Omega-TI Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 Damn, some of you gamer's impress the crap out of me. I've been stuck in my own little Classic Computer world and just started looking at MAME stuff... HOLY KER-AP!!! I'd like to see what kind of units you guys have built to house your systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperman Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 (edited) (This) is my favorite link on the subject--but then they all kind of start looking alike to me. I kid, I kid... Edited August 4, 2014 by Reaperman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted August 4, 2014 Author Share Posted August 4, 2014 Whoa! I'm not sure I would be able to build anything that nice (or large). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperman Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 (edited) Whoa! I'm not sure I would be able to build anything that nice (or large). Oh no, that's not mine. It's an example from the horrible mamecab thread, which I'm just noticing seems to require an account--whoops. Edited August 5, 2014 by Reaperman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynicaster Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Here's my scratch-built cabinet, built 3 years ago. I can't even tell you the number of hours I've spent on this thing, and it never seems to get old. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 Oh yeah, that looks sweeeeet! I love the addition of the cup holder! When I get around to making mine, I'm gonna rip-off your idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDW Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 (edited) I highly doubt we can have a MAME cabinet thread without these bad boys being posted at least once. http://www.wickedretarded.com/~crapmame/ http://mame-cabinet-archive.koenigs.dk/mameshame.htm Take notes, children. This is what to avoid. Edited August 5, 2014 by BDW 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 I highly doubt we can have a MAME cabinet thread without these bad boys being posted at least once. http://www.wickedretarded.com/~crapmame/ http://mame-cabinet-archive.koenigs.dk/mameshame.htm Take notes, children. This is what to avoid. YEAH NO KIDDING!!!! Thanks for that post, I needed a good laugh... and I now know what NOT to do! I guessed wrong, I thought this was a poorly made draw poker gambling device. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Darrin9999 Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Here is mine built last yr. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+wongojack Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Here is mine built last yr. Cool control panel. I like the stick with the top button and the spinner right there for a quick game of Tron or Heavy Barrel. Amazing how often you want a stick mounted button when you don't have one. My cab would probably make a nice addition to the hideous thread, but I like it. I got it on craigslist and have made some improvements to make it easier to interface with. Really what is important when you are getting started are the controls. You could experiment with with rolling workstations or laptop stands that let you stand and play emulated games with an arcade style PC controller, but start by getting the hang of working with MAME & finding ROMs. Find a cheap PC controller and figure out how to control your MAME UI with it. Eventually, when you get things in the cab, you will be better for it. Some lessons learned - MAME related >Updates to MAME are overrated. I usually disable the network on my cab and just ignore any and all updates. There are thousands of games to play and I'm fine with it the way it is >Learn to use CLRMAMEPro (or equivalent). It helps you ensure your Roms are compatible with your version of MAME Controls >I really like having both 8-way and 4-way sticks available. There are some conversion sticks that let an 8-way become a 4 and they are worth it. >You really will want the track ball, and for the most part, a track ball can be a spinner and a flight yoke or wheel. >Aside from the track ball (and maybe a stick with a button), Player 1 and Player 2 is really all you need. 4 just won't really get used much. Also, there are almost no 4 player games where players 3 and 4 use more than 3 or 4 buttons. >Go easy on the buttons in general. Unless you really like fighters, you probably don't need more than 4 buttons per player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omegadot Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 You all might hate me but my cab is just an X-Arcade Dual sitting in a half cab thing I bought. I put a 32" LCD I had extra on top and it serves as both a screen for all my consoles or the MAMEness. It's not pretty but it's very functional and looks pretty arcady to the uninitiated. The odd position choices 'guide' my 2 year old son's abilities to mess with things. /sits back, waiting to be shamed. