MAME

[glen]

ok, Can I download an exe that will install MAME or do i ahev to downlaod and then compile something?

 

[SoylentGreen]

http://www.mame.net/

 

[mpitts]

You don't need to compile anything.

Read the instructions when you get started. They will help you out a lot. Also, there are a few Windows versions of MAME. WinMAME32 is one of them, I believe.

 

[glen]

I read on that site somethign about compiling and other stuff that is simply terminology I don't know.

 

[BatmanNate]

There should be a win32 binary on there, so no compiling involved.

EDIT: It looks like it's a CLI though, do they have a free GUI for it?

 

[SoylentGreen]

http://www.mameworld.net/
http://www.vg-network.com/
http://www.arcadeathome.com/
http://www.mame.dk/
http://www.classicgaming.com/
http://www.overclocked.org/

 

[mpitts]

Originally posted by: glen
I read on that site somethign about compiling and other stuff that is simply terminology I don't know.

This is probably what you need to get started.

It is the Windows command line version of MAME. Download that and unzip it. Read the README/instructions and you will be on your way. It is very simple.

 

[styrafoam]

Here is where you can get a windows installer for the latest version of mame. These are the guys who previously worked on mame32, the project is now Mame32qa.

 

[glen]

Originally posted by: Kiyup
http://www.mameworld.net/
http://www.vg-network.com/
http://www.arcadeathome.com/
http://www.mame.dk/
http://www.classicgaming.com/
http://www.overclocked.org/

I got that far, but encountered coutless lists of versions and words I don't understand.
For example:
Link URL Description
http://www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/ MAME32 (Windows version with a GUI)
http://www.macmame.org/ MacMAME (Macintosh)
http://x.mame.net/ XMAME (*nix)
http://advancemame.sourceforge.net/ Advance MAME (DOS version with better arcade monitor support)
http://mame-x.xb-power.com/ MAME-X (Xbox)
http://digita.mame.net/ MAMED (Dreamcast and some digital cameras)
http://mamedc.kaillera.com/ MAMEDC (Dreamcast)
http://www.netlabs.org/projects/mame.html
http://emuos2.netlabs.org/ MAME for OS/2
http://www.classicgaming.com/phmame/ PhMAME (QNX Realtime Platform)
http://www.amidog.com/emu/mame/ MAME for AmigaPPC
http://www.triumph.no/mame/
http://www.powerup.com.au/~cward/ MAME for AmigaOS
http://www.aros.org/ MAME for AROS (Amiga Research OS)
http://www.elecslns.demon.co.uk/MAME/ MAME for RISC OS
http://members.tripod.co.jp/yztjklhhkrde/ BeMAME (BeOS)
http://members.tripod.com/~adcockm/ MAMEnet
http://www.mameworld.net/mamece3/ MAMECE3 (Most PocketPC/CE devices)
http://zmame.mameworld.net/ zMAME (Sharp Zaurus)
http://www.yipton.demon.co.uk/ EMAME (EPOC32 - some Psion handheld devices and SonyEricsson P800 cell phone)
http://koti.mbnet.fi/~haviital/ EMAME9210 (Nokia 9210 Communicator cell phone)

So, I thought I would ask you geniouses here.
Assume I can use google, but "compiling" frightens me as much as Linux.

 

[mpitts]

Have you tried downloading the program and running it?

 

[SoylentGreen]

Originally posted by: glen

Originally posted by: Kiyup
http://www.mameworld.net/
http://www.vg-network.com/
http://www.arcadeathome.com/
http://www.mame.dk/
http://www.classicgaming.com/
http://www.overclocked.org/

