The Legend of Zelda. Calling it finished.

[yotsuya]

I don't see Wyo as being a guy worried about taking the cheap route. Use a nice computer, not a P4. You can get a Core2Duo for around the price of a Pi.

[Wyo]

Just to be clear, is your current plan to have this build be a dedicated NES cab? If thats the goal and you don't care about other games/systems a $35 R-pi, a $15 NES on a chip system (+ your not cheep ever drive), a $20'ish Original Xbox running coinOPS, or even an old P4 PC that could probably be found for free would have enough power to run a what you need. There are trade offs between these options, but an old PC with a CRT monitor is probably the way to go, if all you want is NES games with out going all out a modded original NES.

http://www.element14.com/community/community/raspberry-pi/raspberrypi2?ICID=rpimain-feature-products

http://www.amazon.com/NES-Retro-Entertainment-System-Black-Nintendo/dp/B002RYLG4Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1430943496&sr=1-3&keywords=NES

Ebay for old Original Xbox

Craigslist or a post on face book may good way to find a free old PC that some one would love to have out of there house.

THanks for the suggestions.  The main problem with everything that you said is that I dont know what any of it means! haha    Im not that computer literate as far as programming, which is funny because Im a graphic designer. haha.  I actually had to get help with my FIFJ cab because I got so frustrated trying to direct boot the PC and I finally gave up.

Yeah, that was my intention with this cabinet.  A dedicated NES multi game is the goal for this cabinet.  That is why I was wanted to a PC 10 or use an NES.

Now Im hearing that front ends such as Hyperspin dont allow for coin up?  And it can only be set as free play?  So if true,  that defeats the purpose of having coin mechs....which is something I really wanted for this cabinet.  Did I hear correct?

[Wyo]

I don't see Wyo as being a guy worried about taking the cheap route. Use a nice computer, not a P4. You can get a Core2Duo for around the price of a Pi.

Yeah, quality is really important to me...which does get expensive. 

  It would definitely be hard to justify such a huge cabinet for such a small pcb. The inside of the cab I built for my Arcade SD looks ridiculously empty. Haha.   But, I am open to ideas on the best way to get what I need in this thing...a NES multi game machine.

[yotsuya]

THanks for the suggestions.  The main problem with everything that you said is that I dont know what any of it means! haha    Im not that computer literate as far as programming, which is funny because Im a graphic designer. haha.  I actually had to get help with my FIFJ cab because I got so frustrated trying to direct boot the PC and I finally gave up.

Yeah, that was my intention with this cabinet.  A dedicated NES multi game is the goal for this cabinet.  That is why I was wanted to a PC 10 or use an NES.

Now Im hearing that front ends such as Hyperspin dont allow for coin up?  And it can only be set as free play?  So if true,  that defeats the purpose of having coin mechs....which is something I really wanted for this cabinet.  Did I hear correct?

Dude, this is your first rodeo, isn't it? 

You don't need to coin up in Hyperspin, you coin up in game. However, NES games obviously didn't use coin up commands (unless they were Playchoice or Vs. versions). My cab is strictly going to run Vs. games, which use coin-up. But if you want to run all sorts of NES games that were never intended for the arcade, you're not going to be able to coin them up.

[Wyo]

Haha, yeah.  Im not really that experienced with this stuff.

Well....THAT SUCKS! This has been an informative week Ill tell you that much.  So does that mean Im back to the PC 10 idea?  Please say YES! haha. 

I guess I confused MAME which does allow for coin up with whatever emulator I use for NES in Hyperspin.  I figured it all went through the front end which allowed for coin up like an arcade machine.  Thanks for verifying this for me.  Now I have more thinking to do.....

[yotsuya]

Haha, yeah.  Im not really that experienced with this stuff.

Well....THAT SUCKS! This has been an informative week Ill tell you that much.  So does that mean Im back to the PC 10 idea?  Please say YES! haha. 

I guess I confused MAME which does allow for coin up with whatever emulator I use for NES in Hyperspin.  I figured it all went through the front end which allowed for coin up like an arcade machine.  Thanks for verifying this for me.  Now I have more thinking to do.....

Look, I am totally happy helping you get the FE and every thing set up, depending on the route you want to go. Once you decide, let me know. I would ask guys on KLOV who do the multicart/Playchoice setup to make sure it does what you want it to.

[Wyo]

Haha, yeah.  Im not really that experienced with this stuff.

