Welcome to The Official Site of the MAME Development Team

It’s the end of another month, and time for your scheduled MAME release, with more of everything we know you love. In a last-minute update, we slipped in a major performance optimisation for bgfx video output. It’s particularly noticeable when using cropped artwork, and there’s no longer a big performance penalty for bringing up the menu over the emulation on macOS. Another core improvement is support for TAP/TUN networking on Windows, providing a big performance improvement when connecting an emulated system to a network on the host machine.

From the department of things considered lost to time, MAME 0.201 allows you to play as Chuby the octopus, in the incredibly elusive Spanish game Night Mare. Unfortunately the sound ROMs were missing, so you won’t be able to hear Chuby speak, and we still need to be on the lookout for the export version known as Clean Octopus. And speaking of rare games from Spain, two more Magnet System titles have been dumped: A Day in Space and The Burning Cavern.

Newly dumped versions of supported arcade games include prototypes of Halley’s Comet (Taito) and Dog Fight (Orca), a newer version of the original Master Boy (Gaelco), and the Korean release of Raiden II (Seibu Kaihatsu). A redumped ROM allowed Psychic Force EX to run correctly. The vgmplay logged music player has had a big update in this release, with support for several more sound chips and a comprehensive software list.

And this brings us to audio improvements, which seem to have all crowded their way into this release. We have fixes for long-standing sound bugs in Twin Eagle, Targ and Spectar. Sound in Amazing Maze is no longer cut off after thirty seconds or so. There are some big changes for QSound and Taito Zoom ZSG-2 that should make things sound nicer. There’s also preliminary support for the NEC PC-FX’s HuC6230 SoundBox, but be aware it has a DC offset so you’ll hear a big thud when you start or stop it.

Recent improvements in NEC PC-98 emulation have seen dozens of titles promoted to working status, and we’ve added another batch of dumps from Neo Kobe Collection. There are a number of fixes that improve TI-99 floppy and cassette support in this release. InterPro systems can now be used via a serial terminal in configurations without a video card or keyboard. At long last, the Apple //c Plus can boot from its internal floppy drive. Other improvements to computer emulation include better keyboard support for Amiga systems, and improved GPU emulation for the HP Integral PC.

Of course, there’s more to read about in the whatsnew.txt file, and you can get source and Windows binaries from the download page.

Today’s MAME release has two consecutive zeros in the version number! The only other time that happened was over twelve years ago! Although MAME version numbers are just an incrementing number, by a series of coincidences, MAME 0.200 delivers several major changes. First of all, if you’re building MAME with Microsoft Visual Studio (MSVC), you’ll need Visual Studio 2017. We’ve dropped support for Visual Studio 2015. Starting this month, we’re building the official Windows binaries with GCC 7.3 – this probably won’t affect you (we still support building with GCC 5 and up). We’re mirroring tagged releases at GitLab (source only) and SourceForge (source and binaries), so if for some reason you’re unable to access GitHub, you’ll still be able to download official MAME releases.

MAME 0.200 includes replacements for the memory system and callback API. This will enable new functionality and make MAME development more straightforward. The artwork layout system has also had an overhaul which opens new possibilities. We’ve tried our best not to break things, but if you do find something wrong, let us know at MAME Testers, or on our IRC channel #mame on the freenode network.

In arcade emulation this month, we have a number of new versions of supported titles, including a very rare prototype of Led Storm Rally 2011 and three more Street Fighter II': Champion Edition bootlegs. Dreamcast/NAOMI colours are greatly improved thanks to snickerbockers, and cam900 fixed some graphical effects in Gals Panic 3 and Billiard Academy Real Break. Enik Land improved emulation of the Sega Master System, Game Gear and Mega Drive VDPs, covering more corner cases.

The really exciting emulation improvements this month are on the computer side. There are lots of improvements for UK home computers, including better Camputers Lynx tape support (with lots of additions to the software list), re-worked Acorn System emulation, and support for Acorn Bus slot devices. We’ve got a brand-new modernised Apple IIgs driver, with improvements in just about every area. Also, Wayder updated the Sharp 68000 software list, correcting and organising the entries and adding the latest clean dumps.

