Neo Geo Bezel

[Titchgamer]

So I am in the process of deciding what to do for a bezzel for my Neo Geo bar top build.

I am in 2 minds on this, 1) Have a plain black bezel like the original big red or 2) Try and make something unique and Red.
Obviously plain black is easy but somethng unique that is going to fit with the rest of the build is not so straight forward.

Possibly something like the attatched, What do you all think?

[Shekel]

Have you already done the marquee? I would have gone for this with gold foil.

[mahuti]

I am in 2 minds on this, 1) Have a plain black bezel like the original big red or 2) Try and make something unique and Red.

Personally, I like things a little more understated.

Also, in my opinion the words "Neo Geo" don't add anything to the presentation that anyone except a hard-core gamer will understand. For the uninitiated, I don't think neogeo generates much excitement or provides useful context. Personally, I love the bezels of the original games that added to the overall story of the game. The words "neo geo" however, don't add to the story... it just adds to the branding. Branding in and of itself can sometimes be interested (see race cars) but in Neo Geo's case, back in the day I mostly just thought it made the cabs look cheap. After all of these years, I get a bit nostalgic over Neo Geo cabs myself. That said, I think that part of the presentation of these cabs isn't just for me, but for my friends and family. With regard to my family, I guarantee they wouldn't know enough to feel the same way about the Neo Geo... they would probably just assume I bought some cheap arcade thing off the shelf.

To sum up: I don't think it looks bad, I just don't think it adds anything. Conceptually, it may take away from the overall quality feel of the cab.

[Titchgamer]

Yeah the marquee has already been done.

I am also not sure about the logo.
Tbh I think its to much as its on the marquee and cp.
Was thinking about using the circular logos in the corners but I didnt really like that either. 

Originally I was thinking of some fancy design but I dont have the room top and bottom hence just the stripes which are burnt in atm but may look better white.

Again it would be nice for them to be white but no guarantee of them matching up to the ones on the CP.

Heres the marquee & cp for those who never saw it originally:

[mahuti]

I assumed you had some kind of Neo Geo theme in mind already. What you already have will be good. I think doing up the bezel along the same lines would be a touch too far though.

Rather than using the logo, maybe a red bezel with just a stripe or two 2/3 of the way up the bezel similar to those  on the cp.  Something like that would carry the theme through from top to bottom without resorting to using the logo again.

[Titchgamer]

Cheers Mahuti ile knock something up later to try

[Titchgamer]

Well ime strugling with this one a bit.
The lines keep giving a optical illusion of being bent!

[mahuti]

I'll send you a mockup of what I was thinking sometime today.

[Titchgamer]

few other ideas:

[yamatetsu]

How about something like this ?

[Titchgamer]

How about something like this ?

I like the idea Yam but I think it would be nigh on impossible to line the stripes up.

[yamatetsu]

Theoretically it *should* be rather simple. I would use the upper edge of the finished CP to take measurements of the 'starting points' and the widths of the stripes and their outlines, make a life-sized bezel in a graphics program and create the stripes referring to the measurements.

For example the 'outline' of the leftmost stripe would start at 2 cm from the left CP side and be 3 mm wide. The stripe itself would start at 2.6 cm from the left CP side and be 2 cm wide, and so on.

To test if this works I would use a piece of cardboard in bezel size, draw the stripes on it and hold it next to the CP.

[Titchgamer]

It would of been simple had I not made a rather daft error when I made the CP.

I made the CP and Marquee "to size".
But once I sent it to the printers they had to blow it up to the right measurements as somehow the size had been cocked up when I designed it

So yeah If It wasnt for that I would of just extended the stripes off the original CP artwork for a easy fix lol

[yamatetsu]

That's why I would use the finished CP (meaning the actual CP with the overlay glued to it), take the measurements and use those in a graphics program.

[Malenko]

I use the "bezel faces" one up there, without the faces, and have the stripes at maybe 30% opacity. That way its red, but not just a solid mass of red.

[Titchgamer]

I use the "bezel faces" one up there, without the faces, and have the stripes ate maybe 30% opacity. That way its red, but not just a solid mass of red.

Not a bad idea, might try that!
Cheers