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynicaster Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 You all might hate me but my cab is just an X-Arcade Dual sitting in a half cab thing I bought. I put a 32" LCD I had extra on top and it serves as both a screen for all my consoles or the MAMEness. It's not pretty but it's very functional and looks pretty arcady to the uninitiated. The odd position choices 'guide' my 2 year old son's abilities to mess with things. /sits back, waiting to be shamed. Nothing wrong with that. I did the exact same thing. The cabinet I posted earlier is my “main” MAME box, but it resides in my basement, and I wanted a way of playing arcade games out in the garage with the cars going by and the summer breeze blowing through. I had no desire to embark on another lengthy full-cabinet project, so I ordered an X-Arcade tank stick and mounted it on a pedestal I designed in Visio and was able to build in a single afternoon. The display is an old 32” RCA tube TV I had kicking around, and is connected via S-video to an early dual-core PC I picked up from the local classifieds for about $50. The tube TV is bulky, but it was “free” and I think these old games look better on CRT displays anyway. There are some diehards in arcade/MAME cab circles that will turn their noses up at such an approach, but fuck ‘em. The fact is, building a MAME cabinet—especially from scratch as I did—is an enormous undertaking, especially if you’re not a seasoned wood worker. It takes hours upon hours upon hours of researching, making diagrams, designing stuff, acquiring materials and tools, solving problems, screwing up cuts, getting frustrated, cleaning up dust, and of course, spending money. IMO, aside from setting up the PC and the emulator(s), the “bare essentials” of getting a decent arcade experience at home are quite simple—you just need a controller with real arcade joysticks and buttons, you need it firmly mounted somewhere so it’s not slipping and sliding around, you need it at a comfortable height so you’re not physically straining in any way to play, and you need a display that is at a good viewing angle and distance. The pedestal is the most direct and easy way of achieving these bare essentials so you can get up and gaming. Another benefit of it is that it’s a lot more movable than a full cabinet. You can wheel it into a corner when you’re not using it, or even throw it into the back of a pickup and bring it to a buddy’s party if you want 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+GoldenWheels Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Count me in the bare minimum camp. I just don't have the space or ability to create a true wired mame cab, but do have some woodworking ability. So an X-arcade, an xbox running coinops & mame, and a tv+custom stand are it for me. I meant to throw a small graphic or something on the side but just haven't gotten to it. I think my "cab" (literally two wal-mart pre fab black bookshelves made into one and held together with 3/4 ply sides) is all of 20 inches deep and can go on any wall in my basement. Kids love it and we have a blast which is what matters to me (I jump in with an xbox pad on multiplayer games, we have a running tally on a whiteboard upstairs of games we have beaten together, mostly beat'em ups. Almost 20 games now!) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omegadot Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 That's pretty sweet, GoldenWheels. I have no real woodworking ability or space but I do long to have a nice looking cab, even if it's not large and arcade-legit. To get my toes wet I plan on swapping out some of the hardware in the x-arcade, though. I like to tinker, I'm just more of a software guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynicaster Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 That's pretty sweet, GoldenWheels. I have no real woodworking ability or space but I do long to have a nice looking cab, even if it's not large and arcade-legit. To get my toes wet I plan on swapping out some of the hardware in the x-arcade, though. I like to tinker, I'm just more of a software guy. One of the first things I did when I got my X-Arcade was to swap out the fairly cruddy stock joysticks for a pair of Happ Competitions. The Happs are a direct swap and, at about $12 a pop or so, a great value upgrade. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPA5 Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 (edited) I picked up an old arcade shell and have been working on getting it put together as a MAME cabinet. My last big hurdle is getting the metal control panel drilled for the buttons, and then wiring everything. After that, it's just minor finishing work! That setup is sweet, GoldenWheels, that's a really smart idea to put that together! It gives you the perfect arcade feel, without having a large cabinet looming in the room. I always encourage people that are interested in retro gaming or arcade gaming to give an arcade cabinet a shot. Even if it's just a bar-top build. If you're careful it doesn't cost very much money, and they're fun as all heck to play. My next project is probably going to be a NES bar-top 'cade. It's as simple as finding a NES, de-casing in and ripping apart a controller to re-wire it to arcade buttons. The result looks awesome. You can either have a hinged back to swap games, or if you're bold you can wire out the connecter to sit somewhere else on the machine for carts. Personally, I'd go Neo-Geo style and just open the back up to swap games. Be careful though, the arcade world is like a black hole. If you start one, you want them all. Edited August 7, 2014 by TPA5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+GoldenWheels Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 That's pretty sweet, GoldenWheels. I have no real woodworking ability or space but I do long to have a nice looking cab, even if it's not large and arcade-legit. To get my toes wet I plan on swapping out some of the hardware in the x-arcade, though. I like to tinker, I'm just more of a software guy. One of the first things I did when I got my X-Arcade was to swap out the fairly cruddy stock joysticks for a pair of Happ Competitions. The Happs are a direct swap and, at about $12 a pop or so, a great value upgrade. I'd like to get to the point where I can get into these things and switch