QB1DABOMB (Jay's) Upright Arcade Project

[QB1DABOMB]

I've been meaning to post this for sometime now.  Back in November 2008 my buddy John mentioned a posting on his intranet at work.  It was for a Snow Bros cabinet for $100.  He asked if I was interested - I definitely was since Snow Bros was one of my favourite games.  My father in law and I jumped in his van and drove the hour each way to grab it from the seller's basement. 

From there I learned of how to swap JAMMA pcb's.  I thought this was great so I ordered myself another favourite - Wrestlefest.  This was fantastic.  My problem was I realized I wanted another three dozen games or so and obtaining the pcb's would cost me well over $1,000!  There had to be a better way.

Then I discovered MAME (yeah, I know it has been around for ages, but I didn't know!).  The problem was the research - could I possibly put this together and at a reasonable cost?  I quickly started utilizing the byoac.com chat with my biggest help on the software side of things - khigh

[QB1DABOMB]

Khigh spent over three days working with me to figure out why the CPU sprites were running too fast on my MAME software (ended up being a direct3D issue).  Everything else for testing purposes ran fine.  The last piece of information I needed…how the heck do I wire everything up?  Direct thanks goes to delusional2971 on YouTube (link - ). 

Perfect.  I have all the info I need.  But I want to convert my 2 player, 3 button cab into a 4 player, 6 button cab.  Also if possible I want to switch my 19 inch monitor, which has major burn in, to a TV as big as my cab will fit.  MAJOR OVERHAUL.  I knew I had to recruit my father-in-law, Paul.  Unfortunately he mangled three fingers on his right hand on Christmas Eve …he might not be interested…

Screw that!  He was immediately on board!  I then set out to purchase all of the necessary tools.  The important thing to bear in mind is that I wasn’t out for style points here.  I wanted it to be functionally solid and look reasonable while keeping my costs to an absolute minimum.

[QB1DABOMB]

For those interested here was a breakdown of my costs.  You have to remember you must estimate your own costs for anything I already had (or was able to get cheaper for whatever reason):









Original Cabinet: $100 - however I was able to sell the JAMMA board for $30 and the monitor for $120 – so the full cost is -$50
8 New ‘Player’ Buttons, 4 New ‘Admin’ Buttons, 24 New Regular Pushbuttons - $55
2 New Happ Super Joysticks - $15
2 New Ultimarc Mag Joystik Plus’ - $75 (I HIGHLY recommend these joysticks, they have a great feel and are very sturdy)
I-PAC4 - $70 (brilliantly designed and incredibly user friendly)
Used 27 Inch TV (kijiji) - $30
Wood for Bracing - $5
Screws - $10
Hole Driller Bit - $10
Paint - $40
New T-Molding - $15
Wood Filler - $5
Wiring Kit from Ultimarc - $20
Additional Wiring - $5
S-Video Cable - $10
All Additional Wood Needed – Free (found either at my house or Paul’s)
Computer – Free (I took my friend Tim’s broken computer, fixed it, then used my old one for the cab)
All in Cost - $315 – not too damn shabby!  =o)  (though this ignores the expected cost of $70 for a custom designed marquee currently being designed by Vlad and Scott at mamemarquees.com)

[QB1DABOMB]

I found the best way to tell the story of the physical construction was through renaming the pictures I am uploading.  Needless to say it took a lot longer than first anticipated but it was incredibly fun working with Paul many a weekends and evenings getting this thing together.  It took us about three months.

Once the physical construction was completed I had to set out to fully get the software working the way I wanted.  I figured that would be the easy part…yeah, you can stop chuckling to yourself now.  I wanted to be able to play not only MAME but all of the old consoles (NES, SNES, Genesis, Master System), DAPHNE for all the laserdisc games, and Dance with Intensity (Dance Dance Revolution for the computer). 

First step to get that to happen – I needed DAPHNE to work at all, which I found very confusing.  Thankfully “Huggybaby” from Underground-gamer.com went out of his way to log on to my computer to set it all up for me.  Talk about luck.  However I still needed to figure out how to program a front-end to get all of this to run properly.  Here I went back to khigh.  He logged onto my computer on a few different occasions.  He helped me, in time, and managed to get all of the programs running including DAPHNE, which was no easy chore.  He used MALA, for anyone interested.

[QB1DABOMB]

So there’s my cab.  Again I can’t thank those who helped me enough.  Without Paul, khigh, huggybaby, and delusional2971, and Adam (Ultimarc) this never would’ve came to fruition.  My apologies to the purists out there who are angry I gutted an original 1981 Stargate cab to make my creation (and are also not happy that my screen size leaves virtually no room for a bezel).  Either way I look forward to the countless hours that me, my friends, and my family will surely enjoy playing on this cab.  If I could give any advice it would be to plan everything in advance and don’t ever think you can’t do it – there’s always someone that will be able to help you if you look hard enough.  **Footnote: khigh also just helped with the photo compression to get these pics uploaded!

[QB1DABOMB]

To answer what I presume are upcoming questions:

A)  Yes, I plan on a control panel overlay and side art in the near future

B)  No, I didn't want a trackball.  I always hated those damn things and there was no way my cab was going to have one!

[clickhea]

that has to be one of the biggest control panels i ever seen

[solid187]

...what he said.

[PeteDiak]

.....what he said +1

[QB1DABOMB]

Starting to get a complex that no one is impressed with anything but the size of the control panel...   

In any event the control panel was just over 48" x 24" for anyone interested.  I know most people just build a 2 player panel but I wanted to be able to play 4 player games if I wanted to!

[saleem]

you could sleep on that thing.
 

[tomdotcom]

omg that is crazy big hahahah..

[leapinlew]

in the finished picture, the computer is outside of the arcade. Is that how your going to keep it?

As an FYI QB1, lots of people here prefer to keep their cabinets as original as possible. You'll hear many of them say that you should've found a larger cabinet to mame (an original 4 player cabinet for example).

Enjoy your cabinet. 

[bryan95502]

Wow

Cant believe the work put into that for it to turn out like that

Try usung a more suitable cab next time.. If anything the Stargate should have been a Multi-Williams theme.

Think about buying some laminate for your surfaces. Painted plywood looks aweful and wont last.

No need for all that surface for just 4 player controls..or 10 player controls.. overkill

just my 2 cents.. 

[Sylpher]

Well... it certainly is roomy!

To give more constructive criticism then some have been able to muster. It looks like the molding around the edge was nailed on, giving those dimples? Which is different, I guess, but any reason you didn't simply glue it? Alternatively if you nailed them specifically for the dimple look keeping them at a uniform width would be a huge improvement (one every 6 inches, for example). As it is now with the random spacing makes it very noticeable.

(EDIT: Oops, disregard this part. I did not see the extra support you added at first.)
The control panel itself is obviously unusually large! I hope you have tested its balance a good amount and made sure if too much weight is applied it won't snap off or cause the cabinet to tip? 4 people leaning on it can apply more weight than people would at first assume, and the last thing you want is anyone getting hurt while gaming!

Lastly, with such a large panel surface are you planning to do anything with the extra real estate? Routing out some cup holders or something for each player would be a nice convenience!

[Zakk]

Why didn't you just build the thing out of mdf or plywood...would have been less work than cutting up that nice stargate.



You're going to take a lot of flak for this.   I assume the RGVAC crowd hasn't caught wind of this yet or there would be 200 posts in here. 

[shilmover]

Starting to get a complex that no one is impressed with anything but the size of the control panel...   

In any event the control panel was just over 48" x 24" for anyone interested.  I know most people just build a 2 player panel but I wanted to be able to play 4 player games if I wanted to!

I'll come out and say what others are thinking...

You took a classic arcade cabinet and made it into a Monstrosity...   

