Why does mame doesn't handle many roms while Mame32 does?

[MsG]

Hi folks.

Because of many failures of my neogeo motherboard I decided to mame-ize the cabinet. Because I am a noob in the mame world I am encountering some problems

For example this one:

With almost any rom I get the following kind of errors:

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>D:\Emulators\Programs\Mame\mame.exe 3cou
ntb
043-p1.bin NOT FOUND
043-s1.bin NOT FOUND
sfix.sfix NOT FOUND
000-lo.lo NOT FOUND
sp-s2.sp1 NOT FOUND
sm1.sm1 NOT FOUND
043-m1.bin NOT FOUND
043-v1.bin NOT FOUND
043-v2.bin NOT FOUND
043-c1.bin NOT FOUND
043-c2.bin NOT FOUND
043-c3.bin NOT FOUND
043-c4.bin NOT FOUND
ERROR: required files are missing, the game cannot be run.

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>D:\Emulators\Programs\Mame\mame.exe view
point

"viewpoint" approximately matches the following
supported games (best match first):

viewpoin          Viewpoint
valkyrie          Valkyrie No Densetsu (Japan)
wrecking          Vs. Wrecking Crew
vidvince          Video Vince and the Game Factory (prototype)
victnine          Victorious Nine
vindicte          Vindicators (Europe, rev 5)
vpool             Video Pool (bootleg on Moon Cresta hardware)
hustler           Video Hustler
hustlerb          Video Hustler (bootleg)
vipclub           Vip Club - Maru-hi Ippatsu Kaihou [BET] (Japan 880310)

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>D:\Emulators\Programs\Mame\mame.exe view
poin
051-p1.bin NOT FOUND
051-s1.bin NOT FOUND
sfix.sfix NOT FOUND
000-lo.lo NOT FOUND
sp-s2.sp1 NOT FOUND
sm1.sm1 NOT FOUND
051-m1.bin NOT FOUND
051-v1.bin NOT FOUND
051-v2.bin NOT FOUND
051-c1.bin NOT FOUND
051-c2.bin NOT FOUND
ERROR: required files are missing, the game cannot be run.

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>D:\Emulators\Programs\Mame\mame.exe ghos
t pilot
Error: unknown option: pilot

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>D:\Emulators\Programs\Mame\mame.exe ghos
tpilot

"ghostpilot" approximately matches the following
supported games (best match first):

gpilots           Ghost Pilots (set 1)
gpilotsh          Ghost Pilots (set 2)
ghostlop          Ghostlop (prototype)
gmgalax           Ghostmuncher Galaxian (bootleg)
gghost            Goalie Ghost
gng               Ghosts'n Goblins (World? set 1)
gnga              Ghosts'n Goblins (World? set 2)
gngbl             Ghosts'n Goblins (bootleg with Cross)
gngblita          Ghosts'n Goblins (Italian bootleg, harder)
gngt              Ghosts'n Goblins (US)

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>D:\Emulators\Programs\Mame\mame.exe gpil
ots
020-p1.bin NOT FOUND
020-p2.bin NOT FOUND
020-s1.bin NOT FOUND
sfix.sfix NOT FOUND
000-lo.lo NOT FOUND
sp-s2.sp1 NOT FOUND
sm1.sm1 NOT FOUND
020-m1.bin NOT FOUND
020-v11.bin NOT FOUND
020-v12.bin NOT FOUND
020-v21.bin NOT FOUND
020-c1.bin NOT FOUND
020-c2.bin NOT FOUND
020-c3.bin NOT FOUND
020-c4.bin NOT FOUND
ERROR: required files are missing, the game cannot be run.

Why don't I get this kind of errors in Mame32? What is the problem? It's pretty annoying .

[HaRuMaN]

Sounds like one of a few possible problems:

1) You are using different MAME versions (for example MAME 0.76 vs. MAME32 1.03)

2) You don't have your ROM paths set correctly

[Ginsu Victim]

Yeah, make sure you're even using the same versions of mame.

