Another MAME Thread

My problem was solved. Just discuss your favorite arcade games and other Mame-related stuff.

I've been using MAME32 Version 0.106 for 5 years, and am tired of not being able to save high scores (for titles other than Williams, Stern, and other select games). I've been trying to get MAMEUIFX32 to work, and while High Scores seem to be working pretty well (through save states) several games are not even recognized (Bubble Bobble, Frenzy, Frogs). I also couldn't transfer my Wizard of Wor high scores, which is a bummer.

Has anyone found a MAME application that can both save high scores and run most roms?

Ive been using MAMEUI64 1.45 Go to File, Properties, Miscellaneous and select save game state on exit. Ive only been playing donkey kong! This save all my scores.

I tried getting back into MAME, and found it too much hassle. Plus, most of the MAME software (at least on a Mac) hasn't been updated in some time.

  On 4/23/2012 at 8:34 PM, Donkey Rhubarb said:

Ive been using MAMEUI64 1.45 Go to File, Properties, Miscellaneous and select save game state on exit. Ive only been playing donkey kong! This save all my scores.

MAMEUI64 has the same problem as UIFX32, in that it doesn't recognize several roms. I gotta be able to play Frenzy and Bubble Bobble.

Sorry dude i sorta scanned your first post and jumped in with the save state solution. That'll teach me to read things in full!

I think this is a piece to my puzzle.

  Quote

I had ROMs that worked with an old version of MAME and now they don't. What happened?

 

As time passes, MAME is perfecting the emulation of older games, even when the results aren't immediately obvious to the user. Often times the better emulation requires more data from the original game to operate. Sometimes the data was overlooked, sometimes it simply wasn't feasible to get at it (for instance, chip "decapping" is a technique that only became affordable very recently for people not working in high-end laboratories). In other cases it's much simpler: more sets of a game were dumped and it was decided to change which sets were which version.

Now the question is, how do I go about finding working versions of these roms? I've downloaded several Bubble Bobbles and Frenzys, and none of them were able to work on the newer versions of mame. What a mess.

Edit: I got a Bubble Bobble Rom that works! I think the problem has been solved then. Either use the MAME Emulator I am using, or the one that Donkey Rhubarb listed, because they both seem to work.

Well. This is an all-purpose MAME thread now I guess. What are your favorite games?

The bootleg of bubble bobble (bub68705) works with save states on my mame emulator.

  On 4/23/2012 at 9:03 PM, Murveman said:

I think this is a piece to my puzzle.

  Quote

I had ROMs that worked with an old version of MAME and now they don't. What happened?

 

As time passes, MAME is perfecting the emulation of older games, even when the results aren't immediately obvious to the user. Often times the better emulation requires more data from the original game to operate. Sometimes the data was overlooked, sometimes it simply wasn't feasible to get at it (for instance, chip "decapping" is a technique that only became affordable very recently for people not working in high-end laboratories). In other cases it's much simpler: more sets of a game were dumped and it was decided to change which sets were which version.

Now the question is, how do I go about finding working versions of these roms? I've downloaded several Bubble Bobbles and Frenzys, and none of them were able to work on the newer versions of mame. What a mess.

 

Edit: I got a Bubble Bobble Rom that works! I think the problem has been solved then. Either use the MAME Emulator I am using, or the one that Donkey Rhubarb listed, because they both seem to work.

 

Well. This is an all-purpose MAME thread now I guess. What are your favorite games?

My guess is yours are Frenzy and Bubble Bobble?

I still have a soft spot for all the NEO·GEO games I had (console and 38 games), and most NEO·GEO emulators run through MAME.

Ha, no. Although Bubble-Bobble is probably my favorite Multi-Player Game.

Favorites are Robotron, Berzerk, Blaster, Wizard of Wor, Tempest, Joust, Major Havoc, Tetris, and Night Driver. Speed Freak has pretty awesome graphics as well.

I still need to look into the NEO-GEO games, as well as some other games that run through MAME that weren't arcade.

I read recently that MAME are trying to get Pinball and Slot Machines working. I'd like to try some of Williams' Pinball Machines, so I hope that happens soon.

