Trying to get Mala to work with NeoGeo

[Rulkiewicz]

Two things:

1: I'm running MALA 1.05 and I'm trying to configure it to work with Nebula for NeoGeo.  If I load the rom in Nebula it works fine, but if I run it through Mala I get a DOS screen that quickly appears then disappears.  I added the emulator in Mala and properly pointed to the roms folder.  But the none of the games load.

2: The Rom list loads in Mala, but it only shows the shorthanded name, not the full name.

Any idea on how to fix these?

[Henrik68000]

Hi,

I have tried the same thing you try to do, about a year ago. But; there's really no ideas in running Nebula in Mala. Why?; The same games runs in MAME. Instead of setting up Neogeo in Nebula I suggest you should make a second game-list in your Mame setup and call it Neogeo. Then you have the full names on the list. And its so much more easy. If you don't run Mame then you can use it to run NeoGeo games.

Why does the the full names not appear when making a Nebula list in Mala; The game files have a name. This is the name that will be shown on the list in Mala. You can't take functions in Nebula into a list in Mala (of course you know this). Nebula recognises a game file by the name of the file and then converts this game file name to a full name by the use of a special list (xml as an example). When Mala reads the folder with Neogeo files it knows no more than what the files are called.

See here for a post about getting full names in Nebula:   [url=http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=87318.0]http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=87318.0[/url] (I can't say if it works).

The reason for me wanting to run the Nebula emulator in Mala in the past, was that i could then also run the Nebula CD games. But no. You can run the Nebula emu in Mame but the CD games will not work. (Or; maybe 10% runs without disturbing errors. This could change with new Nebula versions, but for now it really does not work and maybe never will). The only reason for wanting to run Neogeo (cartridge games) in Nebula is that you think it runs the games better than Mame. Maybe it has another 'feel'. This is a personal choice. I don't think this, others might.

There's also the Kawaks emu, and the Nemo32 emu (Mame based) for Neogeo game files. For Neogeo CD games theres's the Nebula and also an emulator called NeoCD/SLD (read further).

Remember when you setup a Neogeo emulator that you need the bios. It's called 'Neogeo.zip' and will be among the game files if it's there. Otherwise try to google it. I think that Nebula comes with the bios files included.

If you want to run Neogeo CD games you will need the collection of files (these will be called 'iso', 'wav', and 'cue', when unzipped).(This set should have full game names).You will also need the bios. It's called 'neogeocd.zip'. You will need an emulator. (Mame does not run them). I have found that the emu 'NeoCD/SLD' runs all games error free. It does have a few problems relating to frontend use. You can look in my post at this site; http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=101649.0 . You will need to install Daemon to execute the CD files. Mala setup: Rom extention is: 'cue'. Execution are:  '"%path%\% om%.%ext%" neocd'. Window state can be 'hidden'. Execution Precommand is : '"C:\Programs\DAEMON tols\daemon.exe" -unmount 0 -mount 0,"% path%\%rom%.%ext%"'. Execution post command: c:\programs\daemon tools\daemon.exe -unmount 0. (Pre and post commans will need to be changed to the right dir).  There's a few more things that needs to be right. Mainly in Daemon. I can answer your questions if it is related to things i've written in this post.

If you want to run the NeoGeo games on a separate setup in Mala with full game names you could run the games from batch files. I have done this. The games have a complete separate setup and are executed in Mame. A bat file could sound like this: 'c:\101\neo_geo_arcade\mame.exe 3countb'. cade is the emulator folder). You would need to make a batch (bat) file for each game.

I have 49 setup's in Mame. Each setup has different (sub) gamelists. As an example the Neogeo Pocket setup runs with Neopop emulator and the games in this setup have a list with color games and a list with monochrome games.

I have removed the Neogeo games from the Mame collection and run's them in a different setup called NeoGeo Arcade. Done with bats (to get full names, year and manufacture displayed in the way i like it). In this setup there's a list called 'All' (all working games), a list called 'Bootleg games', and a list called 'Best games' (auto generated).