[beerbarrel]

 

[FrizzleFried]

HOLY CRAP!  ... that front porch actually takes #1 spot away from this guy...

[saleem]

 

[FrizzleFried]

OK... all kidding aside.  I have a few questions:

(A) Why destroy a classic Stargate arcade cabinet when there are those who would have traded  you for a nice JAMMA cab?

(B) Why make the panel so deep if you're not adding a trackball?  The purpose for folks making deep control panels is so their hands don't hit the monitor glass when they are playing trackball games like Golden Tee... or they are so deep to accommodate a wide variety of controller devices,  you have four 6-button positions (which in itself is unnecessary as I doubt you could point out a single game that uses 6 buttons on the player 3 and 4 position... 4 is all you needed).

(C) Why make the panel out of 2x4's?  That has got to be HEAVY HEAVY HEAVY?  There is much much much better construction materials to use than 2x4's an plywood?!

(D) Why is your T-Molding nailed down?

(E) I guess the game is in the room it's going to be in because I don't see how you're going to get that thing through a doorway?!

(F)  Again,  I have to go back to the DEPTH of the panel... look at the parts you've included... you could easily cut off 12" from that panel and had plenty of room... why the decision to go so deep?

(G) If you set a cup of coffee on the end of the panel,  will it tip the machine or did you attach some sort of counterweight to balance out the hundreds of pounds of lumber that is hanging off the front? (alright...I had to throw ONE kidding question in the group).

[hatrick]

poor, poor Stargate cab. 

[Spyridon]

Best use of a gutted Stargate cab:

[javeryh]

Man you guys are tough!  It's definitely not something I'd build but if an extra (extra) large CP makes him happy then so be it.  I definitely wish he used a generic cab though.  That Stargate could have been saved!

Frizzle has some good questions though and I'd also like to know the thought process behind some of the design decisions.  Even if it isn't aesthetically pleasing maybe some decisions were based on functionality??

[Deadly]

Where does a person even start?  
I'll apologize for the honesty/butality right now.
I'm a purist which doesn't help my opinion so I start with sacrilege. You have unknowingly just sentenced this cab to an early death in the landfill.
You took a classic cabinet that should've been sold or traded to acquire a large JAMMA cabinet to fit this attempt at a world record for the largest control panel setup that you made. JAMMA cabinets are a dime a dozen. This cabinet is not.
You put the very basic of controls into this CP. You have an incredibly huge amount of wasted and unecessary space that is pointless unless you plan on cutting holes into it and stapling lawn chair beer holder nets underneath. Even then you still have a ton of wasted space.

It's hard to give you any props on this project to be brutally honest. I also have a MAME machine 4 player CP machine that I put together. The top piece was CNC'd for $45 shipped by Scott Glazier. It houses 5 joysticks, 4 of which are 7 button, a spinner and trackball. Also two pause buttons and two buttons on each side of the trackball. All of which fit nicely on the CP. Not much space is needed to accomplish this. (It basically looks like the Slikstik quad CP)

I'm sorry to say this project was an epic fail. I do however commend you for being man enough to post this.



 

[drventure]

Look at it this way. You got some really good experience putting together a CP and altering a cab.

And you've now got some constructive ideas (and then some) about how you might do things a bit differently on your next cab.

Bottom line, ya gotta start somewhere. What you've got is playable, so, what the hell. Use it as a learning experience and have fun playing while you build v2!

[jow]

[QB1DABOMB]

Wow, kind of depressed by the feedback.   

I know everyone would be cheesed at the destruction of an original Stargate cab.  In my defense it was already desecrated by the last to play with it by modifying it to a JAMMA standard holding a Snow Bros PCB.

The nails I may end up changing.  The reality was I couldn't use my 3/4 t-molding to fit in the groove.  We tried gluing but it didn't work.  I was considering ordering some 1 inch mold...before the raping in this feedback.

I'm surprised by everyone's comments on the spacing.  If everyone is referring to the spacing between the player buttons and the game controls there are two thoughts:
1)  In order to properly play on the 27 inch screen you need to be that far away
2)  We are considering a couple of cup-holders
3)  I love the fact all four players can play without being huddled together like you would be on some original four player cabs

[QB1DABOMB]

If I had known I could've traded for an original four player cab I definitely would've gone that route.  Trust me there was no shortage of effort to 'bastardize' the Stargate. 

I know four buttons are only needed for players 3 & 4, however I wanted to be able to use it for six button console games too.  I'm not sure if I'll end up using the arcade controls for that or just purchase some USB controllers but I wanted to have the opportunity.

The game IS in the room it is going to stay in.  The CP can be relatively easily disassembled if I ever wanted it out of the room. 

The weight in the front is actually counteracted by the weight of the TV.  The rest of the wood is actually not that heavy...


And of course the computer will be housed in the cab when moved against the north wall.

[QB1DABOMB]

Either way I appreciate the honest feedback and will take it into consideration if I ever consider adjusting this cab or creating another one.  My only hope is that khigh doesn't get too depressed when he sees the feedback tonight.   

I'll tell you one thing though; constructive or even forceful feedback is one thing...but for Deadly's last comment I say  you  head.  I tried.   

[Namco]

Snow Bros -->



Not Snow Bros -->



Ain't right -->

[javeryh]

Is Snow Bros. a Pac-Man conversion?  I've never seen a cab in person - that artwork is sweet.

[severdhed]

first of all, i say congrats on your first mame cabinet.

i think you made a few design choices that i wouldn't have made, but ultimately it is your cabinet.  And, if you ask anyone here, they will tell you that your cabinet is not done.  It is up, working and playable, but just like everyone else, you will find things that you would like to change, and you will have learned from the previous build on how to do things better in the future.  you have a working mame cabinet, which is cool, and no doubt will impress your friends.  

personally, i would have taken a little more time on the aesthetics of the cabinet.  it is amazing how much of a differnce a little sanding and detail work can make a big difference in the way your cabinet looks.  don't let everyone's harsh comments discourage you...not everyone has the woodworking skills and proper tools to pull off some of the amazing looking cabinets that show up on this site.    next time, i'd try to eliminate some of the wasted space and perhaps downsize the control panel, as well as spend a little more time making smooth seems.  perhaps look into some actual tmolding that you wouldnt have to nail on.  i avoided it on my cabinet for a while, and i wish i wouldnt have, it really made a difference.

enjoy  your cabinet

[bryan95502]

Ain't Right is... RIGHT.. Jeez

The KLOVers are having a blast with this one!

[Namco]

LOL forgive my last post, just poking fun, no need to feel down on our criticism. Killing a Stargate (that was bound for a landfill anyway) aside I think a lot of the issue comes from the finish of the project. Sanding, filler, primer, semi-gloss paint, a sponge roller, a bezel, a router to cut a t-molding groove, and artwork would've gone a long way to squelch a lot of the criticism here. If it wasn't a classic game cabinet OR if you spent more time & money on it OR didn't put a frankenpanel on it, and it would have been okay. But cutting a classic AND fail on execution and you get the criticism.

You can still improve it by putting a bezel around the monitor, cleaning up the paint and t-molding situation, and giving it a cool name like "USS Enterprise" and you'll get some good results.

But as long as you have fun with it, that's all that counts, right?

[Havok]

Ouch, you built a Maim cab, not a Mame cab. Seriously though, just take all this criticism with a grain of salt, and perhaps next time you'll be able to improve your design. You might even want to try your hand at building from scratch, it's not that much more work than what you appear to have put into this one.

[FrizzleFried]

Best use of a gutted Stargate cab:

Thanks Spyridon... but even I would have stuck with the stock Stargate side art if my cabs sides looked like what his did originally.  I went black basically because it was already black (and yellow before that...and blue at some time...and...)

[slasherman]

edit...

