Mame frontend/version reload - which one?

[tonyarcade]

Ok, so here's the thing:

Finally got my panel working in an existing cab, but now I need the software to follow suit.

Not a complete computer dummy, but aparently when it comes to MAME frontends I'm not far off.

So far been happy to run MAME32 with classic Roms (Pacman, DK, etc) and just mouse/keyboard the starts and then flip the Keywiz switch to play with the CP sticks and buttons
Obviously, this is not the ideal way to go!

So here's the question: Would I be better off getting a higher end MAME and new roms? I plan on running an old 800mhz-1G machine with Windows ME, and really only plan on playing the classic MAMES (Pacman, Crazy Climber, Joust, DK, etc.) plus maybe Atari and PinMame until I build a better machine.

What is the easiest MAME/simple frontend combination that would look halfway decent. I tried to run GameLauncher, but I couldn't understand the ROM configuration/GL wouldn't/couldn't find them.

THANKS!

-Tony

[loadman]

http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/wiki/Front-Ends

 

[langdoguk]

Atomic FE ( with the plug and play module)  or Mgalaxy ( all in one version ), they are both very easy to use , just a case of putting roms into rom folder , no need for mame 32 or setting up rom paths etc , (thats were I was going wrong).
 

[TOK]

Run an older version of MAME with that machine. Between .67, and .99. The spec machine you're running will struggle with anything much beyond that.

I'm running MaLa on a P3/933 with .84, and it's fine for all the stuff I want to play on there... Classics through very early 90's.

[langdoguk]

I'm running MaLa on a P3/933 with .84, and it's fine for all the stuff I want to play on there... Classics through very early 90's.

Do you have to use an older version of Mala with that spec or can you use the present version and an older version of mame ,I have .89 and I was going to use a celeron 1gz . would that be ok?
Also what would be the minimun video card needed 

[TOK]

I'm running MaLa on a P3/933 with .84, and it's fine for all the stuff I want to play on there... Classics through very early 90's.

Do you have to use an older version of Mala with that spec or can you use the present version and an older version of mame ,I have .89 and I was going to use a celeron 1gz . would that be ok?
Also what would be the minimun video card needed 

I think MaLa support only goes back so for MAME, but the version you are using will be no problem.
Any video card is fine, as MAME and the front ends all support plain old 2D.

[SGT]

I think MaLa support only goes back so for MAME, but the version you are using will be no problem.

Mala supports older versions of Mame too; you just have to have a Mame.xml file.  Older versions of Mame were not capable of creating the mame.xml file.  Most people running old versions of Mame with Mala will download and use a newer version of mame just long enough to create the mame.xml file that Mala needs.

[tonyarcade]

Ok stupid question probably, but will my roms from MAME32 run with Mame .67?

-Tony

[SGT]

Ok stupid question probably, but will my roms from MAME32 run with Mame .67?

The roms for Mame and Mame32 are the same.   However if you are using a recent version of mame32 then your roms are rather recent also.  Therefore you will have many roms that will not work with mame .67 because roms are constantly changing with each release of Mame.

You will need to either find an older rom set or use a rom manager such as Clrmame Pro to rebuild your rom set which may work for most roms.  Of course if your roms are pretty old you may be okay.

[tonyarcade]

Will CLRmame fix the bad roms?