What kind of Namco cabinet have I bought?

[canberrasss]

Hi,

I am new to the world of MAME and looking forward to playing all my old fav games with arcade controls. I have just bought this namco cabinet and I haven't been able to find much out about it. Does anyone what it is called and has anyone used this shell to bulid a MAME machine?

[whammoed]

hmmm, looks japanese...is it metal or plastic?

[canberrasss]

the red parts are plastic and the white is metal (kinda like sheet metal)

[fastredpacman]

Looks like a Neo Geo Candy Cab! Here is a link that might be usefull:
http://www.neogeousa.com/gargstemple/introcollect.html

[Gunstar Hero]

Just looks like a generic asian/japanese cab to me...

The 3 button layouts kinda disqualify it from being a Tekken/Souledge/Soulcalibur so it probably, at least most recently wasn't a fighter, if it was a Namco game at all.

Luckily, once you find a matching size monitor, that thing will be a breeze to MAME.  

[canberrasss]

thanks guys.  

I have found a place that stocks new screens that will just bolt into the cabinet. Now since i was planning using a PC screen I am not up to date on what I need to do for the screen - in terms of conecting it to my PC.  these screens are digital - does that make it easier? I am wiring it all up using a ipac. My video card is a 128meg. Should I get a VGA one?

the screen is under

http://www.zax.com.au/wellsgardner

[AmericanDemon]

Gunstar:  There are six buttons per player.  3 yellow and 3 black.  

canberrasss:  I would most definitely put a 9200 or one of the Betson Imperial monitors in that cabinet, it will make it an easy transition.  The monitors will only be able to display 800 x 600, heads up.

[Gunstar Hero]

To my eyes it looks like 3 yellow buttons and 3 black plugs.  

[canberrasss]

Gunstar:  There are six buttons per player.  3 yellow and 3 black.  

canberrasss:  I would most definitely put a 9200 or one of the Betson Imperial monitors in that cabinet, it will make it an easy transition.  The monitors will only be able to display 800 x 600, heads up.

800 x 600? will that be a problem?

[AmericanDemon]

Gunstar:  You could be right.  I just recalled seeing a layout a while back using the same colors.

Canberasss:  It wont be an issue.  I would suggest the Betson Imperial monitor that is reviewed on Retroblast/  The main reason is that the D9200 from Wells Gardner seems like when you use it in 800 x 600 it will fail at least once and you have to get it fixed.  Kevin did not experience any issues with his Betson unit and still had not had problems, plus the colors look better.  

I'll be using a Betson in my cabinet.

[emam]

I have one of these Cabs. I use a 29" TV that has a scart input (RGB) because of the higher quality image than std AV. I have set it up to power up and switch to the AV channel automatically. This is a very cheap alternative to purchasing the correct 29" monitor.
I am also using and Xbox running Mameox. I made an interface board to connect the 2 sticks, 6 buttons per stick + 4 more control buttons on the game console to a single xbox controller. This work very well.
The Xbox is fitted with a mod chip and I have place RCA sockets in the back for the audio to be run into an amplifier. This make it the ultimate entertainment system. It plays Xbox games, DVD's, Music CD's, AVI's MP3's, and can be used as a TV because the tuner is still functional.

[LordDamo]

From your nick, mind if I ask if your from Australia? If so, also mind if I ask where you got your cabinet from ?

[emam]

From NZ. The local arcade franchise was importing them without game boards  just for the monitors and throwing out the cabs (freebie ). I also have the next generation of namco cab which is 300% better looking. That too was from the same place and a freebie.

[grueinthebox]

From NZ. The local arcade franchise was importing them without game boards  just for the monitors and throwing out the cabs (freebie ). I also have the next generation of namco cab which is 300% better looking. That too was from the same place and a freebie.

Lucky bastage...

Why aren't there any companies in Houston doing this?  :p

[canberrasss]

Was it hard to fit the TV? say compared to a 9200 which would bolt straight up.

do you have any pics? I would love to see them/.

I have one of these Cabs. I use a 29" TV that has a scart input (RGB) because of the higher quality image than std AV. I have set it up to power up and switch to the AV channel automatically. This is a very cheap alternative to purchasing the correct 29" monitor.
I am also using and Xbox running Mameox. I made an interface board to connect the 2 sticks, 6 buttons per stick + 4 more control buttons on the game console to a single xbox controller. This work very well.
The Xbox is fitted with a mod chip and I have place RCA sockets in the back for the audio to be run into an amplifier. This make it the ultimate entertainment system. It plays Xbox games, DVD's, Music CD's, AVI's MP3's, and can be used as a TV because the tuner is still functional.

