How many (dedicated) games do you own? and...On what do you play MAME??

[pinzach]

In the great MAME vs dedicated games debate, I was wondering two things... How many dedicated games do you own and on what do you play MAME?

These are two new polls added to my MAME blog.

Also, previous poll results now have a dedicated page that is tabbed at the top of the blog.

Please take the polls if you get a chance...

http://mamezach.blogspot.com/

[Nephasth]

Dedicated Gorf
Arkanoid Conversion
Exerion Conversion (for sale)
Megatouch XL
2 Skeeball machines (don't know if they count)

MAME is in the process of being set up in a converted Cyberball cab.

[mrclean]

Well to me speaking of the MAME vs. Dedicated debate... I have a MAME set up as well as a bunch of dedicated machines..In My Opinion the dedicated hardware plays *slightly to DRASTICALLY differently depending on the title. One can argue nothing compares to the original hardware, while some might not notice any differences. I think It goes beyond simulating the game play, It's also the buttons, the monitors, the joysticks, spinners, track-balls, even down to placement. Artwork and cabinet shapes while cosmetically obviously doesn't really effect the game to me has importance. it's almost like vinyl vs. mp3's... Vinyl you can touch it to me sounds richer, some like the pops and cracks, the large artwork... etc.

Regardless even if I own a few dedicated titles I still find my self playing them in MAME mainly for convenience factor. But also I'll play certain titles in MAME all the time which I don't own, which inevitably will lead to me buying said title. I think MAME is great for testing out games that you want to eventually own a dedicated version of. MAME also has massive appeal because of the amount of games it supports so someone playing would find a title that they love / remember. I think it's harder to have 20-40 dedicated games and you'll always find that one person that would say wow great collection but why don't you own "this" game in your collection... etc.

[drawfull]

Regardless even if I own a few dedicated titles I still find my self playing them in MAME mainly for convenience factor. But also I'll play certain titles in MAME all the time which I don't own, which inevitably will lead to me buying said title. I think MAME is great for testing out games that you want to eventually own a dedicated version of. MAME also has massive appeal because of the amount of games it supports so someone playing would find a title that they love / remember. I think it's harder to have 20-40 dedicated games and you'll always find that one person that would say wow great collection but why don't you own "this" game in your collection... etc.

This. I have dedicated games for two reasons: 1, simply to collect them and 2, to play a handful of them. I never touch Space Invaders for example, but people remember it and when they're over it breaks them in, same with Galaga / Galaxian / Pac Man etc. The only games I regularly play that I own dedicated versions of are Track n Field, Arkanoid and Star Wars. I use MAME for convenience and play games I own on it even though they are actually ready and available, but not those three.

As Mr Clean says, MAME is really useful for trying a game out that you have been offered, just to see if there's even a passing interest before stumping up the money.

FWIW this is my current lot


Arkanoid
Asteroids
Battlezone Cabaret
Bud Tapper
Centipede
Computer Space
DDR Euromix 2
Defender Cocktail
Domino Man
Donkey Kong
Dragon's Lair
Dragon's Lair 2
Galaga Cocktail Repro
Gauntlet
Hyper Sports
Joust Cocktail
Joust Cocktail
Mario Bros. Widebody
Ms Pac Man Cocktail Repro
Operation Thunderbolt
Out Run Upright
Panic Park
Playchoice 10
Pong
Qbert
Quantum
Rally X
Robotron 2084
Robotron 2084 Cocktail
R-type
Smash TV
Space Ace
Space Duel
Space Invaders
Space Invaders Cocktail
Star Wars Cockpit
Star Wars Upright
Star Wars Upright
Tempest
Track & Field
Turbo Outrun
vs. Super Mario Bros

[boardjunkie]

I have these dedicated games: Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Ms Pacman, Tempest, Gorf, Galaga, and a bunch of other cabs I use for putting whatever board in I want (I have somewhere around 150 or so boards, only 3 or 4 are JAMMA).

I use MAME mostly due to having access to bazillions of games and the novelty of discovering games I missed the first time around, or just plain didn't know they existed. I realize MAME ain't perfect, but its a fair trade off now that I don't have the space to have all of my games here.

