Good MAME ROM List

• • 1941/2 - THE vertical shooter, in a P38 Lightning (1941.zip, 1942.zip)
  • 20/20 Baseball - A nice futuristic Neo Geo baseball game the gives the genre a good shunt up the arse. (2020bb.zip)

• • Air Buster - Fabulous 2-player horizontal shooter. Great set-pieces and bosses. (airbustr.zip)
  • Air Gallet - Really nice vertical shooter with smooth visuals and great music. (agallet.zip)
  • Alien Syndrome - 2-player Gauntlet-style shooter with a great atmosphere. 'The Bomb is Set' (aliensyn.zip)
  • Alien vs. Predator - Capcom scrolling beat/shoot-em-up, supporting two players with a choice of 4 characters, human and predator. (avsp.zip)
  • APB (All Points Bulletin) - Top down cop simulator, like the original GTA games. Lots of fun. (apb.zip)
  • Arch Rivals - A superb (and addictive) basketball game with great teamplay elements. (archrivl.zip)
  • Armed Formation - A v-scrolling shoot'em up with a novel option to flip your guns to and from behingd your craft. (armef.zip)
  • Asteroids - Blow them up. (asteroi1 .zip)
  • Akkenvader - Comical version of Space Invaders, and V. Good to boot. (akkanvdr.zip)+(spcinvd95.zip)

• • Bank Panic - Simple but addictive reaction-based point and shoot game. (bankp.zip)
  • Battlantis - Ace, if obscure, Space Invaders style shooter. Defend your castle walls from marauding little fellas. Power ups, bosses etc. (battlnts.zip)
  • Battle Bakraid - A fantastic hori shooter, converted to Dreamcast. (bbakraid.zip)
  • Biomechanical Toy - Vibrant and satisfying Run & Gun action in a fantasy cartoon setting. Like Metal Slug on acid. With kiler clowns. (biomtoy.zip)
  • Bionic Commando - plat forming shooter with no jump button, mad but it works. (bionicc.zip)
  • Blazing star - Great horizontal scrolling shoot-em-up, very japanesy snd reminds me of Thunderforce in some ways. (blazstar.zip)
  • Bomberman - The best multiplayer game in existence. Essential. (bomrman.zip)
  • Bomb Jack - Bomb-collecting-single-screen-platforming-excellence. Yes. (bomb jack.zip)
  • Bonanza Bros. - A typically stylish Sega romp with stealthy platform action. (bnzabros.zip)
  • Boxy Boy - One of the most simple, yet addictive, puzzle games MAME has to offer. (boxyboy.zip)
  • Bubble Bobble - Cute but deep plat former with simultaneous 2-player action. (bublbobl.zip)
  • Butasan - Came to 8 Bit computers as 'Psycho Pigs UXB' Play a bomb chucking pig, trying to kill other bomb chucking pigs. (butasan.zip)

• • Cameltry - A curious mix of Super Monkeyball and those spinning bonus stages from the first Sonic on the Megadrive. (cameltry.zip)
  • Championship Sprint - Classic overhead racing from Atari. 1986. (csprint.zip)
  • Change Air Blade - A vertical shooter with a twist, mainly one-on-one action. (cairblad.zip)
  • Chase HQ - LETS GO MR. DRIVER!!! (chasehq.zip)
  • Chelnov - Ludicrously difficult scrolling platform shooter. If you think you're 1337, try this. (chelnov.zip)
  • Congo Bongo - Sega's hilarious 3D isometric jungle romp. (congo.zip)
  • Contra - Wonderfully crafted platform shooter. (contra.zip)
  • Cosmo Gang the Video - Namco's take on Arrkenvader (cosmagng.zip)
  • Cyvern - Vertical shmup with pin-sharp graphics. Superbly structured. (cyvern.zip)

• • Dangun Feveron - Disco-crazy vertical shooter, very fast and frantic with funky tunes. (dfeveron.zip)
  • Dancing Eyes - 3D Amidar game by Namco where the aim is to undress girlies. (danceyes.zip)
  • Dead Connection - Take on the mob in this single screen shooter. (deadconx.zip)
  • Desert War - A good update of Jackal, but with helicopters. Shame the sound doesn't work yet. (desertwr.zip)
  • D&D: Shadow over Mystera - Excellent fantasy-themed Final Fight style beat 'em up with RPG elements. (ddsom.zip)
  • Defender - Defend huans from alien abduction by thrusting, scrolling and shooting. Loverly minimal sound and visuals. (defender.zip)
  • DoDonPachi - Extremely noisy vertical shooter with nice but not too flashy visuals. Just tuen up the sound on this one. (dodonach.zip)
  • Double Dragon - Classic 2-player side-scrolling beat'em up. Great music and bone-crunching sound effects. (ddragon.zip)
  • Dig Dug - Great Namco gameplay, blow up the monsters or drop rocks on them. (digdug.zip)
  • Dragon Blaze - The usual Psikyo stuff, but this one is extraordinarily pretty. (dragonblz.zip)

