Gamestarter: Retrogaming add-ons (RPi/Generic)

Available add-ons

- RetroArch: the official frontend for Libretro cores with a lot of features and settings used by Lakka.

- Advanced Emulator Launcher: Best way to integrate and launch your game collections in Kodi.

- EmulationStation: a nice frontend also used by RetroPie and Recalbox.

- DraStic RPi: Experimental Nintendo DS emulator for Raspberry Pi 2/3.

- PPSSPP RPi: PSP emulator for Raspberry Pi 2/3.

Download & Info

- Download and install this repo zip file.

- More info in github project site.

enjoy!

🎮

That is a limitation of this compilation of EmulationStation, it only uses 4 buttons. But it is not a big deal because those buttons are only to browse in game lists, once you start a rom the whole dualshock buttons are used in retroarch.

I just updated my installation and packed it into an addon. This way it is easier for me for future updates and features.

It does not include any new feature, just a structural change, so if anybody wants to update the best way is removing all previously installed Gamestarter addons, install the new one and then delete all folder inside /storage/emulators but roms, bios and saves.

Gamestarter v2.0.0
- All-in-One addon structure
- Addon settings with default frontend selection between RetroArch and EmulationStation
- GameMaker Pi ports and IARL addon optional installation from addon settings
- Change all config files and directories to /storage/.config/

Quote from Ironaxe

Ok. Thanks for that.
Just wanted to make an Update of everything inside Retroarch, but schould not have made the Lakka one.
Pi now boots directly to Retroarch all the time.

There is a new release with RetroArch downgraded to previous non-lakka binary until I can get a newer non-lakka binary to avoid this mistake...

sorry...

Quote from jean-luc100

First of all awesome initiative!
I have installed the add-on on latest LibreELEC Kodi 17.0 testbuild #0524, 24-May-2016 (LibreELEC Testbuilds for RaspberryPi (Kodi 17.0)).
Installation went okay, only needed to enable AdvancedLauncer post-installation.

So I copied the MSX bios files into the emulators/bios folder and some MSX 1 ROMs into emulators/roms/msx folder. Then started the RetroArch frontend... screen went blank and poof... back to starting the Kodi interface. Also tried EmulationStation frontend, which started okay. Emulationstation found the MSX games but refused to start any game.

Also tried some SNES games (put into emulators/roms/snes). Same results as for MSX games.

Next tried AdvancedLauncer. Went to MSX entry, added the items (found the games!). Starting the MSX entry raised the error "Advanced Launcer - Error. Target category not found". Then tried SNES entry, added the items (found the games!). Same error message.

Any pointers? Should it work at all on these cutting edge LibreELEC Kodi 17.0 testbuilds?

I am preparing a kodi 17/LibreELEC 8 package of my addon. In the meanwhile you can replace your retroarch binary located in /storage/.kodi/addons/script.gamestarter/resources/bin/retroarch for this one (you have to rename it and chmod):
retroarch_1.3.4_kodi17
This retroarch version is compiled for Kodi 17/LE8

About AdvancedLauncher, the bug you found I already posted in official forums thread and it is an addon error with Kodi17... The bad news are the developer does not exists no more and possibly kodi 17 will be advlauncher's end... The good news are you can make a new category based in adv launcher search options or something like that,and then, create a search for every system. Here is an example launcher.xml you can use:
launchers-kodi17.xml

As I said, I am working in a package for LE8 for the next update...

Quote from jean-luc100

Thanks. Tried new version of retroarch binary. I does start up now, yet RetroArch fails to do next items:
- Update any item (GUI starts to act strange when an updater is chosen from menu)
- Start any MSX games, using either fMSX or blueMSX core
- SNES games do work (with both pre-installed cores!), yet RetroArch fails to add an SNES console menu item

Any pointers? Or should I wait for LE8 package? I'm quite eager to learn when this version will come available

Hi! I just released new addon version with a package for LE8 alpha. Basically it is the same as you already have but I changed core update urls... I think it is not related with your update issue... but please take a look.
- about msx, do you have bios files in /storage/emulators/bios folder? MSX has a lot of different bios depending on which version you want to emulate...
- about SNES list in menu, I can tell you that you need to update games database first, in order to download database file where retroarch fetches with your roms list to create its own menu list. So you need to make some updates before.

Please take a look if paths are correctly set and try to update game database again, this is the basic update needed. If this does not work we will need to find another workaround...

Sorry, it has been my error, a silly typo error... try downloading again... sorry again...

Quote from jean-luc100

Installed this latest version and copied all ROM files from a working fMSX installation from a Windows PC to the bios folder and started testing.

Found some issues:
- EmulationStation won't start
- From RetroArch:
- fMSX: Emulator does start, but games run way too fast and keyboard and xbox 360 controller keys are not mapped
- blueMSX: Emulator does not start

In LE8 latest test build Emulationstation works flawlessly. MSX emulators also work, you need to put your bios in /storage/emulators/bios folder. I guess your issue is related with missing bios for bluemsx emulator that are different from fmsx emulator...

This is from cores github page:

Quote

this core requires the two folders named Machines/ and Databases/ from standalone blueMSX copied inside your frontend's system directory. you can get these from the official windows standalone version of bluemsx (http://www.bluemsx.com/) or any other binary package.

I think it is not against any piracy policy if I include them in next releases, I see retropie already does.
In my opinion bluemsx is better because of its joystick remap for keys.

Quote from Alternativende

I have just tried it in my NUC with LE7, is it supposed to work anyway?

It crashes Kodi after i try to run it, Kodi restarts and nothing Fürther happens.

Is it my fault?

It is supposed to work only in Pi's arm, sorry.

Quote from Sevren68

I also can not get the "Online Updater" in retroarch to work .... when i click "ok" nothing happens except on screen text "glitches" and nothing happens. I'm running Gamestarter Version 2.0.2 on Kodi Jarvis

No problems running SNES games ... all appear in the correct menu

Thanks for all your hard work ! ... loving this addon

Online Updater for cores and retroarch itself is a very experimental feature I guess, some user said it worked in retroarch 1.3.4 but the truth is that I couldn't make it work in any retroarch version I tried...

If there are any known improvements in some of the libretro cores I could try to get them from lakka nightlies and include them into next update, it is only thing I can do...