LeapPad2 now is working quite well as a retro emulator console

[ceratophyllum]

You can have your per-core settings persist if you launch retroarch cores from a script and just use a different retroarch cfg file for each one.

Persistent, per-core settings and easier ROM browsing are why I'm using gmenu2x to launch cores. You can still get into the RA gui (HOME+Up )after launching this way, but don't often need to once you've made your settings.

Of course, there's no gui for making gmenu2x launchers, but you only have to make a few of them.
For example, with gambatte:

/usr/bin/startgambatte.sh:

Code:

#Use a different file for each core.
RETROARCH_CFG=/configs/retroarch.cfg.gambatte.leappad2

SDL_NOMOUSE=1 retroarch -s /roms/saves -S /roms/saves -v -c $RETROARCH_CFG -L /usr/lib/libretro/gambatte_libretro.so "$*"

lrgambatte (gmenu2x launcher text file in /gmenu2x/sections/applications)

Code:

title=lr-gambatte
icon=/gmenu2x/icons/gnuboy.png
exec=/usr/bin/startgambatte.sh
selectordir=/roms/GBC/
selectorbrowser=true
selectorfilter=.gb,.GB,.GBC,.gbc

I've just tested and confirmed that launching with this script from gmenu2x makes any changes you do in the RA menus and the volume level stick. Maybe RA saves its CFG file on exit?

Are you sure you don't want to use gmenu2x?