Struggling to get Roms to load

[WeeBeloOo]

Hi there,

I've been banging my head against the wall for the past ten hours trying to get any games pulled up, and haven't had any luck. I've been searching through the forum, Google, and youtube.. and feel as if I've tried a hundred different combination of things... to no avail.

Any help would be much appreciated.

I'm currently working with an Nvidia Shield and external 4TB drive.

I followed Thatman84's tutorial (Than you for putting that together!)

 I've also tried a few other tutorials found online, which I don't think I'm allowed to link to here. 

I have Hyperspin installed on my external drive, and pulling up the wheel when I start the app on my Shield. I've unzipped the NES pack to the following location: /storage/5C18-9191/Hyperspin/Roms/Nintendo Entertainment System/roms

I have downloaded all the NES cores via RetroArch, and have tested games both in there and Arc Browser. Both seem to work fine.

Once again, thank you in advance for any suggestions. I'm really looking forward to getting this first system up and running, so I can begin customizing and playing.

 

 

This is my Nintendo Entertainment System.ini (located in the Settings_Android folder:

[exe info]
path=H:\hyperspin\Emulators\Nintendo Entertainment System\
rompath=/storage/5C18-9191/Hyperspin/Roms/Nintendo Entertainment System/roms/
userompath=true
exe=com.retroarch/com.retroarch.browser.retroactivity.RetroActivityFuture
romextension=zip,nes
parameters=cores/nestopia_libretro_android.so
searchsubfolders=true
pcgame=false
winstate=HIDDEN
hyperlaunch=true
Per_Game_Modules=false
Skipchecks=false
Hide_Cursor=use_global
Hide_Desktop=use_global
Hide_Taskbar=use_global
CPWizard_Enabled=use_global
CPWizard_Delay=use_global
CPWizard_Params=use_global
Fade_In=use_global
Fade_Out=use_global
Fade_Color=use_global
Fade_In_Duration=use_global
Fade_Out_Duration=use_global
Fade_In_Delay=use_global
7z_Enabled=use_global
7z_Extract_Dir=use_global
7z_Delete_Temp=use_global
Keymapper_Enabled=use_global
Keymapper=use_global
MultiGame_Enabled=use_global
MultiGame_Background_Color=use_global
MultiGame_Side_Padding=use_global
MultiGame_Y_Offset=use_global
MultiGame_Image_Adjust=use_global
MultiGame_Font=use_global
MultiGame_Text_1_Options=use_global
MultiGame_Text_1_Text=use_global
MultiGame_Text_2_Options=use_global
MultiGame_Text_2_Offset=use_global
MultiGame_Use_Sound=use_global
MultiGame_Sound_Frequency=use_global
MultiGame_Exit_Effect=use_global
MultiGame_Selected_Effect=use_global
MultiGame_Use_Game_Art=use_global
MultiGame_Art_Folder=use_global

[filters]
parents_only=false
themes_only=false
wheels_only=false
roms_only=false

[themes]
use_parent_vids=false
use_parent_themes=false
animate_out_default=false
reload_backgrounds=true

[wheel]
alpha=0.15
small_alpha = 1
style=normal
speed=high
pin_center_width=500
horz_wheel_y=512
vert_wheel_position=right
y_rotation=center
norm_large=360
norm_small=230
vert_large=400
vert_small=300
pin_large=500
pin_small=200
horz_large=240
horz_small=150
letter_wheel_x=800
letter_wheel_y=384
text_width=700
text_font=Style4
small_text_width=260
large_text_width=400
text_stroke_size=6
text_stroke_color=0x000000
text_color1=0x00BFFD
text_color2=0xFFFFFF
text_color3=0x00BFFD
color_ratio=139
shadow_distance=0
shadow_angle=45
shadow_color=0x000000
shadow_alpha=1
shadow_blur=0

[pointer]
animated=true
x=975
y=384

[video defaults]
path=H:\hyperspin\Media\Nintendo Entertainment System\Video\

[sounds]
game_sounds=true
wheel_click=true

[navigation]
game_jump=50
use_indexes=false
jump_timer=400
remove_info_wheel=true
remove_info_text=true
use_last_game=false
last_game=Mario's Time Machine! (USA)
random_game=false

start_on_favorites=false
[Special Art A]
default=true
active=true
x=512
y=720
in=0.4
out=0.4
length=3
delay=0
type=normal
start=bottom

