Philips CD-i

taylorbat

Here's a crazy one for all of you... the Philips CD-i. Did anyone else ever own one or even know it existed? I had one growing up and don't think I ever meet another person who owned one. Would be fun to see the Philips CD-i eventually added to Retropie, if its even possible. The only reason we had one is because my Dad worked at an electronics store that sold them.

markyh444

@taylorbat One of my mates had one and we used to play the golf game which was really realistic, but generally impossible.

edmaul69

@taylorbat my condolences to your childhood. I hated the cd-i. I remember trying to play games with the stupid remote. Emulated it might not be so bad.

backstander

I remember back in the day when we had both a Babbage's and Software Etc. in one of the local malls and I believe it was Software Etc. that sold Philips CD-i systems and games and they even had a display you could play. I remember playing Mario Hotel and that same realistic golf game @markyh444 mentioned. I also remember watching someone play one of the Zelda games. Seamed like they also sold 3DO systems and games and I got to play Road Rash once. I think I might've purchased my TurboExpress from there.

It would be neat if the Raspberry Pi could play those CD-i games but I believe the emulators are closed source (commercial even?) and for Windows only.

PokeEngineer

@taylorbat

You might not want that to happen, with the tragedies of Hotel Mario (A.K.A. "Spaghetti!") and the Link CD-i games (A.K.A. "I'll go grab my stuff!").

qix77

I had a friend who had one. We played two games on it but it wasn't very good. Still, since I am an enthusiast about emulation then I would like to see if someone did take the time to emulate and have disc images available.

I remember sometime back then there was an advertisement to something similar. I want to say it was by Apple but I'm sure my memory is wrong about that. I'll have to look it up online sometime but I could have sworn there was some rare system from back then that either didn't find success or never went beyond the CES display that caught my attention. I'll have to look it up tonight after work.

simonster

I used to have one with the video cartridge. I used to play games like "7th Guest" and "Burn Cycle" on it. I still have the discs but the machine died long ago. I'd love to be able to play those games again.

loopyeddie

@qix77 You mean the Apple Pippin?!

qix77

@loopyeddie It may have been. I'm trying to go by memory but something is telling me it wasn't apple because I looked at pictures of the Apple Pippin recently and it didn't ring any bells. But then again I'm losing my mind in my old age, dag nabbit.. lol :P

drake999

I've never had the pleasure (or displeasure) of playing a CD-i, however I've seen the AVGN and Game Sack reviews and it certainly appears underwhelming to say the least.

GtBFilms

One of my best friends won one in a competition.

We thought it was the coolest thing we'd ever seen.

Despite the fact the 'games' were actually pretty poor to be honest.

Mind you, he had a Teletext TV too , which we also thought was pretty mindbogglingly awesome!

I guess we just had lower expectations in those simpler times.

Folly

EDIT !!! : After updating lr-mess after "oktober 2020" this script doesn't work anymore !!!

This is the working solution now :
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/27387/cd-i-does-not-want-to-load-after-updating-retropie/20

I have bundeled all information, about the configs, in my script (not working at the moment with the "new lr-mess") :
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/retropie-philips-cdi-tools/blob/master/retropie_philips_cdi_setup.sh
You can read that if you want to know more about the config files.

EDIT END

Original post :

I have made Philips_CD-I working with lr-mess.

Notes :

VCD and VCD-games do not work ;
right mouse button does not work . (work in progress)

This is my bash script to setup the basic stuff.
(if you prefer do your commands manually)

Extra info about creating .chd files and mouse settings are in the script.
So carefully read the script !

Later i will try to make a better script.

#!/bin/bash

# ----- this script is tested only a few times, so use this at own risk ! --------
# Preferable : do all instructions manually and read the text carefully !!!!!!!!!!!!

# This script is made to make it possible to run Philips_CD-I "*.chd" images in lr-mess through libretro-retroarch in RetroPie
# Philips_CD-I works on RPI-3 but is not very fast. 
# Philips_CD-I works best on a X86 computer. 

