Software Support > GroovyMAME

Help for emulating consoles in Groovy MAME.

<< < (3/3)

PL1:

--- Quote from: Super-Becker on December 01, 2023, 12:57:12 pm ---I found an interesting option that suits me well, if I can do the same for other consoles in MAME. I found a bios "sms" that gives me the "Master System II" option. I click and the complete list of Master System games appears. I believe I must place the roms in that directory for the games to work. But I can't find out where this default directory is. So the option I have is the empty cartridge, which I direct to the game "Alex Kidd In Miracle World" which is in the Master System's memory. With the game running, I click on tab and I can get to the "cartridge" option and I can choose the roms directory and all games are recognized and playable. I would like to fix this directory but I didn't find an option for that.

--- End quote ---
Just like the info I posted above there are two approaches that you can use:

1. Official MAME Software List files under "mame\roms\" is the most reliable way.
- As mentioned previously, put the software list .zip files for the system in a sub-directory for that system under "mame\roms\".  i.e. The Atari 2600 Asteroids file on my system is "\mame\roms\a2600\asteroid.zip".

2. Non-official dumps/games under "mame\software\" are not as reliable.
- As mentioned previously, put the non-software list game files (either zipped or unzipped) for the system in a sub-directory for that system under "mame\software\".  i.e. The non-official, unzipped Atari 2600 Asteroids file on my system is "\mame\software\a2600\asteroid.a26".

Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but it appears that I can't change the File Manager default start directory of "mame\software\", even by redefining the software directory in mame.ini.   :dunno
- This only adds one level of navigation to the entire process so it's only a minor inconvenience.




--- Quote from: Super-Becker on December 01, 2023, 12:57:12 pm ---I still want to run "Atari, Super Nintendo and PlayStation1", but I have to know which bios I need.

--- End quote ---
"Atari 2600 (NTSC)" - There is no separate BIOS file.
- It should show up in both the "Not BIOS" and "Available" lists using the MAME GUI search feature.



"Super Nintendo Entertainment System / Super Famicom (NTSC)" - BIOS file is snes.zip
- It should show up in the "Available" list.  Wasn't able to pull it up in the "BIOS" list using the MAME GUI search feature.

"Sony PlayStation (USA)" - BIOS file is psu.zip.  Parent ROM is psj.zip "Sony PlayStation (Japan)"
- It should show up in the "Available" list.  Wasn't able to pull it up in the "BIOS" list using the MAME GUI search feature.
- MAME has it flagged as "NOT WORKING" so you may need to look at a different emulator for this system.




Scott

Super-Becker:
PL1: Thank you very much for your help. Without her I still wouldn't have made it. I'm still hoping that someone will help me run the games from the first list displayed by default. If I don't make it, that's okay, I'm glad I got this far.

PL1:

--- Quote from: Super-Becker on December 07, 2023, 12:44:55 pm ---I'm still hoping that someone will help me run the games from the first list displayed by default.

--- End quote ---
You're referring to the Software List menu at 0:45 in your video, not the second menu shown at 1:17, right?

Mame treats items on the Software List menu like it treats arcade ROMs.
- As long as the Software List version matches the MAME version and you have the needed BIOS and device files in the roms folder, Software List items will launch and work.   ;D
- MAME looks for Software List game files in "mame\roms\[software list name]\", but does not look for them in "mame\software\".

The second menu allows you to run most game files for the system, including homebrew games, hacks, etc.
- If the game you want to play is not on the Software List, this menu is the only way to launch it.
- These game files can be zipped or unzipped in "mame\software\".
- This menu starts you browsing in "mame\software\".

Setup process for MAME Software List:
1. Launch each console/system that you want to run to make sure you have any needed BIOS and/or device files in "mame\roms\".

2. Find and download a MAME Software List set.  Make sure the source you download from identifies the version.
- Use a Software List version that matches (or is as close as possible to) your MAME version, just like you would for arcade ROMsets.
- The one I'm using is a "merged" set.  If anyone reading this is not sure what that means, there's a great description here.
- Each Software List set comes in it's own .zip file.  For example, the Atari 2600 (NTSC) set comes in "a2600.zip", the Atari 2600 (PAL) comes in "a2600p.zip", and NES comes in "nes.zip".
- Some systems use more than one Software List.  For example, the Coleco Adam system uses the three Software Lists "adam_cass" (cassette tapes), "adam_cart" (carts), and "adam_flop" (floppies).  The Software List that the currently highlighted title comes from is shown in the info window at the bottom of the screen.  Some games are on more than one list.

