Mapping Player2 start button for 8bit Mame Games Pacman etc

IanDaemon

@zabooka What setup do you have? Are you using a stock image or did you buy one "pre-loaded with roms" in which case there may be things that you're "locked out" of. You should be able to modify the config files for your system (or a specific game) that alters the control scheme to your liking.

https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first

sleve_mcdichael

@zabooka I needed something similar when a game used the P2 Start button to "continue" after Game Over. I was able to map P2 Start to an unused button on my P1 gamepad with a config edit.

File (example for game Xain'D Sleena on core lr-fbneo):

/opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch/config/FinalBurn\ Neo/xsleena.cfg

Content:

input_player2_joypad_index = "0"
input_player2_start_btn = "0"

The first line maps P2 control onto the P1 input device (where P1 = index 0, P2 = index 1, etc.)

For the second one, change the number to whatever the button code is for the unused button on your P1 input device that you wish to serve as P2 Start (it's only coincidence that it's also zero in my case, since that was the button code on my gamepad for the X button I wanted to use.)

Edit: As it's a retroarch config, this method obviously only works for libretro cores, won't work on standalone MAME.

If you want it for all games, I suppose you could put it in your main retroarch.cfg instead of configuring it per-game like this. In fact, that would probably let you play any alternating 2-player game with one set of controls, even if it's expecting a second input (the arcade "VS System" version of Super Mario Bros, for example.)

mahoneyt944

Depending on what mame version you have, mame2003 and mame2003-plus both allow you to map the player 2 start within their internal mame menu. Open a game in the core. Open the retroarch menu:
Main menu-> quick menu-> options-> display mame menu-> enable.
Then close the retroarch menu and you'll see the mame menu open. Under input (general) find player 2 start and remap it to a player 1 button.

Select the entry with the A button then press the button you want.

Then exit the game, restart the game.

zabooka

@sleve_mcdichael
Man that sound 99% similar than then prob i have. You gave me some hope :D I will try to dig a bit deeper in this weekend maybe. You did this for this one game because this "continue" was for that game but for me i hope i dont need to to that for every game i play. Well honesly i dont play so many ;) I would even do that. def. i need pacman (all the other pacmans) and the other 80,81 games.
Thanks a lot !!!

zabooka

@mahoneyt944
Cheers mahoney. I dont think i have looked there. Maybe this could help me out. Thanks man.
I remember a Mahoney from the C64 Scene, he was a great programmer, (still is, somewhere in scandinavia if i remember correctly) but i guess its not you. :D
Thanks for pointing out that option!!!

zabooka

@iandaemon
you want a medal from the Admin ? Always this "what image do you have" questions. The image doesnt matter. Assuming i did this image myself, how would your answer help then ?
Instead of this you could have answered.
"if you have a "ready-done" or "ownloaded image, the config file here and there or this ot that there" could be read only. Check this and that file out (incl file structure like @sleve_mcdichael did) but no, you point to some "read this first" so how does this HELP anyone ??
If i wouldnt have read the "read me first" i wouldnt have posted my question here in "Help and Support" in the first place, i would have asked in "retropie games" (like everyone as it seemds to have happened ;) ) so if you really want to help someone, f*****g help ! ;)

dankcushions

@zabooka

If i wouldnt have read the "read me first" i wouldnt have posted my question here in "Help and Support" in the first place, i would have asked in "retropie games"

if you'd actually read read this first you'd see that this information is not optional. the image does matter - we do not support anyone with a pre-build system or any other system they have not configured themselves, because it's impossible to give support to a system for which neither the user nor us have any idea how it's configured, and a waste of our time to figure out.

please respect the forum rules and dial down your attitude against people who are trying to help you.

zabooka

@mahoneyt944
Hi Mahoney, i finally found some time to work on my arcade machine again.
I followed your lead
"Depending on what mame version you have, mame2003 and mame2003-plus both allow you to map the player 2 start within their internal mame menu. Open a game in the core. Open the retroarch menu:
Main menu-> quick menu-> options-> display mame menu-> enable.
Then close the retroarch menu and you'll see the mame menu open. Under input (general) find player 2 start and remap it to a player 1 button.

Select the entry with the A button then press the button you want.

Then exit the game, restart the game."
I activated MAME in the retroarch menu and when i loaded up a game and went into Input General or Input This game and try to map with my Joystick (it recognized it as Dragon something, guess thats because of the USB controller board for the Arcade Joystick and buttons, or if i even use the USB Keyboard and then want to map whatever key, i can press any button i want. It doenst change it. Because i do "nothing" for the Mame Setup, it thinks im not entering anything and then it changes the field to NONE. Which is more bad then before. So im still no step further to mapping my player 2 start button for the likes of pacman, donkeykong etc Im not using a gamepad (i have a ps4 here but do i need to use that instead of my other input device incl the USB Keyboard ?
Any clue whats going on ?
Cheers man

mahoneyt944

@zabooka

You should be able to select an input then remap it.

"None" displays when you select an input then quickly double tap an input. If this is happening on it's own you may have a sticky input or a wiring issue to ground with the input encoder

zabooka

@sleve_mcdichael
Hey man, many moon have gone since my post here. Today i finally managed to change the main config file and now ALL GAMES work with the player 2 start button and with the player 1 joystick !
IM SO HAPPY MAN !
I tried so many different things, nothing worked. It was pretty important that i knew that my Player 2 button was button 5. first i tried to change the mame config which doesnt change anything then i did that as you said for the final burn neo and just put a modified (as you wrote) pacman.cfg in there and then it worked. GREAT. Was so happy already but then after i changed the main cfg file they all work YEAAAYYYY . Now i can mount my selfmade arcade onto the wall. Was so much work, designed the sticker, new bezel, cutted the wood, inserted an old EIZO 17" inch to have a top sharp picture , new speakers and everything and it wouldnt be complete without a working player 2 button. Thanks to you man. YOU HELP PEOPLE OUT ! Let that be know.
Not like these idiots is this a selfmade image ?? No i wont help you out.
YOURE THE BOSS!!! I salute you...
Much love, much respect.
thanks...
Wish you a delighted week my friend.
Zabooka

zabooka

@mahoneyt944
Hey man, no nothing worked, dont know why it didnt let me "enter" any key. It just didnt do anything an no no key was stuck or sticky ;)
Anyway, thanks to the help of Mr sleve_mcdichael i managed to do it. Yay :D
Thanks for you as well.
Big up