MAME Milestones

The intention here is not really to focus on particular drivers, but more general concepts. I'm less interested that Gauntlet was emulated and more interested that the slapstic was emulated. For example.

Let's use this format:

• 05 Feb 1997: MAME 0.1 released (0.1)

• 18 Feb 1997: First version of MacMAME released (0.4)

• 23 Mar 1997: First support for multiple CPUs (0.12)

• 26 Mar 1997: High score saving support added (0.13)

• 20 Apr 1997: First version of X/MAME checked in (0.18)

• 26 Apr 1997: Mirko Buffoni takes over from Nicola as MAME coordinator (0.19)

• 02 Jun 1997: First FM synthesis-based sound chip supported -- but only through a hack to use the OPL on a SoundBlaster card under DOS (0.23)

• 14 Jul 1997: First vector games added to MAME (0.26)

• 18 Jul 1997: First release of MAME32 (0.26.1)

• 10 Aug 1997: Nicola returns as MAME coordinator (0.27)

• 10 Aug 1997: MAME switched away from the GPL license (0.27)

• 07 Sep 1997: First 68000 game emulated (Rastan) (0.28)

• 25 Apr 1998: YM2151 supported added (0.30)

• 25 Apr 1998: Atari slapstic first emulated (0.31)

• 25 Apr 1998: Timer system added (0.31)

• 25 Apr 1998: Built-in ZIP file support added (0.31)

• 03 May 1998: Public betas started; previously users would have to wait several months between releases (0.33b1)

• 16 Aug 1998: First appearance of Neo Geo games, which have been the source of much controversy ever since (0.34b1)

• 30 Aug 1998: First DSP core added: the TMS34010 (0.34b2)

• 04 Oct 1998: Began using CRCs to identify ROMs (0.34b4)

• 15 Feb 1999: Internal tilemap code added - previously many drivers done tilemaps their own way (0.35b3)

• 08 Aug 1999: Konami 052001/053248 CPU first emulated (0.36b2)

• 26 Feb 2000: Removed Pong and gambling game drivers (0.36rc1)

• 06 Nov 2000: First proper 32-bit CPU added (68EC020) (0.37b9)

• 17 Jan 2001: Initial support for discrete sound emulation (0.37b11)

• 24 May 2001: Windows takes over from DOS as the primary development target (0.37b15)

• 19 Aug 2001: First checkins for AdvanceMAME (0.37b16)

• 24 Aug 2001: First release to call out MAMETesters bugs (0.54)

• 01 May 2002: Removed SoundBlaster FM support as software-based emulation finally became better in almost all cases (0.60)

• 04 Jul 2002: Added initial support for artwork external to games (0.61)

• 15 May 2003: David Haywood takes over from Nicola as MAME coordinator (0.68)

• 15 May 2003: Added SHA1 hashes in addition to CRCs to reduce hacks and prevent collisions (0.68)

• 23 May 2003: First release to have intermediate 'u' updates (0.69)

• 09 Aug 2003: First emulation of the SP0250 speech chip (0.72)

• 12 Oct 2003: Removed the concept of TESTDRIVERS, making all drivers available in all builds (0.75)

• 11 Nov 2003: 3dfx Voodoo emulation added (0.77)

• 24 Oct 2004: Sega FD1094 decryption added (0.88)

• 24 Nov 2004: New debugger added (0.89)

• 27 Feb 2005: Major sound system reorganization around streams (0.93)

• 07 Apr 2005: mamedev.org is born

• 18 Apr 2005: Aaron Giles takes over from Haze as MAME coordinator

• 03 May 2005: Changed the license to be based off of the BSD license, with commercial restrictions (0.96)

• 14 Sep 2005: Added back support for some gambling games (0.100)

• 03 Jun 2006: First version of SDLMAME released (0.106u1)

• 23 Jul 2006: New video system comes online, focused on letting the video hardware do compositing (0.107)

• 20 Aug 2006: High score support removed (0.108)

• 05 Feb 2007: CPS2 decryption fully implemented (0.112)

• 20 Jun 2007: CPS3 decryption added (0.116u2)

• 19 Aug 2008: First laserdisc game emulated (Cube Quest) (0.127)