Where to (legally) acquire content to play on RetroPie

BenMcLean

I feel like this whole thread should be replaced by a wiki and then locked.

Can that be done?

It's completely unmanageable for me to keep updating that first post with all these.

Auster

@benmclean I like the wiki idea, but I'd keep the post open if people want to ask something or help with anything other than editing such wiki.

Also, sorry if I bloated the post. Itchio is kinda of a rabbit hole. "<.<

Auster

Leisure Suit Larry 2 is also free now on IndieGala, and the game can be run on ScummVM:
https://freebies.indiegala.com/leisure-suit-larry-2-looking-for-love-in-several-wrong-places

Recommendation of the ScummVM wiki: keep all files that come with the game, since they tend to change a lot between version and it's hard to know which files are needed.

Also the stand-alone ScummVM detects both Atari ST and DOS versions of the game, but I have no clue which are the Atari ST files and which are DOS'.

themazingness

@auster Keep the Gameboy games coming! Itch.io may be a rabbit hole, but I'm excited it is a source of so many roms. I have a GBA flash cart on the way so I can expand my options on my GBA SP in addition to my Pi. Your posts are very appreciated.

Auster

@themazingness I'm glad they're appreciated! ^^

Also, a new batch of games (sadly, no GB/GBA/GBC games included). I tried shortening the info I bring, e.g. the files that need to be emulated unless there's some quirk regarding them, since things usually work mostly the same:

Space Invaders (for ZX Spectrum/TS2068/TC2068) - https://splintergu.itch.io/space-invaders-for-zx-spectrum
Platforms: ZX Spectrum 48K | TS2068 | TC2068

Space Invaders for ZX81 (WRX) - https://splintergu.itch.io/space-invaders-for-zx81-wrx
Platform: Sinclair ZX81

Transylvanian Castle Deluxe - https://siyei-er.itch.io/transylvanian-castle-deluxe
Platform: ZX Spectrum (48K/128K)

Misifu Remeow (Zx Spectrum) - https://jbinary.itch.io/misifu-remeow
Platform: ZX Spectrum

Misifu - https://jbinary.itch.io/misifu
Platform: ZX Spectrum 128K

STOP VIRUS ZX Spectrum 48/128k by Ctrl+C Games & PCNONOGames - https://pcnonogames.itch.io/stop-virus-zx-spectrum-48128k-by-ctrlc-games-pcnonogames
Platform: ZX Spectrum (48K/128K)
Also has a demo linked in the store page (the mediafire link).

CODE-112 ZX Spectrum 48-128k by PCNONOGames - https://pcnonogames.itch.io/code-112-by-pcnonogames-zx-spectrum-48-128k
Platform: ZX Spectrum (48K/128K)

PARACAIDISTA Kerl (Android, Windows, Spectrum) - https://pcnonogames.itch.io/paracaidista-kerl
Platform: ZX Spectrum

TRASHMAN Crisis Time ZX Spectrum 48/128k - https://pcnonogames.itch.io/trashman-crisis-time-zx-spectrum-48128k
Platform: ZX Spectrum (48K/128K)

PAINTBALL-2048 ZX Spectrum 48/128K - https://pcnonogames.itch.io/paintball-2048
Platform: ZX Spectrum (48K/128K)

DEAD ZONE Zx Spectrum 48/128k - https://pcnonogames.itch.io/dead-zone-zx-spectrum-game-48128k
Platform: ZX Spectrum (48K/128K)

The Perils of Willy ZX - https://highriser.itch.io/the-perils-of-willy
Platform: ZX Spectrum
Also includes some bonus games as ZX Spectrum ROMs in the downloadable .zip file.

Pac-Hack plus - https://highriser.itch.io/pac-hack-plus
Platform: ZX Spectrum

JetPac RX - https://highriser.itch.io/jetpacrx
Platform: ZX Spectrum
Mod for the original JetPac. The person who wants to play it needs to source the original files himself/herself.

JetPac Redefine Keys Patch - https://highriser.itch.io/jetpac-redefine-keys
Platform: ZX Spectrum
Mod for the original JetPac. The person who wants to play it needs to source the original files himself/herself.

