Mame2003 doesn't quite work on Pi Zero 2 W

[Dochartaigh]

Pi Model or other hardware: Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
Power Supply used: Official (from my RP3B+)
RetroPie Version Used: 4.7
Built From: Pre made SD Image WEEKLY (retropie-buster-4.7.21-rpi2_3_zero2w.img.gz, dated 05-Mar-2022 - tried 1x newer too)
USB Devices connected: Wireless keyboard/mouse combo, Xbox 360 wireless adapter w/ 360 controller, TP-Link ethernet adapter
Controller used: Xbox 360 official controller
Error messages received: N/A
Verbose log (if relevant): N/A

lr-mame2003 seems to be messed-up on the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. Works fine on my RP3, RP4, heck even a ton of games work on the measly original Zero if my memory serves.

I could TOTALLY get if the games ran slower on the Zero 2 vs. my RP3/4, but I'm talking graphical (ex1) glitches (ex2) which aren't there on the RP3/4, and even differences in how the menus are (example of missing options on Zero 2, which is clearly there on RP3/4 - like the framerate I use ALL the time to make sure a given game runs ok).

Tried 2x Zero 2's, with 2 recent weekly builds. These pictures are from the latest 'from source' build which took a couple hours to compile last night, but it's the same on the binary one too. arabfgt.zip is the game these sample pics are from but similar on other games too (honestly, mame2003 is a shrinking number of games for me since the latest 1.0.0.3 FBNeo made even MORE games run --hello SmashTV finally lol--), but I still use mame2003 a lot, especially since i've been using it since 2016 or so on these Pi's (and yes, it's the EXACT correct romset fyi).

Is this something I should report to the Github? Or I think the same major players frequent here too as mods usually, right? Thank you as always!

[barbudreadmon]

@Dochartaigh there is no missing options at

You simply need to enter Notification Visibility which is actually a submenu, it has been like this for quite some time already so the retroarch version you have on pi3/4 must be quite old.

Most likely, the other differences between your devices are also related to the usage of different software versions.

[Darksavior]

@Dochartaigh Try mame2003-plus from source. Keep in mind that it still won't fix the buggy shadows in system32 games. A pi4 can handle system32 on mame2016 but unfortunately not on fbneo.

[Dochartaigh]

@barbudreadmon said in Mame2003 doesn't quite work on Pi Zero 2 W:

@Dochartaigh there is no missing options at !

You simply need to enter Notification Visibility which is actually a submenu, it has been like this for quite some time already so the retroarch version you have on pi3/4 must be quite old.

Cool, thanks! Never thought I would have to enter 1 more menu deeper into the settings for the frame rate -- especially since the RP4 has it right there (no sub-menu you have to enter).

And no, these are very new: the Zero 2 W got delivered in the last couple weeks (and uses 05-Mar-2022 weekly build), the RP4 is from your latest 4.7.1 on your site which I believe I then upgraded to 4.7 3 if my memory serves (binary for mame2003 though, not from source... but still new-ish).

Oh, isn't the version on the bottom left of those RA menu screenshots i posted? Or is that something else? Both the Zero 2 and RP4 say "11.07" there.

@Darksavior said in Mame2003 doesn't quite work on Pi Zero 2 W:

@Dochartaigh Try mame2003-plus from source. Keep in mind that it still won't fix the buggy shadows in system32 games. A pi4 can handle system32 on mame2016 but unfortunately not on fbneo.

Thanks - so are you saying mame2003-plus would have better performance and/or less graphical glitches like I pictured in my mame2003 build? I'm using a Zero 2 now myself, and still maintain a bunch of my cousins Raspberry Pi's and most have older RP3's (and a few Zero 1's), and don't want to switch everything over to mame2003-plus if it isn't just as fast as mame2003.

If they're equal to each other but less glitches I can move over to mame2003-plus. I haven't changed that since like 2016 since I used to have hundreds and hundreds of games in it, but TBH most have moved to FBNeo over the years so that wouldn't be nearly as much as a pain to switch romsets now as it used to be.

[barbudreadmon]

@Dochartaigh said in Mame2003 doesn't quite work on Pi Zero 2 W:

Both the Zero 2 and RP4 say "11.07" there.

That's probably the time, retroarch isn't yet at this version. Retroarch changed that menu back in 2020 iirc.

If you are supposed to have updated it to latest from sources then all i can say is that something must have gone wrong while updating, and all your issues might be coming from there.

mame2003-plus is unlikely to be faster (but i think @arcadez2003 is still writing that fork with a pentium III @ 733Mhz in mind ? so it might be fast enough), but it will be more accurate.

