Building Your Own Arcade Cabinet

2008-09-04T08:03:00.001-07:00

BASIC START

Step 1. Get the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator (MAME).
- - A. DO get the most recent version.
- - B. DON'T get any version with a "u" in its name (for example MAME 0.128u1), those are test versions.
- - C. DON'T get any "source" versions, that's raw code for programmers.

Step 2. Get the games (called ROM Images, or ROM's), and put them in MAME's rom folder.
--- A. MAMEdev's list of free ROMs.
--- B. Gaelco's World Rally free ROM.
--- C. Google.

You could stop here, and just enjoy those games on your PC, using your keyboard, and launching games from MAME.exe.

INTERMEDIATE IMPROVEMENTS

Step 1. Get supporting files to improve the in-game experience of some games.
--- A. Artwork files- some games need backgrounds, overlays, bezels, and effects.
--- B. Samples- sound files some games need for their audio effects.
--- C. Cheats.dat- enables some cheats in MAME.

Step 2. Get a Front-End (FE: a cool-looking menu program to launch your games)
--- A. I recommend MaLa, with its easy point-click configuration for beginners, but powerful advanced features for you as your interest grows.
--- B. Consider the other FEs listed in the column to the right.

Step 3. Get support files for your FE to display when browsing menus (purely fluff)...
--- A. Snapshots- in-game pictures.
--- B. Marquees
--- C. Cabinets
--- D. Control Panel pictures
--- E. Game's Advertising Flyers
--- F. Emumovies- videoclips of the games in action.
--- G. History.dat- so the FE can display history about the games.
--- H. Controls.dat- so the FE can display what controls are needed for selected games.

Step 4. Get arcade-style controls to use on your desk-top
--- A. West Controls- desk-top controls that later can be built into a cabinet.
--- B. X-Arcade- another desktop to cabinet controller.

You could stop here, and enjoy those games on your PC, using your desk-top arcade controls, and launching games from your front-end.

ADVANCED IMPROVEMENTS

Step 1. Design and build your own video arcade cabinet.
--- A. Consider starting from the cabinet plans listed in the column to the right.
--- B. Consider a pre-made starter cabinet from one of the manufacturers listed in the column to the right.
--- C. Consider buying a discarded arcade cabinet to convert.
--- D. Check out BYOAC for cabinet ideas and plans. Tons of dead links and obsolete info, but still a great resource.

Step 2. Add controls to your arcade cabinet.

--- A. You'll need an interface to plug the controls into your PC.

------ 1. Ultimarc UHID will do it all: buttons, joysticks, spinners, trackball, analogue, and LED's.

------ 2. Ultimarc I-PAC will drive buttons & joysticks.

------ 3. Ultimarc Opti-PAC will drive trackballs and spinners, although you could also get a trackball or spinner with a built-in USB interface.

------ 4. Ultimarc A-PAC will drive analogue controls.

------ 5. Ultimarc LED Board will drive LED's.

--- B. Consider the arcade supply companies listed in the right column for parts.

--- C. Learn to wire it all up, starting here at Arcade Controls, which isn't as hard as it first seems. My 11 year-old kids helped to wire up my cabinet.

You could stop here, and enjoy those games on your own private arcade cabinet.

OBSESSIVE IMPROVEMENTS

1. You could JAMMA-fy your cabinet!

2. You could script your own front-end and emulators, or dump your own arcade game boards into ROM images.

3. You could start buying and restoring authentic old arcade cabinets.

4. You could help out MAME developers with donations of time or money, make freinds on the gaming forums, or help out the gaming community with artwork, scripting, advice and style!

Honorable Mentions

2008-09-03T11:14:00.000-07:00

Arcade Depot

Building Your Own Arcade Cabinet

Honorable Mentions