Deadly

Crappy luck so far. The guy had a few teeth pulled, the shop he was moving into fell through which is ok because he found a bigger space for less money. I am supposed to hook up with him this week ... I know I know we'll see what happens. Mean while, I have built a killer liquid cooled system: With this: Pentium Extreme dual core 3.2 OC'd to 3.7, 2 gig of ram OC'd from 667 to 702, EVGA Nvidia 7800GT OC'd for a 20% gain "sweet heh heh" and Carnevil gets about 2 extra FPS. What a good deal huh "grumble grumble". What a joke...... it's so hard to comprehend that this much horse power is still useless when it comes to Mame. Geesh ........ sure hope the Mame Devs find a way to stabilize the dual core option so we can all play Carnevil, NFL Blitz and all the other sweet games that crap out right now. Stay tuned....I promise I'll report back with the AMD verses Intel results. I suppose just like a motor ... there's no replacement for displacement.

Just for clarity purposes....you 1.) Start GameEx 2.) Start your emulator 3.) No error given but the screen returns to GameEx Is that correct?

I would guess out of the box it should work as an 8 way by "as the information states" flipping the switch. I don't have one I'm not for sure but the amount of time spent here could have been resolved by calling HAPPS support. Call them first thing in the morning or it'll take you an hour to get anyone on the line As always post back your findings please.

Thank you. It certainly gets a person a little ahead of the game. I was hoping HeadKaze actually had created chankast shortcuts for each game like his instructions recommend. thanks again for the pointer!

Hi Tom, yes this game used to work through GameEx. So just to re-itterate the changes made I have blown away the old GameEx directory which has been in use for the last 5 or so upgrades. I installed GameEx fresh which will now start the game but upon exiting, goes to a black screen and I have to alt-F4 to close gameex to get back to my desktop. It is closing the game with the use of ESC. If it wasn't meant to work this way and was a fluke I understand and you don't need to persue fixing what wasn't meant to be in the first place. I think I can live with out it Thanks again

HeadKaze, since you wrote the guide on how to setup chankast, if you have many of the shortcuts for each game already made, could you please zip them up and post them for the community? Not sure how many games you currently are using but it would sure help the rest of us get a jump on automounting the images and starting chankast through GameEx. Thanks!

quote name='TSpeirs' date='Sep 2 2006, 10:20 PM' post='12483'] The thing that I dont understand is External applications never have worked with launchers, but you say the game used to work. You need to set them up as emulators and specify an advanced emulator configuration that waits for the other processes. I am sitting here laughing You wrote the program and it's not supposed to work ... you're a genius!!!! This worked like a charm before. I got the idea because you already had Mad Dog McCree kind of setup as an example so I was like "hell yes I'll set them all up through here!" I have 12 games currently set up through EXTERNAL APPLICATIONS and this game is the only one that doesn't start the game right away...you have to click on the "PLAY GAME" option on the splash screen so I guess you would call that a launcher??? The actual EXE name is hod3launch.exe which brings up the attachment I posted. Why is this different from Mad Dog or Virtua Cop or House of the dead 1 & 2 other than it requires another step to start??? Thanks for your help! [

I would imagine the whole point of this project is to have a standardized layout for emulators to run through GameEx. Without breaking some laws there is no way possible to have these emulators work "stock" out of the box so to speak. "to answer your question GameEx is a front end NOT an emulator so no the games won't work without the respective emulator. For instance you mention dreamcast and Saturn. They both require the actual bios roms of the consoles which are NOT included in the emulator pack supplied on this site. Tom could not host this on his site nor supply this in his GameEx package without the possibility of legal issues. Don't get me wrong, I'm a hug fan of emulation and would LOVE to see someone help Tom implement this but long story short, it would still require ALOT of additional configuration for the end user.

Good lord man! thanks so much for the contribution. If this information is incorporated/native to GameEx this fornt end will certainly topple the front end market. Sad part is Tom will start charging more Nice job sir!