As for replacing the roms, I found a torrent and set a high priority on the ones I needed. Now I have to painstakingly move my NVRAMS and Save States from 32 to 64 (I'm going to switch to 64, Donkey Rhubarb, so your post was actually helpful).

Edit: Damn, it is impossible to replace my Wizard of Wor Highscore. But, I just beat my Robotron Highscore (which is several years old). It's a good day.

  On 4/23/2012 at 8:45 PM, Murveman said:

  On 4/23/2012 at 8:34 PM, Donkey Rhubarb said:

Ive been using MAMEUI64 1.45 Go to File, Properties, Miscellaneous and select save game state on exit. Ive only been playing donkey kong! This save all my scores.

MAMEUI64 has the same problem as UIFX32, in that it doesn't recognize several roms. I gotta be able to play Frenzy and Bubble Bobble.

When I updated Mame to a new version I found a lot of my roms stopped working - but learnt it was mainly because the roms themselves were problematic and the bugs in old version of mame were making it work. But this seemed to sort me out and I now own a batch of properly clean roms - http://forum.romcenter.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2276

^What is this application, exactly? Is it an emulator or some sort of Rom Editor?

It's a rom fixer thing- it sorts out checksums, grabs rom pieces from other roms so they're complete and generally does fixey stuff. No idea how it works but it does (and it did!)

I lied. Several game's Save States do not save (Anteater, Marvin's Maze). So if anyone else has suggestions let me know.

In the meantime I'll try to figure out how that thing mcbpete posted works.

i like shmups. gradius iii arcade is probably my favourite of all of them. so fucking frustratingly good.

I used McbPete's link thing, and while it fixed some things it didn't fix the save states.

However, manually saving save states does in fact work. :D

/Problems (I think)

Everyone play Anteater. Shit is fun.

in lieu of a proper arcade machine, i played the shit out of DODONPACHI on MAME (regular, not UI)

  On 4/27/2012 at 5:49 AM, disparaissant said:

i like shmups. gradius iii arcade is probably my favourite of all of them. so fucking frustratingly good.

Try Raiden Fighers Jet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raiden_Fighters_Jet

This is the sole reason I went about helping a friend build his cabinet...This game is the shit 2 player because you can combine your charge up power with another player using numerous ships. Plus you get mad bonus' if you avoid the medals you get for killing shit and let them stack up into larger ones.

I tried to buy the actual game when the local arcade went under but the bastards refused to sell it because it was their 3rd top grossing game, next to Marvel vs. Capcom and Soul Caliber, and it was destined for a Chuck-e-Cheese.

not mame but anyone here use winkawaks?

http://www.kawaks.net/

pretty cool

elevator action returns

virtua fighter 1

simpsons arcade

turtles arcade

pacland

puzzle bobble

pang

Here are my favorites as of now.I'll have to look into Pang and that Elevator Action Sequel.

Also recently discovered this sequel to burgertime. The person playing makes it look easy though.

i'm gonna play some god damn klax today.

my friend is obsessed with finding Mame games that were technologically ahead of the time when they came out, not necessarily fun to play games just technologically impressive ones. Have you guys seen I-robot?

or this game, which somehow landed in real arcades where little kids played it

I-ROBOT has such a fluid feel to the game mechanics. A game where you realise it's you that ballsed up the very microsecond you pressed the wrong button. Once you get in the zone with that thing you can fly through it. An arcade that gets a big thumbs up from me - I can't understand why it's not more well known as an arcade classic.

As for Chiller, I might be wrong but I think it was an arcade that basically all coin-op owners refused to purchase for their arcades. So the chances of encountering one back in the day were pretty much slim to none!

I have such a hard time playing iRobot, but it's so cool. I think it was the first 3D game with filled polygons.

Chiller is so fucked up.

If I was a millionaire, I'd buy so many arcade machines.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPbpy2BYe_g

This game is fun.

i saw an arcade machine in a Costco and it had many many games built in to it ranging from atari 2600 games to street fighter 2... be wicked to own one of those