Need Help Selecting Parts for Custom 4-Player Arcade Build

[DrunkPanda]

So my buddy wanted to build an arcade. He's a pretty good carpenter, and I'm fairly experienced with random electronics and building computers, so I figured how hard can it be? I want to run a Hyperspin front end with access to Steam. I read you can just edit in your Steam credentials into the XML file and pull steam games into Hyperspin that way... I'm planning on writing an write a program that will automatically check for new titles and update the XML file accordingly. I imagined it would simultaneously launch with RocketLauncher (If there's already something out there that does this, LMK.)

So I started looking around for parts and whatnot... I've got a reasonable idea of what we want, but I wanted to run it by somebody that's done it before so-as not to make a big dumb mistake or not order everything I need to wire the thing.

4-Player Japanese-style Arcade Goals:
- 4 Joysticks
- 4 Active 6-button player setups with LED lighting
- Start/select for each player separate from the active buttons
- Trackball
- 1-4 Player select buttons
- Volume knob
- 55" LED TV
- 5-1/4" 2-way Car audio speakers for sound
- Manual breaker kill switch on top

Computer (I know it's a little overkill, but I want to run some steam games as well):
- Ryzen 3 CPU
- GTX 1060 GPU
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD
- 500w Seasonic Fully-Modular PSU

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So here's my part list so far:
QTY: 6 - 4' x 8' MDF Board
QTY: 4 - Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT Joystick
QTY: 4 - Ball Top for Joysticks
QTY: 32 - Seimitsu PS-14-K 30MM Snap In Pushbottons (various colors)
QTY: 4 - Suzo Happ Player Selection Pushbuttons (Rather have Seimitsu, but couldn't find any)
QTY: 1 - Ultimarc U-track Track Ball
QTY: 1 - Ultimarc IPAC 4 PCB
QTY: 1 - Toshiba 55" LED 1080p TV
QTY: 1 - Focal ICU 130 5-1/4" Speakers
QTY: 2 - E.R. Wagner 3" Swivel Casters with Lock
QTY: 2 - E.R. Wagner 3" Rigid Caster

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I know I'm missing:
- T-molding
- Wiring harnesses
- A way to make car speakers connect to the computer
- LED strip for marquee
- Vinyl graphics for top/sides

I think I'm missing:
- LED controller
- Acrylic graphics for marquee

What else? Where to get it? Thanks for any replies in advance!

[Nephasth]

Go home, Panda. You're drunk.

[paigeoliver]

You can generally just rip the amp out of an old set of PC speakers, that will be fine for a pair of 5" speakers. If you are using an LED controller then you need white or clear buttons and you need to make sure they can be lit.

Also, the sticks and buttons you picked are for metal panels, I hope you are up to the task of fabricating a metal panel that large.

[DrunkPanda]

You can generally just rip the amp out of an old set of PC speakers, that will be fine for a pair of 5" speakers. If you are using an LED controller then you need white or clear buttons and you need to make sure they can be lit.

Also, the sticks and buttons you picked are for metal panels, I hope you are up to the task of fabricating a metal panel that large.

I was planning on translucent buttons. I'm not concrete on whether they come with LEDs or if I need a whole separate thing to light them so maybe you could help in that regard.

What makes the buttons/sticks I picked out for metal panels? I actually might prefer that, cause I work as a CNC Programmer in a metal shop... but are the screw-in buttons for wood? And what joystick would you recommend for wood should I go that route?

Also, do ya'll normally just use computer speakers and rip em out the box? All the ones I saw just kind of looked like car stereo speakers so I assumed as much

Overall I'd like to keep this under 2 large... I'm at about $1700 ATM...

[paigeoliver]

You can generally just rip the amp out of an old set of PC speakers, that will be fine for a pair of 5" speakers. If you are using an LED controller then you need white or clear buttons and you need to make sure they can be lit.

Also, the sticks and buttons you picked are for metal panels, I hope you are up to the task of fabricating a metal panel that large.

I was planning on translucent buttons. I'm not concrete on whether they come with LEDs or if I need a whole separate thing to light them so maybe you could help in that regard.

