Main > Main Forum
New to the Forum
gunit:
Hi All, i am new to the forum and would like say hello. I’m a secret geek at heart who was one of those kids who loved the arcades. My first computer was the commodore 16,64,Amiga,Pentium 90, snes, n64 etc. I currently own an iMac, Custom built gaming PC, xboxone, ps3, xbox360 and a hidden fully boxed megadrive 16bit.
I accidentally came across some youtube videos of bar-top arcade machines and I am now on a mission to build my own. I cannot wait to play games like Robocop, street fighter, final fight etc on a retro arcade machine and get my son involved.
Starting to gather a list and research so any tips, advice etc would be much appreciated.
Slippyblade:
Advice tidbits...
1) Use the search feature. The forum has been around for years and years. There is so much knowledge hidden around here it's amazing.
2) Many of the vendors who sell parts are active members here. Groovy Game Gear, Paradise Arcade, Ultimarc, etc...
3) If you have actual questions, ask. Be specific. Do NOT ask, "How do I build an arcade machine?" The more specific the question, the better we can answer.
4) Do NOT ask where to get ROMS.
5) When you start a project, we are all photo whores. Pics or it didn't happen.
Welcome to the boards. Have fun!
PL1:
Welcome aboard, Gunit. ;D
You might want to consider starting with the FAQ to help you learn the basics and help you ask better questions about the "unknown unknowns".
There are also lots of great builds in Project Announcements that are good for inspiration and -- if you're smart -- learning from the mistakes of others.
Scott
Malenko:
welcome!
Also, if you wanna baby step it, you could start by building a control panel that sits in front of your PC
Generic Eric:
I'll echo the suggestions on the FAQ, search and the wiki
I have a few suggestions. Try something like mameui and play a few games with your keyboard. I know its not the same, but it will give you an idea of what game you might be interested in.
In other posts, I suggest making a fight stick or 2. Your initial post makes no mention of woodworking experience, so a fight stick is a good place to start. As a second project, I'd suggest a pedestal. They are good for 4 players or an arcade of joysticks and buttons. This will give you good practice for your layout.
The prime challenge with a bartop is building around the PC, monitor, encoders and joysticks and buttons. You might be interested in a mini or micro itx board for something like that.
My biggest suggestion is not to worry about art until you have chosen a front end.
There is a chance to expand your horizons in a number of ways from woodworking, learning gimp & inkscape along with sketchup to setting up a variety of different front ends. You may even learn how to program a teensy 3.1!
In the end, it may just be a game of boxes