# lr-mess has to be installed by the RetroPie-setup before using this script!
# lr-mess is installable trough the experimental packages as source ! (3,5 hours for compilation is not unusual)
# after compilation mess_libretro.so is in /opt/retropie/libretrocores/lr-mess 
# Emulationstation is set to use this rom-map for lr-mess : /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/arcadia

# A bit confusing, but keep this in mind :
# lr-mess is part of lr-mame, so it uses some "mame-map" structure

# There has to be a hash folder with the filename cdi.xml.
# Create directories for cdi.xml :
mkdir -p $HOME/RetroPie/BIOS/mame/hash
# Pull only cdi.xml from github and place it in the directory $HOME/RetroPie/BIOS/mame/hash (if not already exists):
#wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/libretro/mame/master/hash/cdi.xml -P $HOME/RetroPie/BIOS/mame/hash

if [ ! -f "$HOME/RetroPie/BIOS/mame/hash/cdi.xml" ]; then wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/libretro/mame/master/hash/cdi.xml -P $HOME/RetroPie/BIOS/mame/hash; fi

# The "cdrom images"(only CHD) have to be carefully placed in : /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/arcadia/Philips_CD-I/cdimono1
# For example :
# /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/arcadia/Philips_CD-I/cdimono1/hotel mario (1994)(philips)(eu)[!].chd
# And create a link to this file that is called hotmario.bin, and place in the same directory.
# (look for the matching gamenames in cdi.xml )
# For example :
# /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/arcadia/Philips_CD-I/cdimono1/hotmario.bin
# ( Above map structure was working and the directory "Philips_CD-I" can be something else ).
# Create directory-structure so lr-mess will find the BIOS "cdimono1.zip" and the CD-I "*.chd" images.
mkdir -p $HOME/RetroPie/roms/arcadia/Philips_CD-I/cdimono1

# Normally the "biosroms" have to be carefully placed in : /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/arcadia/Philips_CD-I/cdimono1.zip
# A better alternative is to use the RetroPie filestructure and place a link in /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/arcadia/Philips_CD-I/cdimono1/cdimono1.zip
# and place the bios in $HOME/RetroPie/BIOS/cdimono1.zip .
# A dummy bios file is created in $HOME/RetroPie/BIOS if there is no filename called cdimono1.zip 
if [ ! -f "$HOME/RetroPie/BIOS/cdimono1.zip" ]; then touch mkdir $HOME/RetroPie/BIOS/cdimono1/cdimono1.zip; fi
echo '!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If a dummy bios file is written, overwrite the dummy bios file with the real bios file !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'

# A link to the bios file is created in /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/arcadia/Philips_CD-I/cdimono1 (if not already exists)
# So the bios file can be placed in the normal BIOS directory $HOME/RetroPie/BIOS
if [ ! -f "$HOME/RetroPie/roms/arcadia/Philips_CD-I/cdimono1/cdimono1.zip" ]; then ln -s $HOME/RetroPie/BIOS/cdimono1.zip $HOME/RetroPie/roms/arcadia/Philips_CD-I/cdimono1/cdimono1.zip; fi

## very important : run the link (for example "arcadecl.bin") from retropie, not the real image !!!!!

# after the first run, the settingsfiles are edited(*1) or created(*2) !!! (you did see the Philips_CD-I logo but the mouse did not work)
# Important, there are 2 setting files we want to edit :
# 1 - /opt/retropie/configs/all/retroarch-core-options.cfg
# 2 - $HOME/RetroPie/roms/arcadia/Philips_CD-I/cdimono1/mame/cfg/cdimono1.cfg

# settingsfile 1 :
# In retroarch-core-options.cfg manually add (not in this script yet): 
# mame_mouse_enable = "enabled"
# (left-mouse clicking works now "out of box", right-mouse clicking does not work)
# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# ((if not using Retropie and only using retroarch, retroarch-core-options.cfg is in : /home/pi/.config/retroarch ))
# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# All other option are automatically created when you executed a mame rom before.
# When you read it, you think it should be edited, but this does not have to be edited, lr-mame boots ok automatically, if the crucial things are ok.
#
# mame_alternate_renderer = "disabled"
# mame_altres = "640x480"
# mame_auto_save = "disabled"
# mame_boot_from_cli = "enabled"
# mame_boot_to_bios = "disabled"
# mame_boot_to_osd = "disabled"
# mame_buttons_profiles = "enabled"
# mame_cheats_enable = "disabled"
# mame_mame_paths_enable = "disabled"
# mame_media_type = "rom"
# mame_mouse_enable = "enabled"
# mame_read_config = "disabled"
# mame_saves = "game"
# mame_softlists_auto_media = "enabled"
# mame_softlists_enable = "enabled"
# mame_throttle = "disabled"
# mame_write_config = "disabled"
#
# all other options will be ignored en set automatically when a CDI image is loaded or do not mather.
# (tested multiple options like media_type,softmilst, boot_to_bios and boot_from_cli , but there was no difference).

