Given the rapid development of MAME (version 0.270+ as of late 2025), is it worth using a set from 2021?
Yes, for three specific use cases:
No, if you want to play:
Alternate versions of a parent game. Clones are usually tiny (a few MB) because they only contain the differences from the parent—different text, difficulty settings, or region code. Example: sf2uk.zip (UK version) requires sf2.zip to be in the same folder if you are using a merged set. mame 0.235 rom set
Create a folder like C:\MAME0235. Inside, create: Given the rapid development of MAME (version 0