RetroPlayer: Getting started Guide
#1
A guide for new users testing the Kodi RetroPlayer feature:

What is RetroPlayer?
Retroplayer is a new Kodi feature that allows you to play old console games using code which emulates the old "retro" games systems.

Image

Video demo
A quick intro video showing retroplayer running a few games and the new controller configuration menus

.

How do I get it?
Retroplayer is not in the stable "Krypton" release BUT it has been merged into the "Leia" development branch so you can compile it yourself or use one of these test builds:

You can find the latest builds for windows, linux and OSX here.
NOTE: As always with development builds please backup your settings before installing.

What emulators does Kodi support?
Kodi supports many different emulators through the excellent work of the Libretro team, here are a few of the most popular:

- SNES
- NES
- Gameboy
- Atari 2600
- Dreamcast
- Saturn
For a full list see the wiki here: http://kodi.wiki/view/Game_add-ons

What controllers does Retroplayer Support?
A lot of code has gone into Kodi to support controllers and joysticks but not many people have submitted their profiles yet so as of now only these controllers are supported "out of the box". You can of course test other controllers by setting them up.

Code:
Android
======
Shield
Xbox Pad
Sony controller
Xbox 360

Linux
====
8Bitdo_NES30_GamePad
DragonRise Inc. Generic USB Joystick
Dual PSX
Generic X-Box pad
Gravis GamePad Pro
GreenAsia_Inc. USB Joystick
HuiJia USB GamePad
Logitech Gamepad F310
Logitech Logitech Dual Action 12b
Logitech Logitech RumblePad 2
MY-POWER CO. LTD. 2In1
NVIDIA gamepad
PS3 gamepad
Wish Technologies Adaptoid 14b
Xbox 360 wireless
Mayflash GameCube Controller

[todo] include buy links here

How do I play a game?
You will need to posses some game roms first, but there are a fair few open source versions out there to test with. We suggest you test out the freeware roms first included with the build.
NOTE: This is not the appropriate forum to discuss the downloading of copyrighted ROMs that you do not own the rights to, and that such requests would be ignored/etc.

Assuming you have the default Estuary skin, simply click on:

[todo] Add source
[todo] Add rom launching test

How do I show boxart and fanart
Currently this feature is not supported, but will probably work in the same way as other media in kodi. So keeping a fanart.jpg and cover.jpg in the roms folder should eventually work.
A great source of these is this website: http://thegamesdb.net


Testing with the keyboard
You can see the key mappings below if you want to initially test with a keyboard:

Code:
<buttonmap>
    <device name="Keyboard" provider="application" index="1">
        <controller id="game.controller.default">
            <feature name="down" button="129" />
            <feature name="left" button="130" />
            <feature name="right" button="131" />
            <feature name="start" button="13" />
            <feature name="up" button="128" />
        </controller>
        <controller id="game.controller.snes">
            <feature name="a" button="90" />
            <feature name="b" button="210" />
            <feature name="down" button="129" />
            <feature name="left" button="130" />
            <feature name="leftbumper" button="32" />
            <feature name="right" button="131" />
            <feature name="rightbumper" button="88" />
            <feature name="select" button="67" />
            <feature name="start" button="53" />
            <feature name="up" button="128" />
            <feature name="x" button="212" />
            <feature name="y" button="208" />
        </controller>
    </device>
</buttonmap>

[todo] Translate those into real world keyboard buttons!!

How do I configure a new controller?
You can configure any controller by:

Settings >> Games >> Configure Keyboard

Image
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#2
Great idea with this guide. I know this is still a WIP, but it's probably worth the reminder to add in this guide that this is not the appropriate forum to discuss the downloading of copyrighted ROMs that you do not own the rights to, and that such requests would be ignored/etc.
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#3
Yep good idea, done!

Lots of things to update so if anyone else has comments or suggestions please post here.
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#4
* It should be "Leia" as Kodi v18 codename as tribute to Carrie Fisher who plays Leia Organa character in Star Wars, (so not "Leah" Wink )

Also, should thread not be moved to this subforum? => http://forum.kodi.tv/forumdisplay.php?fid=243
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#5
Thanks fixed.
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#6
As this guide is specific to RetroPlayer, and is a work in progress, I believe it should remain here. once we have a final copy of the guide, then I would move it to the Documentation forum area. At least that is my thoughts on the matter.


Also, @docwra, could you do a video integrating the Internet Archive ROM launcher into RetroPlayer (as the videos available are to outdated now for that add-on). Plus, by using the IARL, you can avoid people asking where they can get all the ROMS from. Wink
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#7
Has anyone got the PS3 Bluetooth controller working on Pi-3 ?
One HTPC Windows 7 pro 64x running WMC with 2 HDhomeRun on Comcast 6 tuners with MCEbuddy
WD MyCloud 24TB over Netgear network | 6500 movies and 40,000+ TV Show episodes
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#8
Why you have a "Dreamcast" folder with a MasterSystem game?

