Anyone here collect Arcade Machines or Pinball?

[twistedsymphony]

Some of you may have heard me mention that I used to work in an arcade repairing machines. Ever since I was old enough to know what an arcade was I've loved them and a lot of my all-time favorite games are arcade games...

Anyway I managed to acquire a few machines that were retired from the arcade I worked at...
I have an original Double Dragon cabinet that I converted to Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (completely reversible). I've also got an original "Ring King" machine that I accidentally broken the monitor on, that's just been sitting in storage.

I used to have an original Contra cabinet too but I gave that to a friend and sadly he gave it to a frat house when he decided it took up too much space (I wish I had got it back from him).

I just picked up an old Original Killer Instinct 2 cabinet, it's got a monitor but no other internals because this poor thing was converted to a "turkey hunter cabinet. I plan on fully restoring it.

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/487989_603377509688685_2016549276_n.jpg

I'm curious if anyone else has any machines of their own...

[MortalMonday]

Sweet. Lets see pics of the cabinet when she's out in the open!
I would love to own an arcade, but I have no space for that sadly.

[imironmann]

Yes must see some pictures of that!

I'd like to get my hands on a working Double Dragon. I remember when I was a little kid my mom would take me with her to the Kroger. I hated grocery shopping. Then one day our Kroger got one of these. I think I was about 10 at the time. While she shopped I would play and play and play it. I use to ask mom every day if she needed to go shopping. If we were going I had to run around the house collecting every quarter I could find. I'm sure I've paid for at least one of these one quarter at a time.

I've always been a fan of pinball. Two machines I'd like to have the most are Theatre of Magic and Medieval Madness. Anyone got a spare $20,000 to help me out?

[twistedsymphony]

Theater of Magic is AWESOME! That was one of my favorite machines to play when I worked at the arcade.

I decided to do a quick unboxing video of the machine:
Bv1jM0DGM4Q

^it's still uploading, it should be done in a half hour or so.

[imironmann]

Its really sad. You almost never see pinball anywhere anymore.

Maybe at a random bar or some mom n pop store.

I guess arcades are pretty much gone except for Dave and Busters or tourist traps.

[Gazereths]

I really like the Killer Instinct box, you'll have to keep us updated with the restoration, having that KI music blasting from it will be sweet! Do you have a room full of these old skool machines Twisted? Got any pics?

I'd really love one of these Star Wars pinball machines, I remember playing it constantly when I was on holiday in France as a kid....God only knows how many Francs I pumped into it. Sadly I don't have a few grand to spare or the room to house it.......A man can dream though :P

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg241/fchs543/StarWarsPinballMachine.jpg

Next on the dream list would be a Metal Gear Arcade machine, not sure if these were ever even released though, if they were it was only in Japan:

http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/metal-gear-3d-arcade.jpg

[vhal_x]

I want to collect arcade cabinets, but unfortunately our current house is tiny and severely lacking in space as it is, without adding those to the collection.

We hope to buy a house within the next 5-10 years (although highly doubt it'll happen :pooryou:) so we'd probably start then as we plan on getting a 3-4 bedroom house: one room for us, one room for AJ - we're don't want any more kids, one room for the collection and one room for spare, or if the collection room is too crowded, the arcade stuff would go in the spare room.

Until then, CEs will have to do :rotf: xx

[comaamen86]

ah thats what the guvnor of the site looks like

nice, if i dont have the space nor money to own an arcade machine
if i won the lotto i would build me own arcade just for me, like when cartman got a theme park

if i had to pick one machine though it would be this
http://www.checkersfunfactory.com/images/_arcadegames/18wheeler.png

loved that game so much on dreamcast was even better in arcade, such an awesome rig could just sit in it drinking beer, smoking and driving virtual trucks all day

[kittychloe]

I would love to get some, not that rich im afraid, i do intend to irriversably mod my skill tester (not that it would be hard to reverse).. Gonna make it match the mario pinball machine..

I would like to get a final fight and 4 player ninja turtles machine, and possibly a donkey kong might limited it at those 3 and the mario pinball

Anything you can teach about fixing them over the internet? Or maybe some how to restoration videos?

[kittychloe]

Also any idea what to do to fix these twisted?

http://i1071.photobucket.com/albums/u520/kixxychloe/E199E508-DFF1-49E3-9C2B-312631268301-541-0000007948C8A0BF.jpg

I think they are missing the monitor sections though :(

[twistedsymphony]

Its really sad. You almost never see pinball anywhere anymore.

Maybe at a random bar or some mom n pop store.

I guess arcades are pretty much gone except for Dave and Busters or tourist traps.
Here in NH arcades are actually still pretty common. Within an hours drive of me there's FunSpot (http://www.funspotnh.com/) Pinball Wizards (http://www.pinballwizardarcade.com/) and a host of other smaller arcades.

If you ever go to Las Vegas I highly recommend visiting the Pinball Museum (http://www.pinballmuseum.org/). They've got literally HUNDREDS of pinball machines and they're all very cheap to play it's 95% pinball machines, best arcade I've ever been to :)

While arcades are less common now they're better now than they ever were because the people that run them are people who care about and love these machines, back in the day when arcades were popular most of the people that owned them only cared about making a buck, which is why machines like my new KI2 cabinet were painted over and re-appropriated for the sake of making more money.

I really like the Killer Instinct box, you'll have to keep us updated with the restoration, having that KI music blasting from it will be sweet! Do you have a room full of these old skool machines Twisted? Got any pics?

I just have two other machines, one of them isn't working, and the other one (the double dragon converted to UMK3) is sitting in my basement among my game collection (you can see it in any of the pics/videos I've posted of my collection)

I want to collect arcade cabinets, but unfortunately our current house is tiny and severely lacking in space as it is, without adding those to the collection.
I had two machines in my College Apartment :lol: it was a pretty big apartment though. They take up less space than you'd think.


nice, if i dont have the space nor money to own an arcade machine
if i won the lotto i would build me own arcade just for me, like when cartman got a theme park

They're cheaper than you might think... if you keep your eyes on local listings, also try to contact the owner of local arcades and see if there are any machines in storage they would be willing to part with. If you don't care about it being an original "dedicated" cabinet finding a good upright cabinet with a good monitor is all you need and you can usually get one for 0$-$400... the game boards inside (aka "PCBs") are usually pretty cheap (less than $100) and most games made since the late 80s all use standard connectors so it's mostly plug-and-play.

Big sit down simulator cabinets are going to be more expensive, but if you can find an arcade locally with one in storage they're usually willing to give it up for $400-$1000 depending on the machine.

Also any idea what to do to fix these twisted?

http://i1071.photobucket.com/albums/u520/kixxychloe/E199E508-DFF1-49E3-9C2B-312631268301-541-0000007948C8A0BF.jpg

I think they are missing the monitor sections though :(

I'm not sure what those machines were but it looks like the monitors used to be those old rear-projection units. You could probably replace them with flat-panel LCDs... if those are the kind of machines where the chair moves around I'd be mostly concerned with that mechanism... the hydraulics on those simulator machines break ALL the frigging time... usually it's a sensor somewhere that goes bad, or in really bad cases the pump. they're not cheap or easy to fix either. The good news is that you can usually still play them even if they don't move, though it's not as fun.

Arcade machines are probably some of the easiest electronics to learn how to fix, that's mostly because they're designed so that the arcade owner (aka the "operator") can make their own repairs. The manuals come with testing and repair instructions. There's lots of online resources for how to fix arcade machines... and parts like buttons and connectors are typically easy to find (monitors are crazy expensive though and so bulky it's almost not worth shipping). Being an arcade collector also means learning how to fix and restore these things... it's extremely rare that you'd find one used that still works, generally they get put into storage because they're broken and the operator decided it wasn't worth fixing... if they DO still work and stop making money then they get painted over and converted into something that will make more money...

if you're not willing to fix then it gets REALLY expensive because you'll be buying a machine that someone else restored.


If you really want to get into it, I would watch local listings like a hawk (do you have Craigslist where you are?) even post a wanted ad.... find a cheap upright with a "JAMMA" connector and a working monitor and start with that, those are the most common and basic machines. they're often referred to as "JAMMA cabs" here's a good primer on what that's all about: http://www.jammaboards.com/jcenter_jammaFAQ.html

[TMM]

Hi,

My my, how I LOVE arcade machines... there's nothing quite like them is there?

I once bought a friend of mine a machine on eBay as a wedding present, cost me about ?50, and it was an old original arcade machine - I don't know exactly what it was as at the time I wasn't as knowledgable with games, but basically it had a SEGA system built into it, and it had several cartridge slots that you could put games in (the games were missing, but were easily obtainable at the time on eBay). It had 2 arcade stick and button sections for 2 player and was decorated all over with the various SEGA artwork.

