Its likely the roms on the pi are older versions, and launchbox is using the newer retroarch version which uses NEWER updated rom sets.
I use the latest standalone Mame with matching romset "arcade games". I use standalone retroarch for other platforms like ps1, snes. Yeah i get that its more setup, but it makes customizing easier.
Here is AI's response, it will help you.
RetroArch itself works the same on both. The difference is which **core** each one uses, and that is almost always why arcade ROMs that work on a Pi fail on Windows.
**Why it happens**
Arcade ROMs aren't universal. Each MAME or FinalBurn version expects ROM sets from its own version, and a set built for one often fails on another.
- RetroPie defaults to older, lightweight cores built for Pi hardware, mainly **lr-mame2003-plus** (based on MAME 0.78), **lr-mame2003**, and **lr-fbneo**. Most Pi ROM collections are built for these.
- When you set up RetroArch for Arcade in LaunchBox, it usually gets assigned the **current MAME core** (0.27x+). That core rejects older sets or reports missing files, so the same ROMs fail on the PC.
**The fix: match the core**
1. In RetroArch on the PC, go to Online Updater → Core Downloader and install the same core used on the Pi. You can check which one in RetroPie's runcommand menu, which appears when you press a button during game launch.
2. In LaunchBox, go to Tools → Manage → Emulators → RetroArch → **Associated Platforms**. Set Arcade to `mame2003_plus_libretro.dll` (or `fbneo_libretro.dll`) to match the Pi.
3. Relaunch a game. In most cases it now works without changing any ROMs.
**Neo Geo specifics**
- `neogeo.zip` (the BIOS) must sit **in the same folder as the Neo Geo ROMs** or in RetroArch's `system` folder. On the Pi it was probably next to the ROMs, so copy it over.
- The BIOS has to match the core too. A `neogeo.zip` from a MAME 0.78 set may not work with a current FBNeo build, and the reverse is also true.
- **FBNeo** is usually the most forgiving core for Neo Geo, so try it first.
**If it still fails**
- In RetroArch settings, turn on Logging → **Log Verbosity** and launch the game from LaunchBox. The log names the exact missing file or CRC mismatch.
- Check that ROMs are still **zipped** and **unrenamed**. Arcade ROMs must keep their short names like `mslug.zip`, not "Metal Slug.zip".
- Long term, the cleaner approach is to pick one core and rebuild the ROMs to that version's set with **ClrMamePro** or **RomVault**, using that core's DAT file.
In short: use the same core on Windows that the Pi uses, keep `neogeo.zip` beside the ROMs, and most of these games should work immediately.