[Special Art B]
default=true
active=true
x=512
y=740
in=0.4
out=0.4
length=3
delay=0
type=fade
start=none

[Special Art C]
active=false
y=384
in=0
out=0
length=3
delay=10
type=fade
start=none

[Game Text]
game_text_active    = true
show_year           = true
show_manf           = true
show_description    = true
text_color1         = 0xFFFFFF
text_color2         = 0xFFFFFF
stroke_color        = 0xE80000
text_font           = Style3
text1_textsize=26
text1_strokesize=7
text1_x=32
text1_y=610
text2_textsize=36
text2_strokesize=8
text2_x=30
text2_y=640
 

Nintendo Entertainment System.ini

[Creezz67]

Try putting the roms in Emulators/Nintendo Entertainment System/roms/ on your external hard drive and change settings ini file accordingly.

On external drive you should have a folder called Hyperspin, then another folder called Emulators then another inside that called Nintendo Entertainment System, then roms folder

Put your nes roms in there and copy info below to you Nintendo Entertainment System.ini and it should do the trick

I am assuming you have Retroarch all installed and nestopia core downloaded.

like this:

 

[exe info]
path=H:\hyperspin\Emulators\Nintendo Entertainment System\
rompath=Emulators/Nintendo Entertainment System/roms/
userompath=true
exe=com.retroarch/com.retroarch.browser.retroactivity.RetroActivityFuture
romextension=7z,zip,nes
parameters=cores/nestopia_libretro_android.so
searchsubfolders=true
pcgame=false

[Honosuseri]

46 minutes ago, cataclysm67 said:

Try putting the roms in Emulators/Nintendo Entertainment System/roms/ on your external hard drive and change settings ini file accordingly.

That shouldn't be necessary. The emulation folder would be useful if trying to share the drive for a PC and the STV. On android we install apps, we don't run executable files for the emulators from a folder. 

From your ini suggestion, the OP would achieve the same thing by just removing /storage/5C18-9191/Hyperspin/ from the path line. 

Personally I think it's better to adopt the drive as internal storage. I have a Roms folder in Hyperspin and subfolders for each system that contain the game files. 

[Creezz67]

Works fine for me on my shield from external drive with 100's of systems all done the same way.

Apologies if this was confusing, emulators folder could be named anything, thats just what i called my folder, probably a cross over from my pc version to android ?

[Honosuseri]

7 minutes ago, cataclysm67 said:

Works fine for me on my shield from external drive with 100's of systems all done the same way.

Apologies if this was confusing, emulators folder could be named anything, thats just what i called my folder, probably a cross over from my pc version to android ?

Nvidia only sell the 16gb variant of the STV now. It makes sense to expand this storage by adopting an external drive.

This way you have room to install the decent android games. If people want to use Kodi or Plex, their libraries will also eat up storage. I also use Arc Browser alongside Hyperspin like the OP, it too eats up storage for it's own library. 

So my advice would be to use the adopted storage feature. You can plug in another external hdd and use a file manager like X-plore, to backup the Hyperspin folder. As a factory reset will wipe the adopted drive clean. 

[thatman84]

@WeeBeloOo what error message or behaviour are you having?

we are just guessing a little ?

the “pack” you mention....is that from here or somewhere else? There’s so many different setups it’s hard to know what you have/don’t have.

simple checks to do

open you Hyperspin/Databases/Nintendo Entertainment System.xml

confirm the <game name> matches the rom files you have

make sure the rom files are in extension .zip or .nes

double check you rompath is exactly correct including capital letters.

if unsure set the .ini file line

roms_only=false 

to

roms_only=true

 

If you are unable to enter the NES games list (wheel) then Hyperspin cannons find your games. Fault is the with rompath, extensions or file names not matching the .xml

 

[Honosuseri]

56 minutes ago, thatman84 said:

@WeeBeloOo what error message or behaviour are you having?

we are just guessing a little ?

the “pack” you mention....is that from here or somewhere else? There’s so many different setups it’s hard to know what you have/don't have. 

No, we're not guessing...read what has been written. 

