Hacking The Great Quest for Wiiflow Plugins™ - A call for adventurers!

[Taleweaver]

Phew...more findings. But how to explain it properly?

Let's see. As indicated, the libretro and hexaeco have different compatibilities allright. Those neo geo games I mentioned earlier (preisl2n, mslugX, shocktro2, pbobbl2n and zupapa) ? preisl2n was a bad download, so that can be skipped. But thus far all my tests were with hexaeco core. Almost everything I threw at it worked fine, with only those four remaining being difficult. But when using the libretro core, these worked perfectly.

There is an important catch, though: the directory of the cache folder is different. Hexaeco expects the cache to reside in SD/private/other/cache/<folder>_cache subfolders. Libretro expects it in SD/retroarch/system/cache/<folder>_cache instead.

So...I'm not saying it's hard to get it to work if you know what you're doing, but it's still kind of easy to get lost in this. I updated my post of this morning (that tutorial part), but it's still kind of wonky.


In completely unrelated news nobody asked for: on the dosbox front, I've gotten epic pinball and stunts to work. Oh, and a bit of copy-pasting on the files got me duke nukem 1 and 2 to work. Man, those games haven't aged that well.
(still no luck with eye of the beholder 3, though. The GoG version had a conf file that started an eye.bat file rather than a start.bat that the conf file from the OP contains. That didn't do much. Now trying to run aesop.exe directly...hopefully those parameters weren't meant to hold the universe together ).

 

[Wiimpathy]

b) use the cache converter (it's in the pack under /COPY TO SD OR USB/wiiflow/plugins/Arcade/FBA-VM/romcnv_R2.zip) and point it to the folder containing these large roms. It'll generate a bunch of folders with stuff in it (eg. if you've got garou.zip, it'll generate a garou_cache folder for it).
c) put the roms and the neogeo.zip file in the /neogeo folder, and the cache folders in one of two folders:
sd:/private/other/system/cache/ when you plan to use the hexaeco core
OR sd:/retroarch/system/cache/ when you plan to use the libretro core.
(so sd:/private/other/system/cache/garou_cache or sd:/retroarch/system/cache/shocktro_cache, basically)
d) start wiiflow, select the neogeo hexaeco or neogeo libretro plugin, reload cache, start the game...and wait a bit (it can take about a minute to load...but then it works without notable slowdowns)

I'd grumble a bit on the strange location of the cache files in point c), but I better shut up because

Note that in the regular libretro plugin, you can modify the location for the cache folder. Well, at least the parent folder since by default it's searching sd:/retroarch/system + cache folder. Here's how to:

- Open retroarch menu, go to Settings->Directory->System/BIOS
- Browse to your folder (usb:/roms/NeoGeo for example) and select <Use this directory >
- Copy the whole cache folder in usb:/roms/NeoGeo

Not sure you can do the same with Hexaeco. Perhaps the setting is called differently, hidden or even hardcoded...
I think it doesnt matter for the neogeo core(neogeo.zip is found in games folder) but for other cores you'd have to move your bioses etc in that modified system directory.

@pcjco
I just saw you've commited fixes to retroarch and also implemented vm in FBNeo. This core is more accurate and more demanding but how fast is it for NeoGeo now? And CPS3? Well, I'm afraid the latter would be even more slower than fba2012.
Have you managed to load NeoGeo CD? It'd be cool to have a working plugin for the few exclusive titles.

About retroarch current state, are all fba2012 cores still broken? They all crashed since 1.8.4.

 

[Exidous]

I have a concern with Retroarch MAME configuration of the pause/quick menu.

I don't think the (Retroarch) quick menu is mapped by default in the plugins pack to anything on either Wiimotes or Gamecube controllers as concerns the MAME plugins.

I tested both 2000 and 2003+ from rev5, and I wasn't able to access the menu. I mashed every button combination I could think of on both Gamecube controllers and Wiimotes and the menu never came up. I ran Retroarch manually (apps) and set a hotkey for the "quick menu" which then worked in the (2003+) Wiiflow plugin.

I looked in:

retroarch\.retroarch-core-options.cfg

Only a sparse few parameters were set in this file.

When I added the menu shortcut, Retroarch indicated the config was going to SD:/retroarch/

In that folder I found much more detailed retroarch.cfg and a retroarch-core-options.cfg (no leading period), presumably generated on my Wii. I want to note I did not use retroarch or even have it in my apps folder before using the plugins pack and trying to fix this.

