Arcade Machines - Whos got 'em ?

brianon

So, anyone round here got an arcade cabinet at home ?
I know from reading BYOAC that many Americans have cabs. Its also much easier over in the states to get originals.

I'm building a MAME cab and was wondering how many others here (Ireland) have either an orig or built cabinet ?

Post pics of your cab(s) if you can or maybe pics of your Arcade/Games room :cool: ?

DoctorEdgeWild

If you are looking for arcade machines, then I suggest you try calling in hotels in seaside towns across Ireland. They always seem to have old arcade machines hanging around their games rooms. The duty manager might accept a few quid into his pocket to get rid of something which had paid for itself 100 times over back in the day. Maybe removing his headaches from listening to the music over and over and over again every summer.

Other than that, Id love to see if people made their own machines, maybe a mega drive with an arcade frame built up around it.

djhooley

i've made one from plans on the net. it's designed to hold my x-arcade, with a drawer underneath for mouse and keyboard. i will post link when i find it.has been a while.

sci0x

Here's a guide on building your own arcade machine to help you on your venture.

brianon

Thanks for the info.
I think I pretty much have all I need, plans, tools etc...
Just need the time and space (must clean out the garage) and I'll be ready to go.
Control panel is pretty much done, just a few bits of wiring the i-pac left.

Blisterman

I built one from scratch. Don't have any pictures of it though.

tk123

i gots one - my pop used to fix them in the olden days!

brianon

No one got any pics ?

I was going to make mine from MDF and paint black + later some artwork.

Have decided now to make it from Oak veneered plywood.
Hopefully will fit in with furniture a bit better and keep little wifey happy(er) :rolleyes:

defenderdude

Good idea to change wood. Plywood is a much better job, lighter, stronger at the edges and safer to cut-up too (dust wise). I've made a replica of Defender, the original was made in plywood too. That's why they survived so well since the early 80's. Atari used chipboard for their cabs and they fell to bits. Some newer cabs (90's) were made from mdf but sh*t, have you ever tried to move one? Aggghhh me back... I'm an ould fella! That said, I've an original robotron and it's chipboard construction, but it's in fantastic condition. I've taken pics as I went, throughout the defender project. I dont want to bore the pants of ye by posting them but if anyone wants to have a look or any advice/help dimensions etc. please just drop me a line.

Blisterman

Well post pictures of it;s construction on the BYOAC site.

mackjohn

A good friends has one (operation wolf 3 3d {dual forcefeed back guns}). We were/are playing around with building one to house the M.A.M.E. collection along with M.E.S.S. but after buying Project Arcade (isbn:0-7645-5616-9) we let things slide and all the good ideas were shelved for a while... If any one is reading this knows who I'm on about tell him it would be avery good Idea to get the finger out and sort out the shed... Can people suggest a list of Irish companies for the part's ie joysticks buttons Don't want to do the whole buying the x-pad.. Also since i'm in the mood to rant can I offer any help to any one.. Living/working Dublin, Playing Cork. (shhhh don't tell them it's a plan to get expericence on putting together a mame box, to allow me to build one like never before seen....)

PM
John

Ronan|Raven

I have two cabinets both of which I intend (have been intending for 18 months!) to convert. I have all the parts I need but im a god damn lazy basterd when it suits. I need someone to kick me up the arse and get me into gear.

brianon

Scratch that!
I managed to get my hands on a 1983 dragon's lair cab built in Tipperary (Atari) and its in damn good nick

Will be converting it to a MAME cab.

rubadub

A cocktail table machine would be nice, as it is functional too. A guy on my road had one with packman, mame has a few cocktail roms available, many never even saw tehm but they were in a few pubs in the 80's

smokingman

Got mine about two years ago....
It's a 1978 Taito tabletop that origionally housed Zaxxon but I've rewired it to play mega-drive games.





I have to get a new screen sometime soon though but it plays wonderfully!

Two player Golden Axe rocks!

lazygit

just about finished building mine... buit it around the duel x-arcade control panel...
looks good so far

TinCool

lazygit wrote:

just about finished building mine... buit it around the duel x-arcade control panel...
looks good so far

Would that be yourself and Alan that's building that ?

Bogger77

TinCool wrote:

Would that be yourself and Alan that's building that ?

