Intellivision.US (Intelligentvision) ROMS in OpenEMU

[bslatky]

Hey, folks! First-time forum poster

I finally recently got OpenEMU for my iMac, currently running OS X Catalina 10.15.5. I've been having a blast revisiting my old games, including Intellivision. I do have one issue, and I'm hoping one of you guys could help out. I'm interested in playing a few of the home-brews made by Intelligentvision (like Super Chef Burgertime!), but they will not load in OpenEMU. Has anyone here been able to get their games to play in the software? I've tried installing jzIntv, but my OS won't accept that emulator. I haven't found an answer anywhere on the internet, but I figured someone here might have an answer.

Thanks in advance -Brian

[+intvsteve]

Hi @bslatky and welcome to our little corner of the web! I don't have any personal experience running OpenEMU, but I'm curious what version of jzIntv you're using. Just recently, a new release was announced, and is available here. You'll definitely want the 64-bit downloads, as newer Macs won't allow 32-bit apps to run any more.  You may also need to get the appropriate version of SDL onto your system.

 

As to why the ROM won't load in OpenEMU, a few questions come to mind... Generally, Intellivision ROMs are distributed in two formats (there are variations of them, and another out there, but let's set that aside). The two are .rom (a single-file format), and .bin format, which almost always also requires a companion .cfg file. (Other file extensions have been used in place of .bin as well.)

 

So -- which format is that ROM in?

 

Furthermore, Intellivision emulators require two "OS" ROMs as well -- delivered as EXEC.bin and GROM.bin. These can only be obtained legally by owning one of the various ROM collections sold by Blue Sky Rangers, Inc. (nee Intellivision Productions) - though *cough* *cough* there are places that have them for download.

 

Some emulators include a public domain version of those two ROMs, which are incomplete reproductions. It's usually pretty obvious because the standard font in the traditional title screens will look different. If you attach a screen shot from OpenEMU it will be obvious if the "mini-EXEC" and "mini-GROM" are in use.

 

Hope you find success in getting SuperChef BT going - it's a really fun expansion of the already incredible original.

[Sinjinhawke]

OpenEmu is a great program.  The Intellivision core is based on Bliss which may explain why it does not work with some homebrews but that is just a guess. 

[mr_me]

Bliss maintains a database file of all the different cartridge rom memory maps.  These memory maps are also in the .rom and .cfg files Intvsteve was talking about.  That means if you have a binary file and its .cfg file, Bliss won't run it unless there's an entry for the file in it's database.  Bliss did add .rom file support so it can run those rom files without there being an entry in the Bliss database.

 

Having said all that I have Bliss v2.05 and can run some .rom files but not others.  Intvsteve alluded to variations and there are two types of .rom files: intellicart and cuttlecart 3.  Bliss is compatible with intellicart .rom files but not cc3.  Intellicart .rom files can be identified by the first byte being "A8".  By the way, Mame has the same problem supporting intellicart but not cc3.  Jzintv supports both types.

 

The solution is to convert the rom file you have from a cc3 file to an intellicart rom file.  This can be done with a couple of utility programs:  rom2bin and bin2rom.  Both programs can be found in the jzintv zip download.

 

 

[bslatky]

Thanks for the speedy replies!

Update: I figured out part of the problem. I was using this YouTube video as my instruction manual for using jzIntvm only to finally realize that the GUI doesn't work anymore 

I checked out this guy's other video about LTO Flash!, and so far, I've got every file, and the game opens, but the program doesn't recognize my keyboard other than the "1" and "2" keys. I can go as far as the screen with the number of players, and that is literally it. I tried to give keyboard permissions in System Preferences and that did nothing. You guys know how I can fix THIS problem now? 

Edited July 19, 2020 by bslatky

[mr_me]

Are we talking about burgertime?  With burgertime, if you enter a one player game using the right controller, the right controller becomes the playing controller.  Otherwise the left controller is player one.

 

Have a look at the jzintv.txt file which is the instructions to using jzintv.  It explains that the default keyboard mapping has the numeric keypad mapped to the left controller and the number keys at the top mapped to the right controller.  Pressing F6 switches to an alternate map with the number keys at the top mapped to the left controller.

Edited July 19, 2020 by mr_me

[bslatky]

I GOT IT GOING!!!

