Are you ever really happy with your cabinets ?

[mike boss]

This is one heck of a community to belong to.
So many talented people that all share the same interests.
So many great projects, add-on's, programs, and ideas all found in these pages.
It's left me always wanting to "tweak" what I already have.
Long and short of it, I'm not really happy with my cabinets.
I have 4 machines in my basement, all 4 are Nintendo cabinets.
Mario MAME which is a MAME cabinet dressed up like Mario Bros.
The PC features MAME and console emulation. The cabinet works and plays well.
It has a 21" CRT PC monitor. But......not being happy I want to improve on this.
I want to add wireless controllers for PC gaming. I want to add this great Hyperspin EXT HDD I have to improve the PC and MAME gaming. And I want to add my Aim Traks (which I've had since 09 and NEVER completed or used!)

Then I have my Popeye, again a Nintendo cabinet dressed up with all the Popeye plastics, less the CPO. I went with a 2 player Vs. style layout of the control panel.
I installed WWF Superstars (as I had no Popeye board) and really enjoyed this cabinet. But again never really satisfied I picked up a 6-in-1 Jamma switcher and a few random cheap jamma boards. Again........still not happy I picked up a 138-in-1 jamma board and sold the CRT from Popeye.  Plan is to get a nice LCD, 21"-22" and toss the 138-in-1 inside. Oddly enuff the board has Mario Bros on it ! LOL
Just part of the always wanting to make better I guess.

Next up is my Donkey Kong with 60 in 1 jamma board and scanline generator....I can say I'm happy with this ! Nothing needs done or changed.

Then I have my Donkey Kong Jr vertical MAME w/ a custom designed MaLa skin.
Cool little project that also features an LCD monitor and scanline generator. However I'd like to add a KVM switch and second PC, all just to play Fix It Felix Jr.

I have a few other cabinets, a stargate that was converted to Final Fight. I cleaned this up and it looks not bad. I took the jamma switcher and added the WWF Wrestlefest, Final Fight, and a POW board to it. I think it is good bang for the buck and I'm always looking for a couple of cheap boards that need only 2 buttons per player. I can say I'm happy with this cabinet. Same can be said for my Bad Dudes...........a lil mash up of a machine that I think I unified quite well. Has an LCD monitor, RGB to LCD adapter and looks and plays well. Also added a lil cold cathode lighting to this to kick it up.

I guess in the end as I type this I'm kinda in the middle. Some of my projects I'm happy with. The look and play well, the delive some good play and have some modifications that give them a boost (be it multiple boards, etc). Where as some of the machines (oddly the ones  that are inside my house) I always want to change and modify.

Anyone else like this ?

[markc74]

Always. That's why on my fifth! Every time I come here I see something new that I want to do. If peeps here didn't keep coming up with new stuff then I could be satisfied with my lot but no... 

[Generic Eric]

I am totally unhappy with my marquee speaker box.  Also, I beginning to think the depth of my lowboy is too shallow. 

I don't like the angle my monitor is at currently and want to change it.  This will impact the size of my plexi bezel and is the reason I haven't purchased it yet.

After having wired a total of 4 control panels (1 of them twice) I gringe looking at mine and realize I will have to wire it a 3rd time.

[mike boss]

Perhaps it is also because for many of us space is limited. So we want to maximize the return (fun) on our cabinets. I mean why have one game when you can have a multi-board ? Or why have just games that require a joystick and buttons when you can have a light gun and perhaps a steering wheel ? Why just MAME when you can have NES, SNES, and N64, etc, etc !

I had read somewhere on here (software thread) about Wii-Motes as light guns in MAME! I had no idea ! I havent done any homework, but I thought this would be so cool. Im sure Wii-Motes are cheap now, as are 3rd party Wii sensor bars. This is something I might want to try in the near future.

[Generic Eric]

I had read somewhere on here (software thread) about Wii-Motes as light guns in MAME! I had no idea ! I havent done any homework, but I thought this would be so cool. Im sure Wii-Motes are cheap now, as are 3rd party Wii sensor bars. This is something I might want to try in the near future.

