RetroBit/8BitDO N64 Controller - Anything I need to do?

hansolo77

So I've been meaning to get an N64 controller for emulation purposes and finally pulled the trigger on this guy at the local computer store. I haven't even taken it out of the box yet. I'm concerned about making it work with RetroPie. I looked in the Wiki docs we have, and there is apparently a few steps I need to do to sync the controller with my Pi using some kind of 8BitDo hack. The instructions on the wiki seem simple enough, but there isn't any instructions for the N64 controller, on the NES and SNES ones. Has anybody purchased this controller and have some advice to offer before I try and do it myself? Would greatly appreciate it!

Oh, and I am using a Raspberry Pi 3, with the latest updates (though not kernel updates because it breaks ES).

hansolo77

Wow, lots of "views" but nobody offering help. :( Maybe it's because I didn't flag the "ask a question" option?

Anyway, I went ahead and tried to get it on my own. Bit of trial and error, and I have it syncing with the Pi. I was then able to get EmulationStation to map the buttons. I tried to load up a game (Mario 64) and found that the default emulator it tries to run is Mupen64-GLide64. It runs, and the joystick works, but the buttons aren't right. The in-game help says to press B for action and A to jump. Mine are reversed. I'm not sure how to fix it. Also, the controller doesn't work outside of that emulator. I can't navigate EmulationStation with it, nor does it work inside any other N64 emulators (such as lr-mupen64).

Lastly, how can I exit games without a select button? Luckily I installed a RESET switch on my NES console to exit games.. but I'd like to be able to bring up RetroArch for changing settings on the fly. Anybody know how to do it? I'm on vacation, so I got plenty of time to work it out.

Thanks guys!

meleu

@hansolo77 said in RetroBit/8BitDO N64 Controller - Anything I need to do?:

Wow, lots of "views" but nobody offering help. :( Maybe it's because I didn't flag the "ask a question" option?

Or maybe no one met your "requirement": Has anybody purchased this controller...

I'm a little intrigued about these two sentences:

@hansolo77

I was then able to get EmulationStation to map the buttons.
I can't navigate EmulationStation with it

You were able to config input in emulationstation but then you can't control emulationstation menus?!

About it not working in retroarch:

try to toggle 8bitdo hack on and configure input on ES, then launch a game to see. If it doesn't work;
try the same thing with 8bitdo hack off;
If it doesn't work, try what I did here to make my ipega controller work.

AlexMurphy

@hansolo77 I don't have, own or have any experience of this controller but I ignored your plea for help. Just so I could annoy you.

hansolo77

Heh sorry guys. It's cool. :) I think the problem I'm having is because of the way the controller is identified. I did some experimenting and tried remapping the controller using the example in the DOCS as a guide.
alt text
In that example, The A button (blue) on the controller is actually mapped as B in EmulationStation. So when I was trying to move around (which worked) and launch a game, it didn't do anything. The A button EmulationStation was looking for was mapped to C-Down. Once I figured that out, I was able to run the game and navigate ES with the controller.

HOWEVER...

I don't have access to all the buttons. When I try to map (using ES) the C-Down and C-Left to the Right Analog stick that it's inquiring for, it tells me it's already taken (for X and A. So it prevents me from mapping 2 button functions to 1 button. What I may end up having to do set it all up like I did the NES, Sega, and Atari controllers using XBOXDrv. The other annoying thing is that it doesn't have a SELECT button, which prevents me from getting into RetroArch when it's running, which I need.

meleu

@hansolo77 said in RetroBit/8BitDO N64 Controller - Anything I need to do?:

The other annoying thing is that it doesn't have a SELECT button, which prevents me from getting into RetroArch when it's running, which I need.

Man, you can manually edit your controller configs!

The controller config files are at /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch-joypads/.

Just read the docs: https://retropie.org.uk/docs/RetroArch-Configuration/#hardcoded-configurations

AlexMurphy

@hansolo77

hansolo77

Wow... at first I thought you were just playing around, but you're being a total dick.

AlexMurphy

@hansolo77 Not a TOTAL dick, it's kind of a "joke with a jibe"! Sorry, but you are just putting too much into it! When do you actually stop and HAVE FUN??? Yeah, have it as "authentic" as you want. I remember having authentic fun, not worrying about why the C button was the weak punch... Zzzzzz.,.,.

hansolo77

Long as you're just joking. :)

To be honest, I had a working setup using my Xbox 360 controller. But I found the controls confusing because the onscreen instructions would explain how to do certain things. When your "in the zone" in your game, and need that split-second reaction to hit the right button, it's hard to remember what it's mapped to. So I went out and bought this controller in the hopes of making it all easier. At this point, I've got the controller synced with the Pi3, and all the buttons are communicating appropriately. I just need to get them mapped right.