# settingsfile 2 :
# settings can be made from within the "lr-mess qui" just use the "tab" button.
# use "cursors" and "enter" to go though the settings.
# with "enter" you can change settings.
# leaving the emulator with "esc" saves the configuration file.
# setup your joystick etc in "machine inputs".
# The right-mouse button can only be assigned to the joystick or keyboard. Mouse seems to fail (i think a bug in lr-mess)
# Made a mistake with setting up the "machine inputs" ? -> just enter again and hold a button longer and then it says "none" ,
# or just delete your settings file.

### below is extra info over how to create chd files from bin/cue :
## install mame-tools:
# sudo apt-get install mame-tools
## cd to your path with game files
## For example do :
## chdman createcd -o "Arcade Classics (E)(CD-i).chd" -i "Arcade Classics (E)(CD-i).cue"
## get the right name or check it from the cdi.xml, it seemed to be : "arcade classics (1996)(namco - philips)(eu)[!][compilation]"
## rename the file to arcade classics (1996)(namco - philips)(eu)[!][compilation].chd
## create a link and rename it to arcadecl.bin (see also in cdi.xml) (.bin is used to let detect the filename in emulationstation. If desirable it can be somthing else.))

wmcclelion

@Folly Any new updates on this?

Folly

@wmcclelion
A while ago i tested my script on RPI-4.
Seems that the CD-I works pretty good on RPI-4.
On the keyboard all joystick buttons are working.
For now i can't get the mouse working.
If i have time i will try improve my script.
For more info and updates check my github :
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/retropie-philips-cdi-tools

wmcclelion

@Folly Thanks!

Folly

@wmcclelion
Updated my script.
Would you like to test it for me ?

Folly

After 1,5 years it seems that I found a solution for the mouse problem. Got it fully working today :)

I will have to figure out how to implement this solution in my script. This can take a while.

Folly

Full mouse support and much more is added in my script.
https://github.com/FollyMaddy/retropie-philips-cdi-tools

The mouse movements and all mouse-buttons work on a X86 with lubuntu 18.04.4 LTS, starting emulationstation from the X-windows.
Sad enough, at first mouse movements got stuck sometimes.
Fixed this by adding a mouse grab toggle key.
So when you are in the emulator press "right ctrl" to grab the mouse to match the emulation window !
Now it works perfect ! :)

At first the mouse did not work on my RPI-4 with Raspbian buster.
I normally start emulationstation from the X-windows.
So in this situation the mouse does not work. (work in progress)
So i decided to configure my raspi-config to boot my RPI-4 into cli and start emulationstation from the cli.
In this situation the mouse worked perfect on the RPI-4 ! :), also there is no need to use the mouse grab toggle key. :)

All seems to work great !
Anyone willing to try it ?

Just read the info in the script before executing, so you know what it does !

Let me know if it works for you.

2Play

@Folly Hi!

I was checking your script. Why in Arcadia (i use advmess for it) and not at its own system folder
/roms/cdimono1 ?

Folly

@2Play
Hi,

A question for you. How well does advmess emulate philips CDI ?

My answer to your question:
I use Arcadia because this directory is automatically created when lr-mess is installed, so then there was no need to implement this in my script (no need to add cdimono1 as a system in /etc/emulationstation/es_systems.cfg) . Basically if the system cdimono1 is not in the es_system.cfg, software will not show up in emulationstation, that's the reason why.

Actually this script was made to bundle all the knowledge found on the internet to make CDI working without having to make an enormous effort every time to get it working.

The second goal should be to implement the knowledge in an official retropie-script. In this stage the rom-directory should be made like you said.