Help running PS1 protected games

backstander

I wonder if this is why I can't play The Next Tetris (PSX). It shows all the company logo's splashscreen at the beginning of the game but hangs on a black screen just before the main menu. What's weird is that it is not frozen so I can enter the RGUI. I actually own the game so I know what it is supposed to look like ;-)

edmaul69

@backstander same here with us eboot.

felleg

@mediamogul Thanks for that link. Now for the hard question... How can we make it fit in retropie?

Darksavior

A more convenient way is to patch the game, but I'm not sure if one exists.

felleg

@Darksavior said in Help running PS1 protected games:

A more convenient way is to patch the game, but I'm not sure if one exists.

I don't know how to apply patches (if you do, please let me know!), but I think I found some.

By total luck, I believe I managed to find a patch for Sakura Tetris from this thread on the epforums. Sadly, Zanac X Zanac is not part of this thread.

The labeling is confusing in the .7z file found in the thread I just linked, but to summarize what I found, I think either or both of these files are a patch for Tetris sakura:

patch #1: http://www.mediafire.com/file/cyg4hkh975g4khb/cardcaptor-sakura-tetris-patch.ppf
patch #2: http://www.mediafire.com/file/ys8f8q9z97lqwfi/Sakura+Tetris+Eternal+Heart+patch.p4u

ramospa

I just figured it out myself for Tetris after all this time. Seems to be an anti-mod quirk with the emulator. You have to create a cheat file and place it somewhere where you can find it easily (which can be a task in itself.) I placed mine in "/opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch/cheats" inside the Playstation folder. Create a normal text file and insert the following:

cheats = 1

cheat0_desc = "Anti-Mod"
cheat0_code = "D0016B58+0006+80016B58+0001+D0016B6E+1043+80016B6E+1000+D0018838+0006+80018838+0001+D001884E+1043+8001884E+1000+D00201C2+1044+800201C2+1000+D00201B0+0005+800201B0+0001+D00217C4+0005+800217C4+0001+D00217D6+1043+800217D6+1000"
cheat0_enable = true

Make sure the line "cheat0_code" is all one line! Save the file with a .cht extension and place it in the folder named above. Start up the game and watch the message on the bottom left. After the grey "Launching..." box you'll see your controller config message. Immediately enter the RetroArch menu. Enter: Quick Menu - Cheats - Load Cheat File - (point to your .cht file) - Double check to see if the cheat is enabled (should be on by default) - Apply changes - back one menu and Resume. If you managed to do it quick enough, the game will load as normal. If not, don't worry. Enter the RetroArch menu again, and Restart and Resume (or use your shortcut for Reset). When you exit, you have to reload the .cht file everytime.

Darksavior

@felleg I searched high and low and that might be the same patch I found and that was a crappy PAL/NTSC selector.

@ramospa well shit, thanks. Gonna try it now. I wonder if something similar can be done for Parasite Eve 2 US. It freezes if you leave the training room but I can't be sure if that's also an anti-mod protection.

edmaul69

@ramospa question, which tetris from which region are you doing this on? there is a way to make the code permanent. make a copy of your psx retroarch.cfg . put it in your roms folder. now if your rom is called tetris.pbp (everything is case sensitive) then you would name the retroarch.cfg to tetris.pbp.cfg . now inside this file above the#include... line you would add your cheat code. now if it still doesnt work, in this file change the input remapping directory to go to this file instead.

edmaul69

@Darksavior there is a fix. go into the game and then go in the retroarch menu. go into quick menu. then go to options. enable the pe2_fix. now back out. choose reset then resume. you dont have to choose it everytime if you leave it enabled.

ramospa

@edmaul69 my apologies. It's the Tetris Cardcaptor Sakura (J) i was referring to. I had tried the patches and nothing seemed to work. The only reason I stumbled onto this is that I found this method while I was trying to boot it on my own modded PS1 in the last few days. The mod stop screen was tripped after the blue screen everyone seems to get stuck at (myself included). I will try and figure out the method you mentioned of creating a .cfg file.

EDIT: @felleg I just tried Zanac X Zanac. Seems to be an issue with loading from a memory card. Tried importing a memcard from ePSXe on Windows and its a no go as well. I'll try booting it with my PS1 later.

Darksavior

@edmaul69 said in Help running PS1 protected games:

@Darksavior there is a fix. go into the game and then go in the retroarch menu. go into quick menu. then go to options. enable the pe2_fix. now back out. choose reset then resume. you dont have to choose it everytime if you leave it enabled.

That does not work. There was a thread about it a few months ago. None of us in that thread found a working fix.

edmaul69

@Darksavior well thats a shame.

felleg

@ramospa Thanks for trying this out. I'm at my wits' end here, no idea what to try next!

felleg

@ramospa I have NO idea how I originally missed this post, but just wanted to update this to reflect that these instructions worked perfectly for me. It seems that after all this time, the cheats found on the Reddit thread in the OP were the right one, they just had to be entered in a format familiar to Retroarch. I found it easier to store the cheat file in /home/pi/RetroPie/cheats, but otherwise, 10/10, BRB playing this game at last!