My New Cab's Under Way (woo hoo)... What Do You Think of the Graphics...?

[RoninEditor]

After two years of being jealous of you all, sitting on the sidelines, reading my Project Arcade book, I finally ordered my parts!!  I'm basing my design roughly on the Project Arcade one but have altered a lot of it.  I really wanted to capture that feel of walking into the arcade as a kid, when I'd see Ms. Pacman.  I wanted to have that same feeling with my cabinet that I'm building now, but with a modern touch.  I'm pretty sure I'm going with these graphics that I designed (based, obviously, on Ms. Pacman)  and would love to get your opinions:

Marquee:


Control Panel:


And here's a mocked up, rough layout of what my cabinet might look like...


The control panel won't be a 'box' though and there will eventually be side art, which is what I'm really gonna need your guys' input on down the line.  But for now, here's kinda where I am with it.

I'll be posting the build pix as I get it into shape, right now I'm fine-tune-sanding everything to make sure the pieces are exact.

Also, my parts are as follows:

2xU360s
Happ Buttons (with homemade inserts to make them 'pop' more)
Happ 3" Trackball
Happ Over/Under Coindoor (with LED lights)
Groovy Game Gear's LED Marquee Light (with wiring harness)
HP 2.6ghz, 1 RAM, ATI 9800 Radeon Pro 128mb
27" Sharp TV
3/4" MDF

[DrumAnBass]

Looks schweet!!

[BASS!]

I love a good dynamo / taito cab, but inst the feeling your going after something a bit older? Before you go too far along, why not look at some of the shapes for older donkey kong, galaga and pacman, and go off those. Just my oppinion, but I think if your looking for the nostalgia of pacman, make it look like pacman :-P





for side art, they already have stencil kits and color codes are available here, maybe even just modify the stencil, and make your own name portion to make it easy.

[RoninEditor]

I looooooooooooooove those shapes!!  Originally, when I first designed it, that's EXACTLY what I did, especially with an enclosed CP vs. the more modern 'table top' ones, like the one in the picture (which was a Primal Rage 2 cab that I Photoshopped with my graphics).  There were two issues preventing me from doing that though... the trackball (with its 7" mounting plate) taking up too much room in the middle, and then the height and width of my 27" monitor totally blowing the dimensions of the original cabs (not being able to sink the 27" tv safely, with stabilty). 

I figured with this being my first attempt, that hopefully I work the kinks out on this one, then go back and make a dedicated one player Ms. Pacman/Galaga one in the coming years, that looks like the original, one with the right height and monitor size.  I think down the line, I'd like to try it with a 'real' monitor too, just get it as legit as possible.  I forget his name, but I saw someone on here building a Ms. Pacman shape, customized for his daughter that was friggin' AMAZING.  It was a little depressing how good it was!! haha   

Honestly, what sold my wife on the whole thing was when I literally was about to just buy the Ms. Pacman/Galaga for $3,500 or whatever it is, then showing her how it's cheaper to build my own! haha  And at first, I was soooooo back and forth on the graphics, between those two, at first, it was all Galaga but I figured both games are 100% classics but maybe the Ms. Pacman graphics were more recognizable to guests coming over.  However, I had to 'man it up' a bit by swapping the pink with red

[RoninEditor]

Looks schweet!!

Thanks!!!  I'm looking for enough confidence to go head to Mamemarquees and getting these printed up.

(Also, minor note; the two admin keys... they are actually gonna say "Pause" and then "Back.")

[leapinlew]

(Also, minor note; the two admin keys... they are actually gonna say "Pause" and then "Back.")

Those 2 buttons will get hit when your playing bowling or golden tee. You should consider moving them.

Good luck with the build.

[RoninEditor]

Ah, good point about the admin keys. 

[psychotech]

 

Nothing wrong with the admin button placement, you'll just need to countersunk them so that the button tops are flush with the plexi or whatever you'll be using on top of the overlay. Easy access & still out of the way.. No unintentional pausing or anything.

Well, I'll be doing something similar with my trackball/mouse buttons on my next build (or the one after that ... )

Good luck 

[golfboyusa]

I'd be careful about countersinking buttons directly in front of the trackball. A Golden Tee game could turn into a finger ripped wide open. I did it myself on an older GT cab back in the day, there was a counter sunk screw near the monitor bezel. I damn near went to the emergency room for stitches!

[RoninEditor]

I was going over a 're-plan' but I kinda think they might be okay there, with a normal button installation... only because I only would use the trackball for maybe 5% of all games and I don't get too crazy with Golden Tee... my drunk friends... ah, maybe a different story, haha.  Most of us use the hands ahead of the trackball, reaching back with the thumbs 'method'... vs. what I've seen at bars, where dudes, like, damn near Happy Gilmore style run at it and hammer it, sometimes hitting the monitor plexi with their hands, LOL.  We're a lot more casual than that, haha. 

I wasn't gonna place any admin buttons on top (the rest are on the side, pinball style) but I thought it might be good for easy Mala menu navigation, as well as a quick pause without looking for it. 

[psychotech]

...there was a counter sunk screw near the monitor bezel. I damn near went to the emergency room for stitches!

Sorry to hear that but a countersunked button can't hurt you that way It'd just work