[PCMedics]

I say you paid for it you built it enjoy it ! Not everyone builds a toy which is what these are to impress others:)

[prOk]

 Only suggestion i'd make is that you clearly are aware of byoac, next time around I'd read a lot more of what's on the site before starting another build

[cyork2]

Well... this one sure is, different  At the end of the day most of the people who come here come to learn and share knowledge.  Your cabinet will show people some things to watch out for - like your t-molding not fitting so you had to nail it.

As someone else pointed out esthetics are really the bugger of all your hard work.  Building a control panel that large and making it stable and level to the cabinet must have been a pain but you pulled it off.  You probably had to do a fair amount of reading & research to figure out what buttons you need, how to setup MAME etc - you need to put that same level of effort into learning how to paint and finish the project off esthetically (or find someone who has those skills and can help you).  

You really shouldn't be able to see the wood grain through your paint if you are going for a black, high gloss piano-finish.  Also that high gloss really makes any minor defects in your woodworking (or the wood itself) stand out where as a matt finish doesn't have the same impact.

Another point - use the forums... you said your t-molding didn't fit.. why not?  when you run into issues like that post a question and someone will help you out.  Was your slot too big?  How did you cut the slot for your t-molding?

The worst of this is over... you showed us your first effort in a state most people would say looks pretty amatuerish.  Make it better and keep us posted - you'll find support and appreciation of your hard work if you keep at it.

Good luck,
Craig

[jeef]

Ups on squeezing the 27" in there! I don't like seeing 26-30" wide cabs with lil 14" monitors in em

[DaveMMR]

So I don't get it?  Why do some people go so large with their CP's?   And I'm not picking on your cab only, Mr. Dabomb.  I've seen plenty of projects where the builder is bragging about the panel being wider than the cabinet is tall.  Why?  Are people that afraid of accidentally standing too close to someone else?   

Here's a tip for builders: Go to an arcade.  Any arcade.  Look at any game that supports 4 Player Simultaneous play.  Does the panel look like something you can sleep on comfortably if the sticks weren't there?  No?  Good - that's the size you should be aiming for.  (And while you're there, take note that the joysticks aren't angled --- but anyway....)     Maybe a couple of inches more to stick a trackball in or something but that's it.   Sure, tell me that you'll "build it how you'd like" and that's fine but at the end of the day, you have a 4-Player cabinet where the outer players can't see the screen.   Oh, and it might topple over...

Honestly speaking, there are several classic cabs that were designed for the CP to overhang the sides.   STARGATE was not one of them.   You'll probably end up redoing this one, as the design flaws will become apparent in a short amount of time.   Chalk it up as a learning experience (as others have said). 

Good luck. 

(edited for clarity)

[MaximRecoil]

Honestly speaking, there are several classic cabs that were designed for the CP to overhang the sides.

Which ones? I'm not saying you're wrong, I just can't think of any. I suppose it may depend on the definition of "classic" though.

[Gametreks]

Hey Buddy, good work seriously .  When I first saw your cab I was like   then I remembered my first, second, third, fourth cabs.  They were ugly but I loved them and guess what?  They had a strong resemblance to yours.  Well not exactly but they were a good learning experience and I made serious design flaws.  Ive been building now for 5 years and now have some of the most unique and beautiful designs commercially available cabinets which sell for $4000.00 each so dont worry about it.  If you want to further convert that cab to something fabulous contact me and I will give you a few pointers.  Then all those critical of your work shall be dazzled!  Good job and have fun playing!

Gametreks

[SithMaster]

I'm waiting for someone from Alaska to convert a fully working Star Wars Vector cockpit into a 4 player with everyone promptly bashing him for not trying to get someone to trade him a generic cab.  Really its not his responsibility to go door to door asking if someone wants to trade.  Yes those are exaggerations.

What if I had something against people making multi williams themed cabs?  Taking perfectly good dedicated cabs and making them into abominations I tell you.

I'm sure someone will answer those questions (I really don't need an answer), but everyone should keep in mind that being tactful is appreciated and that people posting on the internet will piss someone off soon enough.  Opinions differ (unless you are part of the mob in which case your opinion is right) and the science gets done....

Anyway I will say that the artwork was in decent condition so it would have been nice if it was left as is.  Honestly though its really nothing special compared to Galaxian or a Defender.  If he had made it a multi williams and used multi williams art would anyone have a problem with him not keeping it just Stargate?

[blades]

Sounds like you were having fun and were really excited to build this cab. THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS. Everyone here has an opinion on anything and everything. And many go a little overboard.

As with anyone's first cab, you will see improvements or changes that you can do to this or your next cab. There are many here with good looking cabinets. However, not all of us have full access to a craft or wood shop, so we must do what we can do. Some criticize the space between the different players. I think its great, however I'd be concerned about the balance issue, but I like some personal space between me and the other players. And besides, not all players are created equal(size wise) so this panel would benefit greatly from that. Plus you have tons of room to expand and add trackball, spinner....etc. 

Monitor size. Awesome, sooooo glad you didn't put some lame 15" or 17" monitor in there(and some members here have done exactly that in there cab, small monitors) I can't stand when someone puts together a mame cab, makes a decent control panel and top it off with a small-assed monitor where everyone has to squint and huddle around...lame. So I'm glad you got your monitor to fit. And you will figure out how to add a bezel to it.

And the whole Stargate thing that everyone is having a sh*t over, half of everyone here says they would "Find someone else to trade with", but in reality they probably wouldn't unless the guy lived right next door. Besides if Stargate isn't your "thing" then that is your decision, your cabinet. If anything you saved it from the landfill.

Don't get discouraged. Unfortunately life can be mean and everyone has 20/20 hindsight especially when its someone else's 20/20. The best you can do is learn from it and move on, and if you are having fun with it, then who cares. However, don't fully dismiss everyone's advice as a lot of it comes from experience.   Good luck with your future cab building. 




;

[DaveMMR]

Honestly speaking, there are several classic cabs that were designed for the CP to overhang the sides.

Which ones? I'm not saying you're wrong, I just can't think of any. I suppose it may depend on the definition of "classic" though.

I used "classic" loosely, I admit.   I was thinking TMNT, Simpsons - maybe Smash TV.  Definitely Tapper (please don't do that though)   And you you can stick a semi-wider CP on a Gauntlet.   You know, the "new classics". 

I'm waiting for someone from Alaska to convert a fully working Star Wars Vector cockpit into a 4 player with everyone promptly bashing him for not trying to get someone to trade him a generic cab.  Really its not his responsibility to go door to door asking if someone wants to trade.  Yes those are exaggerations.

What's up with this door-to-door?  We have this thing called the "internet".   

My feeling is this:  If you have a classic cab, you can't suddenly claim that you're on a deserted island.  If you can get your hands on a classic cab, chances are that you can certainly get your hands on a not-so-classic one relatively easy.  Again - internet.  KLOV, Craigslist, etc. 

On the other hand, I recognize people don't want to go through the trouble.  Okay, whatever.  But I've seen plenty of TASTEFUL MAME conversions on these boards over the years.  These were builders who recognized the structural limitations of the cab they were using and built within them.   

And again, I think some people really overestimate space needed on the cab.  Street Fighter II:  Intense two-player action; CP only around 2 feet (if that - probably smaller - I don't have the figures, that's just off the top of my head).  No one complained.  And commercial 4-Player cabs didn't have panels significantly wider than the body.

But, the silver lining here, as others have pointed out is that the builder has learned (or will be learning) the hard way about certain limitations and building mistakes.  Arcade Paradise (see examples page) had a horrendous first cabinet.  By the third attempt, it looked really, really good.    :-)

[CheffoJeffo]

Wow, kind of depressed by the feedback.   

