Remember sitting next to your friend, duking it out in Mortal Kombat? Perhaps you were a Donkey Kong or Super Mario household. Or maybe Sonic The Hedgehog was more your scene. Whatever your genre preference was, the 8-bit and 16-bit era of gaming is a nostalgic paradise for many of us. Everything from Atari, to Sega, to Nintendo, to the TurboGraphx can bring a warm smile to your face, and bring you back to your childhood. A childhood of kicking your friend’s butt on a screen, that is.
So, in these times of social-isolation during COVID-19, a friend and I found a way to play these games together over the internet. Where there’s a will (and a strong sense of nerdiness), there’s a way. When I say “play together”, I mean that one player “hosts” the game, and the other player signs in online to connect as Player-2. But you will both see the game on your individual screens. So, if you’re looking to scratch that nostalgic itch, follow this step-by-step guide. I promise, it’s not actually complex to set up, as long as you follow the steps! Side-note, this method doesn’t really work well with N64/PS1 era consoles, or anything more recent than that. Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and TurboGraphx are the most modern systems that seem to function properly with this technique (although I’m sure there are methods to play more recent titles).
Here goes…
Step 1: Gather the programs and files
The program: RetroArch.
This is a program that acts as your library of games, and it’s also the program you will use to connect to another player online. It's available for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS/Apple TV, Android, Raspberry Pi, and X-Box One - and no, both players do NOT need the same operating system for this to work! Download it, here:
Download the “Stable Build”, not the “Nightly Build”. Both players will need to make sure they have the same version of RetroArch, for their respective systems. RetroArch uses programs called “Emulators”, which play your game files for each different console. More on that later.
ROMs (the game files)
Here’s where we get into a sticky area, legally speaking. You may only download a ROM of a game which you own a physical copy of. Do with that information what you will. There are plenty of ways to acquire ROM files, but the quickest way is to simply google something like “Super Metroid SNES rom”. If you’ve never heard of the SNES abbreviation before,
SNES = Super Nintendo Entertainment System
NES = Nintendo Entertainment System
I won’t get into specific websites here, as they are constantly changing. But if you search a few sites from Google, you’ll find a download for just about any retro game/system. If you’re struggling to find something, archive.org will often have game collections, and that site is permanent (but I haven’t had a lot of luck with that site, in all honesty).
Step 2: Setup RetroArch
1 - Install RetroArch on your system.
It’s different for each operating system, so I will leave you to figure out this step for yourself. If you get stuck, a quick Google search will clarify the process.
2 - Make a folder(s) for your ROM files (the games)
I recommend making a folder called ROMS with sub-folders inside it for each system (a SNES folder, a NES folder, etc…). It does not actually matter how you name these folders, but it does make things feel more organized when your collection gets larger.
3 - Decide if you will use a gamepad (controller) or your keyboard
You don’t NEED to have a gaming controller to emulate retro games. But gosh, it’s way more fun if you do! I will put links to several gaming controllers at the bottom of the page. But look around at any gaming systems you already own! Some of the controllers may use a USB cord and will be compatible with RetroArch (the PS4 Dual-Shock controller, for example). You can also buy adaptors for most original retro controllers, like a Super Nintendo Controller. Plus, companies like 8BitDo and Buffalo make USB replicas of old controllers, and they are FANTASTIC.
All this being said, I often just use my laptop keyboard instead. I’ll suggest a decent setup for your keys in the “Setup Controls” section.
4 - Setup Controls (you should only need to do this once per controller)
-Open RetroArch. Navigate to “Settings”, then “Input”
-If you are using a game controller, make sure it is plugged into a USB port on your system (or connected via bluetooth).
-Navigate toward “Port 1 Binds”, which is your Player-1 configuration
-If you are using a controller, select a button on the screen, and then press the corresponding button on your controller. Not all buttons have to be bound (for example, Super Nintendo does not require L2, R2, L3, and R3)
-If you’re using your keyboard instead, select a button on the screen, then type the key for that button. Here’s the Super Nintendo keyboard layout I would recommend, but you may customize it however you please:
Up D-Pad = w
Down D-Pad = s
Left D-Pad = a
Right D-Pad = d
A Button = j
B Button = h
X Button - l (lowercase L)
Y Button - k
L Button = left-shift
R Button = right-shift
Start Button = enter
Select Button = ‘
-Then, navigate back to the “Input” Menu, and go to “Hotkey Binds”
-The only mandatory feature that you need to bind here is “MENU Toggle Gamepad Combo”. When using my controller, I have this set to “L1 + R1 + Start + Select”. That way, when I hit Start + Select + both shoulder buttons while I’m playing a game, RetroArch will bring up it’s main menu (and pause your gameplay). VERY important to map this, and remember which key command you selected.