The keyboard hack file I got must've just taken a few tries to get it to work, but I'm playing Super Chef Burgertime as I type, and it's so much fun! This is exactly how I dreamed it would be- exact graphics as the original, fun, and challenging but doable. The keyboard controls suck terribly, but I have no knowledge of computer language to create my own custom hack file, so I'll just have to get used to it for a bit. I kinda feel like a freshman student in Computer Science walking into Senior Thesis here, lol. However, I do have two original controllers from my dad's master component that I took out of the console literally a week ago, and I plan to order a set of USB adapters from https://www.raphnet-tech.com/products/intellivision_to_usb_adapter/index.php later this week. The site even includes the hack file I need to use the controller, which should save me some potential brain damage.

Thank you guys so much for your advice, help, patience and welcoming me here! I'll keep you updated on how things go with the adapters

[+intvsteve]

Some games also may indicate that they use the ECS. There is a behavior that such  games launched from the GUI may enable the ECS key mapping. I don't recall the command line switch at the moment. In the LTO Flash GUI you can right click on the ROM and see what the command line is.

 

That said you can switch key mappings using function keys. As mr_me says that info is in the jzintv.txt file.

[+intvsteve]

You'll be happy to know the raphnet Adapters work fine on Macs, too. Just a couple months back was helping my brother get set up and tested these out. Hope nothing burins between macOS 10.13 and 10.15. ?

[bslatky]

That's great!

I do hope that someone can figure out how to get it to work with OpenEMU someday. One of the cool features of the software is that it comes with shaders to change the picture quality. I attached few examples with the original classic. Sometimes the picture quality helps with the interface and experience!
 

[mr_me]

If you have any type of usb game controller, burgertime should play fine with default mappings in jzintv.

 

I'm guessing your keyboard doesn't have a numeric keypad.  In that case, with the default jzintv keyboard mapping, press F6 at the burgertime titlescreen to set the top number keys to the left controller.

 

If you ever need to create/edit a jzintv keyboard hackfile there's no need to know any computer language.   The instructions are in the file kbdhackfile.txt.  It's basically the host computer button/controller input followed by a tab/space and then the intellivision controller action.

Edited July 19, 2020 by mr_me

[bslatky]

@mr_me OK, that probably explains a lot. iMacs automatically come with keyboards that don't have the right-sided numeric keypad like Windows computers do. Apple does, of course, make those kinds of keyboards, but once I get those adapters, I won't need to worry about it. ?

[intvdave]

On 7/17/2020 at 9:57 PM, bslatky said:

I'm interested in playing a few of the home-brews made by Intelligentvision (like Super Chef Burgertime!), but they will not load in OpenEMU. Has anyone here been able to get their games to play in the software?
 

 

I did not install OpenEMU but for Intellivision emulation, it uses Bliss. Looking at Bliss 2.1, it has a file in it's folder called: knowncarts.cfg

 

To get Super Chef Burgertime to work with it, add the following 3 lines to the end of the file.

 

9BA99F2E:Info:Super Chef Burgertime:Intelligentvision:2013
9BA99F2E:ROM:5000:2000:16
9BA99F2E:ROM:D000:3000:16

 

[bslatky]

Yes, OpenEMU uses Bliss, and I have the latest core installed, but the program doesn't have the knowncarts.cfg file. I searched my computer for it, and no results. I downloaded the file, and added those three lines to it like you said, and tried dragging it into OpenEMU, but did nothing. I think that file only works with Bliss installed as its own application.

[Sinjinhawke]

I tried OpenEMU with a bunch of my homebrew ROM files.  The .bin/.cfg combo does not seem to work with it.   The .rom files were far more successful.  Only a few that I tried did not work.   My purchased copies of Ms. Pac-man, Jawbreaker, D1K and D2K worked great as well as Copter Command, Emerdig, Goatnom and PapiCommando.

 

Maria worked with a graphical glitch on the home screen

 

Desertbus bus just gave a blank screen, Missile was playing but the actual missiles could not be seen.

 

I tried a version of Burgertime called  BurgerTime! - New Levels Hack (2002) (David Harley).int which seemed to load and play ok.

 

When you drop a .rom or .int it isn't sure about you should be able to click in the game scanner in the lower left corner then select the rom and assign the system to play the rom.

[mr_me]

Bliss/openemu ignores the .cfg files in the .bin+.cfg file combo.  It gets that information in it's own database which is the  knowncarts.cfg file that intvdave mentioned.  Openemu must have it somewhere; it could be under a different name or even embedded in the program; who knows.  If you do find it then the rom .cfg data can be added to it as intvdave described.  Bliss/openemu does support intellicart .rom files but does not support cc3 .rom files.

