I dunno what builds of mame and such can be used by different front ends… i need it for an arcade cabinet.
the newest build of MAME will run all CPS-3 games including 3rd Strike. You just need to set up your ROM folder correctly. Basically you need the 3S ROM and the .CHD file that goes with it. Put the sfiii3.zip (rom) into your MAME/ROMS directory, then create a subdirectory in the ROMS directory called SFIII3 and put the .CHD file in there. It should be called 33s000.chd. Once you run 3S for the first time in MAME you will have to wait for it to process some data which takes about 20min…go get a snack.
Alternatively, use the Japan rom, no CHD, go to the DIP switches settings and configure for USA.
I use Mala as my front end. It controls all my leds, plays preview videos and supports all my tough emus including dreamcast, mugen, PS1, I even have RE4 running on there.
Maximus arcade is awesome.
Its a seamless arcade front end. For mame and other emulators. Its really easy to configure, and works awesome. However, it does gots 25 dollars, but you do get a 30 day trial to give it a shot.
The current beta of it supports the CPS3 emulator.