This is the thing that always surprises me about these threads -- I don't see how people's reactions could possibly be a shock for anybody who has even just browsed the project threads or read the FAQ.

Please do be mindful that we don't destroy what we're trying to re-create.  Many classic arcade machines are rare and worth a heck of a lot more intact than altered.  Ideal candidates for this type of project are machines that have already been abused by previous owners - artwork destroyed, poorly converted, etc...  If you have a classic cabinet in good shape, you can probably sell it to a collector and get a trashed but usable cabinet in the bargain.

I know everyone would be cheesed at the destruction of an original Stargate cab.  In my defense it was already desecrated by the last to play with it by modifying it to a JAMMA standard holding a Snow Bros PCB.

Actually, the fact it was wired JAMMA makes it a PERFECT candidate for conversion to a MultiWilliams, but that is neither here nor there if classic Williams games aren't your cup of tea.

The nails I may end up changing.  The reality was I couldn't use my 3/4 t-molding to fit in the groove.  We tried gluing but it didn't work.  I was considering ordering some 1 inch mold...before the raping in this feedback.

Hot ... glue ... gun. Has never failed me.

And the whole Stargate thing that everyone is having a sh*t over, half of everyone here says they would "Find someone else to trade with", but in reality they probably wouldn't unless the guy lived right next door. Besides if Stargate isn't your "thing" then that is your decision, your cabinet. If anything you saved it from the landfill.

As sad as it is, I have to agree regarding people trading cabs and saving the classics -- all I ask, in order for me to refrain from posting snide comments, is that people try -- post a WTT in the B/S/T forums or on KLOV. If, after a reasonable amount of time, a trade is not forthcoming, then so be it.

FWIW, the suggestion to try to trade cabs is not solely born in the desire to save classics, but also because a more appropriate base cab will improve the whole process, and typically the end result. If the OP had been able to start with a "standard" Midway 4-player or a gutted showcase, I bet that he, as well as folks here, would have been happier with the results.

Don't get discouraged. Unfortunately life can be mean and everyone has 20/20 hindsight especially when its someone else's 20/20. The best you can do is learn from it and move on, and if you are having fun with it, then who cares. However, don't fully dismiss everyone's advice as a lot of it comes from experience.   Good luck with your future cab building. 

+1

There is nothing wrong with being happy with a project, particularly when you have had enjoyed building it. I hope that the OP enjoys playing as much as he enjoyed building!

 

EDIT: forgot to gives the OP props for keeping the budget down. All too often here we "oh and ah" over multi-thousand dollar builds. There is something to be said for building on the cheap -- two of the most popular cabs in my house cost me a total of about C$250 (less if you count the value of components in the cabs that I didn't use).

[Klomper]

Wow, quite the thread.  All this makes me nervous since I started my own 1st project thread a couple of days ago  . Yet you/I need to remember not to take negative feedback personally. Like others have said use it to learn and improve your building skills.

Although I do think you should have picked a more suitable cabinet for your design or modified your design to fit the cabinet. I did not want to do a scratch build, but waited until a  cabinet suitable for my controls without much modification became available.

If your happy enjoy and have fun its an arcade cabinet not a piece of fine furniture.

[discgolfer72]

wow is the first thought that come into my  head after seing this machine
i have built many mame machines and i have to say really what were you thinking

i really could care less what cab you used (stargate pacman galaga what ever ) its your cab  and you have to make the choice , but  why in the world would you  do that to it
the point of mame is to recreate the original  not invent some crazy hybrid monster
you had a stargate what would have been so wrong with  just making that cab a 2 player (or even 1 player )machine  it would have looked good and you would not have had to totaly  screw up by modfiying the entire cab 
and your end result would have been far more professional looking (i.e your t moulding would not have to have been nailed in )
if you wanted a 4 play machie you should have scratch built or aquired a good 4 player cab

that being said  how long have you been a member here  did you not do any research before building your machine
there is a site created by one of the members here that shows what not to do

http://www.wickedretarded.com/~crapmame/
after looking at your pics most of your mistakes could have been prevented by just reading  that site


but alas like other have said it is your machine and you will be the one that has to look at it every day  so as lon gas you enjoy it  and had fun thats all that really matters

to be fair  my first machine was almost as big of a failure


but i at least did not try and totaly redesign the machine  i just made some bad  desicions on what parts to use and how they were  built into the machine

[severdhed]

yeah, don't take the criticism personally. (although i know it is hard not to).  the great thing about this site is that there are so many examples of what is possible, it is a great resource.  and although sometimes people come across as harsh, this is a great community.  take a look through the project announcements, and the control panel pics thread to get a good idea of what other people are doing.  sometimes it can be intimidating looking at some of the amazing cabinets people have made.    you have a cool cabinet that has alot of potential.  look around and don't be afraid to ask questions...for many of us, building/modifying our first cabinet was a long process with many steps along the way.  i've been workign on mine for a few years now, and I'm still not completely happy with it.  I dont expect to ever end up with a cabinet like some of the amazing things you see here..but i still know i can do better.

just to give you an idea...is an early version of my cabinet..

Pretty early in the process...



i apparently don't have a full cabinet shot as it stands now, here is the best pic i could find.




there were quite a few steps in between.  I know mine will never look as good as some of these, simply because i dont have the tools, work space, and money to put into it.  don't get discouraged, and don't be afraid to take it apart and make changes.  after a few weeks of using it, i'm sure you will find things you wish you did differently.  i have redesigned my control panel about 6 times already...and i'm about ready to try again.

[jmike]

Well we can all agree that there were some bad choices made in reconstructing this machine but that being said if it works and you can enjoy the games go for it. We all have to start somewhere and I'm sure this will be a stepping stone for you. Don't be too discourage, just try to improve your next build.

Some people thrive to rebuild the original look of their favorite arcade, I totally admire these people but there are some of us who don't have the skills or room for an original looking arcade in our home/garage/basements.

Mame was created so everyone can play their favorite games growing up, and not for gamers to try to build the original machines (discgolfer). There have been some totally awesome new designs in this forum.   and I hope they continue. As great as the old machines cabinets were, if you're building something from scratch why not build it just the way you want it, after all it is your machine.

 

[cyork2]

This a great thread for "religious" arguments..... someone said the "the point of mame is to recreate the original not invent some crazy hybrid monster"... um - no.  I have found the most interesting cab projects on the site have little or no resemblance to anything that was ever actually in an arcade.  The "retro futuristic mame cabinet" is an amazing example of what I'm talking about.  If you are truly "recreating the original" you would be building dedicated cabinets with the same control panel as the original which most of us don't do because we want more than 1 game in the same footprint and at a lower cost than a whole room full.  You can't make some exceptions to this "recreate the original" idea and disallow others.  Either we are all doing it wrong for not perfectly recreating originals or anything goes.

I loved the comment about "new classics".. it made me laugh to think of TMNT as a 'classic'.. then it made me sad because I realized that means I'm just old and TMNT would be a classic to me if I were only, well a lot younger.

The whole cabinet issue... No matter how much some of us love specific cabinets or wish that they could all be saved - we can't save them all.  If everyone felt the way we do then these cabinets would cost a lot more and demand would be higher.  I'm glad it isn't because I want a couple more.  Lots of people are doing work to save artwork etc so cabinets can be reproduced later.  So, while cabinets that were actually in use in the 70's, 80's etc may be slowly going extinct, with enough money you will be able to recreate any cabinet you want (we are just talking about wood and plastic).  If you want one that had beer spilled on it, had cigarette burns on the control panel and has lived the life then go get it.  You can get them now - cheap.  If someone else wants to turn it into a paper weight (or whatever) so what, we can make more. 

Craig

[ratzz]

Not too keen on some of the comments on here, especially the above -- doesn't stike me as being very mature.

