NEO-GEO CD for Dummies

[DTEAM]

Hello,
After wasted a lot of time to tried to load NEO GEO CD roms…. Here’s my step by step way to do that .It’s for dummies.

1 – Get neocd.zip and neocdz.zip Bios file.

2 – Create a folder named “neocd” in your BIOS folder (IMPORTANT)

3 – Add your BIOS files in that folder

4A. (MIX with NEOGEO (easier)) Go in neogeo system in es_systems.cfg
/opt/retropie/configs/all/emulationstation and add .CUE and .cue in <extension> line.

5A. Add your roms in neogeo folder

4B. (entire new system – harder) Create a NEO GEO CD system in es_systems.cfg. Copy It from NEOGEO and add .cue and .CUE extensions. Change de name and roms path. Change the name of your configs folder in the <command> line. You will create de folder in 5B. Change the theme name. See below for details.

 <system>
    <name>neogeo cd</name>
    <fullname>Neo Geo CD</fullname>
    <path>/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/neogeo cd</path>
    <extension>.fba .zip .FBA .ZIP .cue .CUE</extension>
    <command>/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ neogeo_cd %ROM%</command>
    <platform>neogeo cd</platform>
    <theme>neogeo_cd</theme>
  </system>

5B.- Create a “neogeo cd” roms folder, create a config folder: /opt/retropie/configs/neogeo_cd and copy the emulators.cfg file from neogeo in that folder and a lauching.png if you want. Finally, create a theme for Neogeo CD (copy the one from NeoGeo and change the pictures and name). For the theme, you will have set the permission for 0777. I’ll don’t explain how to set a theme. Go to tutorials to learn that.

6. Add (.ccd, .cue, .img, .sub) files from a game in your roms folder

7. Go in Retropie and click on your game. Choose lr-neocd emulator. That’s It!!!!!

[DTEAM]

For 4B, I normalized the name of the system (neogeo-cd) to avoid the problems I encountered during screen scraping.

     <system>
    <name>neogeo-cd</name>
    <fullname>Neo Geo CD</fullname>
    <path>/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/neogeo-cd</path>
    <extension>.cue .CUE</extension>
    <command>/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ neogeo-cd %ROM%</command>
    <platform>neogeo-cd</platform>
    <theme>neogeo-cd</theme>
  </system>

In 5B, I forgot to mention to create a platforms.cfg file in / opt / retropie / configs / all. You can copy the original file located in / home / pi / RetroPie-Setup and paste it in / opt / retropie / configs / all.

In this new file, add the following lines.

neogeo-cd_exts=".cue"
neogeo-cd_fullname="Neo Geo CD"

You will only see the .cue files in your Neo-Geo CD menu in Retropie

Here's the result:

[Darksavior]

Why you didn't add chd? It's a lossless compression format, saves space, and the emulator supports it. It also makes your library look neater.

You don't really need those specific bios files. You can pick and choose the bios files and stick them in the BIOS/neocd folder according to the emulator's official guide: https://github.com/libretro/neocd_libretro
It also has the SHA1 hash to make sure you're using the right files.
So in my BIOS/neocd folder, I have neocd.bin

[DTEAM]

@Darksavior
Simply because I did not know about the existence of this link on GitHub https://github.com/libretro/neocd_libretro. Having found it before, I probably would have saved some time.

Thanks for your comment. I knowed that for Dreamcast, TG-CD and SEGA CD but not for Neo Geo-cd. With .chd files , people will save more than 50% space on their SD card.

For people who don't find this type of roms, use chdman. To create .chd files:

https://retropie.org.uk/docs/CHD-files/#creating-chds-from-cd-roms

es_systems.cfg

     <system>
    <name>neogeo-cd</name>
    <fullname>Neo Geo CD</fullname>
    <path>/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/neogeo-cd</path>
    <extension>.cue .CUE .chd .CHD</extension>
    <command>/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ neogeo-cd %ROM%</command>
    <platform>neogeo-cd</platform>
    <theme>neogeo-cd</theme>
  </system>

platforms.cfg

neogeo-cd_exts=".cue .CUE .chd .CHD"
neogeo-cd_fullname="Neo Geo CD"

[Clyde]

You can also batch-create chds out of cue/bin files directly in Retropie or any Linux with the package mame-tools. To quote myself:

@Clyde said in PS1 - Possible to just list game in the menu and not the additional files?:

The easiest way to create CHDs on your Pi would be to drop to Retropie's command console by pressing F4 and then enter the following commands:

sudo apt install mame-tools       # install mame-tools (no danger if it's already installed)
cd /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/psx     # (c)hange (d)irectory to roms/psx
for i in *.cue; do chdman createcd -i "$i" -o "${i%.*}.chd"; done    # batch convert any cue+bin files to chds

(Everything behind a # ist just a comment.)

The exit command restarts Emulation Station.

[Nakynaw]

Hi guys,

Since I joined the Pi club only 2 weeks ago, I think I am way dummer than the dummies this post is targetting.

I have read that the docs have unfortunately not been updated since Neo Geo CD has been integrated in Retropie, but I do not know if this procedure above is still necessary and exact.

Also, the step by step guide is really for dummies with experience. :P

So I probably wont succeed in playing Neo Geo CD, while I just took the time to read about those interesting games. I really need to stop building rom libraries before making sure they are easy to play on Retropie (I did the same mistake with Amiga! :P )

Please, let me know is anyone found an up to date guide (video or text) to set this game in Retropie. I have around 25 games waiting in Zip folders for now (with CUE, CCD, IMG and SUB files) .

Thanks!

[mitu]

@Nakynaw said in NEO-GEO CD for Dummies:

Please, let me know is anyone found an up to date guide (video or text) to set this game in Retropie. I have around 25 games waiting in Zip folders for now (with CUE, CCD, IMG and SUB files) .

