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iMAME Arcade Emulator Hits the App Store (For Now) [Update: Pulled]

If a game has missing files: download every variation of a game you can find.
Unzip the folder and put the missing files you got from other versions into the folder and rezip reupload.

To upload files: google iExplorer and download it for mac or pc, connect you iOS device and copy the zips to the Apps/iMame/documents folder.
 
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Hi all,

This app is based on my iMame4All Xcode project, which in turn is based on Seleuco's iMame4All for iOS devices port. To find out what works and doesn't work go to my website here: http://www.lesbird.com/iMame4All/iMame4All_Xcode.html but to sum things up:

1. WiiMote's don't work. They require chip level access to the Bluetooth chipset which will only work on jailbroken devices.
2. You need the ROMs for iMame4All for the GP32X (MAME v37b5). If you can find them they should work.
3. When I created the iMame4All Xcode project I included all of the sound samples for the iMame4All ROM set.

I did not submit this to the App Store, that was done by Jim Van who used my iMame4All Xcode project as a base starting point then trimmed out anything that was not App Store compliant.

For controllers there are 2 options - iCade and iControlPad. Let me explain the difference between them. When you connect your iControlPad or iCade a window will pop up asking which mode you want to use. I highly recommend choosing iCade mode for both controllers (put the iControlPad in iCade emulation mode). The reason is that in iControlPad mode it expects the controller to be in special packet mode. This will allow you to use the dual nubs on the iControlPad to play games like Robotron, however the downside is that there is a lot of data being transmitted over the Bluetooth and iPad 1's and anything less will have a hard time keeping up.

Hope this clears some stuff up.

- Les
 
Avenger said:
Has anyone gotten the Wiimote to work with the emulator? The jailbroken versions of mame4all have that option but I don't see it here.
Click to expand...

The WiiMote requires low level access to the Bluetooth chipset which can only be done if your device is jailbroken. Will not work with the App Store version.

- Les

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JPyre said:
How can iCade work and not wiimotes? Is iCade just a bluetooth keyboard or something?
Click to expand...

Yes, iCade and iControlPad both act like a Bluetooth keyboard.

- Les
 
nickpro said:
can you elaborate on those additional packs - how to get them and how to load them into iMAME in order for the roms to work?
Click to expand...

By additional packs he meant additional roms. Mame uses a parent / clone system for the roms, the close rom sets just contain the files that are different from the parent.
 
webman2k said:
Yes. If you're downloading in Safari, it might throw the zips in the trash and automatically unstuff them. Take them from the trash and copy them to the documents folder stated. As long as they are from 0.37b5, they'll show up and work. Otherwise, they might not appear. If a Rom reports missing files, you might be from the wrong set, or you might need a "parent" rom. Some MAME roms work by taking files from other roms. For example, one version of galaga might need some files from the original galaga, and so on.

If you're new to roms, it might take some experimenting to learn how the system works with any articular game, but the payoff is a lot of fun ;)

----------



Don't think you'll be able to play Robotron, given the only one stick. While every game from that set works, I've found that I needed to dump plenty, because they are unplayable - some of the driving games that rely on pedals, etc, just don't play right. Small price to pay I suppose. I'm happy to see that Outrun is perfect, and quite nice to play.
Click to expand...

Actually Robotron and any other dual stick shooter should work if you have an iControlPad and you choose the "iControlPad" option when prompted. This allows you to use the dual nubs. In fact, I specifically added support for the iControlPad nubs just so I could play Robotron. However, you need an iPad 2 or 4S to keep up with the amount of data being sent over the Bluetooth connection when using the nubs.

- Les
 
iLes said:
Actually Robotron and any other dual stick shooter should work if you have an iControlPad and you choose the "iControlPad" option when prompted. This allows you to use the dual nubs. In fact, I specifically added support for the iControlPad nubs just so I could play Robotron. However, you need an iPad 2 or 4S to keep up with the amount of data being sent over the Bluetooth connection when using the nubs.
Click to expand...

Interesting! Thanks for the information. Robotron is a classic game! I'm really surprised that no one has made a good adaptation of it for iOS (I love MAME and what you guys are doing but the funny thing is that I've paid now several times for ports like Dig Dug and Ms Pac Man, not to mention Sonic CD just recently, and I'd gladly pay for a good port, but there are enough classics I guess that no one gets to them). Robotron is kind of a cult fave though, so I'm particularly surprised no one did it for iOS.
 
iLes said:
This app is based on my iMame4All Xcode project, which in turn is based on Seleuco's iMame4All for iOS devices port.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the great software. I thought I would have to wait forever for the iPad 2 with iOS5 to be jailbroken in order to run it. I hope it stays in the App Store but if not, at least through the holiday weekend so as many people as possible can download and enjoy it.
 
Hmm. I'm using iExplorer, and I put the zip in the Documents folder for iMAME, but the ROM doesn't show up in the ROM list...

Anyone figure this one out?
 
ombrenelcielo said:
You should be able to download it even if you have an old FW, if I am right, you just won't be able to load it on the device.
Click to expand...