buttons, replace sticks etc. I know in some cases (or I think anyway) it is as easy as plug and play, assuming you got the right stuff. But there's always the beginner's odds that you are going to break something while you learn which makes me paranoid! For now I figure, let the kids beat the hell out of the x arcade (my youngest particularly is a bit of a button barbarian) and when stuff starts to go bad, than I'll learn because I have to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+GoldenWheels Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 My next project is probably going to be a NES bar-top 'cade. It's as simple as finding a NES, de-casing in and ripping apart a controller to re-wire it to arcade buttons. The result looks awesome. You can either have a hinged back to swap games, or if you're bold you can wire out the connecter to sit somewhere else on the machine for carts. Personally, I'd go Neo-Geo style and just open the back up to swap games. Be careful though, the arcade world is like a black hole. If you start one, you want them all. Oh man...that nes-bartop thing is awesome. I kind of have gone the other way and made an all in one TV stand based on the nes (and my 7800 one is pretty much done as well): http://atariage.com/forums/topic/219073-i-built-an-all-in-one-nes-stand-please-take-a-look/ But now I want one of those counter top units as well! Plus I always waned a neo geo cab....maybe someday!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynicaster Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 I'd like to get to the point where I can get into these things and switch buttons, replace sticks etc. I know in some cases (or I think anyway) it is as easy as plug and play, assuming you got the right stuff. But there's always the beginner's odds that you are going to break something while you learn which makes me paranoid! That's kind of why I went with the Happ Competitions--they bolt right up with no modification to the X-Arcade being necessary. Once you look inside these things and tinker with them, you realize there's not all that much to them. One thing you can to to ease paranoia is snap lots of photos of the innards before you touch anything, and perhaps a few more as you tinker to document what steps you're taking. That way, you have a reference for reversing the changes if necessary. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+GoldenWheels Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 That's kind of why I went with the Happ Competitions--they bolt right up with no modification to the X-Arcade being necessary. Once you look inside these things and tinker with them, you realize there's not all that much to them. One thing you can to to ease paranoia is snap lots of photos of the innards before you touch anything, and perhaps a few more as you tinker to document what steps you're taking. That way, you have a reference for reversing the changes if necessary. Good to know on the sticks ( thanks!) and I agree 100% about the photos..I've disassembled arcade stick controllers etc for cleaning or really basic repairs/customization and I always snap a quick pic with my phone of the inside before I muck with it, just in case! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPA5 Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 (edited) Oh man...that nes-bartop thing is awesome. I kind of have gone the other way and made an all in one TV stand based on the nes (and my 7800 one is pretty much done as well): http://atariage.com/forums/topic/219073-i-built-an-all-in-one-nes-stand-please-take-a-look/ But now I want one of those counter top units as well! Plus I always waned a neo geo cab....maybe someday!!!! The Neo Geo cabs were always so cool, a tabletop Neo Geo could help you kill 2 arcade birds with one stone. There's a fellow in America that CNC's cabs and sends them flatpack for a really reasonable price. I can dig up a link if you're interested. It's a pretty slick way to have a bar-top cab, but without all the wood working (for folks like me, who measure 300 times and cut once... and still end up wrong). Edited August 7, 2014 by TPA5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+GoldenWheels Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Thanks TPA5 but I have plenty of projects currently and when I do one, I like to cobble it together myself from scratch! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Damn, some of you gamer's impress the crap out of me. I've been stuck in my own little Classic Computer world and just started looking at MAME stuff... HOLY KER-AP!!! How long have you known about MAME? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_L Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 http://www.wickedretarded.com/~crapmame/ I've actually been to that site a long time ago.. it's hilarious, the guy has a great sense of humor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledzep Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 One day, when I have the time/money/energy, I will get down to building a MAME cabinet. And when I do, I want to set the controls up like this guy did - http://www.beersmith.com/mame/ I can't stand the idea of having 20 worthless buttons/controls around me while I'm trying to play a game and having to reach over/around something that isn't part of the game I'm playing at the moment. This modular idea is the shit, it's like having a giant Atari 2600 with full-size swappable controllers. It would cover everything, no matter how specific. To paraphrase Lt. Coffey, I'm gonna have to take steps. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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