I'm extremely ambivalent about which Mame version to use when playing DK. Both versions (106 and 164) has its pros and cons, so I was hoping that you could shed some light and lead me in the right direction.
Graphics:The most obvious difference is the descrepancy in graphics. 106 have stronger colors, especially on the barrel board with its distinct red platforms. Picture to illustrate:
106:
http://postimg.org/image/6m3oz157d/ 164:
http://postimg.org/image/lkmwwiyrf/Verdict:
TieMovementsAs some other users have described in earlier threads, there seems to be some kind of subtle delay in 164. I think this is more of a "getting used to" rather than being a negative aspect, but from my own experience, its easier to play safe and run boards with 164, but on the other hand its easier to be flexible and gain 10K+ when pointpressing level 1-1. I recently switched from 164 to 106, so my ambition is that I get fully accustomed to the dynamics of 164 in order to maximize points while still maintaining the feeling of safety and control from 106 version.
Verdict:
106Processor Power / MemoryIt would appear that 106 uses about 50MB of RAM while using 26% of my CPU power. The reverse relationship is true for 164 version, which use about 70MB of RAM and 9% CPU. This is not really relevant in my decision, but I thought I put it out there for the sake of comparison.
Verdict:
164ScreenAs you can see in the aforementioned pictures, the available screen size in windowed mode is superior in 106 because the top Windows border has been eliminated. This really makes the screen feel bigger because I play on a 13 inch laptop and I need all the screen I can get!
Verdict:
106SoundsThis is basically the one big drawback when it comes to 106. The sounds, especially the "points-awarded-sound", are atrocious, and it feels like someone is jamming a screwdriver inside my head everytime I leech Donkey Kong. Perhaps it is possible to modify the versions so the 106 version use the 164 sounds? I downloaded the DK sound samples, but there are other internal sounds (see above) that bugs me.
Verdict:
164PaulineThe oh-so practical application only works with 106 so the winner in this category is self-explanatory.
Verdict:
106So, what do you think? Will I get used to the sounds of 106? I browsed through the highscore list and there are plently of MAME players who play 106 and plenty of other who use newer versions.