RetroArch LowRes NX Core: Source-Based Setup Guide

LowRes NX is a port of the LowRes NX fantasy console to libretro. The core represents an imaginary handheld game console inspired by real 8- and 16-bit systems, intended for simple games programmed in second-generation, structured BASIC. It supports a d-pad, two action buttons, and a keyboard for input, and the LowRes NX platform includes development tools such as a Character Designer for sprites, tiles, and fonts, a Background Designer for tile maps and screen layouts, and a Sound Composer for music and sound effects.

Before You Start

Loading content requires the LowRes NX core and a .nx file. The core is authored by Timoinutilis and licensed under the zlib license.

Loading Content

• The LowRes NX core loads content files with the .nx extension, and it is associated with the LowRes NX RetroArch database. The core supports the Restart feature, so you can restart loaded content from the frontend.

Frontend Feature Support

The core respects Controls and Remapping at the frontend level, as well as Restart. The documentation lists Saves, States, Rewind, Netplay, Core Options, Memory Monitoring for achievements, RetroArch Cheats, Native Cheats, Rumble, Sensors, Camera, Location, Subsystem, and Disk Control as not supported. Several items are marked with a dash rather than a check or cross, including Multi-Mouse, Softpatching, Username, Language, Crop Overscan, and LEDs.

Geometry and Timing

The core provides 60 FPS and a 44100 Hz sample rate. Both its base and maximum dimensions are 160 pixels wide by 128 pixels high, so the internal resolution does not scale above that size at the core level.

Controller Types and Mapping

For User 1, the available device types are None and RetroPad, with RetroPad as the default. The documentation notes that None does not disable input.

The documented RetroPad mappings for User 1 are: B maps to Button 2, Select maps to Button SELECT, Start maps to Button START, the D-pad directions map to UP, DOWN, LEFT, and RIGHT, and A maps to Button 1.

Official Resources

The documentation links to the official LowRes NX website at lowresnx.inutilis.com, the official repository at github.com/timoinutilis/lowres-nx, a games page, the libretro core info file, and the core's issue tracker at github.com/timoinutilis/lowres-nx/issues.