This release includes an update to BGFX and fixes for the long-standing issues with YUV decoding, so LaserDisc games can be played with BGFX shaders. What’s in store with MAME 0.235? First of all, the lost unencrypted version of Rafflesia has resurfaced, ending a long saga! A genuine copy of Bubble Buster, an early North American version of Puzzle Bobble, has been found, and a prototype of Tecfri’s Sauro known as Sea Wolf has been dumped. Over time, MAME (originally stood for Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) absorbed the sister-project MESS (Multi Emulator Super System), so MAME now documents a wide variety of (mostly vintage) computers, video game consoles and calculators, in addition to the arcade video games that were its initial focus.
The fact that the software is usable serves primarily to validate the accuracy of the documentation (how else can you prove that you have recreated the hardware faithfully?). The source code to MAME serves as this documentation. This is achieved by documenting the hardware and how it functions. As electronic technology continues to rush forward, MAME prevents this important 'vintage' software from being lost and forgotten.
MAME’s purpose is to preserve decades of software history. MAME stands for Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator.