Budget Atari and Capcom arcade cabinets to see release this fall!

[Tanooki]

SThis seems like those half scale combination pool and air hockey tables. Sounds like a good idea, but in practice it's pretty meh.

 

Hope you're wrong, but the more I read I'm starting to get horrible Midway 2/3 size arcade 13" CRT piece of crap for $300 flashbacks from like 10-15 years ago now. It could go either well enough for them to continue, or it will go the way of the fun but limited zizzle pinballs and the midway atrocity from over a decade ago too. They really did limit themselves being all both legal about it, but also buckling on such a small selection for each cabinet. Not that it's comparable but illegally speaking you can for not a whole lot more (aside from retail clowns) get an iCade 60in1 up through a 1000+in1 mini boards hooked into a LCD both cab or cocktail style which has more variety than you'd ever need. On the other end for $100 there's the Data East and coming Namco devices which have 37 and 20 games respectively for $100, all arcade ROMS running a tweaked MAME4Droid as a core, so it's not hard to think they could have put more even with licensing into the things than 4 games.

[negative1]

Apparently best buy will be selling the atari 12 in 1, for $400. Probably a presale on their website.

 

also some tempest gameplay, screen angle is weird causing the colors not to display right:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm1NUl_lPkv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

later

-1

Edited August 29, 2018 by negative1

[Cynicaster]

I may be getting older, but I'm pretty sure that the definition of "DIY" is the antithesis of "ready made, out of the box."

 

Let's break it down.

 

3 sheets of 3/4 plywood @ 4x8 - $80

Various other pieces of lumber (2x4's and such) to hold your box together: $20

1 used 19" 4x3 aspect LCD monitor from ebay/amazon: $25

Raspberry Pi for gaming: $35

Mayflash arcade Controller (to use for buttons and stick) or similar pelican style arcade controls from amazon or gamestop, etc $35

powered computer speakers for audio: $15

Corded Drill: $29

Corded Jigsaw: $40

2 Cans of Black Spray paint: $10

1 box 2" coarse thread drywall screws.

 

All of the above is everything you need, and it's EXACTLY $299. In most cases, I over estimated on price, especially the lumber.

 

Now of course this requires the requisite skills to operate power tools, measure and plan the shape of your cab, a place to actually do the work of cutting and assembling etc. So obviously this is not for everyone. It also doesn't include nice side art or a glass bezel - but those aren't really necessary. This would be for a full size 6 foot arcade size cab, with the right proportions and controls/monitor alignment so that people over 5 feet tall won't get a stiff neck playing it. and using linux + MAME and roms, you would have THOUSANDS of games to choose from, instead of 2 or 3.

 

We could get into the whole licensing debate, but most people really do not give a shit about that, as the licensing is only really a concern if you're planning on adding a coin slot and putting it in a public place for profit. Sure, the games would be illegal.

 

 

Your list is hopelessly optimistic on cost. I'm not saying a savvy DIY'er couldn't knock together a box of some shape or form to resemble an arcade cabinet using your list, but I just don't think that budget is achievable in practice for most of us. The list has just enough plausibility at a glance that one might want to use it to pitch the idea to their wife, but that's about it.

Here are some things I'd add to your list. Obviously, not all of them will apply to all people, because different people will have different stuff already available.

- You have to trim the edges of plywood or MDF or it will look horrible. T-molding is cheap (about a buck a foot) but you need a router to cut the slot ($50-$100 I'm guessing, depending on brand/quality). The slot cutting bit alone is probably $20 for one that will last more than 5 minutes. If you're going to go that far then it's kind of silly not to get other router bits that are very useful for such a project, such as a flush trim bit for cloning the sides of the cabinet to ensure they're identical, and those run for about $20 each as well.

- are we really going to paint with spray paint on plywood? That will look like ass. Doing it right will cost far more than the cost of 2 rattle cans.

- The RPi cost is more than just the Pi itself. Add $25 or so for accessories.

- Glass/acrylic/plexi for covering the monitor is not optional on an "arcade cabinet," IMO, and it will cost you probably $25-$40. If you also want to use some for a marquee and/or control panel, you can double that price.

- If you want a good quality trackball or spinner, those units will cost you about $80-$100 each by the time you get them interfaced to your computer/RPi.

