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First Timer: Advice Welcomed
benarcade:
I think you're in the minority of people who start with a cabinet. You already have a computer, you might as well install and configure MAME first, using the keyboard as controller.
I spent way more time figuring out MAME than I did building a cabinet. I highly recommend that you start there - as others have suggested.
Here's some MAME tips: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,130250.0.html
Slugworth:
Just wanted to give y'all a quick update. I found someone locally who was selling a neo geo cabinet he had made into his MAME cabinet, so I picked it up this evening. He's moving from a house to an apartment and wouldn't have room for it, so he unloaded it for $40 for the cabinet and coin door... doesn't include the control panel.
It's in great condition, so I'll start with this and move on to the computer and control panel. If I get sucked in to the hobby I can start building a cab sometime next year, but certainly no rush at this point.
I've looked around on the site and am having a hard time figuring out what I need as far as computing power goes. I see all of these processors being mentioned, but I've been out of the computer scene for so long that they all sound the same to me at this point. I want to have all the MAME games, and probably everything up through N64 emulators and a nice fronted (based on the poll in the software forum, I'll probably go with either Hyperspin or Mala -- still need to do my research).
Would any generic computer like this (http://www.amazon.com/Dell-i3646-1000BLK-Inspiron-Desktop/dp/B00KE80VV6/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1409192942&sr=1-1&keywords=computer) do the trick?
Based on y'alls advice, i'll probably start taking a look at computers now that I've got a cabiet, and then start sketching out a control panel concept.
benarcade:
My first MAME machine was a 486
Slugworth:
One more quick question on the Control Panel. Looking through most of the examples on the site, it seems the 4 player panels are generally pretty large, but it looks like the old Kanami 4 player games (TMNT, Simpsons, etc) were only about 37 inches.
I'll build a mock up with cardboard, but has anyone tried playing on a smaller 4 player panel with any success? It seems it'd be a good compromise of keeping it smaller and cleaner for primarily 1-2 player use, but still being able to accommodate 4 players when the occasions arise.
Also, is there a database of pre-made templates somewhere that I could use to start off? I've seen the button templates on slag coin, but I'm looking for the whole 38" control panel, or something similar. I just downloaded sketchup, so I'll play around with that and see where it gets me.
How much do people on here (the professional folks) charge to do a CP?
shponglefan:
--- Quote from: Slugworth on August 27, 2014, 10:59:19 pm ---One more quick question on the Control Panel. Looking through most of the examples on the site, it seems the 4 player panels are generally pretty large, but it looks like the old Kanami 4 player games (TMNT, Simpsons, etc) were only about 37 inches.
--- End quote ---
Those older 4 player panels like Konami arcades were designed so that player 3 and 4 stood off to the side. So more space was gained at the expense of viewing angle. I remember playing on those arcades and being on the outside wasn't particularly ideal.
And just IMHO, but a lot of older arcade panels were on the narrow side. Personally, I don't like to go below 30 inches even for just a two player panel. It's one thing when you played them as a skinny kid/teenager. But when you have multiple full-grown adults at an arcade, a little more room is nice to have.
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