Where to (legally) acquire content to play on RetroPie

themazingness

@clyde said in Where to (legally) acquire content to play on RetroPie:

@folly A laudable effort! 👍 However, the real challenge with projects like that is to maintain them over the many years to come. Otherwise we'll soon have an abandoned script based on an abandoned forum thread.

It could always be turned into a Git repository. That way multiple people could work on it to keep it alive (yes, it still could be abandoned but that lessens the likelihood.)

Edit: By it, I mean creating a project, not the script Folly made. Along the lines of this project: https://github.com/farmerbb/RED-Project/wiki

Auster

@landyvlad said in Where to (legally) acquire content to play on RetroPie:

Having just seen this thread... is there somewhere that collates the various legal content sources or is it a matter of looking through the full thread?

I'm wondering if Apple 2 and/or Atari 2600 games are legally available?

From what I read in both the game's pages and in the forum I saw this game, Nox Archaist comes with an Apple II ROM:
https://6502workshop.itch.io/nox-archaist
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1509080/Nox_Archaist/
https://www.gog.com/game/nox_archaist

Also, apparently, the games from the MacVenture series have Apple II ROMs, but you need to extract them to run in other emulators.
This tool should do the trick for all the games but Uninvited, but I haven't tested them so I can't be sure:
https://github.com/blorente/MacVenture-Extract-Guide

The MacVenture games:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/343820/Dj_Vu_MacVenture_Series/
[DRM free] https://www.humblebundle.com/widget/v2/standalone/retro_dejavu/WDSHD2hiX/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/343830/Dj_Vu_II_MacVenture_Series/
[likely DRM free] https://www.humblebundle.com/widget/v2/standalone/retro_dejavu_two/XlkJSDo23Y/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/343800/Shadowgate_MacVenture_Series/
[DRM free] https://www.humblebundle.com/widget/v2/standalone/retro_shadowgate/8SLDFkj3hs/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/343810/The_Uninvited_MacVenture_Series/
[DRM free] https://www.humblebundle.com/widget/v2/standalone/retro_uninvited/FSDkl23sS1/

And a bundle of all 4 games on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/sub/59404/

LandyVlad

@auster
Thank you :)

Auster

@landyvlad said in Where to (legally) acquire content to play on RetroPie:

@auster
Thank you :)

Little update: I tested all the MacVenture games I listed, and all of them work in emulators, including Uninvited!

Following the tutorial I linked, I got Deja Vu 1's ROM from the Humble Widgets DRM free version, and the ROMs from the other 3 games from the Steam version (since it's easier to install Windows games from Steam than from msi games if you're on Linux). And the process is exactly the same for Uninvited.

And you can have all 4 games mounted at the same time, just place them in the slot 7 drivers (s7d2, s7d3, s7d4 and so on).

Auster

@auster said in Where to (legally) acquire content to play on RetroPie:

Orphea by Skyboy Games
Platform: NES
Link: https://skyboygames.itch.io/orphea
Also it's free to claim for the next ~6 days.

Free to claim again, now until June 3rd.

Auster

Forgot to mention, but the 4 games, Déjà Vu 1 and 2, Shadowgate and Uninvited also have Macintosh 68K/Mac II ROMs, and they work fine.

Supposedly, they can be run on ScummVM as well, but I couldn't make them work.

EDIT: The Uninvited for Macintosh might have some issues? It crashes for me after a certain point. The Apple IIgs works fine after the same point.

@auster said in Where to (legally) acquire content to play on RetroPie:

@landyvlad said in Where to (legally) acquire content to play on RetroPie:

Having just seen this thread... is there somewhere that collates the various legal content sources or is it a matter of looking through the full thread?

I'm wondering if Apple 2 and/or Atari 2600 games are legally available?