[MsG]

What version do you guys recommend? Some roms DO work though. Isn't it that you need special files which aren't needed for mame32?

[Ginsu Victim]

Mame32 (now MameUI) and MAME are the same, just one has a GUI and one doesn't.

If you have two different version numbers, that's why roms work on one and not the other.

Post your hardware and we could recommend a version.

[MsG]

PIV 2.8 Ghz
Intel GMA900 onboard VGA (hope this will work with my JPAC and that software stuff that let it output 15khz, otherwise I need a better VGA)
1GB Ram (will be 2GB soon)

160GB HDD (too few I suppose looking to all those huge-ass files )

[Ginsu Victim]

I think you can run .131 just fine. (for the majority of things)

[MsG]

That was the one I had, but almost any rom doesn't work then.

I tried 0.127.0.0 from my old mame32 and I can almost run anything.

Why :S. And why CAN people run everything with 0.131?

[MsG]

By the way with many games with 0.127.0.0 I get the authentic green screen first, is that normal? It's the same thing my real neogeo motherboard does infinitely.

[HaRuMaN]

That was the one I had, but almost any rom doesn't work then.

I tried 0.127.0.0 from my old mame32 and I can almost run anything.

Why :S. And why CAN people run everything with 0.131?

Romsets are specific to a Mame version (not all roms...).  As Mame progresses, the romsets can change.  Roms that work for an older version of Mame may not work with newer versions.

[MsG]

Okay, thank you for the explanation. Does it matter that I have a romset for an older version performance-wise? Or doesn't it matter at all>?

[Ummon]

I think you can run .131 just fine. (for the majority of things)

Yup, even a few 3D games I can run on my 2.8 P4.  To know what rom sets work for which mame version, go check out MAWS. A dreadful task, really. So I suggest using your older mame version. Or find a rom torrent and use the newest version.

[u_rebelscum]

Okay, thank you for the explanation. Does it matter that I have a romset for an older version performance-wise? Or doesn't it matter at all>?

No. 

The rom version number only determines if it works or not.  (MameFAQ on why roms don't work.)

[MsG]

Slightly offtopic but I have one discovery to share.

I have the idea that my PC with MAME handles the Neogeo roms much more smoothly like the Neogeo MVS system itself that I have. I often had slowdowns and stuff on my original Neogeo Metal Slug, but my PC with mame doesn't have that. Is it true that some neogeo games are slowed down because of the hardware of the neogeo motherboard? Or is mame playing just too fast?

[HaRuMaN]

Yeah, the Neo Geo had hardware limitations, so you would get slowdown if there was too many objects on screen, etc...

[Ginsu Victim]

Mame is supposed to emulate the slowdown, as well, though. MsG should see no difference between MAME and MVS.

[MsG]

Well I do feel a big difference. Games run much more smooth. Emulating slowdowns just for the sake of realism? lol, they better do not emulate every negative part of a system .

[protokatie]

Actually, the whole point of MAME is to emulate everything the exact same way as it was IRL. It is to preserve the classic games and systems for all time. If you want a MAME-like system that runs faster or uses tricks, try fastMAME. Hell, some really old games aren't even playable on newer versions of MAME because they went from playing sound samples to emulating the analogue sound chips. I highly doubt my 1.9 ghz dual core will be able to play the new romset/mame version of donkey kong because of this.

[Ummon]

I bet it will. "1.9ghz" dual cores are faster or/and more efficient than the old P4s.

[FrizzleFried]

Actually, the whole point of MAME is to emulate everything the exact same way as it was IRL. It is to preserve the classic games and systems for all time. If you want a MAME-like system that runs faster or uses tricks, try fastMAME. Hell, some really old games aren't even playable on newer versions of MAME because they went from playing sound samples to emulating the analogue sound chips. I highly doubt my 1.9 ghz dual core will be able to play the new romset/mame version of donkey kong because of this.

My 1.8ghz AMD XP plays DK without issue in .132 so you've got no problems.