Either I missed a cfg file in rev5 that appropriately assigns the quick menu button(s), or there isn't one and its default quick menu button is something inane in MAME 2000/2003+ (like a classic controller button only?).

 

[Tetsuo Shima]

I have a concern with Retroarch MAME configuration of the pause/quick menu.

I don't think the (Retroarch) quick menu is mapped by default in the plugins pack to anything on either Wiimotes or Gamecube controllers as concerns the MAME plugins.

I tested both 2000 and 2003+ from rev5, and I wasn't able to access the menu. I mashed every button combination I could think of on both Gamecube controllers and Wiimotes and the menu never came up. I ran Retroarch manually (apps) and set a hotkey for the "quick menu" which then worked in the (2003+) Wiiflow plugin.

I looked in:

retroarch\.retroarch-core-options.cfg

Only a sparse few parameters were set in this file.

When I added the menu shortcut, Retroarch indicated the config was going to SD:/retroarch/

In that folder I found much more detailed retroarch.cfg and a retroarch-core-options.cfg (no leading period), presumably generated on my Wii. I want to note I did not use retroarch or even have it in my apps folder before using the plugins pack and trying to fix this.

Either I missed a cfg file in rev5 that appropriately assigns the quick menu button(s), or there isn't one and its default quick menu button is something inane in MAME 2000/2003+ (like a classic controller button only?).

the menu for mame is accessed by pressing home, like all the other cores.
I don't know why it's not working for you, never heard of a similar problem.
Is your wiiflow installed to SD or USB?

 

[Exidous]

the menu for mame is accessed by pressing home, like all the other cores.
I don't know why it's not working for you, never heard of a similar problem.
Is your wiiflow installed to SD or USB?

My Wiiflow is installed to SD.

 

[Tetsuo Shima]

Weird. Have you tried to remove all the .cgf files and let Retroarch recreate them?
Is your controller an official one or is it a knock-off?

 

[Exidous]

Weird. Have you tried to remove all the .cgf files and let Retroarch recreate them?
Is your controller an official one or is it a knock-off?

Controllers are official. Good idea on clearing cfg, I'll wipe everything out and report back.

 

[Exidous]

I deleted all the cfg files in the SD:/retroarch directory and behavior is back to my initial. I'm using the Simpsons arcade game for testing. Gamecube controller B and Y are the buttons, Z is insert coin, and D-pad is movement. Nothing else does anything. Home button on the Wiimote does nothing.

I was able to add quick menu access the same way again: load Retroarch from homebrew and add a quick menu shortcut (I used hold start for 2 seconds) which works on the Gamecube controller to bring up the quick menu in the Wiiflow plugin version. This setting persists after restarts (and is presumably in the recreated cfg in SD:\retroarch).

 

[Tetsuo Shima]

I deleted all the cfg files in the SD:/retroarch directory and behavior is back to my initial. I'm using the Simpsons arcade game for testing. Gamecube controller B and Y are the buttons, Z is insert coin, and D-pad is movement. Nothing else does anything. Home button on the Wiimote does nothing.

I was able to add quick menu access the same way again: load Retroarch from homebrew and add a quick menu shortcut (I used hold start for 2 seconds) which works on the Gamecube controller to bring up the quick menu in the Wiiflow plugin version. This setting persists after restarts (and is presumably in the recreated cfg in SD:\retroarch).

Ok, I've found this discussion about the very same problem:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/using-a-gc-controller-with-retroarch-wii.566944/
It seems that in RA the GC controller has the quick menu button unmapped by default.
I didn't know it, I've never played arcades with the GC controller (in all honesty it's an exceptional controller for 3D games, but horrible when it comes to 2D).
The guy in that thread mapped home to the left C stick direction and solved the problem

 

[Exidous]

Ok, I've found this discussion about the very same problem:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/using-a-gc-controller-with-retroarch-wii.566944/
It seems that in RA the GC controller has the quick menu button unmapped by default.
I didn't know it, I've never played arcades with the GC controller (in all honesty it's an exceptional controller for 3D games, but horrible when it comes to 2D).
The guy in that thread mapped home to the left C stick direction and solved the problem

Thanks for finding that. Home not being mapped on a Gamecube controller in Retroarch doesn't explain Home on the Wiimote not being mapped though.