[Well Fed Games]

I'm not sure if it is really a "great" debate or not... personally arcade games are fun, period, dedicated or not. I own zero dedicated cabs, and probably won't ever, unless it is a "grail" of mine that falls into my lap extremely cheap. For space, cost, and potential for creativity (I'm into having "alternate" cabs that are one of a kind), I will probably always build machines that play multiple games (they may not always run MAME, necessarily -I've got plans for old and new consoles, plug and plays, and making my own games, hopefully).

I am sure there are some other factors that make me lean towards MAME, such as my (short) attention span, not much of a skill set for restoration, and the fact that I grew up with nostalgia not so much for the arcades themselves, but for the console ports of the arcade games on the 5200 and 7800... no game was ever really a singular experience for me.

That said, if any older collectors out there are looking for someone to inherit your games (and a house to put them in), shoot me a PM!  

[leapinlew]

Building MAME machines has caused me to strive for authenticity to the point I never looked for in an actual arcade. I can't just use a joystick or gamepad to play the classics. I have to have a hardware restricted Wico 4 way with leaf switches that is 3" tall and a 2" red ball.

In a way, my gaming hobby feels more torturous as I look for the most authentic setup for each game. Unless the game is time pilot, star castle or gyruss - those games should've been made with a spinner.

[codefenix]

I built my own Mame cab.  Building affords freedom and a sense of accomplishment in the end. 

I used to think owning a dedicated Pac-Man would be awesome, but the logical side of my brain always prevailed.  If I have to have an enormous fixture in my basement, it'd better be able to play more than just one game, and appeal to more than one guest.  It's partly the same reason why I haven't gotten a pinball machine, despite how badly I'd love to have one.  That and cost.

Dedicated cabinets have their places: arcades, bowling alleys, bars, Chuck E. Cheese's, Dave & Busters, and in the homes of the most die-hard, devoted collectors.

[CheffoJeffo]

I'm not sure if it is really a "great" debate or not... personally arcade games are fun, period, dedicated or not.

Well said.... I happen to prefer the challenge of working on original hardware to configuring a MAME box and 100% believe that original controls are important (I would want to smack anybody who tries to tell me that playing the Exidy440 games with an ActLabs or AimTrack is worthwhile compared to the original gun), but, to each his own, and there are loads of games that I love but would never have dedicated cabs for.

I can't conceive of wasting the space on a dedicated vid anymore.  Been there, done that, never again.

Do any of us believe that you have actually done anything ?

 





I genuinely know that PBJ has done stuff, but that was just too sweet of a setup to let go!




To answer the original question ... I think (and ain't going downstairs to count) I have 20 or so dedicated cabs right now and no *currently working* (read above re: configuring ... or re-configuring) MAME, except for the 48-in-1 and 60-in-1, which run on StolenMAME(tm).

[runawayabc123]

I have my favorite "joystick" games like TMNTs and The Simpsons.  I have a LOT of Light Gun games.  I tried mame/usb guns and it sucked.  Infact, I should sell them. 

I just got done playing crypt killer.  It was fun.  Not sure if the game has a real end or not. 

That being said, I don't have a deticated cab either. 

[Darien]

r. I think it's harder to have 20-40 dedicated games and you'll always find that one person that would say wow great collection but why don't you own "this" game in your collection... etc.

No kidding. I just found myself on that side of the hobby. On count the other day it turns out that including new projects I have 25 machines.... 25.... No, I don't have Galaga. No, I don't have defender... Yes I have Ms. Pacman.

Just a word of caution for all you "I could never find a place for dedicated" people. I've seen you have garages and sometimes, You can't pass up a deal. I was in the exact same position 12 years ago when I started. Thrift store find. Zaxxon. I never even played Zaxxon until that day (I was a galaga man...well small child...) but "dude,come on, $80... Including delivery." ...I had the money. I always wanted an arcade machine growing up. But where the hell would I even put it?

 Of course then I was looking to repair it. Then I mame'd it. Which I might add used to be a problem you couldn't just throw money at.   Dos. Advmame. VGA breakout cable. hacking gamepads. Staring at the PC2JAMMA page for hours on end ...eventually they came out with ArcadeOS and ipac and those were real game changers.  Then I was on the look out for a Street Fighter (to cover all my horizontal bases) but we're talking about taking the hobby in to the thousands back then and I didn't have the skills to build my own it'd be even more expensive.


