VERTICAL ARCADE
These overlays (sometimes known as bezels) display art on top of the game you're playing. To use them, you need a PC or Raspberry Pi (or other compatible system) running some version of MAME and the associated game software, as well as a widescreen (16x9) monitor mounted vertically. To display the overlay while playing a game, download the artwork file for that game overlay (it must have the same filename as the game), place it in the Artwork folder within your MAME directory and launch the game. (For instance, the software for the game Magic Sword is called msword.zip, so it requires a file in the Artwork directory also called msword.zip.)
All overlays are 4K resolution (2160 x 3840), and listed dimensions are for the game screen, relative to a 4K vertical monitor. The actual game screen size will depend on the resolution of your monitor.
Most of the overlays include multiple presets that let you choose the size of the game screen, access a "dark" version designed to look more like a dark arcade, and sometimes other options. To choose a preset, press Tab while running the game to bring up the MAME menu, select Video Options, and select a preset from the list.
Some overlays include Curved presets designed with a curved screen port, to better simulate the look of a CRT monitor. These presets work best if you are using a geometry shader that adds a curved look to the game screen. For an optimal experience, you may need to adjust your shaders to match the curvature of the screen shape in the overlay. If you are not using a geometry shader, you are using a shader that adds a curved bezel, or if you prefer a rectangular screen port, choose a Straight preset where applicable.
The first game designed by now-legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Donkey Kong was anything but a planned success – it was intended as a replacement game for unsold Radar Scope cabinets, and its concept was conceived after Nintendo failed to secure the rights to create a Popeye game. The rest is, of course, history, as Donkey Kong and the franchises it spawned came to define Nintendo for decades. Donkey Kong became a cultural touchstone in the 80s, was the birthplace of Nintendo mascot Mario and inspired a documentary, The King of Kong, about various attempts to seize the world record high score.
For their third Donkey Kong outing, designer Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo went in a totally different direction, removing Mario from the equation entirely (he was off chasing pests with Luigi in New York, apparently) and replacing him with Stanley, a gardener trying to protect his precious plants from an onslaught of bugs. The gameplay took another left turn as well, combining platform elements like the previous games with shooter action vaguely reminiscent of a slow-motion Galaga or Centipede. Pushing Donkey Kong far enough toward the top of the screen causes him to drop a super spray canister that makes Stanley's bug sprayer far more powerful, making it easy to complete the level and helping make Donkey Kong 3 one of the more accessible games of the series.
Following from the success of Donkey Kong, designer Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo followed up with its first sequel, which flipped the script to make Mario the villain, the titular ape the kidnappee and Donkey Kong's offspring the hero. It also added more novel gameplay elements, with vertical vine-climbing in addition to horizontal platform running and the ability to kill enemies with falling fruit, and the game's vertical focus made it a significantly different challenge from the original game. Donkey Kong Jr. also featured increasingly expressive character designs, with Junior's facial expressions bringing a degree of emotion to the game that was uncommon for its era.
The third game featuring Mario, Mario Bros. also brings along his brother Luigi to scour the sewers of New York City to clean up an infestation of turtles, crabs, flies and other pests. Though the mechanics differ from later games, Mario Bros. cemented Mario’s characterization as an Italian-American plumber, his trademark ability to jump on and defeat menacing animal life and his love of giant coins. The game’s multiplayer gameplay, reportedly inspired by Joust, and relatively slow-paced gameplay make it far more approachable than many of Nintendo's previous games. This overlay includes a custom instruction strip, as there was no official version.
After designing Donkey Kong in the image of Popeye, Nintendo created its actual Popeye game a year later, borrowing elements of the original game while giving it a unique concept and gameplay. To rescue Olive Oyl from the clutches of Brutus, Popeye must catch the hearts, notes and cries of H-E-L-P she drops, while avoiding not only Brutus but the Sea Hag and other nasties. Popeye can't jump, but he can knock out Brutus by grabbing his favorite canned leafy snack. Various other characters from Popeye's universe appear occasionally, as he traverses three increasingly treacherous levels to rescue his sweetie. This overlay features an original instruction strip based on the cocktail cabinet instructions, as it didn't come with an official one.
Punch-Out!! was an unusual foray for Nintendo, known for cute platformers, as a challenging and realistic (if somewhat cartoony) third-person boxing game. Aside from its cleverly wireframed protagonist, which allowed you to see yourself without obscuring your opponent, Punch-Out!! was most novel for featuring two monitors, one for the main action and one that displays the fighters, score and status (so chosen because Nintendo had a glut of CRT monitors at the time that it needed to get rid of). Though simple, the game's boxing gameplay proved quite addictive for arcade-goers, leading to both an arcade sequel and several console adaptations.
Super Punch-Out!! continued the formula of Punch-Out!!, with similar graphics and the same stacked monitor configuration, while introducing colorfully-named new opponents including Bear Hugger, Dragon Chan and Vodka Drunkenski. The gameplay remained similar as well, with the addition of the ability to duck by pulling the joystick straight upward. Though it didn't dramatically move the series forward, it did provide more of the same boxing thrills, and was remade with more sophisticated graphics (albeit on a single screen) on Nintendo's consoles.