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Custom MAME build, help me out! :D

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Cynicaster:


--- Quote from: swirlee on February 04, 2013, 05:01:34 pm ---1.) Keep the whole thing under $1,000. Ideally I'd like to spend no more than $600, but I think thats unlikely.

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It may be possible to keep it under a grand if you already have all the tools you need and don't screw anything up that requires a re-do.   


--- Quote ---2.) I want to play the widest variety of games possible. Everything from classic arcade, console, light gun, bowling/golf and on up to modern 3D fighters like Street Fighter IV etc.
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--- Quote ---4.) Obviously I need a decently powerful PC. I know it doesn't take much to run emulated MAME games, but being that I want to run some newer 3D games like SF IV and maybe the Deer Hunter style games, I'll need something a bit beefier.
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I think most would agree you're setting yourself up for a project that will do everything, but none of it well.  It all comes down to priorities.  Do you really need light guns?  They'd be first to go, if it were me.  As for the PC, if you decide that you can settle for the vast majority of working MAME titles and old console games, then right there you've dropped your PC cost from the $400 you're expecting to $15.  Something to think about if money is really a concern.


--- Quote ---3.) I want to put in the biggest and most versatile monitor I can. I'd really like to buy an arcade CRT to get that nice arcade feel, but I don't know how these will look running slightly more modern games. Maybe still badass? Maybe LCD is the way to go? I don't know, help me decide. the screenshots have a tape measure for reference to what size monitor I might be able to fit.
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Again, if budget is a concern, then I'm not sure you need a genuine arcade monitor.  I grabbed a 21" CRT monitor for $15 bucks, and even there I probably overpaid.  The thing looks nice and will probably outlive me.  Pain in the ass to work with though, because it weighs about three quarters of a ton.  LCD is far and away the easiest solution, but you probably want to hunt down a 4:3 model in the classifieds. 


--- Quote ---5.)Controls! Of course with this setup I need the best button/joystick/trackball arrangements. I want to have plenty of buttons, so I can play all these games. Also which style/brand do you recommend?
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Again, it depends on what you want to play, but I think a single trackball and 2 joysticks is a great general purpose setup.  Buttons are cheap so you might as well go with 6 buttons per side so you can play the fighters.  You'll need more than that for some console games, but you'll probably never use them, so I'd recommend going with 6 max. 

If you want to play classics like Donkey Kong and Frogger, you might want to think about some 4-way joystick capability.  There are products such as the Mag-Stick Plus that are switchable between 4- and 8-way in seconds, or you could find room for a dedicated 4-way stick.  Just make sure you research the products before you buy them to see what others are saying about them.  Only worry about 4-way stuff if you plan to "seriously" work on scores for any of those games.  If all you plan to do is boot up DK for a 5 minute boot once a year, the 8-ways will be more than adequate.  If you plan to play any of them in earnest, then you can bet that at least once a historic personal best score will be sabotaged by incorrect inputs caused by 8-way sticks. 


GreggB:

FWIW

I would NOT just start randomly drilling holes in the control panel.  What I did was take a piece of paper, cup my hand on it and draw where my fingers rested comfortably as if I was holding them over buttons.  Then I drew appropriately sized circles in those spaces in 2 rows with and additional button near my thumb.  Once I had something that I felt might work, I drilled a piece of scrap wood and mounted my controls.  Once I had what I felt was good, I used that as a template for the control panel.

I've also been considering this interface: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,114744.0.html?PHPSESSID=iq1uvgpulcagv4h6lm1kjvu9o4

Other than that I would lean towards an IPac.

I also recently bought a spinner for classics like Tempest and Arkanoid.  Has a nice weighted feel and spins a long time :): http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tornado-Spinner-Home-Video-Arcade-Spinner-MAME-tm-Compatible-/110958151035?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19d59f057b


paigeoliver:

The PC is the only thing you are going to put in the cabinet that is going to depreciate in value at any real rate, if you have to cut budget somewhere, then cut there. You can always replace it later. That $500 computer you put into it today will be worth $60 in 3 years. Sure being able to run everything on earth is nice, but a better PC gives you absolutely the least bang for the buck in your budget.  My scratchbuilt, new 27" D9200 arcade monitor, perfect 360 with robotron handles, new happ trackball, spinner and custom art frankencab is running an 8 or 9 year old PC and no one has ever noticed or complained about it.

If you have $1000 to budget, and you want that cabinet to be awesome, then get one of these monitors here with the bulk of your budget. These makvision (happ has two models) monitors are basically the last new CRT monitors left in the world. I have a similar model (WGD9200) in my cabinet and I have never been unhappy with how anything looked on it. While a lot of things just don't look right with an LCD (and a lot of the LCD tvs people re-purpose for their cabinets have unacceptable latency that they don't realize until later).

http://na.suzohapp.com/monitors/49271500.htm

Spend $100 (tops) on a used computer or reuse an older one you have, you can always rotate in your current desktop model when you replace it.
That leaves $300 which is plenty to populate your control panel.

GreggB:

One other thought I had... instead of using wood... use cardboard.  Works just as well and is easier to work with :)

PL1:


--- Quote from: GreggB on February 06, 2013, 09:08:43 pm ---What I did was take a piece of paper, cup my hand on it and draw where my fingers rested comfortably as if I was holding them over buttons.

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Also be sure to look at Slagcoin for many common button layouts you can print, tape to a cardboard box, and cut button holes for easy testing using real buttons.


Scott

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