The NEScade and Barrelcade!

[Turnarcades]

It's been a loooong time since I was posting here guys as these days I'm so caught up in build work and event planning to get time to frequent the forums and social hangouts!

Anyway, I just wanted to stick my hand in the air and say hi, and let some of you old hats and new crafters that Turnarcades is still very much alive and kicking, and moving ourselves more into the UK gaming events scene. We're still taking time every now and then though to attempt something a bit different and pull a few trick builds out of the workshop.

Most recently are these two beauties - the NEScade and the Barrelcade! The barrel concept is familiar and I was inspired like 3 years ago when I saw another BYOACer do the first I'd seen done well, and I picked myself up a barrel to try one of my own. Time caught up though and I only recently got to sit down with it and make a design I was happy with; going for a cocktail-cab-height version with a little trick addition of an integrated fridge to keep your beers cool!

The second one is something I'd thought about for a while and after returning from our 2015 hiatus I got my hands dirty again sculpting this neat little cab. It's my own personal take on what a Playchoice 10 could have been like, with a 1:5 scaled up NES cartridge forming the main body of the machine, finished with a Nintendo white base, NES-inspired control panel, red lit mushroom-shaped rear door vent and even a proper 'cartridge label' with the screen and backlit marquee taking up the picture space.

Hope you like them folks, I look forward to seeing what inspiring builds have been posted on here in my absence...

[pbj]

Not crazy about the off center screen.

[Titchgamer]

I got to play these at the retro Revival event.

Really loved the barrel but found the menu system a little confusing!

Had some fun on the NES to and found it quite inspirational.

Out of interest where do you get your artwork done or do you do it in house?

[yotsuya]

Not crazy about the off center screen.

Agreed. The concept is cool,  but the off-center completely vertical screen kind of misses the mark. The craftsmanship is nice,  though.

[paigeoliver]

Not crazy about the off center screen.

Agreed. The concept is cool,  but the off-center completely vertical screen kind of misses the mark. The craftsmanship is nice,  though.

Almost all original bartops had off center screens.

[yotsuya]

Not crazy about the off center screen.

Agreed. The concept is cool,  but the off-center completely vertical screen kind of misses the mark. The craftsmanship is nice,  though.

Almost all original bartops had off center screens.

Sure - but that doesn't make it righter. ;-)

[pbj]

Yeah, a lot of them did, but arcade games always made the experience worse for player 2.  This one gimps it for player 1.

Anyway, it's cute and 99% won't care.

 

[thomas_surles]

Next time do an atari 2600 cart. Super Nintendo and Genesis would work too.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Nice.  I agree with the rest of the guys.  Nice craftsmanship!  But the screen should be centered.  Also if the top cartridge portion were angled back slightly, I'm wondering how it would look?  (To make it easier for the players to see the screen).

DeL

[Turnarcades]

Thanks for the comments peeps, even you Paige, I know we've had some 'design disagreements' in the past ha ha. The screen position has only ever come up in those viewing online; never from those seeing it and playing it in person. I can understand why some might think that but trust me it's just OCD - I've built enough now to know about comfort and aesthetics and very carefully planned the size and layout of this cab for maximum visual appeal without sacrificing comfort. Anyone who's played it wil tell you it's a complete non-issue, not even as bad as being a 3rd or 4th player on a multiplayer cab. It's a Bar-Top size and you don't turn your head to screen centre even as much as you would on a typical large-screen 2-player upright. I did consider this of course, and aesthetically the screen just had to go there to integrate into the cartridge label - centre would completely ruin the point and look ridiculous. People played entire games through on it at the first event it appeared at and praised it fully for comfort.

Titch, the barrel uses a standard 60-in-1 JAMMA that most folks are familiar with - it's one of the simplest menus out there but has its quirks I suppose. Outside of event use I lock it off to just one game anyway - Donkey Kong
Oh and for artwork I design it all myself but send it to the very best for printing: GameOnGrafix in the U.S. Glad you enjoyed playing on them!

FYI those who mentioned it, I do plan to do a couple more. Namely, Megadrive and SNES (UK cartridge styles) and did consider the 2600, but the cartridge shape just seems too plain to be instantly recognisable don't you think? I'll have a think about that one and maybe revisit it in the future.

Some kind of custom consolised MVS project is next, and my other secret project.

[paigeoliver]

Thanks for the comments peeps, even you Paige, I know we've had some 'design disagreements' in the past ha ha.

Only change I would suggest for the next one is making those "cabinet sides" next to the panel just about flush with the panel top. People with chubby hands on player one spot might scrape their hands against it as it is now.

[vwalbridge]

Thanks for the comments peeps, even you Paige, I know we've had some 'design disagreements' in the past ha ha.

Only change I would suggest for the next one is making those "cabinet sides" next to the panel just about flush with the panel top. People with chubby hands on player one spot might scrape their hands against it as it is now.

+1, I thought the same thing. Not much space for the guy sitting on the right.

[Titchgamer]

Yeah ime not sure what the crack was with the menu system. Ive never used a multi cart Jamma (had planned to but read bad things!)

But when my ms was trying to select a game she kept starting a demo.

I cant remember which buttons they were now but I think it was start to start a game and A for a demo?

Basically she kept starting the demo without realising and then  i jumped in to save the day lol

Was nice to play though.

As for the comfort thing of the NEScade I found it fine, played through to world 6 or 7 of mario before messing up :p

Admittedly I do have small hands though so not sure how bigger guys would cope.

You say you are planing more events now, will you be posting them up here or anywhere else?

I only found out about solstice due to AWUK sending me a flyer with a order but I thought it was a great event. Me and the Ms had loads of fun and we live in Telford so was nice and close for us.

Would defo go again anyway.

[Turnarcades]

Again folks, not as extreme as it appears. UK cabs were typically smaller and used this 'enclosed side type of design in most of our JAMMA cabs, rather than the 'flat top' design seen on Anerican cabs. Space isn't an issue and again was chosen to be more enclosed as well as key to the cabinet structure - it's not parallel to the cartridge sides either because the cartridge shape would be lost on face value; it's designed to look as though it's 'inserted into a cartridge slot', which it kinda is structurally. Again, it's a design built primarily for fun and visual appeal with a connection to UK arcades. It works visually, and plays well too. There won't be another build like this, took far to much time to repeat it 😀.

Titch, that's awesome to know how you found out as this was the first year we used in-box flyers from some of our sponsors and supporters. The Revival Facebook page has most of the current info and the next events will be announced shortly, aa well as on the webpage when it's redone. There's gonna be 2 next year!

[Titchgamer]

That is awesome news as I hope it only gets bigger and better!

Now if I could only get my mitts on a pinball machine.... LOL

[Richie_jones]

There both great...how long to build them?

Sent from my SM-N930F using Tapatalk

[Turnarcades]

Hard to tell how long each took as I had to do them in spare time between other builds. The barrel I've gone back to loads of times in the last 3 years, but all in all, the final design build probably took about 40 hours. The NEScade took a lot of paint experimentation, router rigging and sanding to shape. Probably about 80 hours went into that.

[General_Faliure]

Hello.

I also made a barrelcade, modeled after "a barrel of kong".
Used a 60 in one Jamma board.
I still have to do the top artwork.
Here are some pictures of my progress: https://goo.gl/photos/HbYicyuHhggd5SJQ8

[Titchgamer]

Nice