But even more exciting is the fact that, thanks to Patrick Mackinlay’s gargantuan effort and persistence, the CLIPPER-based InterPro 2000 workstation now works well enough to install and run CLIX (a UNIX operating system). As far as we know, this is a first for MAME. The improvements to SCSI, CD-ROM, and serial emulation also benefit other emulated computer systems. Instructions are on the MAMEdev wiki if you want to try it out.

As usual, all the details are in the whatsnew.txt file, and you can get source and Windows binaries from the download page.

Today’s the day for our mid-year MAME release. MAME 0.199 includes support for the incredibly elusive Spanish arcade title El Fin Del Tiempo, and the rare Pac-Man hack Titan. Other rare bootlegs added include Come-Cocos (derived from Ms. Pac-Man) and Gran Rally (a Spanish bootleg of Pole Position II).

There are some pretty big improvements to Tatsumi games (Apache 3, Cycle Warriors, Round Up 5), some NMK mahjong games work substantially better (Urashima Mahjong, Mahjong Daireikai, Mahjong Channel Zoom In), and Big Run looks better than ever. War: The Final Assault no longer crashes thanks to a fix in Voodoo emulation.

Floppy drive emulation has been further improved, and a fairly major issue with Apple IIgs and Mac 3.5" drives has been fixed. Sound Blaster direct DAC mode is now supported. Improved Dreamcast GD-ROM emulation allows Daytona USA 2001 to boot. The HP 9000/300 series can now boot from floppy, and the medium-resolution colour graphics option is supported. Tiger Electronics fans can enjoy Battle Arena Toshinden for R-Zone.

Of course we’ve also added more alternate versions of supported systems, software list updates, bug fixes, and internal improvements. You can read all the details in the whatsnew.txt file, or get source and Windows binaries from the download page.

It’s the day you’ve been eagerly awaiting all month: MAME release day! MAME 0.198, our May release, is packed full of improvements in lots of areas. Newly supported arcade games include the rare video pinball game Tom Tom Magic, Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu EX ’98, and Keirin Ou. Newly supported computers include the TI-99/2, Dragon MSX-64, and BBC Master 512.

This release brings graphics emulation improvements to a number of systems, including more fixes for Sega Saturn/ST-V, missing effects emulated in 1945k III, and improvements to the title screen in Wolf Fang. The SH-4 recompiler now supports more FPU opcodes directly, and NAOMI keyboards are supported. Low-level floppy drive emulation improvements bring improved compatibility for Apple II software. Newly supported peripherals include a PC ISA LBA BIOS card, the Beeb Speech Synthesiser, and a number of BBC Micro pointing devices.

Other additions include new Tiger handhelds (Batman: The Animated Series, Operation: Aliens, Wayne’s World, and X-Men), the Fidelity Elegance and Prestige chess computers, and alternate versions of Battle Balls, Centipede, Final Fight, Karate Blazers, Last Mission, Real Puncher, Sengoku 3, Spy Hunter, and World Heroes 2. There are lots of additions to the Apple II cassette software list, and several additions to the Sorcerer cassette software list as well. MAME now supports Korean user interface thanks to a contribution from Neius.

For developers, we’ve fixed some issues in the debugger affecting CPUs that use word addressing, and the source list is sorted more intuitively in memory windows. We’ve made a number of changes to how machine configuration works to make driver development more intuitive and less error-prone.

Of course, you can read all the details in the whatsnew.txt file, or get source and Windows binaries from the download page.

For our April release, we’re bringing even more elusive electronic esoterica to light. MAME 0.197 finally includes support for the 1987 version of the Spanish quiz game Master Boy, believed to be Gaelco’s first release. There are now drivers for several Neo-Geo MVS variants, exposing different capabilities. Lamp outputs are now supported for The Irritating Maze, bringing the game to life a little more. We’ve added four more Tiger LCD games, all based on licensed IP: Home Alone, Home Alone 2, Independence Day, and Transformers – Generation 2.

The Sega Model 2 improvements keep coming, with Rail Chase 2 now working. With its protection MCU emulated, Capcom’s F-1 Dream is also working. MAME 0.197 adds support for alternate versions and bootlegs of a long list of systems, including Crazy Bonus 2002, Explosive Breaker, Fidelity Excel 68000, Lup Lup Puzzle, Pochi and Nyaa, Renegade, and Silkworm. In addition, there are graphical improvements to Sega ST-V/Saturn, and Magical Tetris Challenge.