- Good quality artwork for your CPO alone will cost $30-$50 easily. You quickly get into the hundreds once you start looking at additional art for marquees, cabinet sides, and bezels.

- You probably want some means of powering the whole works up and down with a single control - a smart power strip or similar, which is probably $30 or so.

- You're going to get nickeled-and-dimed to death. There is just no way around it, you're going to need to set aside a slush fund for going back and forth to the hardware store 500 times to pick up odds and ends you forgot to account for - clamps, miscellaneous tools, screws of different sizes, brackets, hinges, glue, sand paper, wire, tape, trim pieces, re-buys of things you accidentally ruined by screwing something up, etc. etc. which adds up quickly and can easily get up in the $100+ range (ask me how I know).

- shipping charges on all items ordered online will be $20 or so, maybe more

- And, as others have said, there's the time. By the time you sit down and plan the thing, design it, place your orders, do your local shopping, design the art, research different aspects, etc. you'll have potentially a few dozen hours invested before even making your first cut. As for the build itself, if you're doing a scratch build and you have any standards of workmanship whatsoever, make an estimate of how long you expect it to take to get that sucker constructed, painted, outfitted, moved into your basement, and configured with the software to where you want it. Now triple or quadruple that estimate and you might be in the ballpark of the number of hours you'll actually end up spending. This is why I'm so glad I built my main project while I was single with no kids; I just don't know how I'd be able to find the time to do it now, it would take countless months to get it done by chipping away at it for an hour here and an hour there.

[+GoldenWheels]

I built my mini so you could put it in front of your couch and sit to play it...the controls are maybe 2 feet up. It's made from two black walmart bookstands.

 

 

OTOH it cost me like 200-300 in parts for the TV, x arcade, marquee, and it took me a few hours to put it together. Maybe 400 ain't awful for a premade kit. I'd buy one...once they go on sale.

Not debating costs of materials etc but just a tip for guys who do want to do their own projects....you can do a LOT by buying black MDF furniture and just reinforcing it. Saves you painting, cuts can be blacked out afterwards (tape your cut lines to protect the veneer). And if you use relatively finished unit to start, your project starts SQUARE, a hard thing for lots of beginning carpenters.

 

NOT to compare my project to the 1up arcades directly, as I think the 1up arcades LOOK sweet, far fancier than mine and far more like an arcade. Just saying...there are shortcuts to DIY projects that save tons of time and money. There are, sadly, no shortcuts to having the tools and skills needed to do the job.

[JBerel]

- You have to trim the edges of plywood or MDF or it will look horrible. T-molding is cheap (about a buck a foot) but you need a router to cut the slot ($50-$100 I'm guessing, depending on brand/quality). The slot cutting bit alone is probably $20 for one that will last more than 5 minutes. If you're going to go that far then it's kind of silly not to get other router bits that are very useful for such a project, such as a flush trim bit for cloning the sides of the cabinet to ensure they're identical, and those run for about $20 each as well.

 

- are we really going to paint with spray paint on plywood? That will look like ass. Doing it right will cost far more than the cost of 2 rattle cans.

 

- The RPi cost is more than just the Pi itself. Add $25 or so for accessories.

 

- Glass/acrylic/plexi for covering the monitor is not optional on an "arcade cabinet," IMO, and it will cost you probably $25-$40. If you also want to use some for a marquee and/or control panel, you can double that price.

 

- If you want a good quality trackball or spinner, those units will cost you about $80-$100 each by the time you get them interfaced to your computer/RPi.

 

- Good quality artwork for your CPO alone will cost $30-$50 easily. You quickly get into the hundreds once you start looking at additional art for marquees, cabinet sides, and bezels.

 

- You probably want some means of powering the whole works up and down with a single control - a smart power strip or similar, which is probably $30 or so.

 

- You're going to get nickeled-and-dimed to death. There is just no way around it, you're going to need to set aside a slush fund for going back and forth to the hardware store 500 times to pick up odds and ends you forgot to account for - clamps, miscellaneous tools, screws of different sizes, brackets, hinges, glue, sand paper, wire, tape, trim pieces, re-buys of things you accidentally ruined by screwing something up, etc. etc. which adds up quickly and can easily get up in the $100+ range (ask me how I know).

