HELP! Vertical or Horizontal?

[Spaced Invader]

Ok, I know this is monitor related but it's really more of a design issue...so, I posted it here. Also, I'm sure the plusses and minuses have been covered brfore...but I have specific details and need input.

Here goes; I'm building a caberet cab for my little brother (he's . I plan on using a 900mhz Duron  with a GeForce 256 to power it. It's a small cabinet so I'll only be putting in a 15" monitor (plus I have a bunch of 'em lying around).

The question is: Should I install the monitor Vertical or Horizontal? And related to this, sgould I put in an oversized 2 player CP or single player?  I feel like I could get away with a single player CP if I go Vertical. But if I put a Horizontal monitor in it screams out for a 2 player panel...unless I put a USB port on the CP?  

Ok, I really need another opinion...Anybody?

[Lilwolf]

What games do you play?

I went with horizontal for my main because there are more games that use them, and the classics don't matter as much.  So it only stinks in vertical shooters (only place more space seems to be a big deal).  But I haven't really looked back to think about it and it's fine.

But if you are going to play 90% classics or vertical shooters, go the other way (and don't think about the boarders at the top and bottom).

You could do a rotating monitor.  but this takes a HUGE amount of time...

Or a cocktail table with controls on the horizontal side.

Good luck.

Oh yeah... And go 2player CP (not huge) so that you can play robotron!  Worth it for that one game alone....  If you really good, put 2 joysticks on each side for smashtv and totalcarnage

[Spaced Invader]

This one's not for me. My cab will be horizontal...and large! This cab is for my little brother, he's 8 and never really had the arcade experience. So, who knows what he'll want to play. I just want to give him a little peice of what I experienced growing up in the 80's.

[SirPeale]

This one's not for me. My cab will be horizontal...and large! This cab is for my little brother, he's 8 and never really had the arcade experience. So, who knows what he'll want to play. I just want to give him a little peice of what I experienced growing up in the 80's.

Then go with Vertical.  Galaga, Ms Pac/Pac, Congo Bongo, Space Invaders (Hm...), Centipede.

These can all run with VAntAGE.  Decent emulator, runs off a 486.  I should know, I've got one running right now.

You can even convert the ROMs from MAME to run on VAntAGE with CLRMAME.

Or you can download them.  I won't post the link here, but I will say I'm close to them.

[Superdude]

I have a verticle cab and a horizontal cab.  I LOVE the verticle cab more because the games on that have a more classic feel.  I dunno its just an opinion.  Build both....

[Spaced Invader]

Then go with Vertical.  Galaga, Ms Pac/Pac, Congo Bongo, Space Invaders (Hm...), Centipede.

These can all run with VAntAGE.  Decent emulator, runs off a 486.  I should know, I've got one running right now.

You can even convert the ROMs from MAME to run on VAntAGE with CLRMAME.

Or you can download them.  I won't post the link here, but I will say I'm close to them.

That's kinda what I was thinking. And if he wants horizontal games, that's just a good reason to build another cab (I have lots of "parts").

PS. You have an interesting site...I'm also planning/building a multimedia machine. And you ARE close to them. Thanks, that will save some time--don't love CLRMAME!  

Gotta get to work...now where did I put that Duct Tape?

[Spaced Invader]

I have a verticle cab and a horizontal cab.  I LOVE the verticle cab more because the games on that have a more classic feel.  I dunno its just an opinion.  Build both....

I'm feelin' the vertical pull!

[REBIRTH]

I'm feelin' the vertical pull!

I agree with vertical.  I have a rotatable monitor, which I love, but I also have some young kids the age of your brother and they like the Pac-Man, galaga, arknoid, donkey-kong, bowling, golf games the best which are all vertical.  Most games are horizontal, but I think the easier kid friendly ones are vertical.

[Apollo]

I am building 19" vertical first then 25" horizontal.
At least when I finish the 19" I can play my favourite classics while I'm building the 25". Galaga, PacMan, Donkey Kong, Galaxian, Raiden etc. Go for two but do the vertical first.
Just my 10c worth.

[SirPoonga]

hehe, I'm debating when I make my double dragon 2 cabinet better jamma support I'm thinking of just making it vertical.  All the pcbs I want are vertical.

[REBIRTH]

hehe, I'm debating when I make my double dragon 2 cabinet better jamma support I'm thinking of just making it vertical.  All the pcbs I want are vertical.

I still say building a rotating monitor isn't that bad.  I agree it is much more time consuming then just building a shelf for a montior to sit on, but it isn't that bad.  I built mine in 3 nights - 6 hours total.  Probably 3 of those hours were spent thinking and measuring and thinking.  Building a shelf for a stationary monitor takes about 20 minutes, but is 6 hours all that bad?  I sometimes turn off the rotating of the picture and let me kids go wild.  I don't want them rotating the monitor or my control panels since the oldest kid is only 7 - so I just set it up vertical or horizontal, turn to the 2 plyer control panel and leave the room.  Later when we play the same games with the monitor and picture rotated the same way (so now the picture is full size) they always complain that I "made" them play with the picture tiny (it isn't that much smaller when not rotated, but it is still nice to play in the original full screen mode).  After beating them senseless, I have a laugh with them (kidding of course   ).

Like all cabinets, it is a personal perference.  I understand people liking a stationary monitor - just don't be scared off by the thought of it taking 9 months to build a rotating monitor, it isn't that bad at all.  

[SirPoonga]

Yeah, but I think rotating monitors are fugly.  The cabinet needs to be able to resort back to ddragon2.  I will probably get another jamma cabinet in the future when I have a house.

[AlanS17]

Plus it's a lot easier to build a machine with a rotating monitor than it is to convert an old cabinet. I'm still working through that whole debate in my head on whether to rotate or not.

[SirPeale]

PS. You have an interesting site...I'm also planning/building a multimedia machine. And you ARE close to them. Thanks, that will save some time--don't love CLRMAME!  

Thanks.  The site has grown quite a bit since I started using a dedicated server.  Watching the hack attempts come in...very interesting.

What problems do you have using ClrMAME?  It's actually a very easy program to use.

[TrickyFishy]

Since he is 8, I would definitly go vertical.  I also have an 8 year old and there are -way- more classic vertical style games that are appeal more appealing to kids.

[Spaced Invader]

Going to go vertical on this one. Thanks to everyone who replied. I'd still be stuck in the decission phase if it weren't for you guys. Thanks again!