Bruce Lee RX - https://highriser.itch.io/bruce-lee-rx
Platform: ZX Spectrum

AGDX latest - https://highriser.itch.io/agdx-latest
Platform: ZX Spectrum

Airwolf ZX patches + 128k AY music - https://highriser.itch.io/airwolf-zx-patches
Platform: ZX Spectrum 128K

Arcade Bundle - 3 in 1 - https://highriser.itch.io/arcadebundle
Platforms: ZX Spectrum 128K | Sinclair ZX81

Roust! Full Version - https://highriser.itch.io/roust
Platforms: ZX Spectrum 128K | Sinclair ZX81
Also includes a demo.

AGD Bytesize: Downloads - https://highriser.itch.io/agd-bytesize
Platform: ZX Spectrum

Advanced Xmas Cracker Simulator - https://highriser.itch.io/advanced-cracker-simulator
Platform: ZX Spectrum

Benny Hill's Madcap Chase 128k - https://highriser.itch.io/benny-hills-madcap-chase-128k
Platform: ZX Spectrum 128K

Terrapins - https://highriser.itch.io/terrapins
Platform: ZX Spectrum
Also includes a demo.

Auster

Leisure Suit Larry 3 - Passionate Patti in Pursuit of the Pulsating Pectorals free on IndieGala and just like the previous 2 games, it's playable on ScummVM:
https://freebies.indiegala.com/leisure-suit-larry-3-passionate-patti-in-pursuit-of-the-pulsating-pectorals

Auster

Leisure Suit Larry 5 free on IndieGala, and just like the previous titles, it runs on ScummVM:
https://freebies.indiegala.com/leisure-suit-larry-5-passionate-patti-does-a-little-undercover-work
Also, from what I read, either there never was a Leisure Suit Larry 4, or it never got released.

Auster

Street Racer includes the SNES and MS-DOS versions of the game, according to this comment:
https://www.gog.com/forum/general/street_racer_dos_version_removed_from_offline_installer/post50

Game's store page: https://www.gog.com/game/street_racer
Don't know if it's available anywhere else.

CoolieCoolster

@benmclean While they currently lack many of these new itch.io games and are intentionally limited to only include finished games (or at least games in a state complete enough to have more than ten minutes worth of content), I have been working on both freeware and commercial lists of legally accessible ROMs for a device-specific wiki I edit, but they certainly might be helpful to people with other devices as well. As I was planning on turning the table section of the article into a template that I could use on different device-specific wiki I just created, perhaps such a template would be of use if another wiki were to be created.

In terms of other research I've done for my lists, I did find that Retroism, Piko Interactive, and Dotemu had quite a few classic games re-released on new platforms, several of which aren't on my lists yet, but I've been unable to confirm, either independently or by contacting the companies, whether or not the missing games are emulated and/or DRM free or not. Perhaps someone who has several games from one or more of those companies on Steam or GOG could shed some light on that? I'm pretty sure most if not all Piko Interactive releases include the ROM of the respective game in the game files, whereas DotEmu seems to add DRM and Retroism generally seems to not. To avoid people buying games expecting a ROM and not finding one, I generally prefer finding confirmation first though. I'll try compiling a list of all the games I think might be emulated in the coming days that I haven't found confirmation of yet, and hopefully one or more people here might have it.

On another note, it's quite unfortunate that in the SNES/Genesis cartridges of Chip's Challenge being released, the freeware ROM versions for both consoles were taken off itch.io, especially as now there's no way to just buy the ROMs... I wonder if perhaps they licensed those versions from the developer.

Auster

@cooliecoolster About DotEmu, they're the ones that rereleased some of SNK's NeoGeo games, right?
If it is and if I remember right, some versions don't include the ROM/BIOS in the Windows version, but do in the Mac & Linux versions.
It may take some digging, and I have some NeoGeo games on Humble Bundle, Steam, GOG and Amazon Prime, so maybe I could check those.

Also, little edit: Is there any limitation as to who can add information to those wiki pages, or can anyone do it?

CoolieCoolster

@auster Anyone is able to, though I would like to turn the pages into generalizable templates before I encourage others to edit them. While I finish testing and adding the itch.io games, I can also add anything else that is missing in the meantime, and once I turn the tables into templates, perhaps they can be hosted on a general wiki specifically for documenting legally accessible ROMs. If someone wants to create that wiki I'd suggest using the same host as I do for my wiki, Miraheze, as it's both ad-free, free, and quite a bit more customizable than Fandom. Plus since content can be transcluded between wikis, it would make content sharing a bit easier, meaning only one set of templates on one wiki would need to be maintained.

