Inspiration from the east?

[Molloy]

I know alot of people around here like their machine to have every concievable control so they have to opt for the classic, large western cabinet. But not everybody has voluminous basements to store these monsters in so I was wondering if anybody else is interested in japanese cabinets.

I haven't seen anybody try to mimic the shape of a Sega cabinet for instance. I know the fact most are made of molded plastic means they couldn't be copied  directly but certain features of the Net City are really cool. I love the fact you can sit down on a stool and have somewhere to rest your feet on.



Other smaller sit down cabinets like the Taito Egret, Capcom Impress and Sega Astro City have very clever designs. The monitors are quite large, the cabinets small and yet they manage to maintain fairly attractive proportions.

And finally you have some rather quirky oddities like the 4-player Swing, The Aero Table and whatever that thing I attatched below is.

There are alot of interesting ways you could make a machine more compact so it fits in better in the domestic environment. Judging from the amount of irate wives and girlfriends around here maybe it's something worth taking into consideration.

[AlanS17]

I've seen a couple of people convert Japanese "sit-down" cabs, but I couldn't give you any links. It's been done, though. You can find cabinets with monitor intact on Ebay for like $450 or $500 (or at least you use to be able to). For a machine with a 33" monitor already in it, that's really not bad. Don't know what shipping would, though.

(At least I THINK I saw some with 33"s.)

[Odonadon]

Now THAT's more like it.  I much prefer the look of a solid, refridgerator sized cabinet, but I hate having all those stinking controls .  Keep it basic.  Plus, I can think of a few marquees that would look awesome in that odd rhombus shaped marquee holder.

Odonadon

[jakejake28]

i think the price is scaring people away. you would need a flat panel moniter and a tiny pc, and the wood work would also be very hard

[Apollo]

That top pic doesn't have a flat panel, it looks like a normal arcade monitor with a casing on the back.

[AlanS17]

If you look hard enough you will find the plans for that very machine somewhere floating around. I don't know of anybody that has made one, but I've seen the plans with my own eyes. In order to reinforce the woos it isn't quite so hollow, but it ahs the same angles and everything and it's based on that machine. Keep an eye out for it!

[AndyWarne]

I love those Sega Naomi cabinets! They are normally really expensive but I think I have found one for a good price and hope to aquire it soon, to replace my existing sit-down which I have only just finished building www.ultimarc.com/cabinet.html
The monitors are not flat panels, they are Nanao 15-31 Khz models.
An Italian company recently got sued by Sega for selling copy Naomi cabs.
This guy in Germany has some Naomi cabs for sale including the sit-at version which I have never seen in the flesh.
http://www.arcaderick.de/Shop/en-us/dept_34.html

[Molloy]

You see alot of those Naomi cabinets with Virtua Tennis and Virtua Striker on them in Ireland and England.

I'm hoping my local distributer will get stuck with a load of them in a few years from now so I'll be in a strong position to negotiate.

[Frostillicus]

That very top one is rather cool - I'd want mine in something other than white though.  Question: I know these are MAME machines - but where do the quarters go in the real arcade?  Near the bottom?

And I like to think of myself as a minimalist when it comes to the number of controls  

[AceTKK]

: I know these are MAME machines - but where do the quarters go in the real arcade?  Near the bottom?

Good question?

-Ace-

[Richy]

The problem with these cabs are that there's not much space inside to put the PC and stuff.
I think the coins go in the top on the control panel. Look at the coin return slot.

[shmokes]

Here's some pics of the same-ish cab, but with space for a PC and way cooler looking in my opinion:

[shmokes]

Front view