Retro games and emulation - Discuss retro shit in case you're stuck in the past or a hipster

[Two Dollars]

If people like RetroArch that’s great. I’m not stopping you from using it or telling you that you shouldn't use it. But my experience with RA was that it’s clunky PS3 UI and dropdown menus within dropdown menus to get to the PS1 core and load up a game is more of a hassle than booting up Duckstation. Maybe it’s less of a pain in the ass now, but using standalone emulators is what works for me.

Sure, but my point is that the conversation was about RetroAchievements and your first post was “btw have I mentioned that I hate RetroArch?” like how Linux users have to constantly mention that they hate Windows, or vegans have to tell people they’re vegan, or… you get the idea.

But all that aside, since you’re bringing it up, you can use one of the other UI options or (better yet) just use EmulationStation to load a RA core since it’s equal to or better than using standalone for most retro systems.

 

[Never Scored]

I installed a softmod PSX Backup Loader / Region Unlocker that boots from the memory card.
FreePSXBoot - Play PSX/PS1 Backups Without A Modchip!

I don't even have any PSX backup disks, I just think hacking is cool.
Installation is easy if you have homebrew on any Playstation console with a Memory Card port and a spare PSX MC.

https://github.com/brad-lin/FreePSXBoot

I did this too and still have a stack of burned PS1 games in the year of our load 2025.

The best UI. What's possibly better?

No UI at all because the game instantly loads when you turn on the system.

 

[The Last Stand]

I'd like to publicly thank @Lifeguard Hermit with walking me through on how emulation works, particularly the Dolphin GCN emulator. The ROM site he suggested to me was straightforward. I'm amazed that I could upscale GameCube games with a higher resolution and enhanced anti-aliasing for a smoother experience and configure an Xbox controller to mimic an GCN controller. The program walked me through everything.

Not as plug and play as expected, but once it starts running, it's great.

 

[Samuel Fuller]

Achievements are often a good way to end up hating the game because it weaponizes your OCD against your enjoyment of the game, often compelling people to beat games in a way they dislike just to please their imaginary friends in their heads. Break free.

The best use of Achievements ever was Bullet Witch.

Two Achievements for the entire game. One for finishing the game on any difficulty, worth 999 GamerScore, and one for finishing it on the insanely brutal Hard Mode, worth 1 point.

The wailing and gnashing of teeth from the hardcore e-peen spergs was hilarious.

 

[Samuel Fuller]

If people like RetroArch that’s great. I’m not stopping you from using it or telling you that you shouldn't use it. But my experience with RA was that it’s clunky PS3 UI and dropdown menus within dropdown menus to get to the PS1 core and load up a game is more of a hassle than booting up Duckstation. Maybe it’s less of a pain in the ass now, but using standalone emulators is what works for me.

Ah, yes, the classic Unfrozen Caveman approach of "More than two menu layers frighten and confuse me!"

 

[The Last Stand]

Why don’t you just connect a Bluetooth/USB controller and set up the mapping? Mario Kart Wii in particular supports Gamecube controllers, so you could map it as one of those.
>Wii is the worst Mario Kart
Absolute lunacy.

So Wii games that are compatible with GameCube controllers would work seamlessly on Dolphin with your connected controller? Example: Sonic Unleashed (Wii) and Mario Kart Wii is compatible with GameCube controller inputs. If I have my controller connected, would the iso respond or ask me for a Wii controller?

I see RetroAchievements.org supports achievements for ROMs and isos. How would that work for emulators? How would the website know when the requirements have been achieved?

 

[Two Dollars]

The best use of Achievements ever was Bullet Witch.

Two Achievements for the entire game. One for finishing the game on any difficulty, worth 999 GamerScore, and one for finishing it on the insanely brutal Hard Mode, worth 1 point.

The wailing and gnashing of teeth from the hardcore e-peen spergs was hilarious.

Deltarune (the paid version released a couple weeks ago) does possibly the cruelest thing I’ve seen with achievements, and it was only added because PS4/PS5 games are required to have trophies. A lot of them are easy, and it’s stuff you would get without trying (equip armor, take damage four times in chapter 1, etc).

But you get a message at the end of the game if you go through the whole thing without getting any trophies, implying you have to do a borderline no-damage run with no equipment or items, among other restrictions. And you can’t re-lock trophies, meaning the only way to re-attempt the challenge is to make a new account on your system.

