[Release] Neo-Geo Forwarder Creator

WARNING: NEW 3DS ONLY
OLD 3DS IS TOO WEAK TO EMULATE NEO-GEO AT PLAYABLE SPEEDS

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Current version: 1.5.2D
FBA version: 0.2.97.29

Spoiler: Changelog

v1.0
- initial release.

v1.0.1
- minor fixes.

v1.0.2
- more minor fixes.

v1.0.3
- fixed a freeze when entering sleep mode from the home menu with the game suspended.

v1.1
- added an internal database to recognize games that need a parent rom and warn the user if the needed parent rom is missing.

v1.2
- changed save folder to "sdmc:/retroarch/forwarders/*UNIQUEID*/savefiles" (actually a fix). please move the *ROMNAME*.fs files from the root of your sd card to the new save folder if you wish to preserve your saves, otherwise you can erase the .fs files from the root of your sd card.
- little interface fix.

v1.2.1
- fixed the issue where if the path to the folder selected to save the cia has spaces the program is unable to save it (oops... spaces are the devil).

v1.2.2
- fixed little issue with banner creation (spaces again).

v1.2.3
- interface fixes.

v1.2.4
- fixed a bug where the creator will get stuck at "creating banner" if no banner image was selected.
- another little interface fix.

v1.3
- added option to remap buttons.

v1.3.1
- fixed little bug with the remapping.

v1.4
- fixed parent rom detection, now is has to be in the same folder as the bootleg rom you are selecting (I don't know how I missed this for so long).
- rewrote and revamped a bunch of code for easier maintenance, please tell me if I broke something .

v1.4.1
- fixed little bug were the reset keymap button would incorrectly swap the X and Y buttons.

v1.5
- added random product id and unique id generator. it generates a random code every time you select a rom.

v1.5.1
- added a turbo button. it has to be manually enabled from the button remap option.

v1.5.2C
- parent rom typo fixed (fughtfev).
- parent rom mechanism updated to use the same method as the CPS forwarder creator.

v1.5.2D
- fixed another typo in the parent rom checking mechanism (gpilot.zip -> gpilots.zip).

Description:
With this tool you'll be able to make independent retroarch cias for your favorite Neo-Geo games using the Final Burn Alpha 2012 (0.2.97.29) NeoGeo core without having to install retroarch or anything besides the generated cia.

Usage:
It's pretty self explanatory, there is only one thing that isn't quite clear:
You need to copy the Neo-Geo bios (named "neogeo.zip") in the same folder as this program.
The program will detect if the bios is usable and wont let you proceed if the bios is missing or incompatible.

If the resulting cia doesn't boot (boots and kicks you out to the 3ds menu without warning) is most likely due to an incompatible romset, you can test your roms with the pc version of Final Burn Alpha or Retroarch before creating the cia to make sure that it will work.

Big games (like Metal Slug 3, SVC Chaos and most of the King of Fighters series) will take a while to boot, just wait a minute and you'll be greeted with the Neo-Geo bios like usual.

Key mapping:
The buttons are assigned as follow:
Neo-Geo A = 3DS B
Neo-Geo B = 3DS A
Neo-Geo C = 3DS Y
Neo-Geo D = 3DS X
Neo-Geo Start = 3DS Start
Neo-Geo Coin/Select = 3DS Select

Turbo button:
As of version 1.5.1 a turbo button has been added. This button has to be manually enabled by giving it a key map from the button remapping option.
It works like a shift button, any other button that you press while holding the turbo button will rapid fire.

Uni-bios usage instructions:

Spoiler

First, to navigate this menus you have to press A (B in 3DS buttons) to accept/change settings, B (A in 3DS buttons) to change setting in the opposite direction and C (Y in 3DS buttons) to go back.

To access the uni-bios menus you have to press A+B+C (B+A+Y in 3DS buttons) at the first screen (illustrated below).

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The very first option is to configure the region and mode at what the game will run.

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To access the dip switches you have to press B+C+D (A+Y+X in 3DS buttons) at the same screen as before.
Then go to the third option.

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And then the second option.

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You can change the game setting from there like the difficulty, timer, blood and such (most games will let you change difficulty and time from the game menu of you choose to run the game in console mode).

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You can also access an in-game menu that contain cheats if you press Start+Select while playing.

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Download
Alt Link​

Tools used to make this possible:
3dstool, bannertool, ctrtool, imagemagick convert and makerom.
And thanks to @Asdolo for his retroarch fork.

 

Yes, I should have put how to use the unibios in the op (and I will right now, I was kind of in a hurry when I created the thread).

To access the unibios menu you have to press A+B+Y at the first screen (the one that say neogeo universe bios, region and mode), you can change some setting there but mainly the game region and if will act as if plugged to an arcade or the home version of the neogeo.
To access the dip switches you have to press A+X+Y then navigate to the third option (setting up the soft dip) and once there the second option (slot1 *name of the game*)
You can also access an in-game menu if you press Start+Select while playing, there are cheats there that are included with the unibios (no idea how to edit the cheats).

 

I have updated the creator and fixed most bugs.
I still could update it a little more to add automatic naming and maybe include title screenshots for every game (but only if there is interest, I'm too lazy to do it just because).

 

Can you be more specific about what happens? does an error message or red text appear anywhere?

 

Ok, I know what's happening now, only thing I'll say is that I hate spaces.
Anyway, issue fixed and op updated.

 

mmm... I tested installing with title manager and fbi and neither had any problem installing the cias.
Check that the tools folder is extracting correctly, maybe your antivirus is doing things to those files.

Spoiler

Try with a simple rom like Metal Slug 1.
I can't exactly say from where I get roms but I can hint that is a "paradisiacal" place.

 

For kof 2002 mp2 you need the base kof 2002 and the mp2 mod, also get the roms from the neogeo section not the mame section (the romsets are different in many cases). I'm getting the roms to test if something else is wrong.
And marvel vs capcom is a cps2 game, not neogeo. I do have a cps2 creator in the works, but I want to make sure that this one is stable enough before releasing it.

I see nothing wrong with those settings, I'm taking a look at this to see if I can get the same error and fix it.

The rom name for power instinct is matrim.zip, check if that is correct or it wouldn't work.

A random product code and unique id generator is one of my plans for the future, but for now isn't a pressing issue.