The pack can't come from here as game Roms were extracted from it. The location they were extracted to has also been stated as "5C18-9191". That's a unique identifier for the OP's external drive.

They have edited the rompath to reflect where the games were extracted to. It would be a pointless pack to release, if the games and media did not match the supplied database xml. 

Cataclysm provided an example of a confirmed working path for using an external drive. I just pointed out its easier to edit the current one, than restructure the folder layout as Cataclysm suggested

[WeeBeloOo]

Thank you for all the responses!

My apologies. When I wrote my original post it was close to midnight, and my brain was a bit fried. I should have included a better description of the error/lack of error I was experiencing. 

When I launch Hypserpin, the Hyperspin startup/intro plays and system selection menu pulls up. When I select a system, it kicks me back out to the Shield menu. No error messages.

I have a fairly large media collection and I’m using Shield as a server, so going the external route versus expanded internal seemed the way to go. I’m currently stuck with satellite internet at home, and take my external drive into the city with me when I go , so I can load it up with new media.

Per @thatman84 

The pack I have is titled “Nintendo Entertainment System roms AIO.rar” which I've extracted. 

I opened up the Nintendo Entertainment System.xml and the game filenames seem to match those listed in the xml. There are some games not listed in the xml, which I assumed I could either add to the xml if I really want to play them, or just delete the game files. In another post on the forum, it was stated that the corresponding xml should be located in a subfolder named after the system. 

 

I currently have mine in Hyperspin/Databases/ 

Should it be located in Hyperspin/Datavases/Nintendo Entertainment System/ ?

The rom files all have .nes for extension.

I have double checked the rompath for capitalization and spaces.

I tried switching:
roms_only=false 
to
roms_only=true

 

Per @cacaclysm67: I moved all the roms to Emulators/Nintendo Entertainment System/roms/ and updated the Nintendo Entertainment System.ini with the following: 

[exe info]
path=H:\hyperspin\Emulators\Nintendo Entertainment System\
rompath=Emulators/Nintendo Entertainment System/roms/
userompath=true
exe=com.retroarch/com.retroarch.browser.retroactivity.RetroActivityFuture
romextension=7z,zip,nes
parameters=cores/nestopia_libretro_android.so
searchsubfolders=true
pcgame=false

 

Per @Honosuseri: I tried removing  /storage/5C18-9191/Hyperspin/ and then update the .ini to rompath=/Roms/Nintendo Entertainment System/roms/

Still getting kicked out the the Shield home screen. ?

 

Nintendo Entertainment System.xml

Nintendo Entertainment System.ini

[thatman84]

2 minutes ago, WeeBeloOo said:

I currently have mine in Hyperspin/Databases/ 

Should it be located in Hyperspin/Datavases/Nintendo Entertainment System/ ?

The bottom one is correct.

Just off to dinnner, sorry for short reply

[Honosuseri]

38 minutes ago, thatman84 said:

The bottom one is correct.

Just off to dinnner, sorry for short reply

No it's not as it has a typo. It's Databases NOT Datavases

I don't know why the OP has put an "/" at the start of the rompath line. Neither Cataclysm or myself stated to do that. The Database folder has subfolders for each and every wheel we want to use. Check the folder is named correctly and the xml inside of it is also named correctly...Hyperspin is extremely fussy over naming...we can't stress that enough.

These unofficial packs are frowned upon, as all though they are supposed to make things easy for people it never works out that way. From your extra info, we can see your Database xml isn't in the right place. I doubt the pack was that much of a cluster ****, your "hundred different combinations of things" has probably made a hash of it.

Sounds like you're now on track to get it sorted. It seems overwhelming at first but once you get in the swing of things other systems will be easier to do.

[WeeBeloOo]

50 minutes ago, thatman84 said:

The bottom one is correct.

Just off to dinnner, sorry for short reply

That did the trick! 

Not sure how I messed that up.

Thank you very much for all your help, everyone. I very much look forward to being part of the HS community. 

Off to play! 

[thatman84]

11 minutes ago, WeeBeloOo said:

That did the trick! 

Not sure how I messed that up.

Thank you very much for all your help, everyone. I very much look forward to being part of the HS community. 

Off to play! 

Great stuff, easily done! Was trying to find the guide on folder structure but its gone....was really handy to refer to when we have brain farts.

Happy gaming