Homebrew Retroarch : Lightgun support

Wiimpathy · Sep 15, 2019

This is my attempt to have a proper lightgun or at least something at a playable state. In the archive below, you'll find the following beta cores : fba2012, fceumm, genesis-plus, mame2003+ and snes9x.

Retroarch lightgun cores

If you don't know what this adds, let me explain briefly this feature available in other emulators as well. With this, the wiimote will act as a pointer in order to play some lightgun compatible games like Duck Hunt. It can also be used as a mouse, possibly for computer ports etc.
Some credits goes to netux79 because he started implementing this a long time ago.

I've already made some tests so you'll see what's working and the known bugs too. Sorry in advance if all those notes are a bit boring but some details can be useful.

FBA 2012
========

1 Player

- Deerhunt : OK.
Settings->Input->User 1 Binds->User 1 Device Type: lightgun or Mouse (full)

- Operation Wolf : NO. Issues with the crosshair not visible. Use Mame2003 CoreB instead!

2 Players

Two lightguns should be working as long as lightgun or Mouse is selected in input menu.

MAME2003+
==========

This is quite buggy and a bit hacky in general. This is due to how input is handled in Mame2003(it's very complex!)
It also seems that some games have incomplete lightgun support.
I've tried my best to have some games playable(or not...)

You must change the following option :

Settings->Input->Mouse Scale : 2 or 3

- Operation Wolf : OK

- Lethal Enforcers (CoreE): OK.
Reloading is working when wiimote is off-screen. However, you need to point preferably at the top of the screen because the cursor will always reappears there.

- Terminator 2 : NO.
No full lightgun/crosshair support it seems.

NES
====

1 Player

- Duckhunt : OK
Input->Zapper
Options->Zapper Mode: mouse or lightgun

2 Players

- Chiller : OK.
Only real 2 simultaneous Zapper game?
In retroarch input menu, select Zapper for both wiimotes.
Options->Zapper Mode : mouse.

- Duckhunt VS : Issues?
First, Credit is not assigned to any button? Go to Options->Coinage : Freeplay
Is it possible to play with 2 Zappers in those VS games with any Nes emulator?

SUPERNES
=========

1 Player

Like in a real SuperNes, the SuperScope must be in port 2.
Open Retroarch's menu :
Settings->Input->User 2 Binds->User 2 Device Type: SuperScope
Settings->Input->User 2 Binds->User 2 Device Index: Wiimote Controller

Also check this :
Options->Light Gun Mode: Light Gun

- Yoshy's Safari : OK

- SNES Test Program : OK.
All accessories are working.

2 Players

- Terminator2 : No.
2 SuperScope isn't possible. Perhaps 1 mouse and 1 Superscope.
Emulator's limitation, my bad lightgun implementation? Is it at least playable this way a on real Snes?

- Troddlers : OK.
This game can be played with 2 mice at the same time.
Settings->Input->User 1 Binds->User 1 Device Type: SNES Mouse
Settings->Input->User 1 Binds->User 1 Device Index: Wiimote Controller (#1)
Do the same for player 2.

GENPLUS
========

It seems everything's working quite well here.

1 Player

- Body Count (Megadrive) : OK
Settings->Input->User 1 Binds->User 1 Device Type: Joypad auto
Settings->Input->User 1 Binds->User 1 Device Index: Wiimote Controller

Settings->Input->User 2 Binds->User 2 Device Type: MD Menacer
Settings->Input->User 2 Binds->User 2 Device Index: Wiimote Controller

Reset game and select 1 player mode and the Menacer option.

2 Players

- Ganster Town (Master System) : OK.
Settings->Input->User 1 Binds->User 1 Device Type: MS Light Phaser

Options->Lightgun input : lightgun
Options->Show Lightgun crosshair : ON

- Body Count (Megadrive) : OK
Start the game with both wiimotes Joypad auto. Then open retroarch menu and select mouse for player # 1 and MD Menacer for playter #2.

Source code
fba2012
mame2003+

cvskid · Sep 15, 2019

What about using mame2000 instead of mame2003+? Curious about using this for jurrasic park arcade.

Tetsuo Shima · Sep 15, 2019

This is great! thanks
Do you thing playing Point Blank is possible?

Mythical · Sep 15, 2019

Cool! I remember playing a game (I believe it was on ps2) that had a gun (game was basically shooting aliens iirc) this is a nice addon!

Wiimpathy · Sep 15, 2019

cvskid said:
What about using mame2000 instead of mame2003+? Curious about using this for jurrasic park arcade.

Mame2000 doesn't seem to have lightgun support at all. Since you asked, you surely know that jurassic park and a few other games don't have sound in Mame2003+.