@Dochartaigh said in Mame2003 doesn't quite work on Pi Zero 2 W:

binary for mame2003 though, not from source... but still new-ish

Afaik, those binaries are rarely updated, the mame2003 binary might be several years old, and that might be where the differences are coming from if you are using sources on the pi0-2.

[arcadez2003]

@Dochartaigh said in Mame2003 doesn't quite work on Pi Zero 2 W:

Thanks - so are you saying mame2003-plus would have better performance and/or less graphical glitches like I pictured in my mame2003 build? I'm using a Zero 2 now myself, and still maintain a bunch of my cousins Raspberry Pi's and most have older RP3's (and a few Zero 1's), and don't want to switch everything over to mame2003-plus if it isn't just as fast as mame2003.

Although i never worked on it personally MAME2003+ supports cyclone versions of the M68k and Z80 CPU cores, these are faster than their
stock counterparts and an option is available as i understand it in the options menu to toggle said cyclone cores on or off, with them active
any game which uses an M68k and or a Z80 "and thousands do" should get a performance boost on the lower end hardware.

BTW it's worth switching over to MAME2003+ if you have the time due to extra game support and tons of fixes and improvements which have
been added over the years which are not present in the original core, i guess it all depends on whether any of these are games you like or not
https://github.com/libretro/mame2003-plus-libretro/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md

Regards.

[Dochartaigh]

@barbudreadmon said in Mame2003 doesn't quite work on Pi Zero 2 W:

Afaik, those binaries are rarely updated, the mame2003 binary might be several years old, and that might be where the differences are coming from if you are using sources on the pi0-2.

Proper way to update is to update the retropie setup script (I usually reboot after that just in case), then go and update mame2003 from source, correct?

Just did that on my RP4 today (fresh install from your 4.7 image, not trying the new 4.8 I just noticed today yet until bugs are worked out) and it's STILL giving me a 2 year old version of mame2003... Nov 2 2020, 1.8.8.

My Zero 2 'from source' is Jan 20 2022 and 1.10.0.... so whoever sets things up for the RP4 looks like they never changed this for some reason I guess?

@arcadez2003 said in Mame2003 doesn't quite work on Pi Zero 2 W:

Although i never worked on it personally MAME2003+ supports cyclone versions of the M68k and Z80 CPU cores, these are faster than their
stock counterparts and an option is available as i understand it in the options menu to toggle said cyclone cores on or off, with them active
any game which uses an M68k and or a Z80 "and thousands do" should get a performance boost on the lower end hardware.

BTW it's worth switching over to MAME2003+ if you have the time due to extra game support and tons of fixes and improvements which have
been added over the years which are not present in the original core, i guess it all depends on whether any of these are games you like or not
https://github.com/libretro/mame2003-plus-libretro/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md

Thanks for the info. Question: if you can get a performance boost in those two cores, why isn't that option turned on by default? What's the detriment/down-side?

[barbudreadmon]

@Dochartaigh said in Mame2003 doesn't quite work on Pi Zero 2 W:

fresh install from your 4.7 image

Just to be clear, i'm not involved with retropie development, i'm the FBNeo dev who answered you the other day on github, so this is not my image.

Anyway, building from sources will always update the build date, whether there are actual changes or not, if it didn't then it means the build failed, retropie might have logs or something explaining the reason of the failure.

Also, that 1.8.8 version is a retroarch version (from 2 years ago), mame2003 doesn't have version numbers (well, the version will always be 2003 aka 0.78).

[dankcushions]

@Dochartaigh said in Mame2003 doesn't quite work on Pi Zero 2 W:

Question: if you can get a performance boost in those two cores, why isn't that option turned on by default? What's the detriment/down-side?

i believe it is turned on by default on the games it works in, but probs not on your ancient version of mame2003

[dankcushions]

@Dochartaigh said in Mame2003 doesn't quite work on Pi Zero 2 W:

Just did that on my RP4 today (fresh install from your 4.7 image, not trying the new 4.8 I just noticed today yet until bugs are worked out) and it's STILL giving me a 2 year old version of mame2003... Nov 2 2020, 1.8.8.

4.7 release date: 2nd nov 2020

[Dochartaigh]

@barbudreadmon said in Mame2003 doesn't quite work on Pi Zero 2 W:

@Dochartaigh said in Mame2003 doesn't quite work on Pi Zero 2 W:

fresh install from your 4.7 image

Just to be clear, i'm not involved with retropie development, i'm the FBNeo dev who answered you the other day on github, so this is not my image.

