What have I gotten myself into?

[JonnyBoy]

Well, I was browsing ebay the other day and came across...THE TIME MACHINE! It was an arcade style machine, claiming to have over 10,000 games. It also included Dance Dance Revolution pads and had plenty of games from NES to N64. Well, after looking at it for several minutes I realized that it was basically a PC running a bunch of ROMs with a cute interface. The thought came across my mind...why don't I build one of these for myself?

I checked out ebay and found some cheap barebones PCs. I figured, heck...mount a PC with a monitor and some speakers in a cabinet. Attach all the controllers through the USB ports and create some sort of interface to browse through all the ROMs loaded on the PC.

Could this basic concept be done? Considering I'm a video game junkie and have tons and tons of roms for most all systems...could I possibly create an arcade machine that would be functional with a PC and all these USB based controllers?

Is there anything serious concerns thusfar? Anything I should watch out for? What would be the easiest path? I read the Newbie guide and still am not sure if the interface would even work, considering the vast amount of games and emulators. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thank you all very much.

PS, if you want to see the time machine...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4315&item=6138171729&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

[TOK]

Arcade games at home? A computer inside an arcade game?!? An interface to browse them? Pure crazy talk, that'll NEVER happen!





Really, I suggest you take a look at the newbie sticky posts at the top of the forums.
Good luck with the project. 

[LordDamo]

Ummm, thats what this forum is for -welcome BTW. Check out the stick post for Newbie's at the top of the main forum.

Go here first
http://www.mame.net/

Heres some pages to get you started
http://users.adelphia.net/~seanhat/arcade/
http://spystyle.arcadecontrols.com/

How to interface controls and where to get them from:

http://www.groovygamegear.com
http://www.ultimarc.com/
http://www.therealbobroberts.com/
And right here at this forum + plus its main page http://www.arcadecontrols.com

Hope this helps, happy mame'ing

[JonnyBoy]

Yeah, but there is one thing. I can't seem to find anybody who has made a controller for n64 games. For shooting games wouldn't you need 2 joysticks? I was really hoping on not having to make my own control board but it looks like I may have no other choice. Would you recommend the I-Pac? Is it pretty easy to use for my type of application?

[Oddfeld]

The IPAC is perfect for this sort of thing (it is, after all, what it was designed for). It's basically a keyboard encoder that you wire your arcade button or joystick microswitch or whatever to instead of keyboard keys. So when you hit a pushbutton, the computer sees it as a particular keyboard keypress.

As for N64 games, I'm guessing you'd run these on a PC emulator, so you can just use the same controller (pretty much all emulators can be configured for keyboard input to simulate a console gamepad). Games that rely on the analog controls may be more problematic (you'd have to hook up an analog joystick or something to mimic those controls).

Another option would be to use something like an adaptoid to let you plug N64 controllers into your PC. So you could have an arcade cabinet with arcade controls for playing MAME, and plug an N64 controller in underneath the control panel to play N64 games.

If you're sticking a real N64 inside a cabinet and want to wire it up to some arcade controls, you'd need to hack a pad (basically gut a gamepad and wire the buttons to the contacts on the PCB inside the gamepad that the original buttons were hitting).

There are commercial arcade controllers available with console adapters too (X-arcade etc), I'm not sure if any support the N64 though.

[dweebs0r]

This may be what you're after:

Super Nintendo controllers to USB:
http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=207&products_id=4234

N64 controllers to USB:
http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=207&products_id=93&

--Dweebs

[Oddfeld]

That Time Machine thing looks like it's a cabinet kit from http://www.mameroom.com btw, specifically their 'ultimate quad' with a 4-player SlikStik for the control panel

It'd probably work out considerably cheaper than $4500  to build your own - check out the gallery examples here for other people's build diaries. Oh, and go buy Saint's book:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0764556169

[Alpha17X]

I love it when people do this on e-bay auctions.

"Only the Time Machine is capable of playing so many games. By far the most complete video game system available anywhere!"

