MAME celebrated its 25th birthday last weekend. Originally authored by Nicola Salmora, the arcade-emulating software became a sprawling project with hundreds of contributors which immortalized the work of a fading industry then triggered a cultural revolution around nostalgia for it.
MAME, the multiple arcade machine emulator, is 25 years old
A Japanese arcade. Photo: Videogame Visionary (CC BY 2.0)