There are some nice improvements for computer emulation this month, too. The Acorn Electron has improved video handling and support for the Mega Games Cartridge. The NEC PC-98 CD-ROM software list has been updated with the latest dumps and compatibility status – recent emulation improvements mean more fully supported titles. You can now boot HP-BASIC cartridges on the HP9000/340 series.

You can read about the rest of the improvements in the whatsnew.txt file. As always, source and Windows binaries are available from the download page.

MAME 0.196, our March release, is here just in time for Easter, and it’s packed with all the goodness you’ve come to expect. In a very exciting development, Team Caps0ff have extracted the C-chip data for Volfied, Superman, Rainbow Islands, and most importantly, Bonze Adventure. This cleanly fixes some of the most long-standing emulation issues in MAME. The improvements to Sega Model 2 have continued, with Virtua Fighter 2 and Motor Raid now considered working. Other Model 2 games are greatly improved as well.

For fans of 8-bit home computers, MAME 0.196 has improved ZX Spectrum family emulation, fixing many graphical glitches. A QuikLoad option has been added to several CP/M-80 machines, allowing .COM files to be loaded directly after the operating system has booted. Emulated IEEE-488 (GPIB) can now be tunnelled over sockets, opening up the possibility to simulate peripherals outside MAME. Interpro progress has continued, and is now at the point where you can boot the rebuild floppy.

Other new working arcade games include Big Buck Hunter, an older joystick-controlled version of Ghox, and a rare unprotected version of Opa Opa. With some fixes to our vector maths, War: The Final Assault is working, and Gunpey has been made playable using decompressed sprite data extracted from a working board. New LCD hand-helds include Dennis the Menace, Double Dragon 3, Jurassic Park, Spider-Man, The Addams Family, The Flash, and X-Men - Project X.

In an emulation first, MAME 0.196 supports QSound DSP emulation. For now, it’s only enabled for the vgmplay driver by default, and it requires a fairly fast computer to emulate at full speed. It will be enabled by default when system requirements are a bit more modest. The SH-4 recompiler has been enabled by default for Dreamcast-derived systems, giving substantial performance improvements.

Of course, there are plenty of other improvements that you can read about in the whatsnew.txt file. As always, source and Windows binaries are available from the download page.

Whether you’re experiencing a cold snap in Spring or an Autumn heatwave, we hope you’ll enjoy MAME 0.195 just in time for the last day of February. Goodies in this release include further improvements to V.R. Technologies NES-derived hardware, a few more Tiger handhelds, a number of Donkey Kong hacks, the original version of Gigas Mark II, the official Taiwanese release of Street Fighter II': Champion Edition, and more BBC Electron cartridges. If you’re interested in home-to-arcade conversions, you might want to check out the ultra-rare Spanish title Hammer Boy, developed by Dinamic and brought to arcades by Inder – it plays like an oversize Game & Watch.

Namco NA1 emulation has been overhauled, with big visual improvements for Numan Athletics and X-Day 2. Background alignment has been fixed in Popeye, and the driver has been cleaned up overall. We’ve received lots of patches from cam900, covering a large number of drivers. As well as a lot of code cleanup, highlights include ES5510 DSP effects for Taito’s Ensoniq-based sound hardware, improved graphics priorities in Sand Scorpion and Jackie Chan, graphical improvements in Data East MLC games (Skull Fang is closer to working), and K051649 support in the vgmplay driver.

Besides the new working systems, this release includes preliminary support for a number of interesting systems. These include the XaviX platform (used for the Taito Nostalgia and Play TV/ConnecTV lines), the Olympia BOSS, and the Panafacom Duet. IPL-disable has been fixed for Flash-based TI-8x series calculators. At opposite ends of the spectrum, graphics emulation is noticeably better for Sega Model 2 and the Interpro workstations. We’ve also added VM Labs Aries disassembly support (this is the multi-core VLIW processor used in NUON-enhanced DVD players).

This month, we’ve seen far more internal improvement, code cleanup and modernisation than user-visible improvements. This is all part of our effort to make the code more maintainable, paving the way for future improvements and keeping MAME relevant. That said, the list of emulation improvements and newly supported systems is quite impressive. We’d like to thank all the contributors helping make MAME what it is today.

You can read all about our progress in the whatsnew.txt file, or get the source or Windows binaries from the download page. Remember we appreciate reproducible regression reports at MAME Testers or github.