Use the official Rip Cord MAME ROM legally and preserve the emulation warnings
Open MAMEdev's dedicated Rip Cord page, read and accept its non-commercial condition there, and do not mirror or bundle the ROM images. Record the page date and your downloaded artifact identity, then audit it with the exact target MAME build and short name `ripcord`. MAME 0.289 marks sound imperfect and lists two line-drawing PROMs as `NO_DUMP`, so a successful ROM audit must not be described as complete preservation or perfect emulation.
Do this in order
- 01
Open MAMEdev's Rip Cord page and record the Exidy, 1979 identity, H.R. Kauffman acknowledgement, non-commercial scope, page URL, and review date.
- 02
Use the page's own acknowledgement and download control only if your intended use is non-commercial; never bypass, hotlink, mirror, cache, or bundle the file.
- 03
For your permitted local copy, record filename, byte size, and checksum without uploading the artifact or placing it in ArcadeShelf source.
- 04
Record the exact MAME or Android-port revision and confirm that build's short name and driver status rather than assuming every MAME-derived core matches 0.289.
- 05
Run the target build's audit and keep its missing, incorrect, `NO_DUMP`, and driver-quality messages distinct from the rights receipt.
- 06
Retain the official-page link, artifact receipt, build receipt, and result together; re-review the source if the page, permission, ownership, or distribution context changes.
Decision and diagnostic table
| Evidence | What it establishes | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Official Rip Cord page | Free non-commercial use through MAMEdev | Public domain or third-party distribution |
| Artifact hash | Identity of the local file received | Permission or MAME compatibility |
| MAME 0.289 audit | Match to that build's known definitions | Perfect sound or complete dumped hardware data |
| `NO_DUMP` PROM entries | Preservation data is unavailable to that driver | A request to find substitute downloads |
The source page is part of the permission
MAMEdev says H.R. Kauffman made the original Rip Cord ROM images available for free, non-commercial use and requires an acknowledgement on the title page. Its catalog limits approved distribution to the MAMEdev site, so ArcadeShelf links to the page and never reproduces the download.
A clean audit has a defined ceiling
The fixed MAME 0.289 driver registers one parent short name, `ripcord`, with save-state support and imperfect sound. It also declares two line-drawing PROMs `NO_DUMP` and documents unresolved behavior. An audit can validate known bytes without proving the missing hardware evidence exists.
Rights and emulation quality are separate receipts
The rights receipt governs where and how the official artifact may be obtained and used. The technical receipt covers one file, one build, its audit, and observed behavior. Neither expands the other.
Rip Cord is offered by MAMEdev for free non-commercial use, but it is not public domain and approved distribution is limited to that site. ArcadeShelf must not host, proxy, hotlink, cache, bundle, resell, or provide a one-tap download for the ROM images.