Tutorial: Handheld and Plug & Play systems with MAME

Retro Arcade Fan

Hey everyone,

I successfully added Konami Handheld, Tiger Handheld and Jakks. Having two problems with Classic Handheld. 1) I can't scrape using either scrapper. Says the platform isn't defined. Even though I used this:

<name>classich</name>
<fullname>Classic Handheld Systems</fullname>
<path>/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/classich</path>
<extension>.mgw .MGW .7z .zip</extension>
<command>/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh 0 _SYS_ classich %ROM%</command>
<platform>classich</platform>
<theme>classich</theme>

</system>

More importantly, the games won't launch. I copied the artwork into the artwork folder (even though not every rom file had a corresponding artwork file). Below is the verbose log:

Parameters:
Executing: /opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/bin/retroarch -L /opt/retropie/libretrocores/lr-gw/gw_libretro.so --config /opt/retropie/configs/classich/retroarch.cfg "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/classich/efootb4.zip" --verbose --appendconfig /dev/shm/retroarch.cfg
[INFO] [Config]: Loading config from: "/opt/retropie/configs/classich/retroarch.cfg".
[INFO] [Config]: Appending config "/dev/shm/retroarch.cfg".
[WARN] [GameMode]: GameMode cannot be enabled on this system ("dlopen failed - libgamemode.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory.") https://github.com/FeralInteractive/gamemode needs to be installed.
[WARN] [Config]: GameMode unsupported - disabling...
[INFO] RetroArch 1.10.0 (Git e9e85f3)
[INFO] === Build =======================================
[INFO] Capabilities: NEON VFPv3 VFPv4
[INFO] Built: Jan 30 2022
[INFO] Version: 1.10.0
[INFO] Git: e9e85f3
[INFO] =================================================
[INFO] [Input]: Found input driver: "x".
[INFO] [Core]: Loading dynamic libretro core from: "/opt/retropie/libretrocores/lr-gw/gw_libretro.so"
[INFO] [Overrides]: No core-specific overrides found at "/home/pi/.config/retroarch/config/Game & Watch/Game & Watch.cfg".
[INFO] [Overrides]: No content-dir-specific overrides found at "/home/pi/.config/retroarch/config/Game & Watch/classich.cfg".
[INFO] [Overrides]: No game-specific overrides found at "/home/pi/.config/retroarch/config/Game & Watch/efootb4.cfg".
[INFO] [Environ]: SET_VARIABLES.
[INFO] [Environ]: SET_CONTROLLER_INFO.
[INFO] [Remaps]: Remap directory: "/opt/retropie/configs/classich/".
[INFO] [Overrides]: Redirecting save file to "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/classich/efootb4.srm".
[INFO] [Overrides]: Redirecting save state to "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/classich/efootb4.state".
[INFO] [Environ]: GET_LOG_INTERFACE.
[INFO] [Content]: Loading content file: "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/classich/efootb4.zip".
[ERROR] [Content]: Could not read content file "/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/classich/efootb4.zip"

[INFO] [Core]: Content ran for a total of: 00 hours, 00 minutes, 00 seconds.
[INFO] [Core]: Unloading core..
[INFO] [Core]: Unloading core symbols..

And I'm using the following for the emulators.cfg file:

lr-gw = "/opt/retropie/emulators/retroarch/bin/retroarch -L /opt/retropie/libretrocores/lr-gw/gw_libretro.so --config /opt/retropie/configs/classich/retroarch.cfg %ROM%"
mame = "/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame %BASENAME%"
mame-autoframeskip = "/opt/retropie/emulators/mame/mame -autoframeskip %BASENAME%"
default = "lr-gw"

Any ideas why this one isn't working? Thank you for your help.

Folly

@Retro-Arcade-Fan

I think it's because.
You have to load Madrigals roms (.mgw) with lr-gw.
Btw. madrigals don't need artwork.

Mame roms from "mame-merged" have to be loaded with mame or lr-mess.
They will run without artwork but with artwork they will look how they should.

