Attention all ROM dumpers: Stop naming your ROMs like this.

Jayro · Feb 26, 2021

Once I install Screen scraper, how do I use it? Where do I find it? Does it just appear in the scraper setting as an optional thing I can choose from the Start menu in EmulationStation? I hope to god it's not a CLI tool... >_>

mrdude · Feb 26, 2021

Why not just make your own software to scan a directory and rename them automatically? You could easily make a python or batch file to do this for yourself. Something like this in python.

Code:

for root, dirs, files in os.walk(PATH):
for dir in dirs:
    if dir.startswith("The"):
        org_fp = os.path.join(root, dir)
        new_fp = os.path.join(root, dir[1:])
        os.rename(org_fp, new_fp)

Pleng · Feb 26, 2021

Or just use "advanced renamer" or any of the hundreds of other utilities that I presume exist to fix your issue.

RichardTheKing · Feb 26, 2021

@ut2k4master Yeah, no, that's not very practical, especially with really old games - just try to find a cheap NES game, or N64 game, or PlayStation game, especially if you live on an island in the relatively-barren Southern Hemisphere.

It's not a problem if Sony rereleases the game for its modern systems (is that even a thing anymore? Last I checked, the most recent system to support this was the PS3), or Nintendo feels like putting it on its 3DS and/or Wii U eShops (not likely these days, sadly), but if it's a licensed game and that license expires - or if it's too niche and is overlooked, or if the store eventually shuts, a la Wii - that means the "best" way to get that game is through illegitimate means.

Julie_Pilgrim · Feb 26, 2021

Fuck dumping, all my homies use piracy

jeffyTheHomebrewer · Feb 26, 2021

I just dump all my physical games I have (probs not gonna get more unless they're NFR) and sail the seven seas for the rest.

Julie_Pilgrim · Feb 26, 2021

I can barely afford games in general so I have like nothing to dump

jeffyTheHomebrewer · Feb 26, 2021

Oof. Well, things'll get better eventually.

AxlSt00pid · Feb 26, 2021

Title of Game, The - Long subtitle, The [!] [rev1] [v1.1] [USA] [M7] [en, fr, de, es, it, pt, s.chn] (unl.) (T+KOR v0.99 by User).zip

PityOnU · Feb 26, 2021

Lots of arguing ITT, but the "correct" way to name (as well as verify ROMs) is to use a database such from No-Intro or Redump with a tool such as RomCenter.

The databases contain all of the "correct" names for the ROM files (at least, what is agreed upon by "the scene" and most probably any scrapers you will use) mapped to a hash of a clean dump. A tool like RomCenter will hash all of your ROM files and automatically rename them all to use the proper names from the database.

Manually renaming is for chumps.

Sonic Angel Knight · Feb 26, 2021

Best blog ever, the

Just be glad they didn't do
Sonic Hedgehog, the

The Real Jdbye · Feb 26, 2021

@PityOnU Redump/No-Intro is probably where his games came from. They definitely use this sort of naming. But I'm sure there is some tool that can rename them however you like using the dats, rather than sticking with the fixed names in the database, if not clrmamepro then some other tool.
dats are hash based, so the file name doesn't actually matter.

sudeki300 · Feb 26, 2021

depends which scraper you use and which options you set, never had an issue with screenscraper.

Jayro · Feb 26, 2021

Yeah., I always ise no-intro sets,,, as they're clean and trusted.

PityOnU · Feb 27, 2021

If you are using the names from the generally accepted ROM naming databases and still having issues, then the issue is not with the filenames, but with your scraper/frontend.

I ended up giving up on all the frontends out there (included the paid one - LaunchBox) because they are all shit in their own fun and unique ways. I feel your pain, and wish you the best of luck.

Haven't messed with it in about 5 years at this point, but last I checked even if you throw unlimited money and resources at this stuff, it will never work 100% reliably. Best you can hope for is like 85% and then just grin and bear it for that last 15%. It is all toy/hobby software for the most part, and in a dubious area, legally speaking - can't really expect it to be enterprise grade.

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Attention all ROM dumpers: Stop naming your ROMs like this.

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Jayro

mrdude

Pleng

RichardTheKing

Julie_Pilgrim

jeffyTheHomebrewer

Julie_Pilgrim

jeffyTheHomebrewer

AxlSt00pid

PityOnU

Sonic Angel Knight

The Real Jdbye

sudeki300

Jayro

PityOnU

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