MAME (current) for RetroArch shows further improvements

Update 4 August 2025 - just briefly an overdue update on easier highscore support in MAME (current) for RetroArch, which I can confirm as working (done with newest MAME version 0.279)

Preparatory steps:

• Step 1: have the MAME (current) core installed
• Step 2: verify that you have the following directory: $HOME/Documents/RetroArch/system/mame - if not, then create it
• Step 3: download the entire master file from github as a zip file: https://github.com/libretro/mame and extract it
• Step 4: move the following directories into the mame directory according to Step 2: hash and plugins

Activating Highscore Support from within MAME (current):

• launch a game in MAME (current), enter Quick Menu, and in the Core Options/System, enable "Boot to OSD"
• Completely close RetroArch, launch it again and launch a game (horizontal monitor!) in MAME (current) -> the OSD appears
• With (TAB), jump to the General Settings of the MAME OSD, go to Plugins and activate "Hiscore Support" - don't forget to save the settings in the MAME OSD. 
• After this, disable "Boot do OSD" in the Core Options and completely close RetroArch again.
• MAME has now generated the necessary ini files in $HOME/Documents/RetroArch/system/mame/ini

From now on, games should save highscores in $HOME/Documents/RetroArch/system/mame/hiscore. Play any game and get a hiscore, and it should create this directory and save hiscores into it. 

Very good news: In my tests, I could successfully move all hiscores from MAME official to MAME (current) in RetroArch! The solution now seems compatible and stable enough.

Still a bit clumsy, but far better than before. 

Reminder: samples for very old MAME games need to be here as well - $HOME/Documents/RetroArch/system/mame/samples

Zelda N64 Recompliations on Apple Silicon (WIP)

Besides Super Mario 64, the two Zelda games on my Nintendo 64 are high ranking in my forever games list. Even more than Super Mario 64, these games had severe technical limitations on the console and criminally low fps. The two recompilation projects I want to present here are still in beta, but seem both stable enough to advertise. They provide unprecedented gaming experience for Ocarina of Time and Majora‘s Mask.

My two favorite N64 games besides Super Mario 64, you can see the passage of time ...

Disclaimer: Legally you require to own the games.

The two solutions I want to present here are

• Ocarina of Time: Ship of Harkinian (SOH) - https://www.shipofharkinian.com

Metal backend with 60fps, re-textured including models

• Majora's Mask: Zelda Recompiled - https://github.com/Zelda64Recomp/Zelda64Recomp

The newest version 1.2 provides similar options as SOH - retextures are also breathtaking

For sure, any screenshot cannot merit the actual experience when playing these games, but I hope that it's a sufficient teaser. As always, I want to focus on own experience, but would not repeat the original installation instructions.