HBMAME (Homebrew MAME) - RetroBIOS

Type	libretro
Source	https://github.com/libretro/hbmame-libretro
Version	Git
Profiled	2026-03-18
Cores	hbmame

No BIOS or firmware files required. This core is self-contained.

HBMAME (Home Brew MAME) is a fork of MAME focused on two things: preserving homebrew games written for arcade hardware, and including worthwhile hacks of existing arcade games. The libretro port builds as TARGET=hbmame.

Based on MAME 0.220 (src/version.cpp: BARE_BUILD_VERSION "0.220"). The core carries 191 driver files under src/hbmame/drivers/ covering ~8500 game entries (hbmame.lst). Most drivers are hack/homebrew variants of well-known arcade boards: CPS1, CPS2, CPS3, Neo Geo, Pac-Man, Galaxian, etc.

BIOS handling is identical to MAME. HBMAME does not define any custom BIOS ROMs beyond what standard MAME uses. The Neo Geo subsystem (which accounts for the bulk of hbmame content) reuses the same neogeo.zip BIOS set as MAME: sp-s2.sp1, sm1.sm1, sfix.sfix, 000-lo.lo, plus regional and Universe BIOS variants. The NEO_BIOS macros in src/hbmame/includes/neogeo.h are copied directly from MAME with no modifications to hashes or filenames.

The neogeo_noslot.cpp driver includes a reduced MV1C-only BIOS set for a few specific PCB games (sp-45.sp1, sp1-j3.bin). The neogeohb.cpp driver handles homebrew and unreleased Neo Geo titles (numbered 300-999) using the same standard BIOS infrastructure.

No other hbmame-specific drivers (CPS1, CPS2, Pac-Man, Galaxian, etc.) define ROM_SYSTEM_BIOS entries. Their games are ROM-only hacks that rely on parent MAME sets for any BIOS needs.

BIOS files are expected as MAME-format ZIP archives in the ROM search path. Users with a working MAME 0.220 BIOS collection need nothing extra for HBMAME.

Generated on 2026-03-20T19:12:20Z