I believe his aim was to get it all restored and working but we sort of lost contact over the years. Any ideas as to what it could be? (I am sure I'll recognise a picture of it)

I do have plans, and by plans I mean literal blueprint style plans, to make my own arcade machines out of retro consoles basically. Effectively they'd consist of a wooden frame and support structure, with some fancy artwork all over, a monitor sat behind some protective glass, and arcade sticks plugged directly into a console inside it - the aim would be to make the console easily accessible so you can just stick a game in (perhaps include some storage for games inside it so you can have all your games lined up neatly) and then 1 plug leading out the back to the mains, with lots of ventilation built in to keep the inside cool (not needed so much with 1 console, but the plans then evolved into fitting the machine with a snes, a megadrive, an n64, a dreamcast and all sorts and having control sockets on the front so you can plug in and play with ease!

One day I might get around to it but I don't have the space or room in the mean time... I'd quite like to make an xbox 360 arcade machine, or simply a guitar hero arcade machine - output feeding to 3 or 4 monitors in a semi-circle so each band member has their own screen (obviously it would stream the entire game) and the band would be all set up around it!

Regards
TMM

[vhal_x]

I had two machines in my College Apartment :lol: it was a pretty big apartment though. They take up less space than you'd think.

You obviously haven't seen the size of my house :rotf: xx

[kittychloe]

The console in an arcade box would be quite easy.. Although seems like a waste when roms exist, but with the build your own machine kits available its not hard

The problem over here is the lack of dedicated machines like street fighter ect, that havent been stripped and changed.. Its mostly stock self made cabinets here..

We do have gumtree over here but its not big and rarely has machines.. And at 500 for a broken one in aus i need to save alot :(

[twistedsymphony]

... it was an old original arcade machine - I don't know exactly what it was as at the time I wasn't as knowledgable with games, but basically it had a SEGA system built into it, and it had several cartridge slots that you could put games in (the games were missing, but were easily obtainable at the time on eBay). It had 2 arcade stick and button sections for 2 player and was decorated all over with the various SEGA artwork.

I believe his aim was to get it all restored and working but we sort of lost contact over the years. Any ideas as to what it could be? (I am sure I'll recognise a picture of it)...

those are called "Multicades", they were really popular machines for Movie Theatres and Grocery Stores since you could have one machine with a variety of options. The most common example is the SNK/NeoGeo MVS machine... which was basically a Neo-Geo inside an arcade cabinet with slots for 8 or more games.

I know Sega had a few Multicade machines based on their "System 32" architecture, but I've never seen any generic "Sega" cabinets they were always just 2 or 3 related games together in the same box. (for instance 3 soccer games together, or two racing games together, etc.)

if you want to look around for it check out http://www.arcade-museum.com they've got a list of every machine ever made... (or at least as close to it as you'll ever find)

... I do have plans, and by plans I mean literal blueprint style plans, to make my own arcade machines out of retro consoles basically. Effectively they'd consist of a wooden frame and support structure, with some fancy artwork all over, a monitor sat behind some protective glass, and arcade sticks plugged directly into a console inside it - the aim would be to make the console easily accessible so you can just stick a game in (perhaps include some storage for games inside it so you can have all your games lined up neatly) and then 1 plug leading out the back to the mains, with lots of ventilation built in to keep the inside cool (not needed so much with 1 console, but the plans then evolved into fitting the machine with a snes, a megadrive, an n64, a dreamcast and all sorts and having control sockets on the front so you can plug in and play with ease!

One day I might get around to it but I don't have the space or room in the mean time... I'd quite like to make an xbox 360 arcade machine, or simply a guitar hero arcade machine - output feeding to 3 or 4 monitors in a semi-circle so each band member has their own screen (obviously it would stream the entire game) and the band would be all set up around it!...

I agree with kittychloe, don't waste your time and money using old classic consoles, just throw an OLD PC (or if you're cheap a modified Xbox 1) into the cabinet and use emulators... These kinds of cabinets are actually very popular, they're called "MAME Cabinets" MAME stands Multi Arcade Machine Emulation, it's also the name given to arcade machine emulation programs...

An Xbox 1 is powerful enough to emulate pretty much every game from it's previous generation, PC, arcade, SNES, Genesis even PS1 (and to some extent N64). I don't think you'd want newer games in an arcade cabinet anyway since they're too heavily reliant on analog sticks and triggers to be worth trying to play in an arcade cabinet.

[kittychloe]

I would like to do an xbox one using the old xbox idu's i have no problem ripping the games to it once i own them, problems finding the idu's

[imironmann]

Thanks for the heads up on the Pinball Museum. I go to Vegas at least once a year. I'm not sure how this place has evaded me. Guess I spend to much time in poker tournaments and not enough time checking out all the stuff Vegas has.

[JammedFlipper]

I use to have the original mario bros (the one where you jump on crabs, turtles, etc) arcade machine but I sold it and wish I never did. It was completely original but needed a little TLC. I'm hoping to pick up another one day.

I've priced out making a MAME cabinet but all the good cabinets come from the states and shipping is atrocious :(

[twistedsymphony]

Thanks for the heads up on the Pinball Museum. I go to Vegas at least once a year. I'm not sure how this place has evaded me. Guess I spend to much time in poker tournaments and not enough time checking out all the stuff Vegas has.

It opened in October of 2009.. I know this because I went the day they opened :D... it's kind of a hole in the wall a little ways of the strip, right across the street from the Liberachi museum.

[twistedsymphony]

today's progress:

Before:
http://solid-orange.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/machine_02.jpg

After:
http://solid-orange.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ki2_day1_04.jpg

Sadly while removing the turkey hunter overlay it took some of the paint off of the original KI2 control panel overlay :( also, as you can see a bunch of holes have been drilled into it. so even without the paint getting removed it wasn't perfect anyway. It's good enough until I find one pop up on eBay or one of the Arcade Collector forums. Thankfully they're usually cheap when they do pop up.

I also went over all the electrical, the monitor WORKS! although it's making this horrible buzzing sound that I'll have to trouble shoot. The power supply sounds horrible so I'll have to pop in a new one (I actually have a few kicking around.)
fqpG3nkmDQ0

[toxicatom5]

It opened in October of 2009.. I know this because I went the day they opened :D... it's kind of a hole in the wall a little ways of the strip, right across the street from the Liberachi museum.

Maybe I'll be able to find my Back to the Future machine here,,,

Thanks for the heads up!

[twistedsymphony]

they have a list of their machines on their website... sadly it doesn't look like they have Back to the Future :(

I've never even seen that machine before, is it any good?

[toxicatom5]

Although I really enjoy playing pinball I couldn't call myself knowledgable on the finer points of what makes a particular machine bad, average, or great (mixed with the fact that I'm a huge Back to the Future fan, making me less objective). I suspect this machine is probably average for game play, but the nostalgia factor makes it very appealing to me. I've only ever seen/played it in one place (about 12 years ago); a tiny little bar in northern Michigan. It was the only machine in the place.

There are lots of photos of the playfield here:

http://pinside.com/pinball/archive/back-to-the-future/gallery


There is also a video (with bad glare) that shows some gameplay starting around the 2:00 mark:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gev6e4ijyrw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

...so what do you think?

[twistedsymphony]

I'm quite a big BTTF fan myself :)

For a 1988 era pinball machine I'd say it seems like an above average machine for it's time. However when compared to more modern machines it's really dated. The playfield is really simple and while it does have some cool soundbites the audio is all midi which a real bummer IMO... but that's more a limitation of the technology at the time of it's manufacture than anything else. The playfield is also really simple which I don't really care for personally.

Usually what I look for in a pinball machine is if you took away the playfield graphics and the sound is the game still interesting? and does the game still give you a feeling of the theme from the playfield features? The answer to these questions I think is sadly no and no... take away the images and sound and it's just a couple of ramps and bumpers, nothing BTTF about it left and nothing particularly unique about it either. Also it looks like Michael J Fox didn't license his likeness for the machine which is a real bummer too and takes away from the graphics that it does have (at least Christopher Lloyd is there)

Nostalgia is a huge part of what drives collectors of Pinball and Video arcade machines though.

The good news is that since it's not on any best-of lists you should have an easier time finding one for sale, and wont pay as much if and when you find one ;)

[toxicatom5]

That's about how I thought it might stack up against its contemporaries. I've wondered before, for the same reasons you mention about taking away the images/sound, if it was just an exact duplicate of some other playfield that had been branded with the BTTF imagery.

