While researching I stumbled over these lines in the Skeleton config:

# Input device buttons. # Figure these out by using RetroArch-Phoenix or retroarch-joyconfig. # You can use joypad hats with hnxx, where n is the hat, and xx is a string representing direction. # E.g. "h0up"

But where do I find these 2?
Both just returned me a command not found error.

RetroArch-Phoenix and retroarch-joyconfig

Also I don't have enough buttons to go through the auto config tool, so that simply is not an option. At least it seems so since I could not find a way to skip buttons or end it before going through all of it.

Tried the obvious things like using a keyboard:
press esc
press tab (to select the exit button)
press arrow keys (to select exit button)
press enter, well just for good measure at this point

Logging into ssh to check if it maybe already saves progress mid way through:

ls /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch-joypads Microsoft X-Box 360 pad.cfg Microsoft X-Box 360 pad.cfg.bak

Well, that seems like a no, so I can't just shutdown now and just fix up the file manually later with the intel obtained from the partially configured one.

Seems to be this game ?
You may try starting the game with mame2003-plus (mame2003 might also work) and use the Mame mapping menu (hit Tab on an attached keyboard) for the game. The up/down movements of the gun are mapped to a couple of Paddle inputs, which you can assign to the 2nd joystick of the player.

@damoos You can override the controller order on a per-game basis, you'll need a separate .cfg file for the game where you can change the order of the controllers:

input_player1_joypad_index=1 input_player2_joypad_index=0

The above will switch the controller order, so 2nd controller gets to be Player1 and vice-versa. See here how that works.

So it's a libretro core? Can't you just map it in the Retroarch menu (hotkey+X -> controls -> port 1 controls), or do I misunderstand?

The hotkey is defined in the RetroPie controller config. You can then customize the hotkeys in RetroArch.

Or I believe you can set up "shift key" behavior in the I-PAC config to do the same thing.

If you still want separate buttons that's fine, was just a personal preference to have my controls be minimal.

I haven't installed any leaf buttons/sticks myself, I guess you can check the other forums here or google around for more info.

@mitu That's how I originally started out and it didn't work. I have weeks of work into this image now and don't want to wipe it out on a whim until I know that every avenue has been explored. And as I said earlier, it's happening on multiple different images.

@gtbfilms Bummer. The loss of shader was definitely a result of swapping out old for new configs. You can add a shader configuration line like I did above in the all/retroarch.cfg or like I did in the arcade config folder.

As for sound, I would be surprised if Retroarch configs are to blame for that, especially since it still worked in lr-mame2003.

@backstander Nice. :)

Now all I have to do is get my Pi back to where it was before I broke Sudoers and see if I can actually get the retroarch.cfg files to save and work properly. Almost forgot that's what this thread was originally about.