So Wii games that are compatible with GameCube controllers would work seamlessly on Dolphin with your connected controller? Example: Sonic Unleashed (Wii) and Mario Kart Wii is compatible with GameCube controller inputs. If I have my controller connected, would the iso respond or ask me for a Wii controller?

Yep, a Wii U/Switch GC adapter will just work exactly as you’d expect if you go into controller settings and set the GC input as something like “Gamecube Adapter for Wii U”. You used to have to install a certain driver, but I don’t know if that’s required anymore or if Dolphin just does it for you. Even so, it only takes a few minutes.

Also, if you have a third-party adapter with a physical toggle for PC, do not put it in PC mode. That will just make the controller be identified as a standard PC controller and not specifically a Gamecube controller for Dolphin.

I see RetroAchievements.org supports achievements for ROMs and isos. How would that work for emulators? How would the website know when the requirements have been achieved?

You make an account, sign in within your emulator, and play. The emulator will reach out to the site when you’ve completed the requirements for an achievement and put a notification onscreen. They’re community-made, so quality and difficulty greatly vary between games. There’s also a hardcore mode you can toggle within your emulator of choice that disables cheats/save states/rewind/etc. but gives you the “hardcore” version of earned achievements worth double points, if you care about that.

 

[The Last Stand]

Yep, a Wii U/Switch GC adapter will just work exactly as you’d expect if you go into controller settings and set the GC input as something like “Gamecube Adapter for Wii U”. You used to have to install a certain driver, but I don’t know if that’s required anymore or if Dolphin just does it for you. Even so, it only takes a few minutes.

Also, if you have a third-party adapter with a physical toggle for PC, do not put it in PC mode. That will just make the controller be identified as a standard PC controller and not specifically a Gamecube controller for Dolphin.

What I do with Dolphin is just plug in an Xbox controller and configured it as such within Dolphin. Theoretically, that would work the same with a Wii game compatible with GameCube controllers, correct?

Speaking of which, would I just need a standard Wii remote/nunchuck to connect to my machine? I didn't know Wiimotes used Bluetooth.

 

[Dan of Steel]

Ah, yes, the classic Unfrozen Caveman approach of "More than two menu layers frighten and confuse me!"

I simply have a differing of opinion. If RA allowed me to actually use my mouse since I'm on a computer and should be able to do so when using it to scroll faster, it might be easier, but scrolling with a controller is a minor annoyance that I would rather not deal with, so I don't. Why does a stranger on the Internet's method of playing Goemon Shin Sudai Shimmei being different from yours upset you so much?

 

[Samuel Fuller]

I simply have a differing of opinion. If RA allowed me to actually use my mouse since I'm on a computer and should be able to do so when using it to scroll faster, it might be easier, but scrolling with a controller is a minor annoyance that I would rather not deal with, so I don't. Why does a stranger on the Internet's method of playing Goemon Shin Sudai Shimmei being different from yours upset you so much?

You are the one who seems upset here. I was just pointing out that your comment came off as stupid and lazy, but in such a way as to make you do more work than necessary.

 

[Dan of Steel]

You are the one who seems upset here. I was just pointing out that your comment came off as stupid and lazy, but in such a way as to make you do more work than necessary.

Holy ESLerald.
How the fuck am I supposed to infer I'm playing old games "wrong way" by you calling me retarded? I won't belabor this anymore since I'm not interested in getting into a dumb dick measuring contest about fucking emulators, but my point is that you should play games in the way that's most convenient for you. If how I play games makes me dumb, then I'll keep sticking my head in the sand.

 

[Samuel Fuller]

Holy ESLerald.
How the fuck am I supposed to infer I'm playing old games "wrong way" by you calling me retarded? I won't belabor this anymore since I'm not interested in getting into a dumb dick measuring contest about fucking emulators, but my point is that you should play games in the way that's most convenient for you. If how I play games makes me dumb, then I'll keep sticking my head in the sand.

"most convenient", but rejects a multi-system emulator in favor of multiple separate ones.


Ok, then.

LOL

 

[Smaug's Smokey Hole 2]

"most convenient", but rejects a multi-system emulator in favor of multiple separate ones.


Ok, then.

LOL

Honestly, the lack of mouse support in the PC version of RetroArch is dumb. I haven't used it in years but does it still instantly close when you press esc?

 

[Samuel Fuller]

Honestly, the lack of mouse support in the PC version of RetroArch is dumb. I haven't used it in years but does it still instantly close when you press esc?