I run the 'old' Mama. 1.5. It can run only one Mame setup. This is why i use the batch files in my Neogeo setup. Otherwise it would only display the files names. If a newer version of Mame  can run two or more Mame setups, then you could do without the batch files and still get full game names.

I hope you can use some of the stuff I've written here, otherwise maybe someone else can. I have jumped topic a bit.

I have made a post with details of my setup: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=105010.msg1111333#msg1111333

[Rulkiewicz]

So I make a new folder in my Mala DIR and named it NeoGeo and copied everything from the mame folder in to the NG folder, I replaced the MAME roms and snaps with the NG roms/snaps and I configured MALA to point to the NG dir and load MAME.exe in that same folder.  That works, but all of the NG names are shorthanded, and when I see the same games under the "MAME" layout (because both MAME and NG roms are still under my main MAME folder) they display their proper full names.

[Rulkiewicz]

So I make a new folder in my Mala DIR and named it NeoGeo and copied everything from the mame folder in to the NG folder, I replaced the MAME roms and snaps with the NG roms/snaps and I configured MALA to point to the NG dir and load MAME.exe in that same folder.  That works, but all of the NG names are shorthanded, and when I see the same games under the "MAME" layout (because both MAME and NG roms are still under my main MAME folder) they display their proper full names.

bump.

Any idea on how to get Mala to display the names properly for the new directory I made for NeoGeo?  Those same roms work when their mixed in with the MAME roms.

[Rulkiewicz]

Hi,

I have tried the same thing you try to do, about a year ago. But; there's really no ideas in running Nebula in Mala. Why?; The same games runs in MAME. Instead of setting up Neogeo in Nebula I suggest you should make a second game-list in your Mame setup and call it Neogeo. Then you have the full names on the list. And its so much more easy. If you don't run Mame then you can use it to run NeoGeo games.

Why does the the full names not appear when making a Nebula list in Mala; The game files have a name. This is the name that will be shown on the list in Mala. You can't take functions in Nebula into a list in Mala (of course you know this). Nebula recognises a game file by the name of the file and then converts this game file name to a full name by the use of a special list (xml as an example). When Mala reads the folder with Neogeo files it knows no more than what the files are called.

See here for a post about getting full names in Nebula:   [url=http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=87318.0]http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=87318.0[/url] (I can't say if it works).

The reason for me wanting to run the Nebula emulator in Mala in the past, was that i could then also run the Nebula CD games. But no. You can run the Nebula emu in Mame but the CD games will not work. (Or; maybe 10% runs without disturbing errors. This could change with new Nebula versions, but for now it really does not work and maybe never will). The only reason for wanting to run Neogeo (cartridge games) in Nebula is that you think it runs the games better than Mame. Maybe it has another 'feel'. This is a personal choice. I don't think this, others might.

There's also the Kawaks emu, and the Nemo32 emu (Mame based) for Neogeo game files. For Neogeo CD games theres's the Nebula and also an emulator called NeoCD/SLD (read further).

Remember when you setup a Neogeo emulator that you need the bios. It's called 'Neogeo.zip' and will be among the game files if it's there. Otherwise try to google it. I think that Nebula comes with the bios files included.

If you want to run Neogeo CD games you will need the collection of files (these will be called 'iso', 'wav', and 'cue', when unzipped).(This set should have full game names).You will also need the bios. It's called 'neogeocd.zip'. You will need an emulator. (Mame does not run them). I have found that the emu 'NeoCD/SLD' runs all games error free. It does have a few problems relating to frontend use. You can look in my post at this site; http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=101649.0 . You will need to install Daemon to execute the CD files. Mala setup: Rom extention is: 'cue'. Execution are:  '"%path%\% om%.%ext%" neocd'. Window state can be 'hidden'. Execution Precommand is : '"C:\Programs\DAEMON tols\daemon.exe" -unmount 0 -mount 0,"% path%\%rom%.%ext%"'. Execution post command: c:\programs\daemon tools\daemon.exe -unmount 0. (Pre and post commans will need to be changed to the right dir).  There's a few more things that needs to be right. Mainly in Daemon. I can answer your questions if it is related to things i've written in this post.

