Mame 078 Romset Game List New [updated] -

Here’s a well-structured, informative text about the MAME 0.78 ROM set, its game list, and what makes it a landmark release for emulation.

Key Features

1. ROMset Comparison

   • Compares filenames (romname.zip) between two MAME versions.
   • Identifies games that exist in 0.78 but not in the older set.
   • Flags renamed ROMs (e.g., pacman.zip → pacman.zip unchanged, but detects new clones).

2. Parent/Clone Awareness

   • Uses MAME 0.78’s internal -listxml or a local mame.xml to distinguish:
     • New parent games (unique machines)
     • New clones (alternate versions, bootlegs, revisions)
   • Shows parent name alongside clone for clarity.

3. Game Metadata Extraction

   • For each “new” ROM, display:
     • ROM filename
     • Full game description (e.g., 1942 → 1942 (Revision B))
     • Manufacturer
     • Year
     • Category (if available from catver.ini or similar)
     • Parent/clone flag

4. Output Formats

   • Plain text – simple list of ROM names (for mame -rp use)
   • CSV – for spreadsheets
   • Markdown table – human-readable
   • JSON – for scripting

5. Filtering Options

   • Show only new working games (filter by -listxml isworking="yes")
   • Exclude BIOS / device ROMs (e.g., neogeo, qsound, cd32)
   • Include only parents (no clones)
   • Include only clones of a specific parent

6. Direct MAME 0.78 XML Parsing

   • No external dependencies – uses mame -listxml from a MAME 0.78 binary.
   • Alternatively, reads a cached mame.xml file for speed.

7. Change Detection beyond “New”

   • Option to also list:
     • Renamed ROMs (old name → new name)
     • Removed games (in old set, missing in 0.78)
     • Changed status (non-working → working)

Core Functionality

• Input: Path to a MAME 0.78 ROMset (folder with .zip files) + (optional) path to a previous reference set (e.g., 0.77).
• Output: A clean list of newly added games in 0.78, with key metadata.

Feature: "MAME 0.78 ROMset New Game Detector & Lister"