Nintendo Vs (red tent): Recommendations?

[Boingo]

I am looking for a recommendation regarding my Nintendo Vs Dualsystem table (red tent).

The original harness is still in the machine, but it has been heavily modified (read as "mangled") to make it Fit a Tetris motherboard.  The original VS motherboard is long gone of course.

Do you think is worth my while to attempt restoring the harness (I have no idea what the connections are.) and finding another VS motherboard to put in it, or do you think is might be better for me to rewire the machine with a JAMMA harness on each side, allowing me to install a two player JAMMA based game on each side?

I am already planning to create reproductions of the original control panels (now gone  ) and already have joysticks and buttons so that I will have two joysticks, and the proper number of buttons on each side.  I am currently out of work however, and so money is tight, so I guess that is one of the considerations.

Any recommendations?

Also:  Does anyone have any idea how I can replace the two missing cash boxes?

[allroy1975]

heh.....got a lot of responses on this one, eh?

I've got one too.  I think one of the monitors works but the buttons are all jacked up.  I was thinking of buying a couple LCD monitors and sticking them in there and mame-ing it.  Not like it's unmameable.   

Is there anything in mame that would allow the 4 player/2 monitor setup like these cabs had?  from what I understand of the cabinet it was a game on each side (that should be easy enough to set up..even if it takes 2 computers in it...)or was it possible to play some games 4 players?  it'd be kind of cool to be able to sit the kids around this cab and have them all go at TMNT or 4player X-Men. 

I saw CompUSA had 17" LCDs for like...80 bucks today.  I'm sure I could score some cheaper..but when trying to find out what size monitors these bad larrys have, I came across this thread and thought....eh..what the hell....BUMP!!!!

[CheffoJeffo]

Since this was bumped ... there is an interesting thread over at KLOV about repro wiring harnesses for Nintendo cabs.

http://forums.klov.com/showthread.php?t=86844

[newkillergenius]

I would dispose of this immediately either for $$$ or trade, my $0.02   

[allroy1975]

I would dispose of this immediately either for $$$ or trade, my $0.02   

well where is the fun in that?! 

[allroy1975]

k....here's what I'm thinking.

Set up a PC with dual video out.  One card displays FrontEnd-A with it's own mame config and the other FrontEnd-B with ITS on mame config.  Set up the controls with 1 keyboard encoder and configure FE-A/MAME to use the ones on "side A" of the tent, and FE-B/MAME to use the "Side B".

Both configs can share the artwork/roms folders.  Just need their own configs. 

No 4 player TMNT.....but that's not how the original cab was anyway.......

think I could use an Intel Atom to run 2 copies of a FE/MAME config with XP?

[brock.sampson]

If you hav a single computer you should be able to feed both monitors the same video.  The mame.ini has a setting for numscreens set that to 2 and it will display the same on both screens.  I'm sure there are exceptions punchout come to mind right away.  You should be able to put one or two player on each side.  For alternating games like galaga, donkey kong, etc.  You would have to make sure the 2nd player controls are set correctly.

[allroy1975]

I'm thinking about how the "real" config allowed you to....say put an Excitebike in one side and...SMB on the other.  With a dual video card setup so each side will have a totally different setup through the keyboard encoder....a player 1 and 2 and you can play a different game than the person on the other side.

right?

I think I like this config the best and I'm gonna go with it.  Your idea would allow for 4 player TMNT but not SMB on side A and Excitebike on side B. 

[brock.sampson]

That is possible you'll need to have two seperate installations of mame.  You'll need to specify in the ini or command line \\.\DISPLAY1 for side a and \\.\DISPLAY2 for side b.  Worked on my computer with multiple monitors.  I think you would need a computer with some serious horses to run two copies of mame at the same time.

[Jack Burton]

Go crazy and turn it into a cab for versus fighting games

That's what I would do if I could get one.  I'd just have to find a set of buttons that were just a little bit smaller than usual so it could accommodate six buttons. 

[Ginsu Victim]

It looks like you could put six standard sized buttons in there.

[Jack Burton]

It looks like you could put six standard sized buttons in there.

I have measured a vs panel and six standard buttons just barely fit.  But I wonder if it would make the metal too thin in between the rows of buttons? 

I'll find out and see I guess.  I have found one of these near me that I might pick up and try this out on.

Oh well, thread derail over. 

[slapaham]

Personally, I'd restore this to it's original glory if possible... seems a bit bastardized doing anything else unless you have no other option. It's a nice, original cab!