Jest's Arcade - Introduction & Questions Galore

[Jest]

Hi everyone!  I thought I would introduce myself and my project here.  I have been in love with the idea of MAME for a long time.  So much so that I don't want to be tainted by using a keyboard so I am going to build my own cabinet.  From what I gather I am quite younger (18) than most of the people here, so unfortunately I don't have the memories of spending hours and my allowance and snow shoveling/lawn mowing money in the arcades.  Out of the few that were around they were mostly filled with light-gun and racing games.  From when I did get lucky and find a place (usually a bar or restaurant) with an old school game cabinet I would spend as much time as I could playing.  Its a same I was really young and was utter ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- at those games.  Enough of my life story lol. 

I have been a fan of arcade stick fighters and track-ball games for a LONG time.  I didn't even know the abundance of track-ball games until I found this forum.  I never had the experience of playing Centipede or Missile Command with a track-ball, and honestly didn't even know they used the ball.  But I am a huge fan of arcade bowling games and Golden Tee.  I also hear Tiger Woods is track-ball compatible!  Thats awesome, I played them back on PS2 since 2002. 

Anyway this is just my thread for posting my progress, reports, and questions.  Hopefully you guys can help me out when I have problems. 

I am brutal at wood-working, so I am employing my Grand Father who has worked with wood his entire life to help with the cabinet.  I am fairly confident that I can learn how to do the wiring myself.


The thing with this cab is it has to be cheap .  I am trying to pay for school .
Can I get your guys opinions on some things? 

First, my PC.  I have this old PC sitting in my room collecting dust, will it run games like Capcom vs SNK/Marvel, Golden Tee and Tiger Woods 2004?  It is a prebuilt from a few years ago.  Main specs I know but not details.  P4 @ 1.7gHz, 512mb ram, 80gb hdd, intel integrated graphics.  If a nice TV falls into my lap I will have to upgrade the graphics card to something with S-Video I suppose.  I am probably going to scour the classifieds, Craig's List and Kijiji for one or some more RAM once I check the clock speed.

Next thing I was hoping you can help me with is my shopping list.  So far it looks like this.
- Project Arcade (ordered)
- X-Arcade Arcade Parts Bundle (18+2 buttons, 2 joysticks)
- X-Arcade Trackball Assembly
- Ultimarc I-Pac²
- Ultimarc Opti-pac

- MDF, wires, etc when the time comes.
I am also thinking of getting a 3rd smaller 4-way Ball-stick for a more authentic feel on old games I'm sure my parents would appreciate.

I am super excited about this idea of a MAME cabinet sitting in my basement next to my Rock Band and Wii.  Thats a party if you ask me .

Anyway right now I am waiting on Saint's book to show up from Amazon at which point I will read it like the Bible, browse some more cab designs and plans, and decide on one.  Damn that is a long post.  I am looking forward to learning a lot from everyone here during my experience.

[weisshaupt]

Welcome!

In addition to the book

1.Check out the Wiki,  There IS a lot of useful information there.
2.Look at a LOT of project threads before you start..

I also found that Google's Sketch up is a really, really useful tool. Probably could have saved me weeks on my first cab. No too hard to learn, and worth the effort.

You have a lot of choices if designing your own, but "cheap" probably isn't in the cards...  

Any ideas  as to how many players you want to support?
Cocktail vs. Upright, vs sitdown?
Rotating Monitor?
Modular vs. swappable vs. fixed CP?
What artwork/Feel are you going for?
Which other are you looking to run? (makes a big difference, my Cab runs an old AthlonXP 2000 cpu and its fine for most stuff bui anything from after 1990 or so runs a bit slow if playable at all )
How much space do you have (maybe a bar top is a better idea at this point in your life? )

I would be wary of a TV.. sure it CAN be done, but its more a question of SHOULD it be done. You might be better off trying to sang an old CRT based computer monitor or an LCD..

Are you looking to copy something someone else has done or do something unique?

