Record and replay a MAME input file on Android
Record from a clean launch with the target build's record control, then replay with that same MAME revision, machine definition, ROM data, configuration, and NVRAM. An INP stores timed inputs, not video or full machine state, so any changed dependency can make playback diverge.
Do this in order
- 01
Record the Android port, exact MAME revision, machine short name, ROM audit, CFG and NVRAM state.
- 02
Close the machine normally, then start it with the port's documented equivalent of `-record session.inp`.
- 03
Perform one short, repeatable input sequence and exit normally so the recording is finalized.
- 04
Preserve the INP beside a manifest of the build, short name, hashes, CFG and NVRAM used.
- 05
Restore the same baseline and launch with the documented equivalent of `-playback session.inp`.
- 06
Watch for desynchronization, then change only one suspected dependency before recording a fresh trace.
Decision and diagnostic table
| Artifact | Contains | Portability boundary |
|---|---|---|
| INP | Timed input stream | Build, driver, CFG and NVRAM sensitive |
| STA | Machine snapshot | Driver and version sensitive |
| Video capture | Rendered audio/video | Does not reproduce emulation |
| CFG/NVRAM | Controls and persistent machine data | Can alter deterministic playback |
INP is a reproducibility tool
Playback re-runs emulation while supplying recorded controls. It is useful for isolating an input regression, but it does not freeze every external condition.
Android support is a port fact
Upstream MAME documents `-record` and `-playback`; an Android wrapper may omit, rename, or hide them. Do not assume a desktop path or shell interface exists.
Keep the baseline with the trace
A useful report names the build, machine, audit result, input file, CFG and NVRAM state. Calling a replay successful requires observation; this guide does not claim that ArcadeShelf tested a particular port.
An INP does not contain or license the game itself. Share no ROM, BIOS, CHD, artwork, audio, or other copyrighted data with a diagnostic trace.