MAME ROMs are digital copies of original arcade game software. Downloading copyrighted ROMs without owning the original hardware is generally considered a violation of copyright law in most regions. MAME0.139RomCollectionByGhostware : Ghostware

You can legally dump your own ROMs for personal backup in most jurisdictions, though you’d need special hardware.

The phrase refers to curated lists or torrent collections that sorted the most popular, working, and desirable ROMs from the complete 0.139u1 set.

The "top" archives of 0.139u1 are now preserved on private trackers, dedicated retro NAS drives, and the Internet Archive. As of 2025, these ROMs are unlikely to be updated because the source code for MAME 0.139u1 is frozen. It is a time capsule.

When enthusiasts search for the they aren't just looking for a random file set. They are seeking a curated, high-quality snapshot of arcade history. This article explores what makes this specific version unique, where it fits in MAME’s evolution, and how to approach the "top" ROM collections associated with it.