Which ROM Version A, B, Rev 2, etc

mikemolang

Hi all,

I have a good feel for matching my ROM revision to my emulator revision. I have also read:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAME#Game_data

...and believe that when possible I should choose a "World" revision to start with. But it gets confusing when I see A, B, 1, 2, 3, and other revs.

Let's take the game 1942 as an example. I see:

1942.zip
1942a.zip
1942b.zip

All seem to play the same to me. As a default, should I go with the highest rev (seemingly the newest), or should I choose the non-rev package?

And, why are there three variants? Why are there so many, and why are there not more?

Thanks,
MML

tuki_cat

I don't think it is possible to give a simple answer to this!

The different versions just relate to different releases, in the same way that patches are released today. There are number of reasons why different versions are released. The most obvious is the region, there are sometimes European, Japanese and American versions of games, and sometimes there is just a world version that covers all territories.

Reasons for different versions include, bug-fixes, re-releases, and revisions to increase the longevity of the game in the arcade.

Taking your example of 1942..............

1942.zip is probably the first release of the game
1942a.zip may very well be a bug fix released to deal with issues reported following the first release.
1942b.zip might a version released where the attack patterns in the game have been varied or the game is made more challenging or easier, this is to increase its appeal in the arcade.

This summary is hypothetical, but is an example of why different releases may happen.

As far as I know there is not one place that summarises the different releases and why they took place. There are some individual Wikipedia entries that summarise the different releases but not for all games.

In short I don't think that there is any hard and fast rule as to what version you pick, probably best just to try them and see what suits you best - although that will probably take a while!

dankcushions

@mikemolang said in Which ROM Version A, B, Rev 2, etc:

Let's take the game 1942 as an example. I see:
1942.zip
1942a.zip
1942b.zip
All seem to play the same to me. As a default, should I go with the highest rev (seemingly the newest), or should I choose the non-rev package?

generally the one without a suffix will be the latest/world version. see our compatibility sheets for the full titles. eg https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LP1MELCvcxu7TfiowF_0ZuvRVEMqlfQyTVetnOJvuJc/edit#gid=1744967714

And, why are there three variants? Why are there so many, and why are there not more?

each distinct version of the arcade rom is ripped and added to the mame romset. i guess there are only 3 known versions of 1942?

Capeman

Also look at the file sizes of each rom. Alot of the time the one without the suffix will be the parent rom, and all of the other versions will be patch roms (and significantly smaller file size than the original) - if you use a rom with a suffix without the parent rom present it will fail to load. it's best to go with the non-suffixed version with the largest file size.

mikemolang

@capeman

Progress! Good!!!

I am using full set roms, so I have the parent as well as any revs. And so, I am able to run any version.

Two of you seem to say that if I use the one without a revision, it is most likely to be the best choice; meaning the world version of the latest revision. If that’s the case, I am all set, as that makes it very easy. One of you did say that the non-rev one was possibly the first release. Any clarification there?

Best,
MML

caver01

@mikemolang You can often find rev details in the description or long-name metadata. Check the compatibility lists for more details. On my cabinet, I don't use the full romset, as I don't want the "clones" in my game menus and I often use different emulators for different titles anyway, so full sets would conflict (I use the Arcade folder). I too end up facing a decision with each ROM I install--which one to use. My starting place is usually the parent ROM, or rather, a version of the game that has no parent. This single ROM .zip file will launch without dependencies (assuming it works with the given emulator in the first place). The metadata often describes it as the latest working rev, but not always. Sometimes the clones are simply regional differences. It's a good rule of thumb, but not always applicable.

For example, I have seen titles that don't run on a given emulator, but a certain bootleg or clone does work, so if I want to play that game, I need to load the version that works (along with any parent required). Other examples may be personal ones. For instance, as a kid I played a lot of Joust on "solid red label" machines. This rev has an interesting bug that lets you kill pterodactyls over and over again. It was fixed in later revs, and the parent ROM is the White Label version I think. Anyway, if I want to experience the nostalgia of my youth, I need to load the joustr.zip, which is not the latest rev, and not the parent ROM.

So, you see, there are no hard fast rules--as exceptions appear once in a while. But for the most part, the safe starting point is the parent ROM (typically without suffix) and this is often the latest revision and/or the "world" region.

mikemolang

@caver01 said in Which ROM Version A, B, Rev 2, etc:
> ...for the most part, the safe starting point is the parent ROM (typically without suffix) and this is often the latest revision and/or the "world" region.

Perfect! This was what I was looking for. A reasonable starting place, with a logical reason.

Is there a way to mark a thread as solved?

Thank you!
Mike