So what would you say is a really interesting pinball machine (something where the playfield itself is unique and fun)?

Also, good to know there is another BTTF fan here! :)

[Xmo]

That is the best unboxing ever! Seriously
I'm not much into arcade games, but what I would love is an Indiana Jones theme pinball machine. I'd love to do technical things with my hands like soldering wires and figuring out circuit board. I'll definitely get one if it is atleast a couple hundred dollars, but I reckon it isn't :(

Hey V, can you please? If I ever had a layover in Scotland, I'd love to stop over and play with the arcades, have a tour of your hunted house, sight seeing of your CE's and snatch some of it as a souvenir . Dude! its a perfect tourist attraction haha :D

[kittychloe]

looking good, so what did you use to get the top layer of paint off without damaging the original? or did the killer instinct have clearcoat protecting it?

[twistedsymphony]

looking good, so what did you use to get the top layer of paint off without damaging the original? or did the killer instinct have clearcoat protecting it?

thankfully this era of arcade machine didn't use painted on graphics it's more of a plastic applique, after searching a few Arcade restoration forums I found lots of advice on what NOT to use :lol: and I found one thread where someone had success using a product called "lift off". it's designed to remove graffiti/latex based spray paint. it weakens the bond of the paint without damaging the plastic graphics layer. here is the test-section I did:
http://solid-orange.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ki2_day1_01.jpg

I'd say it works but I only got that front piece done and a little bit along the top of one of the sides, it took me about 2 and a half hours and my hands were killing me... so I'm going to look into other options for doing the rest of the machine.

[kittychloe]

i was going to ask about peel on decals, i just thought it was something from later, i think i have some of that stuff actually.. just no machine :(

i found a site that sells replacement decals, i can have a look if you like but your arcade collectors forums probably have a list already

[twistedsymphony]

i was going to ask about peel on decals, i just thought it was something from later, i think i have some of that stuff actually.. just no machine :(

i found a site that sells replacement decals, i can have a look if you like but your arcade collectors forums probably have a list already

I would be very interested in that site... there is some damage from various scrapes and whatnot, if they're high quality I might rather just replace them wholesale :)

[kittychloe]

i could only find one link in my old emails, looks like is an aussie site with a limited selection and some appear to be reused from old machines, if i find any more information i will let you know, i might ask the arcade repair guy in my town if he knows any sources

[twistedsymphony]

Searching around a bit I found this site: http://www.gameongrafix.com

it looks pretty awesome, and the prices are reasonable too!

[twistedsymphony]

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Cyber-Troopers-Virtual-On-Arcade-Machine-TWIN-UNITS-MULTIPLAYER-/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/$(KGrHqNHJDUFC(ckCtETBQnrCmoI!!~~60_57.JPG

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cyber-Troopers-Virtual-On-Arcade-Machine-TWIN-UNITS-MULTIPLAYER-/121017317798?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c2d31b9a6

Not only is it one of my favorite machines, it's in the town where I work....

I'm seriously contemplating selling a big chunk of my CE collection just to make room for it.

[twistedsymphony]

so yeah, I'm picking up that Virtual On machine this weekend :D

[vhal_x]

Congrats :D xx

[Biggav4000]

That's an awesome pick up twisted :thumb:
I'm contemplating buying this for my games room ,its only a few mile down the road from where i live
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150995961926?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

[NaughtyDogJames]

You should. Alot of money though.

[twistedsymphony]

That's an awesome pick up twisted :thumb:
I'm contemplating buying this for my games room ,its only a few mile down the road from where i live
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150995961926?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

wow, that's a great price for such a "new" machine... the only one for sale here in the states is 3 grand!

[Biggav4000]

Twisted I have just found this by chance and again its not to far away about 80 mile .:this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Virtual-On-/300859806820?pt=UK_Video_Games_Coin_Operated_MJ&hash=item460ca45464

[twistedsymphony]

I wonder if these machines have network capabilities... we could have giant robot fights across the Atlantic :D

[Biggav4000]

Imagine that :think:

[twistedsymphony]

so yeah, I now have a Virtual On Cybertroopers machine sitting in my garage
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/318159_4837807941725_173250830_n.jpg

no joke, the heaviest arcade machine I've ever had to move.

gav, if you do pickup that one you saw for sale, you better hope it splits in 2, I had to separate the two sides and haul it using 2 separate trucks.

it took 4 big guys 3 attempts to lift the first half into the back of one of the trucks... the 2nd half went easier as it was a little lighter, the truck was a little lower, and I think we knew what we were doing at that point :lol:

[kittychloe]

never even seen those in aus.. will have to ask about them, what company?

scratch that, sega, did you dint out if they were networkable? with any luck they should be if they ever planned to put them in sega world

[twistedsymphony]

I haven't had a chance to check if its networkable, I'll have to see if the operators manual is in the cabinet somewhere, that would tell me the if and the how.

but yeah its a Sega game from the Saturn generation. You could even get the twin stick controllers. The sequel got an arcade in Japan only, and you could get it on the dreamcast... They made twinsticks for the dreamcast too. The dreamcast version was rereleased in HD on xbox live arcade... I highly recommend checking it out.

[rapister]

yeah gotta agree with u , Twisted, its a pretty great game
so envious u have the arcade machine
i guess all the hard work was worth it!

[twistedsymphony]

did more work on the KI2 machine today:

paint completely removed from one side:
http://solid-orange.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ki2_day2_01.jpg

New Marquee cut and mounted:
http://solid-orange.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ki2_day2_02.jpg

All the debris and junk parts removed from the cabinet (sill needs a vacuum) and new power supply installed
http://solid-orange.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ki2_day2_03.jpg

I got the game board in and I tested it on another cabinet, works MINT! :D
sadly the reproduction control panel graphics I bought don't fit so the control panel is on hold until I find a good original replacement.

[mosavon]

Impressive progress on the paint removal, i bet that was tedious nevertheless it's looking good :thumb:

[twistedsymphony]

rather than updating progress in multiple places I'm going to going to be maintaining my build thread here:

Killer Instinct 2:
http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=267561

Virtual On:
http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=268523

latest update for KI2:
http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showpost.php?p=2381210&postcount=15

[twistedsymphony]

KI2 update...
http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showpost.php?p=2385977&postcount=20
http://solid-orange.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ki2_day4_05.jpg
http://solid-orange.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ki2_day4_07.jpg

I'm still having some monitor issues that need to be fixed before the game is playable. Cosmetically I have some paint touch up to do as well as installing the new T-Molding and then finding new art work for the control panel.

[richy rude]

KI2 update...
http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showpost.php?p=2385977&postcount=20
http://solid-orange.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ki2_day4_05.jpg
http://solid-orange.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ki2_day4_07.jpg

I'm still having some monitor issues that need to be fixed before the game is playable. Cosmetically I have some paint touch up to do as well as installing the new T-Molding and then finding new art work for the control panel.

That's a lovely machine mate. I'm well jelly!

Speaking of KI I remember the original KI in my arcade when it just came out. On the demo it mentioned Ultra 64 and I pooped my pants thinking this is what the forthcoming Nintendo 64 was capable of.... unfortunately it turned out this wasn't the case lol.

[kittychloe]

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/baulkham-hills/miscellaneous-goods/hydra-arcade-machine/1009722410
This is kinda cool

[twistedsymphony]

I got the monitor working
5Rb3_IwANlI
Progress on the machine has slowed downs since I'm spending all my time playing it :lol:
though I do try to do a little bit every day. the PCB is properly mounted inside, I've installed door locks and replaced the rusty control panel bolts.


Speaking of KI I remember the original KI in my arcade when it just came out. On the demo it mentioned Ultra 64 and I pooped my pants thinking this is what the forthcoming Nintendo 64 was capable of.... unfortunately it turned out this wasn't the case lol.

Yeah there were a number of game from that era that ran on "Ultra 64" hardware, The Crusin and Rush series as well as Area 51/Maximum Force (gun games) NFL Blitz I believe.

I remember thinking the same thing about the upcoming Nintendo 64... The funny thing is, once I got the game running and played my first round my first thought was (holy crap this resolution is horrible and the textures are so low res I can't even make up what half the stuff is.) :lol: it's still fun as hell to play but it's just funny how far game graphics have come, and what we used to consider "Amazing"

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/baulkham-hills/miscellaneous-goods/hydra-arcade-machine/1009722410
This is kinda cool

I've never heard of this game before, is it any good?

[kittychloe]

Theres is a clip on youtube for the gameplay.. Its.. Interesting

[twistedsymphony]

It looks kind of like a 16 bit version of Hydro Thunder to me.