Just make sure whatever guide you are following, that they cite their references.  As you well know its frustrating trying to find the bluetooth adapter that works. 

[mike boss]

Oh I can only imagine the P.I.T.A !
I'm actually having some issues with Bluetooth on my Juke project.
I picked up a 23" All in 1 PC, loaded it with MP3 Tag, MP3 Gain and TouchJams (which I custom skinned). Loaded my entire music collection and networked the PC so I can move music onto it from any other PC. All that went well !
I had played with some Bluetooth adapters in the past, mostly using my Windows Vista PC. The items worked well, and despite the adapter I have saying it works with Windows 7..............IT DOES NOT !
So now I have the PC (which I plan to trick out with PopCap games and other various programs that would take full advantage of the touch screen) but the Bluetooth wont work. I ordered 3 new adapters and DUH only one works with Windows 7. That was my error, and for $5 I wont cry. However the one that works is not yet in !
So the project is on a short stall, I expect the Bluetooth adapter to be in this week.
I need the Bluetooth to work as the PC sends the music to my other adapter which I hook up into my existing audio system. Without the BT working I'm f*ct !
The only other thing I'd love to lock down is the BT pairing upon power up.
Meaning, with your cell phone (say iPhone) you turn on your headset and the connection is made right away. Where as when I did some PC testing I had to select the adapter to make the connection. Not too much of a pain, but I want this to work upon power up. So even a novice user could easily use the jukebox. Simply power on the PC (which will boot into TouchJams) and away you go. I think it's something about make discoverable......not sure. Should anyone know info would be great.

[drventure]

I've seen posts where people seem to have Wiimotes working as gun controllers, but I've never been able to get it working consistently enough to actually feel comfortable putting it in a cab. There's way too much jockeying with the BT drivers and settings and resetting over and over till I can get a proper connection.

To really be useful, It'd need to be

1) power up mame machine
2) press button on Wiimote, which automatically pairs to the pc
3) start game and play.

But I'm definitely in the camp of wanting something like that. a gun controller with a wire just doesn't seem right (although, yes, I know it's more arcade proper).

As to the cab, mine was always going to be a compromise. 

But it works fairly well for the requirements I had..

Moving forward though, I think I'd work more towards a game room where I could put it real full size arcade cabs or pins that I didn't have to hide.

[mike boss]

One thing I CAN say I AM happy with is my man cave.
I'm very proud of it to be honest. I think I have some true gems and cool goodies in the space. And I did it all for a decent cost !
From a game standpoint perhaps a lil more depth would be good, IE the desire to get the GunCon/Aim Trak combos installed and working. Something (or some way) to have a driver might be cool, but I dont have the  tools/skills to make that work. All in, I never was a true driver fan anyway. And perhaps I'd have better luck getting a good steering wheel for use on one of my consoles.

My space is not without flaws, like the way I wired up my console shelf. I have a NES, SNES, N64, GameCube, Wii, XBOX, PS1 and PS2 hooked up. However when I did the install I used a splitter so the Wii could hook up via component, and the rest a standard RCA connection. Problem is the TV looks for the other signal from the component wires and the consoles display back and white. The wall looks cool, but does not function. HOWEVER now adding an OUYA gives me the emulation (which I have many COMPLETE US ROM sets) and replaces the need for the consoles. One more area that makes me happy ! LOL

[Dawgz Rule]

Yes, absolutely happy but it took a couple of years of work to tweak it to the point of considering it "completed".  That isn't to say that there is a desire to do more and try new things.  I picked up a Time Soldiers conversion kit and will be building a dedicated cab focused on rotary games.  It will also be my first venture into using a Sony TV with a transcoder.  I picked up another Sony and now there is a plan to add a dedicated vertical cabinet.  At this point, I am done with collecting pins.  I have a good mix that I am very happy with.  I will add a few cabs and I will hopefully be done.

[mike boss]

I think part of the problem is many of us in the hobby are just suckers for a deal !

[Louis Tully]

.

[Generic Eric]

I thought a curved button layout was awesome, for a while. I can't stand it now.  And as much as I like fighter games (Street to be specific) not every control panel needs 6 buttons per player.

