be open source software if appraised according to the criteria of the Open Source Definition. Challenges Generally the emulation only includes raw hardware logic, such as for the CPU and RAM, and specialized DSPs such as tone generators or video sprites. The MESS emulator does not include any programming code stored in ROM chips from the emulated computer, since this may be copyrighted software. Obtaining the ROM data by oneself directly from the hardware being emulated can be extremely difficult, technical, expensive, and even destructive since it may require decapping or desoldering of integrated circuit chips from the circuit board of the device they own. A desoldered IC is placed into a chip reader device connected to a USB or serial port of another computer, with pin sockets on the reader specifically designed to match the chip package shape in question, to perform a memory dump of the ROM to a data file. Removal of a soldered chip is often far easier than reinstalling it, especially for extremely small surface mount technology chips, and the emulated device in question may be effectively destroyed beyond recovery after the ROM has been removed for reading. However, if one has a working system, it may be far easier to dump the ROM data to tape, disk, etc. and transfer the data file to one's target machine. Uses In 2013 the Internet Archive began to provide abandonware games browser-playable via JSMESS (a JavaScript port of the MESS emulator), for instance, the Atari 2600 game E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. See also List of computer system emulators List of video game emulators References External links MESS User Manual JSMESS Historical Software at Internet Archive Arcade Database Database containing details of any game supported by Mame/Mess, including past versions. There are images, videos, programs for downloading extra files, advanced searches, graphics and many other resources. Classic Mac OS emulation software Linux emulation software Macintosh platform emulators MacOS emulation software Multi-emulators Nintendo Entertainment System emulators PlayStation emulators Video game emulation Windows emulation software X86 emulators Free video game console emulators