What makes the buttons/sticks I picked out for metal panels? I actually might prefer that, cause I work as a CNC Programmer in a metal shop... but are the screw-in buttons for wood? And what joystick would you recommend for wood should I go that route?

Also, do ya'll normally just use computer speakers and rip em out the box? All the ones I saw just kind of looked like car stereo speakers so I assumed as much

Overall I'd like to keep this under 2 large... I'm at about $1700 ATM...

Arcade games in general were not designed for big sound. They normally had like a 5 watt onboard amp and one little mono speaker.

Your budget is that big because you are overspending. See that computer you designed, forget that, go to Microcenter and get a $109 refurb Dell and stick that in there. No place gives you less bang for your buck in a Mame cabinet than the computer does. The computer in mine is 16 years old. Arcade games generally did not have light up buttons (other than start buttons and some large simulator type games I can't even think of an arcade game that had light up buttons), it is gambling machines have light up buttons. If you want light up buttons and you want it to be easy then you need to buy buttons that are specifically designed to be lit up.

Japanese controls in general are designed for metal panels. All snap in buttons are for metal panels. Honestly if you didn't grow up in Japan or spend your youth playing in the competitive console game fighting scene then you would probably be happier with American style controls, they are likely the only controls you have every used. If you don't know what to buy then buy Happ Supers, they are not the best joystick ever made, but they play well with a large variety of games and will have a feel close to what you are actually used to.

Do you have 4 kids or live in a dorm room? If not, then that 4 player action will happen like 2 times ever. I have been in the arcade hobby 17 years, owned hundreds of different games, been to events, visited other people's game rooms, etc, I have have played one fully populated 4 player game ever, and that was on a 4 player Pong at an auction and we quit well before the game was over.

[DrunkPanda]

Hmmm... this seems to be turning less constructive and more just bashing the whole idea of the system. I get what you'd build paige, and I appreciate your opinion.... but the purpose isn't to recreate the retro experience.... I want to rock out with some 4-player Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time... in style... I also don't just want retro games as mentioned in the OP... I want it capable of running steam games as well, hence the overpowered computer... If I feel like playing Fallout 4 on my arcade, I can with that computer...

The budget isn't a big issue... if I've got 2k to blow I've got 2k to blow.... I feel like blowing it on a custom 4-player arcade machine... sue me...

Help selecting parts was an issue because I'm not experienced with arcade controller parts and the wiring and whatnot... so I take it the screw in buttons are for wood assembly and the snap in's for metal... so do I need a front and backplate for snap in's or does it need to be a solid sheet of metal? I have a ton of metal plate laying around the shop.... a plasma table, several CNCs, one of them 5 axis... I might mill in a custom logo on it... why the hell not? haha... I'm kidding (or am i  )

But yes, I've played on Japanese arcades and I like the feel of them over Happ American style ones... the pushbuttons especially... I wanted them LED lit for A) aesthetics, and B) playing in a dark room with my buddies...

The bigger issue is making sure everything is compatible, and I haven't overlooked anything in the budget.... I don't want to burn a hole in my credit card and then realize I need $400 more of random things to make it work yano...

I feel your pain though, paige... I've been on many a computer forum where some guy first posts wanting the baddest thing on the planet only to find out he needed it for websurfing and minecraft... Facepalmed myself when he said he NEEDED to spend 3 grand on the system... this isn't that case tho... I actually am gonna program my own Hyperspin add-on and preload Steam games through it...

So... back to the task... What all do I need to make this happen?

[Mike A]

I'm with Paigeoliver. These all in one, over the top machines end up being good at nothing and can be a nightmare to maintain. You will never play Fallout 4 on your cab. Light up buttons look stupid. You are better off building a classic cab for classic games. I have a MAME cab with a 4 way joystick, a trackball, and 3 buttons. I am currently reworking this to take out the trackball and one of the buttons. Simple is better. Especially if you have guests regularly. My dedicated cabs get way more play than my MAME cab does. My guests can just plunk in a quarter and play. If you don't like the advice, that is fine. You obviously can do whatever you want. Just don't complain about the advice when it is offered to you.