 

- shipping charges on all items ordered online will be $20 or so, maybe more

 

- And, as others have said, there's the time. By the time you sit down and plan the thing, design it, place your orders, do your local shopping, design the art, research different aspects, etc. you'll have potentially a few dozen hours invested before even making your first cut. As for the build itself, if you're doing a scratch build and you have any standards of workmanship whatsoever, make an estimate of how long you expect it to take to get that sucker constructed, painted, outfitted, moved into your basement, and configured with the software to where you want it. Now triple or quadruple that estimate and you might be in the ballpark of the number of hours you'll actually end up spending. This is why I'm so glad I built my main project while I was single with no kids; I just don't know how I'd be able to find the time to do it now, it would take countless months to get it done by chipping away at it for an hour here and an hour there.

 

Having built a few arcade cabs myself, I can attest to all of that, especially the multiple trips to the hardware store. Though mine always cost quite a bit more because I went with a furniture grade oak finish and a decent PC inside. The retro artwork is nice, but I'll take my finished wood grain any day.

[Cynicaster]

 

Having built a few arcade cabs myself, I can attest to all of that, especially the multiple trips to the hardware store. Though mine always cost quite a bit more because I went with a furniture grade oak finish and a decent PC inside. The retro artwork is nice, but I'll take my finished wood grain any day.

 

 

Your comments remind me of yet another thing I didn't even get into, which is the question of which aspects of a build should meet a standard of "bare minimum of acceptability" and which aspects are worth "splurging" on for the enhancement of the overall experience.

For example, people love to turn to the RPi as a computer for MAME cabinets, but frankly I think the Pi is a shit solution for arcade emulation unless you specifically need the small size and/or low power consumption (for, e.g., a bartop unit, a portable unit, etc.). A capable PC is going to cost more, but it is vastly superior to a Pi for the application. A good display is worth a few extra pesos, considering you're going to be looking at it constantly while using the machine. Joysticks and buttons can be had for dirt cheap, but they're available in all kinds of flavors, and, naturally, the nicer and more durable stuff tends to be more expensive.

I bring this up because it's one thing to settle for a subpar joystick on a low-cost, low-effort pre-fab commercial unit like an iCade or Arcade1Up or whatever. But it just seems silly to spend hundreds of hours on a project and cheap out on those very important components. The point being, I'm not sure it makes a whole lot of sense to create a price list for a scratch build project while only accounting for the absolute cheapest of everything.

[NE146]

Look man, if you got a PC, all you need is a little elbow grease, some resourcefulness, imagination, and a little bit of love, and you can come up with something wonderful

 

[JBerel]

I always build furniture pieces, including game cabinets, so they look like something I'd want in my house. It doesn't bother the wife either. But, figuring for my time and materials, when people ask me to build stuff for them I have to tell them they would never want to pay what I would have to charge. It always ends up costing almost twice retail, but it has the benefit of being a one of a kind, and built like a tank.

[John Stamos Mullet]

 

 

Your comments remind me of yet another thing I didn't even get into, which is the question of which aspects of a build should meet a standard of "bare minimum of acceptability" and which aspects are worth "splurging" on for the enhancement of the overall experience.

For example, people love to turn to the RPi as a computer for MAME cabinets, but frankly I think the Pi is a shit solution for arcade emulation unless you specifically need the small size and/or low power consumption (for, e.g., a bartop unit, a portable unit, etc.). A capable PC is going to cost more, but it is vastly superior to a Pi for the application. A good display is worth a few extra pesos, considering you're going to be looking at it constantly while using the machine. Joysticks and buttons can be had for dirt cheap, but they're available in all kinds of flavors, and, naturally, the nicer and more durable stuff tends to be more expensive.

I bring this up because it's one thing to settle for a subpar joystick on a low-cost, low-effort pre-fab commercial unit like an iCade or Arcade1Up or whatever. But it just seems silly to spend hundreds of hours on a project and cheap out on those very important components. The point being, I'm not sure it makes a whole lot of sense to create a price list for a scratch build project while only accounting for the absolute cheapest of everything.

