Tutorial: Handheld and Plug & Play systems with MAME

Folly

I have done a test with implementing MAME in my script-generator.

It seems that I can generate combi lr-mess/mame scripts, so both emulators are being installed at the same time.

It will also add the game rompath to the mame.ini when installing, so the "handheld games" will be found.

It adds the emulator commands in the appropriate emulators.cfg without making a default. So you can make a choice when you first start a rom.

So basically this is possible, but :

still all depends on the valerino fork, it won't work with the original retropie setup (so I would like to make changes so it can be used with the original retropie-setup)
still I have to think about the module names, because of the combination lr-mess/mame
it would be nice if It could create 1 script that will install all loader possiblilities in 1 go (still thinking about a solution)
it would be nice if artwork and overlays are automatically installed (but perhaps too difficult)

I think I will work on this next week a bit.

DTEAM

@folly
OMG 🤯
If you are able to do that, It will be awesome!!!!
I'll uninstalled my systems just to try It.
When It will be finished, you should do a clean tutorial for that.

Note: I've try to use the real ColecoVision Mess romset (ex: bdash.zip with bdash.1 and bdash.2 inside) and I'm not able to run It excepted if I'm using It with "lr-Mess manual installation" refered to a Hash file. It doesn't work with your script and It doesnt work with those commands lines:

mame-coleco= "/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -c -autoframeskip coleco -cart %ROM%"
mame-coleco-hashf= "/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -c -autoframeskip coleco $BASENAME%

BUT with jaguar.... It works

Do you know why?
Is It because when I do

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ /opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -listmedia coleco

The coleco rom extension for the coleco Mess romset wasn't there? For jaguar, It matches. It's strange.

This afternoon I spoke with ScreenScraper's MarbleMad to match the MAME / MESS system with the Screenscraper database and He said "The MESS naming system is a real mess, we are not ready to do that for now ". It's sad!

Folly

@dteam said in Tutorial: Handheld and Plug & Play systems with MAME:

@folly
OMG 🤯
If you are able to do that, It will be awesome!!!!

;-)

I'll uninstalled my systems just to try It.

It would be nice if you can test things.
But be carefull, I can't guarantee anything yet.
My advice don't wreck your good install, do you have a spare SD lying around ?

When It will be finished, you should do a clean tutorial for that.

Indeed, that should be done, so we can exchange things to improve and have it well documented.

Note: I've try to use the real ColecoVision Mess romset (ex: bdash.zip with bdash.1 and bdash.2 inside) and I'm not able to run It excepted if I'm using It with "lr-Mess manual installation" refered to a Hash file. It doesn't work with your script and It doesnt work with those commands lines:
mame-coleco= "/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -c -autoframeskip coleco -cart %ROM%"
mame-coleco-hashf= "/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -c -autoframeskip coleco $BASENAME% 

BUT with jaguar.... It works

Do you know why?
Is It because when I do
pi@raspberrypi:~ $ /opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -listmedia coleco

The coleco rom extension for the coleco Mess romset wasn't there? For jaguar, It matches. It's strange.

I will have to look at that, I can't tell why it isn't working now.

This afternoon I spoke with ScreenScraper's MarbleMad to match the MAME / MESS system with the Screenscraper database and He said "The MESS naming system is a real mess, we are not ready to do that for now ". It's sad!

Ok, sad indeed.

Edit : I have added the very early test version on github :
generate-systems-lr-mess_mame-1v6-alpha.sh
(https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/tree/main/00-scripts-00)

Folly

@DTEAM

I could not get bdash.zip working also.

I found some strange things.
MAME should be looking for bios files in :
/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame
But for coleco it wanted the bios in :
/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/coleco/coleco.zip
It also looks for a bios rom called 313 10031-4005 73108a.u2

I got the bootlogo's from other games, so they seem to be running, but I can't do anything.

Tested a few normal .col and I could play those.

Perhaps an idea to improve your search for problems.
If you add -v to your mame command you get a better verbose log in :
/dev/shm/runcommand.log

Folly

@DTEAM

It took me quite some time but it seems I have a working generator script.
I tried to improve the file names and the names given to the commands.
I also added quite some explaining in the script on how the script works.
I still have to look out for some mistakes and I hope it still works on a fresh install.

What it should do now is :

create module-scripts that work with an original RetroPie-setup (for lr-mess only the run_mess.sh from valerino is needed)
add all mame commands
add the rompaths in the commandlines (for now it was too difficult to add them in mame.ini)
use this BIOS directory for both lr-mess and mame : /home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame

I hope I can create a thread this week.

This is the script so feel free to experiment :
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/blob/main/00-scripts-00/generate-systems-lr-mess_mame-1v8-alpha.sh

EDIT :
There still seems to be an issue with artwork.
lr-mess doesn't load roms if mame artwork is present in :
/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame/artwork
Both emulators seem to share the same directory structure.

DTEAM

@folly said in Tutorial: Handheld and Plug & Play systems with MAME:

EDIT :
There still seems to be an issue with artwork.
lr-mess doesn't load roms if mame artwork is present in :
/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame/artwork
Both emulators seem to share the same directory structure.

