TPR Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 Hey everyone! As a long time collector of arcade games, but had to sell my whole collection many years ago, I'm itching to get back into it again. Based on lack of space now as to when I had my arcade room then, I'm thinking about getting two dedicated cabinets, but I figured I'd pick your brains as to what you think is the better option. Here's what I'm thinking at the moment.... - 1 Dedicated Vertical Cabinet - 1 Dedicated Horizontal Cabinet It's important to me to me play the games is the correct aspect ratio. Some questions: - Should I go with a MAME system or one of the Multi-Game 619-in-1 Game Elf's, or example? - What control systems should I try to get included with the system? - Do you recommend anyone that builds or sells these cabinets (I'm not savvy enough to build my own) that won't rip me off? - Is it possible to add games to any of the Multi-Game PCB systems? Thank you in advance for your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
number six Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 The Multicades are horrible at emulation. Many of the games will look and/or sound "off" and the gameplay is not 100% accurate. They are fine for "casual" players who won't notice/care but if you want an authentic experience skip these. This also includes the game elfs and all the chinese variants. If you want an all-in-one board look at the ArcadeSD, it's expensive but well made and the games run properly. The best route would be to source 2 cabinets (preferably something generic like a dynamo) and go from there. Or if you don't mind flipping the monitor you could do it with one cabinet as many of them will allow you to pull and rotate the monitor.. however this takes a few minutes so its not something you can do super quick. Once you have the cabinet do an ArcadeSD or a MAME. There's no weird voodoo to Mame anymore. There are tons of adapters and controllers for it so it's easier than ever. Your best move is to join the Florida Arcade and Pinball Collector group (shameless plug). We can get you into some cabinets cheap and easy as there are tons of collectors in the state.. no need to deal with craig's list headaches or get ripped off by some shady operator who will try to sell you a $60 Multicade board in a $50 worm eaten cabinet for $1200. Right now I have a MAME and a 25in Dynamo i'm prepping for sale plus some other cabinets lying around in storage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPR Posted August 8, 2015 Author Share Posted August 8, 2015 This is GREAT info! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPR Posted August 9, 2015 Author Share Posted August 9, 2015 Once you have the cabinet do an ArcadeSD or a MAME. There's no weird voodoo to Mame anymore. There are tons of adapters and controllers for it so it's easier than ever. Doing some research I found this video on the ArcadeSD and it shows off vertical games in Horizontal mode and they look pretty good. What is your experience? Do you think vertical games play well on a Horizontal screen using this system that would allow me to get away with one machine? I saw some videos showing Horizontal games on a vertical screen and they did not look quite as good. EDIT: I also just found the list of games available on it...it's really not that many. Hmmmm.... http://destross.com/romsets/list/list_new.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
number six Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 If you have a decent sized monitor (say a 25in) then you can easily get away with playing vertical games on a horizontal cabinet. They will just be formatted in the center of the screen (per the video) but it will retain the correct aspect ratio so it won't be stretched out etc. With the 25in monitor you'll still get a decent sized vertical image on a horizontally mounted monitor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
82-T/A Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 I have a 619-in-1 Game Elf, and I'm quite pleased with it. The downsides is that 400 of the games you probably don't want. It's totally configurable, and I wish the company that makes that system would allow you to load your own roms on it, but I guess they make enough money this way that they don't bother. Sound really isn't that bad. The Capcom games are all pretty decent, but a few of the games do get messed up. If you have the time to configure it, using MAME is really probably the best way to do it. But if you want something QUICK and ready to play, the GameElf will help keep you interested while you build the system yourself because it still utilizes the JAMMA connector, but also has other connectors so you can do a little at a time, but basically start playing from day 1. When EVERYTHING is done... at that point you can swap out between a GameElf and a dedicated MAME system very easily. So at the very least, I liked the GameElf because you can use it while you test and build everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 I wouldn't fart around with any of those 500-in-1 boards or shit. Just use MAME. MAME has been in development since the mid 1990's and gets better as time rolls on. New games are being added all the time. MAME is endlessly configurable for controllers and monitors too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynicaster Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 (edited) I wouldn't fart around with any of those 500-in-1 boards or shit. Just use MAME. MAME has been in development