ArcadeSd Vs Pc

[Michael 789]

Hi to all I'm new to the forum,I have been doing a lot of research on the before mentioned subject  and would really like to build my own machine,I have the wood working skills and tools necessary to do that I also build my own pc's as well.I've looked at the ArcadeSd  and think it looks pretty good but its not like it will be ever updated again so what you get is what you get ,plus your control options are limited if you want to play both fighting and single games or something that requires a trackball or spinner unless there is a way to add encoders like you can for the pc ,I don't know if its possible to run other roms on this board or not as it seems that Clay wrote the ones that you get with the purchase.The pc on the other hand can run anything for the most part and you can solve just about any control configuration problem  you can think of,my problem with the pc is trying to figure out  where to get all the roms and software to run the roms and mame bla,bla,bla not to mention it's illegal to do this or to do that.I guess I've spent to much time reading and searching and  trying to follow years of stuff that's already over and done and to be honest it seems a bit to much to take in to just build a nice home arcade machine to enjoy with friends and family,with that said any help or advice will always be appreciated ,thanks.

[yotsuya]

Easiest is to go with the ArcadeSD

[behrmr]

ArcadeSD can only play the fixed list of games provided. Unless Clay adds more which is unlikely. It is a great plug and play JAMMA solution. But you get what you get.

The ArpiCade and other Pi based JAMMA boards are a good option and provide more flexibility. However you need to be willing to “tinker”.

[paigeoliver]

The PC is always, absolutely the best possible platform. Period.

Jamma boards made and designed by people who speak English whose names we know are second. These platforms may actually even slightly exceed the PC's quality for a short gamelist, however the PC has a long gamelist.

Platforms like the Pi are a VERY DISTANT 3rd. They are all based on ARM Processors and Mame on ARM is terrible. A pi based arcade cabinet has the power of PC based cabinet from 1999, combined with the ease of use, accessibility and software availability of command line based unix. While the newer pi based stuff is leaps and bounds ahead of the first generation of stuff, the fact is that I can still just get a PC off Facebook for free any day of the week that outperforms it, and has much better software available.

The 60 in 1 board and its twin the 19 in 1 board ranks 4th. I know, lets F'ING mix control types for no reason whatsoever (other than making the gamelist look more impressive) when the emulator and amount or rom space we used would have allowed for 60 games that used the same controls.

Various chinese multiboards that no one can name the designer of rank 5th. These products suffer heavily because they are not so much a legitimate product, but one of many moneymaking schemes of the Chinese underworld. The people who make these things don't care if they work right, they only care that they appear to work right, the joke is on the end user.

[BadMouth]

Front end setup is a PITA, but with a powerful enough PC and an average video card you can play newer/3D arcade games that cannot run full speed in MAME.
Sega Model 2, Naomi, Atomiswave, Taito Type X.

Pick a front-end and then look at the setup tutorials for it.  That should tell you where to get the emulators.
As for where to get the roms, that would violate forum rules. 

EDIT:  I use Mala because it's what I know, but it is no longer supported and requires some workarounds to work with modern versions of MAME.
If starting out today, I'd probably go for Launchbox. https://www.launchbox-app.com/
GameEX also has a good support forum from what I understand.
Hyperspin is popular, but probably the biggest PITA to set up.  A lot of people start out with it, but then give up.

ONE MORE THING: Don't get sucked into setting up every single console emulator that the front-end supports.  I did that to begin with.  95% of them went unplayed.
Even the ones I played for nostalgic reasons didn't get played much after the initial time.  When I built a new cab, I limited it to strictly arcade games and modern fighters/shmups on Steam.
That and pruning the thousands of arcade games down with the "No Filler" list linked in my signature make it a better experience than the cab that had "everything".
"Everything" is 70-80% junk and that is probably being generous.

[Michael 789]

Thanks for the reply and tips guys this helps  a lot and is much appreciated. Thanks

[Osirus23]

I second paigeoliver.

Please, just listen to that man and ignore the fads and gimmicks.

[yotsuya]

While I personally would go with the PC as well, I still say the ArcadeSD is going to be the EASIEST option because it’s plug and play. It just depends on what you want to accomplish.

[FrizzleFried]

Being I own an ArcadeSD and THREE ARpiCADE's (not to mention plenty of original machines)... I can say, with confidence,  that PaigeOliver is not correct in his "general" assessment of Pi3 based systems.

The ARpiCADE is easily the better solution than the ArcadeSD UNLESS you (a) are running it commercially or (b) are happy with the ArcadeSD game list (which makes the "ease" factor come in to play).

It's very obvious to me that some folks here have very little "recent" experience with the ARpiCADE and/or Pi3+ solutions in general.

Just my take.


PS: The PC still is still the best answer if you're willing to tinker... he was 100% correct on that...

[pbj]

What software setup are you running on your picade?

[FrizzleFried]

What software setup are you running on your picade?

Attract mode front end.

MAME.078 for some games
AdvMAME for some others (Trackball/Spinner games).

I have MAME .139 and .172 for the odd game that doesn't work right in the other two... and of course FBA.

I also have Daphne running (all games minus sound issues on 2 (Us vs Them and MACH 3) and one game (can't remember which it is) that won't work at all.

[Locke141]

I have MAME .139 and .172 for the odd game that doesn't work right in the other two... and of course FBA.

I found that FBA on the PI works really well.

If you want the most authentic experience and have the time to spent on it then PC is best.

[FrizzleFried]

I have MAME .139 and .172 for the odd game that doesn't work right in the other two... and of course FBA.

I found that FBA on the PI works really well.

If you want the most authentic experience and have the time to spent on it then PC is best.

Yeah,  FBA works great on the Pi3+ ... I run most of my Neo-Geo ROMs as well as CPS1 and CPS2... I can't remember what I run the CPS3 games on... I believe it's FBA as well.