Glad some have been at keast a little moe constructive.

The cab has a few issues, but sometimes the enthusiasm of a project can get in the way of the planning and build.

Enjoy your cab.

[Namco]

Not too keen on some of the comments on here, especially the above -- doesn't stike me as being very mature.

Glad some have been at keast a little moe constructive.

The cab has a few issues, but sometimes the enthusiasm of a project can get in the way of the planning and build.

Enjoy your cab.

Agreed... so when's War of the Worlds going to be finished? 

[DaveMMR]

For the record, I am done commenting on the cab but I wanted to rebutt a few points before moving on.

um - no.  I have found the most interesting cab projects on the site have little or no resemblance to anything that was ever actually in an arcade. 

I think you're confusing radical, interesting designs (e.g. the "retro futuristic mame cab" you mentioned or even "Neon MAME") with a disregard for playability and/or stability.  There's a reason why you never see angled sticks, excessively wide CPs or mirrored buttons (meaning P1 buttons on left; P2 buttons on right) in arcades, and it has less to do with aesthetics than one might think.   There's a difference between "unattractive" and "barely playable".  

Personally, if I get vocal about such things it's only because I know the kind of work and dedication that goes into these things only to have friends say "dude, I can't control my guy, this sucks".   It's a bummer, trust me.  Ounce of prevention => Pound of Cure.  Hell, I think your cabinet can consist of nothing but old cardboard and Sharpies (see: Trashcade) but as long as you have a solid CP, you'll have a good game.

I loved the comment about "new classics".. it made me laugh to think of TMNT as a 'classic'.. then it made me sad because I realized that means I'm just old and TMNT would be a classic to me if I were only, well a lot younger.

Yeah, I said that with tongue firmly in cheek when I realized that "classic" may have been a poor choice of word.  

The whole cabinet issue... No matter how much some of us love specific cabinets or wish that they could all be saved - we can't save them all. 

"You can't save them all" does not mean "it's okay to destroy one".    No one's asking holders of classic cabs to drive it down to some sanctuary.  Post a few ads, make a few calls, offer up a trade.  A little effort, that's it.  And again, if you must MAME, MAME respectfully.   

Yeah, ultimately the owner can do what he/she pleases to a cab.  But you can't expect collectors and admirers of those cabs to sit on their hands quietly and just "like it" because of they have to. 

[PeteDiak]

According to KLOV
Of the 52,483 video games (3,361 unique) tracked by the Video Game Preservation Society, this game (stargate) ranks a 73 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most commonly seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on ownership records.

Whats the big deal... Your cab your business...
If it was a Pac or Ms Pac etc i could understand people being upset.
What the heck is a stargate anyways? Never herd of it..

[Zakk]

What the heck is a stargate anyways? Never herd of it..

Never herd of it? 

well I guess some of us herd of it.  Yeah I know I herd of it.  You never herd of it?  Weird.   You would kind of think that you might of herd of it.  If you had never herd of it, I would think you were too young to have herd of it.  I'm going to ask some of my friends to see if any of them have herd of stargate.  You're probably right though, I can't even imagine that anyone here on BYOAC has ever herd of stargate.  I'm not even sure I've herd of it, so what is the big dele?

[blades]

According to KLOV
Of the 52,483 video games (3,361 unique) tracked by the Video Game Preservation Society, this game (stargate) ranks a 73 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most commonly seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on ownership records.

Whats the big deal... Your cab your business...
If it was a Pac or Ms Pac etc i could understand people being upset.
What the heck is a stargate anyways? Never herd of it..

I wonder what it's like to herd a bunch of Stargates. I bet they are feisty cabs. Kicking up all that space dust, probably pretty hard to tame also......





;

[QB1DABOMB]

If nothing else I like the discussion that has arisen.  I find it odd that everyone has such varying opinions.  I'll try to bullet point my thoughts from posts I have read...

- I KNOW my cab loses for visual affect.  The nails in the t-molding are a disaster and some custom graphics would be nice.  At least a custom marquee is in the works

- I'm glad at least one poster didn't agree with my CP being an aircraft lander.  I REALLY don't think it's too big.  It's obviously bigger than nearly everyone else's...but for functionality it's really done the trick: the player's are a great distance from the monitor and contrary to popular opinion players 3 & 4 have great visibility of the monitor.  I recently was at one of the very few places I know of with arcade games and saw the CP for the original Simpsons...you want a disaster?  Sure for the "real arcade feel" you have to be crammed together like cattle but like one poster said...why would you want to be?  there is JUST enough space between each user to NOT be crammed together.

- We had access to practically no tools.  Router?  HA!  All molding had to either fit in the original grooves or in the groove between the top of the CP and the bracing.

[QB1DABOMB]

- I may have mentioned it before but the CP is NOT ridiculously weighted.  I think that misconception is perpetuated by everyone thinking it's ridiculously big. 

- I know an arcade monitor would be nicer than a TV.  The TV was $30...what kind of monitor would I get for even $100?  I don't agree with the spend the money or don't bother theory...

The one thing I'd like to stress is I've had all four players beating on this thing and everyone agrees the playability is AWESOME.  I'm actually now enjoying all feedback (less the epic failure remark still   ) so keep it coming.  If nothing else it will serve as:

a)  A good way for purists and those who believe cabs must be works of art to have a good laugh
b)  Constructive feedback for anyone who will build a cab or is building one
c)  A way for anyone with virtually $0 budget who wants something workable to realize if it's fully playable then just make it look as good as you can and enjoy!   

[QB1DABOMB]

Lastly special thanks to the user who posted that "CRAP" review link.  IMHO I think mine is better than most of those (I didn't use a nine inch monitor plus any idiot can look at my CP and instantly know what all the buttons are for (yes, even if there are 12 that aren't "necessary")).

[TOK]

If it was a Pac or Ms Pac etc i could understand people being upset.
What the heck is a stargate anyways? Never herd of it..

This actually bummed me out.
Do you think you could jump into a volcano to make me feel better?

[CheffoJeffo]

If it was a Pac or Ms Pac etc i could understand people being upset.
What the heck is a stargate anyways? Never herd of it..

You see, that statement pretty much disqualifies your opinion of rarity -- there are eleventy12! brazillion Ms Pac cabs in the world. Also, you shouldn't put much stock in what VAPS has to say about rarity. In this case, lots of collectors (from whom the VAPS data are taken) have Stargate because it IS a desirable cab to have in a collection. Oh, and MsPac scores a perfect 100 for least rare game according to VAPS.

This actually bummed me out.
Do you think you could jump into a volcano to make me feel better?

 

[blades]

Lastly special thanks to the user who posted that "CRAP" review link.  IMHO I think mine is better than most of those (I didn't use a nine inch monitor plus any idiot can look at my CP and instantly know what all the buttons are for (yes, even if there are 12 that aren't "necessary")).

Enjoy your cab. That is what is important. Your Friends and you hanging out and having fun. That is what this hobby is really about(some people loose that sight).

I don't remember back in the day walking into an arcade and going..."Damn, that Galaga is not in mint condition, I'm not going to play that...."

Actually just the opposite, I didn't care what condition it was, as long as it took my token/quarter, I didn't give a sh*t, because I am there to play. And some have forgotten, that is what it's all about. Playing games and having fun.  Have fun with your cab!!!



;

[Silas (son of Silas)]

We build our cabs for ourselves to enjoy, so as long as you have achieved your personal goal then, good for you. Who cares what others think? Shame about the base cab choice , but hey, it was your cab.

I think from a space per player perspective, PacMatt has you nailed. PacMatt is/was a 2 player cab but it looks about the same width as yours:

[Silas (son of Silas)]

...Think about buying some laminate for your surfaces. Painted plywood looks aweful and wont last.

