Workaround for player select in 4-player games? (Simpsons / TMNT)

[StuMcBill]

Are there any workarounds or rom hacks to enable character selection on 4-player games like The Simpsons or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

Normally I just end up playing as Marge or Leonardo, as they are player one on these games, thats what I have done on normal MAME anyway?

Is there anyway around this, or do I just need to map controls for the character I want to play at the time?

Stu

[Sano]

I think there are 2 player versions of those ROMs which allows character selection.
Alternatively, you may try to affect your controller to another player through retroarch menu.

[StuMcBill]

How, after I have been using MAME since around 1998 did I not know this!! Ha ha

@Sano said in Workaround for player select in 4-player games? (Simpsons / TMNT):

I think there are 2 player versions of those ROMs which allows character selection.

[megafacehead]

Correct, get the two player version.On my setup i have both roms, the 4 player version for those rare times 4 people want to play, and i also have the 2 player version, that the one used the most, allows two players who can pick any character they want.

you'll want (the second one is the 2 player version)
xmen.zip and xmen2p.zip (xmen)
ssriders.zip and ssrdrabd.zip ( sunset riders)
simpsons.zip and simpsn2p.zip (simpsons)
tmnt.zip and tmnt2po.zip (tmnt)
tmnt2.zip and tmnt22p.zip (turtles in time)

...
and so forth.

The 4 player and 2 player version of each rom should be the same size(within a few kb of each other), if the 2player version is a few meg smaller, it wont work, as it means it essentially acting like an expansion pack version of the rom, meaning it only has a few files in it to run as a 2p game, all the standard files are missing and will have to be added from the 4p(parent) rom.

Which is time consuming, involves having to unzip both roms, adding files from the 4p rom to the 2p rom's files, then zipping it back up and renaming it the 4p rom name.Just save yourself the hassle and find 2p versions that have already had this done to them.Remember, youll know if this is the case if the file size of the 2p version is very very close to the parent rom you already have.

Again, another example, my simpsons.zip (4 player version) is 2426kb and my simpsn2p.zip(2 player version) is 2429kb.Both are mame2003 romset (0.78)

Heres a good list of mame games,

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/libretro/libretro-fba/master/gamelist.txt

lets you know if a game has a 2 player version and what the rom name would be in a zip format (left column, add .zip to the end of the name listed)

[StuMcBill]

Thanks for the help guys.

I can't believe I didn't know this already!! 😂

[PetroRie]

On mame try to acces the service menu, I remember playing one mame game longtime ago and when I acces the service menu there was an options which allowed me to choose 2 players or 4 players. I don't know if the games you mentioned have this too but you can try it.

[h0gg1e]

Here is a really good list of good mame clones.
This lists out the 2 player versions of the popular 4 player games, as well as some other good clones ... ie fast Ms Pacman!

http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/forums/topic/406-mame-clones-worth-playing-a-complete-hopefully-list/