Arcade ROMS and Different MAME Version

[Jagosaurus]

So while I'm a big console emu fan, my MAME experience is relatively limited.

I have MameoXtras installed on my oXbox, and I've noticed that when I DL large rom sets specifically designated as mameoxtras 1.xx Rom Set then I have no issues. The version of MAME sees all the ROMs and runs them fine.

If I head over ROM sites and cherry pick ROMs, I have bad luck. Either the emu doesn't see them at all or gives me an error once they attempt to run. I traditionally load ROMs a la carte versus full sets. Just my preference.

I'm use to the console emu world where a ROM is a ROM. Sure, it might be looking for a specific file extension but no big issues.

With MAME, are the ROMs specifically "packaged" within the zip folder to work with a particular MAME version or flavor? If I see a version of Metal Slug on a website, is it assuming this is for MAME 1.84 or another specific build?

I may be complicating this conversation because I'm using a version of MAME for oXbox that is more particular/picky than normal. Thoughts?

Appreciate it.

[Sarge]

Generally, MAMEoX or MAMEdOX expects the older ROM sets. I think there are DAT files to make sure you've got the required sets, at least with MAMEdOX. I think you're probably going to be looking at release sets from around .07x to .08x.

[Jagosaurus]

Generally, MAMEoX or MAMEdOX expects the older ROM sets. I think there are DAT files to make sure you've got the required sets, at least with MAMEdOX. I think you're probably going to be looking at release sets from around .07x to .08x.

Okay, so I didn't know the MAME dat file lingo but I was on the right track. Thanks.

When you're referring to .07x/.08x, are you referring to when standard PC MAME was at that release?

I'm going to move over the MAMEoX ROM set tonight (DL I found was in 6 parts) and see if there's any marque titles missing that I'm interested in.

[Sarge]

Yeah, I think MAMEdOX topped out at around MAME 0.84? Something like that. Just grabbing the set like you're doing is probably the best option, because finding individual downloads at this point is probably tough.

I have a pre-made DVD image that I used for MAMEoX, which made the whole ordeal a lot easier. Sure, it's not on the HDD, but I get access to a lot of stuff without jumping through many hoops.

[Jagosaurus]

Yeah, I think MAMEdOX topped out at around MAME 0.84? Something like that. Just grabbing the set like you're doing is probably the best option, because finding individual downloads at this point is probably tough.

I have a pre-made DVD image that I used for MAMEoX, which made the whole ordeal a lot easier. Sure, it's not on the HDD, but I get access to a lot of stuff without jumping through many hoops.

Went that route. Just moved over a set of 1,458 arcade ROMS. Alright! Testing well so far.

Looks like oXbox Coin Ops today is still getting updates but their DL sets are for all the systems out there too. It'd be too redundant for me as I already have all the a la care system emus. I may go that route on my next oXbox mod though. I might join their forum and ask if there's an arcade ROM only DL version.

Ahh... off a disc. That brings back memories of running emus and roms off CDRs on the Dreamcast!

[Tanooki]

I've had your cherry picking problem. One road block after another with standard MAME that gets tossed into stuff like Retroarch among others.

I wanted to get a set of game ROMS for the growing library of NG cartridges I have but picking them individually, using the ROM zips hiding in those humble bundle drops, and other avenues have turned up where they work in some stuff, not in others, and definitely not with MAME based stuff. It drives me nuts as I don't feel I should blow a 10-20GB or whatever it's up to now download for a few hundred MB at best Neo Geo library of zip files which is ridiculous.

MAME itself I backed off of over 15 years ago as they seemed to derive pleasure in renaming all the damned files and zips they're in by release (which were daily at that point then) causing so much wasted time and limited bandwidth grabbing games and having to reformat the entire time over and over so I cut the cord. I don't get that nonsense unless you have a legitimately broken set you remove. Ultimately it was like being stuck in an endless pit of hell based upon the mechanics of 52 card pick up which you never win at where you repeatedly slowly pick up the mess to have it thrown out all over again once it's organized.

[ExedExes]

I don't use any of those frontends or features OP has, but I recently upgraded from 0.176 to 0.186 - had to fix nearly 50 games I had because of the MAME team's standards for accuracy right down to those files contained in the ZIPs. Somewhere along the way they added encryption key files to all the CPS2 system games and I had to run audit after audit to find all the other fixes, but about an a hour and a half later, I've got all my sets correct.

They also renamed Phelios during that time as the post above me mentions - but in this case the new parent set is the World version which translated all the in game text. Set renames like that I don't mind but if they're renaming games for no good reason it does become a pain because all of a sudden that mega-set you might have found with all the games is no good. I do cherry pick my games because I don't need thousands of "machine" roms that aren't arcade games on my computer.

The next version should be out by next week - I will be keeping up to date from now on!

[Tanooki]

If there were a way I could just collate a complete set of MVS carts that would play nice with modern mame aka retroarch for android and PC -- I'd go with it. Right now if I bother firing up MVS on the computer it's that janky final burn alpha people dump on or the set I got with the ROMs I bought with the 25th anniv neo geo humble bundle package. The two sets I've dug up between the bundle and elsewhere not a single one likes mame and in turn retroarch pretends I have no files when I scan the directory.

My solution after pissing over an hour of wasted time realizing I'd have to get a massively huge many GB total rom dump was to quit.

[Jagosaurus]

Wow, DLing huge full sets isn't optimal. I didn't mind pulling a 6GB set once for MAMEoX, but if I were a current MAME PC user, I'd hate that "update" process. That is really is rough. Cherry picking ROMS seems to be a crap shoot. Thanks for the feedback guys.

I probably would've chose my oXbox MAME front end a bit more careful if I realized the zips were relatively proprietary. Luckily I like MAMEoX so far. I have to remember it's a 733 MHZ CPU . It seems to be about 95% ok for the set I DLed.

[marurun]

The full MAME sets are also a pain for the CHD games. Some of the CHD images are really large and emulate at such poor quality it's just not worth it.