That must be why the examples page here has so many cabs right?

That's like "THIS IS THE ONLY SUPER NINTENDO EVER MADE> GET IT NOW!!!!!111!1111 ONE ONE ONE!!1!11!1!"

Anyways ya. Welcome to the world of home arcade, don't trip over the pool of sweat and blood.

[JonnyBoy]

Okay, as of right now I have 2 options. Getting 4 of those x-pad controllers and slaving them together to make the CP. Or...I could buy the Ipac and make my own CP but at the same time...risking screwing the entire thing up. My prowess with a soldering iron is debatable. Do you need to solder to the Ipac or does it have some sort of system for holding the wires in? I'll need to solder to the button contacts...won't I? Geeze...

And after that I could use those n64 USB adapters and just create a little n64 "holster" on the side of the cabinet and just use the regular ole' controllers. I could do the same for some Playstation controllers if I ever want to load some ISOs. As of right now this all sounds fathomable?

[Oddfeld]

Do you need to solder to the Ipac or does it have some sort of system for holding the wires in? I'll need to solder to the button contacts...won't I? Geeze...

There's no soldering needed. The IPAC has screw terminals to screw the stripped ends of the wires into, and you just crimp a connector onto the other end of the wire to push onto the blade connectors on the microswitches that will be on the pushbuttons and joysticks. Ultimarc sell a wiring kit that includes everything you'll need - all the crimp connectors, wires, and a crimping tool/wire stripper (or you could just get this stuff from your local electronics supply shop - Maplin/Radioshack etc).

[LordDamo]

* Super Joy Box 4 USB convertor
http://www.goldenshop.com.hk/AI-trad/Misc_htm/m-pcjoy.htm

*Soldering and hacking joysticks/game pads
http://arcadecontrols.com/arcade_technical.shtml#tutorials

How to hack a N64 pad, or buy one already done for you
http://home.t-online.de/home/stephan.hans/n64.htm

Hope some of this helps you out

[Stingray]

Ah, I remeber a while back I had a similar epiphany. I even went as far as building a stand alone controller based on a keyboard hack. Worked pretty well considering that I had no idea what I was doing.

Then I found out there was this entire community online dedicated to doing this stuff.

The stand alone controller has since been dismanted. In it's place is a full MAME cab that I probably couldn't have built if I hadn't found this site. Welcome to the club. The madness only gets worse from here.

-S

[quarterback]

PS, if you want to see the time machine...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4315&item=6138171729&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Invalid Item
The item you requested (6138171729) is invalid, still pending, or no longer in our database.

Pulled?

[Oddfeld]

PS, if you want to see the time machine...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4315&item=6138171729&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Invalid Item
The item you requested (6138171729) is invalid, still pending, or no longer in our database.

Pulled?

Whatever - it was just some company (not MAME Room/Dream) selling these:

http://www.dreamauthentics.com/index_ultraquad.htm

[big daddy]

I built my own cab and use the control panel for the mame games..but I also have NES/SNES/Sega Genesis/Nintendo64 and for those I just bought a cordless USB joypad to play those (playing techmo bowl just didn't feel the same with a joystick as opposed to a joypad).  Works pretty good...my current gamepad doesn't have quite enough buttons for the N64 though.

[Todd H]

I wonder how well a 49-way joystick would work with N64 games?  Anyone tried this setup yet?

BTW, welcome JonnyBoy!  Prepare to have all of your spare time consumed by this little hobby of ours!   

[JonnyBoy]

Okay guys...here's the plan...

I looked through all my resources and have come up with a good idea. I am going to make a small arcade machine that I can just place on top of a table or something. It will be approximately 35-40 inches high, 24 wide and 24 deep.

First I am going to purchase one of those flat IBM computer, you know, the ones that the monitors can rest on top of. Then I am going to put a 20 inch flatscreen TV from bestbuy on top. From there I plan on putting a 2 player Hot Rod CP. I'll finish it off with a nice looking compact marquee. I'll make some primitive drawings soon. I plan on adding N64 controllers and lightguns.

