Launchers

Zaparoo Core includes launcher definitions for MiSTer's standard systems. During a media database update, it scans the expected game folders for supported files and associates each game with the matching MiSTer core. Games launch via MGL files generated by Zaparoo, following the official folder structure set by Downloader.

Zaparoo also indexes .mgl files placed directly in your games folders. Drop a custom MGL shortcut into a games folder and it gets picked up by the media database, so it shows up in browse and search and can be launched by title like any other game.

MiSTer unstable nightly cores using the standard <core>_unstable_YYYYMMDD_<hash>.rbf filename get their own Unstable launchers, and can also stand in for a system's regular core when that core is not installed. If several matching nightlies exist, Core uses the newest dated filename.

After adding or replacing an RBF file, select Settings > Advanced > Reload Core in the terminal UI or run -reload to force a filesystem rescan. Core refreshes its launcher list after the rescan. Then update the media database if the system or its games still need to be indexed.

ZIP archives

On MiSTer, Zaparoo treats ZIP archives like folders. It can index, browse, and launch supported files inside an archive through the normal launcher for that file type. This applies across MiSTer launchers and does not require .zip to appear as a direct media extension in the tables below.

For example, Zaparoo can browse a ZIP containing a supported SNES ROM as a folder and launch the ROM inside through the SNES launcher. This behavior is specific to MiSTer. On other platforms, Zaparoo cannot browse or launch a file inside a ZIP archive, although an individual launcher may support the ZIP file itself as media.

Supported systems

Some listed cores require BIOS files, extra SDRAM, or a newer or patched MiSTer Main. Follow the core's own setup instructions before using its launcher.

Console Systems

System ID	Folders	Extensions
3DO	3DO	.iso, .cue, .chd
AdventureVision	AVision	.bin
Arcadia	Arcadia	.bin
AmigaCD32	AmigaCD32	.cue, .chd, .iso
Astrocade	Astrocade	.bin
CommodoreCDTV	CDTV, AmigaCDTV, CommodoreCDTV	.chd, .cue, .iso
Atari2600	ATARI7800, Atari2600	.a26, .bin
Atari5200	ATARI5200	.car, .a52, .bin, .rom
Atari7800	ATARI7800	.a78, .bin
AtariLynx	AtariLynx	.lnx
AtariLynx2P	AtariLynx2P	.lnx, .lyx
BBCBridgeCompanion	BBCBridgeCompanion	.bin
CasioLoopy	Loopy	.bin
CasioPV1000	Casio_PV-1000	.bin
CDI	CD-i	.cue, .chd
ChannelF	ChannelF	.rom, .bin
ColecoVision	Coleco	.col, .bin, .rom
CreatiVision	CreatiVision	.rom, .bin, .bas
DataRover840	DataRover840	.rom, .ima, .bin, .pkg, .mc2, .img
FDS	NES, FDS	.fds
Gamate	Gamate	.bin
Gameboy	GAMEBOY	.gb
GameboyColor	GAMEBOY, GBC	.gbc
Gameboy2P	GAMEBOY2P	.gb, .gbc
GameCom	GameCom	.tgc
GameGear	SMS, GameGear	.gg
GameGear2P	GameGear2P	.gg
GameKing	GameKing	.bin
GameNWatch	GameNWatch	.bin
GameTank	GameTank	.gtr
GBA	GBA	.gba
GBA2P	GBA2P	.gba
Genesis	MegaDrive, Genesis	.gen, .bin, .md
Intellivision	Intellivision	.rom, .int, .bin
Jaguar	Jaguar	.jag, .j64, .rom, .bin
JaguarCD	Jaguar	.cdi
MasterSystem	SMS	.sms
MegaCD	MegaCD	.cue, .chd
MegaDuck	GAMEBOY, MegaDuck	.bin
MyVision	MyVision	.bin
NDS	NDS	.nds
NeoGeo	NEOGEO	.neo, .zip (folders)
NeoGeoMVS	NEOGEO	.neo, .zip (folders)
NeoGeoCD	NeoGeo-CD, NEOGEO	.cue, .chd
NeoGeoPocket	NGP	.ngp
NeoGeoPocketColor	NGPC	.ngc
NES	NES	.nes
NESMusic	NES	.nsf
Nintendo64	N64	.n64, .z64
Odyssey2	ODYSSEY2	.bin
PCFX	PCFX	.cue, .chd
PocketChallengeV2	WonderSwan, PocketChallengeV2	.pc2
PocketStation	PocketStation	.gme, .mcs, .sav, .bin
PokemonMini	PokemonMini	.min
PSX	PSX	.cue, .chd, .exe
Saturn	Saturn	.cue, .chd
Sega32X	S32X	.32x
SG1000	SG1000, Coleco, SMS	.sg
SNES	SNES	.sfc, .smc, .bin, .bs
SNESMusic	SNES	.spc
StudioII	Studio-II	.st2, .bin, .ch8
SuperACan	SuperAcan	.bin
SuperCassetteVision	SCV	.rom, .bin
SuperGameboy	SGB	.sgb, .gb, .gbc
SuperGrafx	TGFX16	.sgx
SuperVision	SuperVision	.bin, .sv
SuperVision8000	SuperVision8000	.bin
Tamagotchi	Tamagotchi	.bin
TI89	TI89	.89u
TurboGrafx16	TGFX16	.pce, .bin
TurboGrafx16CD	TGFX16-CD	.cue, .chd
VC4000	VC4000	.bin
Vectrex	VECTREX	.vec, .bin, .rom
VirtualBoy	VirtualBoy	.vb
VSmile	VSmile	.bin
WonderSwan	WonderSwan	.ws
WonderSwanColor	WonderSwan, WonderSwanColor	.wsc

