Front-Ends

A frontend is a menu system that allows players to select from a list of games. Once a game is selected from the list, the game is launched using an appropriate emulator. Here is a list of the varioius emulators and a brief description. If needed, further information will be found on the individual page for that emulator.

Many frontends make use of a collection of screenshots, photo's of cabinet and scans of flyers. These additional files can add extra information on the history or appearance of the original arcade cabinet or console game.

AdvanceMenu

AdvanceMENU is a GNU/Linux, DOS and Windows front-end for AdvanceMAME, MAME, MESS, RAINE and any other emulator.

The main features are Simply download and run. Copy the executable and run it. Auto update of the rom info. Vertical and horizontal orientation. Support for any TV/Arcade Monitor like AdvanceMAME but it's good also for a normal PC monitor. Static and Animated image preview (PNG/PCX/ICO/MNG). Up to 192 images at the same time! Sound preview. (MP3/WAV). You can select a special sound for every game played when the cursor move on it. Sound backgrounds (MP3/WAV). Play your favourite songs or radio records in background. Sound effects (MP3/WAV) for key press, program start, game start, program exit... Support for zipped images and sounds archives. Screensaver. A slide show of the game images

Download AdvanceMenu from http://advancemame.sourceforge.net/menu-download.html

ArcadeFE

Download ArcadeFE from http://www.arcadefe.com/fe_sewergears.htm

ArcadeOS

Part of the PC2Jamma project. Some of ArcadeOS' Features are as follows Can output video directly to an arcade monitor Can be orientated vertically or horizontally upto 30 emulators 6000 games per emulator 7 custom lists per emulator Filter per custom list Mouse and Joystick support Real DOS GUI (not a CUI) Uses screen shots as backdrops Built in file manager Sound support Can support most emulators/apps

Download ArcadeOS from http://www.mameworld.net/pc2jamma/downarc.html

AtomicFE

Download AtomicFE from http://www.atomicfe.com/EN2/download.php (English) Download AtomicFE from http://www.atomicfe.com/FR2/download.php (French)

Emulaxian/3D Arcade

Emulaxian/fe-3darcade is a very complete and fully skinnable frontend that can launch just about anything. It features powerful and fully customizable search and filter functions to find games fast. What makes it unique besides the sheer number of media that it supports to make your skins are the menu styles it can use. Besides the normal listbox with screenshots/cab layout you have a game like menu were you shoot at sprites to select menu items. And then there are the two virtual arcade interfaces were you can walk around in rooms filled with 3d models of cabs, select mp3's on a working jukebox and watch some movies on a movie screen. These arcades are also fully customizable...create your own personal arcade!

Download Emulaxian from http://www.i-modernist.com/emulaxian/frontend.html

Emuloader

Download EmuLoader from http://www.mameworld.net/emuloader/

MameWah

MameWah is a front-end capable of running nearly every emulator for any system. It's highly customizable back-end makes it an ideal front-end for integrating many different systems with highly flexible layouts.

The interface to MameWah is meant to be controled by actual arcade controls which makes it a non-point-n-click non-windows-GUI front-end. MameWah also does an excellent job of hiding the Windows environment.

The flexibility comes for customizing INI files. Some examples and explainations of MameWah 1.61 INI files can be found here.