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  • Systems & Emulators
    • Arcade Guide
    • Supported Game Systems
      • Game Consoles
        • 3DO
        • Actionmax
        • Adventure Vision
        • Amstrad GX4000
        • APF MP-1000
        • Arcadia 2001
        • Atari (consoles)
          • Atari 2600
          • Atari 5200
          • Atari 7800
          • Atari XEGS
          • Jaguar
          • Jaguar CD
        • Bally Astrocade
        • Casio Loopy
        • Channel F
        • ColecoVision
        • Commodore (game consoles)
          • Amiga CDTV
          • Amiga CD32
        • Intellivision
        • Lowres NX
        • Microsoft (consoles)
          • Xbox
          • Xbox 360
        • NEC (consoles)
          • PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16
          • PC Engine CD-ROM/TurboGrafx-CD
          • SuperGrafx
          • PC-FX
        • Nintendo (game consoles)
          • Nintendo Entertainment System - Family Computer
          • Family Computer Disk System
          • NES 3D
          • Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Super Famicom
          • Satellaview
          • SuFami Turbo
          • Super NES MSU-1
          • Super Game Boy
          • Nintendo 64
          • Nintendo 64 Disk Drive
          • GameCube
          • Wii
          • WiiU
          • Switch
        • Philips CD-i
        • Odyssey²
        • Othello Multivision
        • PV-1000
        • Sega (game consoles)
          • SG-1000
          • Master System - Mark III
          • Megadrive - Genesis
          • Megadrive - Genesis (MSU)
          • Mega-CD - Sega-CD
          • Sega 32X
          • Saturn
          • Dreamcast
        • SNK (game consoles)
          • Neo Geo
          • Neo Geo CD
        • Sony (game consoles)
          • PlayStation
          • PlayStation 2
          • Playstation 3
          • Playstation 4
        • Super Cassette Vision
        • Super A'Can
        • Uzebox
        • VC4000
        • Vectrex
        • Vircon32
        • VTech
          • CreatiVision
          • V.Smile
      • Portable Game Consoles
        • Arduboy
        • Atari (portable game consoles)
          • Lynx
        • Gamate
        • Game.com
        • Game Pocket Computer
        • Game Master
        • Game & Watch
        • GP 32
        • LCD Games
        • Mega Duck
        • Nintendo (portable game consoles)
          • Game Boy
          • Game Boy MSU
          • Game Boy 2 players
          • Virtual Boy
          • Game Boy Color
          • Game Boy Color 2 players
          • Game Boy Advance
          • Game Boy Advance 2 players
          • Nintendo DS
          • Pokémon Mini
          • Nintendo 3DS
        • Nokia
          • N-Gage & Symbian
        • Sega (portable game consoles)
          • Game Gear
        • SNK (portable game consoles)
          • Neo Geo Pocket
          • Neo Geo Pocket Color
        • Sony (portable game consoles)
          • PlayStation Portable
          • PlayStation Vita
        • Supervision
        • Wonderswan
          • WonderSwan
          • WonderSwan Color
      • Home Computer
        • Acorn Computers
          • Archimedes
          • ATOM
          • BBC Micro
          • Electron
        • Amstrad CPC
        • Apple
          • Apple II
          • Apple IIGS
        • Atari (computers)
          • Atari 800
          • Atari ST
        • Camputers Lynx
        • Coleco Adam
        • Pegasus
        • Commodore (computers)
          • Commodore PET
          • Commodore VIC-20
          • Commodore 64
          • Commodore Plus/4
          • Commodore 128
          • Amiga 500
          • Amiga 1200
          • Amiga 4000
        • Dragon 32/64
        • Fujitsu
          • FM-7
          • FM-TOWNS
        • Mattel
          • Aquarius
        • Microsoft (computers)
          • MSX
          • MSX2
          • MSX2+
          • MSX turbo R
        • NEC (computers)
          • NEC PC-8800
          • NEC PC-9800
        • Oric Atmos
        • Philips
          • P2000t
          • VG5000µ
        • Sam Coupé
        • Sharp
          • Sharp X1
          • Sharp X68000
        • Sinclair Research
          • ZX 81
          • ZX Spectrum
        • SpectraVideo (SV-318)
        • Thomson - MO/TO
        • TI-99/4A
        • Tomy Tutor
        • TRS-80 Color Computer
      • Arcade
        • Atomiswave
        • Capcom Play Systems
          • CPS I
          • CPS II
          • CPS III
        • Cave CV1000
        • Final Burn Neo
        • Gaelco
        • HomeBrew MAME
        • Hyper Neo Geo 64
        • LaserDisc
        • MAME
        • Namco 246/256
        • SEGA
          • Sega Model 2
          • Sega Titan-Video
          • Sega Model 3
          • Sega NAOMI
          • Sega NAOMI 2
          • Sega Hikaru
          • Triforce
          • Sega Chihiro
        • TeknoParrot
        • Zinc
      • Game Engines
        • EasyRPG
        • GemRB
        • IKEMEN
        • Löve
        • Lutro
        • MUGEN
        • Open Beats Of Rage
        • Singe
        • Solarus
      • Pinball
        • Future Pinball
        • Pinball FX
        • Pinball FX2
        • Pinball FX3
        • Pinball M
        • Visual Pinball
        • Zaccaria Pinball
      • Others
        • Cannonball
        • Cave Story
        • CDogs
        • Commander Genius
        • DevilutionX
        • Dinothawr
        • Doom III
        • DOS
        • Duke Nukem 3D
        • Flash
        • GzDoom
        • Java ME
        • Karaoke
        • OpenGOAL
        • OpenJazz
        • Perfect Dark
        • Pico-8
        • Ports
        • PrBoom
        • Quake
        • Quake 2
        • Raze
        • REminiscence
        • Ship Of Harkinian
        • Starship
        • Sonic 3 AIR
        • Sonic Mania
        • Sonic Retro
        • Super Mario War
        • ScummVM
        • The Force Engine
        • Theme Hospital
        • TIC-80
        • Tomb Raider
        • TV Games
        • WASM-4
        • Windows
        • Wolfenstein 3D
  • Controllers
    • Supported Controllers
      • 🎮Gamepads
        • Special controllers
      • 🕹️Arcade Sticks
      • 🔫Lightguns
        • WiimoteGun
      • 🛞Wheels
      • ⌨️Keyboard
    • Controllers Configuration
    • Gun controls
    • Emulator specific controls mapping
      • Dolphin controller mapping
      • MAME64 controller mapping
      • Model2 controller mapping
      • RetroArch controller mapping
      • Teknoparrot controller mapping
    • Pad2Key
  • Advanced Features
    • Decorations (bezels)
    • Updates & Content Download
    • Kiosk and Kid mode
    • Save States
    • Retroachievements
    • Netplay
    • AI Translation Service
    • Batgui
    • retrobat.ini
    • Latency and blur reduction
    • Softpatching
  • TUTORIALS
    • Know issues & fixes
    • Symbolic links
    • Adding RetroArch Shader Sets to Retrobat
    • Customize Mega-Bezels
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Copyright The RetroBat Team 2019-2024