I'll see if today I can put a list of all the potentially emulated games that I'm unsure whether or not have user-accessible ROMs. In regards to Neo Geo content specifically, I so far have it listed that the NeoGeo Classic Complete Collection includes DRM-free ROM files on GOG, whereas the Samurai Shodown NeoGeo Collection on Steam is apparently emulated but currently has no known way of extracting the ROM files. Not sure about other Neo Geo games at the moment; will research the libraries of the various publishers to see what remains on Steam and GOG. And indeed, it does seem like Dotemu is one of the major sources of these releases, such as Metal Slug X on Steam, which I currently don't know whether or not it includes accessible ROM files, assuming it is emulated. As it's already in the NeoGeo Classic Complete Collection on Humble Bundle and GOG though, I'll focus on listing games with no known method of acquisition yet.

Edit: I think I have everything from DotEmu documented other than the recently released Zombies Ate My Neighbors & Ghoul Patrol Bundle, which I'll need confirmation of whether or not the ROMs of those games are included or not (and in the case of the first game, whether that ROM is a SNES or Genesis ROM).

Edit 2: Here's my list so far: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_1j3ihSEYQ1Rj_RRl7G8_TSm2f7BIAd0g8jzBG6rRiM/edit?usp=sharing. Still going to continue researching to add more games to it, but if anyone is able to confirm the status of any game on it, let me know and I'll update the page of the wiki accordingly.

Auster

@cooliecoolster It seems Zombies Ate My Neighbours and Ghoul Patrol (Steam and GOG) come with SNES ROMs, but extracting them requires a bit of work, according to this post:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1137970/discussions/0/3046105389665628847

Important parts of the post in case the original post can't be accessed:

Locations of ZAMN and GP's ROMs (Updated 08.18.2021)

The ROMs are located within the executable, "ZAMN_GP.exe", so the locations listed below are hexadecimal addresses. To get them, you'll need a hex editor that allows you to highlight and copy data chunks over to new files. I would recommend HxD (freeware: [url=https://mh-nexus.de/en/hxd]https://mh-nexus.de/en/hxd[/url]/ ), to complete this task.

Release build:

Steam version:
Zombies Ate My Neighbors: 1B0974C - 1C0974B
Ghoul Patrol: 19A03C0 - 1AA03BF

GOG version:
Zombies Ate My Neighbors: 1B0654C - 1C0654B
Ghoul Patrol: 199D1C0 - 1A9D1BF

1.1 Hotfix update: (Current version)

Steam version: (Thanks to Red Lettuce)
Zombies Ate My Neighbors: 1B0BD4C - 1C0BD3F
Ghoul Patrol: 19A29C0 - 1AA29BF

GOG version:
Zombies Ate My Neighbors: 1B0894C - 1C0894B
Ghoul Patrol: 199F5C0 - 1A9F5BF

The ROMs should be given the .sfc extension to maximize the number of compatible emulators. If copied over successfully, the ROMs will be 8Mb/1MB in size and be identical the verified good SNES NTSC-U dumps of both games. What this means is that they'll have the logos, licensing information, and even the secret level codes, left completely intact.

It should be possible to extract the game through command terminals such as CMD or Ubuntu's terminal, but I don't have the game to test.

If someone wants to try, just need to modify the commands from this repository to match that of the game, then do what the repository asks for each OS (adapting the steps, since it the method was made for another game):
https://github.com/sigboe/extractwings[/url]
The skip values are where the ROMs start (e.g. 1B0894C for Zombies Ate My Neighbours), but converted to bytes.
The count values are where the ROMs end (e.g. 1C0894B for ZAMN), but also converted to bytes.

Auster

Forgot to mention, but Leisure Suit Larry 7 - Love for Sail is free on IndieGala, and it appears to have the files needed for emulating it on ScummVM as well:
https://freebies.indiegala.com/leisure-suit-larry-7-love-for-sail
(it appears to have MS-DOS files too, but I can't test right now)

CoolieCoolster

@auster Added them with the link to the Steam thread to the commercial game list; thanks!