If I was going to have a game of that style, from that era I'd want to go with Stun Runner... probably one of my favorite games.

[comaamen86]

looks good, i am sure in ten years time the same will be felt about ps3 and 360 graphics

[mawa]

not so long ago i help a friend off me with his recievment out off japan i already have post 1 picture but here are some more.
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/6055/img0208zv.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/145/img0208zv.jpg/)
http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/3167/img0203za.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/28/img0203za.jpg/)
http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/8957/img0202iiw.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/59/img0202iiw.jpg/)

also he recieve 2 off this iff i am correct this are the first to in europa
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/9585/img0194kbn.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/194/img0194kbn.jpg/)
http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/1300/img0207hc.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/843/img0207hc.jpg/)
http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/7356/img0198wjg.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/850/img0198wjg.jpg/)
http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/6605/img0205aui.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/829/img0205aui.jpg/)

he also have recieve some capcom mini cutes / neo geo cabs and allot more

[twistedsymphony]

not so long ago i help a friend off me with his recievment out off japan i already have post 1 picture but here are some more....

WOW that's awesome :notworthy: I've never even seen a real picture of a MGS arcade machine!

Do you think you, or maybe your friend could help me find some parts?

I am looking for the art work for a Virtual On Oratorio Tangram machine (basically big stickers for the sides, the seats, and the control panel), it looks like this:

Side Stickers:
http://www.uco-am.co.jp/usedsales/image/virtualon.jpg

Seat stickers, and marque stickers:
http://www.oratan.com/forum/download/file.php?id=780&t=1

Control Panel stickers:
http://www.oratan.com/forum/download/file.php?id=280&mode=view
http://www.oratan.com/forum/download/file.php?id=282&mode=view

I am also looking for 2 of these NAOMI cartridges:
http://www.sega-naomi.com/software/n/pictures/virtual_on_cart.gif

Obviously these things were only sold in Japan so it makes them difficult to track down. If they were officially released in the USA I would know where to look, but I am lost when it comes to Japan. Any Help would be appreciated :notworthy:

[mawa]

WOW that's awesome :notworthy: I've never even seen a real picture of a MGS arcade machine!

Do you think you, or maybe your friend could help me find some parts?

I am looking for the art work for a Virtual On Oratorio Tangram machine (basically big stickers for the sides, the seats, and the control panel), it looks like this:



You have a pm give me this info and i will try for you

[TheDeath]

Awesome!! I wish i can find this cabs in italy :(
No chances.. ever.
I do have something anyway but nothing special..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNlNPjOKkU0

[twistedsymphony]

Awesome!! I wish i can find this cabs in italy :(
No chances.. ever.
I do have something anyway but nothing special..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNlNPjOKkU0

that's a pretty nice arcade room you've got there :thumb: I love Time Crisis... one of my favorite arcade games, I definitely don't have room for one of those.

[richy rude]

looks good, i am sure in ten years time the same will be felt about ps3 and 360 graphics

TBH I don't think they will improve much over what we have now m8. Graphics wise it seems like the industry has remained pretty stagnant during the last few years and what I thought was capable 10 years ago have never materialized.

[twistedsymphony]

TBH I don't think they will improve much over what we have now m8. Graphics wise it seems like the industry has remained pretty stagnant during the last few years and what I thought was capable 10 years ago have never materialized.

There's still quite a bit more that can be done but I think we've reached a point where the quality of the graphics is dependent on how expensive the game was to make.

I actually think that KI2 has some fantastic graphics, it's just the resolution that's crappy... I mean we're used to looking at 1080P quality displays on our phones... now I have a 25" screen about a foot from my face that's running at 240P :lol: the pixels... oh god the pixels. If they re-released the game with HD sprites and textures, I think it would hold up very well graphically.


I think real breakthroughs in graphics in the future will come from new technologies that will make it easier/cheaper to make high quality graphics... I mean this generation it was all about the Unreal game engine... Most good looking games ran on that engine because it make it easy to make good looking games. Other games that ran on different engines or custom built engines just didn't look as good.

Next generation we'll see Unreal 4 engine based games. The real break throughs in graphics will come from new game engines, as well as other new development technologies, more-so than the end user hardware itself.

[TheDeath]

that's a pretty nice arcade room you've got there :thumb: I love Time Crisis... one of my favorite arcade games, I definitely don't have room for one of those.

You should do what i did some years ago, buy a wooded house for them.
It's a house mate :lol:

[twistedsymphony]

You should do what i did some years ago, buy a wooded house for them.
It's a house mate :lol:

:lol: I wish I could afford a house just for my games.

I joined a local arcade collectors club. one of the members bought his neighbors house for his game collection... he has over 80 arcade machines O.o

[kittychloe]

Might need to ask your advice repairing an arcade machine if im lucky enough to win a cabinet im aiming for

[Dreamcazman]

I've got an arcade machine that I built a few years ago from the ground up, got a 68cm TV in it with an old Xbox purely for emulation.

It's actually for sale if anyone is interested, but getting the thing shipped is the expensive part. :(

http://users.on.net/~ckpichler/uxa/uxa7.jpg

http://users.on.net/~ckpichler/uxa/uxa6.jpg

[kittychloe]

I would if i didnt need the coin op part of it to exist

[twistedsymphony]

Might need to ask your advice repairing an arcade machine if im lucky enough to win a cabinet im aiming for

What machine is it?

[kittychloe]

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/350837413173?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

:D

[twistedsymphony]

oh wow... that's a fantastic price, even with a broken monitor. (monitors aren't usually too difficult to fix)

I've never seen an international version of that machine either... interesting cabinet color.

good luck with the auction.

[twistedsymphony]

I've got an arcade machine that I built a few years ago from the ground up, got a 68cm TV in it with an old Xbox purely for emulation.


I usually hate MAME cabinets but that's pretty well done.... for a MAME cabinet :P

Seriously though that's one of the few times I've seen a LCD setup that didn't look like garbage... I'm curious what you're using for a bezel, do you have any pictures of the bezel without the glass?

[kittychloe]

Started at $200 and is now at $305 with 6 days to go, will just watch for now but i probably cant stretch far past 6, it is a cool unit will just see how it plays out, saw a gauntlet legends one that i wanted but was too far to travel

[Dreamcazman]

I usually hate MAME cabinets but that's pretty well done.... for a MAME cabinet :P

Seriously though that's one of the few times I've seen a LCD setup that didn't look like garbage... I'm curious what you're using for a bezel, do you have any pictures of the bezel without the glass?
It's not MAME, well not exclusively. If you've ever played around with Xbox emulators, there's one for pretty much every system. The main one I use is Kawa-X which handles CPS1, CPS2 & Neogeo games. ;)

Also, it doesn't have an LCD, it's a CRT TV and it has a sheet of 5mm tinted perspex (plexiglass) in front of it, hiding the TV and gives the TV image a nice contrast.

[twistedsymphony]

It's not MAME, well not exclusively. If you've ever played around with Xbox emulators, there's one for pretty much every system. The main one I use is Kawa-X which handles CPS1, CPS2 & Neogeo games. ;)

Also, it doesn't have an LCD, it's a CRT TV and it has a sheet of 5mm tinted perspex (plexiglass) in front of it, hiding the TV and gives the TV image a nice contrast.

I'm well aware of what's available on the Xbox... I was a head moderator on Xbox-Scene for years. ;)

I didn't mean MAME as in the MAME emulator specifically. In arcade circles "MAME" generally refers to any machine that runs more than one game and is emulating original arcade hardware. IIRC the term predates the software of the same name.


that's a pretty sharp looking CRT, had me fooled for an LCD, I think it's the tinted glass that sets it off... very nice :thumb:

[Dreamcazman]

I'm well aware of what's available on the Xbox... I was a head moderator on Xbox-Scene for years. ;)
My apologies, didn't know. :tomato: Ahh Xbox-Scene, I used to be regular there but not so much now anymore. I'm sure you would've seen the cabinet, I posted it up there when I originally built it.
that's a pretty sharp looking CRT, had me fooled for an LCD, I think it's the tinted glass that sets it off... very nice :thumb:
It does make the image slightly darker, but I just upped the brightness on the TV, looks good. :)

[kittychloe]

Missed it :(
Decided to make dinner and instead of my phone having an alarm it powered off :(

[SwiftDeath]

Missed it :(
Decided to make dinner and instead of my phone having an alarm it powered off :(

Sad to hear that Chloe

But another will turn up, maybe not that exact machine but you'll get another chance

Patience is a collector's friend, well some of the time

[twistedsymphony]

Thats a bummer... do you have local online listings? I know here in the US CraigsList is very popuar and in Canada they use Kajiji... those usually end up being better than eBay for Arcade machines.

