I 'm getting a lot of requests for some guidance on choosing and
installing software for MAME cabinets... This is all you need to
get started and make a functional software on your MAME cabinet.
Installing and configuring the software is easier than you might
think and there are guides for everything out there.
The OS -
Operating System
With computers getting more and more powerful, there is no reason to
choose DOS, Linux or Windows 98 anymore. The wise choice today
would be Windows XP as it is a lot faster and less demanding than
Windows Vista or Windows 7. Windows 7 is a close second though.
Actually I like Windows 7 more than XP, it uses more time to
boot, but it is just easier to work with. It's harder to hide
though.
Different
varieties of Windows XP and Windows 7
I recommend choosing one of the light, or "stripped down"
versions of Windows XP or Windows 7. You can make such a version yourself by
using nLite. nLite lets you strip down Windows XP and 7. Read about
and download nLite here:
Download nLite here
Guide to nLite here
Another and easier way of stripping
down the OS is downloading Tiny XP / Tiny 7. This version is already
stripped down and lets you boot faster while using less memory
and hard disk space. BEWARE! While nLite is totally legal as it
requires a legal copy of Windows XP, Tiny XP is illegal! I will
not give you any links or help you find a copy of Tiny XP! I
recommed using nLite. Having said that, Tiny XP is still less
consuming than a nLited version.
Windows 7 Starter edition with a few tweaks is also a good
choice.
The Frontend
A frontend is a graphically overlay for your OS. This
frontend gives you a simple GUI (Graphical User Interface) that
lets you choosing games, music and more with your simple joystic
controls. Yes, you do not need a keyboard or mouse.
I will recommend
two frontends for you at this time, none of them are free:
MaLa FE
This is just my favourite front-end. Easy to configure and
make layouts for. Lots and lots of advanced features and
plug-ins. For instance, it can configure an UltraStik 360
automatically to the game launched. That's just brilliant! I
used this for the Nanocade micro cabinet.
Download and more
info here:
MaLa FE
Get the Nanocade layout for MaLa
here
Maximus Arcade
This is a simple but very sleek and nice looking frontend. The
downside is that software customization it kept to a minimum.
The upside is that it looks fantastic and you can easily make
your own stunning themes.
I recommend this frontend to everyone who prefer looks before
speed and customization.
Download and more
info here: Maximus
Arcade
GameEX
This frontend isn't as pretty as Maximus. But it will do
anything can think of and more so. This is the one to choose for
the nerd ;)
Download and more info here:
GameEX
Guide to GameEX
here
Good luck and I
will be updating this guide...
______________________________________________________________
If some of the words are new to you, look them up in the
Builders WiKi |