MAME 2003-Plus - RetroBIOS

Type	libretro
Source	https://github.com/libretro/mame2003-plus-libretro
Version	2003-Plus
Profiled	2026-03-18
Cores	mame2003_plus
Systems	snk-neogeo-mvs, snk-neogeo-aes, igs-pgm, sega-stv, sega-megaplay, sega-megatech, deco-cassette, nintendo-playch10, nintendo-nss, super-kaneko-nova, konami-gx, zn1-capcom, zn2-capcom, zn1-taito, zn1-tecmo, zn1-video-system, zn1-acclaim, zn1-atlus

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

MAME 2003-Plus is a libretro port of MAME 0.78 with backported drivers, bug fixes, and new game support contributed after the original 0.78 snapshot. It targets low-end hardware (Raspberry Pi, handhelds) while expanding game compatibility beyond stock 0.78.

BIOS handling follows standard MAME conventions. Each arcade board with a shared BIOS defines a parent ROM set. Game drivers reference this parent, and the emulator merges the parent ZIP contents at load time.

BIOS ZIPs are searched in: 1. {content_dir}/ (same folder as the game ROM) 2. {system_dir}/mame2003-plus/ (libretro system subfolder) 3. {system_dir}/ (libretro system root)

ROM naming follows MAME 0.78 conventions with some updates from the Plus patches. ROMs from modern MAME may not match expected CRC32/SHA1 values. Use a mame2003-plus-specific romset for full compatibility.

Key differences from FBNeo and modern MAME: - Neo Geo: uses mame.sm1 / mamelo.lo / sfix.sfx naming (not sm1.sm1 / 000-lo.lo) - Neo Geo: Universe BIOS up to 4.0 (FBNeo has newer) - PGM: uses pgm_p01s.rom naming (not pgm_p01s.u20) - No NAOMI, no Atomiswave, no CPS-3 (too late for 0.78 era) - ZN-1/ZN-2 boards present but marked NOT_WORKING

The Neo Geo set is the most critical BIOS for this core since nearly all Neo Geo games work well. PGM and ST-V have partial support. Most ZN-based games are flagged NOT_WORKING due to incomplete PlayStation emulation in 0.78.

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