It's been said that there are two types of people who sell arcade machines. People "Selling" Arcade Machines and People "Getting Rid of" Arcade Machines.

People on eBay only ever fall into the first category, and people in the second category only ever post on local listings (if they post anywhere at all).

If you're patient and check listings daily you can get some really REALLY cheap machines, but it requires lots of patience and diligence.

[kittychloe]

Problem is the australia factor in that equasion -_-

Mainly that everything here is overpriced due to the results of a low dollar until 6 years ago, the market still follows the old rules though

[twistedsymphony]

Problem is the australia factor in that equasion -_-

Mainly that everything here is overpriced due to the results of a low dollar until 6 years ago, the market still follows the old rules though

You're missing my point... those people who are "getting rid of" machines just see them as trash taking up space, they offer machines for $50 or FREE just to get someone to take it away and free up space. They see it the same as a broken fridge or stove, just trash taking up valuable space in their home or business.

Someone trying to "get rid of" a machine isn't going to spend the time and effort to post up on eBay and they're certainly not going to pay fees, they'll use a free local listing for the least amount of effort possible.

[twistedsymphony]

added another arcade to the collection today:
http://www.web-nine.com/albums/arcade/dk_01.jpg

at the moment it doesn't work (the board just goes into a reboot loop), but it's all there.

[MortalMonday]

Sweet!

[King Peter]

I don't collect arcade machine (still a few arcade palace in my area to play) but I know a place where they sell refurbished arcade and pinball machine near my house

http://www.miraamusement.com/Htmls/FRmenuprincipal.html

a little expensive but I just need to get an Uhaul truck and get whatever arcade machine I want like the good old 4 player X-Men arcade, good old memories :)

[twistedsymphony]

that's pretty sweet... though if you're going to own an Xmen game you should get the 6-player version :D

http://www.xblafans.com/wp-content/uploads//2010/12/xmenarcade.jpg

their prices aren't all that bad, obviously more than you'd pay for a used machine private party, but for theoretically fully refurbished machines their prices are good.

Personally I want to add a DDR to my collection next :D after that Area 51, TMNT and a candy cab.

[StayFree( ' 3')]

Really awesome work with the KI cabinet.

Personally I want to add a DDR to my collection next :D after that Area 51, TMNT and a candy cab.

Now this is more up my alley. Do you have your eye on a specific candy cab? Egret series, Blast City, ASW, etc?

Used to be a huge collector of candy cabs but due to my place filling up I ended up selling most of them off. Just got the Atomiswave cab now. I still collect the boards thanks to consolized mobos.

[twistedsymphony]

Really awesome work with the KI cabinet.



Now this is more up my alley. Do you have your eye on a specific candy cab? Egret series, Blast City, ASW, etc?

Used to be a huge collector of candy cabs but due to my place filling up I ended up selling most of them off. Just got the Atomiswave cab now. I still collect the boards thanks to consolized mobos.

I really love the Sega Net city cabs, that would be my first choice. Second pick would be a Blast City.

I've heard that the Egrets are great because the monitor rotates super easy, but I think they're kind of ugly looking personally.

-------------

I've never even seen a candy cab in person, they're incredibly rare here on the east coast. The last one I saw listed for sale in driving distance the guy wanted $2K :surrender:

Obviously a Viewlix would be awesome too, but probably way too expensive since they're still pretty new.

I've been piecing together a budget NAOMI CF setup I've got a NetDimm with the latest firmware and all the parts to build the card reader... so once I do have a cab I'll have everything I need to run pretty much any Naomi game. Mostly I plan on using the cab for shumps: Ikaruga, Marz Matrix, Radiant Silvergun, Espagaluda, etc.

[King Peter]

that's pretty sweet... though if you're going to own an Xmen game you should get the 6-player version :D

their prices aren't all that bad, obviously more than you'd pay for a used machine private party, but for theoretically fully refurbished machines their prices are good.

Personally I want to add a DDR to my collection next :D after that Area 51, TMNT and a candy cab.

I remember the 6 players version one when I was visiting my grand parents in Florida

Their price isn't that bad but I need to look at the machine first to see if it' worth the money or not :P

Ah, the good old TMNT arcade, can't remember how many quarters I put in that machine, was always looking at the intro (fire.... hang on April *turtle song*).

I can write hours and hours of arcade I played in the prime days of arcade place, hell I had a dozen only in my area. I can rely on my Neo Geo system to reminds me of the good old days :D

[twistedsymphony]

So an awesome deal popped up and I jumped on it...

I've added 3 San Francisco Rush The Rock - Alcatraz Editions as well as a Mortal Kombat II to my collection :)

No pictures yet since I was in a hurry to get the rental truck returned...

but I paid $650 for all 4 machines then about another $200 between gas and the truck rental.

[Treehouse_Ryan]

So an awesome deal popped up and I jumped on it...

I've added 3 San Francisco Rush The Rock - Alcatraz Editions as well as a Mortal Kombat II to my collection :)

No pictures yet since I was in a hurry to get the rental truck returned...

but I paid $650 for all 4 machines then about another $200 between gas and the truck rental.

Damn. Can you network the Rushes, or are they like those side-by-side racing ones? What do you do with three of them?

Awesome score.

I finally found some machines at a local antique shop, but the guy wants $300 for a busted Mario unit from 86 and $1500 for a Donkey Kong Jr. from 1982 that's in crazy good condition and apparently only has 1500 plays.... Still holding out for someone more interested in just getting rid of them.

[twistedsymphony]

Damn. Can you network the Rushes, or are they like those side-by-side racing ones? What do you do with three of them?

Awesome score.

I finally found some machines at a local antique shop, but the guy wants $300 for a busted Mario unit from 86 and $1500 for a Donkey Kong Jr. from 1982 that's in crazy good condition and apparently only has 1500 plays.... Still holding out for someone more interested in just getting rid of them.

Yeah the Rushes are all individual units and they network together using Ethernet cable... with 2 of them you can get away with a crossover cable but if you have more than 2 of them you have to use a network switch. Which is actually pretty uncommon for that era. Most "networked" arcades from Japanese manufacturers (like Sega and Namco) use Fiber Optic cables (just like the Toslink connection on your stereo) Each machine would have an input and an output and you'd daisy-chain them all together. It's really only US manufacturers that use Ethernet.

The "Twin units" aren't as common but even those, despite the fact that the halves are bolted together are still essentially separate machines electronically. Really the only thing these share is a coinbox and power input (so there is only 1 switch and 1 plug). It takes very little effort to get them to run individually.

--------------------

As for the pricing you found on those old Nintendo cabs... if that Donkey Kong Jr really was a privately owned machine with only 1500 plays then it's definitely worth the $1500 asking price. old Nintendo cab in show-room condition are easily worth $1000 and machines that managed to escape public use are usually worth much much more.

$300 for that Mario Bros is about right too.

The best deals are usually on local arcade collector forums, there's at least one in every major metropolitan area, a good place to start is http://forums.arcade-museum.com (if you sign up there let me know and I can vouch for you). After that just keep tabs on craigslist and eBay...

-----------

The key to finding cheap machines is to be diligent and be ready to pick the machines up as soon as they're listed. People who are selling cheap machines are selling them cheap not because they want the money but because they want the SPACE... so they're inclined to let them go to the first person who shows up with a truck, even if they low-balled the already low asking price. Every one of my machines was bought from someone who wanted to "get rid of them" to clear up space. These Rush machines I bought were sold by a pinball collector who wanted to make space for more pinballs. I jumped on the deal and offered to take them along with the MK2 he was selling at a lower price overall, he took the deal because it meant he would only have to deal with 1 sale, 1 pickup and it would free up his space all at once. there was a line of people willing to scoop these machines up if I didn't show up with the truck as quickly as I did. I've missed many MANY good deal by simply being too busy to pickup a machine within a day of the listing.

Anyone who doesn't care about the space and is looking for money is going to ask a lot more for their machines and they're likely going to sit on them until the right buyer comes along.

[twistedsymphony]

So today I got a lead for a really good price on a DDR machine including freight shipping...

I'm debating on wheather I should jump on it since I currently don't have any room for one :lol:

[Treehouse_Ryan]

So today I got a lead for a really good price on a DDR machine including freight shipping...

I'm debating on wheather I should jump on it since I currently don't have any room for one :lol:

Pun intended?

[kittychloe]

So today I got a lead for a really good price on a DDR machine including freight shipping...

