Not all save files are created equal. Searching forums yields countless broken, incomplete, or corrupted files. A truly better MCR file meets these stringent criteria:
Validate the File
Repair Common Problems
Merge or Restore Unlocks
Convert for Emulator Compatibility
Prepare for Real Hardware
Before we discuss what makes a file "better," we need to understand the hardware. The Namco System 12 arcade board did not have a traditional hard drive. Instead, it used EEPROMs (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) and battery-backed RAM to keep track of player progress. tekken 3 mcr save file better
In MAME, this virtual memory is stored as an .MCR file (short for "Memory Card or EEPROM data"). When you run Tekken 3 in MAME for the first time, the emulator generates a blank MCR file. In this virgin state, the arcade cabinet behaves as if it has been turned off and on for the first time.
Here is what a default (bad) MCR file gives you: Not all save files are created equal
This is fine for a five-minute nostalgia trip, but for a collector or a serious player, it is unacceptable.