The right look

[Molloy]

I often wonder how to sort the art predicament. Most people opt for one of three styles: Mame logo's, game specific art or character collages.

The first solution doesn't feel right to me. When you spend so much time trying to build something that doesn't feel like a PC but an authentic arcade experience it feels wrong to plaster "emulated experience" all over it in large blue lettering. Plus, it doesn't show alot of imagination.

Game specific art doesn't satisfy either. As much as I love Capcom's 2d character art for games like Street Fighter and Soul Calibur it doesn't fit. Playing Robotron on the cabinet is going to look rubbish. I always hated playing games in the arcade on lazily converted cabs so the whole idea leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

And the character collage just turns out horribly. Trying to splice together 20 different pieces of artwork with contrasting styles is going to give you a jumbled and conflicted mess.

I was thinking that perhaps the solution is to take inspiration from the generic cabinets of the 80's. It's kind of difficult to find a picture of the stuff I'm talking about but you've probably all seen them. Bright, solid colours and lots of straight lines - nothing character specific. It's the kind of kitch-cool you get in Vice City. I'd imagine you could pull it off with stencils and some spray paint too.

You could also commision an artist to compose something. There's no reason why a montage of characters couldn't work if the piece was made from scratch rather than cut and paste.

Printing side art costs a fortune so it's important to get it right the first time. It also gives the cabinet a bit of character which shouldn't matter that much but ends up being a large part of the experience.

[Sasquatch!]

I actually think that "character collage" is a good choice, just because it is a Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator.    However, having a bazillion characters does turn it into a jumbled mess.  I'd say that 5 (10 at most) of your favorite characters would do the trick nicely.

[REBIRTH]

It is a personal decision, but I too didn't want to use game specific characters, or big MAME logos.  I opted for a gereal space theme - planets, stars, etc...  I've seen many cabs with game specific characters that look great though, all what you are into.

[AlanS17]

I used a MAME logo. Haven't decided if I'll will keep it through my upgrade, though.

It is a "Multiple Arcade Machine" though... I don't see any problem with the MAME name itself... Just don't know if I like my art. I'm still deciding...

[Frostillicus]

I often wonder how to sort the art predicament. Most people opt for one of three styles: Mame logo's, game specific art or character collages.

The first solution doesn't feel right to me. When you spend so much time trying to build something that doesn't feel like a PC but an authentic arcade experience it feels wrong to plaster "emulated experience" all over it in large blue lettering. Plus, it doesn't show alot of imagination.

Game specific art doesn't satisfy either. As much as I love Capcom's 2d character art for games like Street Fighter and Soul Calibur it doesn't fit. Playing Robotron on the cabinet is going to look rubbish. I always hated playing games in the arcade on lazily converted cabs so the whole idea leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

And the character collage just turns out horribly. Trying to splice together 20 different pieces of artwork with contrasting styles is going to give you a jumbled and conflicted mess.

I was thinking that perhaps the solution is to take inspiration from the generic cabinets of the 80's. It's kind of difficult to find a picture of the stuff I'm talking about but you've probably all seen them. Bright, solid colours and lots of straight lines - nothing character specific. It's the kind of kitch-cool you get in Vice City. I'd imagine you could pull it off with stencils and some spray paint too.

You could also commision an artist to compose something. There's no reason why a montage of characters couldn't work if the piece was made from scratch rather than cut and paste.

Printing side art costs a fortune so it's important to get it right the first time. It also gives the cabinet a bit of character which shouldn't matter that much but ends up being a large part of the experience.

This belongs in the "Artwork" forum...

Anyways - anything specific you're after? (question maybe?)Cause most of us use one of the three type of art you mentioned and I for one don't think they look bad at all.  

The reasoning: If you like MAME, then put MAME on it.  Just like Donkey Kong cab had Donkey Kong artwork, a MAME cab, logically enough, has MAME artwork.

If you like fighters, pick a fighters theme.  If you like pacman, pick a pacman theme.  Who cares it's your cab.  Besides I don't spend much time admiring my cab's artwork while I'm playing a fast paced game of robotron...

Granted the 'super-collage' can look a little excessive, but again, if the maker likes it then that's all that matters.  

The generic cabs you mention...maybe something like Playchoice-10?  I think someone is working on one called 'Mamechoice-10', so that's a viable idea.

If you mean sometype of really generic cab, I always thought those looked too Kmart to me (different game in it everyweek) and lacked personality.  But, again, it's all preference.  And some people just paint their cabs to match their living room furniture, which is also cool.  After all, the final decision usually is up to the significant other anyways...  

[paigeoliver]

Older cabinets with woodgrain sides and generic art are great for Mame. My mini is like that. I prefer either original artwork, or generic. Collage rarely looks all that great, and is pretty expensive to boot.

[rampy]

Regarding collages of character art...   I'm not a big fan -- but that's mostly because they are done poorly.  And I think this is what you were getting at when describing having an "artist" making a cohesive rendition of the character art... is that often people don't bother to match styles of the character art... They take a 3d-amatized Pacman image and paste it next to a cartoonized donkey kong next to some modern fighters and then they toss in some actual screen grab characters...  (which is fine... I guess) but the end result is less polished and well... cohesive.

*shrug*  of course my cabinet is fairly artless at the moment besides my lame donkey kong marquee bastadarization...  

rampy

[F|end]

Fascist!


 

[rampy]

Fascist!


 

Can you use the "quote" button so we know who you are replying to, in it's proper context?

Me no understand, what are you trying to say, man?

rampy

[F|end]

I was calling the tread author fascist!

U understand know, or want explain you!?

 

[meta87]

I was calling the tread author fascist!

U understand know, or want explain you!?

 

Do you know what the word fascist means

[meta87]

Anyway back on topic, I really like when someone picks a game they really like, like pacman, and base all the artwork of that.

Stencils, if done right, look cool too.

Check this guys stencilling out.
http://www.tutankham.com/stencil/stencil.htm