I'm debating on wheather I should jump on it since I currently don't have any room for one :lol:

nice, jess would go nuts for one, if i had a spare 2k i would have gotten a puri kuri booth a few weeks back

[twistedsymphony]

:blush: d'oh... I seriously didn't even intend to make that pun... but earlier today I finalized the deal... in a week or so I should have it arriving at my house :D

I literally have no more room for anymore machines, in-fact I'm going to need to sell a few of the machines that I currently have :lol:

Right now I've got
Double Dragon
Killer Instinct 2
Virtual On
Donkey Kong
San Fran Rush the Rock (x3)
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
and now DDR 8th Mix

I'm going to sell Double Dragon, 1 of the San Fran Rushes and UMK3

[Treehouse_Ryan]

:blush: d'oh... I seriously didn't even intend to make that pun... but earlier today I finalized the deal... in a week or so I should have it arriving at my house :D

I literally have no more room for anymore machines, in-fact I'm going to need to sell a few of the machines that I currently have :lol:

Right now I've got
Double Dragon
Killer Instinct 2
Virtual On
Donkey Kong
San Fran Rush the Rock (x3)
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
and now DDR 8th Mix

I'm going to sell Double Dragon, 1 of the San Fran Rushes and UMK3

Oh god. If you weren't 2000 miles away, those are the three of your collection that I like the very most....

Also, congrats on the new machine!

[kittychloe]

If it wouldn't cost me both arms that are needed to play mk3 I would ask lol

[Matt16]

Your getting rid of 2 of the best 3 games :( if only I had a nice big row boat I'd come and get them :lol:

[twistedsymphony]

Don't get me wrong, Mortal Kombat 3 is one of my all time favorite games but I had an MK3 as my only arcade machine for more than 10 years, so at this point it's pretty stale and I rarely play it.

I've already agreed to sell it to a friend who lives locally so it wont be going far ;)

Double Dragon just isn't my cup of tea, however if I ever clear up some room I plan to fill the beat-em-up niche with a TMNT 4-player cab :)

[kittychloe]

Slim pickings in aus for a cheap ass, limited to $450 for now (bills) and within Sydney.. Hard to tell what machines are just remakes or simple paint jobs vs legitimate dedicated, can't trust Aussies not to rip you off lol jamma seem to start at $800 to $1200 here even when broken :(

[KnightOfTruth]

Don't get me wrong, Mortal Kombat 3 is one of my all time favorite games but I had an MK3 as my only arcade machine for more than 10 years, so at this point it's pretty stale and I rarely play it.

I've already agreed to sell it to a friend who lives locally so it wont be going far ;)

Double Dragon just isn't my cup of tea, however if I ever clear up some room I plan to fill the beat-em-up niche with a TMNT 4-player cab :)

The TMNT is definitely a must-have! I've been creating my MAME machine for over a year now (off and on -- but mostly off). Been purchasing individual parts and drawing (and redrawing) my plans/themes. I decided to go with the 4-player cab as I've often got a lot of people over the house. I don't really have the room right now for more than 1 so I've been really picky on the theme -- let's just call it a work-in-progress ;) I'll post a link to my project thread on arcadecontrols once I get it into "progress" mode!

[twistedsymphony]

Slim pickings in aus for a cheap ass, limited to $450 for now (bills) and within Sydney.. Hard to tell what machines are just remakes or simple paint jobs vs legitimate dedicated, can't trust Aussies not to rip you off lol jamma seem to start at $800 to $1200 here even when broken :(

telling a legit machine from a conversion really just comes down to knowing machines well. most of the time I can tell you what the machine used to be before it was converted. FWIW All machines have a metal (sometimes paper) plaque on the back that tell you what it was, provide a serial number, etc. so it's pretty rare that this wouldn't be in-tact.

as for those prices, $800-$1200 is what you might play for a Japanese Candy cab but I can't believe anyone would charge that much for a mid-90s fighter.

The TMNT is definitely a must-have! I've been creating my MAME machine for over a year now (off and on -- but mostly off). Been purchasing individual parts and drawing (and redrawing) my plans/themes. I decided to go with the 4-player cab as I've often got a lot of people over the house. I don't really have the room right now for more than 1 so I've been really picky on the theme -- let's just call it a work-in-progress ;) I'll post a link to my project thread on arcadecontrols once I get it into "progress" mode!

if you're going 4-player why not just pickup an old 4-player konami cab and swap out the PCB for a PC?

[KnightOfTruth]

if you're going 4-player why not just pickup an old 4-player konami cab and swap out the PCB for a PC?

I enjoy the project aspect of creating my own. It also allows me to design it to spec. With the amount of work that I'll be doing on it, it would seem like a waste of a perfectly good cab. I do enjoy the CP layouts of some of them, but as this cab will be my All-in-1, I've got some great plans for my CP. And don't worry - its not one of those "franken-panels" that so many people seem to think is a "good idea" :hammer:

The only major decision I've yet to finalize regarding the CP is whether I want to emulate N64 on it with the arcade controls (as I'm sure you may know this typically requires extra buttons) or just use the interface panel that I'll have on the front to plug in some n64 controllers and leave it strictly playable via that. (still haven't finished the front-end side of showing which CP layouts to be used yet for the n64 emulator). If I stick with the "controller only" option it should free up some space to let me either shrink the panel slightly or give a bit more room for arms and elbows and all that ;) Just haven't resolved yet whether anyone would actually want to play N64 games with arcade controls or not...

[Treehouse_Ryan]

I enjoy the project aspect of creating my own. It also allows me to design it to spec. With the amount of work that I'll be doing on it, it would seem like a waste of a perfectly good cab. I do enjoy the CP layouts of some of them, but as this cab will be my All-in-1, I've got some great plans for my CP. And don't worry - its not one of those "franken-panels" that so many people seem to think is a "good idea" :hammer:

The only major decision I've yet to finalize regarding the CP is whether I want to emulate N64 on it with the arcade controls (as I'm sure you may know this typically requires extra buttons) or just use the interface panel that I'll have on the front to plug in some n64 controllers and leave it strictly playable via that. (still haven't finished the front-end side of showing which CP layouts to be used yet for the n64 emulator). If I stick with the "controller only" option it should free up some space to let me either shrink the panel slightly or give a bit more room for arms and elbows and all that ;) Just haven't resolved yet whether anyone would actually want to play N64 games with arcade controls or not...

I want to know so, so much more about all your plans....

I think people wouldn't complain about using arcade layouts for most N64 games, but I imagine the controller would add a good amount to the experience, for whatever my thoughts on the subject are worth.

Also, don't sleep on the DiveKick layout option! I've been wanting to take on something like this for years, but that game cemented my need. Jamming on those oversized buttons is the best way to settle all future disputes.

[kittychloe]

So I managed to pick up a jamma machine for $206 After I figure out how to get it here...

It has a coin op that isn't hooked up so I need to know how to do that
I also need a new jamma card as the current one is http://www.twobits.com/60/
I plan to install something more fun like a brawler or fighter
The last 2 issues though might be harder

First the screen has on and off blurring issues, I assume a loose cable
The second is that it was built with a three stick set up, I'm not sure if it better to leave one set covered or get a new plate and install a 4th stick and buttons

eBay link
http://bit.ly/172nQ4H

Also I know nothing about jamma boards and this one has a vertical alignment, would this mean the monitor is locked to vertical cards or can I just put a horizontal card in adjust something to play properly?

[twistedsymphony]

...The only major decision I've yet to finalize regarding the CP is whether I want to emulate N64 on it with the arcade controls (as I'm sure you may know this typically requires extra buttons) or just use the interface panel that I'll have on the front to plug in some n64 controllers and leave it strictly playable via that. (still haven't finished the front-end side of showing which CP layouts to be used yet for the n64 emulator). If I stick with the "controller only" option it should free up some space to let me either shrink the panel slightly or give a bit more room for arms and elbows and all that ;) Just haven't resolved yet whether anyone would actually want to play N64 games with arcade controls or not...

I feel the thing about arcade machine is the experience of playing on hardware that is 100% dedicated in every way shape or form to playing a specific game and only that game. With this in mind when I consider MAME or Multi-cade setups I think about where the line needs to be drawn before you've lost that "dedicated" feel.

For instance I'm currently building a Fit It Felix Jr cabinet that will also be a MAME cabinet, Fix it Felix Jr has a 4-way ball top, 2 action buttons and 2 start buttons as well as a Vertical 19" CRT Arcade monitor, so that is 100% of what the controls will be, nothing extra, nothing more. When I put games into MAME I'm only loading on games that work within that control scheme (eg: Donkey Kong, Galaxian, Pac Man, etc.) Basically ONLY games designed for a vertical monitor, 2 or 4 way joystick, 1 player at a time, and 0-2 action buttons.

