Gamestation Pro

[Atari8264]

On 6/28/2024 at 1:47 PM, EH3W50N said:

I found some old instructions on how the version of MAME they are using works with bezels and artwork.   it's confusing as hell and I developed an excel file that gets me 80% the way there. 

Look at my post on Page 24 for instructions on how to use the GSPvertical.zip artwork file I created.  This makes a game vertical after following the instructions.  You can modify the left and right black pictures to add your own graphics to the normally black sides.

[Marky316]

I wanted to share this file here also as MANY of you on this thread help made my GSP great.

 

Hope my Files help you also as you helped me.

 

 

 

[big_guitar]

At one point, MyArcade seems to have experimented with providing a special folder to be used for ColecoVision games for the GSP.

 

There is still code in their GAME app that traps ".bin" extension files if the path to the game includes "ColecoVision", although it's not useable to run CV games, as the final MyArcade product had no CV cores included.

Navigating from your sdcard games folder (using the 'Micro SD Card' path option), game_type 17 is established if you select a .bin file under a ColecoVision folder path.

 

If a ".bin" extension is not under "ColecoVision", it assigns the game_type as 2, which is the game type for Genesis.

 

Of course, game_type "17" was changed in the final release (defined in the start_local_sd.sh script) to assign the core as "vice_xpet_libretro.so".  If you actually experiment with this, you end up with a solid black screen that remains there.  Why did they take the CV trap out?  Perhaps they struggled to get a proper CV core to work, in addition to determining that more buttons are typically needed for CV game selections, and the GSP controllers are lacking in that respect.

 

In this runme execution log (partial), you can see that the game_type 17 is established when using a "ColecoVision" folder with a ".bin" file.

The $4 incoming variable (to the runme.sh script) is the selected game file.

The $2 incoming variable represents the game type.

 

--initial variable args:
1: 0
2: 17    
3: /usr/lib/libretro/retroarch/md_4_3.cfg
4: /sdcard/Games/ColecoVision/superactiontester.bin   
--

Edited July 13 by big_guitar

[Shannon]

5 hours ago, big_guitar said:

At one point, MyArcade seems to have experimented with providing a special folder to be used for ColecoVision games for the GSP.

 

There is still code in their GAME app that traps ".bin" extension files if the path to the game includes "ColecoVision", although it's not useable to run CV games, as the final MyArcade product had no CV cores included.

Navigating from your sdcard games folder (using the 'Micro SD Card' path option), game_type 17 is established if you select a .bin file under a ColecoVision folder path.

 

If a ".bin" extension is not under "ColecoVision", it assigns the game_type as 2, which is the game type for Genesis.

 

Of course, game_type "17" was changed in the final release (defined in the start_local_sd.sh script) to assign the core as "vice_xpet_libretro.so".  If you actually experiment with this, you end up with a solid black screen that remains there.  Why did they take the CV trap out?  Perhaps they struggled to get a proper CV core to work, in addition to determining that more buttons are typically needed for CV game selections, and the GSP controllers are lacking in that respect.

 

In this runme execution log (partial), you can see that the game_type 17 is established when using a "ColecoVision" folder with a ".bin" file.

The $4 incoming variable (to the runme.sh script) is the selected game file.

The $2 incoming variable represents the game type.

 

--initial variable args:
1: 0
2: 17    
3: /usr/lib/libretro/retroarch/md_4_3.cfg
4: /sdcard/Games/ColecoVision/superactiontester.bin   
--

 

My guess would be the number of buttons issue.  Gear Coleco is a pretty decent colecovision retroarch core and I doubt it is hard on CPU when it comes to emulation.

 

Interesting discovery there BTW. 

Edited July 13 by Shannon

[big_guitar]

48 minutes ago, Shannon said:

Gear Coleco is a pretty decent

I could not get it to work properly at all on the GSP.  Probably needs to be tweaked for Linux-arm. I think I asked the developer about it, he never made a build himself for that platform.  Others have, but I can't get it to work properly. The controller buttons end up performing more than one standard controller action, or exhibit other funky inconsistent behaviors.  I fared better with fbneo, bluemsx, and even coolcv (I convinced to rebuild, it's better since, trigger buttons now can be assigned, still has some lingering issues, but is useable).