• • Elevator Action - See below, but this is first and is working on MAMEox. (elevator.zip)
  • Elevator Action Returns - Stupidly fast platform shmup with brilliantly animated tiny characters, and lots of 'em. (elvactr.zip)
  • Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters - Frantic isometricshoot/save 'em up with overly cartoon visuals. (eprom.zip)
  • ESP Ra. De - Probably one of the best vertical shooters available on MAME. (esprade.zip)

• • Flying Shark - Solid vertical shooter in the style of 1942. (fshark.zip)
  • Final Fight - Kill hordes of people named mainly after people from Guns & Roses. One of the best of the genre. (ffight.zip)
  • Finalizer - Super Transformation - Charming shoot 'em up with a neat Transformers-esgue morphing gimmick. (finalizr.zip)

• • Gals Panic S - Like Qix/vilified but with girlies! (galspanic.zip)
  • Garou: The Mark Of The Wolves - Beautiful SNK 2D beat 'em up which is complex and strategic without being daunting. (garou.zip)
  • Gauntlet - 1-4 player, from above action/adventure game. (gaunlet.zip)
  • Ghosts 'n' Goblins - A classic platformer. Kill the demons but don't get hit, unless you like running around in your pants. (gngt.zip)
  • Ghouls 'n' Ghosts - Superior (and tougher) update to the above. (ghouls.zip)
  • Giga Wing - Superb vertical blaster that plays like a modern shoot 'em up. (gigawing.zip)
  • Great 1000 Miles Rally - Isometric racer with great attention to detail and an unbeatable sense of speed. (gtmr.zip)
  • Green Beret - Side scrolling army thuggery, simple and fiendishly addictive. (gberet.zip)
  • Gunforce 2 - Nutso Metal Slug-esque action, loads of vehicles and rock hard! (gunforc2.zip)
  • Gunlock - Vertical shmup with real depth. Ho ho. (gunlock.zip)

• • Hellfire - The definitive horizontal shooter, although the MD port was an improvement. (hellfire.zip)
  • Hotdog Storm - Another unknown vertical shooter, worth a try! (hotdogst.zip)
  • Hyper Sports - Seems to be the most immediately playable of the Track and Field type games. (hyperspt.zip)

• • In The Hunt - Challenging horizontal shooter with superb visuals and animation. A nice change from spaceships, too (inthunt.zip)
  • Irritating Maze - 'Operation' on a grand scale. Loads of fun, and only a little bit irritating. (irrmaze.zip)

• • Jackal - A really fun shoot and rescue game from Konami. (jackal.zip)

• • King of Fighters (series) - SNK (2D) Fighting game heroes rough it up with each other. Recommended: KOF'98. (kof98.zip)
  • Klax - Flip coloured tiles from the conveyer belt for points. A classic puzzle game. (klax.zip)
  • Knights of The Round - Side scrolling medieval beat 'em up. Great graphics and fun gameplay. (knights.zip)

• • Last Blade 1 & 2 - SNK fighter with weapons and ultra stylish graphics. (last lad.zip/lastbld2.zip)
  • Layer Section - One of Taito's best shmups. Prequel to Raystorm.
  • Lost Worlds - AKA Forgotten Worlds, this is an ace pseudo-sequel to Side arms with rotational controls and shiny blue pennies to spend in the shop on upgrades. (lostwrd.zip)
  • Liquid Kids - A really nice platform game that uses similar themes (i.e. water) to Bubble bobble. (liquidk.zip)
  • Lucky 'n' Wild - Perhaps the greatest light gun/driving game ever. (luckywld.zip)

