Retroarch using mame2003, 2010, 2015, 2016 vs actual MAME

[GiSWiG]

So I've really gotten in to mame. I've had a set before but I've never been crazy with the MAME emulator. I've recently discovered mame2003, especially to put on a Genesis Mini and I've tried it on my PC. I do have the full set of MAME 0.217 at a whooping 768GB in full non-merged form for the straight up libretro mame core. I did try the mame2003 core on my PC and it really works nice out of the box. I didn't have to setup any controls with my XBOX One controller. I had compiled a list from various sources of the best MAME games, over 800 and although I didn't get much past B, every game on the list is available in the mame2003. Also, the whole set is only under 33gb. Using Launchbox importing and its ability to export games, I imported everything with everything skipped except mature games and to add all games as individual apps, exported/copied the results which came down to 233gb, then imported that set with the same skip settings and clones as additional apps. That equals about 2900 games. mame2003 comes in at about 2700 with clones as additional apps and same skip settings. Also, the mame2003 set doesn't include all the extra, mostly unneeded clones.

So a few questions

- Space is not an issue but MAME 0217 comes with so many clones per game, many will never see the light of day. They are just hogging space. 233gb vs. 33gb

- mame2003 is using the old 0.78 mame set yes, maybe not "accurate" enough for purist but will gamers miss much?

- many mame2003 games work on mini systems and most on raspberry pi (I don't have one but might have the time now with the quarantine.)

- There are the mame2010, mame2015, mame2016 cores but I don't see much documentation about them. I'm thinking they are not much different than mame2003. Are they any better?

- Just what games or fixed games are missing from mame2003? mame2003 is still actively developed for and many games are being fixed or backported from newer mame versions. Does the same hold true for for the other mame2xxx cores/sets?

- As far as the latest mame core (mame_libretro) versus actual MAME, it seems better in retroarch but if it keeps getting updated, it seems like I have to keep my rom set updated like having to get the 0.219 set. When I load the mame_libretro core, it has 0.219 in parentheses afterward. I don't have the time for to keep updating the rom set. mame2003 is occasionally updated but I did use the update instructions from the libretro site which was quite easy.

- There is also mame2003-plus. Is that the better choice?

- I also have Final Burn Neo loaded in LB too so if there really is anything missing or not as polished in mame2003, maybe its there in FBN?

After all this, mame2003 seems like a win-win but is it really? Are the other mame cores, mame2010, mame2015, mame2016 any better?

Thanks for all who read an answer. There just doesn't seem to be much out there on these topics and I hope others are helped by your answers.

 

[Lordmonkus]

Wow, you said a lot of stuff here so i'll pick out a couple of things that stuck out to me.

3 hours ago, GiSWiG said:

- Space is not an issue but MAME 0217 comes with so many clones per game, many will never see the light of day. They are just hogging space. 233gb vs. 33gb

A full set is not 233GB unless you get into the CHDs as well or use the Non Merged set which is pointless if you are using the full set.

3 hours ago, GiSWiG said:

- mame2003 is using the old 0.78 mame set yes, maybe not "accurate" enough for purist but will gamers miss much?

That all depends on what you want but there is some newer stuff in the later versions that is extremely good.

3 hours ago, GiSWiG said:

- There are the mame2010, mame2015, mame2016 cores but I don't see much documentation about them. I'm thinking they are not much different than mame2003. Are they any better?

Newer versions are more accurate and have more games, it's up to the end user if that matters or not.

3 hours ago, GiSWiG said:

- As far as the latest mame core (mame_libretro) versus actual MAME, it seems better in retroarch

The RA cores are very good but I find stand alone Mame better.

3 hours ago, GiSWiG said:

I have to keep my rom set updated like having to get the 0.219 set.

You don't have to keep updating if you don't want to, Nothing is preventing you from just freezing your rom set and Mame version.

3 hours ago, GiSWiG said:

When I load the mame_libretro core, it has 0.219 in parentheses afterward

Don't update the core if you don't want to.

3 hours ago, GiSWiG said:

- There is also mame2003-plus. Is that the better choice?

I like the 2003 Plus core, it has some very good game backported and supports Netplay.

At the end of the say it's down to personal preference and end users needs and there is way too much to unpack here to make a side by side comparison of games, features and improvements.

[GiSWiG]

7 hours ago, Lordmonkus said:

Wow, you said a lot of stuff here so i'll pick out a couple of things that stuck out to me.

A full set is not 233GB unless you get into the CHDs as well or use the Non Merged set which is pointless if you are using the full set.

That all depends on what you want but there is some newer stuff in the later versions that is extremely good.

Newer versions are more accurate and have more games, it's up to the end user if that matters or not.

The RA cores are very good but I find stand alone Mame better.

You don't have to keep updating if you don't want to, Nothing is preventing you from just freezing your rom set and Mame version.

Don't update the core if you don't want to.

I like the 2003 Plus core, it has some very good game backported and supports Netplay.

At the end of the say it's down to personal preference and end users needs and there is way too much to unpack here to make a side by side comparison of games, features and improvements.

I have a full set, its 768GB. As I said, I used launchbox to import them as individual games but skip all non-working and the rest. Then I used Launchbox's export/copy option to copy all of the resulting games and the corresponding CHDs which totals 233gb. I then import that set to Launchbox but this time I choose to keep all clones as one game (LB calls them applications, which is odd). 

I think what I'll do is update to 0.219 and I've saved the current 0.219 mame_libretro core for future installs.

Still curious why there is little to no docs on the mame 2015 or 2016 cores, there is some on 2010.

I like retroarch's consistency across emulators which is why I tend to go to retroarch.

[sundogak]

@GiSWiG Docs for two of MAME cores (2003 and 2010) are buried here: https://docs.libretro.com/

Go to "For Users"  and then "Arcade Emulation" and it will have drop down links to the 2003 and 2010 cores.  I have yet to find a similar guide on the most current core. I have messed with it and got RA MAME working (relatively easy if just arcade games), but still use standalone MAME as primary, particularly for former MESS related systems and when using overlays. 

[GiSWiG]

6 hours ago, sundogak said:

@GiSWiG Docs for two of MAME cores (2003 and 2010) are buried here: https://docs.libretro.com/

Go to "For Users"  and then "Arcade Emulation" and it will have drop down links to the 2003 and 2010 cores.  I have yet to find a similar guide on the most current core. I have messed with it and got RA MAME working (relatively easy if just arcade games), but still use standalone MAME as primary, particularly for former MESS related systems and when using overlays. 

I've seen the documentation for those cores but I'd like to know more about the mame2016 and I just can't find much.

Regarding MAME, do you know of a good and accurate guide or youtube on setting up MAME with overlays, shaders, etc.? 

[sundogak]

Mame site has a lot of information https://docs.mamedev.org/index.html  For most part, they will refer to the overlay feature as “artwork” , so use that in search..  Mr Do`s site has information on artwork as well as art lay files  https://mrdo.mameworld.info/mame_artwork_faq.php   Other information can be found in searching here as well (example Lordmonkus has good thread on HLSL shader settings).