MAME query re: picking characters on 4-player games? (TMNT, Simpsons etc)
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Hey gang, question about certain multi-player arcade/MAME games? (I searched and I didn't see it covered here, so my apologies if I missed it, and if I'm talking about the kinda ROMs ya don't feel comfortable discussing here, I'd really appreciate any referrals to other sites that might cover 'em...):
So on arcade cabinets, some multiplayer arcade games-- like Konami's TMNT, Simpsons, X-Men, etc-- would give you the option to choose which character to play (i.e. do you wanna be Marge, Bart, Leonardo, Wolverine, etc). Granted, this was usually based on you putting your quarter/credit into a specific slot designated FOR that character.
However, trying to play these games on MAME (I have a 16gb Pi4 running retropie-buster-4.7.1, the site I got these ROMs from didn't specify if they were the 2- or 4-player versions), I've noticed that regardless of WHICH USB slot I plug my controller into, inserting a credit only allows me to choose the SAME character (namely, Marge and Leonardo for player 1... unfortunately I haven't yet tested these games w/ a second, 3rd, 4th controller).
So: do I need to get/load a specific ROM-- the 2-player ones perhaps-- in order to choose my character in these types of games?? Or is this something that I can fix in the game's configurations, or even on the Command Line level? (not that I'd know how, but hey).
Granted, I realize that on an emulator with infinite credits/continues, any bozo can likely play through & beat these games regardless of which character they're using, I'm just looking ahead/ hoping that someday I'll be able to get this Pi set up to where 4 people can play these kinda games at once. Still, if their choice of character isn't dependent on having to use a specific controller/USB jack (and again, for the ROMs I have it didn't seem to matter which jack I plugged the controller in), that would certainly be ideal.
Just curious if anyone had experienced this, and found a solution. Thanks!!
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@mortalwombat said in MAME query re: picking characters on 4-player games? (TMNT, Simpsons etc):
do I need to get/load a specific ROM-- the 2-player ones perhaps-- in order to choose my character in these types of games??
Yes, afaik 4P konami games disallow char select.
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@mortalwombat i am not sure about the games in question but if there's a way to configure the game it will likely be via
https://retropie.org.uk/docs/lr-mame2003/#service-menu
or
https://retropie.org.uk/docs/lr-mame2003/#dip-switches -
Another option for kicks:
If you go into the RetroArch RGUI, you can use the
Main Menu -> Settings -> Inputsection to change the controller that is assigned for each player.For example, if you wanted to control Player 3 but not plug in 3 controllers to do it, you can go into the Player 3 controls, and change the gamepad "index" or whatever to the controller in the first USB port, then go into the Player 1 controls and disable that one. This would simulate putting you on the Player 3 joystick on the arcade cabinet.
Warning:I haven't disabled Player 1 input before, so there is a chance that this could have undesired side effects such as leaving you unable to navigate the RetroArch menu or lose the hotkeys ability. I doubt this would happen since the first controller is still present and all we are doing is 'remapping' where its inputs are going in the emulator.FUN FACT: I recently used this trick in TMNT 2 using MAME 2003 to change all 4 players to use the single controller I had connected to my Pi and I could control all 4 players on screen simultaneously. It was great fun for me to single handed use all 4 turtles to kick shell. EDIT: And since I never turned off Player 1 I never had to find out if I would lose the hotkeys or ability to navigate the menu in RetroArch.
EDIT: Cleaned up formatting.
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@yfzdude said in MAME query re: picking characters on 4-player games? (TMNT, Simpsons etc):
I haven't disabled Player 1 input before, so there is a chance that this could have undesired side effects such as leaving you unable to navigate the RetroArch menu or lose the hotkeys ability
Yes it does, you'll need a keyboard if you do that.
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Some of those games require keeping a "2P version" and a "4P version" if you only have two arcade sticks or two active controllers.
As mentioned earlier, you may find a setting in a service menu, but that's going to be on a "per game" basis. (I've seen both.)Developers of arcade titles were very often forced (by their company) to change "the way they do things" to keep games unique. (e.g. control scheme, architecture) This was commonplace in the arcades to protect the manufacturers' revenue stream.
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@barbudreadmon said in MAME query re: picking characters on 4-player games? (TMNT, Simpsons etc):
@yfzdude said in MAME query re: picking characters on 4-player games? (TMNT, Simpsons etc):
I haven't disabled Player 1 input before, so there is a chance that this could have undesired side effects such as leaving you unable to navigate the RetroArch menu or lose the hotkeys ability
Yes it does, you'll need a keyboard if you do that.
