Hey Mister

Hey Mister

A friendlier front door for a MiSTer FPGA shelf setup: browse the games you own with notes, controller reminders, and a launch path that can live beside Zaparoo Core.

Download SD package View GitHub
Target
MiSTer ARM/Linux side
Input
Keyboard or USB controller first
Launch
Optional local Zaparoo Core backend
Concept preview of the Hey Mister game library interface on a TV-style dashboard.
Shelf browsing for humans first. Text menu spelunking second.

Tap, browse, or hand someone a controller.

The goal is not to replace Zaparoo's NFC trick. It is to make the visible MiSTer experience less hostile when someone is standing in front of the shelf trying to pick a game.

1. Browse the shelf

Each entry can describe the game, the real cart or disc location, which controller to grab, and any memory-card reminders.

2. Choose on the TV

Hey Mister draws a native framebuffer UI and reads simple Linux input, so the first hardware test path is keyboard or USB pad.

3. Launch cleanly

If Zaparoo Core is running locally, Hey Mister can send the game's launch text to it and then get out of the way.

What it is

  • A native MiSTer frontend starter kit.
  • An SD-card package with scripts and a tiny ARM binary.
  • A library format for physical-game shelf browsing.
  • A browser preview in the GitHub repo for editing data.

What it is not

  • Not a ROM pack, BIOS pack, or copyrighted-art bundle.
  • Not a polished MiSTer distribution yet.
  • Not Zaparoo Frontend running at the same time.
  • Not a fake firmware flash. Real hardware testing matters.

Install checklist

Start with direct-run testing. Boot replacement stays experimental until the exact MiSTer setup proves it.

  1. Download the SD package ZIP and unzip it.
  2. Copy the contents of mister-sd to the root of the MiSTer SD card.
  3. On MiSTer, run /media/fat/Scripts/heymister_probe.sh.
  4. Run /media/fat/Scripts/heymister_run.sh to test the frontend directly.
  5. Try keyboard or USB controller navigation before testing original-controller adapters.
  6. If Zaparoo Core is installed, test one launch request.

Hardware reality check

MiSTer is not a normal desktop Linux box. Hey Mister adapts to the framebuffer it finds, reads Linux input devices where available, and keeps boot takeover behind a guarded experimental installer mode.

$ /media/fat/Scripts/heymister_probe.sh $ /media/fat/Scripts/heymister_run.sh # test screen, input, then launch

Download Hey Mister

This ZIP contains the ready-to-copy MiSTer SD-card payload generated from the public repo. It does not include ROMs, BIOS files, or game artwork.

Built from commit 7d280ff6065b. Native binary SHA-256: 39EA41D37C4973A19AD20DF69E621D7B4AC454BFB66819AEC149A61B9C189A1B.

Download SD package Download source Read the docs on GitHub