MAME or M.A.M.E. [Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator] is a hardware emulator that supports over 2000 unique arcade machines
The MAME software actually emulates the hardware used in arcade machines, like the pang PCB on the left.
When MAME is run using ROMS (the original arcade game program), that were 'dumped' from the original game board, MAME faithfully* reproduces the arcade game on your PC/MAC...or whatever.
*in some cases MAME is unable to faithfully reproduce the original arcade machine due to hardware limitations or incomplete emulation. With many non-working games, games where the software hasn't been dumped and encrypted hardware/software which makes some games unplayable or not available at all.
The purpose of the MAME project is to document the hardware (and software) of the arcade games. The side effect to this is that you can actually run arcade software on your PC, MAC, Xbox or converted cabinet.
There are already many dead arcade boards, whose function has been
brought to life in MAME. Being able to play the games is just a
nice side-effect. The huge success of MAME would not be possible
without the talent of the programmers who joined to form the MAME
team. At the moment, there are about 100 people on the team, but
there is a large number of contributors outside the team too. Nicola
Salmoria is still the coordinator of the project. 
MAME is a stand-alone application that does NOT contain any games and requires the appropriate ROMs [games] to run your favorite arcade game.
There is no completion date for MAME. This is due to many factors including the time it takes for the developers to write the software, who incidentally work for FREE, and the huge number of arcade machines produced since the 70's, and the varying types of 'encrypted hardware' that was used to stop arcade operators copying the games.
WARNING: THESE PAGES CONTAIN INFORMATION RELATING TO THE MODIFYING OF ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS, THE REWIRING OF ELECTRICAL CABLING, THE HANDLING OF ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT WHICH CAN BE DAMAGED BY ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE & THE HANDLING OF ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT WHICH CONTAINS A HIGH VOLTAGE THAT IS A POTENTIAL HEALTH RISK
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE THESE PAGES IF YOU ARE NOT A QUALIFIED ELECTRONIC SERVICE ENGINEER, DOING SO MAY DAMAGE YOUR EQUIPMENT AND COULD DAMAGE YOUR HEALTH OR KILL!!!
EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ENSURE THESE FREE DOSMAME SUPPORT
PAGES ARE AS ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE, HOWEVER, DOSMAME (MAMEWORLD &
I) CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR (BUT NOT LIMITED TO) ANY LOSS
OR CORRUPTION OF DATA, DAMAGE TO HARDWARE, DAMAGE TO YOU OR A 3RD
PARTY OR ANY OTHER UNDESIRED OUTCOME AS A DIRECT OR INDIRECT RESULT
OF CONSULTING THESE PAGES
THESE PAGES HAVE BEEN PRODUCED IN MY SPARE TIME (WHICH IS VERY VERY
LIMITED) TO PROVIDE GOODWILL TECHNICAL GUIDANCE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT
TO RUN THE D.O.S. VERSION OF MAME
I WILL TRY TO RESPOND TO EMAILS AS SOON AS I CAN BUT I CANNOT GUARANTEE A SAME-DAY SERVICE
