# ScreenScraper.fr Scraper - Retro Game Database (`lulzasaur/screenscraper-scraper`) Actor Scrape ScreenScraper.fr retro game database. Extract game names, platforms, publishers, developers, genres, ratings, release dates, descriptions, screenshots, and box art. Perfect for retro gaming research and emulation frontend metadata. - **URL**: https://apify.com/lulzasaur/screenscraper-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [lulz bot](https://apify.com/lulzasaur) (community) - **Categories:** E-commerce - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $10.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## ScreenScraper.fr Scraper Scrape the [ScreenScraper.fr](https://www.screenscraper.fr) retro game database -- the largest community-driven retro gaming metadata repository used by emulation frontends like Recalbox, RetroArch, and Skraper. ### What data can you extract? For each game found, the scraper extracts: - **Game name** (with regional variants) - **Platform** (Megadrive, SNES, NES, Game Boy, PlayStation, Arcade, and many more) - **Publisher** and **Developer** - **Genre** (Platform, RPG, Action, Puzzle, etc.) - **Number of players** - **Rating** (community score out of 20) - **Release dates** (by region: USA, Japan, Europe, etc.) - **Synopsis/Description** (English preferred, falls back to other languages) - **Classification ratings** (ESRB, PEGI, CERO) - **Screenshot URL** - **Box art URL** - **Wheel/Logo URL** ### How it works ScreenScraper.fr hosts 200,000+ retro game entries. The scraper: 1. Scans game IDs sequentially within a configurable range 2. Matches game titles against your search queries 3. Extracts full metadata from matching game detail pages 4. Optionally filters by platform ### Input parameters | Parameter | Type | Default | Description | |-----------|------|---------|-------------| | `searchQueries` | string[] | `["Sonic"]` | Game names to search for | | `maxListings` | integer | `100` | Max games to return per query | | `scrapeDetails` | boolean | `true` | Extract full details (publisher, developer, genre, etc.) | | `platform` | string | `""` | Filter to a specific platform (e.g., "Megadrive", "SNES") | | `startGameId` | integer | `1` | Game ID to start scanning from | | `maxGameIdToScan` | integer | `250000` | Maximum game ID to scan | | `proxyConfiguration` | object | `{}` | Proxy settings | #### Example Input ```json { "searchQueries": ["Sonic", "Mario"], "maxListings": 20, "scrapeDetails": true, "platform": "Megadrive" } ```` ### Example Output ```json { "gameName": "Sonic The Hedgehog 2", "platform": "Megadrive", "publisher": "SEGA", "developer": "SEGA", "genre": "Platform", "players": "1-2", "releaseDate": "24/11/1992", "releaseDates": [ { "region": "USA", "date": "24/11/1992" }, { "region": "Japon", "date": "21/11/1992" }, { "region": "Europe", "date": "24/11/1992" } ], "description": "Sonic the Hedgehog 2 continues Sonic's fast-paced adventures and introduces his loyal sidekick Tails...", "rating": "16/20", "classifications": ["CERO:A", "PEGI:3", "ESRB:E"], "screenshotUrl": "https://www.screenscraper.fr/medias/1/3/ss(wor).png", "boxartUrl": null, "wheelUrl": null, "gameNamesByRegion": { "USA": "Sonic The Hedgehog 2", "Japon": "Sonic The Hedgehog 2", "Europe": "Sonic The Hedgehog 2" }, "gameId": "3", "url": "https://www.screenscraper.fr/gameinfos.php?gameid=3", "searchQuery": "Sonic", "scrapedAt": "2026-04-25T12:00:00.000Z" } ``` ### Supported platforms Megadrive/Genesis, SNES, NES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Nintendo 64, GameCube, Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PSP, Sega Master System, Game Gear, Neo Geo, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, MSX, Arcade, and many more. ### Use cases - **Emulation frontend metadata** -- Build game databases for RetroArch, Recalbox, EmulationStation, Batocera, and other frontends - **Retro game research** -- Analyze release dates, publishers, and platform coverage for retro game catalogs - **Collection management** -- Track and catalog your retro game collection with rich metadata - **Game database** -- Build comprehensive retro game databases with screenshots and box art - **Market research** -- Understand the retro gaming landscape by genre, platform, and era ### Performance notes - The scraper scans game IDs sequentially, so broader searches over larger ID ranges take longer - Use `platform` filter and smaller `maxGameIdToScan` ranges for faster results - ScreenScraper.fr is a community project -- please be respectful with request volume - Proxy configuration is recommended for large-scale runs *** ### Run on Apify This scraper runs on the [Apify platform](https://apify.com/?fpr=lulzasaur) -- a full-stack web scraping and automation cloud. Sign up for a free account to get started with 30-day trial of all features. [Try Apify free](https://apify.com/?fpr=lulzasaur) ### Related Scrapers More scrapers and data tools by [lulzasaur](https://apify.com/lulzasaur): - [AbeBooks Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/abebooks-scraper) -- Rare and used books - [Bonanza Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/bonanza-scraper) -- Online marketplace listings - [Craigslist Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/craigslist-scraper) -- Local classifieds - [Goodreads Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/goodreads-scraper) -- Book ratings and reviews - [Grailed Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/grailed-scraper) -- Luxury fashion resale - [IMDb Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/imdb-scraper) -- Movie and TV show data - [OfferUp Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/offerup-scraper) -- Local