since the mid 1990's and gets better as time rolls on. New games are being added all the time. MAME is endlessly configurable for controllers and monitors too. ^^ This! If, upon educating yourself on the various offerings, you deem any of the various "xx-in-one" boards genuinely acceptable for your needs, then go for it. But please, don't let irrational MAME-o-phobia push you in that direction. I promise you, if you have the faintest clue how to use a computer, it's not difficult to set up a MAME cabinet. I'd be glad to help you as needed, as would several others on this site (and others), I'm sure. If you're making a foray into MAME as a complete blank slate, then yes, you're going to need to spend a little bit of time gathering stuff and setting it up. But when your system is up and running with the widest selection of arcade games possible by any means known to man, with the most authentic and versatile emulation of those games known to man, it will all be worth it. Making multiple cabinets for different types of games would be a bit of a luxury, IMO, in the sense that I don't really think it's necessary. It all comes down to the games you want to be able to play, but sometimes it's worth sacrificing 1 or 2 games for the sake of keeping things usable (e.g., do you really need the Tron stick? The spinner?) You can get a crackin' all-in-one setup with some carefully selected controls and a 4:3 CRT monitor. As others have mentioned, you can keep the correct aspect ratio for vertical games on such a monitor. If the resulting blank space on the sides of the screen bothers you, maybe consider activating the bezel artwork in MAME, which simulates the appearance of the original cabinet bezel and fills in the blank space. I don't bother with this myself, but lots of guys do it. Edited August 10, 2015 by Cynicaster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Your best move is to join the Florida Arcade and Pinball Collector group (shameless plug). We can get you into some cabinets cheap and easy as there are tons of collectors in the state.. no need to deal with craig's list headaches or get ripped off by some shady operator who will try to sell you a $60 Multicade board in a $50 worm eaten cabinet for $1200. The worm-eaten cabinet is not a myth either. Check these abandoned arcades and and take note how mold, water, and critters eat a cabinet from the bottom up. The cabinet gets shorter over the years till some metal part of the structure or side-mounted boards "interferes" with the progression. Then the cabinet heaves on one side till it topples over. https://www.google.com/search?q=abandoned+arcade&biw=1024&bih=623&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAWoVChMIjrv75sSfxwIVhtSACh2vAQH0#imgrc=dqOvrYaD-wilhM%3A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPR Posted August 10, 2015 Author Share Posted August 10, 2015 Again, this is all very helpful info, thank you! I'm no stranger to MAME...been using it since probably the day it was released, but only in the format of on a desktop or laptop computer, so intergrading it with actual hardware would be new to me, but not something I wouldn't be able to configure. Doing some searching around, if I had a "Dream Cabinet" for my vertical machine, it would be this one right here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
82-T/A Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 I have to stand-up for the XXX-in-1 systems. They are not THAT bad. A well-configured MAME system is going to win every day, all the time. But you can get XXX-in-1 systems for under $100 bucks. If you're building a cabinet, like I did... the XXX-in-1 gives you the ability to test everything with a system that's already working. I've got everything together, and it's quite decent. I'd say 70% of the games have perfect sound... the other 30%... the sound is either distorted slightly, or the game runs weirdly... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
number six Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 The XXX-in-1 systetms are pretty bad. The whole point of having a 350lbs arcade machine in your house is to replicate the arcade experience otherwise you'd just have a console right? Then why put in a cheap bootleg chinese board that plays the games in horrible emulation that creates an experience counter to what you are trying to achieve? it's like buying a $3,000 4k TV then hooking a VCR up to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerx Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Been dying to use this SOMEWHERE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 The MAME team built MAME especially for you to use in your own arcade cabinet. Do you really want to see thousands of hours of programming and dumping and testing go to waste? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerx Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 The whole point of having a 350lbs arcade machine in your house is to replicate the arcade experience otherwise you'd just have a console right? All joking aside, what's the point of having a 350lb arcade machine in your house when you can run the same MAME on your PC or laptop? Add a tank stick, if necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 If you keep doing that you're gonna haffta! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPR Posted August 15, 2015 Author Share Posted August 15, 2015 All joking aside, what's the point of having a 350lb arcade machine in your house when you can run the same MAME on your PC or laptop? Add a tank stick, if necessary. As much as I do like playing MAME on my laptop, it's just not quite the same experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 (edited) The worm-eaten cabinet is not a myth either. Check these abandoned arcades and and take note how mold, water, and critters eat a cabinet from the bottom up. The cabinet gets shorter over the years till some metal part of the structure or side-mounted boards "interferes" with the progression. Then the cabinet heaves on one side till it topples over. 12wferfr (1).jpg12wferfr.jpg https://www.google.com/search?q=abandoned+arcade&biw=1024&bih=623&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAWoVChMIjrv75sSfxwIVhtSACh2vAQH0#imgrc=dqOvrYaD-wilhM%3A That's friggin' gross! Another tip I have for you: Invest in a joystick that can go 4-way or 8-way, or install a dedicated 4-way joystick for games like Donkey Kong and Pacman. Nothing worse than dying in an old arcade game like Donkey Kong or Pacman because you accidentally triggered a diagonal and your character did something unexpected. I used an Omni 2 4/8-way joystick in my Porta-Pi arcade and it works great: http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65&products_id=383 http://www.retrobuiltgames.com/the-build-page/porta-pi-arcade-kit/ Here's a pic of my build... It takes about 5 seconds to lift up the panel and switch. Depending on your build, you may need something higher end like the prodigy to switch from the top if the underside of the panel is not easily accessible. http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65&products_id=195 Edited August 15, 2015 by stardust4ever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPR Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 So I'm probably at the point now where I'm getting more serious about wanting to buy my cabinet. The more I think about it, I really want to take an original Donkey Kong cabinet and mod it into a MAME machine, pretty much exactly like what this guy did: I am not tech savvy enough to do this myself. Does anyone know someone who offers a custom MAME cabinet service who could help me with this? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynicaster Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 So I'm probably at the point now where I'm getting more serious about wanting to buy my cabinet. The more I think about it, I really want to take an original Donkey Kong cabinet and mod it into a MAME machine, pretty much exactly like what this guy did: I am not tech savvy enough to do this myself. Does anyone know someone who offers a custom MAME cabinet service who could help me with this? Thank you. Go to arcadecontrols.com and you'll find just about anything you need in the forums. PS--you're going to get attacked if you say you want to use a real DK cabinet for MAME. Not saying you should care, just thought I'd warn you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPR Posted November 30, 2015 Author Share Posted November 30, 2015 Go to arcadecontrols.com and you'll find just about anything you need in the forums. PS--you're going to get attacked if you say you want to use a real DK cabinet for MAME. Not saying you should care, just thought I'd warn you. Doing a bit more research, I think I might have found a great solution! Assuming I can still get these parts, I'm going to attempt to do exactly what this guy did in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoM2CzktCn0 That basically keeps all the original DK hardware in tact! Crossing my fingers I can still get those adapter boards! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE146 Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 All joking aside, what's the point of having a 350lb arcade machine in your house when you can run the same MAME on your PC or laptop? Add a tank stick, if necessary. We all love and use MAME but all joking aside it can't duplicate the true feel of a large number of arcade games, especially with the hardware aspect. You mention controls but there are other things like flashing lights, cardboard backgrounds, mirrors, reverb, scopes, etc. that while you can someone "simulate" (e.g. backgrounds).. it's just not the same. Still though your point stands (I pretty much just use MAME). But as game enthusiasts we should all inherently know that for purists and collectors who want the real deal, there are big and obvious good reasons for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 It doesn't have to be. Once you're relieved of that bulk you can enjoy the game and all the conveniences emulation has to offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE146 Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Well here's kind of a single case in point.. not the most compelling game but it kind of shows someone taking the steps to duplicate the intended atmosphere of one particular game's hardware. Sucessful? Up to you of course. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 (edited) IMHO the exact experience doesn't have to match 100%. You can get close and that's going to be good enough for many people. And maybe some of those differences are deliberate changes intended to improve and personalize things. One cool thing with MAME is that it brings the classics to the handicapped/disabled. A little bit of custom controls can really make a difference. Surprised no one has ever mentioned that before! Edited December 9, 2015 by Keatah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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