Early Arcade Games Emulation/Simulation Roms - some challenges

[kiem_tra]

Hi guys!

I spend a lot of time configuring my RetroPie to play the very first/most influential arcade games of the 70s and beginning of 80s.

I'm very happy to have been able to play Computer Space, Space Invaders, Asteroids, Lunar Lander, Defender, and some other amazing early games (it took me a long time figuring out the right mame emulator for those, but now it is working)! I had to install a few experimental package, but I'm happy with the result.

But I'm completely stuck trying to run some of the Roms (in particular some discrete logic games).

Anybody succeeded in running the following on RetroPie:

The Mame version of Pong (TTL);
The Mame version of Death Race;
The Mame version of Break Out (TTL);
The Mame version of Missile Command;
The Mame version of Tank (TTL);
The Mame version of Night Driver;

I got the ROM files for most of those, but I tried about 10 to 12 emulation systems, and nothing's working on Retropie (well, Pong works with mame 2015, but is very very slow);

Does anyone succeded in making those game work on RetroPie? Am I missing something? Which emulator did you use for those?

Please do not explain to me the difference between discrete logic programming and microprocessor programming. I know some of those games can't be emulated. I don't mind if they are simulated and not emulated: i just want to play the damn game!

Thanks guys!

[Thorr69]

I get the feeling that you are trying find emulators for your roms and not the other way around. You will have nothing but frustration if you proceed as you are. You should instead get a rom set that matches a specific mame emulator (a set that includes the games you list). I believe all of those games are present in the MAME 0.78 reference set which matches the mame2003 emulator. They should all be playable, iirc. I play Missile Command on my setup using mame2003, so that one is definite.

[kiem_tra]

You are right. Missile Command works with 2003. It is just that I feel really limited in terms of Roms availalbe for the games I want to play. I can find the Roms, but not the correct emulators. As you said: this is frustrating.

[quicksilver]

@kiem_tra said in Early Arcade Games Emulation/Simulation Roms - some challenges:

It is just that I feel really limited in terms of Roms availalbe for the games I want to play. I can find the Roms, but not the correct emulators.

Search for a 0.78 mame romset and it will have all of the old games you want...

[kiem_tra]

@quicksilver Thanks! Will do.

[Thorr69]

Unfortunately, the games he listed were not added until much later. I think Pong was added in .138. The best idea would be to figure out what version MAME these games were made playable and then see if one of the current RPi versions will cover it. Once determined, you get that romset and go from there.

[Fourch]

I'm unearthing this post because I'd like to be able to run Break Out (TTL) with Mame but it seems there is no rom to be found anywhere.

After further research, I found out Breakout and Pong are included within Mame standalone, by default. But how te be able to play those games with Mame RetroArch?

EDIT: I found a way: I created an empty breakout.zip, EmulationStation recognized it, and then told RetroArch to launch mame core and "breakout" command. And it worked

[eygobar]

@Fourch Hi, could you be more specific on how you did this please?. Trying to do the same, but not sure how you tell retroarch to launch mame core and breakout command. Thanks.?

[mitu]

@eygobar the poster hasn't been active in the forums for more than 1 year. @Fourch said:

I created an empty breakout.zip, EmulationStation recognized it, and then told RetroArch to launch mame core and "breakout" command.

Are you having problems following the instructions above ? Which part ?