It might seem limiting but there are still 100s of classic games that fit within that setup, and the experience of playing them will still be very close if not exactly like playing them on an original, dedicated, machine.

As for the N64 ports... personally, I would avoid adding ports for normal controllers, I don't see people wanting to stand up in front of the machine holding a controller playing, especially when they could just as easily be playing on a larger TV while sitting on a comfy couch just a short distance away. I guess I don't really get the idea of playing console style games on an arcade cabinet.


So I managed to pick up a jamma machine for $206 After I figure out how to get it here...

It has a coin op that isn't hooked up so I need to know how to do that
Some terms...
The "coin door" is the door that holds all of the parts related to accepting currency. The "coin slot" is where you put your money,
it rolls down a "coin chute" and drops into the "coin mechanism" (or "coin mech") which is what validates whether the coin will drop past the "coin switch" into the "coin box" or get rejected into the "coin return"

So I'm suspecting that the coin switch isn't hooked up... that's super easy, it's just a ground wire and a signal wire, just like any button that the player uses on the control panel. For home use this probably isn't even necessary as most games can be setup for "free play" so no coins needed.


I also need a new jamma card as the current one is http://www.twobits.com/60/
I plan to install something more fun like a brawler or fighter
Those "X in 1" JAMMA PCBs blow, they're basically just a cheap computer running MAME, and most of them don't receive any substantial testing so they run like dog poo...

"JAMMA" stands for "Japanese Arcade Machine Manufacturers Association" and it's basically just the name of the connector that plugs into the PCB ("Printed Circuit Board" aka the "game board"/brains/etc.) The connector is just a standard shape and pin layout and covers "everything" the PCB needs, so it's just 1 connector

http://www.arcadetreasure.com/techinfo/jamma_pinout.gif

This came about because early on every game would use different style connectors so you had to re-wire the whole machine if you wanted to put a different game in it... with JAMMA all the arcade companies got together and agreed on a standard way to do things so that you could easily swap games.

Because it came about in the mid-80s there are Some draw backs due to short-slightness:
1. it only supports up to 1 speaker (aka Mono audio)
2. it only supports up to 2 players
3. it only supports up to 3 action buttons per player
4. it doesn't support light guns or steering wheels or other non-standard controls)

Because of this games that require more buttons or more speakers or other style controls will often have extra connectors IN ADDITION to the JAMMA connector to handle that stuff.

So, for instance Most 6 button fighters use an extra connector called a "JAMMA+" connector or a "Kick Harness" which adds the 6 extra kick buttons necessary for both players.

The best setup is to buy a real arcade JAMMA PCB and just plug it in and enjoy it... they do make "JAMMA Switchers" for people who want to run multiple JAMMA boards on a single cabinet without having to swap them out all the time.

If you do decide to go the MAME route, then I would recommend buying a J-PAC (https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.ultimarc.com/jpac.html&sa=U&ei=8Fh6UrO8FYrMqAGSuICwCA&ved=0CAgQFjAB&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNG5DKkqPQgSsdNN4IuWbPL4PS5w4g) and hooking it up to a PC running HypeSpin as your interface.


The last 2 issues though might be harder

First the screen has on and off blurring issues, I assume a loose cable
The second is that it was built with a three stick set up, I'm not sure if it better to leave one set covered or get a new plate and install a 4th stick and buttons
blurring issues are most likely due to a failing "flyback" this is the big black component on the "monitor chassis" (this is the name for the monitor's circuit board) with the big thick wire that attaches to the tube. If you have some basic soldering skills a new one usually costs about $30-$40 (USD). It's probably also a good idea to "cap the monitor" or "do a cap kit" this basically means desoldering all of the capacitors (the little metal cylinder things) and soldering on new ones... a lot of people sell "cap kits" that include all the parts you need for about $10-$15 (though you'll need to figure out which make and model your monitor is so you order the right kit). Basically capacitors wear out, they'll get bloated and start to leak and generally don't work so well after a while.

I cap the monitor on everyone of my arcade machines "whether they need it or not"... if it's more than 10 or 15 years old, it's probably due.

If all of this seems too much for you there are a number of people who do CRT Chassis rebuilds and repairs for around $75-$150 depending on the monitor that that usually includes all parts and return shipping. A quick search turned this up for Australia: http://www.jomac.net.au/mon.htm


Also I know nothing about jamma boards and this one has a vertical alignment, would this mean the monitor is locked to vertical cards or can I just put a horizontal card in adjust something to play properly?

Some games use vertical monitors usually classics like Donkey, Kong, Space Invaders, Pac Man etc are all designed to work on a vertical monitor. The only modern games that still use that layout are SHUMPS like Ikaruga or Espagaulda

Generally rotating the monitor is pretty simple but it varies from cabinet to cabinet. You'll need to take the glass off in front of the monitor, and there are probably 4 big bolts holding the monitor frame to the cabinet... unbolt these, pull the monitor out, rotate it, and put it back in. get someone to help you though... those monitors are heavy as hell.

[kittychloe]

Some terms...
"coin mechanism" (or "coin mech")

One term I actually knew :)



So I'm suspecting that the coin switch isn't hooked up... that's super easy, it's just a ground wire and a signal wire, just like any button that the player uses on the control panel. For home use this probably isn't even necessary as most games can be setup for "free play" so no coins needed.


The cabinet is going into a store so I will need to hook it up



Those "X in 1" JAMMA PCBs blow, they're basically just a cheap computer running MAME, and most of them don't receive any substantial testing so they run like dog poo...


60 in 1 will be removed shortly after fixing the screen


"JAMMA" stands for "Japanese Arcade Machine Manufacturers Association" and it's basically just the name of the connector that plugs into the PCB ("Printed Circuit Board" aka the "game board"/brains/etc.) The connector is just a standard shape and pin layout and covers "everything" the PCB needs, so it's just 1 connector

http://www.arcadetreasure.com/techinfo/jamma_pinout.gif

This came about because early on every game would use different style connectors so you had to re-wire the whole machine if you wanted to put a different game in it... with JAMMA all the arcade companies got together and agreed on a standard way to do things so that you could easily swap games.

Because it came about in the mid-80s there are Some draw backs due to short-slightness:
1. it only supports up to 1 speaker (aka Mono audio)
2. it only supports up to 2 players
3. it only supports up to 3 action buttons per player
4. it doesn't support light guns or steering wheels or other non-standard controls)



Something else I knew.. Googled it just after I won the machine :P



Because of this games that require more buttons or more speakers or other style controls will often have extra connectors IN ADDITION to the JAMMA connector to handle that stuff.

So, for instance Most 6 button fighters use an extra connector called a "JAMMA+" connector or a "Kick Harness" which adds the 6 extra kick buttons necessary for both players.

The best setup is to buy a real arcade JAMMA PCB and just plug it in and enjoy it... they do make "JAMMA Switchers" for people who want to run multiple JAMMA boards on a single cabinet without having to swap them out all the time.

If you do decide to go the MAME route, then I would recommend buying a J-PAC (https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.ultimarc.com/jpac.html&sa=U&ei=8Fh6UrO8FYrMqAGSuICwCA&ved=0CAgQFjAB&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNG5DKkqPQgSsdNN4IuWbPL4PS5w4g) and hooking it up to a PC running HypeSpin as your interface.


I would prefer to just dedicate the machine to one game like TMNT or street fighter ect


blurring issues are most likely due to a failing "flyback" this is the big black component on the "monitor chassis" (this is the name for the monitor's circuit board) with the big thick wire that attaches to the tube. If you have some basic soldering skills a new one usually costs about $30-$40 (USD). It's probably also a good idea to "cap the monitor" or "do a cap kit" this basically means desoldering all of the capacitors (the little metal cylinder things) and soldering on new ones... a lot of people sell "cap kits" that include all the parts you need for about $10-$15 (though you'll need to figure out which make and model your monitor is so you order the right kit). Basically capacitors wear out, they'll get bloated and start to leak and generally don't work so well after a while.

I cap the monitor on everyone of my arcade machines "whether they need it or not"... if it's more than 10 or 15 years old, it's probably due.

If all of this seems too much for you there are a number of people who do CRT Chassis rebuilds and repairs for around $75-$150 depending on the monitor that that usually includes all parts and return shipping. A quick search turned this up for Australia: http://www.jomac.net.au/mon.htm


I've been planing to learn to solder



Some games use vertical monitors usually classics like Donkey, Kong, Space Invaders, Pac Man etc are all designed to work on a vertical monitor. The only modern games that still use that layout are SHUMPS like Ikaruga or Espagaulda

Generally rotating the monitor is pretty simple but it varies from cabinet to cabinet. You'll need to take the glass off in front of the monitor, and there are probably 4 big bolts holding the monitor frame to the cabinet... unbolt these, pull the monitor out, rotate it, and put it back in. get someone to help you though... those monitors are heavy as hell.

