would a dynamo cabinet work ok as a light gun cabinet?

[severdhed]

hey guys...i need some advice again.   i'm looking for a new project...i thought about building a miniature cabinet, but i just don't know if that is teh right choice.  so then i got to thinking that a gun cabinet might be a better option.  i had a cabinet a while ago that i started to turn into a gun cabinet, as well as a dynamo cabinet that was empty...but when we moved last summer, i got rid of them because i just didn't think i'd have the room for  them anymore. i kept only 1 cabinet, the smallest of the 3, that has a 19" LCD monitor.   i've been itching to play some gun games again lately, but all of my game consoles are connected to my DLP Projector, so that is out of the question.    i have a 26" TV that sits in my family room right now that my 2 year old watches movies on, via a modded xbox..  i was thinking about installign this in a cabinet so that he could still use it to watch TV, but i could also hook up my ps2 and use it for light gun games as well. 

i gave the twin tigers cabinet that i was using for my gun cabinet to a member of the forums here, who hopefully has put it to good use.  the dynamo cabinet i gave to a friend.  the cabinet is in decent shape, i even gave him a PC that was already set up with mame and a front end for in it...all he needed was a monitor/tv and controls.  i told him that i would help him   well, that was last august, and he still hasn't done anything with it. 

so i was thinking about asking him if he ever plans on doing anythign with it, or if he would be willing to let it go.   from the looks of the cabinet, it had a 25 or 27" monitor...so i'm thinking that my 26" Tv may just fit right in there (i'd have to do some measuring)  all i'd have to do is redo the control panel for gun holsters, mount the ps2 and xbox behind the coin door.   even then, i have a 2 player xarcade unit just collecting dust that i could mount in there and use it for more than just gun games for that matter. 

i haven't talked to him yet, so he may not want to get rid of it, but i figured i'd get your opinions before i talk to him.


here is a pic of the cabinet when i first brought it to my old house, before cleaning it up.



do you think the monitor angle is laid back too far for a gun cabinet?  the TV i have only has composite video..but that is what i was using before and it was OK for the gun games....i dont know if it would look good enough to be standing close to it for other types of games or not.

also, do you think that the angle would be laid back too far for my 2 year old to watch TV on it from his miniature recliner? 

should i go for it?  or should i look around and hope i find a gun style cabinet for cheap? 

[pinballwizard79]

The cat may interfere with the lightguns.

[severdhed]

no...that is Joey...he is IR-transparent.

[taz-nz]

do you think the monitor angle is laid back too far for a gun cabinet? 

Shouldn't be an issue, plenty of arcade light gun games come housed in dynamo cabs.

[YoGaBaR]

Thats a great idea!

[foleykoontz]

Ya this cabinet would be fine, the angle is not too extreme. I even used an old Golden Tee/Mortal Kombat cabinet where the angle was extreme and I haven't had any trouble playing any shooting games other than Area 51 (but that's a different set of problems). But ya, a PS2 is the way to go if you want a light gun cabinet.

[severdhed]

perhaps i'll ask him about the cabinet sometime this week.  i doubt he will ever do anythign with it.

i hope it will be ok for my son to still watch TV on it...i'd hate to take away his tv so that i can play a few gun games.
i figured i use the PS2 since i have it already, as well as time crisis 3 and vampire night..with two guncon 2 guns.  i'll keep an eye out for some xbox guns, and dreamcast guns as well, since i already have found some of the gun games cheap..i just havent found any guns for them.  i could also use another saturn gun, that way i could play virtua cop and maximum force.

[foleykoontz]

perhaps i'll ask him about the cabinet sometime this week.  i doubt he will ever do anythign with it.

i hope it will be ok for my son to still watch TV on it...i'd hate to take away his tv so that i can play a few gun games.
i figured i use the PS2 since i have it already, as well as time crisis 3 and vampire night..with two guncon 2 guns.  i'll keep an eye out for some xbox guns, and dreamcast guns as well, since i already have found some of the gun games cheap..i just havent found any guns for them.  i could also use another saturn gun, that way i could play virtua cop and maximum force.

Is vampire night any good? That's one of the few that I don't own yet. Also I would skip the Xbox if I were you, I think it only has 2 gun games (silent scope and HOTD 3) and the Dreamcast has a decent list but STAY AWAY FROM DEATH CRIMSON OX!! That game will make you seriously feel like you're having a seizure.There's also a Sega Smash Pack for the Dreamcast that actually includes Virtua Cop 2 in case you don't want to find a saturn somewhere.

[Turnarcades]

My first cab used a 21" TV just so I could use PS1 light guns for Time Crisis and the Point Blank Series, and that ad a sloped angle with no problems:

[severdhed]

vampire night is fun...it got played alot more than timecrisis 3 did because it has a good 2 player mode that doesnt require two tvs and two ps2s

i already have a saturn and 1 gun...id just need a second one...and i dont think ill spend the money for another.  i would really like to get a set of dreamcast guns though

[foleykoontz]

i already have a saturn and 1 gun...id just need a second one...and i dont think ill spend the money for another.  i would really like to get a set of dreamcast guns though

Be careful with the Dreamcast guns, they are not nearly as accurate as the Guncons and it's actually impossible to calibrate them on most games. I used the Interact ones and I know there are others out there so maybe they might be more accurate.