Custom built arcade machines
 

Does anyone have arcade machines? I built my MAME about 3 years ago and have spent quite a bit of time and money making it the way I want. It has become a whole new hobby in itself.

The cabinet is from North Coast Customs, I cut the plexiglass to fit, added a dynamic widescreen monitor and new speakers with a subwoofer that also plays music. I also set up a power strip that turns all the lights on when the computer is started up. There are lights for the marquee and keyboard.

Here are the 8-bit turtles that are on the bezel.

There are over 1000 games loaded on, including TMNT the Arcade game and Turtles in Time.

And the cabinet, right side up.

Cool, you should record some video of it in action.

Ha! Love the Mega Man-style Turtles.

Curious how much this ran you? The classic arcade cabinet is my white whale - though I definitely can't afford it and don't have the space for it, if I had an opportunity to buy one I'd probably jump at it. But the idea of having a custom one made at some point (pipe dream though it is) might be even better.

Ive spent about $1200 over the years but they can be made much cheaper. I would recommend buying a used, non-working arcade cabinet and gutting it. It's more work but if I did that I would have been more in the $500-600 range. I needed to be able to disassemble the cabinet in order to get it in my kitchen and original cabinets don't come apart easily. The hardest part is getting the software for the games but that was the first thing I (luckily) had access to.

If anyone wants some info on how to build one I would be happy to help. It can be done, patience is required though. It's definitely worth it, there's nothing like hanging out in your kitchen playing arcade games and drinking a beer.

I'm not sure I can post a video of the gameplay but I will at least get some pics up.

i've built one for around $300-400 dollars but i used a lot of recycled products and got most of my materials for free. i think i only paid for the siding, various building supplies like screws and glue, and the actually arcade controls.

i still need a good monitor that fills the space better, since the cabinet is huge and a piece of plexiglass to finish the whole thing up construction wise. but right now it is playable so i'm content to leave it till i get a bigger place before i through more money at it.

i think the coolest part about my cabinet is that my girlfriend is an artist so she has done all the artwork on the outside of it. still a lot of space left to fill but what she has on it is great. i have the evolution of link on the front, think darwins evolution picture with link from each of the zelda games from first to skyward (skipping twilight). i also have the scene in turtles in time when the turtles find the technodrome in the cave, so yes i have a giant technodrome on it. once its done i'll post pictures though still might be a few years off.

I think the home made ones have a lot more character. I bet that Technodrome art is gonna be sweet. I'm still considering other additions such as more side art and I would like to get a inoperable coin door just because it would look cool.

ya technodrome is probably the biggest piece thats going to be on the arcade (currently is and i have no plans for bigger pieces) and is right on the front doors that open up to the guts. lol and one thing about the homemade ones, or at least mine, is it is solid. built the thing out of old 2x4 and covered it in 1/8 think wood paneling.

Heres a couple pics of the gameplay. It wont let me post the video and Im still getting the hang of posting pics. :trolleye:

You could always upload the video to youtube.

wow
 

that's pretty dang awesome. I have those speakers too lol

That's awesome. I've been interested in doing something like this, it just seems like such an undertaking but it looks like its worth it.

It is definitely worth it...as long as you have the space and will play arcade games a lot. It becomes a permanent piece of furniture like a couch. It's funny to see people's reactions as well. Some people are like "what the hell is that?" and others "dude! Do you have so-and-so game on there?" I love how it brings out the kids in some people.

in my house its more of a monolith. lol and thats saying something being as it is in the same room as the collection. but the reactions i get are the same thing. been a few parties at my place where the arcade never got a break till everyone crashed.

actually this thread has inspired me to work on the art work on my arcade again so i hope to finish the thing at some point lol.

I hope to see pictures at some point. You should check out gameongrafix.com. I ordered my marquees and side art from them. They have some really cool stuff they can print out for you.

very cool. unfortunately my cabinet is a custom crazy size, it stands over 6 feet high. i also have a bunch of crazy ideas for my graphics. a lot of blending and mixing of games to fit into each other. for example i have a mario block castle like the first NES game but underneath it the ice climbers are chipping the blocks away. i'll post some pics of the arcade when i take the time to post updated pics on my collection thread

he's the one i made a few years ago. i originally had my old computer as the platform so i could play mugen but the computer was so out dated that mugen crashed after 5 minutes so i instead went with a ps2, we play a lot of kof11. i might go with a modded xbox next year if i can get a hold of one. i've taken it to a local anime convention the last 3 years. there i run what i call the otaku shack. i have a giant library of both manga/ graphic novels 'including all my tmnt books' for every one to read for free, i also bring the classic consoles and had tmnt2 going as well as tournament fighters. i just got ahold of tmnt in time so that'll be at next years con. and i show classic stuff on a projector. i showed the first 1987 episode and the year before that it was the first movie.
http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/i/20...20-d5qrzlc.jpg

[QUOTE=lonewarrior20;1423100]he's the one i made a few years ago. i originally had my old computer as the platform so i could play mugen but the computer was so out dated that mugen crashed after 5 minutes so i instead went with a ps2, we play a lot of kof11. i might go with a modded xbox next year if i can get a hold of one. i've taken it to a local anime convention the last 3 years. there i run what i call the otaku shack. i have a giant library of both manga/ graphic novels 'including all my tmnt books' for every one to read for free, i also bring the classic consoles and had tmnt2 going as well as tournament fighters. i just got ahold of tmnt in time so that'll be at next years con. and i show classic stuff on a projector. i showed the first 1987 episode and the year before that it was the first movie.

Nice, I like the Return of the Dragon theme.

I seen people built Mame Cabinets using the Raspberry Pi 2.