Looking in to the feasability of converting my cab but...

[triplenine]

...having just a bit of trouble determining the MAME version to use with my ROMs. Essentially, while I will be playing lots of old favorites on it, I am really trying to put together a fighting game cabinet. I have got most of the standards up and running using an older MAME version, I am having quite a time with the Mortal Kombat series. Would any of you be willing to give me an assist on how you got it up and running? I have seen a few of your MK machines and wonder how you did it.

I guess this becomes a bigger question that is a bit hazy to me and I need a bit of theory cleared up. When the ROM is dumped, is it matched up to a specific MAME version or is MAME updated based on the submission of new ROM files?

[Turnarcades]

The rom contents you see for download are optimised for each subsequent build of MAME, eventually making them emulate more accurately and eventually faster. However, the MK series (as well as that type of Midway PCB) has long been a problem for the MAME devs and people frequently have difficulty with these games (particularly MK3 onwards). Although PC spec is not necessarily an issue anymore when it comes to MAME performance (it depends more on the MAME core itself, which is why Playstation-era games still struggle on high-end PC's), you will indeed need a higher spec for the MK games and depending on your hardware you may do better with an older version of MAME. Versions before 0.106 used a different video and sound core (there were some major changes after 0.106 that caused compatibility problems with older machines and some of the supported classic games) so if you want best performance on a lower-end P4 or a P3 then you will be better off with a version before 0.106.