Somehow, it became 25. I'd say 20 of which are single purpose.  I don't know how it happened but I can't picture my life without half of them.  It's a mental illness but you'll find room. Bargaining with your Girlfriend, Wife, Boyfriend, Husband... Hell even taking some to your parents. You will find a way... And you'll help your friend build a mame and he'll go to the auction, too.

Even when I mame I'd rather have dedicated original controls and monitor.  I can't just hang a giant everything panel off a 25" standup with a 20" tv in it. So even as Mamer...

This is for Racing. This is for Pinball. This is for 4 player games like Gauntlet and X-Men. This is for fighting... it's a Japanese Candy Cabinet. This is for Shmups.

I have a lot of classics: Donkey Kong, Ms. Pac, Tron, Space Invaders, Zaxxon, Missile Command Cocktail... Most need some work... I'll admit I'm neglecting them for my newer shiny multi-game setups because the old machines are more challenging and I don't have the time or space to work on them until I move.

Oh yeah that's another thing when you start to buy them. HOW TO MOVE when you need to move becomes a concern you never thought of. Before I started collecting, I could never understand the two car garage. I mean I got it. Park inside, take in groceries, etc., etc. but the modern car doesn't last as many years as the paint you're trying to protect by parking inside.

I like mame. I get mame. I on the other hand have a need for a room to power on. I have the need of the background experience. Friends all around me trying new things and breaking old records.  I didn't need an arcade machine. I needed an arcade.  Somehow, I did it.

Single cabs? I just feel like the people who can just eat one chip are show-offs. Also, they never stop eating that chip. Constantly striving to find the right mix of salt and vinegar. oh hell did you just add gravy? ...then grabbing another chip and starting over.

So back to the original point: Dedicated. Given space, time and money, there is no better way.   Mame is because you have to. It's impractical to have Ms. Pacman AND Tron AND Space Invaders AND Donkey Kong... Unless you really want to.

[Jack Burton]

I don't own any dedicated games right now, but in the past I've owned four.  I have owned three MAME rigs as well. 

For me it's 100% dedicated at this point.  I feel like I've taken emulation to just about the limit of what it can do for the games I want to play.  I've done the whole native res thing to death, used encoders with zero input delay, and searched out the most accurate emulators and otherwise done everything I could to get the game as close to the real thing as possible. 

Hell, I've done things with emulators that people with real hardware would be as envious of as I am of the cool things they have.  I've played SNES rom hacks in RGB 224p (not 240!) on a 35" professional video monitor with a real SNES controller.  Using the right setup I've made it so that there is absolutely the barest minimum, and I mean minimum input delay compared to the real thing.  I've virtually eliminated screen tearing and juddering too, so that you get a silky smooth scroll just like a real SNES.  Put my setup and the real thing side by side and it would be incredibly hard to tell the difference.  It would take a very anal OCD person like me to tell. 

However, it's just not enough.  It's not the same.  I still want a dedicated setup more than anything else. 

Probably the number one game I want is Super Street Fighter II X: Grand Master Challenge in a Japanese astro city cabinet.  That's not the cab that the game was originally intended for, but it's the one that has become the unofficial official cab for the game in Japanese arcades.  If I could just get that one setup I'd be happy to relegate MAME to my desktop.

[drawfull]

Darien, when you figure out how to move, can you let me know? It is a kind of dawning realisation thing that actually, you're stuck where you are! 

[opt2not]

- Robotron cabaret
- DK Jr with a braze Double DK board installed
- asteroids cocktail
- new astro city (used to swap Jamma boards in and out)
- midway style cocktail (mame'd, for vertical games)
- galaxian clone cabinet (mame'd, for horizontal games)

I also own a bunch of PCBs:
- Galaga
- Gyruss
- SF2
- arkanoid
- black tiger
- MVS one slotter
- metal slug x
- strikers 1945+
- kof 2001
- puzzle bobble
- snow bros

I like playing on dedicated hardware and controls, and primarily use mame to sample games. If I like a game I have played on mame, I usually like to buy the dedicated board for it.
Though, lately I've slowed my spending, I've been trying to save up for a Cave PCB (haven't decided which yet), they're damned expensive.

