SF3 TAG v4.3 (preview) -- RetroArch setup
Two-Player Tag: one controller per human team, chosen CPU teams.
Party: one to six local humans plus explicit CPU slots; six fighters total.

Unofficial fan-made mod; not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Capcom or Justin Wong.

START HERE
  The patch installer makes your game. This separate pack supplies the custom core
  that runs it. Neither download contains the original game or a patched ROM ZIP.
  Keep the extracted core pack together and keep the game archives zipped.
  Downloads: sf3-tag-v4.3.cmd for Windows, sf3-tag-v4.3-patch.zip for the
  Python patcher, and sf3-tag-v4.3-retroarch.zip for this core/launcher pack.

  Choose your edition:
    sf3_tag_v4.3/sfiii3nr1.zip   Two-Player: ports 1/2, each person owns a whole team
    sf3_tag_v4.3/sf3tag.zip      Party: six ports, each participant owns one fighter

WINDOWS X64 QUICKSTART
  1. Install 64-bit RetroArch from https://www.retroarch.com/.
  2. Drag your clean Japan 990512 NO-CD sfiii3nr1.zip onto sf3-tag-v4.3.cmd.
     Find the new sf3_tag_v4.3 beside your clean ZIP. Your source remains unchanged.
  3. Extract sf3-tag-v4.3-retroarch.zip completely.
  4. Drag sf3_tag_v4.3\sf3tag.zip onto "PLAY SF3 TAG 6P.cmd" in the extracted pack.
     This opens the local SF3 TAG core directly; no administrator access or copying
     into RetroArch's installation is needed.
  5. Assign each physical controller to its own RetroArch port as described below.

  If RetroArch lives elsewhere, open Command Prompt in the pack folder and run:
    set "RETROARCH=D:\Games\RetroArch\retroarch.exe"
    "PLAY SF3 TAG 6P.cmd" "D:\Games\sf3_tag_v4.3\sf3tag.zip"
  Replace both example paths with your actual locations. RETROARCH is an executable
  path, not a directory or a command with extra options.

LINUX X86_64
  The included .so needs glibc 2.38+ and libstdc++.so.6 providing GLIBCXX_3.4.29,
  plus the normal libgcc/libm runtime libraries. It does not run on ARM or musl.
  ldd --version shows your glibc version. Older systems need a compatible local
  source build; that alternative has not been verified here.

  Extract sf3-tag-v4.3-patch.zip. In its folder:
    python3 sf3_tag_patch.py "/actual/path/to/clean/sfiii3nr1.zip"
  Extract this core pack. In its folder:
    sh play_sf3_tag_6p.sh "/actual/path/to/sf3_tag_v4.3/sf3tag.zip"
  The launcher uses retroarch on PATH, the RetroArch Flatpak, or the executable in
  RETROARCH. Its Flatpak invocation grants access to the selected game/core folders
  for that run. It loads the supplied local core, not Core Downloader's stock FBNeo.

MACOS -- SOURCE BUILD REQUIRED
  A ready macOS .dylib is not included. The Windows DLL and Linux SO cannot be used
  as Mac cores. Build a core for the same architecture as your RetroArch installation.
  Needs Git, Python 3, make, Perl, a C/C++ compiler and Internet access. Xcode command
  line tools provide the Mac compiler; install them with xcode-select --install.

  Extract sf3-tag-v4.3-patch.zip and patch your clean ZIP with Python as above.
  In the extracted sf3-tag-v4.3-retroarch.zip core pack's folder:
    sh src/build_core.sh src/FBNeo
  The script downloads pinned FBNeo source, applies the included SF3 TAG changes,
  and writes src/FBNeo/src/burner/libretro/fbneo_sf3tag_libretro.dylib.
  Then run:
    sh play_sf3_tag_6p.sh "/actual/path/to/sf3_tag_v4.3/sf3tag.zip"
  The launcher searches that build output and /Applications/RetroArch.app, or uses
  an executable path supplied in RETROARCH. Native Mac play remains unverified.

CONTROLLERS -- PARTY
  Open Settings > Input > RetroPad Binds > Port X Controls > Device Index.
  Assign a different plugged-in controller to each participating port, 1 through 6.
  Some menu versions show Port Controls directly under Input.
  Native two-human entry uses ports 1 AND 4. For one human versus CPU, one native
  entrant on port 1 OR 4 is enough. Other local participants can join on any port.
  Set All Controls binds physical buttons if a controller has no automatic profile.
  Quick Menu > Controls remaps the game buttons after the core has launched;
  Save Game Remap File stores those choices for this game.

  In-game:
    1. One native port (1 OR 4) coins/Starts for CPU play; both for native versus.
    2. Everyone presses Start on the join screen and appears in the middle.
    3. Move left/right to a team; LP confirms a human. LK backs out.
       MP adds a dedicated CPU on the selected side; MK removes one.
    4. Confirm a legal arrangement: 1-5 per side, six total. Choose names/fighters
       and rules. Original human owners press Start when ready. Fresh Start+LK
       explicitly removes OPEN/unconfirmed joins or CPU-assists unready owners;
       it does not create their rules votes.
  Controllers keep their identities; teams are chosen on screen, not fixed to ports.
  P6 can join the left side. The six ports are not six whole teams.

