libretro/emulators/2600-emu.yml

emulator: "2600.emu"
type: standalone
core_classification: community_fork
source: "https://github.com/Rakashazi/emu-ex-plus-alpha"
upstream: "https://github.com/stella-emu/stella"
profiled_date: "2026-08-11"
source_commit: "1c12fac5ce49badaadff2e2f210dcc30b89f4943"
upstream_commit: "d55b1aec0d067a4c901a6dcdf81cb8f579685659"
core_version: "1.5.85"
display_name: "Atari - 2600 (2600.emu)"
mode: standalone
cores:
  - "2600-emu"
  - "2600.emu"
  - "2600-EMU"
systems:
  - atari-2600

notes: |
  Android and Linux member of the EX Emulator series by Robert Broglia,
  published as com.explusalpha.A2600Emu (2600.emu/metadata/conf.mk:2,6,7) and
  reached by ES-DE through its 2600-EMU find rule. Stella 7.0 is vendored under
  2600.emu/src/stella (2600.emu/src/stella/common/Version.hxx:21, identical to
  the upstream 7.0 tag) and driven by the app's own OSystem, FrameBuffer,
  EventHandler and Sound.

  The console needs no ROM of its own. The Supercharger BIOS is the built-in
  ourDummyROMCode array, patched at load and copied into the ROM area
  (2600.emu/src/stella/emucore/CartAR.cxx:263-278).

  The build defines EMU_EX_PLATFORM, SOUND_SUPPORT and THUMB_SUPPORT
  (2600.emu/CMakeLists.txt:22); DEBUGGER_SUPPORT and CHEATCODE_SUPPORT are
  absent, so the cheat database and the debugger are not compiled. PropertiesSet
  is constructed on CompositeKeyValueRepositoryNoop
  (2600.emu/src/stella/emucore/PropsSet.cxx:29-32), so cartridge properties come
  from the built-in DefProps table and no properties file is read.
  checkUserPalette returns false and paletteFile returns an empty node
  (2600.emu/src/OSystemEmuEx.hxx:69-70), which stops PaletteHandler before it
  opens anything (2600.emu/src/stella/common/PaletteHandler.cxx:405-409).
  Bezel.cxx and VideoModeHandler are not part of the build.

  KidVid needs no menu entry to engage. Both tapes leave the controller columns
  empty in the properties table
  (2600.emu/src/stella/emucore/DefProps.hxx:2339,3420), the default AUTO
  resolves to Type::Unknown (2600.emu/src/stella/emucore/Control.cxx:137-148),
  and that is the condition ControllerDetector requires before running its
  right-port signature test
  (2600.emu/src/stella/emucore/ControllerDetector.cxx:29,90-92,771-780). The
  controller is then built for either of the two matching cartridge MD5s
  (2600.emu/src/stella/emucore/Console.cxx:1096-1105,
  2600.emu/src/stella/emucore/KidVid.cxx:37-42). The app's own controller list
  bounds the port 1 option only (2600.emu/src/main/system.ccm:80-93).

  OSystem::baseDir hands the file name to EmuSystem::contentFilePath
  (2600.emu/src/main/OSystem.cc:73-76), which appends it to the content name
  instead of joining it as a directory entry (EmuFramework/src/EmuSystem.cc:
  448-452, EmuFramework/include/emuframework/EmuSystem.hh:213-218), the content
  name being the ROM file name without its dot extension
  (EmuFramework/src/EmuSystem.cc:82,91). The tapes are read beside the ROM under
  that name followed by the file name, as in
  "Smurfs Save the Day (1983) (Coleco)KVSHARED.WAV". The upstream 7.0 tag builds
  the same paths as baseDir().getPath() + fileName.

  SoundEmuEx leaves playWav, stopWav and wavSize on their base class bodies,
  which answer false, nothing and zero
  (2600.emu/src/stella/emucore/Sound.hxx:121-134). The tapes are tested with
  FSNode::exists and never read, and both games run without them through the
  timing path in KidVid::setNextSong.

  NVRAM is produced by the app. MT24LC256 fills a fresh EEPROM image with
  INITIAL_VALUE when the file is missing or not 32768 bytes
  (2600.emu/src/stella/emucore/MT24LC256.cxx:44-68), and the CTY and FA2
  cartridge saves take the same route through nvramDir.
  elf_executable_image.bin is a dump written under the elf.dump setting
  (2600.emu/src/stella/emucore/CartELF.cxx:155). ui.png, gpOverlay.png and
  kbOverlay.png are read from the application bundle through openAsset.

files:
  - name: KVSHARED.WAV
    system: atari-2600
    required: false
    category: game_data
    description: "KidVid Voice Module shared samples, tested for both games"
    source_ref: "2600.emu/src/stella/emucore/KidVid.cxx:273,299"

  - name: KVS1.WAV
    system: atari-2600
    required: false
    category: game_data
    description: "KidVid tape for Smurfs Save the Day, Harmony Smurf"
    source_ref: "2600.emu/src/stella/emucore/KidVid.cxx:244,247-249,272"

  - name: KVS2.WAV
    system: atari-2600
    required: false
    category: game_data
    description: "KidVid tape for Smurfs Save the Day, Handy Smurf"
    source_ref: "2600.emu/src/stella/emucore/KidVid.cxx:244,247-249,272"

  - name: KVS3.WAV
    system: atari-2600
    required: false
    category: game_data
    description: "KidVid tape for Smurfs Save the Day, Greedy Smurf"
    source_ref: "2600.emu/src/stella/emucore/KidVid.cxx:244,247-249,272"

  - name: KVB1.WAV
    system: atari-2600
    required: false
    category: game_data
    description: "KidVid tape for Berenstain Bears, Big Number Hunt"
    source_ref: "2600.emu/src/stella/emucore/KidVid.cxx:245,247-249,272"

  - name: KVB2.WAV
    system: atari-2600
    required: false
    category: game_data
    description: "KidVid tape for Berenstain Bears, Great Letter Roundup"
    source_ref: "2600.emu/src/stella/emucore/KidVid.cxx:245,247-249,272"

  - name: KVB3.WAV
    system: atari-2600
    required: false
    category: game_data
    description: "KidVid tape for Berenstain Bears, Spooky Spelling Bee"
    source_ref: "2600.emu/src/stella/emucore/KidVid.cxx:245,247-249,272"