On this page
  • Introduction
  • Multi Machine Emulators
  • Available Multi-Machine Arcade emulators in Retrobat
  • Single Board Emulators
  • ROMs
  • Terminology
  • ROM set types
  • Additional files
  • Samples
  • CHD or IMG files
  • Links and references

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  1. Systems & Emulators

Arcade Guide

PreviousGame CollectionsNextSupported Game Systems

Last updated 1 month ago

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Introduction

Arcade emulators can be split in 2 categories:

  • Multi-Arcade-Machine Emulators

  • Single-Arcade-Board Emulators

There are a huge variety of Arcade Machines, this is why Arcade Emulation is complex.

In this guide, we will focus on 2 families of emulators, and give you the main keys to understand Arcade Emulation, we will group the Emulators in the 2 families described above.

Multi Machine Emulators

There are two families of multi-system arcade emulators available: FinalBurn and MAME.

These emulators are available in multiple versions to allow users to best match a core/emulator with their games.

Available Multi-Machine Arcade emulators in Retrobat

Emulator/core
ROMs folder
ROM set version

libretro: mame (current)

\roms\mame

0.275

libretro: mame2016

\roms\mame

0.174

libretro: mame2014

\roms\mame

0.159

libretro: mame2010

\roms\mame

0.139

Libretro: mame2003_plus

\roms\mame

0.78plus

Libretro: mame2003

\roms\mame

0.78

Libretro: mame2000

\roms\mame

0.37b5

mame (standalone)

\roms\mame

0.276

Libretro: fbneo

\roms\fbneo

latest MAME romset is usually safe

Libretro: fbalpha

\roms\fbneo

0.2.97.44

Libretro: fbalpha2012

\roms\fbneo

0.2.97.29

FBNEO

\roms\fbneo

latest MAME romset is usually safe

MAME is the usual emulator used for common Arcade games (the likes of Pac-Man, Asteroids, etc.)

FBNeo is specialized in Fighting Games and Beat-them-up.

Single Board Emulators

Arcade Machine(s)
ROMs folder
Emulator

FMV LaserDisc Arcade Games

\roms\daphne

HYPSEUS DAPHNE

ATOMISWAVE

\roms\atomiswave

FLYCAST Demul

GAELCO

\roms\gaelco

Demul

SEGA MODEL 2

\roms\model2

m2emulator

SEGA MODEL 3

\roms\model3

Supermodel

SEGA NAOMI

\roms\naomi

FLYCAST Demul

SEGA NAOMI 2

\roms\naomi2

FLYCAST Demul

HIKARU

\roms\hikaru

Demul

TRIFORCE

\roms\triforce

DOLPHIN-TRIFORCE

CHIHIRO

\roms\chihiro

CXBX-RELOADED

PC-BASED ARCADE

\roms\teknoparrot

TEKNOPARROT

ZINC

\roms\zinc

ZINC PSXMame

ROMs

Terminology

  • ROM, ROM set, and romset: Arcade games are packaged as zip files, most of which are composed of more than one individual 'ROM' file. That is why some resources refer to an individual arcade game as a ROM while other resources refer to an individual game as a ROM set or romset.

  • ROM version or romset version: Each version of an arcade emulator must be used with ROMs that have the same exact version number. For example, MAME 0.37b5 ROMs are required by the MAME 2000 emulator, but will not work correctly with the MAME 2010 emulator, which requires MAME 0.139 ROMs.

ROM set types

Arcade ROMs can be formatted four ways:

  • Full Non-merged: All romsets can be used standalone because each zip contains all the files needed to run that game, including any ROMs from 'parent' ROM sets and BIOS sets.

  • Non-merged ROM: All romsets can be used standalone because each zip contains all the files needed to run that game, including any files from 'parent romsets'. The only exceptions are games which use BIOS ROMs, which are formatted as 'Split' and must be kept in the same folder as the game romset which uses it.

  • Split: Some romsets that are considered clones, translations, or bootlegs also require a "parent" romset to run. In some cases the parent is not the most popular or best working version of the game, however. For example, in a Split set pacman.zip (a clone), will not work without puckman.zip (its parent).

  • Merged: Clones are merged into the parent romset zip, meaning that more than one game is stored per file.

Merged rom sets are not supported, as only the main game will be seen in RetroBat and launched by Mame core.

We recommend the use of Non-merged rom sets.

Do not rename the zipped ROM files. Scrapers will recognize the games with the .zip filename and match them with the right game.

Additional files

Samples

Some games need extra samples files to work, they should be placed in the following folders:

  • For fbneo: \bios\fbneo\samples

  • For mame2003: \bios\mame2003\samples

  • For mame2003plus: \bios\mame2003-plus\samples

  • For mame2010: \bios\mame2010\samples

  • For the current mame and standalone mame: \bios\mame\samples

CHD or IMG files

Some arcade games can use extra files (originally these were physically stored on a disc) called CHD (sometimes IMG).

The CHD folder must be placed in the rom folder and must have the same name as the game's ZIP file.

For example, for kinst.zip the game will be looking for kinst\kinst.chd.

Links and references

Credits

A big chunk of information from this page has been sourced from libretro documentation:

https://docs.libretro.com/guides/arcade-getting-started/