I'm back . . . Okay I doubt if anyone remembers let alone misses me.

[MTD2]

Its been a few years. Can't tell you how exciting it is to see everything going gangbusters over here.

I've been away from the hobby, but I'm starting a new project.  Anyone up for a crash course on changes in the last 4 or 5 years?

I was active here and in the hobby back when Andy was getting started with Ultimarc and Oscar was contemplating producing a few items.  Oh how things have changed.

Anyway, I'm working on a couple new projects, a restro of a couple 81 PACMAN/GALAGA cabinets: cocktail and upright.  I'll start with the cocktail.  While I'm pretty set on the old school places for parts (wico, ultimarc, arcadeshop, etc) are there any new ones? Any new products to blow me out of the water?

Software, when I left arcadeos was about the only way to go?  Now just about any smoe seems to have a frontend.  Any suggestions?

Like I said . . . anyone willing to give me a crash course?  Oh and anyone that can get my old handle back would be appreciated. 

Oh and I have a lot of old stuff to unload . . why can't I post in b/s/t forum?

[markrvp]

Welcome back.  You have to have a minimum number of posts before you can post in B/S/T.  I think it's ten.  Go to project announcements and tell 10 people how great their projects are.  Then you can post in B/S/T.

Wico just went out of business again, so you may want to skip them this time around.

[rwhip41]

Mameworld.com has a plethora of information about the latest and greatest.

Take a look at Mamewah as your frontend.

I still get a lot of my parts from Ultimarc, especially keyboard encoaders (IPAC).

Slikstik and groovy game gear also supply a lot of cool hardware items.

[MYX]

Nope, can't say I remember you. But.
1. Blinky is the new not blinky.
2. Keyboard hacks are almost out as encoders have come down substantialy.
3. Noobs still ask the same questions.
4. The answers is still did you do a search.
5. Groovy Game Gear Rocks!
6. The level of craftsmanship has skyrocketed in the past few years.
7. MAMEY Awards
8. Anything that can be lit should be lit. Then see # 1
9. Any topic you can think of can and will start some sort of argument and Saint will put it in post hell then shake his finger at us and tell us to settle down.
10. MAMEMarquees.com

[JoyMonkey]

Ultracade tried to take over the emulation world and tear the BYOAC apart in the process.

[MYX]

But we prevailed and now burn them at the stake if we catch em'.

[Witchboard]

If you're into photosensitive epileptic seizures, you're in for a treat.

[Santoro]

he he

[RayB]

Use EMDKAY for printing marquees.

[TOK]

Don't buy parts from Harpal

[missioncontrol]

I was voted ruler of BYOAC all your great ideas must be approved by me if they are truely great.

EE was infested with politics for a while but they now have their own room

BYOAC tokens are awesome... be sure to check out the 2006 designs and if you get ideas post them....

[nighthawk2099]

And this is the must read post for all BYOAC readers.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=44853.0

"The word is ..... cheesecake...."   

[danny_galaga]

and you don't know me but i'm one of the MAMEY winners 

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=50724.msg496680#msg496680


oh, nad it's now really cool to use norwegian smileys (",)

[RetroJames]

Nope, can't say I remember you. But.
1. Blinky is the new not blinky.
2. Keyboard hacks are almost out as encoders have come down substantialy.
3. Noobs still ask the same questions.
4. The answers is still did you do a search.
5. Groovy Game Gear Rocks!
6. The level of craftsmanship has skyrocketed in the past few years.
7. MAMEY Awards
8. Anything that can be lit should be lit. Then see # 1
9. Any topic you can think of can and will start some sort of argument and Saint will put it in post hell then shake his finger at us and tell us to settle down.
10. MAMEMarquees.com

Also, RetroBlast bought Gameroom Magazine and converted to a new format...

[Tiger-Heli]

Welcome back!!!

Errrm - crash course - surely I will leave a lot of stuff out, but here goes -

MAME - Analog Plus gave us dual mice, and spawned NoNameMAME before the Mame core changed and broke both of them, but now MAME 0.105 will have dual mice in the main build.

Frontends -  MAMEwah has pretty much dominated the scene here, but you could also check out MALA for cocktail cabinets (especially) or AtomicFE.

Howard Casto introduced Johnny5 which allows you to show your control panel and what buttons are required when you pause MAME.

Hardware - As others have said, you really need to check out www.groovygamegear.com and RandyT.

Remember 1Up's Spincade - Not sure if that is new since you left or not - now a cool commercial project at http://www.spincade.com/, although I still somehow preferred the original at http://www.robandmitsue.com/1uparcade/

Blinky Lights - Knievel really started this trend with his Neon-MAME - See http://www.knievelkustoms.com/cabinetcontrols.htm and the links back to BYOAC.  Also see his Flyercade.  Shawn gave us translucent microswitch buttons.  RandyT came up with Electric-Ice lighted buttons.   Ponyboy has leaf-switch modules that fit microswitch button holders.  RandyT has the RGB-Drive snap-in modules for microswitch buttons.  Whammoed (I think) has the lighting modules for true leaf-switch buttons.  RandyT has the LED-Wiz controller and MikeQ is working on PowerMAME which allows you to make things blink from inside MAME.  Also, RandyT just introduced the Electric-Ice Lighted Trackball.

Encoders/Interfaces - The MK series of encoders came and went.  Daveb and Ultimarc introduced encoders for analog controls (yokes and flightsticks and wheels and pedals).  RandyT introduced both low-priced keyboard encoders and gamepad encoders, and the Opti-Wiz for trackballs and spinners.

Spinners - Oscar created a Tempest and Discs of Tron replacement spinner, than vanished from the scene as RL got the best of him.  He also sold joystick restrictor plates and mouse hacks.  However, RandyT now has the Turbo-Twist spinner and Slikstik has the Tornado spinner - and Whammoed is working on a spinner.

49-way Joysticks - DaveB and RandyT both had interfaces for these, but RandyT figured out how to make the GP-Wiz49 control the joysticks so it works as either a 2-way, 4-way, 8-way, or 49-way stick.  (I'm not kidding!!!)

Switchable joysticks - Ultimarc introduced the J-Stick, Mag-Stick, E-Stick and Euro-Stick switchable (4-8 way joysticks) and made the Mag-Sticks switchable from above the panel.  RandyT introduced the Omni-Stick and Prodigy joysticks, the latter is also switchable from above the panel.

Yokes - Menace made a cool BYOAC repro yoke.  www.gamecab.com made one or two commercial ones, but I don't think they made anymore.

Tron handles - Fozzy The Bear is making these (soon?).  Tom at Specialty plastics made some and lots of people did conversions to attach a flightstick handle to a arcade joystick.

Joystick handles - Slikstik and RandyT both have cool replacement handles for arcade sticks.

Shameless plug - I have my own webpage at www.mameworld.net/tigerheli detailing a lot of this . . .

HTH

[MameMaster!]

I have proclaimed myself The MameMaster!

[GadgetGeek]

And pixelhugger is still working on his Mission Control project

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=13118.0