From what I read in both the game's pages and in the forum I saw this game, Nox Archaist comes with an Apple II ROM:
https://6502workshop.itch.io/nox-archaist
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1509080/Nox_Archaist/
https://www.gog.com/game/nox_archaist

Also, apparently, the games from the MacVenture series have Apple II ROMs, but you need to extract them to run in other emulators.
This tool should do the trick for all the games but Uninvited, but I haven't tested them so I can't be sure:
https://github.com/blorente/MacVenture-Extract-Guide

The MacVenture games:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/343820/Dj_Vu_MacVenture_Series/
[DRM free] https://www.humblebundle.com/widget/v2/standalone/retro_dejavu/WDSHD2hiX/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/343830/Dj_Vu_II_MacVenture_Series/
[likely DRM free] https://www.humblebundle.com/widget/v2/standalone/retro_dejavu_two/XlkJSDo23Y/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/343800/Shadowgate_MacVenture_Series/
[DRM free] https://www.humblebundle.com/widget/v2/standalone/retro_shadowgate/8SLDFkj3hs/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/343810/The_Uninvited_MacVenture_Series/
[DRM free] https://www.humblebundle.com/widget/v2/standalone/retro_uninvited/FSDkl23sS1/

And a bundle of all 4 games on Steam:
https://store.steampowered.com/sub/59404/

LandyVlad

@auster et al

Thank you :)

Auster

@auster said in Where to (legally) acquire content to play on RetroPie:

Bat Lizard Bonanza by John Vanderhoef: https://johnvanderhoef.itch.io/bat-lizard-bonanza/
Platform: NES
The rom is the file "Bat_Lizard_Bonanza.nes"

Free to claim until tomorrow at 1:00 AM, UTC-3.

Auster

All freewares, but you can pay for them if you want:

MazezaM SNES: https://portabledev.itch.io/mazezam-snes
Platform: SNES
Download the zip file. The ROMs are the .sfc files inside (one NTSC and one PAL, both properly identified)

Puzzli Megadrive: https://portabledev.itch.io/puzzli-megadrive
Platform: Genesis/Megadrive
Download the zip file. The ROM is the .bin file inside.

Chips Challenge MD: https://portabledev.itch.io/chips-challenge-md
Platform: Genesis/Megadrive
Download the zip file. The ROM is the .bin file inside.

Rick Dangerous 2: https://portabledev.itch.io/rick-dangerous-2
Platform: Genesis/Megadrive
Download the zip file. The ROM is the .bin file inside.

Auster

@auster said in Where to (legally) acquire content to play on RetroPie:

Wampus by John Vanderhoef: https://johnvanderhoef.itch.io/wampus/
Platform: NES
The rom is the file "Wampus_DX.nes".

Free to claim until the next Friday, 1 AM (UTC-3)

themazingness

@auster Thank you so much for posting these itch.io NES, SNES, MD, etc. games. I wish I could keep tabs on all the roms on itch.io.

themazingness

Does anybody know of an extract tool for the Cinemaware Anthology (for the Amiga .adf files, not DOSBOX obviously)? I could've sworn I knew of one but am having no luck searching my resources, this thread, or the internet.

Auster

@themazingness said in Where to (legally) acquire content to play on RetroPie:

Does anybody know of an extract tool for the Cinemaware Anthology (for the Amiga .adf files, not DOSBOX obviously)? I could've sworn I knew of one but am having no luck searching my resources, this thread, or the internet.

I did some digging around, and they probably need to be extracted twice. First you need to open Anthology.exe as a zip folder and extract the .data file. After that, you probably need to extract the ROMs from the .data file's hexadecimal code.
But I never extracted files from hex, so I don't know the right steps for that. Sorry. =/

themazingness

@auster That's still helpful, thanks! I still hope for an extract tool, or at least a discussion of the beginning and ending hex values, but if nobody finds them I can do the heavy lifting with this info.

Auster

@themazingness
Disregard what I said before. I just found out how to extract the Cinemaware Anthology: 1986-1991 collection:

Use Windows or a Windows virtual machine (I couldn't make it work with Linux)
Install 7-Zip File Manager (I couldn't make it work with WinRAR)
Right click Anthology.exe, go to the option "7-Zip", click "Open compacted file" (or something like that; my Windows isn't in English, but it should be the first option)
In the window that just opened, right click the .data file and select "Open Inside"
In the new screen that just appeared, extract the whole "packaged" folder
The ROMs I know how to use are the ones in the packaged/floppy directory (and there are some bin files in the rlst and romdisk folders; still trying to figure out how they work)
The BIOS (yes, it comes with BIOS!) is the file Kick12.rom in the folder packaged/os (there's also a "rdd.rom" file in this folder, but also trying to figure out how to use it)
Besides the Amiga files, it also comes with MS-DOS games in the folder /Cinemaware Anthology 1986-1991/pc/cw (they should be ready to be used in emulators)

According to the Libretro docs and the md5sum I found, the BIOS is a exact match to the "kick33180.A500" file listed in the docs, but you may need to rename it to "kick34005.A500" if the core gives an error about not finding the BIOS.