Computer Systems

System ID	Folders	Extensions
AcornAtom	AcornAtom	.vhd
AcornElectron	AcornElectron	.vhd
AliceMC10	AliceMC10	.c10
Altair8800	Altair8800	.rom
Amiga	Amiga	.adf
Amstrad	Amstrad	.dsk, .cdt, .sna
AmstradNC	AmstradNC	.rom, .zip, .dsk, .img
AmstradPCW	Amstrad PCW	.dsk
Apogee	APOGEE	.rka, .rkr, .gam
AppleI	Apple-I	.txt
AppleII	Apple-II	.dsk, .do, .po, .nib, .hdv
AppleIIGS	Apple-IIgs	.hdv, .po, .2mg, .woz, .dsk, .do, .nib
AppleIII	Apple-III	.woz, .dsk, .do, .po, .nib, .2mg, .hdv
AppleLisa	LISA	.img, .vhd
Aquarius	AQUARIUS	.bin, .caq
Atari800	ATARI800	.atr, .xex, .xfd, .atx, .car, .rom, .bin
BBCMicro	BBCMicro	.ssd, .dsd, .vhd
BK0011M	BK0011M	.bin, .dsk, .vhd
C128	C128	.d64, .g64, .d71, .g71, .d81, .t64, .prg, .crt, .reu, .tap
C16	C16	.d64, .g64, .prg, .tap, .bin
C64	C64	.d64, .g64, .t64, .d81, .prg, .crt, .reu, .tap
CasioPV2000	Casio_PV-2000	.bin
CBMII	CBM-II	.d80, .d82, .d64, .prg
CoCo2	CoCo2	.dsk, .cas, .ccc, .rom
CoCo3	COCO3	.ccc, .cas, .dsk, .vhd
ColecoAdam	Adam	.col, .bin, .rom, .dsk, .ddp
CommanderX16	X16	.img, .crt, .bin, .rom
DOS	AO486, /media/fat/_DOS Games	.mgl, .vhd, .img, .ima, .vfd, .iso, .cue, .chd
EDSAC	EDSAC	.tap
EG2000	eg2000	.cas
Enterprise	Enterprise	.vhd, .img, .dsk, .rom
FM7	FM-7	.t77, .d77, .d88
FMTowns	Marty	.cue, .chd, .iso, .d88, .d77, .hdm, .icm, .vhd, .hdd, .h0
Galaksija	Galaksija	.tap
Homelab	Homelab	.htp
Interact	Interact	.cin, .k7
IQ151	IQ151	.iqd
JR100	JR100	.prg, .bas, .cmt
Jupiter	Jupiter	.ace
Laser	Laser	.vz
Lynx48	Lynx48	.tap
MacPlus	MACPLUS	.dsk, .img, .vhd
MicroBee	MicroBee	.dsk, .ss8, .ds8, .tap
MSX	MSX	.vhd
MSX1	MSX1	.dsk, .rom
MultiComp	MultiComp	.img
ND120	ND120	.img, .bpu, .tap
NeXT	NeXT	.vhd, .img, .iso, .cue, .bin, .chd
Orao	ORAO	.tap
Oric	Oric	.dsk
PC88	PC8801	.d88
PC98	PC98	.d88, .hdm, .fdi, .vhd, .hdi, .hdf, .img, .ima, .iso, .bin, .pcd
PCjr	PCjr	.img, .ima, .vfd, .jrc, .jrt
PCXT	PCXT	.img, .vhd, .ima, .vfd
PDP1	PDP1	.bin, .rim, .pdp
PET2001	PET2001	.prg, .tap
PMD85	PMD85	.rmm
QL	QL	.mdv, .win
RX78	RX78	.bin
SAMCoupe	SAMCOUPE	.dsk, .mgt, .img
SBC7	SBC7	.h7x, .pr7, .img, .dsk
SGIIndy	SGIIndy	.img, .iso, .chd
SordM5	Sord M5	.bin, .rom, .cas
SparcStation	SparcStation	.raw, .iso
Specialist	SPMX	.rks, .odi
SVI328	SVI328	.cas, .bin, .rom
Tandy1000	Tandy1000	.img, .ima, .vfd, .vhd
TatungEinstein	TatungEinstein	.dsk
Thomson	TOMO	.rom, .bin, .wav, .fd
TI994A	TI-99_4A	.bin, .m99
TK2000	TK2000	.nib, .dsk, .do, .po
TomyTutor	TomyTutor	.bin, .cas
TRS80	TRS-80	.dsk, .jvi, .cmd, .cas
TSConf	TSConf	.vhd
TVC	TVC	.cas
UK101	UK101	.txt, .bas, .lod
Vector06C	VECTOR06	.rom, .com, .c00, .edd, .fdd
VIC20	VIC20	.d64, .g64, .prg, .tap, .crt
VideoBrain	VideoBrain	.bin
X68000	X68000	.d88, .hdf, .mgl
ZX81	ZX81	.p, .0
ZXSpectrum	Spectrum	.tap, .csw, .tzx, .sna, .z80, .trd, .img, .dsk, .mgt, .vhd
ZXNext	ZXNext	.vhd, .tzx, .csw