The default is a warning message saying "Press ESC again to quit".

 

[Smaug's Smokey Hole 2]

The default is a warning message saying "Press ESC again to quit".

What key does it require you to press to make that message go away? F?

That's a newer feature, it wasn't like that before. I wonder how much shit they got before stomping their feet and begrudgingly adding that. I can understand pressing B on a controller or whatever to back out of a menu. On a pc when, navigating with a keyboard, you obviously press esc to back out. That's common sense design. But when pressing esc it just shut down without warning like it had crashed. A LOT of people have complained about this in the past.
I have nothing more to say about that, it's june, a month of pride and joy for retroarch enthusiasts/developers.

Nah, I understand RetroArch and it's good but some things could be way better. Like add mouse support on PC. Or at least add trackball support for the GUI, some people might be using one of those because of old Atari arcade games... and then they could let mice function the same way if they already implemented a cursor!

 

[Calandrino]

Is there a way to make Retroarch's save state commands not awful? I use MAME for Genesis emulation just for that.

 

[Samuel Fuller]

That's a newer feature, it wasn't like that before. I wonder how much shit they got before stomping their feet and begrudgingly adding that. I can understand pressing B or whatever to back out of a menu. On a pc when, navigating with a keyboard, you obviously press esc to back out. That's common sense design. But when pressing esc it just shut down without warning like it had crashed. A LOT of people have complained about this in the past.
I have nothing more to say about that, it's june, a month of pride and joy for retroarch enthusiasts/developers.

Nah, I understand RetroArch and it's good but some things could be way better. Like add mouse support on PC. Or at least add trackball support for the GUI, some people might be using one of those because of old Atari arcade games... and then they could let mice function the same way if they already implemented a cursor!

The warning instead of instant quit has been how it is for a couple of years, as far as I remember.

Mouse/trackball support would be good, for sure.

RetroArch's menus are less obtuse than a lot of standalone emulators are, and there's always the option to just scan your folder and let the default core run the games, and if you're using a gamepad navigation is fine. I was just laughing at the notion that installing, configuring and using multiple emulators instead of just throwing everything into the one that does just about everything, since that is the opposite of easier and simpler.

 

[Two Dollars]

What I do with Dolphin is just plug in an Xbox controller and configured it as such within Dolphin. Theoretically, that would work the same with a Wii game compatible with GameCube controllers, correct?

I’m saying you don’t have to do that. Using an adapter makes Wii games see a Gamecube controller the exact same way they would on an actual Wii. Instead of setting your controller to [insert Xbox controller here], set it to your Gamecube adapter.

Speaking of which, would I just need a standard Wii remote/nunchuck to connect to my machine? I didn't know Wiimotes used Bluetooth.

I’m not in front of my PC right now, but there’s some setting like “Continuously check for Wii Remotes”. If that’s running, just press the sync button on your Wiimote and wait a few seconds, and it’ll sync until you close Dolphin. Just make sure your controller setting is set to Real Wii Remote. Anything connected to it like a Nunchuck will also just work. By the way, if you go this route, you don’t have to get a “Dolphin bar” or whatever advertises it works with Dolphin; any USB sensor bar will work, just plug it into any powered USB port (without getting into specifics, the cord on the sensor bar is used for power and nothing else, no communication with whatever it’s connected to).

Honestly, the lack of mouse support in the PC version of RetroArch is dumb. I haven't used it in years but does it still instantly close when you press esc?

The amount of people who complain about this and don’t know that RetroArch has a Desktop Mode specifically for KB+M is astounding.

Press F5, or
Settings > User Interface > Show Desktop Menu on Startup

 

[Samuel Fuller]

The amount of people who complain about this and don’t know that RetroArch has a Desktop Mode specifically for KB+M is astounding.

Press F5, or
Settings > User Interface > Show Desktop Menu on Startup

To be fair, for an interface that shoves messages out as liberally as RetroArch does, they really should make this more easily discoverable within the application.

 

[TenMilesWide]

But my experience with RA was that it’s clunky PS3 UI and dropdown menus within dropdown menus to get to the PS1 core and load up a game is more of a hassle than booting up Duckstation

You don't actually have to load up the core first, if you set the PS3 UI to just read your rom folders and click the game files from there it'll give a list of compatible cores to boot (or load a selected default per-filetype iirc, depending on settings)