Homebrew RetroArch - A new multi-system emulator

[the_randomizer]

Fyi, the gba is a 32 bit console.
Nearly all games run fullspeed.
Also the cps is not 16 Bit, it's an emulation of the arcade board and their flashrom images.
On specs they surpass the 16 Bit consoles.

The next version of VBA Next runs many more games at full speed, so that's gonna be pretty sweet, and from what I've followed on IRC today, the new forums (this time all Google cach stuff is complete) are in the works and backups will be made so if it does crash, all will be well

 

[OriginalHamster]

Can't wait to try GBA emulator, also will this new release some MAME improvements?

 

[the_randomizer]

Can't wait to try GBA emulator, also will this new release some MAME improvements?

Not sure, but GBA emulation will be a lot better

 

[SoulSpawn]

Hi, does anyone know if it's possible to enable 2 players mode on sunset riders?

 

[MassiveRican]

I'm pretty sure 2013 MAME will not be coming to Wii but a better optimized 2010 MAME is definitely possible.

 

[gameBro]

The next version of VBA Next runs many more games at full speed, so that's gonna be pretty sweet, and from what I've followed on IRC today, the new forums (this time all Google cach stuff is complete) are in the works and backups will be made so if it does crash, all will be well

since I never owned a gba or any nintendo portable exept for game&watch from 1982 I wasnt informed about that fact.

What I meant beyond 16bit are consoles like Playstation and Sega Saturn which came after SNES and Genesis (Mega Drive).

 

[the_randomizer]

since I never owned a gba or any nintendo portable exept for game&watch from 1982 I wasnt informed about that fact.

What I meant beyond 16bit are consoles like Playstation and Sega Saturn which came after SNES and Genesis (Mega Drive).

Yeah, Saturn emulation's a pretty big mess as a whole and PSX emulation is well, stagnant at least on the Wii front. WiiSX or Wii64 haven't been updated in ages, but are still being worked on

Oh and Megadrive sounds cooler, Genesis didn't make sense since it wasn't the beginning of Sega's console market lol

 

[Hielkenator]

since I never owned a gba or any nintendo portable exept for game&watch from 1982 I wasnt informed about that fact.

What I meant beyond 16bit are consoles like Playstation and Sega Saturn which came after SNES and Genesis (Mega Drive).

N64 emulation has come a long way on Wii, and that's 64 bit.
It's not that the console isn't powerful in these cases.
It all comes down to clever coding in the end.
Never say no, look at DIOS MIOS.

 

[the_randomizer]

N64 emulation has come a long way on Wii, and that's 64 bit.
It's not that the console isn't powerful in these cases.
It all comes down to clever coding in the end.
Never say no, look at DIOS MIOS.

I'd rather the RA team challenge themselves to port an N64 emulator core than to wait for the next Wii64

 

[Hielkenator]

I'd rather the RA team challenge themselves to port an N64 emulator core than to wait for the next Wii64

That would be awesome indeed!

 

[MKKhanzo]

On another topic, why I can load 50+ MB files (Marvel vs Capcom 1) on CPS2 core but fails to load anything beyond 30 MB for the Neo geo core?

 

[the_randomizer]

On another topic, why I can load 50+ MB files (Marvel vs Capcom 1) on CPS2 core but fails to load anything beyond 30 MB for the Neo geo core?

Might be a limitation to the core and/or Wii's limited memory. I believe you have to restart the core. Maybe the next version fixes it....?

 

[mightymuffy]

On another topic, why I can load 50+ MB files (Marvel vs Capcom 1) on CPS2 core but fails to load anything beyond 30 MB for the Neo geo core?

FBA loads the games compressed from the zip file(s) - also check out Samurai Shodown IV, unzipped that's also pushing 50Mb but it still runs... (MvC1 is a similar size zipped)

 

[MKKhanzo]

FBA loads the games compressed from the zip file(s) - also check out Samurai Shodown IV, unzipped that's also pushing 50Mb but it still runs... (MvC1 is a similar size zipped)

Thanks for clarify! BTW yes, you have to restart the EMU to load a different Neo Geo game (wich dont bother me at all)

Im about to build a mame style cab but using the Wii. Its a far cheaper option (in my country) and the emulation on most of the 2d fighting classics is spot on!

Thanks again RA for your hard work!

 

[Arm73]

Sorry if it's been asked already, but is it possible to save the settings while running RA, or is the autosave by exit the only way to do it ?
I'm asking because sometime the emulator crashes ( due to a bad or incompatible rom ) and any option change get lost.
Also I noticed that if I set the video and rom path options for one core, if I switch to another core and come back I need to set those options again, the logical thing would be to save those options individually and independently for each core, but maybe I'm missing something.
Also I was looking for a list of compatible cps1&2 and neo geo roms, as I have a complete final burn alpha rom set but transfering 7+ GB of roms to my SD card and go by trial and error seem to be a little inconvenient.
I'd appreciate any help.

Anyway, I'm using it with a traditional CRT TV and I find arcade games more pleasant and authentic on the Wii then even the latest MAME build on my PC with all the bells and whistles.
Of course the Wii only runs a tiny fractions of the games available, but at 240p with authentic scanlines and a CC pro, I'll take it any day over any emulators on more capable systems .

