Can't get the Neo Geo AES games launch in Retroarch

[Elhora]

Hi everyone.

I need your help : I'm facing a problem that many tutorials i found on the net haven't solved. So maybe some of you managed to do it.

In Retroarch, i can easily play Neo-Geo CD games. But all my Neo-Geo AES games launch in MVS version.... I've tried many Bios files, checking the CRC matches, changed the Neo-Geo type to AES in the core option,  i even tried the Neo-Geo universal bios... i cannot make things work : Either the games launch in MVS version, either it just simply doesnt start.

Would you have any idea on how i can make things work ? Is there any combo of Core/bios files/core parameters that is mandatory ?

 

[JoeViking245]

This probably doesn't help any for RetroArch, but in stand-alone MAME, using Art of Fighting (aof.zip) as an example ROM, to run the MVS version, the command is "mame.exe neogeo aof".  And for the AES version, using the same ROM, it's "mame.exe aes aof".

[Elhora]

thanks for the information.

if i can't make it under Retroarch, i'll switch to MAME...

[sundogak]

@ElhoraMAME and RA overall are a headache, particularly when using software MAME set. But if using the MAME RA core here is how setup for AES:

"aes -cart \"%romfile%\""

This is an example for MAME RA emulator settings. It is different than a normal MAME RA Arcade set up so I setup a separate instance of RA and called it "Retroarch_MESS" (you can call whatever).  It still points to same exact RA setup as your main, it just tells LB slightly different launch commands:

Using Art of Fighting as example, LB just points to the normal zip file (AES cartridge) for that game within a regular MAME software set (i.e., the cartridge "software" is not in the arcade set for MAME). 

[Elhora]

@sundogak  i can't make it work... 

i guess i have to use anoother bios than the one i have or put them in another folder... for now i just have the neogeo.zip from Mame Romset in the retroarch system folder, but RA tells me there are missing files...

[sundogak]

If you are putting stuff in the RA directory for MAME then you to have all bios and software (i.e., cartridges) there as well unless you tell RA to look for ROMs outside normal RA path.  With AES you are not only using neogeo bios files but also software carts.  So it isn't a "normal" arcade" setup with point to a ROM and go.  It needs two pieces plus the HASH folder which is the "map" for MAME to know which software carts/files go with particular bios.  However, there is a setting that allows you to avoid duping your ROMset into the RA folder.  See below. 

With an option setting in RA, you don't have to put your ROMs in the RA directory. However, you do have to do certain folders, particularly the HASH, samples, and INI folders. ROMs can be pointed to in a normal setup outside RA.  These are the only folders in my MAME RA folder (Note looks like MAME folder but substantially truncated and no ROMs):

The MAME ini folder will have a dumbed down version of a normal MAME.ini file.  The key here is you have the paths to your "normal" (non-RA) MAME folder with all your ROMs and full software set.  This special RA version of MAME.ini basically is only used to point to ROM paths outside of RA.  So don't just copy over your normal MAME.ini into RA, you have to adjust paths.

 

See example below but you will have to adapt to your paths.  Make sure your Rom path and SWpath point to a full set MAME rom set and software rom set.  Anything in the paths below that says it is in the "retroarch" folder path has to be in RA folder (it won't work outside RA because of glitch in the MAME core). 

Spoiler

#
# CORE CONFIGURATION OPTIONS
#
readconfig                1
writeconfig               0

#
# CORE SEARCH PATH OPTIONS
#
homepath                  G:\Emulators\Retroarch\system\mame
rompath                   G:\Emulators\MAME\roms;G:\Emulators\MAME\roms_chds;G:\Emulators\MAME\software;G:\Emulators\MAME\software_chds
hashpath                  G:\Emulators\Retroarch\system\mame\hash
samplepath                G:\Emulators\Retroarch\system\mame\samples
artpath                   G:\Emulators\Retroarch\system\mame\artwork
ctrlrpath                 G:\Emulators\Retroarch\system\mame\ctrlr
inipath                   G:\Emulators\Retroarch\system\mame\ini
fontpath                  G:\Emulators\Retroarch\system\mame
cheatpath                 G:\Emulators\Retroarch\system\mame\cheat
crosshairpath             G:\Emulators\Retroarch\system\mame\crosshair
pluginspath               G:\Emulators\Retroarch\system\mame\plugins
languagepath              G:\Emulators\Retroarch\system\mame\language
swpath                    G:\Emulators\MAME\software

#
# CORE OUTPUT DIRECTORY OPTIONS
#
cfg_directory             G:\Emulators\Retroarch\saves\MAME\mame\cfg
nvram_directory           G:\Emulators\Retroarch\saves\MAME\mame\nvram
input_directory           G:\Emulators\Retroarch\saves\MAME\mame\input
state_directory           G:\Emulators\Retroarch\saves\MAME\mame\states
snapshot_directory        G:\Emulators\MAME\snap
diff_directory            G:\Emulators\Retroarch\saves\MAME\mame\diff
comment_directory         G:\Emulators\Retroarch\system\mame\comments
share_directory           G:\Emulators\Retroarch\system\mame\comments\share

Then in the RA config folder under MAME, have a mame.cfg file with: 

game_specific_options = "true"

Then also in the config folder a file called MAME.opt  (this contains the options settings in RA):

Spoiler

mame_alternate_renderer = "disabled"
mame_altres = "1280x960"
mame_auto_save = "disabled"
mame_boot_from_cli = "enabled"
mame_boot_to_bios = "disabled"
mame_boot_to_osd = "enabled"
mame_buttons_profiles = "disabled"
mame_cheats_enable = "disabled"
mame_cpu_overclock = "default"
mame_lightgun_mode = "none"
mame_mame_4way_enable = "disabled"
mame_mame_paths_enable = "enabled"
mame_media_type = "rom"
mame_mouse_enable = "enabled"
mame_read_config = "enabled"
mame_saves = "game"
mame_softlists_auto_media = "enabled"
mame_softlists_enable = "enabled"
mame_throttle = "enabled"
mame_write_config = "disabled"
 

The key ones are:

mame_mame_paths_enable = "enabled"    <<< this is the one that allows option for RA to use paths outside normal structure. But it was coded incompletely and documented poorly. It ONLY works with ROM and Software paths outside RA.  They have never bothered to fix it to work with other paths. 

These others are also key, particularly the CLI enabled one.  

mame_boot_from_cli = "enabled"
mame_boot_to_bios = "disabled"
mame_boot_to_osd = "enabled"

You can set these in the RA interface but find it easier to do in the config files.  

This is why setting up MAME in RA is pain, because you are overlaying a complex MAME setup, with a jury rigged RA version that has parts that must be "RA way" and others that have to be "MAME way".  

Edited August 14, 2022 by sundogak