My sister-in-law (yes, her name is Toni) is a huge Ms. Pac Man fan. So I've decided to build an arcade for her as a Christmas gift.
I'm hoping that by posting here I'll make myself more accountable for progress on the project!
The goals of the project are:
- Run Ms. Pac Man and other 'classic' video games
- Use a tabletop cabinet that can be set up on the kitchen table for playtime, then be taken down and put in the corner at dinnertime
- Be simple to operate for her young kids
- Use some of my spare computer parts instead of having to buy a new CPU/Motherboard
- Be as 'cost effective' as possible
I created a simple SketchUp model of the cabinet:
I'm going to go with a single four-way joystick and probably 2 buttons. The goal is to build something simple and fun, not an 'everythingcade.'
I modeled with 3/4" material but am thinking of using 1/2" MDF to give it a manageable weight. So far the list of games is probably going to be:
- Ms. Pac Man
- Pac Man
- Galaxian
- Galaga
- Donkey Kong
- Donkey Kong Jr.
- Dig Dug
- Space Invaders
- Mr. Do!
- Ladybug
- Frogger
- Dr. Micro
- Burger Time
- Tetris
I'm planning on using an old 700MHz processor on a motherboard with 128MB RAM and (gasp!) integrated video. Clearly this is going to limit my game choices. I expect my list of games to change between now and Dec. 25, but I think it'll probably end up close to what I've got here.
It's been raining for almost a solid week in the Dallas area and I haven't been able to put a sheet of MDF in the bed of the pickup to bring it home. Hopefully we'll get a dry spell here soon so I can bring home some work materials!