My First MAME Project

[Chase]

Hello Everyone!

I'm happy to be joining the community of MAME gaming and arcade creation!  I have been a gamer as long as I can remember and then when I got the OK from the wife....I started my trek!

Thanks to Google, I have been to many websites about MAME, and came across this community, and I must say that from all the posts I have read, I'm happy to be here and happy my account is approved so I can ask for some help and advice!

My Cabinet

Well, I had mixed feelings about this, either build my own....get a kit, or get someones old arcade machine and turn it into a MAME system....so after going thru Craigslist, I found this:  A Virtua Fighter 2 Machine! Complete with a working monitor and the cabinet in excellent shape:





Pics of the Monitor:






Questions:

1. From my research on here (and Google), I have read that the monitor is a 25Khz - Medium Resolution Monitor and would not be able to interface it with my computer.  Is that true?

Would it be better to use a TV?  (I have a 27" Sony CRT TV that would fit in the cabinet.)

2. Does anyone have any experience with MAMEROOM (www.mameroom.) and their Arcade Control Panels?  I plan on ordering one of them for use with my project to save on time.


In any event, thanks for any assistance any of you could provide!


Chase
"SirChaos"
 

[Flake]

While I have a TV in my cab I believe you should be able to find ample research on this forum on how to connect your monitor.  TV would be easier but if you have a working arcade monitor I would try that option first.  Plus you already have all the appropriate mounting hardware and bezel (assuming that sticker comes off the bezel - if you want to take this off try a heatgun).

Have no experience with Mameroom's panels.  However, you do have other options such as ArcadesRFun and JJ's custom arcades (not sure if they are around anymore though).  I have a order with ArcadesRFun in route as we speak.  Should have it by Wednesday.

[pinballwizard79]

Man thats such a clean example of a Virtua fighter2, you should just keep it the way it is & then get a UAII kit or gutted machine.

One time I MAME'd a MINT Virtua fighter that was in storage for over 7 years & prior to that was HUO. I still feel guilty, it was such a hallow victory. 

Anyway, its time to move on...............Hack that puppy up & fill it with games. 

If the monitor is perfect get either a AVGA or UVC..........or sell the monitor & put your 27 sony in there if you want it done faster without crazy stress. You can get most parts from groovygamegear, your art from Mamemarquees & a hole saw from home depot.

Heck, why not roll with the virtua fighter2 them & use all the OG art alreay there?

It looks good the way it is IMO

[pinballwizard79]

man thats so clean I had to post twice, wow look at that clean monitor back & board.......wow

[Chase]

Man thats such a clean example of a Virtua fighter2, you should just keep it the way it is & then get a UAII kit or gutted machine.

One time I MAME'd a MINT Virtua fighter that was in storage for over 7 years & prior to that was HUO. I still feel guilty, it was such a hallow victory. 

Anyway, its time to move on...............Hack that puppy up & fill it with games. 

If the monitor is perfect get either a AVGA or UVC..........or sell the monitor & put your 27 sony in there if you want it done faster without crazy stress. You can get most parts from groovygamegear, your art from Mamemarquees & a hole saw from home depot.

Heck, why not roll with the virtua fighter2 them & use all the OG art alreay there?

It looks good the way it is IMO

I have some more project photos here:  http://tinyurl.com/6psuel

-----

Thanks for the positive comments.   I honestly have thought about keeping it a VF2 ONLY, but honestly, I don't play much VF2 and would much rather go for MAME. -- Unless there is great value in keeping it VF2.

I plan on keeping the VF2 Marquis and Stickers, and maybe the boarder on the monitor glass.   I like the art on the sides of the case.

Question - From what I read about ArcadeVGA is that it does not work with 25KHZ (Medium Resolution) arcade monitors.  Does it?  Can this be confirmed?  Or does ArcadeVGA just emulates 25KHZ on 15KHZ monitors?   I need some clarification here.

Windows works okay?  Do I need a special card?

And....What is UVC?

Thanks everyone

- C

[Turnarcades]

Man thats such a clean example of a Virtua fighter2, you should just keep it the way it is & then get a UAII kit or gutted machine.

One time I MAME'd a MINT Virtua fighter that was in storage for over 7 years & prior to that was HUO. I still feel guilty, it was such a hallow victory. 

Anyway, its time to move on...............Hack that puppy up & fill it with games. 

If the monitor is perfect get either a AVGA or UVC..........or sell the monitor & put your 27 sony in there if you want it done faster without crazy stress. You can get most parts from groovygamegear, your art from Mamemarquees & a hole saw from home depot.

Heck, why not roll with the virtua fighter2 them & use all the OG art alreay there?

It looks good the way it is IMO

I have some more project photos here:  http://tinyurl.com/6psuel

-----

Thanks for the positive comments.   I honestly have thought about keeping it a VF2 ONLY, but honestly, I don't play much VF2 and would much rather go for MAME. -- Unless there is great value in keeping it VF2.

I plan on keeping the VF2 Marquis and Stickers, and maybe the boarder on the monitor glass.   I like the art on the sides of the case.

Question - From what I read about ArcadeVGA is that it does not work with 25KHZ (Medium Resolution) arcade monitors.  Does it?  Can this be confirmed?  Or does ArcadeVGA just emulates 25KHZ on 15KHZ monitors?   I need some clarification here.

Windows works okay?  Do I need a special card?

And....What is UVC?

Thanks everyone

- C

I second (or should that be third?!) those first comments from pinballwizard -
I believe an original in good condition should stay that way, particularly with everything working and all art intact. Even if it's a game you despise, someone out there might relish such a cab and I'd say it's bad to MAME (MAIM?!) it, especially as you propose. Bunging on a pre-made control panel will break up the consistent finish, swapping out the monitor and Jamma (or whatever) internals will render all current wiring useless and besides that it would be a waste of money in the first place.

There are many cabs much more suited to MAME conversion. I understand a newbie's need to have a pristine cab that will still look pretty once it's been hacked up in various ways and require little finishing, but I don't think you should do that at the expense of a working original, particularly as getting it the way you want will require much hacking up anyway (especially if getting a pre-made control panel). Much better instead to find a lower-quality cab that will not give you so much guilt to hack up and will probably touch up a lot better than that one.

I'd say keep it as is or sell it and get yourself another one that's already been poorly converted for cheap.

[Chase]

I second (or should that be third?!) those first comments from pinballwizard -
I believe an original in good condition should stay that way, particularly with everything working and all art intact. Even if it's a game you despise, someone out there might relish such a cab and I'd say it's bad to MAME (MAIM?!) it, especially as you propose. Bunging on a pre-made control panel will break up the consistent finish, swapping out the monitor and Jamma (or whatever) internals will render all current wiring useless and besides that it would be a waste of money in the first place.

There are many cabs much more suited to MAME conversion. I understand a newbie's need to have a pristine cab that will still look pretty once it's been hacked up in various ways and require little finishing, but I don't think you should do that at the expense of a working original, particularly as getting it the way you want will require much hacking up anyway (especially if getting a pre-made control panel). Much better instead to find a lower-quality cab that will not give you so much guilt to hack up and will probably touch up a lot better than that one.

I'd say keep it as is or sell it and get yourself another one that's already been poorly converted for cheap.

Thanks for the feedback Turnarcades.  I mean part of my reasoning of picking this one up was I was looking to reuse a lot of the parts, like the monitor and cabinet. 

I paid for a working machine, because I figured I would gain that back in the cost of materials (cabinet), labor, and the nice monitor.

While you said..."someone out there may relish in getting a working VF2", is really hard for me to believe because it's VF2....and not something rare or popular.  Hell someone hacked up a VF2 game and it looks pretty nice:  http://www.mame-arcade.com

I don't really feel any guilt in hacking up this piece as my intention was to create a MAME cabinet in the first place.

But now you have me thinkin....

If this was a Ms. Pac Man, Galaga or something more rare, then I might think differently, but, since it's VF2 its hard to say what the demand would be....I mean this game alone was on Craigslist for weeks until I offered to take it.

Thanks  now I have an internal dilemma!

In any event I'm hoping someone could answer my questions above too!

-C

[wbassett]

That really is a nice looking cab.  How much did you pay for it?

I've been going through all my roms and playing them for a few levels each and taking notes of which are fun and which ones are pretty lame.  A lot of the two button fighter games are the same feel and there really isn't much skill required other than mashing the hit button and occasionally the jump button.  My grandson likes those games, but most likely because he's 6 and they are easy for him to play.

I loaded up Virtua Fighter... the graphic are definitely dated compared to modern game consoles but the movement was fluid and unlike the basic two button fighters you have to 'fight' your opponent.  Simply mashing a button as fast as you can won't get you very far.  In that respect I really liked Virtua Fighter and Virtua Fighter 2.  It has that classic arcade feel through and through.

I personally would keep this one as is and agree with the others to look for another cab that is either gutted or doesn't work.  If you don't have the room for it and didn't spend a lot on it, hang on to it and list it forsale.  Someone out there is probably looking for a nice condition cab like this and you can put that money into your Mame cab build.

The cab itself is a really nice design and look so I can see why you want to use it.  If it wasn't working or was gutted it would be a beaut to convert, but in the condition it appears to be in the pics it would be a shame to tear it apart.  You wouldn't happen to be in the Albany NY area would you?  I'd buy it off you! 

[Chase]

Hey Everyone,
Well since we have such a well working game, and after having a a good long conversation with the wife....she likes it the way it is.  And believe it or not she loves it

VF2 will stay as it is...and we will convert half the garage to a game room and add ANOTHER arcade cabinet.   

We might go with a really bad cabinet or a MAME kit.  That is yet to be determined.

What do you all think?  MAME Kit or Old Cabinet?

Let me know, I'm really interested in your thoughts!

- C

[Ginsu Victim]

You can do wonders with an old cabinet. I'm just glad you spared the VF2. Such a nice WORKING cab. To see harm come to it would've been a damn shame.

[Chase]

You can do wonders with an old cabinet. I'm just glad you spared the VF2. Such a nice WORKING cab. To see harm come to it would've been a damn shame.