• • Mad Gear (aka LED Storm) - Fun top-down futuristic racer from Capcom. Get to the finish line before you run out of energy or crash. And you can jump! (madgear.zip)
  • Magical Drop 3 - Genius Neo Geo based puzzler. Possibly best on MVS system. (magdrop3.zip)
  • Mars Matrix - Very hard vertical shooter with two distinct ship types. (mmatrix.zip)
  • Marvel Super Heroes - Some of the most astonishing 2D graphics ever seen in this most excellent Capcom fighter. (msh.zip)
  • Metal Slug (all) - classic 2D side-scrolling platform shooter. (mslug.zip)
  • Metal Slug 3 - The best one out of them all, tough but fun. (mslug3.zip)
  • Midnight Resistance - Cracking sideways scrolling shooter similar to Contra Spirits on SNES/SFC (midres.zip)
  • Money Puzzle Exchanger - Much overlooked frantic 2P puzzler, similar to Magical Drop, with money, only better.
  • Moon Patrol - Dive a little buggy along, leaping gaps and taking out aliens as you go. Fantastic fun.
  • Mr. Do! - Best described as Did Dug mixed with Pac Man, but can you get the diamond? (mrdo.zip)

• • Neo Turf Masters - Neo Geo golfing game. Great fun and a throwback to simpler golfing pleasures. (turfmast.zip)
  • New Zealand Story - Taito plat forming Kiwi 'em up. Hidden warps and excellent design make this a must. (tnzs.zip)

• • Ordyne - Cute horizontal shmup. Love the animation on the main character. (ordyne.zip)
  • Outfoxes - One on one Super Smash brothers with guns. (outfxies.zip)
  • Outrun - Definitely the best racing game of all time. The music is still stunning! (outrun.zip)
  • Out Zone - Addictive Commando-alike with lovely graphics. So colourful it almost glows. (outzone.zip)

• • Pang - Superlative, bubble bursting madness for all the family. (pang.zip)
  • Pacland - Namco's classic platform game with some interesting ideas. (pacland.zip)
  • Pac-Mania - Pac-Man but in isometric 3D. How good? Very. (pacmania.zip)
  • Paperboy - Really cool suburban paper delivering game. Real nostalgic buzz. (paperboy.zip)
  • Parodius - Wonderfully quirky Gradius spin-off which betters its inspiration in many ways. (parodies.zip)
  • Phantasm - Platform shooter featuring the ability to possess enemies. (phantasm.zip)
  • Phoenix - Variation on the Space Invaders/Galaxians theme. (phoenix.zip)
  • Pnickies - Charming 2 player 'matching' puzzler with nice manga visuals. Great music. (pnickies.zip)
  • Pop and Twinbee HA, HA - Really cute hori shooter (aka Bells & Whistles 2)
  • Pulstar - Rock hard horizontal shooter from an IREM splinter group. Like R-Type. (pulstar.zip)
  • Puyo Puyo - The best puzzle game Sega have ever made. (puyopuyo.zip)
  • Puzzle Bobble - Top class puzzle game with awesome multiplayer. Also known in the west as Bust-A-Move. (pbobble.zip)
  • Puzznic - A puzzler that will have you cursing its devious levels for ages. (puzznic.zip)

• • Qix - (Pronounced 'Kicks') Use some lines to box in some, er, lines. Gain that percentage, baby. (qix.zip)

• • R-Type - Needs no introduction. The original and best. Sequels are also good. (rtype.zip)
  • R-Type II - Harder than the original with improved visuals and audio. (rtype2.zip)
  • R-Type Leo - A variant on the R-Type theme with different force and weapon structure. (rtypeleo.zip)
  • Raiden - Beautiful and frantic vertical shooter. Sequel doesn't work, though. (raiden.zip)
  • Raiga/Strato Fighter - An unknown but fun shooter. (raiga.zip)
  • Rainbow Islands - One of the best plat formers ever. (rainbow.zip)
  • Rampart - Superb multiplayer puzzle/battle game. (rampart.zip)
  • Rip Off - Vector arcade game from 1979. Good fun for short blasts. (ripoff.zip)
  • Robotron - You're surrounded. Twin-stick moving and shooting will only be a temporary reprieve. (robotron.zip)
  • Rodland - One of the most 'pure' fun games ever, with a genuinely interesting gimmick. Utterly bonkers, too - always a plus. (rodland.zip)
  • Rolling Thunder - Cool as fcuk platform/shooting game, with hooded baddies,'60s spy music, acool machine gun, and nice machine. (rthunder.zip)
  • Reactor - Cool down the Core! Press 'A' for instructions, you'll need them. (reactor.zip)
  • Red Baron - Aerial dogfights during WW1. Battlezone in the air! Superb. (red baron.zip)