God only knows, but it's the longest couple of days ever! started in January and it's now March :-)

He's Lazy by name and nature

jha

I'm about halfway through building my own defender/multi-williams cabinet after having no luck sourcing any original cabs here in ireland (forget importing - it costs a fortune).
The kicker is that I am using MDF and somewhat regretting it at this point - it weighs a goddamn tonne, and the dust was hell.
I've bought parts from the U.S - Arcade Shop and Happ Controls mainly, including side-art, cpo, bezel, marquee, buttons, leaf switches, coin door and t-molding, so i'm hoping its going to look and play pretty close to the original. The control panel will be detachable so i can drop in a multi-williams panel for robotron etc.

I've found the rec.games.video.arcade.collecting newsgroup useful for various tips and bits of info such as where to source buttons, joysticks, artwork etc. e-Bay is pretty good too, even if you just want to bemoan the fact that they've got lots of retro stuff state-side, and f-all here.

brianon

ah yes, a little preview of how the control panel (version 2) is looking ...



Sanwa buttons, + 4-way joystick + Happs Super Joy.

ranDom_tAsk

I had a Super-Gun for a while !

Great machine !!!

wild_eyed

i bought a cab about 2 years ago and through an old p3 into it to run mame, it works grand , aint much to look at, i cant wait till i have more time to work more on it, i love working on it.

deadl0ck

I've a converted Neo-Geo MVS machine with a SlikStik control panel and 2 Act-Labs light guns. It's the muts nuts !!

paulocon

Hi all,

Looking to buy a couple of working original cabs, not too fussy but some games that come to mind are....

Chase HQ,
Out-run
Kick n Run
Ghosts n Goblins......

Anyone know if there are any sources for these in Ireland?

deadl0ck

I reckon your best bet is buy and sell

Armen Tanzarian

try some of the arcades they sell off older machines

paulocon

thanks for that, anyone had any joy with ardades...

any indication of prices to offer etc?

Loobz

Hello peeps!

While trying to get some sleep the other night, I was thinking of building my own arcade machine. I am unsure of what I need.

A few things I thought of were:
1)An old CRT monitor.
2)A P3 machine.
3)MAME
4)Plywood/carpenter
5)Plans for shape of cabinet.

What kind of controllers should I use. I would love to have the jostick type big red button controllers. They would be built into the unit in the normal position. Are these compatible with lets say USB?

I would definitely be interested in doing this. It doesnt necessarily have to have the original parts of an arcade machine (would still like old style joysticks). It just needs to look, feel and play the part.

All advice and help welcome.

wild_eyed

this is your place for controls and maybe some other things

what i did

bought an old arcade machine, with a jamma interface.

bought a j-pac and wired the racde controls to the jpac and and video from the computer and the keyboard, all very simple.

i then bought an arcade vga from ultimarc and that makes displaying mame on an arcade monitor very easy.

after that. get mamewah and a good windows build of mame. and your off.

the cab cost me 200
and then the extra cost about another 200

done.

deadl0ck

All you need to know is on Build Your Own Arcade Controls

paulocon

wild_eye,

where did you get the cab?

deadl0ck

I got my Cab on Buy and Sell

mackjohn

You have to ask but...
They have them in Stock in Parnell St and in Cork going for a cheap 161 yo-yo's (cheap!!! yes just think of all the time you save trying to track down these parts...) they come complete with conections for a pc.. plus you can buy conections for your X-box. (don't forget to chip X-box install large hard drive and Xmame and all those ROM's that you own PM for more details). And the gaming experince lives on... now where did I leave my version of TRON 2.0.

Regards.
ME

BLITZ_Molloy

Those X-Arcade sticks are a bit naff. They definately charge over the odds for them considering they don't use proper arcade parts. Hori are a good bet as far as consumer sticks go. Hell of alot cheaper too.

Trying to source a decent cab in this country is a bitch. I've been hearing very good things about Killer Cabs in the UK. They ship to Ireland too. Will probably cost a few hundred euros to ship it but you'd easily rack up 900 euro scratch building one with less satisfactory results.

axel90

maplin dont have the converter to xbox, but still 160 for a duel x-arcade is good. Cork still have 3 or 4 I think... Buying 1, 4 sure. get converter cheap on ebay..yay

cynos

I a williams defender, buts out in the shed stripped waiting for me to restore the pain on it, hasnt got original controls so i've built a 2player 6 button control panel
Have a PC 1ghz p3 with 512mb ram for her

Mitchomagic

Hi,

I was in the US for a while and got sucked in to it,bought 1 and the next thing had about 20+ had to selll some to many to bring home.At the Mo have about 12 games.Shipped them home,All in verious stages of repair.
List includes
Mario
Scramble
MK3
Digdug
Omega race
Defender cocktail
Robotron cocktail
Rad racex2 full sitdown version
Outrunx2 1 upright and 1 full sitdown version in sad repair,but just could not turn it down.

