RetroArch module for hakchi

This is a hakchi/hakchi2 module which adds libretro cores and RetroArch front-end to your NES Mini.

It will automatically detect unsupported NES games and run them instead of the default emulator. Save states will work as usual.

It can also run games for other consoles. This pack already contains the following cores:

• fceumm (Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System, many mappers, UNIF support)
• nestopia (Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System, Famicom Disk System)

The following cores are available as additional modules (in core_modules folder):

• snes9x2010 (Super Famicom/Super Nintendo)
• gambatte_libretro (Game Boy, Game Boy Color)
• mgba (Game Boy Advance)
• genesis_plus_gx (Sega Master System, Genesis/Mega Drive, Game Gear)
• stella (Atari 2600)
• mednafen_pce_fast (PC Engine/Turbografx 16)
• fb_alpha and fb_alpha_cps2 (various arcade machines)
• picodrive (Sega Master System, Genesis/Mega Drive, Game Gear, Sega 32X)

How to use this

If you are using hakchi2:

1. Make sure that you are using hakchi2 version 2.14 or newer.
2. Go to "releases" tab and download the newest retroarch_with_cores.zip.
3. Drag-and-drop it on hakchi2 window.
4. Press "OK" button and follow instructions.

That's all. You can play near all NES games now as well as SNES, Genesis, N64, etc.

Important notes

• To use RetroArch for any NES game, just add "--retroarch" to command line arguments. Use it if some of your NES games glitches with original NES Mini's emulator.
• Also you can add "--retroarch" for SNES games on SNES Mini to use RetroArch instead of original emulator.
• To open RetroArch settings menu press Select + Start in game.
• To add RetroArch shortcut to NES Mini's shell, download and drag-and-drop CloverApp.zip to hakchi2.
• Make sure that your FDS games have .fds extension (NOT .nes) if you want to run them with built-in emulator (kachikachi)

Additional notes for expert users

• If you need to specify NES core, use "--retroarch --core fceumm" to use FCEUmm for this game or "--retroarch --core nestopia" to use Nestopia. Code fceumm will be used by default.
• To make your own RetroArch modules, use the structure from libretro_core_template.zip. Use exisiting modules as a reference.
• To add your own BIOS images for custom cores, use bios_template.zip (please read the readme.txt inside).
• To load arcade games that come in the form of ZIP archives, you'll need to change /bin/zip in game's command line arguments to /bin/fba or /bin/cps2 depending on the core needed for the game to run (look at "Additional Information" section for all avaiable /bin/<> commands). For some cores like Final Burn Alpha, BIOS image (e.g. neogeo.zip for Neo-Geo) must be in the game directory.
• Since version 0.5, you'll need to upload neogeo.zip only once. Just put neogeo.zip to any Neo-Geo game you want, synchronize and launch it once for every other game to work automatically or just upload neogeo.zip to RA's system folder using BIOS template. You won't have to include neogeo.zip anymore unless you uninstall hakchi and decide to install it again.
• If the file extension of your game is not supported by hakchi2, you may need to change the path in command line arguments (in Hakchi2's game options) to make it point to the corresponding core
• To use Nestopia instead of FCEUmm for all games by default, install use_nestopia.hmod module from additional_mods.zip.
• To use PicoDrive for all Genesis/Mega Drive games instead of Genesis Plus GX, install use_picodrive.hmod module from additional_mods.zip. Make sure that picodrive module is installed before installing use_picodrive!
• You can re-enable bilinear filtering in RetroArch's settings (Settings —> Video —> Bilinear Filtering)
• If you want to use RetroArch's XMB UI instead of RGUI, install xmb_assets.hmod from additional_mods.zip and change Menu Driver in Settings —> Driver —> Menu Driver to "xmb"
• You need BIOS file to play FDS on SNES Mini while NES Classic Mini already contains it

Executables and arguments for all available cores:

    - /bin/retroarch-clover <core> <rom> <clover_args>
      runs RetroArch with specified core,
      designed for executing from clover shell, 
      so it parses all clover arguments (saves, aspect ratio, etc.)
    - /bin/retroarch-mini [core] [rom] [args]
      runs RetroArch directly, without clover intergration
    - /bin/retroarch
      RetroArch binary
    - /bin/nes <rom> <clover_args>
      runs "fceumm" core or "nestopia" core
    - /bin/gb <rom> <clover_args>
      runs "gambatte" core
    - /bin/gbc <rom> <clover_args>
      runs "gambatte" core
    - /bin/gba <rom> <clover_args>
      runs "mgba" core
    - /bin/md <rom> <clover_args>
      runs "genesis_plus_gx" core
    - /bin/sms <rom> <clover_args>
      runs "genesis_plus_gx" core
    - /bin/gg <rom> <clover_args>
      runs "genesis_plus_gx" core
    - /bin/32x <rom> <clover_args>
      runs "picodrive" core
    - /bin/snes <rom> <clover_args>
      runs "snes9x2010" core
    - /bin/snes10 <rom> <clover_args>
      runs "snes9x2010" core
    - /bin/n64 <rom> <clover_args>
      runs "glupen64" core
    - /bin/n64g <rom> <clover_args>
      runs "glupen64" core
    - /bin/a26 <rom> <clover_args>
      runs "stella" core
    - /bin/pce <rom> <clover_args>
      runs "mednafen_pce_fast" core
    - /bin/fba <rom> <clover_args>
      runs "fb_alpha" core
    - /bin/cps2 <rom> <clover_args>
      runs "fb_alpha_cps2" core

Known issues

• Nintendo 64 and CP System II save-states are not working, battery backups work fine
• Default CRT filter is not working, scanlines shader added instead but it's not working with all systems.

Credits

NES Mini port by madmonkey

NES Mini shell integration by Cluster

Various additions, tweaks and fixes by pcm720

RetroArch/libretro project: https://www.libretro.com

(c) 2017-2018