I'm not exactly sure when it happened, but I recently learned that MAME absorbed MESS. Tonight I wanted to sit down and get MAME 171 running, and maybe also the latest RA MAME core which I also hear will emulate MESS systems. The problem: I can't find any documentation on how to set this up. So my questions Does the new MAME require a set of MESS Bios? If so where to put them?

For the past few days I've been searching for a MAME and MESS (I know MESS was merged with MAME years ago, I just need to use MAME's console.

(I tried putting them into the roms folder in the mame directory, doesn't see them there) Same question for the RA MAME core. Any other tweaks needed to get these working? PS, my final question: What is the plural form of Bios? I had another go at this last night and it ended in me curling up in the fetal position rocking back and forth. Ok maybe not that bad but I had zero luck with it. The documentation for it is bad at best and what does exist is beyond confusing so for now i'm just abandoning the whole idea. I simply don't care enough about emulating those older computer systems though it would be nice to have the X68000 working under Retroarch with it's simple controller setup and fancy shmancy shaders (yes, shmancy is a word).

Mess is integrated into Mame since version 0.162. I'm a newcomer to Mess and just feeling my way about. I'm using Mame 0.171 and so far only added 2 Mess systems, because I couldn't find an emulator for one and the other didn't have game saving in it's emulator. How you add your Mess stuff isn't too important as long as Mame is aware of where things are. The Mame Configuration Settings (ini) file, Core Search Path Options, rompath needs to be edited to know about any new paths. When I decided to add Mess stuff I made a new folder inside the Mame roms folder and called it mess as I wanted to keep Mame and Mess stuff separate. Huawei firmware update wizard windows 7.

In this mess folder I made subfolders for each system I wanted to add. These subfolders match the system shortnames. For the Funtech Super A'Can system I made a subfolder called supracan. For my Epoch Super Cassette Vision games I added a folder named scv. Most systems need a Mess bios file unique to each system, but not all systems need a bios file. Super Cassette Vision games need a bios file while Super A'Can games do not. The bios is named after the system's shortname.

So the Super Cassette Vision bios is named scv.zip and it goes into the scv folder along with my SCV games. Once all done in Mame, setting things up in LaunchBox is straightforward. Say you decide to add a new LaunchBox Platform for say Super A'Can games to run with the Mess side of Mame. Open your Mame Edit Emulator window and add the associated platform with it's own parameters. Usually you'll use 2 parameters, the system shortname followed by the media type. For the Super A'Can the parameters are supracan -cart And then add your games pointing LaunchBox to the game zips. Mess doesn't seem to be too fussy and it will accept the game zip in the full or shortname (Mame style) version.

It will also accept the unzipped game. I use the Mame style, renaming where I need to. I agree with Brad and Derek on Mess. Most systems can be handled very well using either RetroArch or standalone emulators. If neither of these options can help you with a system, then by all means see if Mess will do it. Bear in mind that while the Mess systems list is large, not all work and some work without full support. Fromlostdays said In this mess folder I made subfolders for each system I wanted to add.

These subfolders match the system shortnames. Will MAME default to these locations?

My problem was that inside the MAME 171 UI, there's an option to set Rompath, but not path to bios. So is folders named after the bios the default? Or do you have to manually set the path in the ini under this: 'Core Search Path Options' I really appreciate the input. The BIOS would go in the Rompath just like in MAME, at least this is what I remember reading. I tried getting MESS set up previously too and it just didn't seem worth the hassle.

Hi fromlostdays. The Mame ini file does not have or need a setting specifically for Mess bios files.

The rompath setting is used for all. So when I use a rompath setting of roms;roms mess scv;roms mess supracan Mame-Mess will pick up my scv.zip bios in roms mess scv This is just how I am doing it as I probably will never use more than a few Mess systems, and only then as a last resort.