I got that far, but encountered coutless lists of versions and words I don't understand.
For example:
Link URL Description
http://www.classicgaming.com/mame32qa/ MAME32 (Windows version with a GUI)
http://www.macmame.org/ MacMAME (Macintosh)
http://x.mame.net/ XMAME (*nix)
http://advancemame.sourceforge.net/ Advance MAME (DOS version with better arcade monitor support)
http://mame-x.xb-power.com/ MAME-X (Xbox)
http://digita.mame.net/ MAMED (Dreamcast and some digital cameras)
http://mamedc.kaillera.com/ MAMEDC (Dreamcast)
http://www.netlabs.org/projects/mame.html
http://emuos2.netlabs.org/ MAME for OS/2
http://www.classicgaming.com/phmame/ PhMAME (QNX Realtime Platform)
http://www.amidog.com/emu/mame/ MAME for AmigaPPC
http://www.triumph.no/mame/
http://www.powerup.com.au/~cward/ MAME for AmigaOS
http://www.aros.org/ MAME for AROS (Amiga Research OS)
http://www.elecslns.demon.co.uk/MAME/ MAME for RISC OS
http://members.tripod.co.jp/yztjklhhkrde/ BeMAME (BeOS)
http://members.tripod.com/~adcockm/ MAMEnet
http://www.mameworld.net/mamece3/ MAMECE3 (Most PocketPC/CE devices)
http://zmame.mameworld.net/ zMAME (Sharp Zaurus)
http://www.yipton.demon.co.uk/ EMAME (EPOC32 - some Psion handheld devices and SonyEricsson P800 cell phone)
http://koti.mbnet.fi/~haviital/ EMAME9210 (Nokia 9210 Communicator cell phone)

So, I thought I would ask you geniouses here.
Assume I can use google, but "compiling" frightens me as much as Linux.

Well, I think you should learn how to read news if you already don't.

Get on the mame newsgroup

 

[glen]

Looks liek the self installing one is no longer there, but thanks for the link.
i will attempt to use the zipped one.

 

[BatmanNate]

Glen,

You are looking for the MAME for Win32 with GUI. That will be the easiest to set up and get started with.

 

[styrafoam]

Sorry, didnt check it. Do this one.

 

[glen]

Thanks!
I got this one:
MAME32 (Pentium optimized)
Filename:mame32b-037b11_i686.zip

Now I suppose I need to make a folder named MAME and copy the extracted files over?

 

[glen]

Originally posted by: styrafoam
Sorry, didnt check it. Do this one.

Exactly what I need!

 

[styrafoam]

No problem. I love mame, it's funny how many of my friends have literally freaked out when they see it in action.

 

[glen]

Originally posted by: styrafoam
No problem. I love mame, it's funny how many of my friends have literally freaked out when they see it in action.

Sweet!
Ok, I got that installed.
now, I suppose I use google to find roms, then I put them in the roms directory.
Inside the roms directory there is a dir.txt file.
i assume I have to edit that right?
How does it work?

 

[styrafoam]

Yes, you will have to dig for roms, might find some on Kazaa. The roms will be zip files, place those in the roms directory. You do not have to edit the text file. When you run MAME switch the filter on the left to "available" and then "file-audit all games".

 

[AkumaX]

yeah, just go to http://www.mame.dk for the names of the file such as "mvsc.zip" (make sure you d/l the parent rom) then use google and search "mvsc.zip" to see if you can find any. cheers!

on a side note; i went to a computer show, and some guy was selling ALLLLL them mame games on 2 dvds for $20. i wonder how recent?

 

[styrafoam]

Originally posted by: AkumaX
yeah, just go to http://www.mame.dk for the names of the file such as "mvsc.zip" (make sure you d/l the parent rom) then use google and search "mvsc.zip" to see if you can find any. cheers!

on a side note; i went to a computer show, and some guy was selling ALLLLL them mame games on 2 dvds for $20. i wonder how recent?

Thats a good way to look for them. I hate the ones that require parent roms to work though. There was a site called tombstones which organized a non-profit burning sevice for entire sets but they were asked to stop by Fox or something

 

[glen]

What is a parent rom?
How exactly do you "install" them?
Do you have to manually change the dir.txt file?

 

[styrafoam]

A ROM somtimes uses files from another rom to conserve space rather than duplicate the file. Ususally it has to do with international versions of games, the parent will be the largest and the different versions will just add the things that were unique to the japanese/american/etc version. It just sucks sometimes to find one and try to run it and get a message "XXXX rom requires XXXX files found in XXXX rom". Not a big deal, just another file to track down.
All you have to do is put the rom in the rom directory, no .txt file editing is required.