Tetsuo Shima said:
This is great! thanks
Do you thing playing Point Blank is possible?

Well it's starting in mame2003+ but no audio unfortunately. It's a shame but it's really difficult to debug specially with those split cores. To be honest, I have enough looking at that mame code right now.

Here's a mame2003 roms list with lightgun games only:

a51mxr3k=Lightgun
alien3=Lightgun
area51=Lightgun
area51mx=Lightgun
bang=Lightgun
bangj=Lightgun
bbusters=Lightgun
carnevil=Lightgun
catch22=Lightgun
cheyenne=Lightgun
chiller=Lightgun
claypign=Lightgun
combat=Lightgun
cracksht=Lightgun
crossbow=Lightgun
cryptklr=Lightgun
desertgu=Lightgun
duckhunt=Lightgun
eggventr=Lightgun
eggvntdx=Lightgun
gdfs=Lightgun
gollygho=Lightgun
greatgun=Lightgun
gunbulet=Lightgun
gunbustr=Lightgun
hitnmis2=Lightgun
hitnmiss=Lightgun
hogalley=Lightgun
le2=Lightgun
le2u=Lightgun
lethalen=Lightgun
lethalj=Lightgun
maxforce=Lightgun
maxf_102=Lightgun
mechatt=Lightgun
nycaptor=Lightgun
oneshot=Lightgun
opwolf3=Lightgun
opwolf3u=Lightgun
opwolf=Lightgun
opwolfb=Lightgun
othunder=Lightgun
othundu=Lightgun
pc_duckh=Lightgun
pc_hgaly=Lightgun
pc_wgnmn=Lightgun
plctr13b=Lightgun
policeto=Lightgun
policetr=Lightgun
ptblank=Lightgun
revx=Lightgun
sgunner2=Lightgun
sgunner=Lightgun
sgunnr2j=Lightgun
spacegun=Lightgun
sshooter=Lightgun
targeth=Lightgun
term2=Lightgun
term2la1=Lightgun
term2la2=Lightgun
tickee=Lightgun
tshoot=Lightgun
undrfire=Lightgun
undrfirj=Lightgun
undrfiru=Lightgun
vsfdf=Lightgun
whodunit=Lightgun
zeropnt2=Lightgun
zeropnt=Lightgun
zeropnta=Lightgun
zombraid=Lightgun

Tetsuo Shima · Sep 15, 2019

Thanks! Even without sound, it's great to have it.
I will try to use it as a plugin in wiiflow
Do you have a similar list for FBA2012? I'm trying to search but I can't seem to find it

Edit: These cores are replacing the previous (non lightgun) version? Or should they be used alongside the old ones?

Wiimpathy · Sep 15, 2019

You'll find an fba2012 compat file in the attachment here : https://gbatemp.net/threads/retroar...screen-resolution-configuration-files.538198/
It's in the DATA folder, just search for 'light gun' in the file.

You could replace the cores but I can't guarantee there are no new issues. By the way, all dols have a specific .cfg to avoid potential conflicts.

Tetsuo Shima · Sep 15, 2019

Just tried Point Blank, but the pointer seems locked at the very bottom of the screen. It moves left and right, but it cannot go upwards. I tried setting the mouse scale to all 4 values

Wiimpathy · Sep 15, 2019

I've just re-checked and no problem here.
ptblank.zip launched with Mame2003 coreA. With 1 or 2 wiimotes without touching the default input. Weird...
Check this too : Options->Mouse Device : mouse
Maybe re-check User 1 binds if your wiimote is enabled. See if not used on another port in user 2 for example.

Edit:
Point blank driver says:
GAMEX( 1994, ptblank, 0, namconb1, gunbulet, gunbulet, ROT0, "Namco", "Point Blank", GAME_NO_SOUND )

MrSplinter85 · Jan 13, 2020

I've been looking for a while to run Point Blank on the Wii, and finally found this thread. Thank you for your work so far!

The game runs indeed, without sound, and uses the wiimote as a mouse. So it's playable, but everytime you point outside the screen and go back in the pointer isn't really pointing, more relative to the latest position. I guess it won't be better then this, am I right?

SoulSpawn · Feb 12, 2020

Hi there!
Just to report, I tried Beast Busters (core F) and the mouse goes all along the bottom but not on the Y Axis.
Also Steel Gunner 1 & 2 (core A) with no luck. I couldn't manage to move the ingame crossair.

I'll keep trying games.

navibc31 · Feb 19, 2020

Is there a method for this to work on the Wii U retroarch?

