Use the official Hard Hat ROM page without bypassing its non-commercial terms
Open MAMEdev's individual Hard Hat page, read and acknowledge its free non-commercial condition there, and let MAMEdev remain the only download host. Record the reviewed identity as the single MAME 0.289 parent `hardhat`. ArcadeShelf may link to that page but may not mirror, proxy, prefetch, bundle, or claim one-tap play, and it has not downloaded or tested the ROM on Android.
Do this in order
- 01
Open MAMEdev's approved ROM catalog and continue to the individual Hard Hat page instead of a mirror, direct-file shortcut, or app fetch.
- 02
Record Exidy, 1982, H.R. Kauffman, designer/programmer Larry W. Hutcherson Sr., free non-commercial use, the official URL, and today's review date.
- 03
Read and acknowledge the condition on MAMEdev before initiating any download there; keep ArcadeShelf and other apps outside the delivery path.
- 04
For MAME 0.289, record the reviewed target as parent `hardhat`; do not infer that Pepper II or another title on the same hardware is included.
- 05
If you obtain the file lawfully, preserve it untouched and audit it with the exact target build while keeping the rights receipt separate from the technical result.
- 06
Label any later Android boot, input, sound, save, speed, and relaunch observations as device-specific tests; until then, report compatibility as untested.
Decision and diagnostic table
| Question | Evidence | Safe conclusion |
|---|---|---|
| May I obtain it? | Individual MAMEdev page and acknowledgement | Free non-commercial use from that page |
| May another service deliver it? | MAMEdev catalog and legal page | No mirror, proxy, cache, bundle, or prefetch |
| Which set was reviewed? | MAME 0.289 driver and rights page | Single parent `hardhat` only |
| Does it run on my Android port? | Exact-build audit and device test | Unknown until lawfully tested |
The source page is part of the permission flow
MAMEdev credits H.R. Kauffman with making the original Hard Hat ROM images available for free, non-commercial use and requires an acknowledgement on the title page. Its catalog limits approved public distribution to MAMEdev, so a normal source link preserves that flow while a mirror, proxy, cache, bundle, or background fetch replaces it.
Shared hardware is not shared permission
The official page says Hard Hat uses hardware identical to Pepper II, while the fixed MAME driver registers `hardhat` as its own parent set. Hardware similarity does not extend the Hard Hat grant to Pepper II, artwork, screenshots, cabinet imagery, audio, logos, or other archives.
Keep three separate receipts
The rights receipt records who permitted what and where the file may be obtained. The audit receipt records whether bytes satisfy one MAME build. The runtime receipt records what happened on one Android device. ArcadeShelf completed only the source and identity review.
Hard Hat is not public domain. The published grant is free non-commercial use through MAMEdev's page only and does not authorize resale, advertising-supported delivery, mirroring, app or cabinet bundling, screenshots, artwork, audio, trademarks, or other games. Re-review if the source page, terms, ownership, monetization, or acquisition flow changes.