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Nintendo - SNES / Famicom (bsnes Balanced)

Background

bsnes is a Super Nintendo emulator that began development on 2004-10-14. It focuses on accuracy and clean code above all else. It never uses speed or compatibility hacks. As a result, the minimum system requirements are greater than with other emulators. bsnes comes in three different profiles (accuracy, balanced and performance) which contain minor differences in the PPU (graphics) emulation.

This core has been compiled with the Balanced profile.

Highly accurate SNES emulation. Whether to use the Accuracy, or Balanced or Performance core depends on how much accuracy you want to give up for game performance.

Please check the compatibility section for more information.

Author/License

The bsnes Balanced core has been authored by

  • byuu

The bsnes Balanced core is licensed under

A summary of the licenses behind RetroArch and its cores can be found here.

Extensions

Content that can be loaded by the bsnes Balanced core have the following file extensions:

  • .sfc
  • .smc
  • .bml

Databases

RetroArch database(s) that are associated with the bsnes Balanced core:

BIOS

Required or optional firmware files go in the frontend's system directory.

Attention

The bsnes Balanced core uses split ROMS for special chip games.

Notable DSP1/DSP1B Games:

  • Super Mario Kart
  • Pilotwings

Notable DSP2 Games:

  • Dungeon Master

Notable DSP3 Games:

  • SD Gundam GX

Notable DSP4 Games:

  • Top Gear 3000

Notable Cx4 Games:

  • Mega Man X2
  • Mega Man X3
Filename Description md5sum
dsp1.data.rom DSP1 co-processor firmware 3d81b45fa0c2aa8b852dfb1ece7c0971
dsp1.program.rom DSP1 co-processor firmware ae209fbe789fbf11a48aea5ab1197321
dsp1b.data.rom DSP1B co-processor firmware 1e3f568634a7d8284020dddc0ae905bc
dsp1b.program.rom DSP1B co-processor firmware d10f446888e097cbf500f3f663cf4f6d
dsp2.data.rom DSP2 co-processor firmware e9417e29223b139c3c4b635a2a3b8744
dsp2.program.rom DSP2 co-processor firmware aa6e5922a3ed5ded54f24247c11143c5
dsp3.data.rom DSP3 co-processor firmware 0a81210c0a940b997dd9843281008ee6
dsp3.program.rom DSP3 co-processor firmware d99ca4562818d49cee1f242705bba6f8
dsp4.data.rom DSP4 co-processor firmware ee4990879eb68e3cbca239c5bc20303d
dsp4.program.rom DSP4 co-processor firmware a151023b948b90ffc23a5b594bb6fef2
cx4.data.rom CX4 co-processor firmware 037ac4296b6b6a5c47c440188d3c72e3
st010.data.rom ST010 co-processor firmware 254d70762b6f59f99c27c395aba7d07d
st010.program.rom ST010 co-processor firmware 1d70019179a59a566a0bb5d3f2845544
st011.data.rom ST011 co-processor firmware 10bd3f4aa949737ab9836512c35bcc29
st011.program.rom ST011 co-processor firmware 95222ebf1c0c2990bcf25db43743f032
st018.data.rom ST018 co-processor firmware 49c898b60d0f15e90d0ba780dd12f366
st018.program.rom ST018 co-processor firmware dda40ccd57390c96e49d30a041f9a9e7
sgb.boot.rom Super Game Boy BIOS

Features

Frontend-level settings or features that the bsnes Balanced core respects.

Feature Supported
Restart ✔
Screenshots ✔
Saves ✔
States ✔
Rewind ✔
Netplay ✔
Core Options ✕
RetroAchievements ✔
RetroArch Cheats ✔
Native Cheats ✕
Controls ✔
Remapping ✔
Multi-Mouse -
Rumble ✕
Sensors ✕
Camera ✕
Location ✕
Subsystem ✔
Softpatching ✔
Disk Control ✕
Username ✕
Language ✕
Crop Overscan ✔
LEDs ✕

Directories

The bsnes Balanced core's internal core name is 'bsnes'

The bsnes Balanced core saves/loads to/from these directories.

Frontend's Save directory

  • 'content-name'.srm (Cartridge battery save)

Frontend's State directory

  • 'content-name'.state# (State)

Geometry and timing

  • The bsnes Balanced core's core provided FPS is 60.0988118623 for NTSC games and 50.0069789082 for PAL games.
  • The bsnes Balanced core's core provided sample rate is 32040.5 Hz
  • The bsnes Balanced core's core provided aspect ratio is 4/3

Super GameBoy

Warning

Super GameBoy support in this core is Windows only, and has buggy save state support and visual glitches. Use the higan Accuracy core or the nSide Balanced core for simplified, functional, and easily accessible Super Gameboy support.

For Super GameBoy support, you need sgb.boot.rom (in RetroArch's System directory), a GameBoy ROM and a Super GameBoy ROM.

Please note that the Game Boy and Super GameBoy ROMs have to be unzipped.

Super GameBoy is supported via the Subsystem API.

There are two ways to access the Subsystem API.

One way is to access the Subsystem API through RetroArch's GUI like this.

First, we load our GameBoy ROM through 'Load Super GameBoy' in RetroArch's Main Menu.

Next, we load our Super GameBoy ROM through 'Load Super GameBoy' in RetroArch's Menu Menu.

Then, we start the content by selecting 'Start GameBoy' In RetroArch's Menu Menu.

The other way is to launch RetroArch with commandline like this.

retroarch -L {path to bsnes core} {path to Super GameBoy ROM} --subsystem sgb {path to GameBoy rom}

MSU-1

Attention

MSU-1 support in this core is complex. Use the Snes9x core for simplified and easily accessible MSU-1 support.

MSU-1 support can be used by loading a correct .bml file.

There's documentation for loading MSU-1 games in standalone higan here.

Controllers

The bsnes Balanced core supports the following device type(s) in the controls menu, bolded device types are the default for the specified user(s):

User 1 device types

User 2 device types

Multitap support

Activating multitap support in compatible games can be configured by switching to the Multitap device type for User 2.

Controller tables

Joypad

User 1 - 5 Remap descriptors RetroPad Inputs
B
Y
Select
Start
D-Pad Up
D-Pad Down
D-Pad Left
D-Pad Right
A
X
L
R

Mouse

RetroMouse Inputs SNES Mouse
Mouse Cursor SNES Mouse Cursor
Mouse 1 SNES Mouse Left Button
Mouse 2 SNES Mouse Right Button

Lightgun

RetroLightgun Inputs SuperScope Justifier(s)
Gun Crosshair SuperScope Crosshair Justifier Crosshair
Gun Trigger SuperScope Trigger Justifier Trigger
Gun Aux A SuperScope Cursor
Gun Aux B SuperScope Turbo
Gun Start SuperScope Pause Justifier Start

Compatibility

Game Issue
A.S.P. Air Strike Patrol Black lines show up during gameplay. The shadow below the aircraft is missing.

See also

Nintendo - Sufami Turbo

Nintendo - Super Nintendo Entertainment System (+ Hacks)