Don't mix them up.
(efootb4.zip is a mame rom so you have to load it with mame or lr-mess)

Retro Arcade Fan

@Folly ahh, thank you Folly. That did the trick! They are now playable. I appreciate the help as always!

Regarding the scrapping problem. Any suggestions there? Hard to find the video snaps manually on those.

Thanks.

DTEAM

@Retro-Arcade-Fan

Regarding the scrapping problem. Any suggestions there? Hard to find the video snaps manually on those.

Thanks.

Use Folly scipt to install that or Get the files here (for Classic) and put that in your classich rom folder. It should be ok

For more systems, same approach.
See here

Retro Arcade Fan

@DTEAM Thanks!

Retrodade

@DTEAM Thanks!

DTEAM

@Retrodade

If you select my hyperlink, they are already there + videos
Did you use Folly script?

If yes, @Folly , it’s probably the same overwriting problem than the last time. I will delete and upload the files again on the driver.

Retrodade

@DTEAM WOW ... ok great i got them now ! thanks and ill delete my scrapes above as its not needed. Amazing

duglor

This post is deleted!

duglor

@DTEAM

Are there ways to speed up the emulation on a game like Let's TV Play Classic- Namco Nostalgia 2? it's in my game and watch plug and play folder and uses Mame. It's rather sloooow.

DTEAM

@duglor
With a Pi 4, if you select Mame autoframeskip basename in the blue menu (when the game load), it will run at fullspeed. On my Pi, it works well.

Soxbrother

@DTEAM
Thanks for this tutorial.
I have done all the steps, but didn't manage to get it working.
I also used the script generator and did all the steps.
I have put the roms in the gameandwatch folder, the artwork in the suggested folder
( \bios\mame\artwork )

But it doesn't show up between my other systems in the retropie home menu.
I thought maybe it's because in the etc\emulationstation\es_systems.cfg file
under gameandwatch, -> extension it says .mgw .MGW
So I've added .zip to the mix, but no joy.

Or do I need to add the gameandwatch also here in this file :
/opt/retropie/configs/all/emulationstation\es_systems.cfg

Or is it simply because there's no gamelist under
/opt/retropie/configs/all/emulationstation/gamelists ?

Hopefully you can help me with is.
Probably a simple solution, I guess.
Thanks in advance.

Greetings,
Soxbrother

duglor

@DTEAM Has an overlay/bezel been made for
Let's TV Play Classic- Namco Nostalgia 2? if so, where would i download that and what .config file would i need to edit if any?

DTEAM

This post is deleted!

DTEAM

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

Has an overlay/bezel been made for
Let's TV Play Classic- Namco

No. If so, I've never seen it before.

DTEAM

New classich game with MAME 0.253: racetime

DTEAM

New classich with MAME 0.254

bgunf = Gunfighter (Bandai)
bgalaxn = Galaxian (Bandai)

gamelist updated

duglor

@DTEAM Sorry to trouble you. If there is such a thing, do you have a way i can find a mame that works with retropie that supports mame 0.182 or after? That's when the driver i'm looking at was perfected. It could be any mame after that...the earlier the better i guess for speed and taxing of the retropie.

I only need to find a version that supports the Winning Run series of 4 arcade racers

This handheld update is great ! Thank you so much! -Doug

DTEAM

@duglor

You can get MAME 0.254 in Retropie update -> experimental

duglor

@DTEAM Does Winning Run and it's 3 sequels run in the lastest download for lr-Mame? If you know? That's the .254 in there? the latest update to the lr-Mame?

I think i'll make a bezel /overlay for Let's Play TV Namco 2. Where should I upload that to see if you'd like to share that with folks?

Is the mame team or yourself planning on supporting some of the Casio Watch games like the rare Casio Western Bar CG-300 LCD game made in 1984 ?
Be well and thanks for the zillions of fun times you've let many of us have thanks to your efforts! -Doug