• • Scramble - Classic horizontal shooter that makes cunning use of bombs and fuel. (scramble.zip)
  • Shock Troopers - Lovely 8-way scrolling shooter. (shocktro.zip)
  • Shocking - A crazy little game that parodies lots of arcade classics. (shocking.zip)
  • Shinobi - Sublime ninja scrolling platform/shuriken 'em up. A true classic. (shinobi.zip)
  • Side Arms - Addictive and difficult side scroller from Capcom. (sidearms.zip)
  • Smash TV - Insane and comedic multi-directional shooter. Like a game show version of Robotron. (smashtv.zip)
  • Snow Bros. Nick & Tom - Bubble Bobble clone with snowballs instead, natch. (snowbros.zip)
  • Space Harrier - 'Welcome to the Fantasy Zone, GET READY!' (sharrier.zip)
  • Space Invaders - Space Invaders! This will never age. (invaders.zip)
  • Sparkz - Pipemania-style puzzler which drives you insane but keeps you hooked. (sparkz.zip)
  • Special Criminal Investigation - Sequel to Chase HQ. Top driving-while-shooting-bazookas action. (sci.zip)
  • Speed Rumbler - Essential vehicular combat games. Get in your car and wreak havoc, or get out and shoot them. (srumbler.zip)
  • Star Trek - Battlezone in space, can get quite tense. (startrek.zip)
  • Street Fighter Alpha 3 - Probably the series pinnacle. (sfa3.zip)
  • Strider - Fantastic visuals, coupled with excellent level design. Superb! (strider.zip)
  • Strikers 1945 - Tough vertical shooter. A '90s version of 1943 if you will, but in 1945. Obviously. (s1945.zip)
  • Sunset Riders - Side scrolling cowboy shooter. (ssriders.zip)
  • Super Pang - Bubble bursting mayhem. (spang.zip)
  • Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo - One of the finest and most addictive vs. puzzle games ever made. (spf2t.zip)
  • Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo (Grand Master Challenge)[/b] - Available on MAME and Final Burn. The greatest game to ever bear the Street Fighter name.
  • Susume! Taisen Puzzle Drama - Nice puzzle game, watch those animations! (gogomilj.zip)

• • Tapper - The best Budweiser licensed game ever. True. (tapper.zip)
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Scrolling beat-em up, supporting up to 4 players. (tmnt.zip)
  • Tempest - Skirt around a vector tunnel dishing out laser-death to anything that moves. (tempest.zip)
  • Tengai (Sengoku Blade: Sengoku Ace Episode II) - Horizontal scrolling shoot 'em up, very JPN! Mad as a bucket of spiders and just as much fun!
  • The Togyu - Surreal Japanese bullfighting simulation. Enormous fun once mastered, and great music for high score. (thetogyu.zip)
  • Thief - GTA Pacman with actual police band radio banter as the soundtrack! (thief.zip)
  • Three Wonders - A platfomer, shoot 'em up and puzzle game on one ROM. (3wonders.zip)
  • Time Pilot - Take your looping/shooting plane through 5 eras. If you die, it's your fault. (timeplt.zip)
  • Total Carnage - Sequel to Smash TV, set in a war. Even more insane. (totcarn.zip)
  • Track & Field - The game that ushered in an era of button bashing and joystick waggling sports games. (trackfld.zip)
  • Truxton II - Completely insane 1992 Toaplan vertical shooter. (truxton2.zip)
  • Twinkle Star Sprites - Shooter that has you versus another player kinda like Bust a Move only no balls. (twinspri.zip

• • Uo Poko - Japanese puzzler, like an underwater verson of Puzzle Bobble. Fun stuff. (uopoko.zip)
  • UN Squadron - Excellent fun cartoon Japanese shoot 'em up made by Capcom. (unsquad.zip)

• • Vasara - Fun vertical shooter from Visco, go on, give it a try!
  • Vendetta - Side scrolling beat 'em up with some brilliant little touches and great weapons. Up to 4 players. Also look for 'Crime Fighters 2' Japanese version with hilarious mincing gay stereotypes and fighting style cut from US and UK versions. (vendetta.zip)

• • Wardner - 1 player wizard romp, with some tricky levels (wardner.zip)
  • Willow - Side-scrolling midget goodness. (willow.zip)
  • Wizard of Wor - 2 player co-operative or compter at he same time. (wow.zip)
  • Wonerboy - The classic caveman skateboard side scroller. (wboy.zip)
  • Wonderboy III - Monster Lair - Wonderboy becomes a scrolling plat former/shooter hybrid with power-ups. (wb3.zip)
  • Wild West Cowboys of Moomesa - Classic Konami plat former a bit like Sunset Riders. (moo/zip)

• • X-Multiply - Like R-type, but with bizarre tentacles attached to your ship instead of the force. Sterling stuf. (multiply.zip)
  • Xybots - Bind some keys to turn left and right in this pseudo-3D maze shooter. (xybots.zip)

(Originally found on RLLMUK but no longer maintained there)