"Easy MAME" Frontend / Alternative?

[ballyalley]

I first sent this posting, in a slightly different form, to the Easy MAME frontend developer, but it bounced back.

 

I'd have two primary questions:

 

1) Does the Easy MAME frontend still supports the newest version of MAME?

 

2) If not, which would be a good alternative that doesn't use too many system resources, supports Windows XP and has a Mouse/Windows interface?

 

I have been an Easy MAME user for about five years. I'm currently using Easy MAME 5.8.1 with MAME 0.138 (May 15, 2010) and Windows XP. Yesterday I tried updating to MAME 0.147 (Sept 17, 2012), but Easy MAME does not seem to be compatible with the new version of MAME.

 

Easy MAME has always been easy to configure, so here are the steps that I made to update from MAME 0.138 to MAME 0.147:

 

1) Downloaded and installed MAME 0.147 in new directory called "mame0147" on my H: drive.

 

2) Used ROM Center to update/fix copies of my ROMs to work with MAME 0.147.

Moved these copies to "H:\mame0147\roms"

 

3) Tested a ROM (Donkey Kong) with command line version of MAME 0.147. It works fine.

 

4) Unzipped a fresh copy of Easy MAME into the MAME 0.147 directory.

 

5) Ran Easy MAME. Easy MAME finds the ROMs (and the bad ones-- these seem to be the same ones that ROM Center identified).

 

6) Once Easy MAME has started, no ROMs are listed for play when "Show All Available ROMs" is checked. I tried F5, "Initialize ROMs," but it made no effect; there are still no ROMs listed for play.

 

7) I checked all the GUI Folder and MAME Folders under Preferences and these seem correct.

 

Is there anything that I'm overlooking? Is it simply that Easy MAME is no longer compatible with the newest vesion of MAME?

 

Thanks.

 

Adam

[Metal Jesus]

I am using the latest version of HyperSpin on an old single CPU Windows XP computer and it works fine with MAME Plus & my X-Arcade controller. I do run into issues with some ROM compatibility, but I resolved that by getting them from a different web site. If you go down the HyperSpin/MAME Plus route and want to know which site, PM me.

[Vaughan]

I use Mame UI.

 

http://www.mameui.info/

 

To be honest, I don't know why I bothered upgrading my Mame. I had version .37, and it played everything I wanted, and I had a UI I was happy with. I upgraded to the latest Mame on a whim - not because of any new games. I just ended up spending a lot of time sorting things for thge new version, for no real gain.

 

My advice would be to examine why you want to upgrade. If it's worth it for you, fine. But if it's just a whim.... well, I'd rather not have bothered. It just meant sorting out new UI's, replacing ROM's.......

Edited December 24, 2012 by Vaughan

[RickR]

IV Play works nicely. http://www.mameui.info/

[Deteacher]

My vote goes to Hyperspin as well. Very cool frontend.

[the.golden.ax]

I just set up a MaLa on a P3 1.1ghz laptop I got from the AA marketplace for $30 shipped. Now that's some cheap fun.

[RickR]

Just tried MaLa. It works very nicely!

[HuckleCat]

When using any sort of frontend for MAME, especially if you're using MAMEUI (very recommended), always make sure you audit all the roms first. This will tell you if any are bad, and will also add the good ones the list of available games.

 

In MAMEUI it's File/Audit all games.

[aleste81]

6) Once Easy MAME has started, no ROMs are listed for play when "Show All Available ROMs" is checked. I tried F5, "Initialize ROMs," but it made no effect; there are still no ROMs listed for play.

EasyMAME don't support recent MAME (tested 0.148+).

This is a shame, because I have not found yet a equivalent front-end for official MAME binaries.

We have two options, either we find a way to fix EasyMAME, or we contact the author to fix it.

http://easymame.mameworld.info/download.html

Contact = easymame@telenet.net

 

Or we get our hands on a equivalent to EasyMAME ?

Its key features was

1) very fast to load

2) a list of available games and their screeshots

I have tried dozens of front-ends, they all fail EasyMAME simplicity and efficiency.

[Keatah]

I use Mame UI.

 

http://www.mameui.info/

 

To be honest, I don't know why I bothered upgrading my Mame. I had version .37, and it played everything I wanted, and I had a UI I was happy with. I upgraded to the latest Mame on a whim - not because of any new games. I just ended up spending a lot of time sorting things for thge new version, for no real gain.

 

My advice would be to examine why you want to upgrade. If it's worth it for you, fine. But if it's just a whim.... well, I'd rather not have bothered. It just meant sorting out new UI's, replacing ROM's.......

 

Totally agree! I keep my old version, set up perfectly. Then I periodically update or "tack-on" a new version of mame if there a game I want or some kinda feature.

 

Blindly upgrading things is a no-no, with mame, or anything else.

Edited August 29, 2013 by Keatah

[goldenegg]

 

Or we get our hands on a equivalent to EasyMAME ?

Its key features was

1) very fast to load

2) a list of available games and their screeshots

I have tried dozens of front-ends, they all fail EasyMAME simplicity and efficiency.

 

QMC2 does both those things and a whole lot more.

 

http://qmc2.arcadehits.net/wordpress/

[aleste81]

Yes !

That is exactly what EasyMAME was.

How do you filter the list to display only Parents and not Clones ?

 

Thanks you very much by the way

Edited August 29, 2013 by aleste81

[goldenegg]

Glad I could help. I'm actually responsible for the Mac builds of QMC2.

 

I'm not in front of my computer at the moment, but there is an option in the VIEW (I believe) menu that determines how games are displayed. Clones aren't ignored completely, they will simply nest under the parent and are only visible should you choose to expand the parent. This is pretty handy since you don't have to switch to another view to try the odd clone here or there.

[Hyperboy]

I am using the latest version of HyperSpin on an old single CPU Windows XP computer and it works fine with MAME Plus & my X-Arcade controller. I do run into issues with some ROM compatibility, but I resolved that by getting them from a different web site. If you go down the HyperSpin/MAME Plus route and want to know which site, PM me.

Same setup and it works great!

[AnnaWu]

Yes !

That is exactly what EasyMAME was.

How do you filter the list to display only Parents and not Clones ?

 

Thanks you very much by the way

 

As goldenegg said, try the VIEW option. Maybe the ultimate guide for QMC2 can be helpful too.

 

 

 

[rxd]

I need to try this tonight. I have been searching for a replacement for EasyMame for months....

[greenaway]

Hello,

 

In my opinion EasyMame is indeed the best MAME F.E. for my use because :

 

Fast to install.

Light in ressources

Displays the MNG videos previews

 

I also experienced recently problems when I re-installed a new version 5.8.1 with mame0153b:

No game list displayed in the left part so impossible to use ...

 

After some investigations I found the root cause and reported it to the developper so waiting for feedback...

The problem is due to a Filter Bug when the "All games" is selected !!

So the workaround is just to select another value in Filter (Ex: Raster Games) and the filtered game list is displayed

and can be launched !!!

 

So good news is : Easymame works fine with mame0153b with the beautiful MNG previews !!

 

Hope it helps.

 

Fabien