I built a MAME arcade cabinet (long with pictures)!

[edfurlong]

I would use that like twice a year and it would still be worth it. Really really awesome.

[Rhett]

http://cgi.ebay.com/2-Player-PC-Video-Ar...1QQcmdZViewItem

$2500 + $300 shipping

[WLVRYN]

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Stellar job. It looks like you built a really quality MAME machine. That's on the list of things I want to aquire. Maybe I should try the DIY route too. How much does it cost to buy a good one like that without doing my own carpentry? Is that even possible?

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There are several different ways to get one of these. You can buy one (eBay and Craigslist have many), build one from scratch, you can find an existing cabinet and tear out the guts and rebuild it, and there are several vendors that sell pre-made cabinets that you just screw together. All are good options if you want to do something like this.

I went with the "from scratch" way because I wanted to have a system that was customizable to the games I wanted to play. That meant having a control panel that was wider than the cabinet so that I could get the joysticks and buttons as well as the trackball and not be too crowded. Also, I had no woodworking skills before I started this, and thought it would be pretty cool to at least know what a router is and how to use it. Finally, I had never really built anything before, and I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.

You can get a pre-made cabinet starting about $500 or so (without controls), so my route was probably a little bit cheaper, but much more work. If I didnt have the time/space and desire to try it, I would have just bought a premade one. I think Mameroom.com has a bunch of cabinets that people have bought and are happy with.

Also, this guy does awesome work: Knievel Kustoms. Especially check out the Neon Mame at the bottom of the page. He sells control panels and other custom work that would be a route to go down if you dont want to build your own.

[WLVRYN]

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you should make these, load them with sick games then sell them for a profit

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Seriously, how much would you sell one for if you did?

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I dont think I would really want to do this as a full time gig, and it would be hard to make it profitable unless you charged $3K or so. Not to mention that it is heavy as hell and would be a boatload to ship safely.

I have already had a few requests to help with projects that friends want to start now that they've seen it, but I'm not taking any orders to build them myself. I have no problem helping, but now I really just want to play my game.

[Peter Harris]

i remember seeing a thread on here before and checking out ones for the UK.

question - how many great games actually use the trackball? I was thinking that 4 joysticks would be better for multiple player games, and worth the sacrifice of being trackball-less.

Anyone who knows goot arcade games able to offer opinion on whether 4 joysticks > 2 joy + 1 tracker?

[Jiggymike]

Dude you are truly a king. Also mad props for using the Street Fighter II button arrangement.

[WLVRYN]

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i remember seeing a thread on here before and checking out ones for the UK.

question - how many great games actually use the trackball? I was thinking that 4 joysticks would be better for multiple player games, and worth the sacrifice of being trackball-less.

Anyone who knows goot arcade games able to offer opinion on whether 4 joysticks > 2 joy + 1 tracker?

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I love playing Golden Tee and Bowling, so a trackball was a must. Plus my wife likes to play Centipede and Missile Command, so it was a good selling point. The other benefit to the trackball is that it acts as a mouse for when the arcade software isnt running and I'm in Windows, so that I dont have to have a separate mouse floating around.

The only game that I really played that had a 4P setup was Gauntlet, though there are lots of others (Simpsons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, etc). I do have Gauntlet and TMNT on the system but they are just setup to play with two players. Many people have built 4P setups well, but it just didnt fit with what games I play.

[EvanJC]

ULTRAAAA COMBOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

so sweet

[WLVRYN]

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Also mad props for using the Street Fighter II button arrangement.

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One of my favorite games, and a very versatile button setup to play nearly any game. Lots of people have a 4th button on the bottom row for NeoGeo games, but I dont really play any of them, so I didnt add one.

[Peter Harris]

cool, i was just looking to see what i lose out on given the choices.

Must be a different way to hit up the poker tables too.

Anyway, i'll just echo the respect for making one of these beasties. I am in awe.