Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: lostsounds on October 22, 2017, 05:59:08 am
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Hey everyone!
Brand new to the forum. Recently came across an arcade machine shell through a buddy.
--story later--
It's an old Nintendo arcade machine for a volleyball game. I plan on using the shell and upgrading it to new glory.
I plan on updating this thread as I continue through my build. All comments, critique, and other banter are welcome.
Here's the entire machine as dropped off at my place:
(https://i.imgur.com/hzK50dK.jpg)
Here's a shot at the controls:
(https://i.imgur.com/QS4ddUO.jpg)
Let's skip forward to where i'm at...
(https://i.imgur.com/UI9ir9v.jpg)
Here's a mockup with the new control panel:
-the mockup is made with cardboard and black duct tape.
(https://i.imgur.com/HtDWdcW.jpg)
THE PLAN
- Implement RetroPie as the head unit
- Install new control panel feature 1xStick|8xButtons
- Go for a basic and minimalist retro 80s appeal
I look forward to speaking with more Arcade enthusiasts!
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I don't know man... Nintendo cabs go for good money. Guys love restoring them back to their original glory. If I were you I would sell the shell take that money and either build one from scratch or buy a less sought after cab. These things are getting rare.
Now that was my public service announcement. So now if you are still going to move forward lets get a little more in depth here with your build.
Lots of guys here hate LCD screens here because older games look like ass. If you have the original CRT I would try to incorporate it into this build. Arcade games just look better.
Control panel looks a bit tight. I would stick with a 6-button layout with maybe a 7th button for a neo-geo layout. I assume you went with that many buttons due to console games?
Raspberry Pi's are a bit under powered in my opinion. I have one and it's not that best. I would still look to go with a PC. You don't need crazy specs so price should be rather low.
I guess it comes down to what you want to play. If you are going for that 80's feel... less buttons. Tailor the control panel for games you want to play. A piece of advice Mame arcade machines have a crazy amount of games and it can be incredibly overwhelming. Choosing a game on a full Mame library is like surfing though the countless crap on Netflix. If you are anything like me I just search and search and search. So on my Mame machine I went through the whole list and only added what I considered a classic must have game. I am 36, but I was gaming very young. So my list basically covers everything from Galaxian through to Street Fighter III. Hence the reason for me to put in 6 buttons. If you only like classic games like Donkey Kong, then 3 buttons may fit your rig better.
So moral of the story really plan on what your game list will look like. Plan your controls on that, and don't put 20,000 games on the thing. You will always end up playing the same 100-200 games.
I hope I gave you a bit to think about. Let me know if you have any questions. Good Luck
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It's an old Nintendo arcade machine for a volleyball game. I plan on using the shell and upgrading it to new glory.
A piece of my soul died when I read this.
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I look forward to speaking with more Arcade enthusiasts!
I don’t think that’s going to go as smoothly as you think it’s going to....
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If you are going to mame it, at least keep it intact, make it a nintendo vs cab. You can still play a ton of games with 2 buttons.
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It looks like he plans to maim it.
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Yeah - personally I would make it a Nintendo Playchoice cab, maybe similar to this...
Keep the two button setup, install a CRT - possibly a TV CRT with component input you can find for free, add a pi with the comic book theme and a nice compact 20 game list of two button games - and you would have something pretty cool.
That said, everyone has to make their first cabinet an all-in-one, play-everything juggernaut. I guess its just the natural course of things. :-\
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:laugh2:
I tried.... This is going to be interesting. :cheers:
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Oh damn. Cab went backwards. :banghead:
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:laugh2:
I tried.... This is going to be interesting. :cheers:
You did, bro. You’re a good man for that. But this can only end in tears. Period.
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:laugh2:
I tried.... This is going to be interesting. :cheers:
You did, bro. You’re a good man for that. But this can only end in tears. Period.
:laugh2:
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That look you give, where you're just mad, confused, bewildered, and just have no words for what you've just witnessed.
(https://images.genius.com/868e9078e8aa21d9a08f4e162d379d69.500x275x16.gif)
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I totally agree with everybody else. Also, it's way cooler to have an authentic cabinet in your house. I see mame cabinets on Craigslist and they are so uninteresting. There's no story behind them.
Are you planning to properly fix the issues with the cabinet? That looks like quite the project in itself and is where most of the time would be spent if I had this.
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Go for a basic and minimalist retro 80s appeal
Should update that since you swapped out the TV for a LCD and went with 8 buttons.
Nice grab on the cabinet though, did you have any ideas for the artwork?
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All comments, critique, and other banter are welcome.
I don't like any of your ideas.
Just stop what you are doing right now...don't cut another board...don't drill another hole. And hopefully you haven't done anything that can't be un-done so far.
What you need to do is convert this machine back into an original Playchoice or a VS machine.
If you don't know how/want to do that...then give it to someone that does.
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Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.
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@lostsounds... oh dear, take cover :D
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It almost reads like he's trolling... I am sure that is not the case, he seems like a good guy. I hope we didn't scare him off. ;D
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It almost reads like he's trolling... I am sure that is not the case, he seems like a good guy. I hope we didn't scare him off. ;D
Yeah, I feel kinda bad. OP is trying to do what most folks do with their first build. My first build was a cabinet I made out one sheet of plywood and a tankstick. I loaded up an old computer with 6000+ games and went for it.
OP if you read this post, I think most of us know where you are coming from. Starting with an empty shell of a machine and making it your own is a great way to get into the hobby. And if you had picked up some generic cab to do this with I don't think most of us would have a problem with your project. For me the main thing is the potential lost greatness of a nicely restored Nintendo cab. I don't even have a problem with you going mame on this thing. If you kept the integrity of the cab as a Nintendo vs. or playchoice, and then added your own internals, you would have an infinitely cooler end product. And who knows, down the road once you have the full arcade bug, you could convert it to all original if you wanted.
As others have said - build what you want. Personally I am just giving my two cents about how I would go about the project given my experience in the hobby. :)
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I think people get overly sensitive when it comes to Nintendo cabinets.
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I think people get overly sensitive when it comes to Nintendo cabinets ANYTHING.
Fixed it for you.
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I think people get overly sensitive when it comes to Nintendo cabinets ANYTHING.
Fixed it for you.
I don’t think you fixed it right.
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I think people get overly sensitive when it comes to Nintendo cabinets ANYTHING.
Fixed it for you.
I don’t think you fixed it right.
It looks good on the computer where I did it. Oddly, not here on Tapatalk.
Sent from my Casio keyboard
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I agree... Nintendo fans pay good money for nintendo stuff.
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I agree... Nintendo fans pay good money for nintendo stuff.
Nintendo fanboys pay crazy money for anything Nintendo.