COLECOVISION EMULATION

[breite07]

Hello,

The current command line for Colecovision in Retroarch specifies the MESS core which is no longer available for download.

-L "cores\mess_libretro.dll"

There is a MESS_2014 however it does not appear to work. (I made the following change to the command line incorporating MESS_2014):

-L "cores\mess2014_libretro.dll"       Again, it does not work

I also tried the Blue MSX core, but I can't figure out how to use it to actually load a GAME in Launchbox. It loads the Colecovision BIOS for every game I select and nothing else. I think I need a command line (that I don't know).

Would love to have Colecovision working in Launchbox (Bigbox) so thanks in advance for any tips!

 

 

 

[DOS76]

You really can't use MAME for MESS in RA unless you are using the software list roms that go with MAME but even then it requires the hash files that go in MAME it really is a PITA I suggest using stand alone MAME and not RA

[Lordmonkus]

The Mess core no longer exists since being rolled into the Mame core and getting non arcade stuff working with it is a major pain in the ass.

To use the Blue MSX core you need the \Machines folder from the stand alone version, copy that folder over to the Retroarch\system\ folder and it should then work.

Personally I use and suggest using the stand alone version of Mame.

[breite07]

I just set up MAME for Colecovision but when I select a game in Launchbox, nothing happens.

I put the Coleco.rom BIOS file in the Mame /roms folder.

Where did I go wrong this time?

Thanks!

 

Edited March 12, 2018 by breite07

[breite07]

So do I need a command- line parameter here for Colecovision (using MAME) ?

I click the games in Lauchbox but nothing is launching.

Same exact problem I am having with NEO GEO.

My Coleco.rom BIOS is in the Mame/roms folder.

It might be easier to unpack my old Colecovision and play it at this point - lol.

 

[Lordmonkus]

coleco -cart

That's the command line parameter for it.

You will also want to add folder where you bios files are located to the rompath of Mame.

[breite07]

Still doesn't work.

Click on game, screen goes black for one second, then returns to the LB game menu.

Here are my updated settings: 

Also - is .7z a supported format for the games?

The BIOS is coleco.rom

Edited March 13, 2018 by breite07

[Lordmonkus]

Did you add the location of your bios to your Mame rompaths or place your bios in your Mame bios folder ?

What I have done is I have a separate Mame install just for non arcade emulation and I dump all the bios files in the roms folder.

[breite07]

Yes I did all of the above.

However, my BIOS is coleco.rom whereas yours is coleco.zip

Maybe the solution is to zip the BIOS file. I will try that.

Thanks for your help !

[Lordmonkus]

Mame wants its bios in a zip file like its arcade games.

[breite07]

And once I gave it what it wanted, it now works great!

Major Props to you - THANKS!

[Lordmonkus]

Glad you got it working.

[spycat]

The bios coleco.rom is the one used by emulators such as ColEm and blueMSX. Once zipped it works with MAME as well but only allows the original character set to be used. Games will play, but MAME will audit it as missing the thick bios - colecoa.rom.
The bios coleco.zip that comes with a full romset is a dual bios that allows the character set to be switched between the original (default) and thick.

[breite07]

Thanks for the info.

I installed the bios coleco.zip (includes colecoa.rom).

How do I go about switching between the original and the thick character set?

I'm just curious to see the difference.

 

[spycat]

Hi @breite07

Launch any one of your Coleco games in LaunchBox. When it opens, use TAB to bring up the menu and select Bios Selection.
Change the driver from Original to Thick and press Reset.

[breite07]

Worked great - thanks.

I thought there was another mod'ed  Coleco BIOS out there that reduced the time spent on the title screen during game boot up.

That one may not be compliant with MAME however.

[Lordmonkus]

You can speed it up with the fast forward function, Insert key on the keyboard is the default but it can be mapped to a controller button or combo if you want.

[snarfo67]

Just in case you've never heard of this adapter--- I also use MAME for Colecovision and Intellivision emulation since MAME allows direct button mapping (the lack of which is my only real gripe with Retroarch) and it works great:

http://www.intellivision.us/intvgames/interface/interface.php

I bought the Intellivision and Colecovision Flashback consoles to get the appropriate controllers. Setup in MAME was a breeze.

[breite07]

Great find - thanks for sharing!

[zoemorn]

I'm setting up colecovision using the official tutorial from awhile back, but am confused (or just need more coffee) about rom path. So during the video it appears that his roms are located in a games/colecovision folder, but he's using mame to emulate. And then at one point he mentions putting the bios file in the mame/roms folder, which i also did, that was supposed to basically be it. however when i try to load a game it blackscreens for a sec indicating the start up of the emu but fails to find the game so backs out. if i put the rom in the mame/roms folder, then it works. Crux of my question is if emulating with Mame using LB do roms HAVE to be in the mame/roms folder or can LB connect the dots for mame to tell it where the roms are? so should i :

1. So do i need to move all the roms to mame/rom folder for it to work?

2. Copy the rom files over (more footprint) so that when refreshing metadata it'll keep images updated.

3. move files over to mame/ roms and reimport metadata? (but then dont have a games/colecovision path which is nice, but whatever)

i was thinking that launchbox would connect the dots between Mame and where the roms were located?  and then tried to see if that could be done as a "associate platform command line parameter" and i tried this:  coleco -cart "Drive Letter:\full path\ROM_name.rom"  -skip_gameinfo -nowindow   which is from this post   but that didnt do it either (i put in my full path to the rom folder but wasnt sure about that ROM_name.rom part, so tried it as is and tried with it omitted and neither achieved what i was looking for. 

 

  thank you!