DICE¶

Background¶

DICE is a Discrete Integrated Circuit Emulator. It emulates computer systems that lack any type of CPU, consisting only of discrete logic components.

dice-libretro is a Libretro port of DICE, to run in RetroArch.

The DICE core has been authored by:

Adam B & DICE Team (Standalone DICE)
Ken Mitton

The DICE core is licensed under:

GPLv3

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

Requirements¶

Minimal.

How to start the DICE core:¶

Some games use zipped ROMs and launch similarly to MAME or FBNeo --- filename is important, see table at https://github.com/mittonk/dice-libretro/?tab=readme-ov-file#usage

Please do not attempt to contact the DICE team to request ROM files.

Some games (pong, breakout, pinpong, etc) do not have any ROM on the board at all. For these, copy the dummy launcher file from dummy_files to your ROM folder; these have a correct name (for example, pong.dmy) that will get RetroArch to set up lr-dice for the correct game.

BIOS¶

None.

Extensions¶

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

.zip
.dmy

.dmy files are used for games without any ROM component, see "How to start the DICE core" above.

RetroArch database(s) that are associated with the DICE core: None yet.

Features¶

Frontend-level settings or features that the DICE core respects:

Feature	Supported
Restart	✔
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¶

None.

Geometry and timing¶

Varies based on individual game, mostly around 640x246, 60 FPS.

Usage¶

Again, see .dmy files for games that do not use read-only memory.

Core options¶

There are numerous options around using mice to simulate spinners / paddle controllers, see https://github.com/mittonk/dice-libretro/?tab=readme-ov-file#mouse-support .

These are still in flux.

User 1 device types¶

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

RetroPad
RetroPad w/Analog
Mouse

Joypad¶

Most games are playable with just a joypad. Controls vary by game.

RetroPad Inputs	User # input descriptors	(Device name) Inputs
	Button 2	-
	Button 3	-
	Coin	-
	Start	-
	Up	-
	Down	-
	Left	-
	Right	-
	Button 1	-
		-
	Dollar	-
		-
		-
		-
		-
		-
X	Paddle	-
Y	Paddle	-
X		-
Y		-

Mouse¶

RetroMouse Inputs	(Device name) Inputs
Mouse Cursor	Paddle, see https://github.com/mittonk/dice-libretro/?tab=readme-ov-file#mouse-support
Mouse 1	-
Mouse 2	-
Mouse 3	-
Mouse 4	-
Mouse 5	-
Wheel Up	-
Wheel Down	-
Wheel Left	-
Wheel Right	-

Compatibility¶

Name	Base filename	Publisher	Year	Needs ROM?
Anti-Aircraft	antiaircraft	Atari	1975	x
Attack	attack	Exidy	1977	x
Breakout	breakout	Atari	1976
Clean Sweep	cleansweep	Ramtek	1974	x
Crash 'N Score	crashnscore	Atari	1975	x
Crossfire	crossfire	Atari	1975
Gotcha	gotcha	Atari	1973
Hi-Way	hiway	Atari	1975
Indy 4	indy4	Atari	1976	x
Jet Fighter	jetfighter	Atari	1975	x
Pin Pong	pinpong	Atari	1974
Pong	pong	Atari	1972
Pong Doubles	pongdoubles	Atari	1973
Quadrapong	quadrapong	Atari	1974
Rebound	rebound	Atari	1974
Shark Jaws	sharkjaws	Atari	1975	x
Space Race	spacerace	Atari	1973
Steeplechase	steeplechase	Atari	1975	x
Stunt Cycle	stuntcycle	Atari	1976	x
TV Basketball	tvbasketball	Midway	1974
Wipe Out	wipeout	Ramtek	1974	x

External Links¶

MAME has some overlap (Pong, for example).