I read somewhere else that you can map PSP buttons to exact keys, when in-game, in order to be able to play properly on said handheld device those DOS games that use a keyboard. It is done by using INPUTMAP.

I get that part.

That's all fine and dandy, to map the inputs right before the executable file starts running.

But I have a couple of games that, after running the .bat file, need me to input some more choices. For example, it asks me to press 1 for one-player or 2 for two-player.
By doing this, the entire INPUTMAP effort is rendered useless, in my case.
Assuming for a moment that I mapped the PSP circle button to Left Ctrl, pressing the circle button after the .bat file starts running still shows "h n i" on the right side, and those three other symbols on the left side, and never the action associated with Left Ctrl, unfortunately.

Please trust that I am using the INPUTMAP syntax 100% correctly.
Trying to verify it would be a pointless waste of time now, so just take my word for it.
[(If you don't believe me and don't believe me, grab a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula for DOS from the Home of the Underdogs site, and I can tell you from the manual that one uses the keys W, Q, E, S, A, D and Z to move, and Esc to quit. Try mapping those keys to the PSP buttons of your choice, if you must see for yourself that it doesn't work, but don't question my correct use of the mapping here. I've done that right, I'm 100% sure, so please let's save time and get to the point.)]

Could someone please tell me if there is some way to get the INPUTMAP thing to work for these tricky .bat files, too?
(Even explaining what's happening would be fine, because I don't know if it's because these executables are .bat files, as opposed to .exe, or due to that asking-for-additional-user-generated-input-choices issue before gameplay actually starts.)

Thank you.