I dunno. I guess some folks can build and be done with it while others can't keep from @#$%ing with things. I have a difficult time seeing a cabinet as a whole. I just see all the things that suck. 

I concur on these points especially.  I am over being able to play 8000 games on one machine.

[leapinlew]

The trick is to get your cabinet(s) tricked out, running well and then move on to another project. Otherwise, you can keep re-tweaking and revising forever.

[Dawgz Rule]

+1

[markc74]

I concur on these points especially.  I am over being able to play 8000 games on one machine.

On a mobile so can't quote/,+1 this but it's so true. Gimme 100 or less games that play well and I'm happy. If you're not into fighters then you don't need a 6 button layout yet they are so ubiquitous now it's a rarity when peeps don't do it. You crazy youngsters with your dexterity!

[Le Chuck]

I was really happy with MicroSW - there are a ton of things I wish I could do different on it - mostly in the yoke construction, but it really turned out so I'm happy with it.  I still get it out and show people who display even the least bit of interest in either arcading, star wars, or just my woodshop in general 

actually, I'm pretty happy with most of my projects, but like Lew said, I try to keep moving.  If I'm not happy with it I scrap it or move on.  I'm even happy with some of my unfinished projects that I haven't touched in over a year.  I'm just not in a rush on them, but once I clear my plate I'm sure I'll drift back their way (looking at you micro Gauntlet)

[Generic Eric]

I wonder if I should have put a sheet over this thing and started over.

[vandale]

My problem is that I just cant refuse a good deal so I am constantly selling my least favourite and building a new one for the games room, then the cycle repeats itself to the point that I don't want to get rid of any, I keep making more and now space is running thin.

It sure beats stamp collecting or scrap booking, hahahah

[deadmoney5]

I actually hate my cab.  Over 10 years ago when I learned about MAME, I started looking into getting a cab.  Since I am an accountant with no woodworking skills whatsoever (or tools), I needed to find something that I could just put together.  At that time, all I could find was the Ultimate Arcade II.  Then I added a Slik Stik controller.  I liked it at first, but now I realize what a terrible design it was.  Thing is way too heavy and can't be moved properly once put together.  It's in two pieces and must be taken apart to move.  Plus I'v echanged spo many things on the control panel that it looks like a rat's nest underneath.  To top it off, the control panel looks silly becaise it extends 3 inches on each side

I recently got divorced and downsized to an apartment and it's just too big.  I'll probably trash it or give it to a friend.

I really like the bartops from Haruman, and might just get a Midway vertical one and keep it to 4-way games.  Too much clutter when you have everything all on one machine.  Plus I tend to stick with the old classics anyways.  three buttons and a 4-way will be just fine.

[yotsuya]

Great topic.

Yeah, I would say we all learn a lot from previous cabs. My Macross project is the first one of mine I've posted, but it's actually my 6th cabinet build. I've taken everything I've learned from the previous five, and I think it's safe to say that I know what I am doing now.

Oh, and curved layouts still rock. Just don't extreme-curve it, and you'll be cool.

[Vigo]

I hate to bring it up, but this thread is a pretty good counter point to the frankenpanel / OD'ing on Features mindset. A lot of people here who love their builds the most seem to have built multiple cabinets that fills various needs, as opposed to trying to have 1 machine that does everything they can think of on their very first attempt. I understand a lot of people don't want this as a hobby, but I think the slow and steady crowd seem to get the most enjoyment out of it all.

I shouldn't talk too loud though. I know my next big project is gonna be very heavy on the features. Mostly because I do see a lot of cool cabs with a lot of cool tricks to them, and am curious as to what my attempt would look like. I am guessing I will probably sink down the feature creep abyss as well.