-Navigate back to the “Input” menu, and select “Menu Controls”. Make sure “Unified Menu Controls”, “menu Swap OK & Cancel Buttons” and “All Users Control Menu” are selected. This will make your controller/keyboard able to properly navigate RetroArch’s menus, so you won’t need you mouse!
5 - Download Cores (the emulators/consoles simulators)
-Ok, this is the last thing you’ll need to download, I promise! Navigate back to the main menu in RetroArch, and select “Load Cores”.
-In this menu, select “Download a Core”
-This screen may feel intimidating. But it’s really not! You can just google which cores work best for RetroArch NetPlay (the online feature) for your specific console. But here are the 4 that you most likely want to start with:
For Super Nintendo:
Nintendo - SNES / SFC (Snes9x - Current)
For Original Nintendo:
Nintendo - NES / Famicom (Nestopia UE)
For Sega Genesis/Master-System:
Sega - MS/GG/MD/CD (Genesis Plus GX)
For TurboGraphx:
NEC - PC Engine SuperGrafx (Beetle SuperGrafx)
6 - Load Content (add your games to the library)
-Navigate back to the main menu, and select “Load Content”. Then select “Playlists”, then “Scan Directory”.
-Remember that “ROMS” folder we made earlier? Navigate toward that in RetroArch. It will look like there are no files in there (don’t work, they really are there - RetroArch is just displaying only the folders, not the files).
-When you are in the ROMS folder, select “Scan This Directory”. Depending on how may game you downloaded, this may take a few minutes. You will be prompted as it finishes.
7 - Pick a USERNAME and PASSWORD for online play
-Your username and password will be what your friend types in to join your games. If you are not planning to play online, you may skip this step.
- Navigate to the main menu, then “Settings”, then “User”.
-Select “Username” and type your preferred gamertag (it doesn’t matter what you pick, as long as you remember it)
-Navigate back to “Settings”. Select “Network”, then “Server Password”. Enter your preferred password.
Step 3 - YOU’RE READY TO PLAY
(and you won’t have to do any of that other stuff again!)
-If you made it this far, you deserve to have a giant fish drop a golden cup on your head (Super Mario Kart fans, anybody?).
-Go to the main menu screen, and find “Netplay”. It should be it’s own tab, like settings and main menu.
-Select “Host”, then “Start Netplay Host”
-You’ll have to do this any time you want to play online, but not if you are just playing by yourself.
-Navigate to “Main Menu”, “Load Content”, “Playlists”. Then scroll down to whichever system you are looking to play (Nintendo - Super Nintendo Entertainment System, for example).
-When you select your console, you will find all your games! RetroArch categorized them into console playlists when you imported them earlier.
-Select the game you’d like to play, and hit “Run”.
-The first time you play a game, it will ask you which core to use. Select the core for your system, then hit “Run” again. Boom, you’re in!
Step 4 - Get your friend to join!
-If you are hosting an online game, make sure your friend has the same ROM file as you, and is using the same CORE. (Either download your ROMS from the same site, our give a copy of the ROM files to your friend before-hand)
-Get them to Navigate toward the “Netplay” tab, and click “Refresh Room List”
-They can search through the list for your Username, and select it. Then get them to type in your password. Boom! Player 2 has joined the game!!
-Note: your friend will want to set up their controller or keyboard on their own computer, before playing.
That’s it! I know it seems like a lot of work, but it will honestly only take 10-20 minutes of initial setup. After your one-time setup, it’s just a matter of selecting “Start Netplay Host” and then booting up your game! Totally worth navigating those menus, in my opinion.
Good luck, have fun!
Stephen
My Recommended GamePad (Controller) Companies:
8BitDo
Buffalo