 

[Tetsuo Shima]

Thanks for finding that. Home not being mapped on a Gamecube controller in Retroarch doesn't explain Home on the Wiimote not being mapped though.

I believe this is happening when the gc pad is connected, because both the wiimote and gc are connected as port 1. If home is not responding, to enter the menu you can press the reset button on the Wii

 

[Exidous]

I believe this is happening when the gc pad is connected, because both the wiimote and gc are connected as port 1. If home is not responding, to enter the menu you can press the reset button on the Wii

Yes, I just tested it. Home button is working on at least one of the cores when it boots without the Gamecube controller plugged in. Confirming that the reset button on the Wii works. Additionally, the Wiimote power button resets the Wii (or exits to loader, which is the same in my configuration), even if the Gamecube controller is plugged in.

I brought in the other MAME 2003+ cores for testing, and the hold start for two seconds hotkey doesn't seem to carry over/persist in any of them. It's just working with Simpsons in Core E2. Other games I'm having to use the Wiimote power button to exit, no menu access on (either) controller when Gamecube controller is plugged in.

Ideally I'd like to figure out a (global?) configuration that provides menu access on both Gamecube controller and Wiimote regardless of controller plugs on boot. Thanks again for your help.

 

[Exidous]

Wanted to report back. That thread you linked was helpful for nailing down MAME 2003+ config behavior. The main cores (A-H) do not use the master retroarch-wii config files (at least as of 1.9.1). So even if you try to edit settings there, they will not be applied when a game uses one of the main letter MAME 2003+ plugins (which is the vast majority of games).

If you access the retroarch menu within each plugin, it creates/uses config files in SD:\retroarch named mame2003[L].cfg where [L] is the letter of the core. These are distributed with the MAME 2003+ cores https://gbatemp.net/threads/mame-2003-plus.499497/ but they're not in rev5. A lot of the settings like skipping nags are no brainers but not set properly by default. I think it would be great for end users if config files were included. I'd happily offer mine, but you're right most people likely will not be configuring for Gamecube controllers like I am.

My recommendation would be if you're working on a rev6, split the distribution into COPYTOSD\ and COPYTOUSB\, and include your MAME 2003+ config files in SD:\retroarch. Until I hit this latest stumbling block you graciously helped me with, my main issues were figuring out whether to put a given file or folder from rev5 onto SD or USB. Give people a no-thought starting configuration that works, and if they are the rarer case that wants or needs a particular file elsewhere (or wants everything on just one of the two paths), they can still move things around.

 

[Tetsuo Shima]

Wanted to report back. That thread you linked was helpful for nailing down MAME 2003+ config behavior. The main cores (A-H) do not use the master retroarch-wii config files (at least as of 1.9.1). So even if you try to edit settings there, they will not be applied when a game uses one of the main letter MAME 2003+ plugins (which is the vast majority of games).

If you access the retroarch menu within each plugin, it creates/uses config files in SD:\retroarch named mame2003[L].cfg where [L] is the letter of the core. These are distributed with the MAME 2003+ cores https://gbatemp.net/threads/mame-2003-plus.499497/ but they're not in rev5. A lot of the settings like skipping nags are no brainers but not set properly by default. I think it would be great for end users if config files were included. I'd happily offer mine, but you're right most people likely will not be configuring for Gamecube controllers like I am.

My recommendation would be if you're working on a rev6, split the distribution into COPYTOSD\ and COPYTOUSB\, and include your MAME 2003+ config files in SD:\retroarch. Until I hit this latest stumbling block you graciously helped me with, my main issues were figuring out whether to put a given file or folder from rev5 onto SD or USB. Give people a no-thought starting configuration that works, and if they are the rarer case that wants or needs a particular file elsewhere (or wants everything on just one of the two paths), they can still move things around.

I've already included my MAME2003+ cfg files in the pack. They are zipped in a separate folder called 'Retroarch cfg files for LCD widescreen v1' that you have to extract in SD:/Retroarch. I prefer to let users decide wether to use them or not, because the video settings are set up for people without CRT televisions (they don't contain any input remaps), and also because all the paths inside the cfg's are for plugins on the SD card (if you have plugins on USB you would have to manually change every SD instance to USB, otherwise nothing would work).
When you change some settings, you have to save them going to the Quick Menu --> Overrides --> save core overrides (or game overrides) then exit.

