There's a lot of
historical data at http://cubeman.org/hiscores.html some of which
predates INP files. The first TG MAME was created from MAME 30, but
the high score tracking started well before that using screenshots. I
remember when MAME only emulated Pac-man, Ms Pac-man, Pengo and Crush
Roller... in version 0.4.

Anyways it was in Feb 1997 when MAME first came on the scene but it
wasn't until Jan 1998 that we had a version that could record INP
files. TG MAME appeared a while after that... I think the exact date
is on the internet somewhere but it was later in 1998. OK, after
checking around I can tell you that the first TG MAME appeared on May
5th, 1998.

Certainly the high score tracking of MAME started before TG MAME,
certainly no later that april 1997.

Mark

cube web site started: jan 22, 1996

xmame 0.15 centipede Robert Anderson
mame 0.15 was released on april 02, 1997
Robert's screenshot of 39,701 points is still on cubeman.org
early xmame is unique in that the version of mame was displayed above the game play screen

scores submitted by aug 24, 1997 were published in the 1st edition of the twin galaxies book of records

under ancient high score news a lot of the 1998 score submissions were recorded
a few of the 1998 mame inp files still exist

sparcade existed in 1996
williams arcade classics: april 10th, 1996

mame 35 jul 4th, 1999

xmame (x11) version 0.106 (Sep 18 2008)

https://github.com/mahlemiut/wolfmame