From a safety standpoint, downloading emulators like HBMAME is perfectly safe, provided you get them from official community sources.
Use the audit feature in the UI to identify working hacks. If a game doesn't appear, you may need to zip the individual hack folders for the emulator to recognize them properly. Advanced Management and Integration hbmame roms
To understand , you must first understand the parent project. MAME’s primary goal is to document and preserve original arcade hardware. Its developers focus on original, unmodified code from factory-produced arcade PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards). From a safety standpoint, downloading emulators like HBMAME
of arcade games rather than the original, unedited versions found in standard MAME. MiSTer FPGA Forum What is in an HBMAME ROM Set? From a safety standpoint