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[syndromeofadown]

I have 2 Xbox controllers connected to my HTPC and I have MC tag games on import and play them with external program (emulators).

[glynor]

Nice.

I've wanted to do this for a while, but never bothered.  I have the XBox controllers too, and Project64 and all that.  You should explain your system more...

[InflatableMouse]

Now that is cool!

You should explain your system more...

+1.

[syndromeofadown]

I'm sure I'm overkilling the details for you guys but ill get into them for anyone else who may care.
Importing and playing games in MC isn't much different than iso's or ebooks.

To play these kinds of games on a PC you need:
- Emulator software (plays the games)
- Roms (they are the games)
- Controler (because the games were designed for controlers)



There are lots of emulators out there, but most haven't been updated for a long time.
They also switch websites a lot so you have to look around for the most recent versions.
These are the ones I think are the best. None are too old and they all work for me with no problems.
Emulators:
NES - fceux 2.2.0_2012-11-27
SNES - snes9x 1.53 64bit_2011
N64 - Project64 1.6.1_2012-10-10
Sega Genesis - Fusion 3.64_2010-03-06



Here are the file types for the roms.
File types:
NES - .nes
SNES - smc
N64 - .z64
Sega Genesis - .bin and .smd



I use Xbox360 controlers.
They were released in 2005 but just recently decent drivers were released.
I used to have to use a program called Xpadder to map buttons as keyboard keys but not anymore.
Now I just plug them in and do nothing. This is the reason I am just now adding all my games to MC.
Everything just works. It no longer takes 20 minutes to setup a game you only want to play for 15.
You only have to setup the controler in each emulator one time. They remember the settings.




Configure MC to Import and play the games:

1 In the J River installation directory find the folder called default resources.
2 In this folder find the file called FileAssociations.
3 Make a new folder beside the default recource folder called "Custom Resources"
4 Copy the FileAssociations file into that folder.
5 Open the fileassociation file with notepad and edit it to contain the extensions you want.

Add this info to the data line
Nintendo (nes);Super Nintendo (smc);Nintendo 64 (z64);Sega Genesis (bin,smd)

MC will then look like so:






I tag the games on import, as you may notice in the screen shot, using regex.

The expressions are as follows
[$Artist] = regex([Filename],/#\\Video Games\\(.+?)\\(.+?)_#/,1)
[$Name] = regex([Filename],/#\\Video Games\\(.+?)\\(.+?)_#/,2)

The expressions add artist and name fields for files named like this:
Z:\Video Games Z\Video Games\Nintendo\Contra_.nes
Z:\Video Games Z\Video Games\Nintendo\Super Mario Bros 3_.nes
Z:\Video Games Z\Video Games\Nintendo 64\Mario Kart 64_.z64
Z:\Video Games Z\Video Games\Sega Genesis\Mortal Kombat_.bin

Basically it gets the info between "Video Games" and "_".

I use the artist field so i can use artist images for the console logos

In options-->FileTypes I set the games to play with external programs and browse
to the neccessary emulator.

They will all work by default except for Project64 where you have to do the following.
In Project64:
- In setting make sure 'Hide Advanced Settings' is unchecked then exit settings
- Go back to setting
- In the Shell Integration tab check each box that has a file extension your would like associated with Project64
- You can now start a game by double clicking a ROM in Windows and as external program in MC.

Album art sits beside each file and is named the same as it.
To get it to show up in MC:
- Highlight all the games
- Change Media sub type to video
- right click and choose cover art-->quick find in cover art directory
- change media sub type back to data

Use MC's 'Artist' folder in the cover art directory to add the console logos

I think that covers everything.

I don't have any issues with games using window 7.
This week i will be moving them to a windows 8 PC, hopefully with no problems.

[glynor]

I use Xbox360 controlers.
They were released in 2005 but just recently decent drivers were released.
I used to have to use a program called Xpadder to map buttons as keyboard keys but not anymore.
Now I just plug them in and do nothing. This is the reason I am just now adding all my games to MC.
Everything just works. It no longer takes 20 minutes to setup a game you only want to play for 15.
You only have to setup the controler in each emulator one time. They remember the settings.

This is fantastic news.

I'd all-but-abandoned my burgeoning collection of old roms for this reason, primarily.  The Xbox controller always worked pretty well in Project64 (and great with many Steam games), but not with most of the rest.

[InflatableMouse]

Thanks for sharing, I may give it a shot as well.

Have you ever tried Stella for Atari roms with xbox controllers?

[mwillems]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know an easy way to automatically engage loopback when launching a rom in this fashion? 

