I would recommend getting a controller for your preferred modern console ( Xbox One, PS4, PS5, etc.) and attaching it to your PC via USB cable. Now start up MAME and you’ll be able to see the ROMs you’ve downloaded in the “available” section.īefore you start, you need to set up the controls. Once you’ve got your zipped ROM downloaded, throw it into the “roms” folder in your MAME folder.
So we’re good to go.Ĭlick download Contra and, just like last time, make a “MAME Roms” folder to put it into while it downloads. With this and all future ROMs, pay attention to what kind of emulator is required to play the game. Let’s start with Contra, which is a classic game I used to regularly play on an NES emulator. Head on over to retrostic to find some ROMs that will work with MAME. What should we start with? Where to find ROMs for MAME Right now, we don’t have anything downloaded. You can filter what games you have downloaded on the left. Starting up MAME should give you this screen. You can see the MAME application toward the bottom with the MAME logo as the icon. It should look something like this when completed. Throw that in your MAME folder and double-click it to start extracting the files. Once MAME has finished downloading, you should have something like this saved to your computer. While that happens, go ahead and make a MAME folder on your desktop. The first thing you’re going to want to do is head over to and find the downloads section for MAME.Ĭhoose the platform of your computer and click download to find the files.Ĭlick the MAME 64bit.exe and the file should start downloading. With a user-friendly interface and plenty of customization, MAME is a great option for anyone looking to emulate classic games at home. MAME isn’t restricted to emulating one specific console and can emulate a variety of games across the years. MAME is a free-to-use retro arcade emulator available for download online.