This brings me to my first question... I don't like the purple front of the Hot Rod control panel. Is there an easy way to cover it up or something? Anything you reccommend? Also, I was curious as to if I could configure the use of the lightgun with N64 and PC games(Perfect Dark and Half Life, for instance), like using the lightgun to fire and stuff while using the joypad to navigate...that would be awesome (I know firing one handed may be a bit awkward but I'll be sure to get pistols). And lastly, if I came up with an idea for a marquee could you send me in the direction of a person who could make it. My photoshop skills are lacking and I'll gladly pay.

PS Thank you all for the warm welcome to the board! I'll be sure to frequent here often.

[hulkster]

well dude if you are going to build an arcade cabinet,  you will frequent this board every single day multiple times an hour for the next 6 months at least.  happy reading.

[JonnyBoy]

Anybody got any ideas?

[pointdablame]

If you dont like the purple... paint it.  The controls come out easy and painting is easy as well.  On this board though, you'll likely get "build your own controls" a lot, which I agree with.  You're probably better off making your own control panel so you can design it, paint it, etc, exactly how you want.

You're not going to want to use a pistol for FPS games... trust me... it's just too awkward.  If you can get used to it, good for you, but i'd avoid that idea like the plague.

Every other idea you've had in this thread has been covered many times, so Search this site and just read, read, read when you get a free moments.  This forum, the main page at arcadecontrols.com, and the hundreds of example pages will get you familiar with the ins and outs of the hobbies in no time.

[SOAPboy]

Make your own CP.. its not near as expensive, and youll learn alot from doing so.. because after all, its only a sheet of wood..

can reused the controls a dozen times on different CPs anyways, so id just build one to YOUR needs..

why blow a wad on something you can do for a fraction of the cost

[LordDamo]

Okay guys...here's the plan...

I looked through all my resources and have come up with a good idea. I am going to make a small arcade machine that I can just place on top of a table or something. It will be approximately 35-40 inches high, 24 wide and 24 deep.

For a table top, thats gonna be pritty big. I hope you dont intend to move it around often, cause I reckon it would be heavy

First I am going to purchase one of those flat IBM computer, you know, the ones that the monitors can rest on top of. Then I am going to put a 20 inch flatscreen TV from bestbuy on top. From there I plan on putting a 2 player Hot Rod CP. I'll finish it off with a nice looking compact marquee. I'll make some primitive drawings soon. I plan on adding N64 controllers and lightguns.

That souds cool, are you going to leave the pc in the case or not? sound like you are. Just to let you know, doing that the PC can get quite hot. Make sure you cool it well, or it can lead to system instapillity, and you dont want a blue screen just as you get up to just passing that bit you could never beat in the arcade.

This brings me to my first question... I don't like the purple front of the Hot Rod control panel. Is there an easy way to cover it up or something? Anything you reccommend? Also, I was curious as to if I could configure the use of the lightgun with N64 and PC games(Perfect Dark and Half Life, for instance), like using the lightgun to fire and stuff while using the joypad to navigate...that would be awesome (I know firing one handed may be a bit awkward but I'll be sure to get pistols).

Yeah, as stated by others, i'd build your own CP as well. Its a fun & satisfying build, and you get the buttons *exactally* where you want them, and in your case any colour you want.

And lastly, if I came up with an idea for a marquee could you send me in the direction of a person who could make it. My photoshop skills are lacking and I'll gladly pay.

PS Thank you all for the warm welcome to the board! I'll be sure to frequent here often.

For your art, you could approach Pixel Hugger http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1211
If you ask him nicely, im sure he would whip up something for you.

All the best, and have fun working on your project.

LD
Wagga Wagga, NSW Australia

[JonnyBoy]

Yeah, dimensions are still quite debatable...

I oversized everything by about five inches until I know the exact dimensions of all the parts. Yeah...may as well just build my own CP using the IPac. This'll be interesting, and thanks for the link.

Thank you guys