Hi Tom, Yes this definently happened after the upgrade. I have two arcades and now they both do it. One system uses XP Pro and the other uses XP Media Center edition. The house of the dead 3 has a start menu that pops up and you have to click "Play Game" at which the screen goes black, GameEx menu shows up again and once exited out of GameEx House of the dead 3 is minimized to the tray. Strange. I was hoping it was an option I maybe changed in the config side but beings as I have two arcades and they both exhibit this behaviour I'm certain the upgrade changed something. Headkaze's option of show desktop was set to true already. I uninstalled GameEx entirely and installed fresh. Now the game will actually start up but I notice the screen has a flicker with a quick periodic flash "like blipping" if you will. When I press esc the game does end but the screen goes black and basically stays hung. I have to press alt F4 which kills gameex and takes me back to the desktop. Again this is the only game it happens to and this is the only game that has a launcher. Here's the log.txt:. 20:16:28.7 9/3/2006: GameEx: Version 6.76: Starting Log 20:16:28.7 9/3/2006: Operating System Platform: Win32NT 20:16:28.7 9/3/2006: Operating System Name: Windows XP 20:16:28.7 9/3/2006: Operating System Version: 5.1.2600 20:16:28.7 9/3/2006: Checking for versions of .net Framework installed 20:16:28.7 9/3/2006: .net Framework 1.0 Installed 20:16:28.7 9/3/2006: .net Framework 1.1 Installed 20:16:28.7 9/3/2006: .net Framework 2.0 Installed 20:16:28.7 9/3/2006: Genuine Intel® CPU 2.00GHz 20:16:28.7 9/3/2006: 3.78Ghz - 2 Cores or CPU's 20:16:28.7 9/3/2006: Running Randomize() 20:16:28.7 9/3/2006: Checking for applications to Launch On Startup 20:16:28.7 9/3/2006: Initialising Video/MNG DLL's 20:16:28.7 9/3/2006: Running Misc startup tasks 20:16:28.7 9/3/2006: Setting Menu types 20:16:28.7 9/3/2006: Opening Configuration File 20:16:28.7 9/3/2006: Getting Configuration Values 20:16:28.7 9/3/2006: Using Theme: NexGen 20:16:28.7 9/3/2006: Checking for alternate Image Directory for Theme: NexGen 20:16:28.8 9/3/2006: Launching HideOS.exe 20:16:28.8 9/3/2006: Hiding Taskbar 20:16:28.8 9/3/2006: Is Media Center running? 20:16:28.8 9/3/2006: Checking/Creating LCD Registry values 20:16:28.8 9/3/2006: Check Media Center Exit/Start Mode 20:16:28.8 9/3/2006: Media Center Mode 0 20:16:28.8 9/3/2006: Text/Language: English 20:16:28.8 9/3/2006: Applying Language/Text 20:16:28.9 9/3/2006: Snap Delay set to: 2 20:16:28.9 9/3/2006: Get other settings 20:16:29.0 9/3/2006: Desktop set to Hide ICONS and set Background to Black 20:16:29.0 9/3/2006: Backing up Registry Wallpaper Settings 20:16:29.0 9/3/2006: Set: Find emulator artwork on best match basis 20:16:29.0 9/3/2006: SlikStik support enabled 20:16:29.0 9/3/2006: Using DirectInput for keyboard input 20:16:29.0 9/3/2006: Start work for Form 20:16:29.0 9/3/2006: Getting Original Screen Size 20:16:29.1 9/3/2006: Loading ICON 20:16:29.4 9/3/2006: Initializing Component 20:16:29.6 9/3/2006: Initialising Bass Audio Library 20:16:29.8 9/3/2006: Loading default loading screen 20:16:29.8 9/3/2006: Loading Custom Emulators 20:16:29.9 9/3/2006: Using 2D Animations 20:16:29.9 9/3/2006: Using General Font: Trebuchet MS 20:16:29.9 9/3/2006: Using Title Font: Trebuchet MS 20:16:29.9 9/3/2006: Starting GameExtender Publisher 20:16:29.9 9/3/2006: Initialising DirectDraw 20:16:30.1 9/3/2006: Creating DirectDraw Device 20:16:30.2 9/3/2006: Setting Resolution to 800x600 32 bit color 20:16:30.2 9/3/2006: Creating DirectDraw Surfaces 20:16:30.2 9/3/2006: Creating Primary Surface - Full Screen Mode 20:16:30.2 9/3/2006: Creating Back Buffer 20:16:30.3 9/3/2006: Version 2 Theme being used. Loading. 20:16:30.3 9/3/2006: Loading Button Data 20:16:30.3 9/3/2006: Loading Font Data 20:16:30.3 9/3/2006: Loading Layout Data 20:16:30.3 9/3/2006: Loading Taskbar Data 20:16:30.3 9/3/2006: Loading graphic surfaces 20:16:30.4 9/3/2006: Creating Surfaces Misc and Dialogs 20:16:30.4 9/3/2006: Creating Surface Volume 20:16:30.5 9/3/2006: Creating Surfaces Arrows 20:16:30.5 9/3/2006: Creating Surfaces GameEXlogo Text 20:16:30.5 9/3/2006: Creating Surfaces Toolbar 20:16:30.6 9/3/2006: Creating Surfaces Backgrounds 20:16:33.5 9/3/2006: Creating Surfaces Toolbar Controls 20:16:33.5 9/3/2006: Creating Surfaces GameEx Logo 20:16:33.5 9/3/2006: Creating Surfaces Home & Exit 20:16:33.6 9/3/2006: Creating Surfaces Snaps 20:16:33.6 9/3/2006: Creating Surfaces Menu and List Bars 20:16:33.8 9/3/2006: Creating Fonts 20:16:33.8 9/3/2006: Creating Menu Font 20:16:34.0 9/3/2006: Creating Game Font 20:16:34.0 9/3/2006: Creating Font Black 20:16:34.1 9/3/2006: Creating Font Black Small 20:16:34.2 9/3/2006: Creating Game Font Faded 20:16:34.2 9/3/2006: Creating Title Font 20:16:34.3 9/3/2006: Restoring Title Font From Cache 20:16:35.9 9/3/2006: Fonts Created Succesfully 20:16:36.0 9/3/2006: Initialising Windows Media Player Component 20:16:37.2 9/3/2006: MAME Path is: h:\mame32 20:16:37.2 9/3/2006: daphne Path is: H:\Daphne 20:16:37.2 9/3/2006: daphne EXE file is: Daphne.exe 20:16:37.2 9/3/2006: Use daphne on. Daphne.exe will launch games 20:16:37.2 9/3/2006: MAME EXE file is: mame32.exe 20:16:37.3 9/3/2006: ROM Path is: h:\Mame32\roms 20:16:37.3 9/3/2006: Catver.ini Not Found 20:16:37.3 9/3/2006: History.dat is located at: H:\Mame32\history.dat 20:16:37.3 9/3/2006: nplayers.ini Not Found 20:16:37.3 9/3/2006: MAMEinfo.dat is located at: H:\Mame32\mameinfo.dat 20:16:37.3 9/3/2006: Loading Controls.ini map file 20:16:37.4 9/3/2006: Snap Path is: h:\Mame32\snap 20:16:37.4 9/3/2006: AVI Snap Path: Not Found 20:16:37.4 9/3/2006: Flyer Path is: h:\Mame32\flyers 20:16:37.4 9/3/2006: Cabinet Path is: h:\Mame32\cabinets 20:16:37.4 9/3/2006: Title Path is: h:\Mame32\titles 20:16:37.4 9/3/2006: Panel Path: Not Found 20:16:37.4 9/3/2006: Icon Path is: h:\Mame32\icons 20:16:37.4 9/3/2006: Marquee Path is: h:\Mame32\marquees 20:16:37.4 9/3/2006: MAME CMD options: -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy 20:16:37.4 9/3/2006: Attempting to load game list 20:16:38.1 9/3/2006: Loading last used Game List 20:16:38.1 9/3/2006: Loading Start Page 20:16:38.1 9/3/2006: Setting Music Volume 20:16:38.1 9/3/2006: Creating DirectSound Device 20:16:38.2 9/3/2006: Trying: Primary Sound Driver 20:16:38.2 9/3/2006: Loading Sound Files 20:16:38.3 9/3/2006: DirectSound Device Created Successfully 20:16:38.3 9/3/2006: Creating ICONS 20:16:38.3 9/3/2006: Restoring Cached ICONS from File 20:16:39.0 9/3/2006: Initialising DirectInput for Gamepad support 20:16:39.1 9/3/2006: Unable to create a joystick device 20:16:39.1 9/3/2006: Initialising DirectInput for Keyboard support 20:16:39.2 9/3/2006: Playing intro sound file 20:16:39.2 9/3/2006: Initializing MCE Remote 20:16:39.2 9/3/2006: Initialization OK! Starting GameEx! 20:16:39.2 9/3/2006: Testing Main Loop Once: Processing Frame 20:16:39.5 9/3/2006: Testing Main Loop Once: Main Loop ran successfully 20:20:39.2 9/3/2006: Starting Attract Mode 20:20:39.6 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe apb1 -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 20:22:42.6 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe snowbrob -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 20:24:45.1 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe silentdj -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 20:26:47.6 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe marukodq -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 20:28:50.5 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe cosmicg -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 20:30:53.3 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe firetpbl -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 20:32:56.1 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe thief -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 20:34:58.9 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe espradej -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 20:37:01.6 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe highsplt -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 20:39:04.4 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe gberet -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 20:41:07.0 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe pulstar -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 20:43:09.4 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe rugrats -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 20:45:12.2 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe kaiteik -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 20:47:14.8 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe pushman -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 20:49:17.6 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe ldrun2 -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 20:51:20.3 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe rtypepj -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 20:53:22.8 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe chugokur -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 20:55:25.2 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe xxmissio -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 20:57:28.0 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe sonofphx -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 20:59:30.8 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe aurail1 -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 21:01:33.4 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe circusc -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 21:03:36.1 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe tubep -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 21:05:38.6 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe brutforc -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 21:07:41.4 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe tshoot -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 21:09:44.1 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe mjfocusm -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 21:11:46.5 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe exeriont -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 21:13:48.9 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe harddrb5 -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 21:15:51.7 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe narc3 -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 21:17:54.4 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe spaceskr -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 21:19:57.2 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe kram -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 21:22:00.0 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe ddragn2u -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 21:24:02.9 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: h:\mame32\mame32.exe fightfev -rompath h:\Mame32\roms -triplebuffer -nowindow -joy -volume -32 21:25:02.2 9/3/2006: MAME process ended: Exiting attract mode 21:25:12.7 9/3/2006: Running: cmd.exe /c h: hod3launch.exe 21:26:24.0 9/3/2006: Exiting GameEx! 21:26:24.1 9/3/2006: Saving Settings 21:26:26.5 9/3/2006: Checking for applications to Launch On Exit