Anyway, building from sources will always update the build date, whether there are actual changes or not, if it didn't then it means the build failed, retropie might have logs or something explaining the reason of the failure.

Also, that 1.8.8 version is a retroarch version (from 2 years ago), mame2003 doesn't have version numbers (well, the version will always be 2003 aka 0.78).

I have no clue how to find the mame2003 build number then lol. Just know that it has the old style menu for 'frame rate' you pointed out so it's NOT the newest version of Mame2003 if seems like...

Oh, also forgot to point out that when I switched from the Binary version of it on my Rp4 (which had no graphical bugs), to the 'from source' version.... yup, it now has those same graphical bugs as the Zero 2 version (but again, still seems to be an older version per that menu - which older version I do not know... just know it updated something that made it worse, just no clue what lol ;)

Also, since this is a totally different RP4 with a totally different fresh install of RetroPie, it seems to be incapable of installing the newest version of mame2003 for whatever reason.

And thanks for your help the other day with FBNeo if I didn't already say it on Github!

[Dochartaigh]

@dankcushions said in Mame2003 doesn't quite work on Pi Zero 2 W:

@Dochartaigh said in Mame2003 doesn't quite work on Pi Zero 2 W:

Just did that on my RP4 today (fresh install from your 4.7 image, not trying the new 4.8 I just noticed today yet until bugs are worked out) and it's STILL giving me a 2 year old version of mame2003... Nov 2 2020, 1.8.8.

4.7 release date: 2nd nov 2020

Sorry, missed your post when I replied earlier. So updating 'from source' does NOT give you the newest version? I thought that was the entire point of updating from source like I just did?

This (talking about the RP4 still) also definitely updated since launch of 4.7, no matter what that date says. Like my original post here was about, complete with screenshots, this game wasn't working on the Zero 2, but WAS working on the RP4 (4.7, updated to 4.7.3ish, with 'from binary' mame2003). Like I just posted about, when I updated the RP4 'from source' earlier today (running 'update retropie setup script' first), it now has the same graphical glitches the Zero 2 has... so now I'm completely and utterly confused... ;)

[arcadez2003]

@Dochartaigh said in Mame2003 doesn't quite work on Pi Zero 2 W:

Thanks for the info. Question: if you can get a performance boost in those two cores, why isn't that option turned on by default? What's the detriment/down-side?

Simply put because those cores are not 100% stable and can cause problems in certain games, hence in MAME2003+ the cyclone cores are turned off
by default with the option for users to toggle em on should they need the performance boost up, these cores should always be thought of as a last resort
kinda deal :)

Regards.

[dankcushions]

@Dochartaigh said in Mame2003 doesn't quite work on Pi Zero 2 W:

@dankcushions said in Mame2003 doesn't quite work on Pi Zero 2 W:

@Dochartaigh said in Mame2003 doesn't quite work on Pi Zero 2 W:

Just did that on my RP4 today (fresh install from your 4.7 image, not trying the new 4.8 I just noticed today yet until bugs are worked out) and it's STILL giving me a 2 year old version of mame2003... Nov 2 2020, 1.8.8.

4.7 release date: 2nd nov 2020

Sorry, missed your post when I replied earlier. So updating 'from source' does NOT give you the newest version? I thought that was the entire point of updating from source like I just did?

1.8.8 is the retroarch version. retropie locks to a tested version of retroarch, so to update it you first have to update the retropie-setup script - option S here:

then update retroarch in packages > core > retroarch (update via binary or source)

the style of the menus depends on the version of retroarch AND the version of mame2003, but i imagine your version of mame2003 is now up to date. verbose logs remove all doubt and tell us all the versions involved.

This (talking about the RP4 still) also definitely updated since launch of 4.7, no matter what that date says. Like my original post here was about, complete with screenshots, this game wasn't working on the Zero 2, but WAS working on the RP4 (4.7, updated to 4.7.3ish, with 'from binary' mame2003). Like I just posted about, when I updated the RP4 'from source' earlier today (running 'update retropie setup script' first), it now has the same graphical glitches the Zero 2 has... so now I'm completely and utterly confused... ;)

i don't know about the emulation capability of mame2003 so i don't know, but it sounds like the current version has some glitches. you should supply a verbose log to see if there's any clues: https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Runcommand/#launch-with-verbose-logging