Bally Astrocade games not launching

[DerHof2007]

Thanks, that got it. My problem I was changing the command line on the main 'Emulator Details' tab instead of for the individual platform on the 'Associated Platforms' tab.
And for whatever reason after getting that all set up I scanned for additional roms and it picked everything up... not sure why it only scanned a handful on the initial rom import.

[Wally]

Hi all,

I am trying to run the Astrocade using the old lr_mess retroarch core

I only get a No items screen in RetroARch

 

Any help appreciated

[Wally]

Using there inside retroarch

core options did the trick

Quote

mess_alternate_renderer = "disabled"
mess_auto_save = "disabled"
mess_boot_from_cli = "enabled"
mess_boot_to_bios = "disabled"
mess_boot_to_osd = "disabled"
mess_cheats_enable = "enabled"
mess_media_type = "cart"
mess_mouse_enable = "disabled"
mess_read_config = "enabled"
mess_saves = "game"
mess_softlists_auto_media = "enabled"
mess_softlists_enable = "enabled"
mess_throttle = "disabled"
mess_write_config = "enabled"

Unfortunately it needs the Don't use quotes 

that breaks the mame core

So I need to check/uncheck depending the core I want to use

Edited November 16, 2019 by Wally

[DOS76]

as a work around you can just add the the same emulator a 2nd time name it some thing like RetroArch MAME or RA software and then check the boxes you want. this way LB you can use the same emulator but have LB send it different settings.

[Wally]

What a cunning plan

[mohanned85]

can someone help with this

sorry for resurrecting old thread but better then making new one

[sundogak]

For stand alone MAME setup, here is emulator setup I have for Bally Astrocade:

astrocde -cart

 

Edited December 11, 2019 by sundogak

[JaysArcade]

I'm doing a new build. For retroarch, I could not get Astrocade to work at all unless I named the folder the games reside in, astrocde. Letting LaunchBox copy the games into the games folder and naming it Bally Astrocade wouldn't work. Only when I renamed that folder to astrocde and pointed the games to that location would it work. This is with the mame_libretro (0.220) core. I believe this rule is true with the VTech Creativision as well as the Emerson Arcadia 2001 systems using the folder names crvision and arcadia respectively. I previously had those systems set up in an old build, but they are honestly not worth your time. The Astrocade has some fun games on it though, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered. This topic pointed me in the right direction with the folder names. If those retropie nerds can figure it out, why can't I copy them? Just kidding. I'd be willing to bet that the rom folder name is true for MAME as well if using roms as opposed to software list games. Not sure though. https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/22600/how-to-emulate-bally-astrocade-vtech-creativision-and-emerson-arcadia-2001-in-lr-mess

Mame (Previously MESS) through Retroarch works good when you can get it working. If it wasn't for the awesome overlays and shaders, I wouldn't have bothered. I guess I could have used stand alone MAME, but where is the fun in that? Plus, I like a challenge.

I'm saving this info here so maybe the next time I set up Astrocade, I'll be able to find the info quickly without wasting hours and hours looking for this crucial piece of the puzzle, LOL. Maybe this will help someone else trying to set this up? Before anyone asks. Yes. You have to have the Astrocade bios files inside the astrocde folder with the roms. Oh, and you'll need a hash folder inside a folder named mame inside the system folder within RetroArch. You'll need to scavenge this from a working MAME install, or you can find a link to the hash files in the page I linked to above.

The Astrocade controller had a dial on it and it was used to pick game, number of players, etc. An analog stick on a controller (xbone, PS, etc) can be used for the dial. A mouse or spinner can also be used but this is a little beyond the scope here. Once you figure out how to use a dial with this system, it makes it simple and fun to play.

Here is the Astrocade overlay I made for my new build. I'm building vertical overlays for all my systems and using the HSM Mega Bezel Reflection Shader when possible.

[MuddyWaters79]

On 2/23/2018 at 9:58 AM, bundangdon said:

Uncheck "Don't use quotes" and "Use the file name only.." and see if that works for you

 

Thank you guys for this! I finally got Bally Astrocade working now thanks to this forum!

[bundangdon]

8 hours ago, MuddyWaters79 said:

Thank you guys for this! I finally got Bally Astrocade working now thanks to this forum!

Glad to hear you got it working, based on my advice from over two years ago?

[Mandarynek]

On 12/11/2019 at 1:28 AM, sundogak said:

For stand alone MAME setup, here is emulator setup I have for Bally Astrocade:

astrocde -cart

 

I tried. Games won't start.

[Jonny0r]

Somebody got it working? Just imigrate my collection from Hyperspin to Launchbox 13, but this i couldnt get running also not with the "-cart" ..

 

Thanks in advance,

[Damedus]

i cant get baly to work under retroarch is it possible to get a updated guide on how to i renamed the games folder and all but retroarch simply closes

 

[Umarel]

On 8/1/2023 at 4:06 AM, Damedus said:

i cant get baly to work under retroarch is it possible to get a updated guide on how to i renamed the games folder and all but retroarch simply closes

 

Go to Tools - Manage - Emulators - Mame, add Bally Aastrocade into the associated platform section, then use this command line parameters:

astrocde -cart %romfile%

[golvellius82]

Quote

i cant get baly to work under retroarch is it possible to get a updated guide on how to i renamed the games folder and all but retroarch simply closes

 

Go to Tools - Manage - Emulators - Mame, add Bally Aastrocade into the associated platform section, then use this command line parameters:

astrocde -cart %romfile%

dude thank you, i could managed to run this crazy system after adding this cmd thank you

[xokia]

I cant seem to get this to work. I created a seperated "emulator" for mame.

 

 

within my mame/rom directory I have the bios

within my mame.ini I have

What am I doing wrong or  missing?

 

[JoeViking245]

I don't use RetroArch to run MAME because it just seems silly to me.  But looking at other posts saying they do...

Everything looks the same (see Note) except they Uncheck Remove File Extension....

Note: We're just talking about Bally Astrocade here.  The Extra Command-Line Parameters for your other 3 Associated Platforms are uniquely wrong. (Astrocade is the only one that appears correct)

[xokia]

1 hour ago, JoeViking245 said:

I don't use RetroArch to run MAME because it just seems silly to me.  But looking at other posts saying they do...

Everything looks the same (see Note) except they Uncheck Remove File Extension....

Note: We're just talking about Bally Astrocade here.  The Extra Command-Line Parameters for your other 3 Associated Platforms are uniquely wrong. (Astrocade is the only one that appears correct)

I did just get bally astrocade to work. The problem was something in my "plugin" directory was causing it to fail. I dont know what. But I created an empty plugin directory and now bally works!

What is wrong with my other entries that you noticed? I am trying to get those working now. Missing " I think let me see if that fixes it

*update*

Trying for entex now. Can't seem to get that one to work. I renamed the bios to advision.zip

Do I need to rename the bios file inside the zip folder?

Edited Tuesday at 07:08 PM by xokia

[xokia]

got it all working now. Had the wrong bios and found all my type-O's Thank you !