Using a Wii as your base platform

[Kongo621]

Hello all,
This is my first post on the forum! I have been using the site for a while to get ideas and information on building my first cabinet. After what feels like an eternity, the cab is more or less done. Some minor details remain but it is up and operational. As I'm sure you all know, now I am thinking of my next project. I was wondering if anyone has made a cab using a Wii as the base platform. I was thinking it would be easy to take one build a cab around it and use it to play games like metal slug anthology, smash bros., etc. It would be very slim, relatively inexpensive and fairly straight forward. I was curious if anyone has done this yet and if it was a project that would be worth the time to undertake?

[paigeoliver]

It would be easy if you considered reinventing the wheel to use a different platform that would both cost way more and have far less function than an old PC, then yes it would be easy.

I know a local guy who builds multigame cabinets who insists on putting Xboxes in them instead of PCs, even though it costs a lot more and the results aren't as good as just using an old PC.

Not meant to be insulting, but you could do way better with a specialty theme cabinet than a Wii. Out of every console you can put into a cabinet I would put it second to last place (with the Atari 5200 being last place). It isn't easily done and the vast majority of the software available for the system is not cab friendly, and most of the software that is cab friendly is also available on PC.

[TPA5]

The Wii would not be a terribly useful base to start from. The emulator support is not really there, and wiring arcade buttons and joysticks would be quite dizzying and difficult. It is indeed best to just use a windows-based PC that you found from Craigslist or some such. I know other folks use Xbox's and Dreamcasts for bases as well. I cannot vouch for how useful those are, but I know some people have controller hacks ready to sell in the BST section for wiring arcade parts to. It could be worth looking into, depending on the reasons why you would want to start from a console base rather than a PC base.

[Kongo621]

Oh, the only reason it crossed my mind as an option is because I have a Wii collecting dust in the other room and thought it might work as an option. I don't really want to start a project that will be a big head ache for little reward, thanks for the heads up.

[paigeoliver]

Just make your next cabinet have a vertical screen instead of a horizontal one. It will stand out way more from your other machine and will be quite fun.

[sharpfork]

I have a wii in my horizontal cab because I had one laying around, I wouldn't really consider it a good candidate for a cab brain.
Final burn for the wii is looking promising but isn't really mature enough at this point.


If you like tinkering with PCs, use a PC.  If you don't like messing with PCs but like messing with consoles, consider coinops on the xBox 1.

paigeoliver is right about a vertical cab.

[rCadeGaming]

I don't see why it has to be exclusive one way or the other.  MAME is going to be the best option for a lot of arcade games (aside from real PCB's), but there are plenty of great console exclusives.

A few options:
1.  Run the button wiring through a switch to select which platform's controller/encoder is connected to the buttons.
2.  Wire to both encoders in common ground, with a switch to ensure only one platform is powering and communicating with them at once.
3.  Use an encoder compatible with multiple platforms, with a switch to ensure only one platform is powering and communicating with it at once.

This can be done easily just by running the right wires to a dsub switchbox.  Depending on how many buttons you're using you could probably  fit everything on one switch, like a db-25 or db-37, or you could use one for A/V and one for controls.

If you're a little more tech savvy, you could build a custom switching circuit using solid state relays, like a 4066 chip.

[sharpfork]

I don't see why it has to be exclusive one way or the other...

A few options:
1.  Run the button wiring through a switch to select which platform's controller/encoder is connected to the buttons.

This can be done easily just by running the right wires to a dsub switchbox.  Depending on how many buttons you're using you could probably  fit everything on one switch, like a db-25 or db-37, or you could use one for A/V and one for controls.

I personally run multiple consoles in my cabs and after trying a ton of things, I'm settled on using a Playstation2 encoder -> 9wires X2 -> DB25 -> switch box -> PS2 to each console of PC converter.  I think it is easier to deal with the switching between the encoder and the console/computer.  I don't think all 9 wires on the Playstation are needed so I might be able to do a DB15.

This is relevant because there are two types of Wii encoders out there form PS2:

Gamecube (plugs in top of wii) http://www.amazon.com/Wii-GameCube-Converter-PS2-Dance-Support/dp/B000F7B516
Wiimote (works as classic controller - should be WiiU compatible too) http://dx.com/p/playstation-2-ps2-to-wii-controller-adapter-13-5cm-cable-23206

[rCadeGaming]

An MC Cthulhu would be a better encoder option as it handles PC and most consoles, and it does everything on one small board instead of needing a hacked controller pcb or similar plus a converter.

http://shoryuken.com/forum/index.php?threads/the-official-cthulhu-and-chimp-thread-try-our-new-dreamcast-flavor.46572/

Edit:  That link seems to have stopped working, here's a new one

http://forums.shoryuken.com/discussion/145141/sub-1-frame-hdtvmonitor-input-lag-database/p1

Also, it's only a max of 8 wires per controller, including +5v and ground, which could be shared between multiple controllers.  For example, you could be running 2 sets of controls with only 14 wires needing switched between the encoder and the PC/consoles; or 4 sets of controls with 26 wires.

[sharpfork]

An MC Cthulhu would be a better encoder option as it handles PC and most consoles, and it does everything on one small board instead of needing a hacked controller pcb or similar plus a converter.

http://shoryuken.com/forum/index.php?threads/the-official-cthulhu-and-chimp-thread-try-our-new-dreamcast-flavor.46572/

Also, it's only a max of 8 wires per controller, including +5v and ground, which could be shared between multiple controllers.  For example, you could be running 2 sets of controls with only 14 wires needing switched between the encoder and the PC/consoles; or 4 sets of controls with 26 wires.

The MC Cthulhu is super cool but I prefer a configurable encoder.

[rCadeGaming]

What are you using for the actual PS2 encoder (not the PS2 to GC/Wii converter)?