MAME32 Instructions

Emulation Station - Arcade Emulation CD
Collection by ShadeDJT, DeaDPooL, DublThink, and cRaZyEd

What is MAME?

MAME stands for Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator. This device emulates certain Arcade Machines but since the list is over 3000 it is a very good library. Due to the fact that every Arcade machine is different, configuring each ROM is sometimes a difficult task. The buttons have no absolute positions; the insert coin, player 1, and player 2 buttons differ along the keyboard depending on what game you play.
Like on the Emulation Station Console Disc, the games are called ROMs. The files are a bit different though. Each ROM is located in the rooms folder in MAME 32 folder. Each ROM consists of multiple files instead of one file. The Emulator needs all these files in order for the game to run correctly.

What's so great about MAME?

Many games over the years that I have played at the arcade never made it to home gaming status. I can remember playing Black Tiger at a local restaurant. I loved the game but a home version was never made. Now with MAME, I can play all the games I've always wanted to play at home but couldn't.

How do I use MAME?

MAME is not the most user friendly system there is. Luckily MAME32 is much easier. When you install MAME32, You get five ways of installing it.
(The "special" MAME 32 includes backgrounds, preview pictures of the games, as well as custom icons)
1. Install Full MAME32 along with all ROMs (632MB of free space required) - This Installs the special MAME32 system with all games.
2. Install Full MAME32 without ROMs (114MB of free space required) - This Installs the special MAME32 system without any games, allowing you to download your own.
3. Install Basic MAME32 without ROMs (3.1MB of free space required) - This Installs the standard MAME32 system without the custom icons, preview pictures, backgrounds, or games.
4. Already have MAME32? Install the ROMs Only (518.1MB of free space required) - For those of you who already have MAME32 and want to keep your settings, this installs the games on the CD to any designated folder.
5. Install the parts you want - This is a custom install in which you choose icons, backgrounds, preview pictures, etc.

Once you start MAME32 there are some configurations you can use. Start any ROM by double clicking on the title.
Now press Tab and you should get this screen:

Input (general) - This menu contains commands that apply to all games such as coin deposit and start. There is also a Save State and Load State Option so you can save your place!!!

Press either Enter or Ctrl to enter this Menu. Use the down arrows on your keyboard and/or your Gamepad to scroll through the menu. This will list all of the commands and what they do.
This is different on computers. For this reason, your scrolling arrows and your UI (User Interface) buttons may be different so pay attention to what is says. You must use this menu to see how your system is pre-configured. Your UI Select button can designate a new button for any command however you must make sure that no 2 programs have the same command otherwise both commands will be executed.

Input (this game) - This menu lets you configure the keys for a specific game.

Follow the same procedure as above and use your UI Select button to assign each key where you want it. Unfortunately the buttons are usually labeled 1-6 so you have to test to see what each button does. Here are some I have already done:

Mortal Kombat -
Button 1 - High Kick
Button 2 - High Punch
Button 3 - Block
Second Button 3 (MK 1 & 2 only) - Block
Button 4 - Low Punch
Button 5 - Low Kick
Button 6 (MK 3 only) - Run

Capcom Fighters (Marvel vs. Capcom, Super Street Fighter, etc.)
Button 1 - Weak Punch
Button 2 - Medium Punch
Button 3 - Hard Punch
Button 4 - Weak Kick
Button 5 - Medium Kick
Button 6 - Hard Kick

Why don't all the games work?

MAME32 has the ability to play 3290 arcade games. Each arcade game requires a folder containing the necessary files. I downloaded my favorites but to download them all would take far too much time and they wouldn't all fit on one CD. Try doing a Refresh by clicking on the View à Refresh (or F5).

Your computer will then scan for Available ROMs. Now use the "Available" folder on the left side to view the games that are there. Please note that if an X appears next to the game title, that means that the game is available but that it does not run correctly. This is not a problem with the ROM but rather the fact that MAME32 includes non-working ROMs. There is, though, usually a working version close to it.

As you can see above, MAME32 has a listing marked Directory. As long as this folder appears in the MAME32 roms folder (containing all the needed files of course), the game is playable. Currently, you can download new games from www.mameworld.net.

Can I customize how MAME32 looks?

Sure. To change the background, just rename whatever picture you want as your background to bkground.png and place it in the snap folder of MAME32. I have also included a backgrounds folder that has several different backgrounds you can use. As for icons and snapshots, they relate to the Directory name. For example, msh.png is the picture shown for Marvel Super Heroes (US 951024) which is in the msh directory. This game also uses the msh.ico as its icon located in the icons folder. You can always change these items to whatever you want by simply renaming the new item to the same name as the directory. You can also create a new snapshot of a game you are playing by pressing F12.
Remember that if you change the background to a dark color, you need to change the font to a light color under Options à Refresh.

Note: I was unable to test every game all the way through (would take a lifetime). Some games may have errors. If a game does not work with one emulator, it may work with another. You can check for updates at http://www.shadedjt.com/Emulation.htm. If the main site is down, basic information (without downloads) can be found at http://home.earthlink.net/~emulationstation/.