 

[Hielkenator]

Sorry if it's been asked already, but is it possible to save the settings while running RA, or is the autosave by exit the only way to do it ?
I'm asking because sometime the emulator crashes ( due to a bad or incompatible rom ) and any option change get lost.
Also I noticed that if I set the video and rom path options for one core, if I switch to another core and come back I need to set those options again, the logical thing would be to save those options individually and independently for each core, but maybe I'm missing something.
Also I was looking for a list of compatible cps1&2 and neo geo roms, as I have a complete final burn alpha rom set but transfering 7+ GB of roms to my SD card and go by trial and error seem to be a little inconvenient.
I'd appreciate any help.

Anyway, I'm using it with a traditional CRT TV and I find arcade games more pleasant and authentic on the Wii then even the latest MAME build on my PC with all the bells and whistles.
Of course the Wii only runs a tiny fractions of the games available, but at 240p with authentic scanlines and a CC pro, I'll take it any day over any emulators on more capable systems .

All cps 1 and cps2 games work.
All negeo games below 25 mb work except the irritating maze.

 

[Arm73]

All cps 1 and cps2 games work.
All negeo games below 25 mb work except the irritating maze.

Is that so ?
That sounds really good.
However I'll have quite a tough job in organizing my roms, I'm not too sure but out of my 2688 FBA rom set, I think not all of them are cps or neogeo roms.
I'll have to hunt down a list, and then check the file size of the NG roms ( quite easy in windows explorer ) and transfer all of them on my SD card.
Kind of what I did a couple of days ago, when I gave the emulator a try, I transferred a couple of hundreds roms by hand by this criteria, but still I get a crush and code dump on some roms which I think are not cps or neo geo.
Oh, well, at least now I know what to do.
Thanks a lot !

Regarding RA itself, i find it cool that is supports many systems and I even like the minimalistic UI, but what I really need it for is the 240p video support and the FBA core.
For other systems ( Snes, Nes, MSX etc.. ) , I prefer the respective dedicated emulators, which have a flashier UI ( not that I care too much ) , a better file browser, autofire options and forwaders, as I don't mind booting them trough the HB channel every once in a while .

Also I really don't care for more complex emulators ( GBA, PSX, N64 ) as I still have the respective systems perfectly functional, but hey, I guess some people dig them

 

[the_randomizer]

Is that so ?
That sounds really good.
However I'll have quite a tough job in organizing my roms, I'm not too sure but out of my 2688 FBA rom set, I think not all of them are cps or neogeo roms.
I'll have to hunt down a list, and then check the file size of the NG roms ( quite easy in windows explorer ) and transfer all of them on my SD card.
Kind of what I did a couple of days ago, when I gave the emulator a try, I transferred a couple of hundreds roms by hand by this criteria, but still I get a crush and code dump on some roms which I think are not cps or neo geo.
Oh, well, at least now I know what to do.
Thanks a lot !

Regarding RA itself, i find it cool that is supports many systems and I even like the minimalistic UI, but what I really need it for is the 240p video support and the FBA core.
For other systems ( Snes, Nes, MSX etc.. ) , I prefer the respective dedicated emulators, which have a flashier UI ( not that I care too much ) , a better file browser, autofire options and forwaders, as I don't mind booting them trough the HB channel every once in a while .

Also I really don't care for more complex emulators ( GBA, PSX, N64 ) as I still have the respective systems perfectly functional, but hey, I guess some people dig them

240p video is not going to happen, the developers did not like people asking them for the support, so just a heads up. The only way you really get that is on a CRT, but the Wii doesn't truly support it. RetroArch has a forwarder and the Snes and NES emulators actually run a lot better than the standalone emulators.

 

[Arm73]

240p video is not going to happen, the developers did not like people asking them for the support, so just a heads up. The only way you really get that is on a CRT, but the Wii doesn't truly support it. RetroArch has a forwarder and the Snes and NES emulators actually run a lot better than the standalone emulators.

Actually I did acquire an old fashioned 27" CRT TV a few months ago , just for the sole purpose of playing retro games on it trough my Wii !
So I'm really happy with it, it looks great with a scart RGB cable, and it's not even one of those enhanced HD TVs or whatever they are called that don't even have scanlines, mines rocks !
Even Wii and GC games look better then ever on it ( I play my Wii at 4:3 even on my HDTV to avoid anamorphic and enjoy sharper graphics ).
So yeah, like I said, I can play any game and any system I want on my PC, but still there is something magic going on when I play them on the Wii ( I even have an xarcade controller hooked up on the GC port of my Wii ) , so I'm really happy to see this emulator still being supported.
Thanks for the tip about the stand alone emulators, I'll keep that in mind

 

[Cospefogo]

Hey Arm73!

I used to praise my traditional non-HD CRTV some time ago...
But after getting a Videocomponent-to-VGA converter, and
a SLG-3000 (scanlines generator) there is nothing better
in the world (for me, of course) than to play all my emulators
on a 42" with a perfect old-skool feeling.

Wii shots:

http://i.imgur.com/1Gm141f.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/5XqW1R8.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/JDE9cr9.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/wAk6axd.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/X3hD61v.jpg

If you like scanlines, I really really advise you to try that! =)
Regards from a pixel-sharp-scanlined guy.

Good lecture:
http://scanlines.hazard-city.de/

Cospefogo.