ticohq/tico 0.4.0-alpha

tico alpha 0.4.2 reborn

on GitHub

The wait is over! tico has been completely reimagined from the ground up. This fourth alpha release brings a stunning visual overhaul, seamless Nintendo Switch integration, and powerful new customization options that make tico truly yours.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Directory Change Required

Action Required for Existing Users:

The project directory has been renamed! You must rename your folder from sdmc:/tiicu to sdmc:/tico before using this release.

Migration Steps:

1. Navigate to the root of your SD card
2. Rename the tiicu folder to tico
3. All your ROMs, saves, states, and configuration will remain intact

New users should copy the tico folder as outlined in the Installation section below.

This change affects all file paths throughout this release. Please ensure you've renamed the directory to avoid any issues.

⚠️ Asset Path Changes - covers missing?

Asset directories have been reorganized:

• sdmc:/tiicu/covers → sdmc:/tico/assets/covers
• sdmc:/tiicu/backgrounds → sdmc:/tico/assets/backgrounds

You must move your custom assets to the new locations after renaming the main directory.

What's New

REDESIGNED: Complete Visual Overhaul

tico has been rebuilt with a fresh, modern aesthetic:

• New Interface Design — Completely redesigned UI with refined colors and sleek new iconography
• Full Dark Mode — Every corner of the application now features a cohesive dark theme that's easy on the eyes during marathon gaming sessions
• Dynamic Customizable Cards — Make tico your own! Use custom images as console covers and swap symbols and backgrounds to match your style

The entire experience has been polished to feel native to your Switch while maintaining the personality that makes tico special.

NEW: Nintendo Switch Account Integration

tico now connects directly with your Switch profile:

• Profile Integration — Your Nintendo Switch avatar and nickname now appear throughout the tico interface
• Seamless Experience — Feel right at home with your personal profile front and center

NEW: Comprehensive Settings Screen

Take control with the all-new Settings interface:

• Display Settings — Fine-tune visual preferences to your liking
• Audio Settings — Customize sound output and volume controls
• Gamelist Settings — Organize and display your library exactly how you want
• Emulator Settings — Access per-core configuration options

Everything you need to personalize tico is now in one organized location.

NEW: Dreamcast Support

Relive Sega's final console generation! tico now supports:

• Sega Dreamcast — sdmc:/tico/{covers,heros,roms,saves,states}/dc/

Enjoy classics like Crazy Taxi, Sonic Adventure, and Shenmue on your Switch!

Home Screen Evolution

Your home screen is now more powerful and personal:

• Favorites Page — A dedicated favorites page now opens automatically when you launch tico, giving instant access to your most-played games
• Redesigned Navigation — Use D-PAD Left/Right to swap between pages and L/R to navigate between docked screens for a more intuitive experience

ENHANCED: In-Game Display Options

Take control of how your games look:

• Aspect Ratio Settings — Choose between stretch or integer scaling modes for each emulator core
• Per-Core Configuration — Set your preferred display mode for each emulation core

Perfect for maintaining authentic retro aesthetics or maximizing screen real estate.

ADVANCED: External Core Support

For advanced configuration and licensing compliance:

• Non-Static Linked Cores — tico now supports external emulation cores, enabling more flexible core management and easier updates
• Resume App State — External cores now support proper state resumption, allowing you to pick up right where you left off when returning to tico

This foundational change improves tico's architecture and update workflow while ensuring proper compliance with GPL and other open-source licenses used by emulation cores. By loading cores externally, tico respects the licensing requirements of the underlying emulation projects it depends on.

Installation

Same straightforward process:

1. Copy the tico folder to the root of your SD card
2. Place tico.nro inside the switch folder
3. Launch any game while holding R to open the Homebrew Menu
4. Open tico
5. Enjoy the new experience!

IMPORTANT: tico DOESN'T WORK IN APPLET MODE

Quick Tips

Navigation:

• Use D-PAD Left/Right to navigate between home screen pages
• Use L or R to swap between docked screens
• Access Settings from the main menu to customize your experience

In-Game:

• Press + and - together to suspend gameplay and access game options
• Configure aspect ratio settings per-core for optimal display

BIOS Requirements

PlayStation (PS1)

To run PS1 games, you need your legally dumped BIOS:

• Copy SCPH1001.bin from your console
• Place it in: sdmc:/tico/system/psx/

Dreamcast

To run Dreamcast games, you need the following BIOS files:

sdmc:/tico/system/dc/

Required BIOS files:

• dc_boot.bin — Dreamcast Boot ROM
• dc_flash.bin — Dreamcast Flash ROM

Make sure these are legally dumped from your own Dreamcast console

Sega Systems

Sega systems require various BIOS files depending on the console and game region. All Sega BIOS files should be placed in:

sdmc:/tico/system/sega-cd/

Required BIOS files by system:

Sega CD / Mega CD:

• bios_CD_U.bin — Sega CD (NTSC-U)
• bios_CD_E.bin — Mega CD (PAL)
• bios_CD_J.bin — Mega CD (NTSC-J)

Choose the BIOS that matches your game's region

Master System:

• bios_U.sms — Master System (NTSC-U)
• bios_E.sms — Master System (PAL)
• bios_J.sms — Master System (NTSC-J)

Game Gear:

• bios.gg — Game Gear TMSS BOOTROM

Mega Drive:

• bios_MD.bin — Mega Drive TMSS BOOTROM

Optional Enhancement ROMs:

• sk.bin — Sonic & Knuckles (2 MB)
• sk2chip.bin — Sonic & Knuckles UPMEM (256 KB)
• ggenie.bin — Game Genie
• areplay.bin — Action Replay (Pro)

Super Nintendo (Satellaview)

For Satellaview games on SNES, you need:

• Copy BS-X.bin to: sdmc:/tico/system/snes/

Thank You

This release represents tico's biggest transformation yet. The complete redesign, Nintendo Switch integration, and Dreamcast support are all direct results of your enthusiasm and feedback. Your suggestions, bug reports, and feature requests continue to shape tico into something special.

Whether you're customizing your interface, diving into Dreamcast classics, or simply enjoying the refined dark mode, we hope this release elevates your retro gaming experience. Keep the feedback coming—together we're building something amazing!

Happy gaming!