Arcade Systems

Core skips the folders and symlinks Arcade Organizer creates, so each arcade game is indexed once from its .mra file. If you browse your arcade games through those folders, set scan_duplicates on the Arcade launcher to index them too. Every copy becomes its own entry, so the arcade library grows several times over and indexing takes longer:

[[launchers.default]]
launcher = "Arcade"
scan_duplicates = true

After an arcade index, the mister-arcade scraper fills in year, developer, genre, controls, and monitor rotation from the MiSTer arcade catalog on its own.

System ID	Folders	Extensions
Arcade	_Arcade	.mra
Cave68000	_Arcade	.mra
CPS1	_Arcade	.mra
CPS2	_Arcade	.mra
CPS3	_Arcade	.mra
IremM72	_Arcade	.mra
IremM92	_Arcade	.mra
JalecoMegaSystem1	_Arcade	.mra
NamcoSystem1	_Arcade	.mra
PGM	_Arcade	.mra
SegaSTV	_Arcade	.mra
SegaSystem16	_Arcade	.mra
SegaSystem18	_Arcade	.mra
TaitoF2	_Arcade	.mra

Hardware classification

Every MiSTer .mra file remains indexed under the general Arcade system. When MiSTer's Arcade Database identifies the underlying hardware, Core also indexes the same game under a more specific system such as CPS1, Cave68000, PGM, SegaSTV, or TaitoF2. Unclassified games remain available through Arcade as before.

You can browse, search, or launch a random game from one hardware family:

**launch.random:CPS1

Core searches the requested hardware system first. It only falls back to the general Arcade system when that specific system has no matching results. Run a media database update after upgrading to add the new classifications.

Neo Geo games are also indexed as both NeoGeo and NeoGeoMVS. The MVS launcher uses its own MiSTer set name while keeping the normal NEOGEO games folder, giving MVS entries an independent MiSTer configuration.