3. When you open the .zip file, you will see a folder with the Software List name.
- For example, "a2600.zip" contains a folder named "a2600" that contains all of the zipped Atari 2600 games and "adam_cart.zip" contains a folder named "adam_cart" that contains all of the zipped Adam game carts.

4. Copy the "a2600" folder and the (still zipped) contents to "mame\roms".  DO NOT rename the folder or the zipped game files or MAME won't be able to find them.  DO NOT combine game files from different folders into a single folder or MAME won't be able to find them.  Fortunately, you don't need to add these folders to the path section of mame.ini.

You should now be able to launch games from the Software List.   :cheers:

One thing that you'll need to do on some games is reconfigure the hardware/controller.

For example, if you want to use a spinner as the NES Arkanoid "vaus" paddle controller:
- Open the NES system and launch Arkanoid from the Software List.
- When Arkanoid starts, the system is in the default configuration with "ctrl1" (controller 1) and "ctrl2" (controller 2) both set to "joypad". The "vaus" controller is not mounted to the system.
- Press TAB to bring up the MAME menu.
- Go to the "Slot Devices" menu.
- Change "ctrl2" from "joypad" to "vaus".
- Highlight the "Reset System" menu item and press ENTER.  The system restarts Arkanoid with the configuration changes you've made.  Controller 2 now shows up as "vaus" controller.
- First time you do this, you'll also need to check/remap the controls and maybe adjust the analog sensitivity.


Scott

Super-Becker:
PL1:  Your explanation is correct. Although I thought I had all the roms updated, I saw that I was wrong as only some Atari roms were recognized. Since outdated roms are recognized as they appear in the video, I'll settle for this. Thank you so much again.

PL1:

--- Quote from: Super-Becker on January 08, 2024, 01:12:53 pm ---PL1:  Your explanation is correct. Although I thought I had all the roms updated, I saw that I was wrong as only some Atari roms were recognized. Since outdated roms are recognized as they appear in the video, I'll settle for this. Thank you so much again.

--- End quote ---
Glad to assist and glad you got things working.   :cheers:

Your questions got me to look further into software lists and old computer systems so I now have MAME running an Apple 2e, a 386 with MS-DOS 5 (at386), a 486 with MS-DOS 6 (at486), and another 486 with Win95. (ct486)

Those systems will run most of the games I wanted to run from software lists.

For other games, there's a shareware program called WinImage that allows you to add/remove/rename files on a virtual disk using a simple GUI.
- Don't bother trying to use floptool.exe or imgtool.exe that comes with MAME.   :banghead:   :banghead:   :banghead:

One example of how WinImage comes in handy is with the Software List version of Lemmings.
- Lemmings has disk-based copy protection that current emulation and the Software List file don't emulate properly.

With the original game/hardware, every time you'd play, it would update a hidden file named RUSSELL.DAT.  Every x number of times you'd play, Lemmings would ask you to insert the floppy and it would read data from a hidden track.  If it found the right data on that hidden track, it would update RUSSELL.DAT so it wouldn't ask for the floppy for another x number of times.  The program did this whether you were running it from floppy or had it installed on your hard drive.

When you try to run Lemmings from the Software List .dsk file or install the program on a virtual hard drive .chd, it tells you to insert the original floppy (i.e. check the disk-based copy) which doesn't work in current emulation.

To get around this:
- Find a copy of Lemmings that is currently not asking you to insert the floppy when you start the game.
- Use WinImage to copy that RUSSELL.DAT to a virtual floppy.
- Boot up your computer system in MAME.
- Change directory to c:\lemmings\
- Delete c:\lemmings\russell.dat. (you might need to use the DOS attrib command to change the file attributes)
- Mount the floppy with the new RUSSELL.DAT in the A: drive and go to the A: drive.
- Copy RUSSELL.DAT to the Lemmings directory of your virtual hard drive. (copy russell.dat c:\lemmings\russell.dat)
- Go to the c:\lemmings directory.
- Use the DOS attrib command to set RUSSELL.DAT to read-only. (attrib russell.dat +r)
- When you run Lemmings, the new RUSSELL.DAT will tell it that you don't need to insert the original floppy and becuse the file is set to read-only, Lemmings can't update it.   ;D

If anyone's interested in running systems like these in MAME, I can help you avoid some pitfalls and get them up and running fairly quickly.


Scott

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[*] Previous page