All the things that have to be necessairly on USB are found in the 'USB' folder. For everything else, you're free to decide where to place them.

Last thing, I see you mention RA version 1.9.1. Why? The Retroarch cores included in this pack are from versions 1.8.8, 1.8.2 (Fba cores), 1.7.6 (Mame2003+).
Mixing cores from other releases should be avoided, as it will break the cfg files, creating conflicts and crashes.
Also, only the cores I've included are edited to save separate cfg's.

 

[Exidous]

Last thing, I see you mention RA version 1.9.1. Why? The Retroarch cores included in this pack are from versions 1.8.8, 1.8.2 (Fba cores), 1.7.6 (Mame2003+).
Mixing cores from other releases should be avoided, as it will break the cfg files, creating conflicts and crashes.
Also, only the cores I've included are edited to save separate cfg's.

My setup was blackscreening on 1.7.5, 1.7.0, and a few others I tested. The newest happened to work. But I'll definitely try 1.7.6 if that's the one linked to the included Mame2003+ cores.

 

[fledge68]

@Tetsuo Shima and everyone else.

It appears that ekeeke has found the issue with using genplus gx plugin when games are on USB. If I recall the latest plugins of genplus gx would crash when using USB HDD but worked fine if on SD. This appears to be fixed here - https://github.com/ekeeke/Genesis-Plus-GX/commit/3eac114065329e29bc99ac9263b3dc6781a73923

this commit is a workaround since the real problem seems to be with the newer devkitppc newlib. @Wiimpathy seems to have noticed that this also poses problems for retroarch. so the problem has to do with wiiflow sending path args with usb1: or usb2:. newlib doesn't like that, it apparently wants just usb:.

Anyway, you can get the latest build of genplus gx wii boot.dol here - https://github.com/ekeeke/Genesis-Plus-GX/tree/master/builds and use it as the genplus gx plugin dol.

 

[Tetsuo Shima]

@Tetsuo Shima and everyone else.

It appears that ekeeke has found the issue with using genplus gx plugin when games are on USB. If I recall the latest plugins of genplus gx would crash when using USB HDD but worked fine if on SD. This appears to be fixed here - https://github.com/ekeeke/Genesis-Plus-GX/commit/3eac114065329e29bc99ac9263b3dc6781a73923

this commit is a workaround since the real problem seems to be with the newer devkitppc newlib. @Wiimpathy seems to have noticed that this also poses problems for retroarch. so the problem has to do with wiiflow sending path args with usb1: or usb2:. newlib doesn't like that, it apparently wants just usb:.

Anyway, you can get the latest build of genplus gx wii boot.dol here - https://github.com/ekeeke/Genesis-Plus-GX/tree/master/builds and use it as the genplus gx plugin dol.

I'm sorry but I don't understand. I've never had any problems with GenesisPlus GX and games on USB. Or is it when the actual .dol file is on USB?

 

[RunningSnakes]

Yes, .dol file on USB would not work as WFL plugin, black screen freeze. There was another (USB) .dol ekeeke released some time ago which i have been using through my "All USB" setup. I have since went to SD/USB with my current Wii, but ill be using this release for my older Wii (SD slot unuseable). Thanks for the link @fledge68 .

 

[fledge68]

@Tetsuo Shima way back in august 2020 I posted a post with genplus gx included in the download.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/the-gre...l-for-adventurers.563575/page-13#post-9177966

shortly after that MrSW and runningsnakes commented that it wasn't working for them but it was working for us. we found out that it was because they used USB setups and we used SD. I guess you forgot about all this since you are a big retroarch fan and don't use genplus gx except through retroarch.

recently someone posted an issue on wiiflow lite github about the same problem. they contacted ekeeke who actually found the problem and fixed it. no big deal, just thought i'd clear things up.

 

[Tetsuo Shima]

Yes, I forgot Thanks for reminding me. ok I'm slowly updating plugins, including genplus gx.
I'm just having a couple of issues:
Fceux TX last release is not autobooting the games.
Scumm Vm stable release 2.2.0 adds many cool games but it doen't return to wiiflow (black screen).
Unfortunately some scummvm games stopped working for me: lands of lore, and I have no mouth and I must scream.
I'm trying different nightly builds but they never work.