[wp34]

Perhaps I missed it in your list but I don't see an amp to push the speakers.  I (and others) have used one like this.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ULRFQ1A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You will be happy using a faster PC--especially with Hyperspin.  Even though you don't need the extra horsepower to run most games I noticed immediately after I upgraded my PC the time I spent dinking with the FE and other configurations was a LOT more enjoyable on a faster machine.

The Seimitsu's are a shorter button designed to be used with metal.  You can use them in a wood panel but you will need to route out space for them.   You can see an example here -

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,134339.msg1396110.html#msg1396110

[Scottes]

Hmmm... this seems to be turning less constructive and more just bashing the whole idea of the system.

Yeah, that's exactly what I went through when I recently asked about building a control panel. Bash bash bash useful-info bash bash info bash info. In the end, I heard enough info and went and built 3 control panels instead of the one that I originally envisioned. In the end the info I got was very good, but it was a chore.

Here's some lessons I learned going through this whole process:

Get some pieces of cardboard and do some mock-ups of the control panel design.
Get together with your buddy and check out the control panels, "playing" them to see if the buttons are the correct distance apart, etc.
This is especially important for the trackball to see if it has enough room.
Consider the underside of the joysticks, which can take up more room than you might think and may get in the way of button placement.
Ditto for the trackball, which is huge underneath.
This is also important to see if each player's set of control is far enough apart from the next player's set of controls. Four people around one game can be crowded.
Go buy 8 or 10 different buttons - Happ, Happ Super, Seimitsu, other brands - and set them into a board or piece of MDF. See what's involved.
Play with the buttons and see which brand/type you like.
And a joystick if you can afford it. It sucks to buy 40 buttons and 4 joysticks and THEN find out that you wish you had bought others.
Think about some other buttons that might be nice to have on the control panel, like ones for Pause and Exit.
Read all the controls' page on Ultimarc's site and be prepared to be surprised anyway.
Buy way more wire and crimps and cable management supplies than you think you might need. Two of us - very experienced computer & electronics guys - made 3 subsequent trips to buy more wiring stuff.
Cut, strip, crimp and tin the wires ahead of time. And cut the wires way too long. Then the control wiring itself will go much faster.
DO NOT finish the unit (ie; seal it up) until you have played the crap out of it. You will find flaky connections, loose wires and crimps, and microswitch prongs that need tweaking.
Do not be surprised by all the folks who think you are spending too much money and not being authentic enough. It's your cash and your fun.

[shaolindrunkard]

"how hard can it be?"

Very hard indeed. This is not a hobby for the faint of heart.

I don't think they are trying to bash your project, what they are trying to do is inject some reality into it. If you have unlimited funds and time then hey, go for the gusto. But I'm not sure you realize just how much time and money what your describing will take. A lot times with these projects we immediately dream big and go for the kitchen sink approach. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but more than likely you will start to scale the project back as time progresses and it starts to drive you crazy and you just want it done...

Now I'll try to give you some constructive advice as someone who has built a 4 player pedestal machine. The PC you chose is way over kill. Anything 4 player on MAME will run on a toaster. Now if your going for 4 player steam games,(this is what my machine is based on) most of those will run on a much older much less powerful pc than what you are looking at. If you are looking at running some PC fighting games like say Mortal Kombat X or Injustice. Those will also run well on a much less powerful PC. If you want to cover your bases I recommend getting a decent processor and maybe a 750 ti for the video card. Anything else that requires a more powerful pc is not meant to run on arcade controls.

Hypersipin in my opinion is a ---smurfette--- to set up, I recommend Launchbox/Bigbox especially if you are going to have a limited number of games...

Here is the main thing I will tell you. Your project should not be about leds and shiney things to make the cabinet look good. (Of course aesthetics are part of it) It should be about the desire to play games. Otherwise you guys are gonna spend 3 months to a year building this thing and then its going to collect dust when you forget about it after its built.

[DrunkPanda]

Fallout 4 was a stretch.... Here's one I will definitely be playing, however...