@meleu I completely forgot about custom controller configs. I had gone through the process using that originally, before I learned about and convinced myself xboxdrv was probably the best way to do it. I will attempt a custom controller map next. Do you know if you can set it up with a different hotkey setup? For instance, my default controller config for "toggle RetroArch GUI" is L3+R3 (because I use the xbox controller). Can I change that with the custom controller mapping to something like START+A? What about something like START+L1+L2 to exit? I bet there is a way, I just need to figure it out. I glanced over the link.. seems simple enough. How do you identify what the button numbers are for the xml though? jtest?

meleu

@hansolo77 said in RetroBit/8BitDO N64 Controller - Anything I need to do?:

Can I change that with the custom controller mapping to something like START+A?

Did open the joystick config file? If you look at its content I'm sure you'll figure out how to change the hotkeys buttons!

hansolo77

I spent some more time with this today.. Bad headache right now, so be a little nicer ok? :)

So I've got the controller working inside of ES. I can also use the controller perfectly inside the standalone Mupen64plus-GLideN64. But I want to be able to use RetroArch's version because RetroAchievements are coming soon.

The core "lr-mupen64plus" should be using the autoconfiguration that EmulationStation generates from it's built in mapping tool correct? Well, when I map the buttons and start a game using that core, the controller doesn't work. I've got it detecting the controller (it pops up at the bottom saying it's connected). However, the controller is not being set up as the default player 1 controller. When I execute the toggle to RetroArch's GUI (E+S on the keyboard) I can go in and see that the player 1 controller is mapped wrong. If I change it to the 8bitdo N64 one, the controller then works. However, not all of the buttons are working. The A and B buttons are swapped, and the B button isn't working at all. All of the rest of them work like they should.

So my questions now are... How do I make it so RetroArch will automatically set the 8bitdo N64 controller as the default for player 1 on this core? How can I remap the buttons so A and B are working right?

Also, I found a file located here:
/opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch/autoconfig/8Bitdo N64 Gamepad.cfg
This looks like the file I would need to edit so that the buttons are set right. However, I don't know how to initiate using that config in the core. After editing the file, RetroArch seems to ignore it. Do I have to put a command in the terminal to make those settings get transferred into the regular retroarch.cfg file, or is that done on the fly?

Thanks for any help you guys can give me. I'd like to think I know a lot about all this, but there's always something new that pops up that causes me problems.

hansolo77

Whew! Only took 2 days, some hacking, and elbow grease. But I finally have it working. I can't use my new N64 controller to navigate ES, but that's ok. At least I can use it fully in the games.

My next big hurdle is figuring out a good way to make the emulation look good. All my experimenting I did was inside Super Mario 64 (because most of the buttons can work on the big Mario head right at the beginning). When I actually get a game going, there's a lot of breaking colors. Like Mario's clothes and hat flash and flicker from red to white. I don't know if this is because of some setting for the core, or if it's just a limitation of the hardware. To be honest, I didn't notice anything like that when I was using the non-libretro standalone emulator. So maybe somebody can offer some advice? Anyway, I'm considering this answered now. Thanks.

meleu

@hansolo77 I would not be so enthusiastic about the possibility of earning N64 cheevos on a raspberry pi... The libretro core for N64 has a bad performance on a pi.

hansolo77

Yeah, I've noticed. Still, achievements are a great way to play these games again. Just getting ready.

meleu

@hansolo77 if you test it in a x86 platform it can be possible. And reporting problems in problematic-cheevos issue tracker is always appreciated! ;-)

By the way, I closed your Final Fantasy (NES) issue there. It seems solved for me. Do you have any other problem with that game?

hansolo77

I actually haven't gone back to check yet. I've been playing Final Fantasy II (never played that before either). Judging from the guide I'm using, I'm about to start the final chapter. Once I complete it, I'll go back and check FF1 again.

And I'll definitely be testing N64 cheevos once Leiradel comes up with a working solution/patch.

EDIT - Maybe PSX will be the next system. :)

edmaul69

@hansolo77 when i set up my n64 controller, i used a as a, b as b and the four yellow buttons as analog directions. Works perfectly. Then to fix the exit issue i went into the retroarch controller file and set my left trigger (bottom trigger as the hotkey. The mupen emulators read that hotkey setting i set in the retroarch setting surprisingly.

meleu

@hansolo77 said in RetroBit/8BitDO N64 Controller - Anything I need to do?:

EDIT - Maybe PSX will be the next system. :)

I've heard about NeoGeo, NeoGeo Pocket and Atari2600.