How to run Jakks Game Key files on RetroPie

JimmyFromTheBay

I haven't seen this documented anywhere, so here's a simple tutorial.

As well as releasing dozens of all-in-1 multi-game boxes for plugging into your telly, Jakks Pacific made something called Game Keys which plugged into them and provided you with additional games.

http://videogamekraken.com/jakks-pacific-gamekey-systems

Desktop MAME gives you automatic options for plugging these into compatible consoles, but if you're emulating the systems in lr-mess you need to do it manually.

For our example we'll use the Ms Pac-Man 5-In-1.

Once you've got this running, hit Tab for the MESS menu and choose File Manager.

Now navigate to the Game Key file in your ROMS folder. We'll use the one called PACBOSRX.ZIP, which adds Pac-Man, Bosconian and Rally-X to the five games on the device. (There are two other compatible keys - one with just Pac-Man and Bosconian, and one with New Rally-X and Dig Dug.)

When you select it you'll get this screen. This is the least intuitive step: highlight the new pseudo-ROM file that's just been created and hit Enter or your select button.

The file will now load and bingo, there are your new games.

I thought you could make a savestate at this point and skip straight to the addons in future, but sadly it doesn't persist after a quit so you'll have to do these steps every time you want to play the key. But still, takes 10 seconds, easy as pie.

DTEAM

@jimmyfromthebay

Nice tutorial !! Thanks. I'll put a link to this thread in Tutorial: Handheld and Plug & Play systems with MAME

DTEAM

@jimmyfromthebay
In the last MAME version 0.233:

New working machines

Invinco / Car Hunt (Germany) [MikeMcBike, Brian Troha]
JAKKS Pacific Inc / Amaze Entertainment Dreamworks Movie Night (JAKKS Pacific TV Game, Oct 18 2006, prototype) [anonymous]
JAKKS Pacific Inc / Amaze Entertainment Star Wars - Original Trilogy (JAKKS Pacific TV Game, prototype) [anonymous]
JAKKS Pacific Inc / Amaze Entertainment X-Men - Mutant Reign (JAKKS Pacific TV Game, prototype) [anonymous]
Sinclair Radionics Cambridge Programmable [hap, Sean Riddle]
Tech2Go / One Man Band Codename: Kids Next Door - Operation: P.L.U.G.G.U.H.S. [Sean Riddle, Kamaal Brown]
Tronica Space Mission [algestam]

JimmyFromTheBay

@dteam Dammit, I spent four hours updating the damn thing yesterday :D