SoulSpawn · Apr 1, 2020

I've been trying a few more games:

FBA Core

Laser Ghost - Has garbled graphics and it runs slow.

Line of Fire - Has no sound. Couldn't figure out how to map Fire Button 1.

Space Gun - Freezes at start.

Zombie Raid - It works almost PERFECT! Setting control to lightgun works better than Mouse, since last one looses aim with wiimote if the crosshair touches the limit of the screen.
Probably my favourite light gun MAME game along with Dragongun.

MAME Cores

Laser Ghost (core D) - Loads but freezes at the beginning in a black-purple screen.

Line of Fire (core D) - Won't load.

Space Gun (core B)- Playable but really weird crosshair behaviour anytime crosshair reaches limit of screen.

Lethal Enforcers 2 (core E)- Won't load.

Operation Wolf (core B)- Plays good - Same behaviour than selecting mouse control in FBA (like in Zombie Raid).

Also tried Alien 3 The Gun, on Sega core but it was too slow, so I didn't bother to try Jurassic Park or Rally Chase.

I've been trying mame lightgun games on PC with wiimote + touchmote software and noticed that the wiimotes are not perfectly lined up with the crosshair (it goes always upper than the wiimote when you aim at screen). Same on PC and Wii.

https://forums.launchbox-app.com/topic/34653-guide-cheap-arcade-light-guns-with-touchemote/

One user called tsoukkis managed to modify Touchmote so it is fixed. But he only left source so anyone can compile it.
(Anyone than me because I'm kind of useless in terms of compiling or programming).

Wiimpathy · Apr 2, 2020

Thanks for testing. At least, it wasn't a complete waste of time. But, as expected, very few games are playable with lightgun in this mame2003+. Few days ago, some fixes were suggested : https://github.com/libretro/mame2003-plus-libretro/issues/776
Perhaps, it could solve some issues at the core level...

You're comparing quite different things. The mame versions largely differ, this PC version is much more recent. It's not retroarch either. I have zero experience with the dolphin bar. Is the Touchmote the best to handle this?
I'd be more interested to know about how it's working with the PC Retroarch mame2003. But right now, it's still not implemented.

But, not sure the lighgun is ideal on PC either. With a mouse some games like lethal enforcers that require to reload pointing offscreen isn't possible. That needs a hack with a button press. It's a workaround in recent mame.
There are real usb lightgun but it's rare to have those devices.
No idea about Wiimote's pointing accuracy on PC retroarch.

SoulSpawn · Apr 2, 2020

Interesting! So if they fix positions for lightguns it may be better implemented.

I've been trying with Wii games and realized that the crosshair behaves in the same way as mame or other lightgun games in other emulators (duck hunt in fceugx). But in the house of the dead series for Wii, if you enter the calibration options you can set a perfect straight aim, which translates in a perfect arcade simulation when set the croosshair off and have to real aim with the gun+wiimote.

I tried on the dip switches from Zombie Raid to set a calibration like in these game but, as expected, it doesn't work. I think it has to be something more similar to the PC issues.

On PC I'm using touchmote + MAMEPlus 0.139, and so far I think touchmote is the only way to achieve it.

kokokool · May 23, 2020

Im thinking....could Starwars arcade work using this feature?

Ill check this asap.

Enviado desde mi iPhone utilizando Tapatalk

SoulSpawn · Sep 14, 2020

Hi all, recently messing with touchmote and mame for windows I realized that some values have to be changed on control options for the wiimote to work properly (I did it before and completely forgot!)

In mame Control Options:
- Joystick deaddzone = 0.00
- Joystick saturation = 0.50

If we somehow manage to change this values on the retroarch MAME cores, games like Space Gun or Steel Gunner should be playable!

Dcep1501 · Mar 20, 2021

SoulSpawn said:
I've been trying a few more games:

FBA Core

Zombie Raid - It works almost PERFECT! Setting control to lightgun works better than Mouse, since last one looses aim with wiimote if the crosshair touches the limit of the screen.
Probably my favourite light gun MAME game along with Dragongun.

I tried this game on my Wii in Retroarch using FBA 2012 core but I don’t have an option to change the controls to lightgun, just classic or modern. Can you please tell me how you got that option?

Tototi · Dec 11, 2021

I found a really cool light gun game that works well on Mame 2003+'s G core:

Police Trainer

Edit: Set mouse scale to 2

Dcep1501 · Dec 24, 2021

Dcep1501 said:
I tried this game on my Wii in Retroarch using FBA 2012 core but I don’t have an option to change the controls to lightgun, just classic or modern. Can you please tell me how you got that option?

I think you need to change the player 1 input to mouse. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong.

Homebrew Retroarch : Lightgun support

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