[syndromeofadown]

Have you ever tried Stella for Atari

No I haven't. I suppose because I'v never tried Atari or even seen it.
I wasn't alive when it was popular, but I do remember playing ColecoVision when I was very young.
I don't have the urge to play it again.
I guess the emulators I use begin with Nintendo because that's what I played when I was young.

If you can play Stella with a keyboard then you should be able to play with the Xbox controller.
When you configure the controller just use controller buttons instead of keyboard keys.
I think all Xbox controller problems in the past were Microsoft related and not emulator related.

The only other Emulator I have tried is for TurboGrafx 16.
I don't really like any of the games so I didn't include it in MC

[syndromeofadown]

I do remember playing ColecoVision

I didn't play ColecoVision. It was Intellivision.

[airman_dopey]

Awesome post! Thanks for doing this (I have been wanting to do it for a while now).

Couple questions:
1) What background picture are you using?
2) Have you had any issues where when launching the emulator the program runs in the background while JRiver comes back to the front? I'm seeing it for Stella and zsnes and did not have any problems with it launching in XBMC
3) Where is the location you are referring to with the 'Artist" folder for the console pictures? I am unable to find it
(EDIT: I found it in $USER\Appdata\Roaming\roaming\jriver\media center 18\cover art\Artists. My folder wasn't created, so I made it and dropped "Nintendo.jpg" in there and the image updated for anyone else looking for it)

As to the other posts, Stella works very well (with exception of the problem listed above)

[syndromeofadown]

The background picture is by Alex Grey. He does a lot of the art work for Tool's album covers, shows, and videos.
You can change theatre view images in installdirectory\Skins\Theater View\Themes\Default.
Its good to backup the Default folder because i think its overwritten when installing updates.

I have had a couple crashes when switching between MC and emulators. I don't remember the details but i think it had to do with Direct3D. I think MC uses Direct3D for albums covers. In the emulator I changed the graphics from Direct3D to DirectDraw (OpenGL was another choice) and no crashes since. Keep in mind I have no idea what I'm talking about. I suppose problems should be expected, as there are multiple programs trying to play sound and change frame rates at the same time.

[syndromeofadown]

These are the ones I think are the best. None are too old and they all work for me with no problems.
Emulators:
NES - fceux 2.2.0_2012-11-27
SNES - snes9x 1.53 64bit_2011
N64 - Project64 1.6.1_2012-10-10
Sega Genesis - Fusion 3.64_2010-03-06

I'm now using
NES - higan v092 64 bit_2013-01-14
SNES - higan v092 64 bit_2013-01-14
N64 - Project64 2.1_2013-05-01
Sega Genesis - Fusion 3.64_2010-03-06

I have had a couple crashes when switching between MC and emulators

I have MC setup to play audio through my DAC and I have the emulators play through my on board sound.
Since this change I have had zero problems or crashes.

[syndromeofadown]

Interesting(?) article about emulation:
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/08/accuracy-takes-power-one-mans-3ghz-quest-to-build-a-perfect-snes-emulator/

I am in the process of a new HTPC/emulation build and will be trying out the new JRiver audio engine as an ASIO driver.
I will post details when done.

[mwillems]

Interesting(?) article about emulation:
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/08/accuracy-takes-power-one-mans-3ghz-quest-to-build-a-perfect-snes-emulator/

I am in the process of a new HTPC/emulation build and will be trying out the new JRiver audio engine as an ASIO driver.
I will post details when done.

I'll be very interested to hear about it;  I didn't know that any emulators had ASIO outputs.

[syndromeofadown]

I'll be very interested to hear about it;  I didn't know that any emulators had ASIO outputs.

Maybe none do and all ill be posting is disappointment. We will see.

[mwillems]

Maybe none do and all ill be posting is disappointment. We will see.

I'll keep my fingers crossed.  Currently I need loopback to get sound output from games, and I would love to have a seamless way to launch ROMs.

[Gilaspit]

So I have mine all set up did things a bit differently. But I am wondering if there is a more elegant way to quit the emulator and go back to JRiver. I do not want to use a keyboard and mouse. Right now I have everything run via my Harmony 1100 and I was using a script and auto hot key.

[syndromeofadown]

alt + F4 is the windows keyboard shortcut to exit a program. If you can program your remote with it, you could then use it while the emulator is in focus to exit back to MC.

Here are the MC Hot-keys
http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Keyboard_Hot-keys

Shift + F11 is very useful for getting back to the emulator when its open but theater view is in focus.

[tij]

Didnt want to start new topic ... just wanted to post what possible these days

I could have just use LaunchBox or Steam for my games and launch it from JRiver ... but wanted unified look and feel

Its pain to setup as I have to key in info for each game ... but once its done - its a joy to use

Testing set up now on family