DEFAULT RETROPAD BUTTONS
  Y = LP    X = MP    L = HP
  B = LK    A = MK    R = HK
  Select = coin      Start = start / native Personal Action in a fight
  L + R: raw tag. Down + L + R: previous partner.
  L + R during an eligible Super Art: DHC, paid from the incoming fighter's stock.
  Quarter circle forward + X + A: snapback, one stock even on block or miss.
  Start + B + A (Start + LK + MK): fresh CPU assistance/reclaim request.
    Release before repeating. Bench transfers are immediate; reactions/tag/freeze
    queue an active transfer until safe. Only original humans can reclaim fighters.
  The patch README explains protected entry and vulnerable landing recovery.

POST-WINNER MATCH REVIEW
  Left/right: six pages. Up: fade/static page transitions.
  First release Start on ALL original human owners' controllers after review opens.
  ONE owner then presses Start freshly to close; release Start again on ALL original
  owners before native continuation resumes. Others do not need to press Start.
  Away original owners remain eligible. Dedicated CPU slots and unjoined controllers
  cannot dismiss the review or hold it open. Native credit/Continue rules still apply.
  Continue returns to setup; it is not an automatic chosen-roster practice rematch.
  Native arcade advancement generates a fresh opposing CPU team and preserves the
  human winner's roster, owners and Away state (CPU sizes 1->1,2->2,3->3,4->2,5->1).

TWO-PLAYER RETROARCH / MANUAL CORE INSTALLATION
  Use sf3_tag_v4.3/sfiii3nr1.zip with the same custom core and ports 1/2.
  The supplied Party launcher intentionally accepts only sf3tag.zip.

  For manual installation, open RetroArch's Settings > Directory and read the actual
  Cores and Core Information locations. Copy the matching platform core into Cores
  and fbneo_sf3tag_libretro.info into Core Information. Use a writable location;
  package-manager installations may have read-only core directories.
  Main Menu > Load Core > Arcade (FinalBurn Neo - SF3 TAG), then Load Content,
  choose the required game ZIP and Current Core. Load the whole archive, not a chip.
  Confirm the running core name includes (SF3 TAG).

  Core Downloader's regular FinalBurn Neo is a different core. It does not provide
  this pack's sf3tag driver and six controller inputs. Stock FBNeo's advanced ROM-hack
  loading options are not the beginner setup for these downloads.
  Fightcade uses its own standalone emulator; this RetroArch core is not installed
  into Fightcade. Use only the Two-Player game there, following the patch README.

TROUBLESHOOTING
  No game: make both outputs with the V4.3 patcher; the core pack alone is not a game.
  Wrong version: select the ZIP inside sf3_tag_v4.3 explicitly. Auto-discovery searches
    only that folder inside/beside this pack. A manually selected ZIP is not version
    checked; the launcher prints its path.
  Missing core: extract the complete pack; on Mac, complete the source build first.
  Core fails to load: match RetroArch/core architecture; check Linux ABI requirements.
  Only two ports: load the custom SF3 TAG core AND sf3tag.zip, not sfiii3nr1.zip.
  Players missing: check each port's Device Index; use explicit CPU slots or
    Start+LK recovery for absent/unready local participants. No disconnect detection.
  Review will not close: release Start on EVERY original human owner's controller,
    including Away owners, then press it freshly once and release again.
  Old savestate: start V4.3 fresh; previous-version states are not upgrade fixtures.

CORE AND VERIFICATION
  DLL and SO are unchanged from the published V3.1 core pack. This version updates
  the game patch, setup documentation, launchers and core-information text.
  Source is pinned to libretro/FBNeo aceeebed9e7edc8a28652365a064baee9a16e274.
  FBNEO_LICENSE.txt contains the core's licence. Source-build scripts are included.
  Automated installer/launcher checks do not prove physical controllers, native
  Windows/macOS frontend play or real online sessions; those remain unverified.
  V4.3 restores four award/spotlight cards, large original-owner badges and colored
  fighter rows across the six MATCH BREAKDOWN pages. The winner stage remains
  underneath the dark native lobby overlay, with rasterized site headings,
  restrained green rain and red/blue team bands. A qualifying recorded KO leader
  gets a brief honor; its tier is a whole-match total, not a timed multikill.
  Zero, tied or capped leaders skip it. Overview seconds round sampled fight ticks/60,
  including freezes; other pages show raw ticks, not wall-clock time.
  It retains V4.2 post-winner review, chosen CPU teams, local break/reclaim and
  returned Yun Genei Jin afterimages. V4/V4.1 tag, power HUD, DHC stock and the three
  reproduced softlock repairs are retained. Fresh visual/payload acceptance is tied
  to the exact V4.3 game payloads; V4.2 gameplay batches remain a cited baseline.
  Detailed scopes are in the patch README and RELEASE.json.
  This is not a claim that all feedback is fixed or that every setup is supported.


OFFICIAL HELP
  https://docs.libretro.com/guides/input-and-controls/
  https://docs.libretro.com/guides/change-directories/
  https://docs.libretro.com/guides/starting-a-game/
  https://morphus56k.com/blog/sf3-three-on-three-tag-teams