[D_Harris]

In the great MAME vs dedicated games debate, I was wondering two things... How many dedicated games do you own and on what do you play MAME?

These are two new polls added to my MAME blog.

Also, previous poll results now have a dedicated page that is tabbed at the top of the blog.

Please take the polls if you get a chance...

http://mamezach.blogspot.com/

I haven't touched MAME in a long, long time, but I guess I could play any game I have as a dedicated machine in MAME, except for those games that use spinners, trackballs, steering wheels, and yokes. (There is no way to get an accurate spot-on emulation of these controls in MAME).

The Dedicated games I have are in my signature below.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

[amendonz]

I have a Candy Cab Dedicated SSF2X, (got a SSF2T board too AI is too hard though lol) i have a couple other cps2 pcbs but thats the one that lives in there, i only use mame to try stuff out, i just bought a sigma av7000 supergun so i can start buying some Shmups and not have to tate my cab to play different games.. mames cool but i just prefer the legit pcbs

[Savannan]

I have a full size north coast customs UAII full size cab for my mame machine

and

A Multi-Mortal Kombat cabinet

[brad808]

I have had dedicated;
mortal kombat 2
conversion maximum force in mk2 shell (now my mame)
Asteroids
Conversion arkanoid
Mrs PAC
Emergency call ambulance (in the process of making a multi driving cab)

To be honest I've gotten rid of most and will get rid of the rest. Way more convenient to have all in one cabinet makes maintenance way easier controls monitor etc

[Franco B]

At the moment I have Sega New Net City conversion and a Sega Astro City. My games list is currently as follows:

Cave
DoDonPachi DOJ
Espgaluda
Esprade
Mushihimesama Futari V1.5

CPS1
Carrier Air Wing

CPS1.5
Cadillacs And Dinosaurs

CPS2
Dungeons and Dragons: Tower of Doom
Night Warriors: Darkstalkers Revenge
Progear no Arashi
SFA2
SF2: The New Challengers

Irem
In The Hunt
Major Title

Konami
Bucky O Hare
Super Bishi Bashi Champ

Konami System 573
Hyper Bishi Bashi
Salaryman Champ

Mitchell
Pang
Super Pang

Namco
Mr Driller
Point Blank
Point Blank 2

Nihon Bussan/AV Japan
Tumblepop

Sega
Altered Beast

Sega Naomi
Virtua Tennis
HOTD2
NetDimm

Seibu Kaihatsu
Raiden Fighters

TAD Corporation
Toki

Taito
The New Zealand Story

Taito F3
Akkanvader
Arkanoid Returns
Bubble Symphony
Elevator Action Returns
Gekirindan
Puzzle Bobble 2x
Puzzle Bobble 4

Tehkan
Bomb Jack

MVS
ASOII
Blazing Star
Metal Slug
Metal Sug X
Puzzle Bobble
Sonic Wings 2
Strikers 1945+

NMK
Bomb Jack Twin

Unico
Zero Point 2

Multi boards
iCade 60in1
PVGTECH Taito Multiboard

I've not had a mame setup for about 5 years or so. I keep meaning to get it set up again to check games out before as at the moment I'm just checking out youtube videos etc.

I have no real interest in playing games in mame really anymore as I have enough original hardware to play and I really enjoy waiting for a new PCB to arrive to play on.

I really enjoy my candy cabs and I love getting things to work on them. I recently got a Bishi Bashi panel and a few games which is great fun and I just got some light gun boards and I've been having fun interfacing the to my cab. I think I still enjoy working on my cabs the same if not more than playing games on them.

I would like to get a few more candies so I can keep them in hori/tate and set up with various dedicated panels but I haven't got any more space for cabs at the moment until we move.

I don't think I would ever own a proper dedicated stick cabinet. I would like to own a dedicated driver cabinet at some point but then again I would also like to be able to play other driving games on it.

Whatever you are doing is cool as long as you enjoy it 

[ghettodish]

I don't have dedicated cabinets, but I do have dedicated control panels.

1. Track and Field
2. Stargate + 4/8 way joystick
3. Asteroids
4. Tempest + flight stick (Zaxxon/Tron/Discs of Tron)
5. Twin top-fire joysticks for Battlezone/Robotron/Crazy Climber)

[Spyridon]

I've got one Mame cab and around 20 dedicated cabs.