My first attempt at MAME from Asteroids Cab

[AmIEvil]

When I first got this Asteroids machine it had been pretty well gutted.  There were no controls, no monitor etc.  I wanted my HotRod to work into the cabinet somehow but wasn't really sure how it would work out.  The Hotrod never controlled the machine as well as I wanted so I really felt the need to have a keyboard added.  Since there was a huge gap under the Hotrod I decided this would be a great place to have a drawer that would slide out from under the Hotrod & contain a keyboard/mouse combo.  I then had the idea of trying to add every controller a person may need to play any of the MAME games... I.E. a Flight-stick, trackball, light-gun, steering wheel etc.  I never did get around to adding the steering wheel but did try other solutions with the flight stick, which I ended up fabricating a mount that would go over the HotRod & be adjustable to hold a flight stick, trackball, or whatever control you would want.  When it is removed you can't tell there is anything there under the HotRod.  The Light-guns I thought would be cool to have slots to slide the guns into but then saw another idea of mounting holsters on the sides of the cab.  I went with some guitar hangers which I painted to match the theme of the Asteroids sides & used those as the light-gun hangers.  I wanted the quarter lights to function but not to just light up - so I switched the bulbs out for lower capacity LED lights and ran them to the Motherboard.  So, the left Quarter light depicts the power light of the computer while the right quarter light shows the Hard Drive activity. The old "Test" switch inside the quarter door I wanted to integrate as well, so it actually functions as the "On/Off/Reset" for the motherboard.  I went through several front bezels in an attempt to get one that would work with the light guns (sensor bars) & would be sturdy enough not to crack or break with the movement of the cab.  What I ended up with was a 1/8 inch thick plexiglass I painted leaving very small openings in the paint for the sensor bars to pass through.  As far as the sound goes - there were no speakers in the cab when I got it, I installed computer speakers in the top of the cab while I converted the marquee light to run off of DC power & attached it to the PC power supply.  There was never a back on the machine so I did put a simple door type back on the machine for easier access to the machines' guts.  Anyway, I wanted to share the project with the forum & get some feedback and or ideas about the project. 

[AmIEvil]

Additional Pics

[AmIEvil]

Dang, just found this pic too.  This is in the first stages when I had an old CRT screen in the cab with a bezel I pretty much cut around the screen's controls, & the mouse/keyboard where outside the cab just sitting on a chair beside the MAME cab. 

[AmIEvil]

I'd really like some feedback on this build if anyone can find some easier ways of going about the details on it or suggestions to make the cab worth selling.  I can't start another project until I get this one out the door & sold so, again, looking for all your input.  What kind of price would I put on this build?  It's got an Intel Core 2 DUO 3.0 processor/Motherboard with 4gb of DDR 3 RAM, a Radion HD 5450 graphics card, 400gb hard drive, DVD burner and 500watt power supply.  All the MAME files - build 0.143 (if I remember correctly), Daphne with Space Ace, Dragon's Lair, Dragon's Lair 2, House of the dead 1,2, and 3.  Ideas?  Suggestions?

[Le Chuck]

If you're looking to sell I would spend some time cleaning up your control panel and making the unit a more cohesive whole.  Right now it doesn't have a completed feel.  A selling feature would be a nice seamless control panel with and no exposed chipboard edges.  Also, the aftermarket flight stick and trackball setup are no-gos as they are now.   It's amazing what an asteroids themed CPO could do for that cab, spend some time and work on the "curb appeal".  The wiring is secured but isn't very tidy and the overall impression I get from the cab at this stage isn't good.  You may have a great system running some great software but the user interfaces at the cab and the way it looks right now I wouldn't want to play it. 

That said, the cab has good bones and you have some good hardware.  You just need to clean up the execution and go for a more seamless integration vs the klugged together look you have now.   

[Green Giant]

Are you basically looking to sale and quit arcades or make one from scratch?


If it is the latter, I would piecemeal that cab out.  Keep the computer.  Sell the tv, sell the control panel, and sell the cabinet.

Or you can do as said above, finish the control panel and put it up on craigslist.  And by finish I mean remove the hotrod, make a CP that fits the cabinet, and then transfer the hotrod parts to the new CP.  Then apply some asteroids controls.

[AmIEvil]

Good stuff, great suggestions, thank you.  First off, what is a CPO?  I am assuming that's for the control panel?  Like an overlay?  I am assuming there are places that make these "themed" CPO?  I honestly have not done the research on it.  When I first started this build I basically was going for putting the HotRod in a cabinet and throwing a tower inside & that was going to be it.  Now that I have added the other pieces etc. I would like to finish it up right.  The wiring has been a huge challenge since I wanted to place the MB where the original MB was which is milometers away from the sliding drawer.  So everything has to be routed around that drawer as to not interfere with it's movement in and out.  Again, when I first got this cab like 20 years ago almost there were no real directions on how to build a MAME cab so I just did the best I could with what parts I had.  I know I need some covering for some of the exposed wood but not sure where to get it.  Ebay possibly? 

[Le Chuck]

Good stuff, great suggestions, thank you.  First off, what is a CPO?  I am assuming that's for the control panel?  Like an overlay?  I am assuming there are places that make these "themed" CPO?  I honestly have not done the research on it.  When I first started this build I basically was going for putting the HotRod in a cabinet and throwing a tower inside & that was going to be it.  Now that I have added the other pieces etc. I would like to finish it up right.  The wiring has been a huge challenge since I wanted to place the MB where the original MB was which is milometers away from the sliding drawer.  So everything has to be routed around that drawer as to not interfere with it's movement in and out.  Again, when I first got this cab like 20 years ago almost there were no real directions on how to build a MAME cab so I just did the best I could with what parts I had.  I know I need some covering for some of the exposed wood but not sure where to get it.  Ebay possibly? 

CPO is infact a control panel overlay.  You can download CPOs that go with your cabinet from Vector Lib and then modify according to your needs in illustrator or photoshop.  If that's not your bag then head over to the artwork forums and employ one of the starving graphic designers who have hung their shingle out.  If you do some digging around the artwork threads you're sure to find several already modified Asteroid CPOs, among countless others, that may fit the bill.  As for printing I'm a big fan of BasementArcadeGrafx or Game on Graphics, both to which you can find in the forums. 

As for the wood I would recommend a rebuild around the CP but if you're going to work from what you have and don't want to reface everything with MDF or veneer'd plywood you can purchase veneer from rockler.com or other woodworking sites to get you rolling. 

[AmIEvil]

Le Chuck,

Thanks a lot for all the info and help!  I'll be looking into all of that very soon.  Thanks again!