If you want to run the NeoGeo games on a separate setup in Mala with full game names you could run the games from batch files. I have done this. The games have a complete separate setup and are executed in Mame. A bat file could sound like this: 'c:\101\neo_geo_arcade\mame.exe 3countb'. cade is the emulator folder). You would need to make a batch (bat) file for each game.

I have 49 setup's in Mame. Each setup has different (sub) gamelists. As an example the Neogeo Pocket setup runs with Neopop emulator and the games in this setup have a list with color games and a list with monochrome games.

I have removed the Neogeo games from the Mame collection and run's them in a different setup called NeoGeo Arcade. Done with bats (to get full names, year and manufacture displayed in the way i like it). In this setup there's a list called 'All' (all working games), a list called 'Bootleg games', and a list called 'Best games' (auto generated).

I run the 'old' Mama. 1.5. It can run only one Mame setup. This is why i use the batch files in my Neogeo setup. Otherwise it would only display the files names. If a newer version of Mame  can run two or more Mame setups, then you could do without the batch files and still get full game names.

I hope you can use some of the stuff I've written here, otherwise maybe someone else can. I have jumped topic a bit.

I have made a post with details of my setup: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=105010.msg1111333#msg1111333

The problem isn't with the emulation, its with the Gamelist in Mala.  I can't figure out how to display the properly names in the gamelist window.  All I get now is the rom names.  What's odd is that these same NeoGeo games are available in my MAME emu and the name displays properly.

[Henrik68000]

As i told you, there can only be one mame setup. This setup displays the full names. If you make an folder and a new setup (under 'other emu config') called neogeo, then mala scans the folder with your neogeo files and this is what you get; Shot file names.  If you instead make an extra gamelist in your 'Mame config' setup  and call the list Neogeo or what ever and then take the time to build the list up from the total list of 3000+ games so that you end up with the approx 250 neogeo games, then your problem is solved. That is if you can live with having the neogeo games in a subgamelist in the Mala setup ('Mame config')

You must understand that the 'MAME config' in Mala is different from the 'other emulator config' setups. The 'Mame config' setup workes with a list xml, that contains the translated short filesnames and can then display them in full name.

The other setups in Mala (you can have as many as you want, i have 47 different, many with batches) 'Other emu config' is a much simpler form. It can only scan the rom folder and bring up those names in the list that the files are called. If a gamefile in your folder is called bnsd33.zip, then how should it know other that this. This name is what it has to go for, and this is what coms up on the list.


I did not want a neogeo sub list in the mame list so i have solved this by making batch files. Those you can call all you want. I have Year, Gamename & Gamecompany in them. This will be displayed on the list for those particular games. You make a new setup in 'Other emu config' , call it NeoGeo and point mala to this folder and a list with the files will appear.

I can take a little time to make 250 batch files, but they are very tiny in size. I could send them to you. Theres ALL Negro games that were once available, also the Korean/Chinese bootlegs.

There also another way of making a fullgame list. I have not tried it, since i have had no need for it. Read this link if you want to try this:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=77159.0

Does it work, and how difficult is it? is hard for me to say as I've not tried it out, but judging by the posts it could be forsomeone who's no beginner.


I'll be happy to send you my Noe Geo batch files and a short guide on how to get it running. It's easy and then you know how to make batch files in Mala. (This can be handy if you want to run PC games. I also run my Laserdisc games from Batch files since there's both MAME and Daphne and i wanted them in the same setup and with all the info needed in the gamelist that i felt i needed. I also have all NG covers inc bootlegs.

I also have a batch based setup that contains Donkey Kong games only. Arcade and all console versions. This setup has many emulators in one list but this is no problem with batch files.