Arcade emulator for iPhone and iPad

CPS, Neo Geo and the arcade board

Retropa supports arcade families including CPS I, CPS II, CPS III, Neo Geo, PGM and M92. Match your game to the arcade board and ROM set expected by the installed core. Support for a family does not guarantee that every archive will run.

• Confirm the system in the app before choosing a file.
• Arcade execution requires Retropa Plus.
• Retropa does not include commercial ROMs or BIOS files.

Neo Geo arcade is not Neo Geo Pocket

Neo Geo arcade games and Neo Geo Pocket handheld games use different systems and files. For an arcade game that reports a missing Neo Geo BIOS, open Arcade BIOS in Retropa and import the required neogeo.zip package, then try the game again. A Pocket ROM or a renamed ZIP is not a substitute.

• Use BIOS files you have the right to use; Retropa does not supply downloads.
• A BIOS package does not replace missing game, parent or clone ROM data.
• Check the exact error and retain the original archive before making changes.

Why an arcade ZIP is different

A handheld ROM is often a single game image. An arcade set may contain multiple ROM chips and depend on a parent set or BIOS. Renaming an unrelated archive to .zip does not make it compatible. Keep the supplied archive intact unless the import workflow explicitly requests extraction.

When a game will not start

First check the selected board and the error shown by Retropa. Next check whether your set is complete and whether its required BIOS or parent files are available. A clone archive alone may not include all the files a core needs. Changing filters or buying a different skin cannot fix missing ROM data.

• Retain your original files while diagnosing an import.
• Record the app version, system and displayed error when contacting support.
• Do not send commercial ROM or BIOS files with a support request.

Set up the first session

Once the game starts, identify the coin, start and action controls. With an external controller, check the mapping as well as the on-screen labels. Begin with a simple display preset; choose a CRT treatment after confirming that the game and controls work correctly.