 

48 minutes ago, Shannon said:

Interesting discovery there BTW.

With a little help from some decompiled code... 😉  (comments my own)

 

 

I suppose it's possible that they started out using some existing code of their own from some other efforts or obtained some related code elsewhere.

Edited July 13 by big_guitar

[Shannon]

2 hours ago, big_guitar said:

I could not get it to work properly at all on the GSP.  Probably needs to be tweaked for Linux-arm. I think I asked the developer about it, he never made a build himself for that platform.  Others have, but I can't get it to work properly. The controller buttons end up performing more than one standard controller action, or exhibit other funky inconsistent behaviors.  I fared better with fbneo, bluemsx, and even coolcv (I convinced to rebuild, it's better since, trigger buttons now can be assigned, still has some lingering issues, but is useable).

 

With a little help from some decompiled code... 😉  (comments my own)

 

 

I suppose it's possible that they started out using some existing code of their own from some other efforts or obtained some related code elsewhere.

 

Wow.. that decompiled code is horrible. 

 

I hope the original source wasn't like that.. no way I would write that kind of garbage. 

 

Edited July 13 by Shannon

[big_guitar]

14 hours ago, Shannon said:

Wow.. that decompiled code is horrible. 

I hope the original source wasn't like that.. no way I would write that kind of garbage. 

Yeah, I think that comes with the territory of programs that attempt to decompile and then convert to C afterwards.  I'm sure their original source would be much easier to follow.

[Washac]

What does the fan created update give me over the official 1.30 update other than adding artwork etc
for added games ?
 

[big_guitar]

6 hours ago, Washac said:

What does the fan created update give me over the official 1.30 update other than adding artwork etc
for added games ?

Hi Washac, in my view, outside of the artwork and new games to be shown in the GUI interface (1.30c), the potential benefits you could acquire include:

1. Additional customization options with how Retroarch executes game roms (via custom RA config files)
2. The ability to add other RA core modules not natively available in the stock GSP system.
   Intellivision, Colecovision, many others 

More info would be required if you were interested in going down that path to take advantage of these additional benefits.

[Washac]

16 minutes ago, big_guitar said:

Hi Washac, in my view, outside of the artwork and new games to be shown in the GUI interface (1.30c), the potential benefits you could acquire include:

1. Additional customization options with how Retroarch executes game roms (via custom RA config files)
2. The ability to add other RA core modules not natively available in the stock GSP system.
   Intellivision, Colecovision, many others 

More info would be required if you were interested in going down that path to take advantage of these additional benefits.

Thanks for the reply, what be the update process to install v1.30c if I have already installed the official v1.30 ?

[big_guitar]

10 hours ago, Washac said:

Thanks for the reply, what be the update process to install v1.30c if I have already installed the official v1.30 ?

Hi,

Step 1:  see THIS THREAD and go over the very first post thoroughly until you understand that.

The main purpose there is to get 1.30c implemented, and then perform tasks so that the games.db file is moved to the SDCARD.

After that, there are options for how to go about efforts depending on what your end goal is. 

If you want to customize executions or add cores, then you don't need to use the INI editing methods, you should use the Windows app (latest) for all editing, but there's a bit of information to absorb.

[Washac]

5 hours ago, big_guitar said:

Hi,

Step 1:  see THIS THREAD and go over the very first post thoroughly until you understand that.

The main purpose there is to get 1.30c implemented, and then perform tasks so that the games.db file is moved to the SDCARD.

After that, there are options for how to go about efforts depending on what your end goal is. 

If you want to customize executions or add cores, then you don't need to use the INI editing methods, you should use the Windows app (latest) for all editing, but there's a bit of information to absorb.

OK thanks, read through that and watched a few Youtube videos on it, seems to be ajust a little to mush to take in
to be honset, think I will stick with the official v130 for now.