Auster

@cooliecoolster Something else:
At least the GOG version of the game The Immortal appears to be the MS-DOS version.

The store page mentions this:

This game is powered by DOSBox.

And this forum post confirms that it is just the MS-DOS version.

Can't verify if any more versions are hidden in the game files as I don't own it.

And I couldn't find any info on the Steam version as the Steam forum for the game has no mentions about the version used, and I don't own the game to check.

CoolieCoolster

@auster Ah, unfortunate then. I thought it might have been the Genesis version just by looking at it, but I guess versions can look similar. Removing that from the list I've now added everything I know about, including the buyable itch.io games, to the commercial list, so I'll finish off the remaining additions to the freeware list. If there's anything I missed though, I'll gladly add further suggestions until I decide the best way for anyone to easily add to the tables themselves, as ideally it should update the counts across the pages automatically while still being usable as a template...

Edit: And of course, if a dedicated wiki is made to compile such games, I'd be glad to help adapt the pages to include additional systems, but as the system my wiki is for only officially emulates thirteen consoles at the moment, those have been my focus for that wiki specifically. For a version of the page tailored towards a more general audience, there's certainly room to expand the article to include games for newer and/or less commonly-emulated consoles as well as computer systems such as DOS and Amiga.

Auster

Gobliiins pack - https://www.gog.com/game/gobliiins_pack
Platform: ScummVM

Slow Mole - https://slowmoledev.itch.io/slow-mole
Platform: NES

Haunting-Testing - https://astrangerontheinternet.itch.io/haunting
Platform: GameBoy

3rd person Horror Game - https://astrangerontheinternet.itch.io/3rd-person-horror-game
Platform: GameBoy

Grand Battle Stadium - https://elvies.itch.io/gbstadium
Platform: GameBoy Color/GBC

iconoclast - https://dchardin.itch.io/iconoclast
Platform: NES

The Drunk Time Traveler's Fiancée - https://miguelgonzalez66.itch.io/the-drunk-time-traverlers-fiancee
Platform: NES

Mr.Potato in Potatoland - NES Version - https://crazy-duck-games.itch.io/mrpotato-in-potatoland-nes-version
Platform: NES

Auster

Rescue Time (SJ Games - NES) - https://dale-coop.itch.io/rescue-time-by-sj-games-nes
Platform: NES

ROB.N (SJ Games - NES) - https://dale-coop.itch.io/rob-n-nes-game-by-sj-games
Platform: NES

KUBO 3 (SJ Games - NES / FAMICOM) - https://dale-coop.itch.io/kubo-3-nes-game-by-sj-games
Platform: NES

Press Start Again (NES) - https://dale-coop.itch.io/press-start-again-nes
Platform: NES

Press Start Game (NES) - https://dale-coop.itch.io/press-start-game-nes
Platform: NES

Underground Adventure (NES) - https://dale-coop.itch.io/underground-adventure
Platform: NES

Allison Of Astra In: "Timeless And Spaceless" - https://illneverusethis.itch.io/allison-of-astra-in-timeless-and-spaceless
Platform: NES

Platformer Text Adventure - https://illneverusethis.itch.io/platformer-text-adventure
Platform: NES

Mess Maker - https://illneverusethis.itch.io/mess-maker
Platform: NES

Magnilo - https://pauldalyjr.itch.io/magnilo
Platform: NES

Auster

@cooliecoolster About the dedicated wiki page, I created a WIP in a Wikia/Fandom page:
https://emulation.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_ROMs_that_can_be_legally_acquired
It already has some titles listed, but I was testing formatting at first. I'll be adding more titles there when I get the chance.
Should I add broader lists in the wiki too, like MS-DOS and ScummVM compatible games?

CoolieCoolster

@auster Additional lists would certainly be worthwhile, especially for ScummVM as it seems that's one of the most accessible "systems" for legal emulation. I have a few other pages on my wiki that I'm working on at the moment, but I'll see if I can help with other systems not represented by my pages afterwards. While being on a larger emulation catch-all wiki will probably help with article visibility and editor retention, at some point I'll see if I can convince the other editors of that wiki to move to Miraheze, as I'm personally not a fan of Fandom's advertising practices... Still have to finish adding the prior itch.io lists, but afterwards I'll go over these new listings to see what should be added.