Just copy the disc files in the neogeo folder and restart EmulationStation.When launching the games - use the Runcommand launch menu to choose lr-fbneo-neocd as emulator.

Make sure you have the BIOS files (neocdz.zip) in the BIOS/fbneo folder before launch, otherwise the games will not launch properly.

[Nakynaw]

Alright... Thanks again @mitu , you gave me a boost of courage to try it. But I'll make a back up first! :P

[EDIT : Well, no success... I found two folders named neocd and neocdz on the web. Downloaded them, unzipped them, transferred the files they contain in the bios/fbneo folder with win-scp. Rebooted.

Selected the lr-fbneo-neocd emulator from the list before launching, but it still did not boot the game (Pulstar for example)] :(

[mitu]

@Nakynaw You shouldn't unzip the BIOS files - leave them as zip archives.

[Nakynaw]

I am so sorry to be such a burden... But I tried unzipping the files only because putting the zipped folders the first time did not work either... I tried only moving the folders "neocd.zip" and "neocdz.zip" directly in the fbneo folder of the BIOS. Than tried to move the folders unzipped, than tried moving only the files... Rebooting between each test of course. Each time trying to open the game with lr-fbneo-neocd just kicked me back to the emulationstation.

[mitu]

This post is deleted!

[mitu]

@Nakynaw post a verbose log from running the game - make sure you have the .zip BIOS files present.

Note: you don't need to reboot your PI when adding BIOS/ROMs.

[Nakynaw]

Ok, I will have to test tomorrow (everyone is now sleeping here)...

To be precise and finally get it right : I downloaded a "neocd" folder containing a neocd.bin and ng-lo.rom. Also got a "neocdz" folder containing the exact same neocd.bin, but also a 000-lo.lo . So, now I put all of those 3 different files (leaving them in their original zipped folder matters?), zipped, in the fbneo folder of the BIOS. Right?

Also, I read somewhere else that those BIOS files should also be in the neogeo roms folder. Is that right?

Thanks a thousand times @mitu, hoping to bother for the last time with this.

[mitu]

@Nakynaw said in NEO-GEO CD for Dummies:

To be precise and finally get it right : I downloaded a "neocd" folder containing a neocd.bin and ng-lo.rom. Also got a "neocdz" folder containing the exact same neocd.bin, but also a 000-lo.lo . So, now I put all of those 3 different files (leaving them in their original zipped folder matters?), zipped, in the fbneo folder of the BIOS. Right?

You need to have 2 files - neogeo.zip and neocd.zip in the BIOS/fbneo folder. The files/folder you have are not correct - the correct BIOS .zip files have more files than the 2 .bin files you have.

Also, I read somewhere else that those BIOS files should also be in the neogeo roms folder. Is that right?

It's an alternative location and it works the same, but it's cleaner to have the BIOS files in the proper location.

[Nakynaw]

Finally! It works.

Well, I tried many many different combinations of files... I had the requisite per https://github.com/libretro/neocd_libretro 's recommandations, but it was not working. I even checked the SHA1 code for each required files.

Instead of continuing to Google the folders and files names, I directly searched for the SHA1 code and found a full Bios compilation from which I could extract the very recent fbgeo folder (with much more files than what I had and the SHA1 numbers were the right ones) and after pasting it to my bios, it works!

So, if a real newbie like me want to try out Neo Geo CD games on retropie 4.6 in a near future, I guess you can do the same as I.

Thank you very much for your patience @mitu and to @DTEAM for starting this necessary thread!

Have a great day.

[Nakynaw]

@Clyde said in NEO-GEO CD for Dummies:

You can also batch-create chds out of cue/bin files directly in Retropie or any Linux with the package mame-tools. To quote myself:
@Clyde said in PS1 - Possible to just list game in the menu and not the additional files?:

Thanks for that piece @Clyde !

Though, the newbie tried and failed... Is it because there is not just a bin and cue in Neo Geo CD? (CCD, SUB, CUE, and IMG)

I did this :

pi@retropie:~ $ cd /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/neogeo
pi@retropie:~/RetroPie/roms/neogeo $ for i in .cue; do chdman createcd -i "$i" -o "${i%.}.chd"; done

And it gave this :

chdman - MAME Compressed Hunks of Data (CHD) manager 0.206 (unknown)
Error parsing input file (*.cue: file not found)

Fatal error occurred: 1

Thx for any advice you can give on this!

EDIT : Also tried this :

pi@retropie:~ $ chdman created -i <Metal Slug 2 (Wld).cue> -o <Metal Slug 2.chd>
-bash: syntax error near unexpected token `('

[Darksavior]

@Nakynaw There's this old script I've used. I'd replace the chdman.exe included with the latest one https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-ElaPpvBHs5aUd0QUM3c05kY2c/view

[Clyde]

@Nakynaw said in NEO-GEO CD for Dummies:

Error parsing input file (*.cue: file not found)**

That means there are no files ending with .cue in the directory. Are there?

(You can check that from the console with ls | grep -c .cue – it will output the number of files with .cue in their names. Alternatively, just list all such files with ls *.cue.)

pi@retropie:~ $ chdman created -i <Metal Slug 2 (Wld).cue> -o <Metal Slug 2.chd>
-bash: syntax error near unexpected token `('

You'll have to put the filenames in quotation marks instead of angle brackets.

[zerojay]

I'm getting segmentation faults with both lr-fbneo-neocd and lr-neocd as soon as the CD-ROM image shows up during initial bootup.

[Darksavior]

@zerojay I only use lr-neocd and I've never had an issue. You can try verbose logging to see what the problem is. If it matters, my games are all compressed to chd.