ROMS [Read Only Memory] are the hardware chips** that arcade system typically use to store the game program.
**Some of the the more modern systems use other methods of storing the game program like CDROM/DVD or hard disks, like your PC does :)
M.A.M.E. categorises 'ROMS' as all of the forms of software storage (hardware 'chips', CDROM/DVD or hard disk)
The arcade ROMS are 'dumped' or copied off the original arcade hardware by dedicated and talented individuals.
MAME will not run at all without ROMS
ROMS can be found on the net, however most if not all ROMS are copyright so you must own the original arcade PCB to use them
A MAME ROM file is organised in a single .zip file for a particular game. Each ROM file contains all of the ROMS for that particular arcade machine. For example jumpbug.zip (Jump Bug) contains the following roms;
jb1
jb2
jb3
jb3b
jb4
jb5
jb5b
jb6
jb6b
jb7
jb7b
jbi
jbj
jbk
jbl
jbm
jbn
l06_prom.bin
Individual game ROMS are typically organised together into a .zip file in one of three different formats;
Split Sets
- All ROMs belonging to the parent set will be placed in the parent set. The clones of the parent set will be placed in the clone set
- This means you will need both the parent set
and the clone set to run a game
e.g. - To run Pac-Man (Midway) you will require the following files :
- PuckMan (Japan set 1) filename PUCKMAN.ZIP (the
parent)
AND
Pac-Man (Midway) filename PACMAN.ZIP (the clone of PUCKMAN) - Advantages/disadvantages - smaller files but some boards require 2 downloads (see below)
Merged Sets
- All ROMs including the parent set and (if any) all of the clone set(s) will be placed in 1 parent set .zip file
Advantages/disadvantages - The largest individual ROM file size of the 3 methods, but 1 file may contain 1 or more clone ROMS
No Merging
- This means you are storing your a complete set
of ROMS in unmerged sets
A complete set of ROMS for a game board will be contained the games .zip file - Advantages/disadvantages - Bigger files, more disk space
- This method of archiving has the disadvantage of using much more disk space as each ROM set contains all of the ROMS required
You should place your .zip ROMS in the ROMS directory in you MAME directory!
