How does MAME use/see ROMs exactly?

[TurboC--]

I notice that I have a lot of ROMs (mainly of the Pac variety) that MAME32 doesn't list.  How can I get (MAME in general, whatever version) to see these ROMs?  On a related note, I couldn't find a fast version of Jr. Pac Man, so I just decided to hack it myself.  Works great, a simple change of one byte actually.

I don't know why I bother, my message will be flagged as a "ROM request" again...

[SirPoonga]

http://www.mame.net/mamefaq.html#s09

[TurboC--]

I read the FAQs, they do not address the issue.

[Minwah]

Easiest thing to do is look up on MAWS whether the rom is supported by MAME.

If not, then you may or may not be able to get it to work.  If it is just a hacked rom of say 'mspacman' then you could probably just rename it and use it with normal mame...but without more information (there must be some info at whereever you obtained these roms?)  it is hard to say, the roms could be anything.

[2600]

The aren't supported in official MAME because they are most likey hacks. The PAC derivatives have a lot of hacks.  Other's are supported, or at least used to, by using cheats since it is just a byte change, etc.

As for adding them in MAME, you can't just rename them.  We are getting into a slippery slope here of adding ROMs into MAME.  Your's may seem harmless, but others could use the information for things not so harmless.  I think it's best to avoid this here.  I suggest finding a derivative of MAME that supports the different PAC ROMs.

[Minwah]

As for adding them in MAME, you can't just rename them.  We are getting into a slippery slope here of adding ROMs into MAME.  Your's may seem harmless, but others could use the information for things not so harmless.  I think it's best to avoid this here.  I suggest finding a derivative of MAME that supports the different PAC ROMs.

Some are fine tho.  For example dwidel made some hacks IIRC based on puckman or mspacman roms - they work in mame with a simple rename.

But certainly without knowing what they are you cannot assume a rename will make them work.

[javeryh]

Doesn't Jr. Pac-man come standard with the speed up hack (so it's not even a hack really)?  All you have to do to go fast is hold down the fire button. 

[2600]

Doesn't Jr. Pac-man come standard with the speed up hack (so it's not even a hack really)?  All you have to do to go fast is hold down the fire button. 

MAWS says the current version of MAME doesn't have a button, CP seems to back that up.  Maybe an older version of MAME had this, but honestly never saw it in the Arcades and haven't played it in MAME.

[SirPoonga]

It's probably a hack or bootleg.  For asteroids you can speed it up with this.

[RayB]

Turbo, did you look under "Puckman"?

[u_rebelscum]

I notice that I have a lot of ROMs (mainly of the Pac variety) that MAME32 doesn't list.  How can I get (MAME in general, whatever version) to see these ROMs?

Mame looks for the rom files in zip files or folders with gamename, parentname, biosname, with the first in the list highest priority.  Mame checks the CRC (or shr) and file size.  If the ROM doesn't match, mame doesn't use it.  This is hard coded as part of the game driver.

Official Mame has a few "rules" or, really "guidance outlines", on what game versions it includes.  Original arcade releases, bootleg arcade releases, and prototypes are included.  Except for prototypes, the biggest criteria is whether it was actually in the arcades.  This means homebrew hacks are not included in official mame, nor will they.

Many of the pacman versions out there are considered as hacks, and will not be included in official mame.  However, some derivatives off of mame include some of those not included hacks.  I don't know them, though.

On a related note, I couldn't find a fast version of Jr. Pac Man, so I just decided to hack it myself.  Works great, a simple change of one byte actually.

If it's a one bit change, you can do it without hacking.  Use mame's cheat feature.  In fact, some games in older mame were "removed" because they chould be done with one of those cheats and original hacks/bootlegs altered the board to mis-read the ROM as if the ROM was changed, rather than actually changing the ROM.  MameDev felt the cheat feature better reflected this than a seperate zip file or mame driver.

I don't know the link, but there are sites that are devoted to "cheats" (or "hacks").  If they don't already have your cheat, I'm sure they'd like to know it.  Hopefully someone will post the link, or you can search for it yourself.

[TurboC--]

Well, since this is going into a cab, which will ideally not have to access any special controls or the PC keyboard under normal conditions, I'd rather have the ROMs be as easily menu-accessible as possible.

[Tiger-Heli]

Search for PacMAME.  It was also added in to NoNameMAME - https://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=91067&package_id=95932