Tried that yesterday when this thread was started. The App store App came up with a warning saying that it requires iOS 4.3 or newer, then failed to download, and that was straight to my iPhone 3G.

Luckily it was still up in iTunes last night, so I grabbed it then. So I'm all good!

BL.
 
TRON!
8ZCdb.jpg


CeXZ0.jpg


But can't figure out to move Tron's arm. No paddle! (Dial to aim)

Uppercase names of the ROMs sometimes don't work.
 
iLes said:
Actually Robotron and any other dual stick shooter should work if you have an iControlPad and you choose the "iControlPad" option when prompted. This allows you to use the dual nubs. In fact, I specifically added support for the iControlPad nubs just so I could play Robotron. However, you need an iPad 2 or 4S to keep up with the amount of data being sent over the Bluetooth connection when using the nubs.

- Les
Click to expand...

Very true. I didn't clarify - I was referring to the on screen controls. Excellent port by the way - no crashes or unexpected behavior of any kind noted.
 
snoopjonny said:
Hmm. I'm using iExplorer, and I put the zip in the Documents folder for iMAME, but the ROM doesn't show up in the ROM list...

Anyone figure this one out?
Click to expand...

Go in to options, scroll to the bottom and click rescan roms.
 
iLes said:
This app is based on my iMame4All Xcode project, which in turn is based on Seleuco's iMame4All for iOS devices port.
Click to expand...
Good stuff, Les, and thanks for the clarification. I'm excited that we finally have an easy way to tinker with MAME on iOS!

Incidentally, you don't happen to be the Les Bird formerly of Capstone Software, do you? I used to waste a lot of hours on Corridor 7 and Witchaven back in the day, when anything that looked even remotely like Wolfenstein 3-D went onto my computer with no questions asked... :D
 
Chief Oddball said:
Good stuff, Les, and thanks for the clarification. I'm excited that we finally have an easy way to tinker with MAME on iOS!

Incidentally, you don't happen to be the Les Bird formerly of Capstone Software, do you? I used to waste a lot of hours on Corridor 7 and Witchaven back in the day, when anything that looked even remotely like Wolfenstein 3-D went onto my computer with no questions asked... :D
Click to expand...

Haha.. yes, I am the same Les Bird. Corridor 7, Witchaven, Witchaven II, William Shatner's Tekwar and when I worked at Microprose I did Klingon Honor Guard.

Good times!

- Les
 
Other Keyboard Control?

I have read discussions about iCade and the unique way it handles the triggers for "key down" and "key up" states. My understanding is that it sends two separate key presses for buttons and (and joystick switches) for when a button/switch is pressed and released. Is that what we are talking about with the differences between the controllers? In other words, a held button (or joystick direction) would generate a continuous stream in iControlPad mode?

The reason I ask, is I am wondering if it's possible to make this work in either mode using any bluetooth keyboard which you hack to remove the keys and use controls instead--similar to how some folks build a typical MAME cabinet. The implications would be that you could go beyond the iCade single-player limitations and build a control panel for 2 or even 4 players for example, or even a basic 2 player setup with sticks and buttons for something like Street Fighter. The thought is that you would have to hack a BT keyboard, tap into the switchpads under the keys and wire in your own control panel that way--steps that are well-documented in the build-your-own-arcade circles.

This brings up another possibility that's worth asking about: the use of USB keyboards via the Camera Adapter. I think it's been demonstrated that if you plug the camera adapter into the bottom of your iPad2 (iPad/iPhone etc?) you now have a direct connection to USB on the device. You can then plug in your camera to transfer photos (using the adapter as designed) or for purposes here, plug in a USB keyboard. If that works, keyboard hacks could follow, or at that point, just plug in your Ultimarc iPac4 and a fancy DIY arcade control panel!

Finally, and this is really taking us into the realm of HOPE is that if USB connectivity works, what about a USB spinner? Or trackball?
 
Anyone else trying to use the Windows version of iExplorer getting an alert from an anti-malware app (MalwareBytes in my case) for a trojan called backdoor.bifrose? Is it a false positive?

Thanks!
 
anyone figured out where to add sound samples .zip files ? My all time favourite game Astro Blaster runs fine, but there is no sound. It has its sound bits in a separate .zip file and I don't know where to upload it. Me needs hear blasts :)
 
Don't understand, I'm following all the directions yet I still can't get these roms to show up in the mame app on my iPhone. The one time I actually did get it to show up (donkey kong) the game wouldn't play.

I'm dragging the zip files into the mame documents folder in iexplorer. Don't know what else I could be doing wrong.
 
jlyanks85 said:
Don't understand, I'm following all the directions yet I still can't get these roms to show up in the mame app on my iPhone. The one time I actually did get it to show up (donkey kong) the game wouldn't play.

I'm dragging the zip files into the mame documents folder in iexplorer. Don't know what else I could be doing wrong.
Click to expand...

Is it the right ROM set? Link above in the step by step with a link to a list of "compatible games".
 
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yuprules said:
Is it the right ROM set? Link above in the step by step.
Click to expand...

The games I got to show up in the mame app donkey kong and double dragon, it would say "ERROR required files are missing" When I dragged the zip file and the main folder into the documents folder
 
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