Any need for MAME clones roms? Does anyone use them?

[arcadecab]

While collecting a full set of MAME roms, I am wondering if it is truly valid to collect the "clones" of parent roms with MAME.  The basic idea of MAME, I think, is to play the original arcade games EXACTLY how they played in the original cabinet.  Therefore, it seems that the parent roms are of most importance and the clones would not be particarily important.  In what instances would it be a good idea to have all the clones as well.  I currently have all the "games" of MAME 0.77 (2,622 as listed at mameworld.net).  Should I worry about not having all the clone roms to add up to the total roms listed at 4,640--are they used ever anyway?
Thanks.

[SirPeale]

Depends on the game.  Sometimes the clone works, and the parent does not.

Or...games like Pac-Man.  The parent to that is puckman.

[Minwah]

You don't actually *need* any clones (any more than you need all of the roms).  Here are a few reasons that I can think of to have (some) clones:

1) A clone may work better in MAME than it's parent in some instances (eg Wacko's Moonwalker bootleg).

2) YOUR idea of what the 'main' version is may be different to the MAME devs (eg if you're Japanese Akkanvader would be preferred to Space Invaders '95).

3) Sometimes clones have different bits in them you might like (eg Final Fight Japan has a shot of Jessica in a bra   )

But as a rule I'd say you don't need the clones

[SirPoonga]

some clones use different controls too.

[Jakobud]

For some reason, I always choose to play the "U.S." version of the games (if there is one) even if it's the clone.  Anyone else do this?

[SirPoonga]

Yeah, the US versions are usually in engrish

[Cave]

Talking of clones, has anyone checked out space invasion, its a clone of commando with aliens instead of soldiers, except the guy on the motocycle who rides across the bridge, freaky!

[Jakobud]

Yeah, the US versions are usually in engrish

In Engrish?  But the US ones are the ones that are made to be distro'd in the US... i.e. I would expect the language to be the same as if we had actually played the game in the US back in the day...

Its just sorta wierd how some frontends give the option to hide the clones.  It sounds nice.... but I'm willing to bet that most of the time I am already playing the clones instead of the parent roms...