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Amiga: To use actual hardware or Emulate
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jukingeo:

--- Quote from: Loafmeister on December 16, 2009, 04:32:51 pm ---Hmmm, I don't know jukingeo, it's so much easier to have the "best of both worlds" by just building your cab around a PC. As you indicated, if you build your cab around a genesis, you've got that problem with loading different roms, not so with a pc.

--- End quote ---

Well, in the case of the Genesis there are a couple schools of thought.  I have seen a fellow here make a mini-arcade cabinet using a Genesis and he has the cartridge slot where you would normally see a coin door on a full size arcade.  So the design does have merit, but it would be an added expense to buy the cartridges.  So yeah, a PC running a Genesis emulator with loaded roms would be better.

The main reason why I created the post because I really didn't know how a 'gaming' computer would work I got it in my head that an Atari ST or Amiga would handle games differently than a PC, but apparently they use a keyboard and mouse too!

So I guess really what I would be after is a console that could play very faithful arcade ports.  But yet I would like the console to behave like a computer in that I can pick a game from a list.

Doing a bit more digging under consoles I did find out some VERY interesting information.  As it turns out the Playstation 2 and the Xbox CAN run Mame (with some modding of course).  That is a huge plus for me because if I can figure out how to do it then setting up cabinets would be SO much easier and cheaper too.

Setting up a Mame cabinet using a PC does come with a lot of extras that you need to worry about, such as a keyboard encoder, setting up the motherboard, etc.  Granted this is probably still the best way to go if you want to run newer games on Mame.  But I, for the most part, mostly play older 80's games so a modded Playstation or Xbox would do fine.  The Xbox comes with a hard drive built in.  Ram and everything is already set up.  You don't need a keyboard encoder.  You just need to hack a couple controllers.  So for something like a mini or bartop arcade cabinet an Xbox would fit the bill.  Best part, I can pick up used Xbox's at my local Gamestop for around $50.

Anyway, since this has shifted to consoles now, I did make a post over in consoles and I am finding out loads of info on running Mame on an Xbox.  It looks like what I was looking for.

Geo
Xiaou2:
 A cheap mame bartop is an interesting idea...  However, there are things that an
Xbox probably isnt going to be able to do...  Such as play  Tempest, StarTrek,
Tac Scan, Super Sprint, or even Marble Madness well.

 As I highly doubt  Xbox mame supports spinner(s) and trackball(s) support.


 And sure, maybe the xbox might be cheaper than a pc... But, you can
get used pcs fairly cheap, or even older model boards/processors pretty cheap too.

 In the end, it boils down to what functionality you desire, and or can live with / afford.

Silas (son of Silas):
This thread got me thinking so I started looking around on the web. Anyone seen or used one of these? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimig

jukingeo:

--- Quote from: Xiaou2 on December 17, 2009, 02:58:56 am --- A cheap mame bartop is an interesting idea...  However, there are things that an
Xbox probably isnt going to be able to do...  Such as play  Tempest, StarTrek,
Tac Scan, Super Sprint, or even Marble Madness well.

 As I highly doubt  Xbox mame supports spinner(s) and trackball(s) support.

--- End quote ---

Oh, contraire, Xbox mame would run under Linux for the Xbox....it DOES have mouse support and USB support.  Now I don't know the full details, but if it has mouse support then the theory holds that you should be able to hack the mouse to get analog capability.  Also with USB support there are many analog controls out there.  Now how the X-box handles these remains to be seen.

But overall for a quick and easy Mame cabinet, I probably wouldn't bother with analog or continuous controller support anyway.

Remember I am talking about a small mini-cabinet here so a simple one joystick (4-8 way selectable) with six buttons is all that is needed for about 90% of the Mame games out there.

So I do agree that for a full size cabinet that will handle different control panels, multiple players, etc....then yeah the PC is the way to go for that route.


--- Quote ---And sure, maybe the xbox might be cheaper than a pc... But, you can
get used pcs fairly cheap, or even older model boards/processors pretty cheap too.
--- End quote ---

Oh yeah, I know.  Many times I can get old computers for nothing.  But in terms of the size I would be best off with a laptop in a mini-cabinet, however, even used laptops don't fall in the price range as a used Xbox would.   The good thing about a laptop is that it already has the display.  Just some major hacking has to be done though.


--- Quote ---
In the end, it boils down to what functionality you desire, and or can live with / afford.

--- End quote ---

Well, the beauty of the Linux/Mame Xbox mod is that I DON'T have to open the unit up,  I can directly hack a controller, it is all in one nice neat small box and all I have to do is add speakers and a display.

Also an Xbox is an Xbox, so if I want to make more mini-cabinets later on, I can keep a complete Linux OS/Mame setup on a disc and just load the whole shebang into any Xbox I would buy later on.  So it is very duplicatable.  It is not that easy with a PC.  Many times with an old PC I have to change out many things...larger hard drive, more memory, better sound card.   So there is a lot more work to setting up a PC.  So for me, to learn this can be done with the Xbox is sheer bliss.  It is just another avenue to work with.

Now I am even wondering if something like this could be done with the Sega Dreamcast.  Since that platform has failed, the units are very very cheap.   Something also to look into as well.

Geo
ark_ader:
I play tempest and star trek on the xbox - just map two buttons on the CP instead of the spinner - it works very well, especially tempest.
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