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RETROPA / Neo Geo

Neo Geo Emulator for iPhone & iPad | Retropa

Retropa runs supported Neo Geo arcade sets on iPhone and iPad with touch controls, external controllers and CRT filters. Arcade play requires Retropa Plus, and the app ships no games or BIOS files.

Download for iOS

Free to download. Optional in-app purchases. iOS 18 or later.

01

Arcade play and Retropa Plus

Arcade cores in Retropa need Retropa Plus, and Neo Geo MVS is one of them. None of that touches the Pocket handhelds, which run in the standard app. Games and BIOS files are yours to supply either way.

  • Arcade families require Retropa Plus.
  • Neo Geo Pocket is a separate handheld system.
  • Games and BIOS files are not included in any case.
02

An arcade set is more than one file

Cartridge systems hand you one file per game. Arcade boards do not work that way. A title is a group of chip files, usually packed into a ZIP, and plenty of sets lean on a parent or a BIOS for the pieces they leave out. That is why an arcade archive behaves nothing like a handheld ROM.

  • Keep the ZIP intact unless the import flow asks you to unpack it.
  • A separate BIOS archive may be needed.
  • A clone set may not hold every file the core needs.
03

Import and first launch

Through the import entry, choose the set and launch it with the default layout. If the core complains about a missing file or a missing BIOS, read that message closely. A missing parent and a missing BIOS can look alike in a screenshot but need completely different fixes.

  • Read the exact error before changing anything.
  • Retain the original archive while you diagnose.
  • Confirm the coin and start inputs are reachable.
04

Pocket files belong elsewhere

A .ngp or .ngpc file belongs to the handheld line, not to the arcade family. Renaming a Pocket ROM to look like an arcade archive changes nothing, and the reverse trick fails just as hard. Confirm which system the app detected before you file a report.

  • .ngp and .ngpc files are handheld Pocket formats.
  • Arcade sets are multi-file and may need a BIOS.
  • Check the detected system before reporting a problem.
05

Controls and display for arcade

Arcade cabinets were built around a stick and a row of buttons, and many titles want two buttons pressed at once. Retropa offers on-screen controls and works with compatible external pads, plus CRT treatments that suit arcade output. Advanced filters are a Plus feature.

  • Pair a controller in iOS before mapping it.
  • Test a diagonal and a button press at the same time.
  • CRT presets usually suit arcade output better than a raw grid.
06

Troubleshooting a set

Examine the selected board, what is actually inside the set and any BIOS the core asks for. A clone archive on its own, or a set missing a required file, will not boot. No filter or skin will change that.

  • Record the app version, board selection, core and exact error.
  • Filter or skin changes cannot fix missing ROM data.
  • Do not attach commercial ROM or BIOS files to a support request.

Questions

Why do arcade cores need Plus?

Arcade families sit in the paid feature set, together with premium skins and advanced filters. Handheld and cartridge systems run without it.

Do I need a Neo Geo BIOS?

Plenty of arcade sets expect one, and the core names the file when it is absent. Supply a BIOS you are entitled to use; the app offers no downloads.

Is Neo Geo Pocket the same thing?

No. Pocket is a handheld with its own file formats and its own core. An arcade archive and a Pocket ROM will never stand in for each other.

Retropa.

Free to download. Optional in-app purchases. iOS 18 or later.

Download for iOS