| Format | Description | Disk Space | Best for | |--------|-------------|------------|-----------| | | Parent ROM has all files; clones only have unique files. | Medium | Advanced users with bandwidth limits | | Merged | Parent + clones stored together inside one zip. | Low | Archival, torrent seeding | | Non-Merged | Every game zip is fully self-contained. | High | Casual users, frontends (e.g., LaunchBox) |
: Non-merged for beginners; Split for experts using ROM managers. 4. CHD Files (Compressed Hunks of Data) Many larger arcade games (e.g., Killer Instinct , Gauntlet Legends , Dance Dance Revolution ) use hard drives or CD-ROMs. These are stored as CHD files alongside ROMs. Mame Full Set Roms
