A reproducible PC-98 emulation setup contains more than a game image. Preserve the emulator version, machine configuration, required firmware or font resources, mounted disks and input choices. Begin with a documented baseline and change one setting at a time.
Choose a documented implementation
Neko Project II is the original project, with Kai variants and frontend ports providing their own settings and behavior. Libretro's Kai documentation identifies its firmware requirements, supported formats and options. Do not mix instructions for the older core with the Kai core without checking which implementation you actually installed.
Obtain required firmware through an appropriate source or your own supported preservation workflow. A frontend installation is not proof that every required resource has been included. Record checksums and expected filenames when the project's documentation provides them, and keep them separate from game media.
Build the smallest working configuration
- Record the emulator or core version and create a new configuration.
- Select a machine, memory and sound arrangement compatible with the software's stated requirements.
- Install the documented required resources in the frontend's expected location.
- Mount the intended boot disk or hard-disk image through the documented drive controls.
- Boot and confirm that the system recognizes the mounted medium.
- Test keyboard, mouse and sound in a known repeatable scene.
Keep the original image untouched and use a separate working copy. If no operating-system medium is mounted, a firmware or BASIC prompt does not necessarily mean the emulator failed. Check which drive is selected and whether the image is actually readable before changing CPU settings.
Separate failure categories
| Symptom | Useful comparison |
|---|---|
| Boot prompt instead of the game | Mounted boot medium, drive choice and image format. |
| Game launches without sound | Expected sound board, drivers and output configuration. |
| Keyboard commands differ | Keyboard mapping and the game's actual control scheme. |
| Only later scenes fail | Required disk swap, installation and media-read integrity. |
Save screenshots and error text alongside the configuration. A failure that follows one image across two documented environments is different from a failure that follows one frontend setting.
Multi-disk and save handling
Use the core's disk controls or supported playlist mechanism to manage disk changes. Preserve the original disk order and test the transition that requests another disk. Do not rename images carelessly when a playlist references their old paths.
Document where writes occur. Back up the working disk image and ordinary save files after a clean shutdown. Save states can depend on emulator implementation and version, so keep them as supplementary conveniences rather than the only copy of a long playthrough.
Improve the baseline deliberately
Once the software works, test display scaling, input convenience and performance settings separately. Record the original values so you can restore them. Increasing an emulated clock or selecting another sound board may change timing and compatibility instead of simply improving speed.
Share a configuration report with the software edition, emulator build and exact reproducible symptom. Omit personal paths and user data. Use the preservation guide for suspect media and hardware compatibility when a title targets a different PC-98 configuration.
Sources and review
Reviewed October 11, 2026. The linked manufacturer and project documentation establishes supported behavior. The diagnosis checklists and preservation suggestions are original editorial guidance. Menus, services and project support can change; verify the linked instructions before an irreversible change.