Street Fighter V

RECOMMENDED SPECS:
OS: WINDOWS® 7, 8, 8.1, 10 (64-BIT Required)
Processor: Intel Core i5-4690K @3.50GHz or AMD FX-9370
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 960 or AMD Radeon R7 370
DirectX: Version 11
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Sound Card: DirectX compatible soundcard or onboard chipset
Additional Notes: Compatible with XInput and DirectInput USB devices including gamepads and arcade sticks based on Xbox 360, Xbox One, and DualShock controllers. Steam Controller also supported.

^--- A refurb 16-year-old Dell would have a hard time with that...

I didn't give you a game list, but it will consist of a lot of games that aren't classic games... I'm not building a $2,000 4-player pong machine... I imagine there was an assumption that I was doing an old-school MAME cabinet, which is reasonable, it's just not what I'm building...

Yes, there will be some MAME games on it... but I'm giving it enough juice for newer arcade style fighting games like Street Fighter V, Mortal Kombat X, Killer Instinct (2017), Injustice 2, Brawlhalla, etc... Steam side-scrollers like Trine, Mark of the Ninja, Ori and the Blind Forest, Guns Gore & Cannoli, etc... Hotline Miami and Spelunky are a necessities to me... That's why I'm incorporating Steam into the build, and also the reason for better-than-5-watt mono speakers...

I appreciate you guys' input, which is why I came here. I'm not doing blinky christmas lights on the buttons; I would like to light them solid for aesthetics. My reason for asking for advice is to make sure I'm designing the right things out of the right materials and ordering the right buttons/joysticks/PCB/wiring harnesses to make it run correctly. Any help you guys could give me in that regard is greatly appreciated. Comments like "Light up buttons look stupid." does not help me

Thanks to anybody giving useful input, and hopefully a clarified the "why" for some of the design decisions

[paigeoliver]

I always suggest cheaping out on the initial computer because it is the one component in the cabinet that you are going to have to replace eventually. Your controls and encoders will likely outlast you in home use (the popular encoders have been around almost 20 years and even now you almost never hear about one failing).  You may or may not have to replace the monitor eventually. CRTs age really gracefully and tend to be repairable. While the flat screen tech wears out much quicker, it is also really cheap and just keeps getting cheaper and better, so it isn't a huge concern.

Also, if you are a PC gamer then chances are you have a nice rig on your desk already, put that in the cabinet and put a new gaming PC on your desk.

[wp34]

Make sure you do a build thread in the Projects forum. 

 

[shaolindrunkard]

Hotline Miami is a dual stick game... unless you plan on using a mouse as well, it will be near impossible to play...

[Mike A]

Good luck with your build. I look forward to seeing build pics.

[DrunkPanda]

Hotline Miami is a dual stick game... unless you plan on using a mouse as well, it will be near impossible to play...

You are....

... absolutely right

... damnit 

What about Mutant Football League? I'm bout to buy it for the PC regardless... but that would be AWESOME if the controls transfer


Will certainly do build pics... haven't designed it in CAD yet, so it'll be a minute before I get my hands on hardware... but you'll get sexy pictures for sure unless this arcade dealer I know finds something I can't pass up.

[shaolindrunkard]

Hotline Miami is a dual stick game... unless you plan on using a mouse as well, it will be near impossible to play...

You are....

... absolutely right

... damnit 

What about Mutant Football League? I'm bout to buy it for the PC regardless... but that would be AWESOME if the controls transfer


Will certainly do build pics... haven't designed it in CAD yet, so it'll be a minute before I get my hands on hardware... but you'll get sexy pictures for sure unless this arcade dealer I know finds something I can't pass up.

I don't own that game so you would have to do some research on it. Specifically if you can use the dpad on a controller for movement, that's usually your best indication. But you can usually ask in the steam community forum.

[DrunkPanda]

I just bought it for PC cause it looked awesome, and it is...

All the controls will transfer, but it needs a juke-stick

[barrymossel]

This build sounds bad-ass. Looking forward to seeing it build!