I confirmed it just now. You are correct that if you disable the Port 1 Binds for the primary controller it kills the ability to use the RGUI and hotkeys. So it appears my method would work well so long as a person has at least two controllers plugged in and only wants to virtually point the second one at the 3 or 4 player position.
It may in fact be easier for most to just snag a copy of the 2P version of these ROMs instead as @IanDaemon suggested.
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Don’t know if this will help; I had the same problem trying to get these games working on a gpi-case.
Which emulator are you using and have you tried a different one? I seem to remember one allows you to pick characters. (But can’t remember which one without checking)
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This is a simple one.
The games in question all have a 2 player version that let's you select a character.
For example the Simpsons rom is called "simpsons"
This is the 4 player world version where a coin determined which character you choose so player one controller would always be marge as it thinks the coin is for player one. If you had 4 controllers all pressed select to add coin then all players will be available in the order the original 4 player game was.Then you have a rom called "simps2p" this basically is a 2 player version that allows you to select a character after adding your coin.
These 2 player variants are what are classed in the mame world as clones, so depending where you obtained you roms they may have been cleaned up to not contain clones.
For example my setup I obtained a .78 complete rom set "non-merged".
I then used the mame lite dat file that can be obtained from retropie wiki to convert the full non-merged romset to a lite one removing all clones,neogeo,cocktail etc with a program called clrmamepro.This then gives me a tidy rom set half the size of the original, but is missing all 2 player roms.
So what I do from here is go back to the full non-merged romset and search "2p" then I'll copy these over to the newly created mame .78 lite folder.
After scraping you games you will then see in your games list for example simpsons (4 player) simpsons (2 player).
Straight forward from here, just pick 2 player version if you playing 2 players or less so you can select the characters or pick 4 players if you have you friends round for a retro session, just give them the controller that matches the character they want to be.
Hope this helps I've been playing for years this way
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@fruitybit using the latest Retropie, 4.7.1. Not sure if it's related to the emulator/version though by the sound of things.
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And @robmcc83 thank you for this, for naming the specific ROMs to look for (I know we can't mention specific DL sites here, but it can be tricky since some sites seem to have different ways of naming/labeling things so sometimes you're not sure which version you're even DL'ing; I've been comparing the amount of files the folders contain to get an idea if one is different), but also thanks to everyone who's replied.
Yeah so far as some of you have said, it seems that TMNT and Simpsons do indeed have 2-player (where you generally CAN choose your character) and 4-player ROM versions; for XMen I could seem to change my character regardless.
However from what I'm gathering, if you want to do want to play a 4-player game, each player is forced to play a certain character, am I right? (So that player italicised text1 can ONLY be Marge or Leonardo, and if you want to change, you either have 5 switch controllers?).
Anyway while we're on the subject, can anyone think of other multiplayer games (by Konami or otherwise) that are also like these, where the cabinets were designed w/ specific coin drops assigned to certain characters? ?
In some cases it didn't matter (I think Konami's Crime Fighters was one where you could choose characters, but they were all pretty much the same), but at least if I know I can make a point of tracking down BOTH the 2-player and 4-player ROMs for these games...
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@mortalwombat said in MAME query re: picking characters on 4-player games? (TMNT, Simpsons etc):
for XMen I could seem to change my character regardless
Probably because xmen was modeled for its 6P variant, so it has 6 different characters
@mortalwombat said in MAME query re: picking characters on 4-player games? (TMNT, Simpsons etc):
Anyway while we're on the subject, can anyone think of other multiplayer games (by Konami or otherwise) that are also like these
That's very distinctive of konami games, basically it will be like this for any konami game where the number of available character is equal to the number of player. The only non-konami game i can think of that has something similar is Gauntlet.
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@mortalwombat said in MAME query re: picking characters on 4-player games? (TMNT, Simpsons etc):
Anyway while we're on the subject, can anyone think of other multiplayer games (by Konami or otherwise) that are also like these, where the cabinets were designed w/ specific coin drops assigned to certain characters? ?
I think Ivan "Ironman" Stewart's Off Road Racing might be like this. Original Arcade cab had 3 steering wheels / pedals and it mattered which coin slot you used. (3 Players)
[Although the 'characters' are just different colors for the trucks.]Rampage also matters. (3 Players)
[I think the order was George/Lizzy/Ralph.] -
@yfzdude said in MAME query re: picking characters on 4-player games? (TMNT, Simpsons etc):
Rampage also matters. (3 Players)
[I think the order was George/Lizzy/Ralph.]They made sequels to Rampage. (After ten years) But they were basically the same gameplay with different characters.
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