Other Systems

System ID	Folders	Extensions
Arduboy	Arduboy	.hex, .bin
Audio	MegaVGMDrive	.vgm
BennuGD	BennuGD	.dat, .dcb
Chip8	Chip8	.ch8
DVDPlayer	DVD, DVD-Player	.iso
Groovy	Groovy	.gmc
OpenBOR	OpenBOR	.pak
Pico8	PICO-8	.p8, .p8.png
ScummVM	ScummVM	(special)
Solarus	Solarus	.sol
Video	Video, Movies, TV	.mp4, .mkv, .avi, .mov, .webm

Special Features

Other Cores

MiSTer's _Other folder holds standalone FPGA cores that run without a ROM file, like Chess, Flappy Bird, and Game of Life. Zaparoo exposes the supported ones as virtual systems (launchables) and indexes them when their core is installed, so they show up in browse and search and can be written to a token like any other game.

Supported cores: Chess, Donut, Epoch Galaxy II, Flappy Bird, Game of Life, GBMidi, GenMidi, MiSTer Quake, Slug Cross, Sonic Mania, Tamagotchi, and Tomy Scramble.

Core also exposes two installed MGL shortcuts as launchables. /media/fat/Load GB-GBC Cartridge.mgl appears as the Load GB/GBC Cartridge console system, while /media/fat/_Custom Cores/PapriumMD.mgl appears as Paprium media under Genesis. Each entry is only indexed when its MGL file exists.

Add your own Other core

Use a custom virtual-system launcher to expose another installed core:

[[launchers.custom]]
id = "MisterOtherMyCore"
kind = "virtual_system"
backend = "mister_core"
name = "My Core"
categories = ["Other"]
load_path = "_Other/MyCore"

load_path is relative to /media/fat, uses forward slashes, and omits the .rbf extension and any date or hash suffix. See kind and backend for the category names you can use.

A new entry receives a stable identity based on its id. To rename, recategorize, or change the path of a built-in Other core without losing its existing App settings or artwork, use its built-in ID in a custom entry. For example, override MisterOtherFlappyBird while keeping that ID unchanged.

Only cores you have installed are indexed. Restart Core or reload it, then update the media database after adding or changing an _Other core entry.

The 3S-ARM port of Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike also ships as an _Other core, but Zaparoo exposes it as virtual media under the Arcade system instead of as an Other core entry.

Companion-installed media cores

Core detects RBF files installed under /media/fat/_Custom Cores/Cores as well as standard MiSTer core directories and launches media with these companion cores:

• PICO-8 loads .p8 and .p8.png carts from /media/fat/games/PICO-8.
• OpenBOR loads .pak files from /media/fat/games/OpenBOR. The default launcher uses OpenBOR_4086 when installed and falls back to OpenBOR_7533. Add ?launcher=OpenBOR7533 to force the 7533 core.
• MegaVGMDrive loads .vgm files from /media/fat/games/MegaVGMDrive through the VGM_MD_MiSTer core.

Restart Core or reload it after installing one of these cores, then update the media database.

ao486

If a .vhd file is launched via Zaparoo and is in its own folder with an .iso or .chd file, that disc image will be automatically mounted alongside the hard drive.

Commodore CDTV

CDTV discs launch through the Minimig core using a saved configuration. In the Minimig core, set up CDTV (with CD32 disabled) and save the config under the name CDTV, so it exists as /media/fat/config/CDTV.cfg. Core mounts the disc image into that preset when a CDTV token is scanned. Without the saved preset, CDTV launches fail with an error in the log.

AmigaVision (Amiga)

AmigaVision games and demos on the Amiga core are indexed under virtual Games and Demos folders, matching how they appear in AmigaVision itself. After a media database update they show up in browse and search, and can be launched or written to a token like any other game.

For example, to launch Beneath a Steel Sky:

Amiga/Games/Beneath a Steel Sky (OCS)[en]

Or a demo, using its name from the demos.txt listing:

Amiga/Demos/<demo name>

The game and demo names come from the games.txt and demos.txt listing files that AmigaVision generates in the Amiga/listings folder on your SD card. The older Amiga/listings/games.txt/<name> path still works for existing tokens.

