My PS2-Arcade gameplan, any suggestions?

[blueoakleyz]

Hello everyone! I'm new to these forums but I've been reading this site for a couple years (it introduced me into the most fun hobby of soldering wires to stuff to make arcade sticks ). I can honestly say that this is the greatest website on the internet because of the sheer amount of information and pictures for such a "niche hobby."
At first the forums were using a format that was pretty incompatible with my computer because it was just so much text loading everytime and it was just a hassle, but after the switch I guess I was just shy for some reason (which is weird, I can be a loudmouth a-hole on other forums lol). Anyway, with my upcoming project (only built arcade sticks for video game systems so far) I was hoping to get more involved with the community here and help anyway I could. So here is my plan for my new PS2-Arcade, please let me know what you think.

1. Get 3 sheets of MDF, make a cabinet (Dad's a cabinet maker and I acquired certain skills he taught me so it shouldn't be hard) based on the 90's Midway cabinet/Mortal Kombat cabinet (what I find to be the best looking traditional arcade cabinet ever), paint it all black, and use blue T-molding.

2. Build the arcade control panel (the fun part). I'll be using 10 buttons per person. The base of each side will basically designed like an MK3 machine, two red buttons - 1 white button - 2 blue buttons like this

o     o
   o
o     o

and then next to the blue ones, two green ones, then at the top a start button, to the left of that, a yellow select button, and at the bottom, another yellow button (run for MK3). So all in all it should be like this. A=arcade stick

o   o

        o   o  o
A        o
        o    o o
     o

One side will have a blue joystick, the other a red. What do you all think of the color scheme? Alternates are:
1 side ALL blue, all buttons, joystick, the otherside all red.
2 ALL/EVERYTHING is blue
Put a sheet of (lexan?) plexiglass over it

3. Put a 27" TV in the cabinet, cut out a bezzel out of cardboard or paper or something and then put a layer of plexiglass over it.

Underneath there will be a shelf with a PS2 and all kinds of arcade compilations and games that are arcade-like (Like Tekken)

[AmericanDemon]

Are you planning to put artwork on the CP as well?  If so that could guide you to use other colors on the buttons.

[blueoakleyz]

"Are you planning to put artwork on the CP as well?  If so that could guide you to use other colors on the buttons. "

As far as I can guess right now, no.
I kinda want it to be nondescript, resembling the traditional arcade machine. My true inspiration is UMK3 (which hasn't come out for PS2 yet errg but I'm sure it will) and hopefully I will get to use that in my system someday, but I also vowed I'd own a UMK3 game someday so I'll leave the art from MK for that one. I think if I can find something good I might do a compilation picture. I just don't want it to display any one type of game. IF I were to do something that displayed like PS2-Arcade It'd be all blue.

[blueoakleyz]

Another concern I have is whether a 27" TV will fit into the arcade cabinet. It'll have to be slanted down a little bit which gives extra clearance but I just don't know. General 27" tv's have a depth of around 22-24". If it is too big I'll probably want to make the cabinet a bit deeper before it's too late. Anyone have experience with 25-27" tv's in normal cabinets?

[AmericanDemon]

Actually there are quite a few guys on these boards who use TVs.  I'll allow them to chime in.

[SteveJ34]

Actually there are quite a few guys on these boards who use TVs.  I'll allow them to chime in.

I have a cab based on Lusid plans with a 27" Toshiba.....granted, different mfrs/models require different clearances.

Not sure of the cab dimensions for the design you are after but you could compare to those to the Lusid design to assess whether you need to make adjustments.

Best of luck with your project.

[blueoakleyz]

Thanks.
It's the Mortal Kombat cabinet so I am not too sure yet.

Also
what kind of paint should I use? Mostly just black paint, hopefully with a nice clean glossy look

Also do arcade cabinets such as the MK ones generally run T-Molding on the tops and backs of the cabinet?

[Spaced Invader]

For the TV question...just measure. I always base the cabinets dimensions on the measurements of the monitor I'm using.

Paint...I use the best satin latex I can afford and apply lots of coats lightly sanding between each...after primer.

T-molding...I'd run it on the top and not worry about the back.

I'm currently building a PS2 cab with a TV as well...third cab. Trying to decide whether to use light guns with it or not....I'm kinda afraid it would look tacky...are you planning to use lightguns...just looking for another opinion.

Hope this helps...and good luck!  

[Puds]

also i didnt want someone to forget to mention to measure your dimensions carefully for your arcade.  I say this because with a 27 inch tv that means that the width of your cabinet is going to be cutting reallly close to the size of a door frame (and remember its not just the door frame but the part of the door itself next to the hinge that you'll have to get through)  My cabinet is 24 inch wide plus the 3/4 inch on both sides for the actual cabinet and I wasnt able to make it through some doors.  

Also Im glad to hear you're going for an umk3 theme.  I recently built my arcade out of a modded xbox and umk3 for super nintendo is by far my favorite competitive game to play.  Good luck and dont sweat it when your solder just wont stick to your controllers.... I finally got through 4 xbox controllers of that

[blueoakleyz]

Nah not going with lightguns. I don't have any PS2 games with lightgun anyway but other than that I list it as an extra-peripheral kind of item, things that you would only find in a REAL arcade, like cockpits or even trackballs if you are on a budget.

So basically my PS2 arcade will be modeled after an MK machine, like a template, but will play PS2 games of variety including old classics. The question I have to all of you is, should I go with colored buttons? Or should I go with all of one color? Like left side=all blue (9 buttons) and right side all red...... or should I go with say the Mortal Kombat color scheme since that's what this is based off of?

Then later someday in the future I'll make a similar multi-game machine but base it off of Ms. Pac-Man as much as possible, except it'll have 4 buttons in a diamond pattern as well as two start buttons off to the right and a nice cherry-red joystick to the left but close to the center (do you all play Pac-Man with your left or right hand, assuming you are rightie)

This idea that since they're more of a modeled-game system gives me more personal license to customize my PS2-Arcade like an MK game if I chose to but I'll probably leave it just black while the Ms. Pac will definately be artfully designed like a Ms. Pac machine and will be very obvious what game it's supposed to be, while still playing others.