 

Edited July 20 by Washac

[Razzie.P]

Saw this on clearance today for $18 bucks and figured I'd check this out to see what y'all have done with it, but man 58 pages.   🤣  I'm gonna scroll through of course and not be a lazy ass, but if there's a "complete newbies quickstart guide" hidden in here someone that someone would like to share, thanks a bunch in advance!

[big_guitar]

4 hours ago, Razzie.P said:

Saw this on clearance today for $18 bucks and figured I'd check this out to see what y'all have done with it, but man 58 pages.   🤣  I'm gonna scroll through of course and not be a lazy ass, but if there's a "complete newbies quickstart guide" hidden in here someone that someone would like to share, thanks a bunch in advance!

Well that's a nice price!  

Edited July 26 by big_guitar

[Jess Ragan]

That is indeed. Care to share with us where you found it for that price, Raz?

[Razzie.P]

Strange as it may sound --- Radio Shack 😁

[+GoldLeader]

13 minutes ago, Razzie.P said:

Strange as it may sound --- Radio Shack 😁

Anything more to go on here?

 

I thought Radio Shacks went extinct.  Where did you find one or is it some online thing?

[big_guitar]

While we're there, perhaps we can pick up a TRS-80...  😆

[Razzie.P]

2 hours ago, GoldLeader said:

Anything more to go on here?

 

I thought Radio Shacks went extinct.  Where did you find one or is it some online thing?

Yeah, I could probably share all kinds of stories about this particular RS.  Some that seem odd, some likely to anger folks.   

 

It was an actual brick n' mortar store.  From what I understand, there are still a few around, and this one is actually the same location from my childhood in a small town in Virginia.   The place I bought my first PC (they screwed me over) one of the places I used to rent VHS and video games.   Now, though, it's pretty much a shadow of what it used to be, some things still the same (they do car stereo installs and sell electronic parts) and some things just weird (the computer section is now Stihl weedeaters and chainsaws)

 

They sell a a variety electronic toys, like cheapo RC cars and drones, and a few of those emulation box thingies that have 1000+ games on them, and (according to the employee) they got a few of these to test the waters because they figured the Atari branding would make them be a big seller.  But 100% that they sold was returned because their customers basically said they were "crap and unplayable" so the 2 they had left were stuck in the "clearance" section, or as the dude called it, the "shit nobody wants."  I grabbed them.

 

 

2 hours ago, big_guitar said:

While we're there, perhaps we can pick up a TRS-80...  😆

Nope.  But we can hook you up with a chainsaw or weedeater if you'd like to pay about 10% more than you would at Lowes or Home Depot.

 

Not my pics, but this is the one -- two from Google street and the other from someone who's not me  😁   It says "2 years ago" but I'm pretty sure most of that stuff is still there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 28 by Razzie.P

[+GoldLeader]

4 hours ago, Razzie.P said:

Yeah, I could probably share all kinds of stories about this particular RS.  Some that seem odd, some likely to anger folks.   

 

It was an actual brick n' mortar store.  From what I understand, there are still a few around, and this one is actually the same location from my childhood in a small town in Virginia.   The place I bought my first PC (they screwed me over) one of the places I used to rent VHS and video games.   Now, though, it's pretty much a shadow of what it used to be, some things still the same (they do car stereo installs and sell electronic parts) and some things just weird (the computer section is now Stihl weedeaters and chainsaws)

 

They sell a a variety electronic toys, like cheapo RC cars and drones, and a few of those emulation box thingies that have 1000+ games on them, and (according to the employee) they got a few of these to test the waters because they figured the Atari branding would make them be a big seller.  But 100% that they sold was returned because their customers basically said they were "crap and unplayable" so the 2 they had left were stuck in the "clearance" section, or as the dude called it, the "shit nobody wants."  I grabbed them.

 

 

Nope.  But we can hook you up with a chainsaw or weedeater if you'd like to pay about 10% more than you would at Lowes or Home Depot.

