Contents
About Snes9X
This tutorial is to help you with Snes9X. You'll come across people who consider Snes9X to be #1 and people who consider it to be #2; I consider it to be #2. The things that Snes9X has that ZSNES doesn't have is a Windows GUI and better compatibility with different computers and OS's, including support for Windows NT. As for its emulation quality, its sound emulation is inaccurate to the real thing.
Extracting & Placement
I suggest you make a new folder called "SNES" within a folder called "Emulation". You don't have to, but it makes things easier for you if you're not too computer literate. Extract all the contents of this emulator's zip file into the SNES folder. If you don't know how to extract files from a zip file then read this. Put all of your SNES ROMs into the SNES folder too. Snes9X has zip support, so you do not have to extract ROMs from their zip files. Double-click on "snes9x" to open it.
Setting up the buttons on your keyboard or gamepad
Click on Input menu then Joypad Configuration, or press Alt+F7. You'll end up here. This box tells you the buttons that correspond to each SNES button. If you wish to change them, click on the box the arrow is pointing, then press the button you want it to change to. This automatically activates the auto configuration, so the highlighting will jump to each box, awaiting your command for the button that you want it to change to.
Loading a game
Click on the File menu then Load Game, or press Ctrl+O. You'll arrive in a screen like this. You would need to know where you put your ROMs in order to find them on your computer. If you've been following my direction so far then you would have them on your Desktop...
• If you have Windows XP: Click on the
next to Documents & Settings, then the name of your login, then Desktop. Your emulation folder will be in view. Click on it and your ROMs will show up in the big box towards the right. Simply double-click on a game to load it.
• If you have Windows 98/NT/Me: Click on the next to Windows then Desktop. Your emulation folder will be in view. Click on it and your ROMs will show up in the big box towards the right. Simply double-click on a game to load it.
Full screen
Press Alt+Enter to enter full screen. Press Alt+Enter again to go back to window mode. During forget, pressing Esc disables/enables the top menu bar.
Screen renders (output image processing)
Go to the Options menu then Video Configuration. You will arrive here. Click on the white box under "Output Image Processing". Clicking on any of these then clicking OK would enable the screen render. Try all of them until you find one to your liking (Kreed's 2xSal is my favorite). The last two require you to have a specific video card.
• Normal: the default; no renders enabled.
• Scanlines: adds dark horizontal lines to simulate a TV.
• Kreed's 2xSai: smears pixels together with a slight blur, and does so diagonally in attempt to round every edge.
• Kreed's Super Eagle: same as 2xSai, but the screen is less blurred and not all the edges are rounded off.
• Kreed's Super2xSai: combines 2xSai and Eagle.
• TV Mode: attempts to simulate a TV more so than 'scanlines'.
SCANLINES |
2XSAI |
EAGLE |
SUPER2XSAI |
TV MODE |
Save states
Save states is a feature that saves the exact spot you are in any game. You can use this feature manually by going into the File menu or by quick keyboard commands. Through the File menu, simply click on Save Game Position and then choose any of the 9 slots; you can save up to 9 different save states. To recall that saved state, go into Load Game Position, then choose the slot you saved your game in. Notice the keyboard commands next to each slot. For example, pressing Shift+F1 automatically saves your game in Slot 1, and pressing F1 would automatically recall that saved state from Slot 1.
Capturing SPC's
Don't know what SPC's are? Then check out my SPC Guide. Anyway, when the game you're playing is playing a song that you like, click on the File menu then Save SPC Data. The SPC will save into the directory where Snes9X is in.
Using Game Genie & Pro Action Replay
1. First load the game. Click on the Cheat menu then Game Genie, Pro-Action Replay Codes.
2. Click on the "Enter Cheat Code" box and type in your cheat. Remember, type it with no spaces!
3. Press the Tab key to bring the cursor over to the "Cheat Description" box and type up a short description of the code.
4. Click on the Add button and Reset or reload the game. If the cheat doesn't work then that means you either typed it wrong or it's a bad code.
Note: You *can* use cheats with multiple lines. You need to enter each line one at a time. I suggest you name each line like "Infinite Weapons 1", "Infinite Weapons 2", "Infinite Weapons 3" so it can be easier to keep track of the cheat. Again, if the cheat doesn't work then that means you either typed it wrong or it's a bad code.
Finding cheats
You have a few options.
• There are websites that contain complete archives of Game Genie and Pro Action Replay codes. GameGenie.com and About.com seem to be the best resources for that. At About.com, the best way to find their cheats with their search is to type the name of the game then "game genie". Like so: "super mario world game genie".
• You can download a ZSNES CHT file that already contains a whole bunch cheat codes. A CHT file is where ZSNES stores your cheats for a single game. Zophar's Domain has the largest CHT file archive. To use a CHT file, simply rename it to the name of your ROM (the same process as patching a ROM with an English patch).
• The next best source is Google. The best search keywords to use is to type the name of the game then "game genie". Like so: "super mario world game genie".