marketplace listings - [PSA Population Report](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/psa-pop-scraper) -- Card grading data - [Reverb Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/reverb-scraper) -- Music gear marketplace - [TCGPlayer Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/tcgplayer-scraper) -- Trading card prices # Actor input Schema ## `searchQueries` (type: `array`): Game names to search for (e.g., 'Sonic', 'Mario', 'Zelda'). Matches against game titles in the ScreenScraper database. ## `maxListings` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of games to return per search query. The scraper scans game IDs to find matches, so higher values take longer. ## `scrapeDetails` (type: `boolean`): If enabled, visits each game detail page to extract publisher, developer, genre, players, rating, release dates, synopsis, media URLs, and classification info. If disabled, only returns game name and basic info from meta tags. ## `platform` (type: `string`): Optional: filter results to a specific platform. Leave empty for all platforms. ## `startGameId` (type: `integer`): Game ID to start scanning from. ScreenScraper uses sequential numeric IDs. Default starts from 1. Use this to resume a previous scan or target a specific ID range. ## `maxGameIdToScan` (type: `integer`): Maximum game ID to scan up to. The database has 200,000+ entries. Set lower for faster runs. Default scans up to 250,000. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Proxy settings. Not required for basic scraping but recommended for large-scale runs. ## Actor input object example ```json { "searchQueries": [ "Sonic" ], "maxListings": 5, "scrapeDetails": true, "platform": "", "startGameId": 1, "maxGameIdToScan": 500, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `results` (type: `string`): No description # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "searchQueries": [ "Sonic" ], "maxListings": 5, "maxGameIdToScan": 500, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("lulzasaur/screenscraper-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "searchQueries": ["Sonic"], "maxListings": 5, "maxGameIdToScan": 500, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"], }, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("lulzasaur/screenscraper-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "searchQueries": [ "Sonic" ], "maxListings": 5, "maxGameIdToScan": 500, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } }' | apify call lulzasaur/screenscraper-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=lulzasaur/screenscraper-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "ScreenScraper.fr Scraper - Retro Game Database", "description": "Scrape ScreenScraper.fr retro game database. Extract game names, platforms, publishers, developers, genres, ratings, release dates, descriptions, screenshots, and box art. Perfect for retro gaming research and emulation frontend metadata.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "Ig6TCUTYhWgwbzLQD" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/lulzasaur~screenscraper-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-lulzasaur-screenscraper-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/lulzasaur~screenscraper-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-lulzasaur-screenscraper-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/lulzasaur~screenscraper-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-lulzasaur-screenscraper-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "searchQueries" ], "properties": { "searchQueries": { "title": "Search Queries", "type": "array", "description": "Game names to search for (e.g., 'Sonic', 'Mario', 'Zelda'). Matches against game titles in the ScreenScraper database.", "default": [ "Sonic" ], "items": { "type": "string" } }, "maxListings": { "title": "Max Games", "minimum": 1, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of games to return per search query. The scraper scans game IDs to find matches, so higher values take longer.", "default": 100 }, "scrapeDetails": { "title": "Scrape Full Details", "type": "boolean", "description": "If enabled, visits each game detail page to extract publisher, developer, genre, players, rating, release dates, synopsis, media URLs, and classification info. If disabled, only returns game name and basic info from meta tags.", "default": true }, "platform": { "title": "Platform Filter", "enum": [ "", "Megadrive", "SNES", "NES", "Game Boy", "Game Boy Advance", "Game Boy Color", "Nintendo 64", "GameCube", "Wii", "Nintendo DS", "PlayStation", "PlayStation 2", "PSP", "Sega Master System", "Game Gear", "Neo Geo", "Atari 2600", "Atari 7800", "PC Engine", "Amstrad CPC", "Commodore 64", "MSX", "Arcade" ], "type": "string", "description": "Optional: filter results to a specific platform. Leave empty for all platforms.", "default": "" }, "startGameId": { "title": "Start Game ID", "minimum": 1, "type": "integer", "description": "Game ID to start scanning from. ScreenScraper uses sequential numeric IDs. Default starts from 1. Use this to resume a previous scan or target a specific ID range.", "default": 1 }, "maxGameIdToScan": { "title": "Max Game ID to Scan", "minimum": 1, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum game ID to scan up to. The database has 200,000+ entries. Set lower for faster runs. Default scans up to 250,000.", "default": 250000 }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy Configuration", "type": "object", "description": "Proxy settings. Not required for basic scraping but recommended for large-scale runs.", "default": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```