 

Not my pics, but this is the one -- two from Google street and the other from someone who's not me  😁   It says "2 years ago" but I'm pretty sure most of that stuff is still there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's very interesting!  Sounds like they're doing their own thing trying to survive.  Before ours shut down,  they seemed to carry less and less,  seems like the electronic parts had dwindled a lot;  SD card prices were 10 times higher than eBay...It basically became an overpriced, glorified cell phone store.  I felt bad for them but it seemed self inflicted.

[DavidD]

I wonder if this is like the Blockbuster that still operates -- a franchisee kept their store running, and the current owner of the trademark just keeps collecting a fee?

[big_guitar]

For anyone that has the "SNES Classic Mini", (and/or Genesis) although a bit older, would you say that hardware is comparable to the GSP, or better? 

In terms of ability as to what types of cores it can handle... Thank you.

[Shannon]

2 hours ago, big_guitar said:

For anyone that has the "SNES Classic Mini", (and/or Genesis) although a bit older, would you say that hardware is comparable to the GSP, or better? 

In terms of ability as to what types of cores it can handle... Thank you.

 

I'm pretty sure the NES and SNES mini were more capable.  More RAM.  More storage for images.  Better processor.

 

When I was tinkering with it I was able to run quite a bit and with less hassle then there seems to be with the GSP.

 

I don't have the links for the sites with the homebrew and custom firmwares on me though.

 

The 2 biggest downsides though were.  You had to use their controllers or get an adaptor.  If you wanted to use an external USB you had to get a dual USB cable to plug in the back (USB charger).

 

I used the wii pro controller myself and it worked rather well.

Edited August 12 by Shannon
Spelling

[big_guitar]

30 minutes ago, Shannon said:

More RAM.  More storage for images.  Better processor.

Thanks for the feedback. 

I suppose these days, if you were trying to obtain one, another issue would be being able to detect the 'fake' models from the original, since supposedly the 'fake' models can't handle the hakchi2-ce homebrew.

 

I've seen that you can configure retroarch to run on there, I'm not sure if the configuration files are exposed at an accessible file level, or if you can edit the command line run options.  But I thought I had seen there was a way to bring up the RA menu within a game, which might provide means to save custom settings if those file locations are not otherwise directly accessible.  I think the software is set to recognize a pre-defined list of cores though, not sure if there'd be a way to add different cores not already in the software list.

Edited August 12 by big_guitar

[Shannon]

2 hours ago, big_guitar said:

Thanks for the feedback. 

I suppose these days, if you were trying to obtain one, another issue would be being able to detect the 'fake' models from the original, since supposedly the 'fake' models can't handle the hakchi2-ce homebrew.

 

I've seen that you can configure retroarch to run on there, I'm not sure if the configuration files are exposed at an accessible file level, or if you can edit the command line run options.  But I thought I had seen there was a way to bring up the RA menu within a game, which might provide means to save custom settings if those file locations are not otherwise directly accessible.  I think the software is set to recognize a pre-defined list of cores though, not sure if there'd be a way to add different cores not already in the software list.

 

Hakchi2-ce allows you to change the command line.  Basically each game has a file ( I forget the name and extension of the file ) that defines such things as the command line, boxart, etc.  So calling any executable that you can compile for the SNES is easy to do.  I know they had other stuff running besides retroarch including Doom and all of it's variations ( Doom, Doom II, the expansion packs, etc ).   Xash3d ( Half-life ) .. although I never tried it on the SNES mini.  I did play it on the Playstation mini though.   TyrQuake, zdoom.   Openlara.  Drastic.  The version of Drastic they had running was an older version.  But it ran some stuff pretty decent.  From my memory I think the Playstation mini handled Drastic stuff slightly better than the SNES mini.

 

This was about 5 years ago.. so I'm not sure if more was added since then.  I really have not touched the thing since I switched to using the Firestick.  I haven't used the firestick since retroarch came to the xbox one consoles.  But that should give you a general idea of what it can do.