First Build - MAME Retrocade

[HollowPointAMG]

New here

Been working on this for a few days and so far I kinda like it.  I think I'll add some slight changes here and there.

What inspired me to build my own cab?  After seeing a video of Killer Instinct arcade and it's insanely huge differences from the SNES version, I wanted to play it old school style with a joystick and 6 buttons to get the real arcade feel.  Downloaded the emulator/rom and played it on my keyboard.  Not good enough!  So I ended up on x-arcade.com and picked up a dual joystick.  I saw they had cabinet kits which looked awesome but way too pricey.  Then it occurred to me...  Why not try and build my own?  Then the researching began and I found you guys 

I'm going to go to the local hardware store next week and have them cut out the sides.  I don't have tools or the space to do it myself unfortunately

Here are some mock up pics I created:



Dimensions:


The outer shell of the cabinet will be made using 3/4 MDF.  The rear and front panels will most likely be 1/2" MDF.  Not sure what to use for the control panel, possibly bits of both.


PC I'm going to use:

AMD Athlon II X4
16GB RAM
OCZ SSD 60gb
160GB - to store all the games
Hyperspin 1.2 Interface
Creative Inspire 7.1 Speaker System

Going to use a 22" CRT NEC Multisync 1250+ I grabbed for free from work  

As for the joystick/buttons,  I'm going to tear into the X-Arcade dual joystick and create my own control panel. 

More pics to come soon!  Can't wait until next week when I start building.  There will be loads of questions for sure.

[Jumpman64]

Excellent!  If I may offer one small tidbit, as a fellow first-cab builder who is ~80% to completion -- might want to round off that inside corner on each side panel, just below the speaker panel.  This is assuming you are going to finish the edges with T-molding.  Mine is nearly as sharp an angle as what you have, and getting that T-molding to properly bend to that angle and fit in there real snug, and to do so without damaging or marring it.... well, it's a pain!  And this is with using the "fan" technique even.  If you just round it off a little, it will help a ton.  This really goes for all the angles but I found that one to be the biggest problem by far.

Anyways, look forward to your progress!

[HollowPointAMG]

Excellent!  If I may offer one small tidbit, as a fellow first-cab builder who is ~80% to completion -- might want to round off that inside corner on each side panel, just below the speaker panel.  This is assuming you are going to finish the edges with T-molding.  Mine is nearly as sharp an angle as what you have, and getting that T-molding to properly bend to that angle and fit in there real snug, and to do so without damaging or marring it.... well, it's a pain!  And this is with using the "fan" technique even.  If you just round it off a little, it will help a ton.  This really goes for all the angles but I found that one to be the biggest problem by far.

Anyways, look forward to your progress!

Thanks for the tip! 

[Le Chuck]

Sonic and the other bloke aren't doing it for me.  You have a pretty nice SF thing going on, it'd be a shame to muddle it up with random characters done in a totally different style. 

Round yer corners, that was good advice. 

[yotsuya]

Sonic and the other bloke aren't doing it for me.  You have a pretty nice SF thing going on, it'd be a shame to muddle it up with random characters done in a totally different style. 

Round yer corners, that was good advice.

Agreed on both.

[mcseforsale]

+1 on both.  Even if you round your corners using a quarter for the radius, it will help greatly in getting the T-molding in there.  That would still allow the "sharpness" of the angles you look like you're after.

AJ

[leapinlew]

Edit out Chun Li's underwear.


Perhaps make the cab wider so you can get a taller monitor.

[HollowPointAMG]

Thanks everyone.  I've rounded off the edges in my 3D model.

Took home the 22" CRT from work.  What a beast... Weighs in at 77lbs!

[monkeychunkuk]

Hate to poo on you design but maybe a name change? Lots of cabs using that name including my bartop



Its a good name but....

[dgame]

Nice designs!

Retrocade is a cool sort of generic term for what we enjoy over here.

The moniker works for most MAME cabs.

The Original Retrocade?


EDIT: Retrocade Emulator picture

[monkeychunkuk]

Nice designs!

Retrocade is a cool sort of generic term for what we enjoy over here.

The moniker works for most MAME cabs.

The Original Retrocade?

Yup my bartop is a clone of someone elses build,

[HollowPointAMG]

Yup lots of "Retrocades" out there.  I really like the name so I'm going to keep it   No Retrocade is in my area and my friends love the name.

[monkeychunkuk]

Yup agreed its a great name,cant wait to see the finished machine

[mcseforsale]

Its' popular because it's timeless.  Walk into someone's house and see a "retrocade" machine and you know what it is.  See a converted Pac-Kong machine and you don't know.

It's like the profile of a Dynamo cab, Silhouette of Christian Hosoi doing a backside air, etc....timeless and easily identifyable from a distance. 

AJ

[HollowPointAMG]

Its' popular because it's timeless.  Walk into someone's house and see a "retrocade" machine and you know what it is.  See a converted Pac-Kong machine and you don't know.

It's like the profile of a Dynamo cab, Silhouette of Christian Hosoi doing a backside air, etc....timeless and easily identifyable from a distance. 

AJ

Haha well said!

I'm going to the local hardware store this week to have them cut out the outer frame of the cab.  Can't wait!  Will post pics once I get it all home.