Well....THAT SUCKS! This has been an informative week Ill tell you that much.  So does that mean Im back to the PC 10 idea?  Please say YES! haha. 

I guess I confused MAME which does allow for coin up with whatever emulator I use for NES in Hyperspin.  I figured it all went through the front end which allowed for coin up like an arcade machine.  Thanks for verifying this for me.  Now I have more thinking to do.....

Look, I am totally happy helping you get the FE and every thing set up, depending on the route you want to go. Once you decide, let me know. I would ask guys on KLOV who do the multicart/Playchoice setup to make sure it does what you want it to.

Appreciate it man!!! Thanks for all your input thus far too!

[yotsuya]

Haha, yeah.  Im not really that experienced with this stuff.

Well....THAT SUCKS! This has been an informative week Ill tell you that much.  So does that mean Im back to the PC 10 idea?  Please say YES! haha. 

I guess I confused MAME which does allow for coin up with whatever emulator I use for NES in Hyperspin.  I figured it all went through the front end which allowed for coin up like an arcade machine.  Thanks for verifying this for me.  Now I have more thinking to do.....

Look, I am totally happy helping you get the FE and every thing set up, depending on the route you want to go. Once you decide, let me know. I would ask guys on KLOV who do the multicart/Playchoice setup to make sure it does what you want it to.

Appreciate it man!!! Thanks for all your input thus far too!

No problem, man. I just want to make sure you get what you want in the end.

[ChanceKJ]

There's a brilliant idea. Take the $15 NES on a chip. De-case it, wire it in to your CP direct, pop your carts into it call it a day.  (I'd also decade the carts, but that's a look and feel thing.

(---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, I should do this for an upcoming project of mine...)

[ChanceKJ]

Here's a thought, the issue is "Arcade feel for a game that was never in an arcade (Origial TLOZ)", right? So, no "coin up" programmed into the NES cart, or any rom I'm aware of, of said game.

Could you just wire the "start" button to both the coin mech switches and a pair of start buttons on the CP so you can still "coin up" persay? 

Or did I miss something.

[juggle50]

That's a great idea actually.  You could drop a coin in mid game to pause too .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[yotsuya]

Most people map Start to P1 and Select to P2. Works well.

[Vigo]

What you can do is map your coin as a game start for your front end. Highlight the game you want, toss in a quarter and the game will start. Not a common thing to do, but if you really want to utilize that coin mech for console emulators, that would workt. Not cost effective, but it would be cool to get custom tokens labeled as "Rupees" and have the cabinet taken them.

[yotsuya]

That's a good idea, Vigo. Keep P1 as start with the actual Rom, but use coin for selection. Genius!

[ChanceKJ]

Custom tokens are not as expensive as you'd think...

http://m.aliexpress.com/search.htm?keywords=custom+token+coin

[yotsuya]

Well, one thing that Wyo should understand is that it will just basically turn the game on. He'll still need to push a button to start it. But I think that's a good idea, Vigo.

[Vigo]

Well, one thing that Wyo should understand is that it will just basically turn the game on. He'll still need to push a button to start it. But I think that's a good idea, Vigo.

[yotsuya]

I keep forgetting you're the only ---maternal-smurf--- around here that has any sense.

[Vigo]

  Maybe sometimes. I have my bouts of insanity too. 

[RetroGreg]

What you can do is map your coin as a game start for your front end. Highlight the game you want, toss in a quarter and the game will start. Not a common thing to do, but if you really want to utilize that coin mech for console emulators, that would workt. Not cost effective, but it would be cool to get custom tokens labeled as "Rupees" and have the cabinet taken them.

This is a great idea for the coin up!

[Wyo]

So basically what you guys are all saying is, it would be cheaper for me to fly one of you out to Denver and help me set this up on the PC side then it would be for me to install a PC-10 in this thing? Haha

No, the problem Im having in understanding what you are all suggesting is because of an unfamiliarity with Hyperspin and how it works.  However, Im sure it makes perfect sense and once I get to that point where I get a PC and play around with it....I will know exactly how to configure the wiring.  Appreciate all the great ideas that are helping me take this cab where I want it to go! 

[Locke141]

I don't see Wyo as being a guy worried about taking the cheap route. Use a nice computer, not a P4. You can get a Core2Duo for around the price of a Pi.

I was trying to make the point that NES games will run fine through emulations on very older low power hardware. A Core2Duo would open up more options for FE.

