Retroarch
Genesis Plus GX core
RetroArch is a frontend for libretro emulator cores, game engines and even media players. It enables you to run classic games using Libretro on a wide range of computers and consoles through its unified graphical interface. Settings are also unified so configuration can be done once and applied and applied to all. It has advanced features like shaders, netplay, rewinding, next-frame response times, and more.
Consoles covered include but are not limited to PlayStation 1, Super Nintendo, Nintendo Entertainment System, GameBoy/GameBoy Color, GameBoy Advance, Arcade, Neo Geo Pocket Color, Virtual Boy, Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Sega Master System/Sega Game Gear, Sega CD/Mega CD, PC Engine/PC Engine CD, WonderSwan Color/Crystal, Cave Story, Doom(s) and much more!
It can run on the usual platforms like Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, but it stands alone in that it can support far more platforms beyond just that.
Ludo - A smaller libretro front end by only implementing the core features and by targeting less platforms but definitely shares a lot of the same core values.
Lakka - lightweight Linux distribution for small computers like Raspberry Pi
RArch - It incorporates Kaillera to offer the possibility to play games online.
Last Stable Release:
1.21.0
Dated:
29-04-2025
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Windows: Vista+
Linux: Please follow their instructions
Mac: Apple macOS High Sierra+ with Metal2
MAME
Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator is a free and open source emulator designed to recreate the hardware of a wide variety of (mostly vintage) computers, video game consoles and calculators.
The aim of MAME is to be a reference to the inner workings of the emulated machines; the ability to actually play the games is considered "a nice side effect". The source code to MAME serves as this documentation. The emulator now supports over seven thousand unique games and ten thousand actual ROM image sets, though not all of the supported games are playable. It worth mentioning that the sister-project MESS was integrated into MAME.
Unofficial recent MAME 32-bit versions are available here..
0.278
Last Stable Release:
Dated:
01-07-2025
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Windows: Vista SP1+
Linux: Nothing reported
MacOS: 10.9+
CPU: Intel Core series CPU or equivalent 2.0 GHz+
GPU: modern card with Direct3D 9.0c+ / OpenGL
RAM: 4GB+
Support files
File maintained by MASH containing all the information from "mametesters.com". It gives information about the status of games in MAME-Arcade (i.e. development, bugs, improvements).
Category, Version and Alltime inifiles - 0.278
Sort by category, release year, version, etc.
Access all trivia, facts, tips and other information for the games and machines
Used to prevent cheating (.inp) and important for establishing records
Provides the initialization procedures of some games emulated by MAME
Pugsy's MAME Cheat Pack File - 0.264
The XML/JSON Cheat Collection archives are packed together and will find a large cheat.7z. It's this cheat.7z that should be placed in the same directory as your MAME execute-able.
It's a cheat pack for MAME.
Provides in game instructions manual to games that supports it. For example, you can view the individual command lists for fighting game characters.
Unofficial Hiscore DATFILE - 0.261
It's a complimentary file for saving high scores. Most Mame games save their high scores by default, but over 2500 games do not save their high scores. Needs MAME v0.174 or higher.
It's a Windows compatible GUI wrapper with the benefit of being light on ressources and doesn't force you to fuss with difficult configurations, while being compatible with all M.A.M.E games.