[Jest]

Welcome!

I also found that Google's Sketch up is a really, really useful tool. Probably could have saved me weeks on my first cab. No too hard to learn, and worth the effort.

Thanks I will check it out.

You have a lot of choices if designing your own, but "cheap" probably isn't in the cards...   

That's alright.  I am going to try to get it under $500 for now.  I probably won't do any custom printed marquee or graphics if it is too expensive.  I am just going wit ha very basic minimalist design and do some acrylic+stencil painting on the Lexan and case sides.  I am going to build the PC out of spare parts I have and am hoping to try to find a 20"-23" PC monitor for under $50.
[/quote]

Any ideas  as to how many players you want to support?
Cocktail vs. Upright, vs sitdown?
Rotating Monitor?
Modular vs. swappable vs. fixed CP?
What artwork/Feel are you going for?
Which other are you looking to run? (makes a big difference, my Cab runs an old AthlonXP 2000 cpu and its fine for most stuff bui anything from after 1990 or so runs a bit slow if playable at all )
How much space do you have (maybe a bar top is a better idea at this point in your life? )

Two players, upright, with a standard PC monitor is what I am shooting for.  As for the CP is it possible to build a control panel on its own, have it hook up to my regular PC for now, and then when the cab is done attach it to the cab?  For artwork, its just going to be all black with red and white detailing with some Detroit Red Wings logos on it.
AS for game I want to play on it, most of the older stuff from the 80s, Street Fighters, Mortal Kombats, Tekkens, Soul Calibur, Golden Tee, Tiger Woods 2004-2006.  The PC I build would have trouble with the newer games I guess. 

Come to think of it the PC I build probably won't have the specs to run the newer games.  I am going to check out tigerdirect.ca for good bare bones computer deals every week or so and pick something up.  This one caught my eye, mostly because of the price.  With another GB of ram will that run what I want it to?

Hopefully all my questions aren't so idiotic.  Project Arcade will arrive today (may already be in my mailbox, I'm at school) so I guess I will sound a lot more intelligent (or at least like I know something) after I give that a read through.

[weisshaupt]

That's alright.  I am going to try to get it under $500 for now.  I probably won't do any custom printed marquee or graphics if it is too expensive.  I am just going wit ha very basic minimalist design and do some acrylic+stencil painting on the Lexan and case sides.  I am going to build the PC out of spare parts I have and am hoping to try to find a 20"-23" PC monitor for under $50.

You may want to use Plexi instead of lexan if you are very price conscious- its a lot cheaper, but less durable and prone to yellowing.
Most of the cost of a cab really is in the controls/monitor and PC, but the Plexi and MDF isn't all that cheap either.

As for the CP is it possible to build a control panel on its own, have it hook up to my regular PC for now, and then when the cab is done attach it to the cab? 

There should be no problem doing this.

I guess I will sound a lot more intelligent (or at least like I know something) after I give that a read through.

Its not so much about knowing what to do as knowing what you want to do.. Wiring and such is pretty simple..

[BASS!]

When I built my first cab, I hit way under 500. I used :

existing cab, $50 from a collectors garage. If you find one with working coin doors and a light that will save you so much money.
A Computer from work with similar specs for $20
A 19" monitor from craigslist for $50
$180 - X-arcade controls ( I accually bought the pannel and used that for a while, and ended up buying the xarcade trackball, I should have gotten a happ.) I then built a cp out of mdf and wrapped it in red pleather.
Marquee - printed off my plotter at work on backlit velum.
I then printed side art at work and wrapped the whole machine in red and black vinyl from a fabric store.

IMHO the cheap way is a converted machine, and the expensive is a scratch build. My next machine will be a scratch and will run probably around $1500 for all the goodies I now plan on adding. Good luck and bargain hunt away. A lot of the stuff you are wanting can be found cheap if you know what your looking for. Just take your time and dont rush it. 

Here is what I got in the end