I'm just happy that the wife is like....."yeah go ahead and make half the garage a game room"...  Lets keep it the way it is..(speaking about VF2).

Now I just need to find a crappier cabinet....or a kit.   Anything wrong with a kit?

[RayB]

You could sell that VF2 for anywhere between $400 and $600. Sell it, use the funds to mame an older gutted cabinet.

[Chase]

You could sell that VF2 for anywhere between $400 and $600. Sell it, use the funds to mame an older gutted cabinet.

We are going to keep it.  Clean it up and keep it as is....it will be the first addition to the game room.

Purchase another cabinet or a MAME kit for the second.

[Havok]

Bah - all fighters are Mame fodder. I wouldn't feel bad about hacking one up. Now a real classic like Galaxian or Pac Man? No way! However, it looks like it worked out anyways as you just gained a game room. Now scour the usual places (CL, e-bay, garage sales) and fill that room up!

 

[Chase]

Bah - all fighters are Mame fodder. I wouldn't feel bad about hacking one up. Now a real classic like Galaxian or Pac Man? No way! However, it looks like it worked out anyways as you just gained a game room. Now scour the usual places (CL, e-bay, garage sales) and fill that room up!

 

So, everyone is voting on turning an old cabinet to a MAME cabinet.....any particular reason?  Or is that the simple way to go?

- C

[wbassett]

I went with a mameroom kit for my first cab... wickedly easy but expensive.

Since then I have found some local places that I may be able to get some gutted cabs from for cheap or free.  Since they are already gutted, as long as they are in semi decent shape and no structural damage, why not mame it?  It will same a ton of money over a kit and the hassle of cutting the wood for your own cab. 

Plus if you think about it like this... you're saving a cab from being thrown out and giving it a new lease on life!

Glad to see you're not gutting the Virtua Fighter cab, that looks like it is in really good condition.

[Chase]

I went with a mameroom kit for my first cab... wickedly easy but expensive.

Since then I have found some local places that I may be able to get some gutted cabs from for cheap or free.  Since they are already gutted, as long as they are in semi decent shape and no structural damage, why not mame it?  It will same a ton of money over a kit and the hassle of cutting the wood for your own cab. 

Plus if you think about it like this... you're saving a cab from being thrown out and giving it a new lease on life!

Glad to see you're not gutting the Virtua Fighter cab, that looks like it is in really good condition.

Thanks for the advice! 

I'm happy about not gutting out VF2.  It plays well and is in excellent shape for it being 14 years old.

Now, I'm off to Craigslist!

[gatordad]

FYI my virtua fighter cab had a dual res switchable monitor, meaning it had both standard and med res available switchable via a plug on the chassis, so change the plug and hook her up to a avga and your good to go.
FYI Side art for VF stuff is impossible to find.
You could always "build your own arcade controls" aka a new cp throw in a computer (or 50) inside that beast, and leave all of the guts of the VF intact so if and when you decide to sell it, put the origional cp back on and conversion back to origional is easy.

[Flake]

I tell you what, if you can find a old cabinet in good structural shape that is the way to go.  WAY cheaper and fairly easy to fix up.  All you need is an orbital sander, some bondo and a good paint sprayer (at least thats what I used).  Man the thing turned out awesome, my brother in law did the painting because it was his sprayer and he had experience with it.  Honestly the thing turned out almost brand new.  I dont have but $200 in the cabinet tops.  A kit will cost you three times that amount. 

BTW - I found mine at a local auction.

[Chase]

I tell you what, if you can find a old cabinet in good structural shape that is the way to go.  WAY cheaper and fairly easy to fix up.  All you need is an orbital sander, some bondo and a good paint sprayer (at least thats what I used).  Man the thing turned out awesome, my brother in law did the painting because it was his sprayer and he had experience with it.  Honestly the thing turned out almost brand new.  I dont have but $200 in the cabinet tops.  A kit will cost you three times that amount. 

BTW - I found mine at a local auction.

Sounds great!  Do you have any pictures of your resulting hard work?

I'm going to lean away from the kit....and look for an old cabinet and work from there.    I already have a paint sprayer

The only thing I may do is have MAMEROOM or Arcades to make the control panel for me.

[Flake]

Well I do have some pics (without the ArcadesRFun control panel which according to UPS is "out for delivery" today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).  Problem is they are "too big" I dont know how to compress them down to a attachable file size.  Any suggestions?

[Flake]

OK here we go. 

[Chase]

Well, the first MAME project is coming to an end with....

Virtua Fighter 2 staying as is...  Through advice in the forums and the wife wanting to keep it un-modified!

She also suggested in taking the garage and converting it over to a gameroom.....  tough huh? 

-----------

So for Round 2, I will be building a kit from MameRoom.Com and getting a Custom Panel made from Arcades R Fun. 
The reason for a kit instead of an old cabinet was the wife wanted a more clean look of the kits and didnt want to ruin another cabinet.  (How am I to argue?)

Monitor is TBD as I will be trying my Sony 27" TV first.

Once some of the parts start coming in, I will start a new thread.

[Chase]

Finally got it underway!

The log can be found here:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=82364.0

Thanks!

- C