Screenshot Archive

In 2003 Screenshot Archive offered zip files that contained a background image and .lay file for the specific skin. It offered many skins for MAMEWAH, a customizable multiple emulator frontend that is capable of running countless emulators, including everyone's favorite arcade emulator, M.A.M.E. MAMEWAH is primarily intended for use with real arcade controls, including joysticks (digital or analog), trackballs and spinners. MAMEWAH hides the Windows environment which makes it ideal for use in a home arcade cabinet. The site also offered various tutorials such as the one below. All content is from the site's archived 2003 pages.

Obviously this website was dedicated to MAMEWAH skins, but there are lots of other sites that offer loads of other skins. Since I am a Batman fan wearing Batman designs on t-shirts I like designed Batman skins. Just the other day I came across a cool Batman T shirt website featuring a huge selection of Batman shirts that blew me away. Not only did they offer what looked liked hundreds of Batman t-shirts, but also hoodies, sweatshirts, and even work shirts. The Dark Knight is hugely popular here, and that popularity extends even to his villains - so the Penguin and the Joker are represented along with his sidekick Robin. How cool is that? The site's graphics are pretty cool, but I really think they should have a Batman skin instead. The Batman t-shirt I have on right now which is the iconic logo image would make a great skin if the logo were repeated over and over. Well I am digressing, so let's get back to the Mamewah skins and how to set up, even though the instructions are from way back in the early 2000's.

WinUAE Guide Set Up

Below is a Tutorial written by Myriel showing how to use his modified version of WinUAE (an Amiga Emulator) and how to set it up in Mamewah.

Download the modified version of WinUAE on the Downloadspage.

WinUAE 0.8.23 Frontend-Version

This is an edited version of WinUAE 0.8.23 which can be used in a frontend.

The main changes to the original version are :

• use "P" to pause emulation

• use "ESC" to quit emulation immediately

• enabled direct start of games via commandline

How to use it:

I assume that you already used WinUAE so I don't explain how to configure it. I will just explain the needed steps for the Frontend-Mode.

First of all we should start WinUAE :-).Go to "Misc" and check the box "Frontend-Mode" to activate "P" and "ESC".

Set your favourite settings for a game like screenresolution, filters, sound etc.

Deactivate under "Misc" the setting "Show gui on startup".

Don't forget to insert a valid kickrom-file and use fullscreen.

Insert the game in df0. Save the configuration under the same name of the game, e.g. if you want to play "pang" insert "pang.zip" in df0 and save a configuration-file named "pang.uae".

Copy the configfiles from "./Configurations" into your WinUAE-directory !!!!

Now you are able to start the game from the commandline by starting "WinUAE configfile.uae",

e.g. "WinUAE pang.uae".

WinUAE in Mamewah

To use WinUAE in Mamewah you have to save a configfile for every game you want to play. That seems like a lot of work but you have to do it anyway if you want to play it in the normal, non-frontend version. I suggest that you should make a standard configfile which works for most games. Then you could just load it, change the disk in df0 and save a new configfile with the name of the game.

The biggest thing you have to do ( normally just once ) is to change the keyboard-layout of WinUAE. That can be done under "Input". Choose "Configuration #1" and "Keyboard" and manually change the keys to the mamekeys. Remember that most amigagames only need 1 fire-button. Therefore you can assign the remaining keys to special keys like "F1","F2" etc.

Note that some games use the "F1-F10" keys so that you have to do this individually. For your convenience I already included a mame keyset in the file "mamewah.uae".

You can use this file as your standard-configfile and change it to your needs ( like change disks in df0 ). This config works with about 90 % of my tested A500 games.

The keys in the "mamewah.uae" are :

• Player 1 & 2 movement controls like Mame

• Fire 1 & 2 for Player 1 & 2 like Mame

• Player 1 Fire 3 = F1, Fire 4 = F2, Fire 5 = F3, Fire 6 = F4

• Player 2 Fire 3 = F5, Fire 5 = RETURN

• Player 1 Start ("1" on keyboard) = SPACE

• Coin Player 1 ("5" on keyboard) = MOUSE 1 UP

• Coin Player 2 ("6" on keyboard) = MOUSE 1 DOWN

Hint : Change the keyboardlayout once and save it in your standard configfile. Use

"Configuration #1" - "Configuration #4" and adjust them to your needs, like

"Configuration #1" doesn't use any "F"-keys, "Configuration #2" uses "F1" - "F5" etc.

Now let's look at Mamewah. Edit your emulator-configfile ( like "emu1.cfg" ) and use the following settings :

Run Mamewah, refresh your gamelist and have fun :-)

Last words

I hope this tutorial helped you. Note that if you want to change disks during the emulation you still need a keyboard and a mouse. I may fix this and add a key for "autochange disk" later.

If you have any comments or questions write an email to : Myriel2004@yahoo.de

Have fun

Myriel