 

If you have a rom image file that bliss/openemu refuses to open, whether it's a .rom or a .bin+.cfg try converting it to an intellicart .rom file.  You can use the bin2rom and rom2bin utility programs that come with jzintv.

 

If Bliss/open emu opens the rom image file but has glitches, then the intellivision emulation itself might not be correct.  It could possibly be the .cfg data but Bliss is an old emulator and hasn't been maintained like jzintv has.

[Sinjinhawke]

57 minutes ago, mr_me said:

It gets that information in it's own database which is the  knowncarts.cfg

I have found it.  It's well hidden.  Within OpenEmu right click on any Intellivision game and choose Open in Finder.  This will take you to your ROMs directory.  At the bottom of the window you should see the path.  (Double)Click the OpenEmu folder in that path and you should see a folder called Cores.  In the Cores folder right click the Bliss core and choose Show Package Contents.  Double click Contents>Resources and you will see the file.

 

You may need to temporarily change it to a .txt file to edit it if you have trouble.  Make a backup first.

[bslatky]

IT WORKS!!!

I found the knowncarts.cfg file in the Bliss core like @Sinjinhawke showed, and just pasted the stuff @intvdave posted a few replies ago, and here it is in OpenEMU with the CRT New Pixie shader on top of it!

This home-brew is EXACTLY how I dreamed it would be. Fun, exactly like the original, and challenging but doable. I've already played this a couple times just to see how the different levels turned out, and I for one, really love the concept of the levels changing every time you play. It prevents monotony and keeps the game fresh. An A+ follow-up to the already incredible classic.

Thank you everyone in this thread for taking the time to help me with this issue. You guys rock!

P.S.- I ordered the USB converters and should hopefully have them in the mail next week. I'll update when I get them.

Edited July 24, 2020 by bslatky

[bslatky]

Hey, gang! I got my USB adapters the other day, but I just got busy with work.

These work PERFECTLY! I now have a reason to keep my dad's overlays. But I have to admit- the disc absolutely sucks. Playing Super Chef was a lot easier with the keyboard, lol. But I did read on another forum here that they made joystick adapters for the controllers. I'll have to wait and see a set pop up on eBay, and give them a try. Being a guy who grew up playing NES, Sega Genesis, Playstation, and PS2, these old controllers can take a bit of getting used to.

[juancho]

Hi guys, looking for a little help getting to play Inty on openemu with the Flashback controller. I am using a Retronic Design usb adapter. When I plug it into my Mac openemu successfully detects the Flashback controller (it shows in the dropdown menu, please see attached image). But when I select the controller and launch a game the controller does not respond. What am I missing? Thank you for your help.

 

UPDATE: I got it to work partially by trying a different usb port on my Mac. The problem I am now having is that when I try to map the Flashback controller buttons, some of them can not be modified (for example, button 3 always wants to be mapped as disk up command). I guess this has to do with the hackfile. I found a special hackfile in the Retronic Design website, but I dont know how/where to include such hackfile into Openemu. Any ideas?

 

 

 

 

Edited January 6, 2021 by juancho

[mr_me]

Hackfiles are for the jzintv emulator, they don't do anything for openemu/bliss.

 

Does the intellivision/retronic work as a general game controller? You can test here.  https://gamepad-tester.com

Edited January 6, 2021 by mr_me

[juancho]

Thank you for your reply. I think it does, this is what I get from your link:

 

 

[mr_me]

So you have the v3.0 retronic firmware rather than v3.2; probably a good idea.  As long as the disc and buttons are responding appropriately in the test, the controller/usb is functioning correctly.

[juancho]

So I gave up on Openemu and instead installed jzintv on my Mac and the LTO Flash GUI guided by a great video from @ColecoJoethat I found in Youtube.

 

It is working perfectly with the Flashback controller, coupled with the Retronic usb adapter and the special hackfile.

 

Thank you mr_me.

[IMBerzerk]

There is no better emulator for Intellivision than JzIntv.  With Retropie you can also use the very good Freeintv (lr-freeintv) that allows you to use a standard USB style controller, but Intellivision games that require the keypad just don't work well with it.  Advantage to lr-freeintv is that you can use the Retroarch embedded shaders and overlays.

 

I hope someday there is a conversion of JzIntv to Retropie using the libretro format, but for now, I'm stoked that we have such an accurate and fully-functional emulator that is flawless once set-up properly... plus with the UPCI converter you can use original or Flashback controllers as the original games required.

 

Been using it for 5 years.  Love it!

Edited January 9, 2021 by IMBerzerk