[yotsuya]

I hate to bring it up..... **stuff**

[mgb]

I will say, I am actually pretty happy with my cabinet. My original plans involved something closer to a Frankenpanel and I originally was gonna have a horizontal monitor.
But some things forced a chance of plans. My original build with the horiz. monitor proved too big to fit the one place I could put it. So after first throwing in the towel and planning on giving up, I ended up regrouping and working on version 2.0 (really more like 5.. I ended up with Vertical Retrace. I found compromise to bring about the best of everything. The 27" vertical monitor still plays horizontals at about 20".
I was also limited in cp space so I compromised on 4 buttons per player (set in a diamond shape). This limits me to not be able to play the street fighter series but I'm cool with that. I could have possibly went with 3 buttons per player but I like the Neo Geo fighters and there are a couple of other games where I use the diamond layout.
Also people come over and they wanna play golden tee but my cab is just not well suited for it. I don't mind playing it with control but most people I know do that stupid flying hand thing.
To me, it seems like some people get so carried away wanting to play everything, that they end up with something that isn't really much fun at all.

The things I'm really trying to tweak on my cab right now is just simply making my front end look a little nicer than the current Mala with game launcher theme and I'm continually racking my brain on getting better and tighter 4 way action on my right joystick.
I'm toying with having a round gate and extending the shaft and maybe having a second 4-way gate pull in when needed. I just am not completely happy with 4-way on any switchable stick.
Some day, I just gotta make room and build a dedicated 4-way vertical cab.

[leapinlew]

Frankenpanels are kind of like a El Camino. Sure, the El Camino is neither a good truck nor a good car, but it's still kind of cool in it's own way. The people that own them like them, and that's all that really matters. The users who have built frankenpanels and then regretted it are always trying to convince people to not make their mistake. The problem is, there are plenty of frankenpanel owners who are just fine and happy with their machines.

[mike boss]

I HATE them control panels with 4 way, 8 way, flight stick, track ball, etc etc etc !
BUT.............. I get it. I get the idea of wanting one cabinet to do it all.
I think its the same reason I like my OUYA, and the ability to have multiple emulators (IE consoles) on it.
One item that is really so much more. Isn't that the appeal of MAME in many ways ?
You have trade offs, like you don't have an authentic Nintendo NES controller for Super Mario Bros......but can one person have it all ?

My happiness issue really stems from wanting to maximize my machines. And I guess I guess I perceive maximize as RAM FULL OF GAMES. Outside of the games is the cool little add-on's, things like "Arcade Ambiance Project." I can say however I'm close to goal ! So that makes me happy !
Finish GunCon/Aim Trak mod..........finish PC and install external Hyperspin HDD, and really just rewire my Popeye and I'm good.

Do you guys ever thing sometimes perhaps it isn't so much not happy, but more that you enjoy the work ? And since you cant have "X" many cabinets you tinker with what you have ?

[mgb]

Do you guys ever thing sometimes perhaps it isn't so much not happy, but more that you enjoy the work ? And since you cant have "X" many cabinets you tinker with what you have ?

Yes very much.
 I love playing classic games, though truth is, I'm not very good at them but I really love tinkering and coming up with solutions to problems.
About 6 years ago my love for working on machines got to me to get out and start working on others machines. I get to work on machines and get paid for it.

[chopperthedog]

Absolutely!! I'm happy and proud of all 6 of my projects that I've done over the last year and a half. But, there were some initial compromises on a couple projects that have been revisited and addressed. I've come to appreciate a cab that plays a few games really well versus a cab that plays 1000's of games halfassed. 

