Skip to main content

MAME Arcade Setup

MAME has its own dedicated setup wizard in HyperHQ — it doesn't appear in the regular Add System emulator list. Instead, you access it directly from the Systems screen.

Why MAME is Different​

MAME manages thousands of arcade ROMs with complex metadata: clone hierarchies, regional variants, player counts, controller types, and more. The dedicated MAME wizard handles all of this, including:

  • Downloading and installing MAME automatically
  • Importing an existing MAME installation
  • Applying ROM filters (by genre, region, players, etc.)
  • Syncing ROM paths to mame.ini automatically
  • Creating collections (genre subcategories, multiplayer, vertical games)

Opening the MAME Wizard​

  1. Go to Systems
  2. Click Add System
  3. Look for the MAME tile — it's separate from the regular system picker
  4. The MAME wizard opens in a multi-step flow

Step 1: Choose Your Setup Type​

The first step asks what you want to do:

OptionWhat it does
Install MAMEDownloads a specific MAME version and sets everything up fresh
Use Existing MAMEPoints HyperHQ to a MAME folder you already have on disk
Update / UpgradeUpdates an existing HyperHQ MAME installation to a newer version
ROM Filters OnlyModify which ROMs appear for an already-configured MAME system
Add ROMs FolderAdd a new ROM path to an existing MAME system

New Installation Flow​

If you chose Install MAME:

  1. Select a Version — pick from available MAME releases (fetched from GitHub). Already-installed versions are marked so you don't duplicate them.
  2. Choose ROM Source — pick between:
    • Full Database — HyperHQ populates your game list from its full MAME database (no ROMs required upfront)
    • Scan ROM Folder — point to a folder of .zip ROM files; HyperHQ scans what you have
  3. Set ROM Path — browse to the folder where your MAME ROMs are (or will be) stored
  4. Apply Filters (see ROM Filters below)
  5. Media Downloads — choose which artwork types to download (box art, marquees, video snaps, etc.)
  6. Collections — optionally create pre-built collections from your imported games
  7. Save — MAME downloads in the background and your system is created

Existing Installation Flow​

If you chose Use Existing MAME:

  1. Browse to MAME folder — point to your existing MAME directory (where mame.exe lives)
  2. HyperHQ validates the installation and detects the version
  3. Continue from the ROM path / filter steps (same as steps 3–7 above)

ROM Filters​

One of MAME's most powerful features. Filter which games get imported based on:

Categories to Exclude​

Check any to skip them entirely:

  • Non-Arcade, Mature, Quiz, Casino, Mahjong
  • Hack, Prototype
  • Mechanical, Fruit, Rhythm
  • Tabletop, Handheld, PlayChoice-10

Region​

Prefer games from a specific region: North America, Japan, Europe, World, Asia, Korea, China, and more.

Players​

Filter to include only 2-player or 4-player games (useful for multiplayer-focused cabinets).

Controller Support​

Include or exclude games requiring special controllers: Spinner, Trackball, Wheel, Light Gun.

Clone Handling​

Choose how to handle MAME's parent/clone ROM relationships:

  • Merge clones together — parent ROM represents all regional variants
  • Fetch clones separately — each clone appears as its own entry
  • Skip all clones — only parent ROMs, no regional variants

Preliminary Games​

Toggle whether to include games marked "preliminary" (unplayable or poorly emulated) in MAME.

ROM Path and INI Sync​

When you set or change a ROM path for a MAME system, HyperHQ automatically updates the mame.ini file in your MAME installation directory. This keeps MAME and HyperHQ in sync — you don't need to manually edit mame.ini.

The sync happens:

  • During initial setup when you save the wizard
  • When you edit ROM paths via System Settings → ROM Paths and save

HyperHQ updates the rompath key in mame.ini. Multiple ROM paths are separated by semicolons.

note

MAME systems skip the standard ROM migration prompt that appears for other systems when you move a folder. Instead, the INI is updated directly — you're responsible for moving the files on disk.

Collections​

The wizard can auto-create collections from your imported MAME games:

CollectionWhat's in it
SubCategoriesGenre-based sub-collections (Shooters, Fighters, Platformers, etc.)
2-Player & 4-PlayerMultiplayer games, organized by player count
Vertically-Oriented GamesVertical-screen games (great for vertical cabinet setups)

Changing ROM Paths Later​

  1. Go to Systems, find your MAME system
  2. Open System Settings → ROM Paths
  3. Add or remove paths, then click Save
  4. HyperHQ updates mame.ini automatically

Troubleshooting​

MAME wizard doesn't open​

  • The MAME plugin must be installed. Check Settings → Plugins for the MAME plugin status.
  • If the plugin shows as missing, the wizard will attempt to reinstall it automatically on open.

No MAME versions listed​

  • Check your internet connection — the version list is fetched from GitHub releases.
  • Close and reopen the wizard to retry.

ROMs not appearing after import​

  • Verify the ROM path is correct in System Settings → ROM Paths.
  • ROM files should be .zip archives in the root of your ROM folder.
  • Check your filter settings — aggressive filters can hide most of your collection.

Games show as unplayable​

  • These are ROMs marked "preliminary" in MAME (not fully emulated). Disable the "Include Preliminary" filter, or leave them visible if you want to see everything.

Clone games are missing​

  • Check the Clone Handling filter. If set to "Skip all clones," only parent ROMs appear.
  • Switch to "Merge clones together" or "Fetch clones separately" and re-apply filters.

mame.ini not updating when I change ROM paths​

  • Verify the emulator path is set in HyperHQ. The INI sync requires knowing where mame.exe is installed.
  • Check System Settings → Emulator and confirm the path is populated.