Starting to work on "Gamenstein"

[dvdapex]

Well, after having my first MAME cab for 2 years now, I've decided to make a 2nd cab with some of the things I miss from the first.

My first cab was a NeoGeo MVS cab and, although I loved it, I wanted to be able to play 4 player games and my wife wanted to be able to play MK and SF2 and the like.  So, that cabinet's going to go and be replaced by "Gamenstein."

I was thinking about naming the machine "Mamenstein" but it's going to play Genesis, NES, PSX, SNES, TG-16, Mame and Atari games (all the consoles will use original controllers -- except for TG-16).  So, it's going to have a "Frankenstein" quality to it and it's going to play more than MAME games, so "Gamenstein" it is (if someone wants to use "Mamenstein" go right ahead )

As I said, it's going to be a 4 player, built-from-scratch cabinet with a 27" TV for the monitor (I've already got the TV and I love it in the tests I've done, so don't try to get me to spend $500 for an arcade monitor!).  I'm working on the software end of things (getting my games in order and my front end set up, etc) now as it's too cold for me to begin the hardware work in the garage (I live in WI).

I've already got the Sega Genesis controlers hacked to work with my IPAC, the SNES controllers are the next to go under the knife.  

I'll post pictures as I get them.

[Stingray]

Sounds like an ambitious project. I look forward to following your progress.

-S

[Pyro]

dvdapex,

Are you planning on running all the console controls through your Ipac? I wasn't aware you could do that with NES and SNES controllers... all I have seen are parallel port hacks for those. If you have some schematics/plans that work another way, would you mind sharing them? I am contemplating doing the same thing with my upcoming cab project for Atari 2600 sticks, Genesis, NES, & SNES controllers. The other option is a couple USB gamepads which would be MUCH easier, but wouldn't be nearly as fun!

Thanks!

Pyro

[GGKoul]

Hey!!

Mamenstein is my machine name!!

[Harakiri]

Man, are you intending to "destroy" those Pads! Please don't, in the future they're going to be history!  

A hint: Hack new pads that are being sold cheap on the market and interface them with your PC to play the dedicated emulators!

There's lots of ways to do it you just gotta ask!  

Good luck in your project!

[Pyro]

The reason I asked how dvdapex was planning on interfacing the console pads with the Ipac was because if I do it, I didn't want to destroy any pads, but rather I want to take the pad jacks/recepticles out of broken consoles and mount them on my cabinet. By doing it this way the pads remain untouched. To me, interfacing them with the Ipac would be cleaner than doing a parallel port hack... that's just my opinion though. Regardless of which way I decide to do it (if I don't just go with generic usb pads) I want to mount the recepticles for the pads on my cab.

Pyro

[dvdapex]

Hey!!

Mamenstein is my machine name!!

Well then, it's a good thing I didn't choose to use that as well  Seriously, when I was trying to think of a name, I searched Google for "Mamenstein" and didn't see anything.  I have since seen many of your posts and realize you had it before I would have.

[dvdapex]

An update on my "progress" and to answer a couple of concerns.

First, I hacked the Genesis 3 button pads by removing the logic chips.  This has to be done prior to interfacing them with the IPAC.  Also, I'm not too concerned with being a museum.  I wouldn't destroy an original Pac Man cabinet by converting it to play MK but hacking a game pad so that I can use it to play the games it was built for only on a different system is no reason to shed a tear.

I have used the JUMP Interface plans to hack my SNES pads.  They remain resonably in-tact so that they can still be used with my SNES if I'd like.  The interface is super easy and really clean.  I use NTPad drivers on XP and it works well.  Pyro, do a search in google for "JUMP Interface" and you'll have the instructions there.  If you need help, or want me to do the mods for you, let me know (I've only experienced the SNES mod.  NES pads need additional power that should be easy enough to get, but I don't want to mess with it, so if you need help with NES pads, you're on your own )

I've decided that I'm going to use the Simpsons/TMNT 4 player cabinet as the model for my cabinet.  I'm going to get the materials this weekend and hopefully start cutting and building in the next couple of weeks.  

I've decided to skip the Atari games on the cabinet.  Many of the games are poor arcade ports and although I'd love to have Pitfall, Haunted House and Adventure on my cabinet, I think I'll pass (at least for now).

I've also decided that I'll have 4 SNES pads used in the cabinet for Bomberman.  Ah, that game was THE GPA-killer for me in college...

[IceCold]

I've decided to skip the Atari games on the cabinet.  Many of the games are poor arcade ports and although I'd love to have Pitfall, Haunted House and Adventure on my cabinet, I think I'll pass (at least for now).

Just play it with your arcade controls then.  You don't have to actually get Atari joysticks working with it, but it would take about a minute and a half to just have your arcade controls control it.

[Mr. Dude]

Also, I'm not too concerned with being a museum.  I wouldn't destroy an original Pac Man cabinet by converting it to play MK but hacking a game pad so that I can use it to play the games it was built for only on a different system is no reason to shed a tear.

I couldn't agree more man!  I understand preserving some of the old cabs and such but when you start getting into "save the gamepads" that's going a little far.  That's borderline Tree Hugging Hippie Extremest if you ask me.  Anyway, it sounds like you have a cool idea.  Keep us posted with the updates.