 Hyperspin is not the most user friendly FE you may want to look at some other options for your first build.

Vego, I love you coin up idea.

[Wyo]

There's a brilliant idea. Take the $15 NES on a chip. De-case it, wire it in to your CP direct, pop your carts into it call it a day.  (I'd also decade the carts, but that's a look and feel thing.

(---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, I should do this for an upcoming project of mine...)

What are you saying here Chance?  De case a NES and wire the internals directly to the CP?  If so, I actually considered doing that....that was my first plan.  I was just going to load it with the Everdrive.  That whole idea got sidetracked when I decided I wanted this thing to coin up. haha

[Wyo]

What you can do is map your coin as a game start for your front end. Highlight the game you want, toss in a quarter and the game will start. Not a common thing to do, but if you really want to utilize that coin mech for console emulators, that would workt. Not cost effective, but it would be cool to get custom tokens labeled as "Rupees" and have the cabinet taken them.

 I think I understand what you are suggesting here....and that sounds like a great idea.   I can wire both the P1 start and the coin mechs together.  That way, if I get tired of the novelty of coining up, I can just skip it.  Great solution! 

[Wyo]

 Hyperspin is not the most user friendly FE you may want to look at some other options for your first build.

Do you have a suggestion as far as a better front end that would work for what Im going for? I know of the others....I think I just picked this one because everybody else seems to be doing it. haha.

[Locke141]

Do you have a suggestion as far as a better front end that would work for what Im going for? I know of the others....I think I just picked this one because everybody else seems to be doing it. haha.

Attract mode is open, free, quick and EZ to set up. I have not tryed this to do it but to says you can import Mala temples.
http://attractmode.org

Atomic FE is older and no longer supported but will run on older hardware and is simpler the hyper spin. It has everything you need.
 http://www.atomicfe.com 

You may want to look at the wiki there is a huge list with descriptions.

http://newwiki.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?title=Front-Ends

[yotsuya]

It's not like some of us don't have perfectly working Hyperspin setups that we keep using because, well, they actually work. Its not like you can't copy the setup from one drive to another. I've been using the same Hyperspin setup for 5 years with no issues, on many different machines.

Maybe you need to figure out exactly what you want, and the rest of us idea men should shut up until you get there.

[yotsuya]

What you can do is map your coin as a game start for your front end. Highlight the game you want, toss in a quarter and the game will start. Not a common thing to do, but if you really want to utilize that coin mech for console emulators, that would workt. Not cost effective, but it would be cool to get custom tokens labeled as "Rupees" and have the cabinet taken them.

 I think I understand what you are suggesting here....and that sounds like a great idea.   I can wire both the P1 start and the coin mechs together.  That way, if I get tired of the novelty of coining up, I can just skip it.  Great solution!

I wouldn't physically wire the coin slots to player one start, as that could cause issues with different games. You can always just reassign the key in the front end if you get tired of coining up to select a game.

[Wyo]

It's not like some of us don't have perfectly working Hyperspin setups that we keep using because, well, they actually work. Its not like you can't copy the setup from one drive to another. I've been using the same Hyperspin setup for 5 years with no issues, on many different machines.

Maybe you need to figure out exactly what you want, and the rest of us idea men should shut up until you get there.

Something I didnt know.

Nah man, its everybody's ideas and brainstorming are helping to lead me towards my decision.  Im not trying to waste anybody's time.  The electronic aspect of this build was the one thing I was unsure about.   Im trying to weigh all the options and what all will be involved before I commit the money towards a solution.   Anyway...Ive learned a lot this week and Ill definitely keep it in mind.

Looking forward to getting back to work next week when the weather gets better.  Hope to have a real update soon. 

[yotsuya]

It's not like some of us don't have perfectly working Hyperspin setups that we keep using because, well, they actually work. Its not like you can't copy the setup from one drive to another. I've been using the same Hyperspin setup for 5 years with no issues, on many different machines.

Maybe you need to figure out exactly what you want, and the rest of us idea men should shut up until you get there.

Something I didnt know.

Nah man, its everybody's ideas and brainstorming are helping to lead me towards my decision.  Im not trying to waste anybody's time.  The electronic aspect of this build was the one thing I was unsure about.   Im trying to weigh all the options and what all will be involved before I commit the money towards a solution.   Anyway...Ive learned a lot this week and Ill definitely keep it in mind.