The 60 in 1 is pretty much games like pac man and galaga




Not sure if you looked at the eBay link but I'm guessing from the build purpose I will need a jamma+ to be able to just stick in a fighting game card


Thanks for the help if I run into trouble I will come back (probably when its time to reattach something I dislodged)

[twistedsymphony]

Before putting the machine "in route" at at store I'd check local laws... I don't know about your region but in the US different states have different laws and taxes regarding the use of coin-op games.

If you're going to set this up with Street Fighter or TMNT then I would suggest leaving it with 2 player controls.

I know TMNT can be reprogrammed for 2 players or 4 players but not for 3, and I believe it requires a coin slot for each player since there are no start buttons on TMNT

[kittychloe]

Hmm, I just factor the earning into the business earning at the end of the week lol, I do have a spare coin mech sitting around though, maybe a game that needs a start button is best lol

[twistedsymphony]

Hmm, I just factor the earning into the business earning at the end of the week lol, I do have a spare coin mech sitting around though, maybe a game that needs a start button is best lol

I think you'd be best served with a 6-button fighter in there, a Street Fighter or Killer Instinct. Or maybe one of the 4-button Namco fighters like Soul Calibur or Tekken.

Killer Instinct PCBs tend to be expensive (~$300 USD) but I see older Soul Calibur/Tekken PCBs for under $100 all the time, no idea the going rate for SF games though.

Also FYI you can use PCBs from any country... the monitor signal and voltage input from the power supply is all the same for arcade machines no matter where in the world you are. ... there is no NTSC/PAL in the arcade world ;)

[kittychloe]

Soul calibur is tempting

[kittychloe]

-_- the arcade guy here that I asked to pick it up for me took one look at the eBay link and went on a rant about the machine being crap and once the monitor starts blurring its gone forever and I should cancel the purchase or it will cost hundreds to fix

[twistedsymphony]

-_- the arcade guy here that I asked to pick it up for me took one look at the eBay link and went on a rant about the machine being crap and once the monitor starts blurring its gone forever and I should cancel the purchase or it will cost hundreds to fix

And what exactly is that "arcade guys" background?

The worst thing that can happen to a monitor is damage to the tube... either it get's physically cracked, or the type dies (which is generally categorized by a dim picture or a loss of one of the primary colors R, G, B).

Focus is controlled by the flyback, which is a common failure point, and if it's popping in and out .

If you can find a replacement flyback then it's a fairly simple install... as long as the tube is still good the most you'll spend fixing the monitor is about $200 on a new chassis.

Even if the tube is bad, you can usually find a similar sized TV and swap the tube into your arcade machine.

you might considering seeking advice here: http://www.aussiearcade.com.au/forum.php

[kittychloe]

He used to own an arcade then turned into a collector/repairer/hire'r of arcade cabinets and skill testers, its made him a fair whack of money over the years, the problem is he is a rip off, I think he has a thing against not buying from him or competition

His cabinets start at $900 for a mame unit, I asked how much for him to get it if he was going in that area (he owns a truck) and after showing him the cabinet I got ranted at -_-

Having trouble finding someone to deliver so its looking like I might have to cancel :(, my car is dead, and my brother and his gf who offered are out of action he had surgery and she came off a horse so in running out of option and truck hire or hiring someone to pick it up is $500 easy

Just one of those good finds on a really shit week :(

[twistedsymphony]

that sucks :(

[kittychloe]

Yea things happen, if I need to cancel I will just aim for something easier to ship next time, hopefully my car will be fixed at that point, hopefully a good dedicated game will come up something I can keep as a centerpiece of the collection :)

[twistedsymphony]

My Double Dragon machine is up for sale... not that anyone here is close enough to buy it http://nh.craigslist.org/clt/4186839811.html

[Sand4fish]

My dream was always to have a street fighter 2 turbo cabinet in my home, but due to my fear of moving around, as I'm not married yet.. I never got to do it. I love shmups as well!

[kittychloe]

Any dedicated machine would make me happy, side scrollers and fighters are my thing, streets of rage, TMNT, final fight, street fighter, mortal kombat, all are good, just prices here depress me, I am starting to think it would be cheaper to have one shipped from the us

[twistedsymphony]

Any dedicated machine would make me happy, side scrollers and fighters are my thing, streets of rage, TMNT, final fight, street fighter, mortal kombat, all are good, just prices here depress me, I am starting to think it would be cheaper to have one shipped from the us

eBay is horrible for arcade machines, you'll overpay for lower quality

I would recommend watching this forum here: http://www.aussiearcade.com.au/forumdisplay.php/27-For-Sale-Arcade

...that or some kind of Craigslist equivalent like gumtree

EDIT: how about this one: http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/newton/other-electronics-computers/street-fighter-arcade-machine-all-working-for-man-cave/1031849300

[kittychloe]

eBay is horrible for arcade machines, you'll overpay for lower quality

I would recommend watching this forum here: http://www.aussiearcade.com.au/forumdisplay.php/27-For-Sale-Arcade

...that or some kind of Craigslist equivalent like gumtree

EDIT: how about this one: http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/newton/other-electronics-computers/street-fighter-arcade-machine-all-working-for-man-cave/1031849300

Already gone sadly, there's a lot of resellers scouring gumtree, if your not fast you miss out, hopefully is hasn't gone to one of the many hire and sale places

Will check out the arcade forum

[twistedsymphony]

Already gone sadly, there's a lot of resellers scouring gumtree, if your not fast you miss out, hopefully is hasn't gone to one of the many hire and sale places

Will check out the arcade forum

You ever find a machine?


over the holiday break I started building a dedicated "arcade room" and I've been working on modifying my DDR machine as well as that Donkey Kong.

[misterunboxers]

I don't collect them per say, however two pinball machienes currently. The wife wants to add two more. If we do that I want a couple newer ones. Maybe I could talk her into having arcade cabinets instead. :)

[twistedsymphony]

I don't collect them per say, however two pinball machienes currently. The wife wants to add two more. If we do that I want a couple newer ones. Maybe I could talk her into having arcade cabinets instead. :)

very cool, what pins do you have now?

Pinball it a more expensive hobby but the machines are somewhat "timeless" in a way that video arcades aren't and as a result they seem to go up in value as time goes on.

Don't get me wrong, I love my machines, but video arcades (in general) are more of a money pit than an investment :lol:

[misterunboxers]

very cool, what pins do you have now?

Pinball it a more expensive hobby but the machines are somewhat "timeless" in a way that video arcades aren't and as a result they seem to go up in value as time goes on.

Don't get me wrong, I love my machines, but video arcades (in general) are more of a money pit than an investment :lol:

Right now we have Flash which was a production number of: 19,505
We also have Hi-Lo Ace which had a production number of: 2,500
I like the Hi-Lo Ace machine, because of the limited number of units, however the Flash machine is by far more fun to play.

[twistedsymphony]

Right now we have Flash which was a production number of: 19,505
We also have Hi-Lo Ace which had a production number of: 2,500
I like the Hi-Lo Ace machine, because of the limited number of units, however the Flash machine is by far more fun to play.

Yeah Pinball feels like it didn't really come into it's own until the 90s... before that the older the games get the less interesting they are to play.

Sounds like you need to add a newer DMD machine to your line up :)

[twistedsymphony]

I took delivery of another machine last week... it's a Lupin the 3rd The Typing that I plan to convert back into Typing of the Dead (what it was originally).

https://igcdn-photos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/t51.2885-15/11242875_865892383478637_2131101049_n.jpg

[toxicatom5]

I'm envious of your skills and ability to work on these machines. I don't have the space right now, but eventually would like to get some machines. When that day comes, expect an email asking for advice haha.

...and you have a lot of tires in your garage.

[twistedsymphony]

...and you have a lot of tires in your garage.

I do, and the worst part is that picture doesn't even show half of them :lol:
anyone wanna buy some tires?

[KnightOfTruth]

I do, and the worst part is that picture doesn't even show half of them :lol:
anyone wanna buy some tires?

Darn, wish I had seen this last week! I would've driven up and grabbed em from you since I was in your neck of the woods anyway! :facepalm:

Oh well, I'll look you up when these go bald! :thumb:

[Resseh]

I have an old arcade that I wish to do up but I haven't a clue where to start. I want some decent decals to make it look the part but seems harder to source in the UK.