[paigeoliver]

From NZ. The local arcade franchise was importing them without game boards  just for the monitors and throwing out the cabs (freebie ). I also have the next generation of namco cab which is 300% better looking. That too was from the same place and a freebie.

Lucky bastage...

Why aren't there any companies in Houston doing this?  :p

It is WAY cheaper to import those cabs to Au and Nz then it is to Houston. It makes a (STUPID) sort of financial sense to do that there, not in Houston though.

Although REALLY it would make even MORE sense to list the monitorless units on ebay.au for $50 each then to just toss them.

[grueinthebox]

It is WAY cheaper to import those cabs to Au and Nz then it is to Houston. It makes a (STUPID) sort of financial sense to do that there, not in Houston though.

Yeah, it was really more of a rhetorical question...  Just lamenting the fact that you almost never see them for sale here, so would typically have to pay 2/3 the cost of the cabinet to ship from (usually) California, and still be at risk of ending up with a cab that was mangled in transit (see DYNAGOD's pre-resto pics).

The idea of free candy cabs, available locally, and on a seemingly regular basis no less, just blows my mind...  It's like telling a starving person in a third world country about an all-you-can-eat buffet.

If anyone runs across a free empty Super Neo 29, I'm still in need of another control panel...  

[paigeoliver]

I have a Super Neo 29, you know that the piece of metal all the controls are on is just a flat bit of metal that unbolts from the larger plastic frame.

[wboy]

thanks guys.  

I have found a place that stocks new screens that will just bolt into the cabinet. Now since i was planning using a PC screen I am not up to date on what I need to do for the screen - in terms of conecting it to my PC.  these screens are digital - does that make it easier? I am wiring it all up using a ipac. My video card is a 128meg. Should I get a VGA one?

the screen is under

http://www.zax.com.au/wellsgardner

Assuming you are going to purchase the D9200 as the monitor, and it is cable of 15khz and 31khz, you should really look at something like the ArcadeVGA.  Running the games at their native resolution is the only way to go IMO.

[grueinthebox]

I have a Super Neo 29, you know that the piece of metal all the controls are on is just a flat bit of metal that unbolts from the larger plastic frame.

I'm actually looking for an entire second plastic frame assembly.  With the hinge removed, the assembly is held secure enough by the two locks, but can be quickly removed without tools.  Idea is to have a second panel with steering wheel and possibly a shifter.  Seems to me that a sit down cabinet with a large monitor would be great for driving games.

I considered just making the metal piece swappable, but haven't been able to conceive of anything that would hold it securely, but not make it a huge pain to swap.  Undoing those eight or so nuts takes way too long to make it practical.

Sorry about the tangent, canberrasss...  ^^;;

On the topic at hand, if money isn't a major concern, the suggestion of the WG (or Betson) / ArcadeVGA is spot on.  Games would look much better than on a TV, plus you get clean standard monitor resolutions for use in Windows or with other emulators, etc.  It's pretty much the ideal setup for a MAME cabinet.

[paigeoliver]

Oh, forget the plast frame then, you'd rip that puppy apart with a steering wheel anyway. Build something wooden that will swap into place instead.

[emam]

No it wasn't difficult. I made a frame similar to the original frame and fitted the tube and pcb to it. I'm about to do it again with my new cab. I'll post some pics soon.

Was it hard to fit the TV? say compared to a 9200 which would bolt straight up.

do you have any pics? I would love to see them/.

I have one of these Cabs. I use a 29" TV that has a scart input (RGB) because of the higher quality image than std AV. I have set it up to power up and switch to the AV channel automatically. This is a very cheap alternative to purchasing the correct 29" monitor.
I am also using and Xbox running Mameox. I made an interface board to connect the 2 sticks, 6 buttons per stick + 4 more control buttons on the game console to a single xbox controller. This work very well.
The Xbox is fitted with a mod chip and I have place RCA sockets in the back for the audio to be run into an amplifier. This make it the ultimate entertainment system. It plays Xbox games, DVD's, Music CD's, AVI's MP3's, and can be used as a TV because the tuner is still functional.