Looking forward to getting back to work next week when the weather gets better.  Hope to have a real update soon.

We're all trying to help, bro. 

[ChanceKJ]

Yot's also knows I have a strong hatred for the overly complex coding abomination that You all refer to as Hyperspin.

I love Denver, I was there at Mile High for a paintball tournament back in 2004, always wanted to come back. Plus, if Johns Arcade has taught me anything there are a few arcade gems in your state. Love the airport too, out of all of the ones I've been too, it's a favourite for sure.

Yes, I was thinking de-case a NES and de-case a copy of Zelda. Mount that on the wall inside the cab and be done. I'd use those $15 NES on a chip for a couple reasons: don't destroy a NES or the Nintendo gods will smite you, they're cheap, they're modern hardware, they don't have the complexity of the slot load tray. Oh and if you destroy a NES the Nintendo gods WILL smite you.

[ChanceKJ]

Oh, and I forgot to mention, those NES flash carts look pretty bad ass. I just wouldn't decase them on account of how pricey they are.

I've been going back and forth on the gutts for a Mario Bros Cabaret, and between a Pi, arcade SD, PC, PC10, stock hardware, and a NES, I'm stuck too. But that's future Chance problems. Personally I'll probably go Pi because I can coin up in game. For TLOZ that's the one biggest non-arcade hurdle you'll have. ...unless someone wants to modify the code in the rom for you to really be "arcade authentic".

[yotsuya]

I think Hyperspin gets a bad rap sometimes. You can make it as simple or as flashy as you want it to be, you don't have to use individual game themes at all, and once you have a working setup, you can keep using it as many times as you want.

[Locke141]

I like Hyperspin, but I think there are EZ'er to setup front ends that will do every thing you need for a build dedicated to just one system.

If I doing a dedicated build for NES games as my first MAME build and I was not comfortable with the software side of things, I'd probably use Attract mode on the best cheep used PC I could find. That way I could spend my time working on customizing the team.   

The front end is not something you need to sweet over now any way. First decide if you want to use a PC (I would). Then down load a NES Emulator and go find the rome you think you want. Then you can try to set up a front end you can find help here with with all that. If you find ones to hard or doesn't give the look/feel you want you can just try another one.     

[yotsuya]

I prefer browsing by ImageList, myself. Text lists look so inelegant compared to images, especially when you start dealing with rom revision add on text. That's why I also like AtomicFE.

[BorgDog]

I prefer browsing by ImageList, myself. Text lists look so inelegant compared to images, especially when you start dealing with rom revision add on text. That's why I also like AtomicFE.

I'm using Mala and image lists as well, pretty easy to setup, fairly lightweight, and can be as complicated or simple as you want.. I go simple because it's just me 99% of the time and I know what I want to play and don't need bells, whistles, videos, music whatever to get there.

[Vigo]

Let me play devils advocate for a second here,because I don't want to be suggesting feature creep, and an nintendo cab shouldn't have too complex of a control layout, but have you considered trying to get a bulk of the top down Zeldas on your cab? If you don't mind a blown up handheld screen on your monitor, there are a bunch of games like minish cap, oracle of ages/seasons, links awakening dx, etc. And of course Link to the past from the SNES. I am pretty sure you would only need 4 play buttons (+ select and start) to get most of them to play.

And if you are adventerous, you can have it play Zelda II and those wacky CD-i Zelda games games.

[Superfrog]

My first two bartops where with Mala and that was easy to do and looked good.
With my KISS pinball I did use HyperSpin and it was a  to setup ( and I have a lot of patient ) I would liked to have more emulators on it, but it took a LOTTTTT of time and struggle 
At the end, HyperSpin looked great but it is a little bit overkill with all the animations and structure.
Male is easy to setup and use and even with a Image list and video playback it looks and feels great and peaceful  When you scroll tho ALLLLL the emulators and games in HyperSpin, it's a lot of noise and animations you have to dig into 

There are a lot of nice templates out there for Mala.
Just to give you some things to think about it 

Good Luck and wish you lots of wisdom 

[Vigo]

One caveat with using mala without mame, It will not function without a copy of mame. What you will need to do is just toss in a null copy of mame and set up custom menu so it will never look for the mame list.

[yotsuya]

I'm sure Mala works fine - I've just never used it. My point is that Hyperspin isn't as hard to setup as people seem to make it, and once you have it set up, you can recycle that setup in perpetuity.