Load of parts pcb,s doors side art etc.


Just dont get the time to enjoy them.Most are in storage until I get them restored and put in to the games rooms,when its built:mad:

defenderdude

nice collection:-)
I've sold off my stuff (including defender and robotron u/r's) the last boxes of boards (wonderboy, puzzlebobble,bombjack etc) went for free along with an empty invaders cab and a pinball machine just this week. Missing them already :-( but wife isnt LOL

I have a few Defender board sets which i will be selling on ebay soon - let me know if you need any bits or any help with your def cocktail. mmmmmmmmmm Always wanted one of those. U lucky sod.

Joust and stargate should work with your robotron boardsets too! Just swap out the ROM board! (and the obvious control panel...)

I've built a defender replica too - copied from my old original. Perfection, he says modestly:o LOL

If anyone wants instructions, step by step pics of mine, even to buy it or one like it (along with custom paint job if u want it), gimme a shout.
Making one is fun but you need loads of space and plenty of time.

Get your bits from ebay guys, easiest, but watch the duty on US stuff (even the 25 year old bits too!):mad:
Anyway, cool to see other nutters are still into cabs!

Get building that games room!
Aidan.

Emcee Kenna

WOW! I never realised so many people on this island had a keen interest in arcade machines or owned arcade machines. Great stuff. Over the years I've aquired a few arcade machines and boards. At the moment my cabinet collection consists of:

Atari Pole position II upright machine
Sega OutRun (deluxe) upright machine
*I also play Sega Super Monaco GP and Sega Power Drift pcbs in this machine.

Sega Turbo OutRun (mini) upright machine
and a JAMMA arcade cabinet.

I play the following pcb (game boards) on the JAMMA cabinet:

Double Dragon
Double Dragon II
Shinobi
Street Fighter II
Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat II
Pac Mania
Bubble Bobble
New Zealand Story
Cabal
WWF Superstars
Champion Wrestler
...and more that i can't remember right now..

Also, i used to own Chase HQ and Sega Super Monaco GP machines but I've long since sold / parted them out.

If you have an interest in arcade machines pop in to the jamma+ forums, register and say hi. http://www.jammaplus.co.uk

I'll post up some pics of my machines soon.

Long live this thread!

CathalDublin

I have
Its in bits at the moment though
see pics
Trying to restore the artwork, Some Idiot drilled the marque to turn it into a control panel and pained the complete cabinet with 1cm thick of black house paint


Believe it or not theres been about 50hours spent getting it this far LOL








Making Stencils for spray painting

CathalDublin

Started on the letters too


Also If anyone has any machines for sale could they please PM me
Thanks
Cathal

paulocon

Cathal,

Do you know anywhere to source machines?

Myself and a couple of other people are on the lookout - could get together for a bulk purchase (3 or more cabs)...

CathalDublin

paulocon wrote:

Cathal,

Do you know anywhere to source machines?

Myself and a couple of other people are on the lookout - could get together for a bulk purchase (3 or more cabs)...

A few years ago they were handy enough to get, wexford is the place to get them, put an add in any local shop or paper down in courttown/gorey/etc and you should have loads of offers, If I hear of any i'll give you a shout as I'm looking for another 3, one more for me and 2 for friends

Ronan|Raven

I have one possibly two anyone is welcome to. Problem is im in roscommon. Free btw. Cost me nout and will give them away as such. I just dont have the interest anymore

CathalDublin

PM Sent:)

paulocon

CathalDublin,

Thanks for that, I'd appreciate if you keep your ear to the ground for me.
Ronan, if they are still going, please PM me the details... I'm sure a van could be organised for a trip across...

CathalDublin

Do you wanna Split what Ronan has?

paulocon

Cathal,

Apologies for not getting back to you but only back after a week away with work... Away next week again so work away yourself....

Thanks,
Paul

Mitchomagic

Cathal,

If you are looking for any defender parts let me know....

KdjaCL

Man been waiting ages ....but i got one Street Fighter 2 game and cabinet needs some TLC but should be back to life later this week



Unf Unf Unf!!!!!!


kdjac

Riesen_Meal

Id love a cab with Mame and a 6-button setup.....

Not while I live with mumsy though.... lol