Retropie - my beginnings

[Robinson]

Hello,
I have Retropie OS on my Raspberry Pi 4B and two new 8BitDo controllers: https://download.8bitdo.com/Manual/Controller/Ultimate/Ultimate-C-2.4G-Wireless-Controller.pdf
These are my beginnings with retro gaming so apologies for my ignorance.
Q 1) About 35 years ago I used to have Atari 65XE. There is no separate emulator for it though. If I wanted to play the same old games should I go for Atari 2600 games or something else?
Q 2) I have a problem exiting games. Is this perhaps because I may have not assigned any HOTKEY function on my gamepad? I have to restart emulationstation to exit games.
Q 3) I have a HD ready Panasonic TV. Especially moving objects, such as asteroids or Pac-Man ghosts, keep flickering all the time. Do I perhaps have to edit audio/video settings in Retropie OS or in my TV configuration?
Q 4) How can I edit button assignments now? Can it be done via ssh terminal? Or in some other way?
Thanks.

[Ashpool]

@Robinson Q1: I think the 800XL would be much closer to it ;) citing wikipedia here:

The 65XE has 64 KB of RAM and is functionally equivalent to the 800XL minus the PBI connection.

Q2: by not assigned any hotkey function, do you mean a) you haven't assigned a button as the hotkey, or b) have not assigned/edited any hotkey assignments? If it is 'a', yes, that may be the reason. I think it is in your own interest to learn about it by reading the docs 1st and come back with more specific questions about it -> getting started - controller configuration & Retroarch - Controller-Configuration.

Q3: Don't know about that display, but if possible, use something like "game"/"PC Mode" or whatever buzzword the manufacturer have invented for it with a tv (most of 'em are offering a mode where they switch of most of the postprocessing/filters/, that one should (in most cases afaik) also reduce the delay of the tv (increase the response time)).

Q4: editing the *.cfg of your choice (see 2nd link to the docs I've posted above) can be done via samba or ssh.

[BuZz]

@Robinson said in Retropie - my beginnings:

Q 1) About 35 years ago I used to have Atari 65XE. There is no separate emulator for it though. If I wanted to play the same old games should I go for Atari 2600 games or something else?

Use lr-atari800 or the standalone Atari 800 emulator.

Q 2) I have a problem exiting games. Is this perhaps because I may have not assigned any HOTKEY function on my gamepad? I have to restart emulationstation to exit games.

Yes. You need to configure a hotkey to exit with your gamepad.

Q 3) I have a HD ready Panasonic TV. Especially moving objects, such as asteroids or Pac-Man ghosts, keep flickering all the time. Do I perhaps have to edit audio/video settings in Retropie OS or in my TV configuration?

You can change video mode for a system via the run command menu when you start a game. Or you can configure a global video mode and other settings via config.txt.

Q 4) How can I edit button assignments now? Can it be done via ssh terminal? Or in some other way?

Via the settings menu in emulation station (press start and choose configure input)

Please also see https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first and https://retropie.org.uk/docs/First-Installation/

[Robinson]

@BuZz said in Retropie - my beginnings:

@Robinson said in Retropie - my beginnings:

Q 1) About 35 years ago I used to have Atari 65XE. There is no separate emulator for it though. If I wanted to play the same old games should I go for Atari 2600 games or something else?

Use lr-atari800 or the standalone Atari 800 emulator.

I have found some ROMs with the games I played 30 years ago but most of them give me "Atari800/OS Emulation halted" screen.
"Sorry, this program needs a real Atari/OS ..."
https://i.imgur.com/PxpqTD2.png

Does it mean they are not playable in the emulator?

[YFZdude]

@Robinson
Have you obtained the BIOS files for the system?

https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Atari-800-and-5200/

[A Former User]

@Robinson Q 2 - Use hotkey and start to exit a game or hotkey and x to enter the retroarch menu for the current emulator/core your using.

Q 4 - for the button assignments go into the main menu on the home screen by pressing [START] on your controller and choose configure input, then hold any button on the controller while it is connected to start configuring your controller.

Hope This Helps @Robinson

-Dominic

[Robinson]

@YFZdude said in Retropie - my beginnings:

@Robinson
Have you obtained the BIOS files for the system?

https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Atari-800-and-5200/

I certainly haven't.
Thanks. I'll give it a try tonight.
Can BIOS files be legally acquired from Retropie website?
Or do I need to look for a different source?

[Robinson]

@DominicSD said in Retropie - my beginnings:

@Robinson Q 2 - Use hotkey and start to exit a game or hotkey and x to enter the retroarch menu for the current emulator/core your using.

Q 4 - for the button assignments go into the main menu on the home screen by pressing [START] on your controller and choose configure input, then hold any button on the controller while it is connected to start configuring your controller.

Hope This Helps @Robinson

-Dominic

Thanks.

[YFZdude]

@Robinson
The BIOS files are much like roms. Can't provide links here but I'm sure your favorite search engine can find them in a hurry.

[Robinson]

Am I right in thinking that Atari 800 needs BIOS files but Atarii 2600 doesn't?

[abj]

@Robinson You need Bios and for Atari 5200 : 5200.rom

[Robinson]

@abj said in Retropie - my beginnings:

@Robinson You need Bios and for Atari 5200 : 5200.rom

You were so quick before my edit.
I meant 2600.

[abj]

@Robinson You don't need a bios for 2600, see : https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Atari-2600/