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 (CAB).'

Software	BYOAC User	OS	Type1	Monitor Orientation	Emulators3	Other Features4
Typical recommended frontends by BYOAC users:
AtomicFE	Youki		Freeware		CMD PC	CAB JB LED LR MR ST VID
MaLa	Loadman (previously Swindus)		Freeware		CMD PC	CAB JB LCD LED LR MR ST SW VID
Mamewah	Minwah		Freeware		CMD PC	CAB LR MR ST VID
Maximus Arcade	%		Shareware ($25)		39+ arcade and console emulators	CAB JB MR ST VID
GameEx	TSpeirs		Shareware ($25)		CMD PC	CAB JB LCD LED LR MR ST SW VID
Recommended for Linux (both active and discounted):
AdvanceMenu	%		Open Source		CMD	AM CAB LR MR VID
Wah!Cade	Balki		Open Source		CMD	DEV CAB LR MR ST VID
Other cabinet friendly frontends:
Emulaxian/3D Arcade	)p(		Freeware		CMD	CAB MR SW
HyperSpin	BadBoyBill		Not released yet		CMD PC	CAB DEV SW VID
Khameleon	Cakemeister		Open Source		CMD	CAB DEV LR MR SW VID
MAMELOAD TNG	%		Freeware		CMD (MAME-BASED), M1, Final Burn Alpha	CAB DEV MR SW
UltraMame	r.cade		Open Source		MAME only	CAB DEV MR VID
Mouse based frontends:
EmuLaunch	%		Freeware for personal use	Emulator dependent	Uses Finder to open ROMS in 15 arcade and console emulators	SW
MAME32	%		Freeware		MAME only	DEV MR
Discontinued and/or unsupported frontends5:
ArcadeOS	%		Open Source		CMD	AM CAB LCD LR MR
ArcadEpic	%		Freeware		CMD	CAB JB MR VID
Dragon King	Howard_Casto		Freeware		CMD	CAB LR MR SW VID
Fronty	%		Freeware		CMD PC	CAB DEV LCD MR ST
GameLauncher	Dave Dribin		Open Source		CMD	CAB LR MR
Kymaera	PacManFan		Open Source		CMD	AM CAB LR MR ST SW VID
Ultrastyle	%		Open Source		MAME only	CAB MR SW VID
Frontends with missing "other features" tab:
CabFE	%		Open Source		CMD	Placeholder
PyreCade	%		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) Skinnable:

• Basic: change only the background, and maybe text size and/or color
• Advanced: change all artwork. The interface elements are locked in place, although buttons may be able to be resized
• Full: change all artwork, all interface elements can be changed (resize, moveable and resolution).

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:

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

5) About Discontinued Frontends (no DEV in the Other Features list):

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.