OC'ing a proc can be harmful if you don't maintain a decent temperature. The key word is temperature. Heat will kill anything not just procs. Liquid cooling is cheap enough - Koolance.com.

This probelm started when I upgraded to 6.71. I have since upgraded to 6.72 which the problem still exists. The issue is when I run House of the Dead 3 through GameEx, the screen does dark, flickers a bit then the applications list reappears. I then exit GameEx and the house of the dead 3 is running in a "paused" mode on the taskbar. If I click on the task it goes full screen and the game starts???? HOTD3 works perfectly outside of GameEx. Every game I have is working perfectly within GameEx except for this one which I have uninstalled and tried fresh to no avail. My GameEx config has not changed. The debug list shows no probelms what so ever. Help or ideas please?! Thanks! Deadly

This "feature" is not specific to this version. I cannot honestly tell you what rev I started using but I know that if you enabled lets say Mame or Daphne and the application path was wrong it'd exit just like what you're seeing. You're going to have to take your time when you put the application paths in or you'll be seeing alot of this happening. Maybe Tom can change this behaviour and maybe create a "Log file dump" but yet allow GameEx to load up anyway regardless of user input errors?? Heck ....forget the error dump file and incorporate the windows feature of a pop up error dialog box! Click ok and GameEx doesn't exit. I dunno just my thoughts.

Hi Tom, One thing I find rather irritating is when you leave the configuration window open, fire up GameEx, then GameEx will minimize to the task bar showing something like [0-60~~~]. You then click on the GameEx task and GameEx will be full screen again. Why not use the configuration link you might ask? The main reason is instead of having to "not complaining mind you" wait for GameEx to shell out and start the configuration .... then after changes are made wait for gameex to start up again. Also, Since MAME is getting so grossly huge, is it possible to speed up the update list function? Anyway wanted to say KUDOS on the caching system you've implemented as I see a HUGE difference now. It made my 3.4ghz with dual core hyperthreaded "acts like 4 procs" actually act like it LOL! Phenomenal program.

