Front-Ends

Front-end Software

Below is the front-end software comparison table. Click on the software's name for detailed information about that software. Please be aware that this may be incomplete! The individual pages will have the software's homepage for you to verify any information or questions you may have!

Note: Any unknown information in the table is filled with placeholders (placeholders are shown in italics). Note: To be listed as Cabinet friendly, it needs to be able to be used with joysticks and buttons only ().'

Software	BYOAC User	OS	Type1	Monitor Orientation 2	Emulators3	Other Features4
Typical recommended frontends by BYOAC users:
AtomicFE	Youki		Freeware		CMD PC
GameEx	TSpeirs		Shareware ($25)		CMD PC
HyperSpin	BadBoyBill		Freeware		CMD PC
MaLa	Loadman (previously Swindus)		Freeware		CMD PC
Mamewah	Minwah		Freeware		CMD PC
Maximus Arcade	%		Shareware ($25)		39+ arcade and console emulators
Recommended for Linux (both active and discounted):
AdvanceMenu	%		Open Source		CMD
Wah!Cade	Balki		Open Source		CMD
Other cabinet friendly frontends:
Attract-Mode	Raygun		Open Source		CMD PC
Big Blue	bulbousbeard		Open Source		CMD PC
Cabrio	Cosam		Open Source		CMD
Emulaxian/3D Arcade	)p(		Freeware		CMD
Fronty	FrontyDev		Freeware		CMD PC
Khameleon	Cakemeister		Open Source		CMD
MAMELOAD TNG	Tafoid		Freeware		CMD (MAME-BASED, Including MESS), M1, Final Burn Alpha
MultiFE	Space Fractal		Freeware		Mame, CMD (Includning MESS) & PC Games
UltraMame	r.cade		Open Source		MAME only
Mouse based frontends:
EmuLaunch	%		Freeware for personal use	Emulator dependent	Uses Finder to open ROMS in 15 arcade and console emulators
MAME32	%		Freeware		MAME only
Touch screen based frontends:
SimpleTouch FE	Lave Laar		Freeware	Application dependent	CMD
Discontinued and/or unsupported frontends5:
ArcadeOS	%		Open Source		CMD
ArcadEpic	chowny		Freeware		CMD
Dragon King	Howard_Casto		Freeware		CMD
GameLauncher	Dave Dribin		Open Source		CMD
Kymaera	PacManFan		Open Source		CMD
Ultrastyle	ultrastyle		Open Source		MAME only
Frontends with missing "other features" tab:
CabFE	%		Open Source		CMD	Placeholder
PyreCade	flemming		OpenSource		Mame <.106uq2	Placeholder
XMAME-GUI	%		Open Source		SDL-MAME Only	Placeholder

Homepages for these FEs are gone, and are (might?) not active anymore:

• Arcade.EXE - Windows-only MAME front-end
• ArcadeFE - Windows-only MAME front-end
• ArcadeFX - Windows-only MAME front-end

1) Type:

• Open Source: is fully functional software with source code included.
• Freeware: is fully functional without payment and without nag screens and ads.
• Shareware: has limited functionality (or has nags) until payment is made.
• Commercial: software is fully functional for a limited time, after which payment must be made.

2) About software and hardware rotation:

Most Frontends with vertical support typical require Windows to been rotated as well. Some frontends, such like Mamewah, MultiFE and others support software rotation as well.

3) Emulators:

• If CMD is shown, this front-end can run all command line based emulators.
• If PC is shown, it can run PC games as well (using bat and/or shortcuts files).

4) Other Features:

• - Still in developing for fixing bugs or/and supported.
• - Native arcade monitor support without ArcadeVGA card
• - Mouse and keyboard-free operation (for cabinets)
• - Integrated jukebox
• - LCD screen, such as those found at http://www.seetron.com/
• - Front-end can control a LED controller
• - Low Resolutions (below 640 pixels wide)
• - Multiple Resolutions
• - Skin tool included
• - Skinnable without tool
• - Touchscreen Support
• - Video snapshots (movies)

Howover Mamewah and MultiFE (in realtime) have software rotation as well.

Just because a frontend is discontinued does not mean that it is a bad frontend. Either there is no more need to update it, or the author just left the project. Discontinued frontends are still used in cabinets today, and most run on both older and newer machines, though some may have some issues with newer versions of MAME. So check these out as well.