MAME with Hi-Score built in?

[mark6437]

I understand you have to compile your own MAME if you want Hi-Score support. I have read on how to compile but it sure seems like alot of work  Yes I am lazy and dont really wanna do it.

Is there a site where you can download the latest MAME (.134 right?) with Hi-Score already built in?

Thx
Mark

[smalltownguy]

I doubt you'll find that available for download anywhere.

Just compile your own version. It's not that hard. Do some reading, and use Headkaze's mame compilier program. If you put your head to it it shouldn't take more than a few hours to go from zero to done.

You'll be happy you did it too, b/c you'll learn some valuable information along the way.

Most folks here are happy to share some things, but there is something to be said about putting a bit of work into this. It is, after all, a hobby.

Headkaze's Mame Compiler Thread

[mark6437]

Bummer. Maybe someone on the boards here compiled their own and wants to share?

[maddags]

I agree with smalltownguy, compiling our own version of mame is easy and only took me 25min from start to finish( thanks to headkaze's mame compilier program).

[tomdotcom]

I compiled last night and although it worked. It didn't seem to save my high scores for some games still. I must have done something wrong..or missed a step?

[Ginsu Victim]

Not all games can do it.

[tomdotcom]

It should work with burgertime

I'm using mame plusXT on my other cab that has built in hiscore support.

But on the new cab i'm not using it. So i tried to compile. Maybe it did work and bugertime just wont save scores no matter what..seems odd to me though if mameplusXT will save them.

[smalltownguy]

I compiled my own version of Mame with the hiscore and nonag diffs last year.

I just tried Burgertime (Midway) and it saved my score.

[tomdotcom]

Was it a good score? haha..

I'll have to retry.

What files do I need to copy over to my mame folder after it's compiled? Just mame.exe??

[maddags]

you need to create a folder called "HI" for the scores to be saved in.

[tomdotcom]

I did that. I did ALL the steps exactly as laid out. I have the folder. I have the hiscore.dat etcetc.

Once I have it compiled is that all I need to do is copy mame.exe over to my mame folder? That's the one part I wasn't sure on. I just made a backup of my original exe (renamed it) then copied over the the new mame.exe to my mame folder. But it still didn't seem to save high scores. I'll retry tonight. Just wanted to make sure I was copying over the right file(s)

[smalltownguy]

Was it a good score? haha..

Not even close. 5700. But good enough to get in spot number 5

(after all, it WAS the first time I'd ever played BT)

[tomdotcom]

First time playing Burgertime! It's such a great game. Very challenging. Most I've gotten is 50 or 60 thousand I think...back on topic though haha

So I ONLY need to copy mame.exe is that right. Yay or nay. I'm going to recompile tonight and test it again

[Ummon]

Yeah, mame plus and mameFX have it.  Burgertime has always saved my score on older mame. I think it has on newer mame with savestate enabled.

[Cananas]

First time playing Burgertime! It's such a great game. Very challenging. Most I've gotten is 50 or 60 thousand I think...back on topic though haha

So I ONLY need to copy mame.exe is that right. Yay or nay. I'm going to recompile tonight and test it again

You only need to copy mame.exe, BUT you must enable the hiscore option in the mame.ini.

So, rename your existing mame.ini to backup it, and execute mame.exe -cc to make a new mame.ini with default options. This new mame.ini has a new option to enable de hiscore support.

[tomdotcom]

That might have been what I did wrong then. I used the OLD ini file and didn't make a new one. Doh..i did change the high score settings in the old INI...

I'm going to recompile and use a new INI..see how it goes

Thanks guys!

[u_rebelscum]

So, rename your existing mame.ini to backup it, and execute mame.exe -cc to make a new mame.ini with default options. This new mame.ini has a new option to enable de hiscore support.

For future cases, I advise copying the mame.ini file to a back file, and leave the old mame.ini file.  Then run "mameABCXYZ -cc".  This way all the valid options and their settings will transfer over, and mameABCXYZ will add/remove/fix any needed options.  Awesome feature.

Of course, if you don't make any changes to mame.ini, you don't need to transfer any of the "old setting".  But you don't need to make a backup either, nor need to delete the old file.  So "mame -cc" over the old ini file works great here too.

I made so many changes in mame.ini file, I copy from the old version to the new (I put each mame in its own folder), and run the new mame -cc to update the old mame.ini, any don't need to make the dozen or so change each time I update mame.