Beings as I do not have the laptop accesible to me all I can tell you is in the bios you may or may not have an options labeled "shared memory size". I was hoping I was wrong about it being a "lappy" as there are ATX boards that use that chipset as well. You might call the manufacturer BUT I highly recommend you update the video driver first and if that doesn't work disable anti-virus and or spyware detection programs as a test. They'll tax you system too.

Reading your original error log says you are utilizing a SiS M661FX is this correct? 64 meg of integrated video? Is this a laptop by chance? Make sure you actually have the full dedicated 64 meg in the bios "shared memory" for the chipset. Secondly, go to the motherboard manufacturer and get the latest video driver. Strangely enough I had ONE game out of 10"House of the Dead 2" was taking a looooong time to load and once I upgraded the video drivers it flew.

I would like to mention that I am not all against AMD, but wanting all you AMD people to tell me what you are experiencing. I actually started this thread because I've heard so many people that play flight sims say, "AMD is the ONLY thing to use for gaming." Why I dunno but they all swear by AMD. Ok, that's cool maybe they're on to something. Hell I've seen it first hand that Intel can have a piece of hardware that just completely sucks ass, someone corrects a driver and it rocks. Well I suppose that holds true with any company. BUT I have tried running Carnevil on a Intel Duo Core system with 3 gig of ram and 256 DDr3 ATI card. NOPE!!! OR how about on a P4 Hyper threaded prescott overclocked to 3.8 with 4 gig of ram --- NOPE! So I was honestly hoping that for some odd reason that Mame did have some glitchy thing when it came to Intel. Computers I would suppose are like motors in the sense that, "There is no replacement for displacement." Sooooooo the more horse power the better the performance right? I would assume so, but I guess whne it comes to Mame we are all reliant upon the Mame developers "Giles" to fix the drivers so we can continue to play the games we played as kids and or the ones our kids have taught us to play LOL!

Not yet, as my other post mentioned...next week. I can't wait. I feel bad because the guy has some extremely cheap prices on sweet arcade gear and I'd hate to give him the ole "told you so." I promise I will report back what I find out.

Get your optimised build here for AMD and Intel procs. http://redump.emubase.de/mame.php Make sure you disable the "Use keyboard LEDS" option!!! Use CarnEvil as your platform. For those unsure of what to do: PLEASE RUN MAME OUTSIDE OF GAMEEX FOR THIS POLL. 1.) Start Carnevil 2.) Hit F11 key 3.) Coin in, start Rickety Town level OR "Let time input run out which will default to Rickety Town" Take the poll and post findings. I found using the optimised P4 build, I went from 37 - 42 "an extra 5 FPS!" Too bad Carnevil still runs like crap My Specs: Intel 955XBK mother board Intel Pentium Extreme 840 3.2 proc 1 Gig of Corsair Ram 667, 12-5-5-5 ATI X800GTO not over clocked or tweaked in any way

I would agree and say it's probably a good ole fashioned botched upgrade. So just rename your current GameEx folder, install the latest version and then copy over your old GameEx.ini file "the config file" and then run it again. Bet it works... I've unfortunately had a few upgrades botch myself...but for $10.00 I can't gripe

Download the themes package and install them. Choose a theme that has a good feel to it and then open the editor and start replacing the files. I had my first theme made in about 4 hours. It's so incredibly easy, I am really suprised there aren't more GameEx skins out there other than the one site who's name I forget offering them but the selection is thin.

Have either one of you attempted to make one yourself? They are extremely easy to make! I would suggest you start with using a template from a theme that you like....you'll learn how to move things around and basically you're just removing a pic Tom used and adding your own. It really isn't rocket science. All you need is some time and the pics you want to use.

Just be there for me when I need support Amos is all Ia sk hah hah

Hell yes they're worth it. But you better have some hard drive space set aside for it. They recently started removing these games because of Digital Leisure issues/re-releasing these titles so you better get in there and get'em while you can. Before they started removing the games the full deal was around 30-34 gig. Now I have no clue...anyone?

Run the GameEx configuration menu, go to Basic Mame settings and for (USE BEZEL) change from Use Bezel for Vertical games to Don't Use Bezel. Save changes.