Donkey Kong was the first project that started with a 19" 4:3 lcd and mame pc. It was ok, I didn't play the cab like I loved it though. There was something that didn't allow me to enjoy it. Next was the Defender poker that started with 19" 4:3 lcd and mame computer. When I finally got the jrok board I put in a 19" pc crt, which was a little better but it was still sorta meh. I was also unhappy with the goldleaf buttons. Installed a vision pro 19" cga crt and pulled the goldleafs and put in all williams leaf buttons. Visually stunning, I had one of them "ohhhhh, that's it" moments. The original williams leaf buttons have really added to my defender gaming skills, and hey that's the way it was intended. I also disconnected the mame computer and wired everything direct, now it's a badass cab that plays 6 games really well. The beauty of the monitor in the pokerdefender cab caused me to refocus on the DK cab.  Had my eye on the phoenix arcadeSD board for some time since it was a perfect setup for a multikong with support for DIIK. Recapped a sanyo ezv20 and gathered all the other stuff needed to unmame the DK cab. I quickly learned that Donkey Kong must be played on a sanyo monitor to be fully enjoyed imo. The arcadeSD is an amazing board and got my license for DIIK (awesome rom hack), I now find myself finally enjoying the DK cab with long gaming sessions. My other fighter cab that had a 21" pc crt but needed a new computer but figured I'd do something on the cheap and snag a 485in1 board. Well....what a piece of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, how anyone actually plays those XXin1 boards is beyond me. I ended up splurging on a nice i3 system, Apac and a thrustmaster force feedback wheel that bolts to the cab in 5 seconds. The game list on the fighter cab is under 200 along with a couple pc games and model 2 & 3 emulator, and that's it. The space invaders was a recent acquisition/project that got a new crt and mame computer with a game list of 9 games but retaining mirror, back drop and original control panel. I used a lcd (the one pulled from defender) in the invader cab while I was awaiting an isolation transformer that the crt I wanted to use needed. That sucked too, but it became magic when I got the crt installed and adjusted/degaussed. The unique gaming experience that a Space Invaders cab offers is something that can't be matched. There's nothing that I want to do to any of my 6 cabs but enjoy them, and focus on future projects.



So now I'm a crt whore and have been able to amass a collection of 11 working 19" arcade crt's over the last 6 months. I love the variety of gaming experiences that the 6 cabs I own currently offer. I need to focus on re-framing (its currently framed with 2x4's on 24" spans with 3/4" ply laid, "bad flip job" from years past only in that room) the floor of the future game room in my house that will be able to handle 11 games.


good day.

[njgsx96]

I only have 1 cabinet built (so far) and while I don't think I will ever be done adding games since new games come out and new systems need to be tried, the cabinet in and of itself is done.  Is it the perfect cabinet?  No, it is not, but I love it and if someone wanted to buy it, I would be hard pressed to sell it, imperfections and all.  So in a sense, I am happy with my cabinet.  For what it is, what I set out to do and the level of skill I had at that time, I am beyond happy with it. 

With that being said, I enjoyed the process and want to build another.  I want a bartop as well as another 2 player as well as a virtual pinball.  And when I create those and finish them, I will be happy with them as well.  They may be of better quality than my first, but I will enjoy them all the same and be happy with each one for what it is.  So for me, even a crappy/cheap cabinet is awesome and as long as it plays games and gives you that feel to relive your youth or enjoy games or for whatever reason, I am really happy.  I think we all feel this way deep down, no mater our first guess answer to this question.

[mike boss]

@ chopperthedog

What did you use to do the lights on the DK (near coin door) ?

[Malenko]

Im more happy with other peoples cabs lol.  chopper's are great, martinjin , neph, maximus, tons of others.  I was super happy with my KI2MAME cab, and I miss it.  Gonna try and convince the guy I sold it to, to sell it back to me.

[chopperthedog]

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,128979.msg1321751.html#msg1321751


good day.

[mike boss]

The LED lights are super cool! I really like that.
Such a cool idea since Nintendo cabinets dont have reject buttons that light up.
I think it really adds to the look of the cabinet.

I've done some stuff with the RGB LED strips on cabinets, and cold cathode tubes, or even LED fans. All of which I think add a nice touch.

Really cool job !

[jennifer]

     OEM games do please Jennifer, and they can only be restored to the starting point... As compared to the MAME,  Which I find overly frustrating and difficult even in concept. and could easily see the never finished feeling. 

[eds1275]

I'm happy with my spinal tap machine. It plays, and most everything is set up now. Still have some gun games I'm tweaking the inputs on (aim traks are new) but I think what satisfies me the most is that I have game nights once-ish a week, and the competition and community is really nice. It's only two player, so a single high score tournament often lasts all night. Guests bring more booze than they drink and as a result my beer fridge is generally well stocked with a good selection. It's really more of an anchor for social gatherings. People come to play games, but really spend more time hanging out.