Careful though... Laminate isn't a panacea for all ills. It requires good surface prep, attention to detail to apply. I would consider revisiting other areas of the cab like the paint finish and/or the nails in the trim before laying out £££ or $$$ on laminate.

[tomdotcom]

edited

[severdhed]

- I may have mentioned it before but the CP is NOT ridiculously weighted.  I think that misconception is perpetuated by everyone thinking it's ridiculously big. 

- I know an arcade monitor would be nicer than a TV.  The TV was $30...what kind of monitor would I get for even $100?  I don't agree with the spend the money or don't bother theory...

The one thing I'd like to stress is I've had all four players beating on this thing and everyone agrees the playability is AWESOME.  I'm actually now enjoying all feedback (less the epic failure remark still   ) so keep it coming.  If nothing else it will serve as:

a)  A good way for purists and those who believe cabs must be works of art to have a good laugh
b)  Constructive feedback for anyone who will build a cab or is building one
c)  A way for anyone with virtually $0 budget who wants something workable to realize if it's fully playable then just make it look as good as you can and enjoy!   

you make some good points, and you did pretty well for your budget.  i'm not an arcade purist nazi, i say make it the way you want it.  if you got a tv for $30, thats awesome.  nothing wrong with that.  just for future reference, you can pick up a trim router at harbor freight for $25 that would make a world of difference.  i didnt have a router for the first 3 or 4 control panels i built..  before i built this last one, i bought one and man did it make a difference.  just the little details like rounding over corners, and properly installed tmolding made a huge improvement in the appearance of my panel.  

as for the size of the panel, it's not that it is absurdly large...it is just a little large in proportion to the cabinet you have chosen.  we have a partially complete cabinet here at work ( I work for a good friend of mine who started his own PC tech/consulting business..our shop is in his basement).  it has a pretty large control panel also. (54"x18")  however we are in the process of making it into a showcase style setup.  right now it just sits on a wooden stand, that is not attached to the stand that the 36" gateway destination monitor is on.  it normally sits about 8" away from the monitor, but when we are playing 4 player games, we just pull it back a little more so everyone has a good view of the screen.   it is not really a cabinet yet, since we got everything working, progress has pretty much stopped.  but due to the size of the monitor and the fact that it sits back away a little, the panel seems very proportional.    we built this panel pretty cheap.  there is no tmolding, and the top is just 3/8" plywood covered it woodgrain shelf paper.(which is surprisingly durable)  the box is made out of 1"x6" pine boards, with a plywood bottom.  

we went cheap until we tested everything out before building a final panel...the problem is that was well over a year ago.    the weird thing is that out of all the games we could play with this cabinet.  95% of the time it is Donkey Kong, Centipede and DigDug.  we probably could have built a tiny panel with only a 4way stick, trackball and 1 button and had been fine...but he got the 36" monitor for free, so we designed everything around that.



the pic is crappy, but i took it with my cell phone and the lighting sucks here in the basement.

we know that when we eventually get around to building the cabinet in around the monitor and make a new panel, that we will take our time this time around, use MDF and Tmolding, cover the trackball mounting plate, hide the joystick bolts and get everything looking nice.  but the fact is, it is often better to go cheap first until you figure out what needs changed.  if you want a 4 player panel, the size you have is nice because it is comfortable for 4 adults to stand next  to.

[FrizzleFried]

According to KLOV
Of the 52,483 video games (3,361 unique) tracked by the Video Game Preservation Society, this game (stargate) ranks a 73 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most commonly seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on ownership records.

Whats the big deal... Your cab your business...
If it was a Pac or Ms Pac etc i could understand people being upset.
What the heck is a stargate anyways? Never herd of it..

You didn't just quote KLOV as it if it were accurate.... did ya?

[PeteDiak]

lol

[PeteDiak]

If it was a Pac or Ms Pac etc i could understand people being upset.
What the heck is a stargate anyways? Never herd of it..

You see, that statement pretty much disqualifies your opinion of rarity -- there are eleventy12! brazillion Ms Pac cabs in the world. Also, you shouldn't put much stock in what VAPS has to say about rarity. In this case, lots of collectors (from whom the VAPS data are taken) have Stargate because it IS a desirable cab to have in a collection. Oh, and MsPac scores a perfect 100 for least rare game according to VAPS.

This actually bummed me out.
Do you think you could jump into a volcano to make me feel better?

 

Sure, because everyone is looking for a Stargate, and no one is looking for a pac man or ms pac man.

[CheffoJeffo]

Sure, because everyone is looking for a Stargate, and no one is looking for a pac man or ms pac man.

If you want and can't find a Pac or a MsPac and you are in North America, then you are doing it wrong. If memory serves, there were 100,000 and 125,000 authentic uprights, respectively. Add bootlegs and the number goes higher. Add cocktails and you're probably more than double that. I see MsPacs all the bloody time with cocktails being the most prolific.

In contrast, only 25,000 Stargates. I've seen two come up locally in the past 5 years.

It may not be a big deal to someone who has never herd of Stargate  , but to say that it is less valuable than a MsPac is just plain silly.

[smalltownguy]

Sure, because everyone is looking for a Stargate, and no one is looking for a pac man or ms pac man.

If you want and can't find a Pac or a MsPac and you are in North America, then you are doing it wrong. If memory serves, there were 100,000 and 125,000 authentic uprights, respectively. Add bootlegs and the number goes higher. Add cocktails and you're probably more than double that. I see MsPacs all the bloody time with cocktails being the most prolific.

In contrast, only 25,000 Stargates. I've seen two come up locally in the past 5 years.

It may not be a big deal to someone who has never herd of Stargate  , but to say that it is less valuable than a MsPac is just plain silly.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that rarity isn't necessarily an indicator of value. I built my own rubber band gun once. I'm pretty sure it's a one of a kind. That doesn't really make it worth much, though.

Just my 2 cents. **plink plink**

[MaximRecoil]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that rarity isn't necessarily an indicator of value. I built my own rubber band gun once. I'm pretty sure it's a one of a kind. That doesn't really make it worth much, though.

Just my 2 cents. **plink plink**

Desireability is the most important factor when it comes to value. When something is rare and desirable, the value shoots through the roof. I would say that on average, a Ms. Pac-Man would sell in the same price range as a Stargate in similar condition. Stargate is not as common (value up), but it also appeals to fewer people (value down).

Most people who like that style of game are looking for Defender, given that it is the original, has a better looking cabinet (IMO), was far more common (meaning more people are likely to have played it, which directly translates to more people being nostalgic for it), and was already hard as hell (why Williams decided to make Stargate even harder than its predecessor which was already too hard for most people is beyond me).

In some situations you could probably sell a Ms. Pac-Man for substantially more than a Stargate in similar condition; given that Ms. Pac-Man is probably the easiest game to sell to the average Joe or Jane who knows nothing about anything aside from the fact that they want an arcade machine. Take PeteDiak for example, he's never even "herd" of a Stargate, and probably wouldn't give a red cent for one.

[jeef]

This thread was good, but now it's one of these: http://xkcd.com/386/

[TOK]

Sure, because everyone is looking for a Stargate, and no one is looking for a pac man or ms pac man.

Just stop now and salvage a shred of your credibility.

[sham69]

Congrats on the cab.
As some have said here its' your cab so enjoy it.
I can understand people's views are strong due to the pasisonate nature of these machines and this scene.
I built my cab a year ago and although its far from perfect it's perfect for me..
I play it every single day without fail so as I said I can understand the strong feelings and harsh comments.
Take it easy on the OP guys, at the end of the day he made the effort to come up with something HE would like and if he has achived that then fair play.
I think most of us would agree that if we could go back to our first build we would do it differently.
Good Luck.

