The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: marzman on December 08, 2009, 06:46:21 pm
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Hey all...
I wish i'd found this site a few months ago... OMG!!!
I built my first ever arcade machine from scratch this summer. I've never had any experience with arcade's before, or DIY on this scale. I've always been a gamer, primarily a snes and n64 fanboy.
For this machine... i had no plans, or any designs to copy - i just made it completely from scratch in my head. My original planned budget was supposed to be under £100, but it ended up costing me £300. I had planned to build my own custom sticks, which i did build but they were terrible... so i ended up buying a used x-arcade stick and re-designing the front of the cab.
Lastly, i had real trouble getting a good paint finish, so i decided not to go for a plexi bezel and mounted the monitor direct to the wood, and covered in black felt. It looks good, but i think eventually i will revisit and cover with plexi.
Its running a PC with maximus arcade and just nes, snes, n46, master system, and mega drive... and i've got an actual dreamcast in there too, with the x-arcade hooked up to it too, although i have to manually plug the cable into it. I have a vga switch box between the PC and the DC.
Labour time was around 7 or 8 full days... but i could do it in 3 next time...
Anyway, here's the pics...
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1001.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1002.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1004.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1006.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1009.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1013.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1083.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1086.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1087.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1088.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1089.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1090.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1093.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1095.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1097.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1119.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1120.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1124.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1125.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1128.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1129.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1130.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1131.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1136.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1132.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/Photo1133.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/104_1149.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/104_1142.jpg)
And the finished article... for now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxCOcow4yQU
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/104_1307.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/104_1309.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/104_1311.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/104_1318.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/104_1320.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/104_1321.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/104_1322.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/104_1303.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g210/marzman_2006/Arcade%20Project/104_1304.jpg)
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cool...congrats on your first cabinet, looks like you did a good job, especially for having no plans.
i like the chrome tmolding, it really looks nice. you will probably catch some flak for using an x-arcade, but thats ok, you can always change that later. i used an xarcade on my cabinet for a long time, then i made my own panel and transplanted the components from the x-arcade into it. that made it blend in with my cabinet alot better and allowed me to move some of the buttons around, all without spending much money at all. i ran a dreamcast in my cabinet for a while also, i used a 9pin serial port switch box so i could leave it connected to the PC and dreamcast both at the same time, i just had to turn a knob to switch between the two.
http://www.pchcables.com/db9ab2wayswb.html (http://www.pchcables.com/db9ab2wayswb.html)
i got that and two 9pin serial cables and that worked really well for the dreamcast.
good job, congratulations.
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That looks awesome congratulations! I'm a newbie too and I haven't finished my cab...But I'll get to that later congrats dude!
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Thanks for the comments guys.
severdhed - i spent ages on eBay looking for a serial switch but couldnt find one, and came to the conclusion they didnt exist - so thanks for that :cheers:
Funnel - get it finished mate, its so satisfying when its done... and i've been playing Bust-a-move, bomberman and micro machines with my girlfriend every night this week.
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Looks great man! Love the Guile marquee.