Launch Games

Doubleclick or press the Enter button - this is how to launch a game by it's default emulator.

If you set up more than one emulator for the game's platform, you can reach them in the context menu (right click) under the Launch menu item.

You can also launch a random game from the list (filters apply) by opening the context menu (right click) and choosing the Launch Random Title menu item.

Detailed info on different platform types

PC - Windows

PC - Windows games don't have any emulator to be set up. They are launched by the executable you have added.

M.A.M.E. Arcade

M.A.M.E. Arcade games are launched by their internal identifier. When you launch a game, the M.A.M.E. executable gets called with the identifier as parameter.

For example, if you launch Street Fighter Alpha 3 (internal identifier is "sfa3") and your M.A.M.E. executable is "d:\Games\_Emulation\Mame 1.55\mame64.exe" Metropolis Launcher runs: "d:\Games\_Emulation\Mame 1.55\mame64.exe" sfa3

Generic emulated games

Generic emulated games are launched with the provided emulator (either the default emulator or the one selected) and the startup parameters you provided in the emulator settings with variables replaced by the actual file locations.

Generic emulated games will be decompressed before launch if they were added as compressed files (e.g. .zip, .rar or .7z files). The decompression takes place in a subdirectory of the Temp directory.

If you want to know the exact command for any generic emulated game, hold the SHIFT key while launching the game.

PC - DOS (DOSBox)

PC - DOS games are launched by the DOSBox emulator. Metropolis Launcher allows you to define the following executable types:

- MAIN executable: the executable/s that start the game/s - these are automatically executed by default

- SETUP executable: the executable/s that set up the game - these are automatically executed by holding the SHIFT key upon launch

- INSTALLER executable: the executable/s that install the game - these are automatically executed by holding the CTRL key upon launch

If you didn't define the executable type, Metropolis Launcher shows a list of found executables where you can choose from. Your decision will be saved for the next launch.

When launching a PC - DOS game, Metropolis Launcher does the following:

1. Unpack if necessary

   If your game is added via a compressed file (e.g. .zip, .rar or .7z) and the DOSBox emulator does not support zipmount, the game will be unpacked to a subdirectory of the DOSBox working directory. The subdirectory will have the same name as the game.

   For example: the game has been added via "Colonel's Bequest, The v1.000.046 (1989)(Sierra On-Line, Inc.) [Adventure].zip" and the DOSBox working directory is "d:\DOSBox_Work\", the working directory for the game will be "d:\DOSBox_Work\Colonel's Bequest, The v1.000.046 (1989)(Sierra On-Line, Inc.) [Adventure]"

2. Create DOSBox config file

   A DOSBox config file will be automatically created containing all the settings from the DOSBox Template and game-specific settings (if any). The config file will be saved in a subdirectory of the Temp directory. The config file will also contain an autoexec section where the directories, compressed files and images involved are mounted and the executable gets run. If you activated the Autoclose DOSBox option in the DOSBox Template or the game-specific settings, an "exit" line is appended to the autoexec section as well.

3. Run DOSBox with the config file as startup parameter

   The DOSBox emulator gets started with the following startup parameters: