MAME32 & ROM SETS

[mike boss]

forgive me guys if ive posted in the wrong area, ive seached up and down these pages w/o any luck. im hoping to tackle a mame cabinet in the very near future and am simply floored by all the available info out there. there is so much that im no better off then i was weeks ago when i started this journey.

ive decided to use MAME32 & MaLa and house the cpu in an empty arcade cabinet.
my objective is to have the classics and mostly fighters. prior i have had no luck getting games like street fighter II rainbow to work ! thats the game i really want.

simply put my question is this, does my rom set have to match my build of mame ?
so if i have MAME32 build 123 for example i should look for rom set 123 ?

and would the rom sets be the same for MAME and MAME32 ?

forgive me if its a dumb question, im just lost

[ark_ader]

Yes and No.

The question I would be asking is what version of Mame32 are you using?

Some work others don't.

Link:

http://mamerominfo.retrogames.com/

This might help you.

.84 is the best version IMHO for Mame32 after that it went down hill from there 

[BASS!]

The issue when you go to rom sites they are often out of date and incompatible with the current version of mame that you have. It often helps to locate a romset set up for a certain version. If you have your heart set on that game then pretty much any version of mame that you can locate (even .84) will run most of the street fighter series (pre cps3).

[Kajoq]

I personally would suggest either the July 12 .117 build, or a .119 build of MAME32, as they have very good CPS3 support

[BASS!]

I personally would suggest either the July 12 .117 build, or a .119 build of MAME32, as they have very good CPS3 support

I personally would suggest either the July 12 .117 build, or a .119 build of MAME32, as they have very good CPS3 support

There are resources (found very easily on a bit of a googling hunt) for full updated rom torrents. Due to the rules of this site and legality reasons I can't provide links, but knowing that it is out there and alive and kicking and you don't have to get each one individually is half the battle. If you point your browser there get the torrent and it will include every game available for mame, along with all of the CHD files as well. Also if you need rollbacks (older roms that have been replaced for older versions of mame before mame123) they have those available as well.

[mike boss]

again bieng new im a little lost. at this point i have no version of MAME 32.
but i will look for the one mentioned above.
can i ask what CP23 is ?

also do you (users in general) suggest using a front end with mame 32 ?
if so can you (users in general) suggest a good one for a newb !

thank you kindly

[Kajoq]

CPS-1 CPS-2 and CPS-3 are capcom arcade platforms.

Capcom Play System - X.

CPS-3 is the platform that the Street Fighter 3 games, and a couple of other fighters like Jojo's Bizarre adventure.

MAME 32 is a build of MAME that has a built in GUI such that it doesn't really need a front end.  Thats the whole point of the MAME 32 builds.

As I said, i recommend the july 12 .117 build, or any of the .119 builds as they have the most complete compatibility with the roms

[mike boss]

thanks for the info, i will seek out the build(s) you mentioned.
im hoping to pick up an empty cabinet @ a local auction in march.
then move forward with a MAME cabinet, the fighters are very important to me.
id say there is no more then 100 games id really, truly play....but its ideal if they work !
SF II RAINBOW perhaps tops the list ......... anyway............
thanks again
i will begin my journye agian

[Kajoq]

Gross, Why would you want to play Rainbow edition for anything more than a few giggles.  Look at me, My uppercut unleashes 12 homing fireballs that you can't avoid!  Watch as I press start and Change from Ryu to Gief, and piledrive you from across the screen

Super Street Fighter II Turbo is where its at

[ArtsNFartsNCrafts]

what exactly is so special about the rainbow sf2?

[CheffoJeffo]

what exactly is so special about the rainbow sf2?

EDIT: I was going to mock the OP (being the grumpy old man that I am), then I realized who it was and that I had encouraged him to come here to get away from people like me who like to make fun of the eleventy brazillion SF variants.

PS -- Hi mike! 

[mike boss]

all be it that no skill is needed to win/play that game i enjoyed it. i enjoy most of the SFII franchise, but just think it would be really "neat" to have SF II rainbow working in my MAME cabinet. im 31 now, so my idea of classics are BAD DUDES, NARC, MK, KILLER INSTINCT, and the SF games.

i mean i like pac man, donkey kong, etc ...... but its really not my cup of tea.

back on topic, thanks guys for the info re: mame.
i think i have a good idea of what i need to get my machine working & running well.
i know now i dont need a front end, and i know what build/rom set to look for.

once i get that i can start to edit the rom set, as i dont want 100's (or 1000's) of games i will never play.

[Jdurg]

what exactly is so special about the rainbow sf2?

Rainbow SF2 is one of the dozens of illegal bootlegs/hacks made of the SF2 board in the early 1990's.  It vastly sped up the gameplay of SF2: Champion Edition and allowed for things such as switching characters mid-match, multiple projectiles on screen, throwing projectiles in the air, and various other insane moves that completely threw the balance of the game out the window.

It was these bootlegs and hacks of the SF2 games that led Capcom to develop Street Fighter 2: Turbo Hyper Fighting and then later on the CPS2 board system.  The CPS1 boards were INCREDIBLY easy to hack and create bootlegs for, so Capcom decided to nullify that practice and developed the heavily encrypted, suicide-battery CPS2 system so that if a bootlegger or hack-maker tried to hack the CPS2 boards the board would die and the bootlegger/hacker would be out of the money they spent to get the game.  (Since Capcom would not repair any board that had been tampered with).

The encryption and protection method were so good that no bootlegs or hacks were ever made of the CPS2 system.  (Until the encryption was bypassed in the early 2000's and by then the arcade scene basically died.  The encryption wasn't even decrypted until last year, I believe, when the proper keys were discovered and the emulation of the decryption process actually took place.  Prior to this, you had to use xor files to bypass the encryption).

[Kajoq]

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=y5gOaWNtRrY[/youtube]

heres an example of what Rainbow SF2 looks like =x

Its entertaining for a little bit, but obviously not meant to be taken too seriously hehe

[mike boss]

i think like alotta things it will run its course. not many games (in my opinion) have major re-play. but i will say im not a huge gamer. none the less i still want to build a mame cabinent and house mostly fighting games in it. neo geo makes alotta good fighting games, will mame support them ? or do i need a neo geo emulator also ?

thanks

[Kajoq]

You're in luck, MAME has built in Neo-Geo support as well.

You can get down on that KOF98 and Garou:MOTW for sure

[mike boss]

sweet ! thanks for letting me know that. i went thru the entire KLOV site and compiled a list of all the roms i want. mostly fighters (as i said) ......im looking forward to this project. i think ill order a JPAC

[mike boss]

belive it or not i went thru the KLOV site and there is only about 300 games id like in total to work/run on my mame cabinet.

[Jdurg]

For me, the joy of MAME is finding games that I barely remember seeing in the arcade but never played, or games that in general I just never saw before.  Makes it fun to have a whole slew set up and to click on "random game".   

[mike boss]

i have three "altered" xbox @ home, i have a disc of emulators that includes mame.
i find it a little too much when i put it in and im greeted with all these titles. its kind of too much ! it takes me back a lil. i thought id rather customize it, pair it down,and just have what i want and like.......most import games i will really play.
there is a local auction in toronto this weekend and im hoping to get an empty cabinet for my mame project. id like to do something retro, looking like a DK or DK jr. cabinet.
the powder blue with white trim ........ anyway thats off topic.

[mike boss]

other question, i have tinkered with mame in the past and seem to recall a vast list of games coming up when i began the application.
when/if i do my mame system, and add all the 300 games i want......when i turn on my arcade will it only show the 300 (or so) games i have in my system ?
also is there a way to make it that when the computer is on it goes right into mame ?

[CheffoJeffo]

there is a local auction in toronto this weekend and im hoping to get an empty cabinet for my mame project.

I may or may not be there (big bald guy with a goatee and glasses) -- depends on if my son insists that we go and I keep changing his mind for him.

[brandon]

For me, the joy of MAME is finding games that I barely remember seeing in the arcade but never played, or games that in general I just never saw before.  Makes it fun to have a whole slew set up and to click on "random game".  

Chicken Shift

[mike boss]

i think im also shafted now for SB. my friend who usually takes home my winnings will be in daytona for bike week. ie no means of transport !

[TelcoLou]

other question, i have tinkered with mame in the past and seem to recall a vast list of games coming up when i began the application.
when/if i do my mame system, and add all the 300 games i want......when i turn on my arcade will it only show the 300 (or so) games i have in my system ?
also is there a way to make it that when the computer is on it goes right into mame ?

• Yes, in MAME32, you select the "available games" option in the left most panel .. it will then only show the games you have in your folder.
• Yes, in WinXP just drop a shortcut to your executable in your startup folder.

[BASS!]

If you want it to start up and control directly from your joysticks you need a front end for your various programs.  Think of the xbox dashboard that runs all your different stuff. There are not a whole lot of good ones but here are what I recomend (The best I could think of off the top of my head)

Mgalaxy - the easiest front end to set up...period. The only problem with this one, other then the fact there are no user created skins, Is it only supports MAME. If you want to play anything other then mame on your machine, try a different one. If you want to have a dedicated mame cabinet, this program is a breeze.

Maximus Arcade - easy to set up, and works with a ton of stuff

Mamewah - everyone uses it here, and I like it, just getting a bit older

Gamex - Pretty easy to set up and very versatile. Verry pretty.

AtomicFE - An awesome front end and has a lot of features, tons of skins on the net to give it different feels, but a bit advanced for a first setup, there are always message boards and readmes though.

Mala - A massive juggernaut that is a frontend. Very similar to Atomic in a lot of ways, and I think they would partially agree. Tons of features and cool looking skins. Slightly complicated set-up.

[fjl]

other question, i have tinkered with mame in the past and seem to recall a vast list of games coming up when i began the application.
when/if i do my mame system, and add all the 300 games i want......when i turn on my arcade will it only show the 300 (or so) games i have in my system ?
also is there a way to make it that when the computer is on it goes right into mame ?

It's apparent you're a noob who just got bit by the arcade building bug. Welcome aboard and join our ranks of people obsessed with arcades. It's a fun ride.

Tip:
Instead of just blurting out questions and things you want to know, I suggest you buy Saint's book and read it. Plus read a lot on this forum. You can even go back to old threads. And if you do find stuff there is no answer for, then gladly ask. Where here to help. 

[mike boss]

ya ! i do have the bug. i always wanted a games room and this year bought my house so the games roon had to follow. i purchased a neogeo 2 slot 1st, then two 25" midway cabinets. a slot machine & 3 more games live outside in the garage. its a great hobby, lots of fun.... anyway.........

as the collection grows i notice a few things, i dont have space for all the things id like. and i dont think id find all the items i want at the prices i want to pay.
with that said MAME is ideal. which leads me to this forum & my quest for info.

i just find that there is sooo much info  idont know where to start. where to look, etc.
so that could be why it seems i "blurt" out random questions.

what is saints book, and where do i find it ? cause i will take a look.

[DeLuSioNal29]

You can find it here:

http://www.projectarcade.com/

You can buy it on Amazon, but use the link above so give Saint the reference link if you can.

~ DeLuSioNaL

[mike boss]

I think ill stick with mame32 and mala, from what i read they seem to be a good tag team. im debating weather or not put SK Jukebox in the cabinet. i think it would require the install of some extra buttons, but none the less could be neat.
a real battle i fight with myself often is trying to think what i will really use ?
like if i make a jukebox and host all my mp3s on the cpu will i use it ?
or will i fill up the ipod, take the docking station and head down to the basment ?

its a toss up !

[DeLuSioNal29]

You could always network your arcade to your PC.  Then you wouldn't have to waste any precious hard drive space on the arcade cab!   

~ DeLuSioNaL

[mike boss]

thats a good point, as the house is smart wired. the plan was to hard wire the mame cpu to the router (which would also be downstairs) . i also have to wireless usb adapters that i can use. the networking of the house is a lil tricky, trying to decide what to hook up and how. not that its hard, just so much stuff.
3 pcs incuding the mame & 2 "altered" xboxes.

but again this issue becomes how will i use the items ? i guess the reality is that just using windows media player and going into the music folder is just the same as the jukebox. might not be something "special" but end of the day it does the same thing.

[Kajoq]

If you can network it, Winamp has a lot more options (at least in my experience) for skinning and other things that could make it more "juke boxy"

I've got my MAME box hooked up like this... I'm not one who really cares a whole lot about the overall presentation as much as the end result (college kid, what can I say) so I just use standard Winamp when i'm using it at a music player

[DeLuSioNal29]

You should also check out Uncle T's Jukebox software.  It's free for all BYOAC members.

http://unclet.arcadecontrols.com/Jukebox/

~ DeLuSioNaL

[mike boss]

so i think i have this thing cracked/figured out...whatever you wanna call it.
simply put the rom set needs to match your build of mame.
i was able to D/L both mame & mame32(ui) version 124.
now i need to locate/purchase (as i dont want to do anything illegal) rom set 124.
that so far has been my issue to date. any suggestions ? PM me, email me, etc

thank you kind sirs !

[CheffoJeffo]

so i think i have this thing cracked/figured out...whatever you wanna call it.
simply put the rom set needs to match your build of mame.
i was able to D/L both mame & mame32(ui) version 124.
now i need to locate/purchase (as i dont want to do anything illegal) rom set 124.
that so far has been my issue to date. any suggestions ? PM me, email me, etc

thank you kind sirs !

Sorry Mike ... against the rules to ask here (since it IS illegal).

5. Nothing illegal! Do I even need to explain this one? Need a ROM to repair an arcade board you own? Fine to talk about. Need a ROM to complete your MAME collection? Don't bother to post here. If someone posts such a request, please don't answer it -- no direct answers, no hints, no private messages.

[Ginsu Victim]

Wow....imagine LEGALLY purchasing set .124
Exactly how much would that cost? (All those licenses......wow....)

[havic626]

all be it that no skill is needed to win/play that game i enjoyed it. i enjoy most of the SFII franchise, but just think it would be really "neat" to have SF II rainbow working in my MAME cabinet. im 31 now, so my idea of classics are BAD DUDES, NARC, MK, KILLER INSTINCT, and the SF games.

i mean i like pac man, donkey kong, etc ...... but its really not my cup of tea.

back on topic, thanks guys for the info re: mame.
i think i have a good idea of what i need to get my machine working & running well.
i know now i dont need a front end, and i know what build/rom set to look for.

once i get that i can start to edit the rom set, as i dont want 100's (or 1000's) of games i will never play.

you my friend have great taste in games!
 :notworthy:KILLER INSTICT   ULLLLTTRRAAAAA COMMMBBOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Bluedeath]

Wow....imagine LEGALLY purchasing set .124
Exactly how much would that cost? (All those licenses......wow....)

imagine that by a miracle the copyright owners of all the sets decide to give the permission and that they only want a symbolic price pf 50 cent per game, do the math. 

[Ginsu Victim]

Over $3,000 for the complete set (based on my 6,000 something roms)