let's Do This In Pieces

In order to reach my ultimate end goal I think I'm going to take it on in multiple phases. That way I can sub in cheap parts or alternatives to get things moving forward and working while still keeping an eye on my end goal. This may cost $100-$200 more overall but will let me get up and running for about 40%-50% total cost.

I have read numerous times that this could be a really bad idea. Many a MAME cab has ended up completely unpainted, totally unfinished, and just barely holding together because they got it up and running and it was just too much fun to play to bother finishing it!! I'm hoping things like this blog and friends will make me push on, even after I get something cobbled together that allows me to start playing games.

I currently see the phases playing out like this:

1. Planning/Testing/Config - Planning cab design, control panel design, color scheme, LED testing, button testing, joystick testing, Emulation testing, front end testing, part searching.
2. Cab Building Part 1- final design, constructing basic form.
3. Cab Building Part 2 - Component fitting (monitor, speakers, ventilation, admin panel, etc), painting.
4. Control Panel Part 1 - Finalize design, built, painted, plexy overlay, P1 + P2 + trackball purchased and installed.
5. Build Computer - Transfer current software/roms/emulators.
6. Finalize Software - Finish Front End look and feel, all emulators installed, games selected, playable.
7. Art Work and Color Scheme - Finalize color scheme/theme, order artwork for control panel overlay and marquee.
8. Cab Building Part 3 - T-Molding, Marquee installed, one button power-on, coin door, admin buttons.
9. Control Panel Part 2 - Add Spinner, P3 + P4 controls, NES and SNES usb game pads.
10. Cab Building Part 4 - Install arcade monitor, ArcadeVGA.

i Think I'm Going To Build Something

It was a rather slow day at work and I was hitting a few web sites that I check when those kind of days come along. An interesting blog entry talking about building a MAME cabinet caught my eye. Clicking through I found this video and was immediately blown away!! I knew you could emulate just about any game/system/console if you put enough time in searching and tracking down ROM's, but I had no IDEA you could make your own freaking cabinet to play them all!! I've allways dreamed of having my own (or a couple) arcade games but allways thought that it would be so hard to just pick a couple games and be stuck with those forever. But now I can have every single one of them!!

It instantly became an obsession. I starting reading and reading and reading websites (all of which will be listed somewhere on this blog, pry on the side over there). All that reading led me to saint's book Project Arcade and his website (System also mentioned the book in the above video).

After reading Project Arcade cover to cover twice and reading countless message board threads, posts and how-to's, I'm convinced I can do this without killing / maiming myself or anyone else.

I figure its going to take me a year to get it all the way I want it. Mostly due to overall costs of doing everything I want. Plus the amount of planning and testing I think I will do is going to take some serious time.

Overall I Want To Build This (Dozens and dozens of details for each, but you get the gist):

• 4 Player capable (7 buttons for P1 & P2, 4 Buttons for P3 & P4)


• Trackball (for Golden Tee, Missile Command, etc.)


• Spinner (for Disks of Tron, etc.)


• Real 27" Arcade Monitor to replicate exact display of games


• Working Coin Door


• Custom Artwork for the Control Panel Overlay and Marquee


• MAME, Atari, Nes, SNes, Genesis, PSX, Pinball emulation


• Keep costs under $1,500

This is the first of many, many posts that I hope will document my project fairly well, as others have before me. The blogs and posts I have read have been soooooo informative, I hope mine serves a similar purpose. I'll also have a list of "example" projects that I have "borrowed" ideas from or found inspiring over yonder somewhere too -->