Also, PSA if you're on Retroarch: to load both parts of the ROM, load disk 1 > wait for PUAE to read the disk (takes a while) > open Quick Menu > go to Disc Control > Load New Disc > select the new file and wait for the emulator to process it.

And sorry I couldn't help more with the .bin files and the second .rom file.

Store page of the collection : https://store.steampowered.com/app/326590/Cinemaware_Anthology_19861991/

Auster

Most of these games are free by default, but you can pay for them if you want:

Filthy Kitchen: https://dustmop.itch.io/filthy-kitchen
Platform: NES
The only file available to download is the ROM. No need to rename it.

GraviBots: https://retrosouls.itch.io/gravibots16bit
Platform: Genesis/Megadrive
Has 2 ROMs in the downloadable zip file, one "normal" and one "dma safe".
From a comment in the game's page:
what is DMA? It's for some megadrives (new models mostly or some japan megadrives) that have dma trouble, it stop z80 during DMA that affect a music.

AlterEgo: https://retrosouls.itch.io/alterego16bit
Platform: Genesis/Megadrive
The ROM is the .bin file inside the downloadable zip file.

Old Tower: https://retrosouls.itch.io/old-tower-commodore-64
Platform: Commodore 64
Has 2 files, a .prg and a .tap one. I'm fairly sure the .tap file is the ROM. The .prg file I'm not sure what is used for.

YAZZIE: https://retrosouls.itch.io/yazzie
Platform: MSX
The ROM is the file inside the downloadable zip file.

Misplaced: https://retrosouls.itch.io/misplaced
Platform: Genesis/Megadrive
Comes with 2 ROMs inside the downloadable zip file, one with the game in English, and one in Russian.

Tapeworm Disco Puzzle Demo: https://lowtekgames.itch.io/tapeworm-disco-puzzle
Platform: NES
The downloadable file is the ROM.

Flea NES Full Game: https://lowtekgames.itch.io/fleanes
Platforms: NES / Dreamcast
Can't check file structures as I didn't buy it yet.

Leggite Luta Livre: https://johnvanderhoef.itch.io/leggite-luta-livre
Platform: NES
The downloadable file is the ROM.

Quick edit, just noticed this game also comes with a ROM:
Shadow Animus [ Byte-Off 2020 Demo]: https://chronicleroflegends.itch.io/shadow-animus-byte-off-2020-demo
Platform: NES
The ROM is the .NES file inside. Also not sure if the final project will be a NES game, since the dev said This project is on hold at the moment while I am learning to work with a new engine, but I do want to finish it.

themazingness

@auster You are amazing! I had no idea you could just open .exe files like that with 7-zip!

Thanks a ton!

themazingness

Hmm... there's got to be a better extraction method for these games. The adf files I got don't function well, and a lot is missing. I don't even know what to do with the binaries. Renaming them doesn't work. It's a great start in the figuring out process though!

themazingness

@Auster Okay, I figured it out (well, I asked somewhere, and they pointed me to a tool I already checked, but I had overlooked Cinemaware in the list).

Here is the tool, and it works for a good list of other games as well: https://gitlab.com/vaiski/romextract

Auster

@themazingness said in Where to (legally) acquire content to play on RetroPie:

@Auster Okay, I figured it out (well, I asked somewhere, and they pointed me to a tool I already checked, but I had overlooked Cinemaware in the list).

Here is the tool, and it works for a good list of other games as well: https://gitlab.com/vaiski/romextract

Thanks for the tool!

I tried this tool on both Windows and Linux, and here's what I found:

First, for both OS's, I had to change the SHA-1 hash listed for Anthology.exe in the tool's supported.csv file, since it was either wrong or outdated.

To find the SHA-1 hash, at least on Linux, open a terminal window in Anthology.exe's folder and use this command:

$ sha1sum Anthology.exe

Then, to use the tool itself on Linux, copy Anthology.exe to the tool's folder, open a terminal window in the tool's folder and use this command:

$ ./romextract.sh ./Anthology.exe

But on Windows, for some reason, even with bash support through Cygwin, it outputed empty files, so I don't know how viable it is on Windows (weird that I already used this tool once for another game and it worked fine).

If you can't make the tool work on Windows and you don't have a computer with Linux installed, you may want to try a Linux Subsystem for Window or even a Linux virtual machine.