4.1 Dosbox Little Big Adventure 1 and 2

[Dragu]

I managed to install both version of this 90th cult games under Recalbox 4.1 Dos with full language and video support. And all video files running smooth.
If you imagine that for LBA2 needed configuration was Pentium and 8MB memory, it is for me a small wonder that Raspberry PI 3 can do this job.
Tricky just, the CD lock. It is necessary to make a CD Image from both games and put it in the game directory. This works.
I will continue with this threat, tell you where to buy both games for +-9 Euro together and how to install.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWhHNJwfiSY

[Dragu]

This games run under french, (creator Frederick Raynal) german, english and some other languages. This was also a reason for the success.
Hint is the lock on the CD's, I own both games but prefered to download for less job from GOG, because the ISO's of the CD's are in the download.
The Link https://www.gog.com/game/little_big_adventure

LBA 1

1. After download, unpack the gog.com file in a temporary folder.
2. Create a new game folder under Recalbox Dos
   \recalbox\share\roms\dos\lba1.pc (you may choose own name)
3. Copy appart or first the iso file, it's big and can crash during transfer.
   Lba.gog 380'666'496
4. Copy the folder Vox and the rest of the files to your folder lba1.pc without
   the folder Dosbox ,.conf, Eula.txt, gog.* not needed.
5. Copy the general dosbox.conf configuration file from
   \recalbox\share_init\system\configs\dosbox\dosbox.conf to lba1.pc and change name to dosbox.cfg to have a local dosbox configuration file.
6. Edit dosbox.cfg
   [sdl] section
   change
   mapperfile=lba1.map
   [autoexec] section
   add
   imgmount d "/recalbox/share/roms/dos/lba1.pc/LBA.DAT" -t iso
7. Create a dosbox.bat file in lba1.pc with "RELENT.EXE" text
8. Edit LBA.cfg with language of your choice
9. If you use keyboard, things are done.
   To map the keys from the game to your Joysticks/Buttons, call the
   Dosbox Keymapper by pushing Ctrl-F1 during started game.
   Keyboard and mouse needed, I use bluetooth 1byone.

For LBA2 the installation is pretty the same with some more files and folders.

[Alladin0]

@dragu Hi, thanks for these tips. I actually want to make LBA 2 work in recalbox 4.1 (I have a RPi3), following your instructions, but replacing RELENT.EXE by LBA2.EXE, etc...
When I launch the game, I have a message saying "please insert LBA2 TWINSEN's ODYSSEY CD-ROM", did I misunderstand the copy part when you said "copy apart the iso file..." ?
I put the lba2.gog file in /recalbox/share/roms/dos/, and not in /recalbox/share/roms/dos/lba2.pc

Thank you in advance !

[Dragu]

@alladin0 said in 4.1 Dosbox Little Big Adventure 1 and 2:

@dragu Hi, thanks for these tips. I actually want to make LBA 2 work in recalbox 4.1 (I have a RPi3), following your instructions, but replacing RELENT.EXE by LBA2.EXE, etc...
When I launch the game, I have a message saying "please insert LBA2 TWINSEN's ODYSSEY CD-ROM", did I misunderstand the copy part when you said "copy apart the iso file..." ?
I put the lba2.gog file in /recalbox/share/roms/dos/, and not in /recalbox/share/roms/dos/lba2.pc

Thank you in advance !

Yes, thats the wrong place It must be in your game directory lba2.pc. In the case, if you have in dosbox.cfg

imgmount d "/recalbox/share/roms/dos/lba2.pc/LBA(2).DAT" -t iso

this must correspond to the place where he find the iso.
With lba2.exe instead of relent.exe, you are right. I was first trying with another cd. Strange that they sold it under different names.

[lmerckx]

@dragu
Hello Dragu,
If I remember, when I configured dosbox for Recalbox, I created an environment variable containing game root:
Have you tried:
imgmount d "%ROOT%/LBA(2).DAT" -t iso

[Dragu]

@lmerckx
That may also function well. Important that dosbox.conf is treated before dosbox.bat. But if you use the keymapper, you need a local dosbox.cfg to have an individual keymapping for this game. But I think you know this.

[Alladin0]

@dragu Thanks a lot, it works !!

[lmerckx]

@dragu Yep indeed !
The aim of the ROOT variable was to make .bat files independant of the underlying directories.

[voljega]

@lmerckx if you use the imgmount command in dosbox.bat you don't even need %ROOT% because the internal '.' of the dosbox emulated dos file system is already positioned in the game directory, and so is

[lmerckx]

@voljega Ok, good to know. Thank you.

[franmr1979]

Hi, Ia have the original CD but can´t make it work on raspberry pi. I just see a little square with dosbox and the logo of adeline but afterwards it goes back directly to recalbox.
I have followed your steps creating the iso of the CD.
Any help please?

[Dragu]

Finally, I had also the time to begin to replay LBA1
So, the problem with this game are the controls, Twinsen is moved around like a battle tank, front and backward directions works normally, left and right make him just turn. Very tricky and even more tricky with joysticks. So I tried out other versions, just from curiosity. The PSX version brings nothing new in this sense but picture is horrible and sound also, quick forgot. Ok, on steam you have the "enhanced" edition with mouse controls, what a mess. Pictures and sound also more for smartphone. Sure in all this Dosbox leads by milestones.
So I tried to find a combination on my 2 stick bartop to manage this game somewhere. Like I make always descriptions of my game layouts, because in some month I will not remember, here also my solution for LBA1 (LBA2 is different, to come). It can give you some idea for your own use.

As you can see I put on joystick 1 y-, x-, x+ all three the forward movement, and just y+ backwards. This avoid all lack in mouvement if you fail to have the stick exactly in forward direction or if instinctly you move left or right. The real left right mouvement I put on A, R of the second gameplace. I am satisfied with this.
For the other keys :
F1 --> NORMAL
F2 --> ATHLETIC
F3 --> AGRESSIF
F4 --> DISCRET
Shift --> Inventory
F5 --> Zoom
1,2,3 For my menu selection game, setup, leave
Space --> main action key near side directions
LAlt --> Magic Ball
Esc and Enter

[Dragu]

Encore un petit truc pour LBA1. La musique est en général assez forte et couvre les dialoges, ce qui énerve avec le temps. De mon coté les modifications du volume dans le menu n'ont apportés aucun changement. Mais il y a un truc avec Dosbox.cfg qui marche en ajoutant les 2 lignes à la fin

mixer cdaudio 10:10
mixer master 50:50