Current AmigaVision listing issue

The current AmigaVision release can generate games.txt and demos.txt with internal IDs instead of the names Zaparoo expects. Games may briefly show Workbench and return to the AmigaVision menu instead of launching.

Follow AmigaVision issue #432 for the upstream fix. Its workaround comment provides replacement listing files. Those files restore launching for most entries but may not contain every game from the latest AmigaVision release.

Game & Watch

Two cores are supported:

Folder	Extensions	Core
GameNWatch	.bin	GnW
Game and Watch	.gnw	GameAndWatch

NeoGeo

NeoGeo supports launching .zip files, ROM-set folders, and symlinked ROM-set folders directly with Zaparoo. These can sit at the top level of the NeoGeo games folder or inside subfolders, as supported by the MiSTer core itself.

Keep a valid romsets.xml in each NeoGeo root so Zaparoo can match folder, ZIP, and .neo file names to their display names. If no valid definition file is found, Core falls back to basic ZIP-content filtering and records the affected roots in debug logs.

For example, a .zip file:

NeoGeo/mslug.zip

Or a folder:

NeoGeo/mslug2

ScummVM

ScummVM support uses the bbond007 script. Install the script, add your games to the ScummVM folder, and update the media database. Games are automatically detected from the ScummVM configuration file. A game kept as several variants in subfolders of one folder, such as kyra3/dos-english and kyra3/dos-french, or added to ScummVM once per language on the same folder, shares that folder's gamelist.xml entry and artwork.

Video Playback

Video playback uses nextfvp, a framebuffer video player. To set up video playback:

1. Download fvp-mister_arm-15ea265.zip
2. Extract the fvp binary to /media/fat/linux/
3. Create a Video folder in your games directory (e.g., /media/fat/games/Video/)
4. Add your video files to the Video folder
5. Update the media database

Supported formats: MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, WEBM

Console launcher rendering

MiSTer's video and ScummVM launchers render through an internal framebuffer. By default, GenericVideo uses one-third of the current output dimensions and ScummVM uses a 640x480 RGB16 framebuffer.

Override either launcher with render_scale or render_resolution:

[[launchers.default]]
launcher = "GenericVideo"
render_scale = 50

[[launchers.default]]
launcher = "ScummVM"
render_resolution = "800x600"

MiSTer supports render_scale values of 25, 33, 50, and 100. render_resolution accepts positive WIDTHxHEIGHT dimensions. Do not set both for the same launcher. These options change the internal framebuffer only; they do not change the physical display output mode.

Alternate launchers

RetroAchievements, DB9, LLAPI, PWM, overclock, DualRAM, Sinden, and unstable nightly cores each get their own launcher IDs, selected per token with ?launcher=<launcher ID> or as a default with load_path. They are listed on Alternate Launchers, along with the launcher groups that let launchers.preference prefer a whole family.

Hardware-specific launchers

These cores share an existing system ID. Select their launcher from Frontend's Change launcher menu or with ?launcher=<launcher ID> in ZapScript. Their game folders and formats are:

Launcher ID	System ID	Folders	Extensions
Atari2600ARM	Atari2600	ATARI2600	.a26, .bin
MacIIvi	MacOS	MacIIvi	.dsk, .img, .vhd, .hda, .iso, .toast, .cue, .bin, .chd
MacLC	MacOS	MacLC	.dsk, .img, .vhd, .hda, .iso, .toast, .cue, .bin, .chd
MacLCII	MacOS	MacLCii	.dsk, .img, .vhd, .hda
MacQuadra800	MacOS	MacQuadra800	.hda, .vhd, .iso, .toast, .cue, .bin, .chd
PC110	DOS	PC110	.img, .ima, .vfd, .vhd, .iso, .cue, .chd
PCXTEGA	PCXT	PCXT-EGA	.img, .ima, .vfd, .vhd
PETUniversal	PET2001	PET_Universal	.prg, .tap, .d64, .d80, .d82
Phosphor	Audio	Phosphor	.mp3, .wav, .flac, .ogg, .tar
Raster	Video	Raster	.mpg, .tar
SparcStation20	SparcStation	SparcStation	.raw, .iso
System80	TRS80	System80	.dsk, .jv1, .dmk, .cas
Z486	DOS	Z486	.img, .ima, .vfd, .vhd, .iso, .cue, .chd