[PeteDiak]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that rarity isn't necessarily an indicator of value. I built my own rubber band gun once. I'm pretty sure it's a one of a kind. That doesn't really make it worth much, though.

Just my 2 cents. **plink plink**

Desireability is the most important factor when it comes to value. When something is rare and desirable, the value shoots through the roof. I would say that on average, a Ms. Pac-Man would sell in the same price range as a Stargate in similar condition. Stargate is not as common (value up), but it also appeals to fewer people (value down).

Most people who like that style of game are looking for Defender, given that it is the original, has a better looking cabinet (IMO), was far more common (meaning more people are likely to have played it, which directly translates to more people being nostalgic for it), and was already hard as hell (why Williams decided to make Stargate even harder than its predecessor which was already too hard for most people is beyond me).

In some situations you could probably sell a Ms. Pac-Man for substantially more than a Stargate in similar condition; given that Ms. Pac-Man is probably the easiest game to sell to the average Joe or Jane who knows nothing about anything aside from the fact that they want an arcade machine. Take PeteDiak for example, he's never even "herd" of a Stargate, and probably wouldn't give a red cent for one.

Thanks for that... You bring up excellent points..  Glad that's setled

[GIZMOGAMES]

that being said  how long have you been a member here  did you not do any research before building your machine
there is a site created by one of the members here that shows what not to do

http://www.wickedretarded.com/~crapmame/
after looking at your pics most of your mistakes could have been prevented by just reading  that site

LMFBO ok ive saved that for future reference ie 10 mins when i do a roleup and make a coffee sheesh 7 am in the morn uk no sleep and they say computergames keep you up all nite it aint the games thats keeping me up its all this reading im doing haha
Future projects to be announced and probably TROUNCEd soon but hey its all a curve ball i think personally you could of saved the machine on one hand it would of looked SWEET but you wanted 4 players bigger screen and fun yes FUN and at the end of the day you have that welcome to the group being a noobie myself im sure to DOH DOh DOH many a time but dont be afraid to ask for advice tips or aid what you got for yr 300 bucks is a memory of what you created and the memorys youll gain from friends being around having a drink and bashing away at whatever game you set up thats all its about

myself i praise yr inginuity to get that monitor in make one hell of a surfboard control panel and above all complete it heres some advice get some vinyl for the top control pannel at worst get some cheap fabric 2 if you can rent a router get a 1/16 bit or a 3/32 those will fit a 1/4 or 1/2 arbor and the groove will fit fine for the T-molding believe me ive experimented with bigger and it aint pretty and no matter how much glue ive used it aint working lol also if the worst comes to worst see about a THIN aluminium strip with a few screwholes would work just as well and you can shape it around bends too food for thought eh

but anyways GRATS on yr first cab and WELCOME

[Drnick]

I guess he will appreciate the bump but this definitely comes under Necropost    If he didn't finish it by now he  never will.  Always check dates before posting  August 2009

[Zakk]

ugh, I really would have rather not been reminded of this one.

[Los Abrazos Rotos]

Wow.

[yotsuya]

This one is always a fun read from time to time.

[harveybirdman]

My wife generally dislikes this hobby as a matter of point.  However one of her favorite things to do is rip people for their less than ideal efforts at control panels.



My favorite crack she ever made was in regards to the panel above.  She said, "Is that a control panel or Darth Vader's chest plate?"  to which I metaphorically spewed my drink across the room.

I wonder what she'd say if she saw this....

Edit:  Now I know "Is that nail polish?" 

[Los Abrazos Rotos]

That poor old cabinet!

[Luigi]

missed this one in 2009


WOW  

Living in a country where it's hard (and expensive!!) to get your hands on a classic cab like that, this makes me really sad. I assure you that people around here have restored original cabs in far worse condition.

 

[Malenko]

I still laugh at the control panel. it took them 3 tries to get the whole thing in frame. Its so wide they cut the sides..... 

[dandare]

the nailed in t-mold always gets me! 

[MaxVolume]

OMFG... I really didn't need to see this, and now I can't un-see it! 

Seriously, I of all people can relate to the flak this guy got for "maiming" the Stargate... kind of.  My first potential MAME cabinet (and indeed my first-ever arcade cabinet purchased) was an Asteroids that was so complete it seemed like it was just pulled off a location and nobody ever bothered to fix it.  I spent weeks literally peeling off the sideart (75%-90% good, by the way) tiny bit by tiny bit with my fingers (um, heat gun? hair dryer? helllooo...) and the handful of collectors who know I did that probably don't think that much of me.  The idea behind Asteroids was that it had a HUGE control panel (well, bite-sized compared to this monstrosity) and very few holes already in it.  My plan was to do only ONE cabinet, and I wanted to include joysticks, buttons, a trackball, spinner, AND a steering wheel.  The front "nose" would have been a perfect place to mount the wheel, or so I thought... probably would have had to stand too far away to play any non-racing games, though.  I went so far as to install a standard wall outlet inside the thing, and when my budget collapsed (both in terms of money and space), I had to trade it away to someone who was probably none to happy with my efforts.  Even so, what this guy did went so far beyond what should reasonably done to a cabinet of that vintage it's disgusting.  I get that once you buy a cabinet, you start making plans for THAT cabinet, so it's difficult to see that maybe you need a different cabinet.  Yes, there are many people who would have traded him a less-than-classic cabinet, and I'm sure he didn't even bother to look, but I have to concede that he shouldn't necessarily be obligated to settle for some other donor cab if that's what he had at hand.  I will say that his JAMMA excuse holds no water at all, though.

What I don't understand at all is the enormous control panel.  Weight aside, it just shouldn't be necessary.  Sure, you want people to be comfortable, and I do remember Gauntlet as being a bit too cozy for my tastes, but honestly, what you've got there is a TABLE.  Find a few arcade sticks and an XBox and fire it up if you want to invite three homophobic friends over for a no-touchy gaming session... what this guy has done is like taking a Porsche and cutting off all except the seats because you want to turn it into a couch.  I know someone can do that if they want, but it doesn't mean we can't complain about it (the horror... the horror...).  Knowing that we all try to be as positive as possible around here, I searched desperately for some innocuous comment to make, and I was actually relieved to see that very few punches were pulled by the other posters.  No way around it, this was a HORRIBLE cabinet... the least snarky comment I could come up with was, "why do two of the joysticks have chrome shafts, and the other two black?"

Now that I've posted my projects, I see that others may point out similar flaws in my designs ("Dude... why did you not bother to even touch up the paint on your cocktail's control panels???"), but I have been VERY conservative in terms of modifying the cabs themselves, and am definitely working within the limitations of the original machine as much as possible.  Of course that means I've had to do two just to cover different types of games, but my goal has been authenticity rather than universality.  For example, SGM is vertical/raster/4-way whereas FLYNN'S is horizontal/vector/8-way/analog.  As hard as many people try to cram everything into one cabinet, there's only one thing that even comes close to being all things to all people, and that's called a console.

Anyway, I guess we need to be reminded of history lest we inadvertently repeat it. 

[mcseforsale]

Yeah.  It was a fun read...even back then when I was just lurking.  I have sympathy, but not much.  

From here:









to here:









It's all because of this:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/

So, I think we've all been there.  But for me, I started reading here and saying OH,  .  I better up my game because what I'm doing is hack!  So, I don't understand how this build continued after the OP found this website.  But, then again, I don't understand how some people can let their friends go on American Idol when they sound like crap, either.  

I only hope the OP didn't give up.

AJ

[yotsuya]

Two year bump!

[smalltownguy]

Two year bump!

Yeah, I see it. Yes, I still believe this is the most visually arresting thing I have ever seen. Good or bad, you can't deny this cabinet makes a statement.

[yotsuya]

Two year bump!

Yeah, I see it. Yes, I still believe this is the most visually arresting thing I have ever seen. Good or bad, you can't deny this cabinet makes a statement.

My favorite thing about it is the nailed-on t-molding. 

[thatpurplestuff]

Missed this thread the first (and second) time around.  Gotta say, reading this thread doesn't sting nearly as much as the one with the sit down Pole Position that was in good condition that was going to be turned into some type of multi-platform gaming system with a fridge in it.  In the end it was just cut up, painted black, covered in rope lights and then left for dead after a few weeks when the guy got bored.  Every time I see a Pole Position I think of that poor cab haha.

[yotsuya]

Missed this thread the first (and second) time around.  Gotta say, reading this thread doesn't sting nearly as much as the one with the sit down Pole Position that was in good condition that was going to be turned into some type of multi-platform gaming system with a fridge in it.  In the end it was just cut up, painted black, covered in rope lights and then left for dead after a few weeks when the guy got bored.  Every time I see a Pole Position I think of that poor cab haha.

Oh man, I never saw that thread! Link?

[thatpurplestuff]

Missed this thread the first (and second) time around.  Gotta say, reading this thread doesn't sting nearly as much as the one with the sit down Pole Position that was in good condition that was going to be turned into some type of multi-platform gaming system with a fridge in it.  In the end it was just cut up, painted black, covered in rope lights and then left for dead after a few weeks when the guy got bored.  Every time I see a Pole Position I think of that poor cab haha.

Oh man, I never saw that thread! Link?

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,91545.0.html 

Digging that link up brought back all kinds of painful memories.

[yotsuya]

Hah- I searched for it and found it after I posted. I even posted IN that thread back in 2011, but I guess I didn't read it.

Loved your 2-year bump comment, as well!

It's the two year anniversary of this thread.

Somewhere, a sit-down Pole Position cabinet is cold and alone, haphazardly spraypainted black and with random disjointed holes cut everywhere.  The roof of the cabinet bows under the weight of an unplugged mini fridge and random camping supplies.  Long discarded french fries litter the drivers seat, and printouts of dragons and AMD processors sit where the pedals once were.  It cries out for a restoration to its former glory, but no one is there to hear the call.  No one is there.



Rest in peace sit-down Pole Position cabinet.  Rest in peace.

[thatpurplestuff]

Hah- I searched for it and found it after I posted. I even posted IN that thread back in 2011, but I guess I didn't read it.

Loved your 2-year bump comment, as well!

It's the two year anniversary of this thread.

Somewhere, a sit-down Pole Position cabinet is cold and alone, haphazardly spraypainted black and with random disjointed holes cut everywhere.  The roof of the cabinet bows under the weight of an unplugged mini fridge and random camping supplies.  Long discarded french fries litter the drivers seat, and printouts of dragons and AMD processors sit where the pedals once were.  It cries out for a restoration to its former glory, but no one is there to hear the call.  No one is there.



Rest in peace sit-down Pole Position cabinet.  Rest in peace.

Haha thanks.  If you want to get really depressed, you can read the "build" threads that he continued elsewhere after he encountered so much resistance here.  He didn't post a lot of stuff here, but the other thread includes his blanket doors (literally freakin blankets used for doors) and "plans" for a mini fridge, DVD holder, folding table, ashtray and A/C unit.  The worst part about it is that after completely F'ing the machine up, he just gets bored and forgets about it without even following through on his weird plans.  Read at your own risk -> http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/1980s-atari-pole-position-pc-mod.86827/

[yotsuya]

Hah- I searched for it and found it after I posted. I even posted IN that thread back in 2011, but I guess I didn't read it.

Loved your 2-year bump comment, as well!

It's the two year anniversary of this thread.

Somewhere, a sit-down Pole Position cabinet is cold and alone, haphazardly spraypainted black and with random disjointed holes cut everywhere.  The roof of the cabinet bows under the weight of an unplugged mini fridge and random camping supplies.  Long discarded french fries litter the drivers seat, and printouts of dragons and AMD processors sit where the pedals once were.  It cries out for a restoration to its former glory, but no one is there to hear the call.  No one is there.



Rest in peace sit-down Pole Position cabinet.  Rest in peace.

Haha thanks.  If you want to get really depressed, you can read the "build" threads that he continued elsewhere after he encountered so much resistance here.  He didn't post a lot of stuff here, but the other thread includes his blanket doors (literally freakin blankets used for doors) and "plans" for a mini fridge, DVD holder, ashtray and A/C unit.  The worst part about it is that after completely F'ing the machine up, he just gets bored and forgets about it without even following through on his weird plans.  Read at your own risk -> http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/1980s-atari-pole-position-pc-mod.86827/

Wow. Thanks for the link. Gonna read it right now!

[yotsuya]

OK, just finished. That thread depressed the HELL out of me. Not so much for his harebrained ideas, but the way everyone was carrying on like it was the COOLEST THING EVER. That's what guys like Kaneda don't get when we're not impressed by his pedestal and they counter with "But everyone who sees it loves it!" Sure they do - they don't have an eye for what makes an arcade cab a cab. Maybe it's curse of ours, maybe we're just being ---Deutsche Frankfurters---... but this is why I think honest, constructive feedback is an important part of maintaining this hobby. What the guy did here and to that Pole Position... not good.

[pbj]

Mock Kaneda all you want, he's more famous and accomplished than Billy Mitchell.  Maybe one of you will dress up as him next Halloween and carry around a picture to explain your costume to people that don't care?   

That was a pretty silly thing to do to a Pole Position, but nobody wants one of those damn things in their gameroom.  Looked like a reasonably comfortable masturbatorium to me.

[yotsuya]

Mock Kaneda all you want, he's more famous and accomplished than Billy Mitchell.  Maybe one of you will dress up as him next Halloween and carry around a picture to explain your costume to people that don't care?   

Sure.. can I borrow your designer jeans and white sandals? Preferably the ones you were wearing when you almost castrated yourself building Rapey Kong? 

That was a pretty silly thing to do to a Pole Position, but nobody wants one of those damn things in their gameroom.  Looked like a reasonably comfortable masturbatorium to me.

I'd trade the racer I have for a cockpit Pole Position without batting an eye.

[ChanceKJ]

What exactly is Kaneda's claim to fame anyways?

Never mind. I keep forgetting that's that guys name.

**Shutter** what a tool.

[Viktory2k1]

I think this guy entered his last response and never returned, kinda make ya wonder.

[Zakk]

I think this guy entered his last response and never returned, kinda make ya wonder.

Kinda like when a guy with 5 posts dredges up a hideous mess of a cabinet.  Welcome back QB1DABOMB!

[mcseforsale]

RIZE, Zombie Post...RIZE!!!

AJ

[yotsuya]

This is my favorite build ever.

[RetroGreg]

I don't know why I always read this thread again when it gets bumped. Once i see the 2 x 4's I'm always like oh ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- here it goes. I do feel bad for the guy because he sure took a beating on this one, but on the other hand this place is such a great resource that you owe it to yourself to do a lot of research.

I think the thing that gets me the most believe it or not is just straight up painting the plywood panel with no primer. He thought everything was good construction wise at that point so why not put in just a few more bucks and a bit more effort to make it look smooth. I'm not even the type that gets really critical over paint jobs either as long as they are decent. I hope he fixed the cab at some point.

Edit for spelling

[Chagosan]

Man o man... Regardless of his likes i'm speechless

R.I.P Stargate

[yotsuya]

I just reread this thread the other day. Don't ever change, ugly ass cab.

[luizw81]

Wow!  Just subscribed to this thread!  Whenever I start to feel bad about my build I can come back and say "It could have been worse." Lol

Sent from my SM-G530R4 using Tapatalk

[yotsuya]

Keep on keepin’ on, monster cab!

[Rahzel]

.