Normally, games run and lr-Mess loads Artworks if you are able to go in the MAME UI menu with lr-mame and select Artwork. For some reason, I'm able to go in MAME UI when I press (select and Y) and in Retroarch UI with (select and X). With Lr-mess, you have access to Retroarch artwork and mess artwork. Maybe the problem is there?

I'm gonna try generate-systems-lr-mess_mame-1v8-alpha.sh tomorrow. What do you prefer that I test. Handheld games above, lr-Mess systems like Vectrex, NES, Artworks?

Folly

@dteam

Yes, it would be nice if you could test handhelds with mame and artwork.
Can you then try if the handheld games also run with lr-mess ?

Also testing some lr-mess systems using media would be great.
As you said vextrex and nes will do for now.

I like to hear what you think of the file/module naming and the commands that are being added in the emulators.cfg.
Perhaps we can improve it somehow if we have better ideas.

I added the version in the desired script and above systems are uncommented.
So if you run the desired script it will generate those directly.

The goal is to get it running with an original RetroPie-setup.
Can you try with the original setup ?
With the next command you only download the valerino run_mess.sh in the correct place :

wget -nv -O /home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/scriptmodules/run_mess.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/valerino/RetroPie-Setup/master/scriptmodules/run_mess.sh

run_mess.sh is only used if running games with lr-mess that use the -<media> option.

**EDIT : I created a thread to discuss tests and improvements : **
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/29682/development-of-module-script-generator-for-lr-mess-and-mame-standalone

Folly

@dteam

Nice, I see you are integrating the script part in the first post. 👍

Folly

@dteam

I checked all handheld systems and discovered some systems that perhaps can be added.

I checked all your system files against mame0233 and added these to the repository :
commit 1

I removed an unknown system :
commit 2

I removed a double system :
commit 3

I added possible systems to add :
commit 4

The JAKKS and the unknown have to be checked the most before adding.
I am more confident that the others can just be added.

Can you check it before we add them ?

If you can keep the structure in post 2 the same that would be nice.

( I have to tell you, I was quite some work checking it all ;-) )

DTEAM

@folly

here, I have tested a lot of systems and the unworking are listed. For JAKKS, a lot of handheld doesn't work.

I removed an unknown system :

commit 2

For TBASKB

see http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/dettaglio_mame.php?game_name=tbaskb&arcade_only=0&autosearch=1

This pocket handheld exists and works. Maybe they change the name of the file?

Folly

@dteam

Ok, so possibly there are still "non-working-systems" among them.
Well, for now, the data is somewhat registered.

So we can look at it another day then.

Edit :
I added tbaskb back in the list (last found in 0229) :
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/commit/5454b8ab35b1ccf80288570b1872178b6ae7612a

DTEAM

@folly said in Tutorial: Handheld and Plug & Play systems with MAME:

I added possible systems to add :
commit 4

You can definitely go ahead for those (excepted Thomas and Friends)

~~Driver bndarc (Arcadia (Bandai)):~~
Driver bmcfball (Classic Football (Bambino)):
Driver cpacmanr1 (Pac-Man (Coleco, Rev. 28)):
Driver ebknight (Black Knight Pinball (Entex)):
Driver efootb4 (Color Football 4 (Entex)):
Driver einvaderc (Space Invader (Entex, COP444L version)):
Driver epacman2r (Pac Man 2 (Entex, red Pacman)):
Driver esbattle (Space Battle (Entex)):
Driver gpoker (Poker (Gakken, 1979 version)):
Driver mbaskb (Basketball (Mattel)):
Driver mchess (Computer Chess (Mattel)):
Driver mfootb2 (Football 2 (Mattel)):
Driver mhockey (Hockey (Mattel)):
Driver msoccer (Soccer (Mattel)):
~~Driver tmy_thom (Thomas and Friends (Tomy)):~~

For Game & Watch below:

Driver gnw_bfightn (Game & Watch: Balloon Fight (New Wide Screen)):
Driver gnw_climbern (Game & Watch: Climber (New Wide Screen)):
Driver gnw_dkcirc (Game & Watch: Donkey Kong Circus):
Driver gnw_smbn (Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. (New Wide Screen)):

They are already covered by Madrigal romset or it's a different version like gnw_smbn and gnw_smb.
We should add them.

For Jakks (not playable) and those 2 :
Driver mdallas (Dalla$ (J.R. handheld)): --------> Board Game
Driver megajet (Mega Jet (Japan Mega Drive handheld)): -----------> Portable MegaDrive

It's a no go.

I'll work on the gamelist.xml files to add them and try to find some artwork for them.

Folly

@dteam

I updated the databases.
~~(I still have to update them in the script)~~ (updated)

Here you can check what I added :
(the red Drivers in the check_database_files are removed and added to the normal database_files)
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/RetroPie-Share/commit/9d7fe77b260441c9f66a360ef7a3b50ec171f38f

DTEAM

@dteam said in Tutorial: Handheld and Plug & Play systems with MAME:

Driver gnw_bfightn (Game & Watch: Balloon Fight (New Wide Screen)):
Driver gnw_climbern (Game & Watch: Climber (New Wide Screen)):
Driver gnw_dkcirc (Game & Watch: Donkey Kong Circus):
Driver gnw_smbn (Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros. (New Wide Screen)):

For those G&Watch, the MAME's Artworks was already in the Google drive folder