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Jedimonkey27:
Hi everybody!

I am kind of new here, just a couple of posts and I would really like to build my own arcade cabinet. I want to build it so that I can play games on MAME and Nintendo emulators and other games as well, pretty much everything. I have picked up a copy of Project Arcade and read through most of it. I want to a Star Wars themed cabinet because well, I'm a nerd. ;D

But I have some questions, what type of cabinet should I build, upright, or cocktail. Space is tight but I think I could fit either
with some rearranging. Also, what and how many controls should I have? And thirdly, how big should the monitor be? Is 15 inches big enough?

I am on a tight budget. I have already purchased the computer and I would like to be able to remove it and use it normally as well. Also, I wasn't alive for most of the 80's so I am not really attached to any particular games like you old folks. ;) Any help would be great!

old school gamer:

--- Quote from: Jedimonkey27 on August 24, 2004, 04:27:28 pm --- Also, I wasn't alive for most of the 80's so I am not really attached to any particular games like you old folks. ;) Any help would be great!


--- End quote ---
 Old Folks.... Meh

DaveMMR:

--- Quote from: Jedimonkey27 on August 24, 2004, 04:27:28 pm ---Hi everybody!

I am kind of new here, just a couple of posts and I would really like to build my own arcade cabinet. I want to build it so that I can play games on MAME and Nintendo emulators and other games as well, pretty much everything. I have picked up a copy of Project Arcade and read through most of it. I want to a Star Wars themed cabinet because well, I'm a nerd. ;D

But I have some questions, what type of cabinet should I build, upright, or cocktail. Space is tight but I think I could fit either
with some rearranging. Also, what and how many controls should I have? And thirdly, how big should the monitor be? Is 15 inches big enough?

I am on a tight budget. I have already purchased the computer and I would like to be able to remove it and use it normally as well. Also, I wasn't alive for most of the 80's so I am not really attached to any particular games like you old folks. ;) Any help would be great!


--- End quote ---

First you should probably go with the standard 6 button 2 player layout since you no lika da oldees (maybe 7 is you like the Neo Geo layout).  Secondly, upright is the way to go because cocktails take up more floor space (unless you live in a short room ala the office in Being John Malkovich).  Third, you could theoretically share the computer, but it may just be easier to find a cheapie somewhere (sometimes people throw out perfectly good computers for MAME purposes).  Last, I'm not old - I'm only 28.  ;D   Have fun.

RayB:

--- Quote from: DaveMMR on August 24, 2004, 05:33:28 pm ---Last, I'm not old - I'm only 28.  ;D   Have fun.

--- End quote ---

When i was 20 I went on a couple dates with a 28 year old, and I thought she looked OLD!

 ;D


DougHillman:
Honestly, none of these questions are really able to be answered by anyone but you.  

We can't tell you whether you'd prefer an upright or a cocktail.  Or whether you truly have room for either.

We can't tell you how many controls you need.  Who'll play it?  Just you?  2 players at once?  4?  Do you HAVE to be able to play some of the great trackball or spinner games (Missle Command, Centipede, Marble Madness, Tempest, Arkanoid, etc)?   Are you really wanting to play the more recent fighters?

We can't tell you how big your monitor should be.  What's "big enough" to you?  What size & type of cabinet are you building?   (15" wouldn't be big enough in anything other than a bartop for me, but that's just my opinion.)


These are all things that you (and only you) can decide.   It's YOUR cabinet, not ours.  It's YOU building it, not us.

Many folks here will be more than happy to give suggestions (which may turn out to be more than useless, depending on your specific needs/wants) but that's all that can really be done for you at this point.  


What you need to do is spend a lot more time reading these forums and checking out the examples link on the main www.arcadecontrols.com page.  Take notes.  Save pictures and links to the cabinets that you like.   See what others have done and how they've solved the same problems you have.  Learn from others' innovations and mistakes.  Read the Newbie FAQ.  Buy the book that's advertised all over these pages if you can't cull what you need from these pages.

And then decide what exactly you need/want out of cabinet.  Come back with specific questions then, and you're gonna get help which will actually be of much more use to you.


Here's a few basic comments just so no one claims I'm not helpful:

Sizewise, an upright will make more effecient use of space (unless your cocktail cab will also do double duty as a coffee table).   Remember that you've really gotta have access to both ends if you want to play 2P games on a cocktail.  

Controls are entirely dependant on what you want to play.  A 2 stick w/2 buttons each layout will play the huge majority of games in MAME acceptably.  4 buttons or 6 buttons each will add in the majority of the rest.  As I mentioned above though, some of the most popular games require a trackball or spinner.



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