FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) : Emulators, Roms / Games
Have questions? Here are some frequently asked questions from my customers.
If you have other questions that are not listed here, do email me.
What is emulation?
Emulation is the process of simulating hardware of one machine on another, and in Yappy Console, Emulation Station is used.
What is an emulator?
An emulator is the program that simulates the machine you wish to run, so in our case, an emulator allows you to run SNES, Genesis, N64 and more (see list below) game images on Yappy Arcade Console.
What can Yappy Console emulates?
The follows are the type of console it emulates:
Amiga (UAE4All)
Apple II (LinApple)
Apple Macintosh (Basilisk II)
Armstrad CPC (CPC4RPi)
Arcade (PiFBA, Mame4All-RPi)
Atari 800
Atari 2600 (RetroArch)
Atari ST/STE/TT/Falcon
C64 (VICE)
CaveStory (NXEngine)
Doom (RetroArch)
Duke Nukem 3D
Final Burn Alpha (RetroArch)
Game Boy Advance (gpSP)
Game Boy Color (RetroArch)
Game Gear (Osmose)
Intellivision (RetroArch)
MAME (RetroArch)
MAME (AdvMAME)
NeoGeo (GnGeo)
NeoGeo (Genesis-GX, RetroArch)
Sega Master System (Osmose)
Sega Megadrive/Genesis (DGEN, Picodrive)
Sega Mega-CD (Picodrive)
Sega 32X (Picodrive)
Nintendo Entertainment System (RetroArch)
N64 (Mupen64Plus-RPi)
PC Engine / Turbo Grafx 16 (RetroArch)
Playstation 1 (RetroArch)
ScummVM
Super Nintendo Entertainment System (RetroArch, PiSNES, SNES-Rpi)
Sinclair ZX Spectrum (Fuse)
PC / x86 (rpix86)
Z Machine emulator (Frot)
DO NOTE:
Though N64 runs on Yappy, I would strongly suggest not to run it as of now as I have tried that and it's a bit laggy in the sound. The limitation is on Raspberry Pi Rev 2 (i.e. highest specs Raspberry Pi currently which Yappy runs on). Google "N64 on Raspberry Pi rev 2" and you'll get tons of information there.
What is a ROM file?
ROM stands for "Read Only Memory". In layman terms, some refer it to "games" and it is the image of the actual game; for example: Super Smash Bros. This is basically a file that has been converted from a game cartridge or CD so that you can run it on your console.
Educate me on how Yappy works?
Yappy Arcade Console basically is a computer and powered by Raspberry Pi rev 2. All my console comes with a 8 gb micro-SD card which can be removed without taking apart the console. In the 8 gb card,
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approximately 4 gb of it is running the OS (Operating System) which is a stripped down version of linux (instead of Windows), Emulation Station and various Emulator (listed above) using RetroArch.
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remaining 4 gb are for roms. The roms are "light" meaning it does not take up a lot of space if you are playing old retro games like Space Invaders, Pacman etc. However, if you are loading Playstation 1 games like Resident Evil etc, per game can take up close to 700 mb of data (in short, your are about there when you load 7 PSX games). As mentioned, Yappy comes with 8 gb micro-SD card (i.e. hard disk) and you can always upgrade to 32 gb, 64 gb or even up to 128 gb.
So in short, think of it as a desktop computer that allows you to play Arcade games.
Where do I download the roms? (COMMONLY ASKED)
Google "retropie roms download"... they are ALL over the place.
Why doesn't this ROM work with Yappy?
NOT ALL roms works. Some are the roms are meant for PC, MAC, Linux etc. Moverover, there are various emulators out there and thus not all roms run on Yappy console. In recent months, I have upgraded to the most recent RetroPie version (i.e. Jessie 3.7) and most of the Mame4all, and MameAdvance would run on Yappy without any issues. To know more about this about what version of emulator is on Yappy, follow the link here.
Why are some ROM titles protected?
Some games are protected by the ESA and are illegal to distribute. We fully support the gaming industry, so if you really like those games, buy them!
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Why can't I see all the emulators (i.e. SNES, Neo Geo, etc) on Yappy?
All the emulators come installed on Yappy. If you have loaded the rom (i.e. games) in their proper directory and restart the console, you will see them. Do read the section "Why doesn't this ROM work with Yappy".
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Do I have to pay for the OS and emulators?
In short, NO. These are all linux open source software and freely distributed under the open source distribution and agreement. Again, "Google is your friend".
How do I get my rom onto Yappy Arcade Console? (COMMONLY ASKED)
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Copying via SSH connection
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Copying via Samba Shares
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Using USB-Stick
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Manually copy files from USB-stick
Details on how to go about doing it can be found on this link. There is even a video illustration if you don't like reading.
There are no particular order of preferences in the above list, just pick a particular method that you are comfortable with.
Where can I find ROMs? (ANOTHER COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS)
I DO NOT SELL nor DISTRIBUTE roms. But having said that, "Google is your friend".
Is it legal to download the ROMs?
There are plenty of "aruguments" / "debates" about it all over the net. I tend to "lean" towards this quote from one source
"People always seem to be coy about where to get these on the web and I don't know why.
There are two ways: rip them from the cartridges and discs you own (legal) or torrent them (not legal).
Note: You’ll find the MAME Roms (arcade games) are particularly finicky. You’ll just have to test what works and what doesn’t."
- Andrewsimone under his sectoin titled "ROMS" (link provided)
As in religion and family matters, I DO NOT wish to participate in any sort of arugument relating to the subject matter but would strongly suggest that you do your own due diligence on the subject matter and decide for yourself.
I have a question not listed here - how do I get an answer for it?
Do email me here.