PD: Thx for the video, there are not current builds videos.
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#9
(2017-03-30, 12:32)docwra Wrote: Testing with the keyboard
You can see the key mappings below if you want to initially test with a keyboard:

Code:
<buttonmap>
    <device name="Keyboard" provider="application" index="1">
        <controller id="game.controller.default">
            <feature name="down" button="129" />
            <feature name="left" button="130" />
            <feature name="right" button="131" />
            <feature name="start" button="13" />
            <feature name="up" button="128" />
        </controller>
        <controller id="game.controller.snes">
            <feature name="a" button="90" />
            <feature name="b" button="210" />
            <feature name="down" button="129" />
            <feature name="left" button="130" />
            <feature name="leftbumper" button="32" />
            <feature name="right" button="131" />
            <feature name="rightbumper" button="88" />
            <feature name="select" button="67" />
            <feature name="start" button="53" />
            <feature name="up" button="128" />
            <feature name="x" button="212" />
            <feature name="y" button="208" />
        </controller>
    </device>
</buttonmap>

I've updated the keyboard controls to match RetroArch/RetroPie by default:

https://github.com/xbmc/peripheral.joystick/pull/99

(2017-03-30, 12:32)docwra Wrote: [todo] Translate those into real world keyboard buttons!!

This would be helpful. I'll add a "description" attribute that says which key it is.
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#10
(2017-03-30, 17:23)Powerhouse Wrote: As this guide is specific to RetroPlayer, and is a work in progress, I believe it should remain here. once we have a final copy of the guide, then I would move it to the Documentation forum area. At least that is my thoughts on the matter.

My 2cts: it should go on the Wiki.
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#11
Is it still worth going down the HyperSpin route and linking into Kodi through Advanced Launcher?

I'm try to sort through Hyperspin at the moment. But it's a monster task organising ROMs etc.

Can you choose your own emulators and it doesn't scrape game data?

Sent from my SM-G935F
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#12
(2017-03-30, 17:23)Powerhouse Wrote: As this guide is specific to RetroPlayer, and is a work in progress, I believe it should remain here. once we have a final copy of the guide, then I would move it to the Documentation forum area. At least that is my thoughts on the matter.
100% disagree with that, I mean what is the point of having a Kodi wiki for documentation is guides and instructions goes into forum threads instead on in the wiki?

The wiki is the Kodi Manual => http://kodi.wiki/ and the Game/Gaming sections could really do with some love from RetroPlayer end-users who have already used it:

http://kodi.wiki/view/Game
http://kodi.wiki/view/Category:RetroPlayer
http://kodi.wiki/view/Category:Gaming

Being a "final" copy or not is no good reason. Kodi is an evolving software and the wiki is a wiki, meant to be updated and changed easily and often.

No parts of Kodi will ever "final", and the same goes with its documentation. Small changes for the better, a continuous improvement philosophy. Kaizen!
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#13
Fine, if everyone feels it should be only in the Wiki section, whatever. But be sure to put a sticky in this forum pointing to that Wiki (and not just assume the Wiki bar at the top is sufficient), so newbies can find it easily (and people don't have to quote in replies, read it on the Wiki (http://kodi.wiki/view/Category:RetroPlayer ).

My concern regarding the Wiki is...

1. It isn't updated as often as a thread post would be.
2. It contains outdated instructions, or instructions that no longer work the same with the latest Kodi version (see all the wiki entries that still have screenshots of Confluence that haven't been updated to Estuary or Estouchy).
3. The developers don't have the time to create the necessary documentation (as they are working on creating and fixing the code).

I could go on and on, and just looking at any Skin thread (for example) will reveal similar issues as I've pointed out (and then some).
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#14
(2017-04-26, 16:55)RockerC Wrote: The wiki is the Kodi Manual => http://kodi.wiki/ and the Game/Gaming sections could really do with some love from RetroPlayer end-users who have already used it:

http://kodi.wiki/view/Game
http://kodi.wiki/view/Category:RetroPlayer
http://kodi.wiki/view/Category:Gaming

Being a "final" copy or not is no good reason. Kodi is an evolving software and the wiki is a wiki, meant to be updated and changed easily and often.

No parts of Kodi will ever "final", and the same goes with its documentation. Small changes for the better, a continuous improvement philosophy. Kaizen!

So you want it on the Wiki, yet in all three Wiki pages you posted, you have never updated any of them. See my point?
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#15
(2017-04-26, 10:03)evilsync Wrote: Is it still worth going down the HyperSpin route and linking into Kodi through Advanced Launcher?

I'm try to sort through Hyperspin at the moment. But it's a monster task organising ROMs etc.

Can you choose your own emulators and it doesn't scrape game data?

This requires a database. Unfortunately Kodi's database code is in bad shape.

Anecdote 1:
Last week I tried to add a single boolean field to the video database. After 20 hours I gave up in frustration.

Anecdote 2:
Kodi recently achieved the accomplishment of lowering the video database's code count to under 10,000 lines. This is a single file.

The good news is that a new database base layer is in the works. It has its own branch in our github repo: https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/commits/feature_odb . It'll probably be months before it's ready.

So I would love to create a zero-configuration Hyperspin experience, but it will be a long time before this is possible.
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