://gbatemp.net/threads/question-about-mame-etc-and-240p.397200/#post-5721502
Mame Extra to run only 3 games (Runs Edward Randy, Robocop 2 and Wrestlefest) - https://anonfiles.com/file/a920e4ee4bc04358dda7c9e5230c7474

IMPORTANT! When you use a 1.0.2 core and back to one 1.2.2 or 1.3.0 your control configuration will become crazy, so, you have to delete your .cfg, or save a backup from your .cfg files first, before try the 1.0.2 cores.

Now I will post images from the folders that I'm using in every arcade emulator for wii. If they not run for you, something is wrong with your roms or your retroarch files.