I could go line by line and agree or disagree with some of your points, but that seems like a lot of work. More to the point: You're willing to spend more money than I am on parts that are largely irrelevant window dressing. I do not give the first shit about glass bezels or side artwork, or any of that stuff. There's absolutely nothing wrong with spray paint vs. canned paint - in fact you'll get a smoother finish with no brush strokes if you spray it. As for the T-Molding - meh. it can look nice, or it can look like shit, depending on who installed it. If you bought decent Plywood or MDF - sand the cut edges and paint it. Done.

 

But the one thing I will call shenanigans on is the "time" it takes to do this. It's a wooden box. The most difficult part is designing and cutting your two side panels to a shape that resembles your favorite Arcade cab with the right proportions - there are plenty of free plans for this floating around the web. With a decent Jigsaw this is done in 1/2 hour. The back is two rectangle cuts, one you can put hinges on and make a door if you want. The top is a square cut. The bottom is a square cut. The front is another rectangle. use 2x4s as supports/beams along the edges and between the two sides at the top, middle, and bottom. - then put two to rest the monitor on at an angle, and a small shelf below it for your RPi, laptop or PC. The control panel is a rectangle that slightly overhangs your side and front panels by an inch or so, mounted at about a 10 degree angle, that you drill a few holes in and mount your controls on. I mean - I'm sorry, but this stuff is not Rocket Science. If this stuff takes you more than a weekend to cut, paint and assemble - I don't know what to tell you.

[JBerel]

Look man, if you got a PC, all you need is a little elbow grease, some resourcefulness, imagination, and a little bit of love, and you can come up with something wonderful

 

Man, that cab is like a mystery wrapped up in a riddle.

[Flojomojo]

IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL I CAN'T STAND IT

 

yay for "Search for this image on Google" to find the original post https://www.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/71rw5k/using_retroarch_and_a_little_bit_of_cardboard_ive/

[128Kgames]

Apparently best buy will be selling the atari 12 in 1, for $400. Probably a presale on their website.

 

also some tempest gameplay, screen angle is weird causing the colors not to display right:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm1NUl_lPkv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

later

-1

 

Thanks for the heads up man, I was wondering when the were going to list it.

 

Pre-ordered!

[Tanooki]

IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL I CAN'T STAND IT

 

yay for "Search for this image on Google" to find the original post https://www.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/71rw5k/using_retroarch_and_a_little_bit_of_cardboard_ive/

Hah another redneckade.

[NE146]

Just search for "cardboard mame arcade" on google image search and take your pick really.

[Flojomojo]

Thanks for the heads up man, I was wondering when the were going to list it.

 

Pre-ordered!

An extra 8 games almost seems like it's worth another hundred bucks.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/arcade1up-deluxe-edition-12-in-1-arcade-cabinet-atari-graphics/6288355.p?skuId=6288355

[NE146]

Apparently best buy will be selling the atari 12 in 1, for $400. Probably a presale on their website.

 

also some tempest gameplay, screen angle is weird causing the colors not to display right:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm1NUl_lPkv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

later

-1

 

That spinner seems stiff for Tempest, or is it just me? You should be able to move pretty quickly with it but it seems he's rotating the spinner quite a bit for relatively small movements on the screen. Also , the thing should spin freely making you move around the tube rapidly if you want it to.... but in the vid it appears to stop whenever he takes his hand off. Now I'm a little worried.

Edited August 30, 2018 by NE146

[128Kgames]

An extra 8 games almost seems like it's worth another hundred bucks.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/arcade1up-deluxe-edition-12-in-1-arcade-cabinet-atari-graphics/6288355.p?skuId=6288355

 

And a riser! Don't forget you get a riser as well, and I believe these alone are going to run about $40.

[Bill Loguidice]

I ended up canceling my Walmart.com order and went through Best Buy. Besides the fact that I had $80 Best Buy rewards credit from some previous recent computer purchases, I just think that the relative value ended up trumping any cognitive issues I'd have with the incorrect screen orientation for certain games. It doesn't hurt that with the credit I only ended up paying a little more than $30 or so over the standard unit.

 

I STILL hate the riser, but the fact that it's included is OK. I'll probably still set it up with the riser even though I already bought a nice adjustable stool so I wouldn't have to purchase one.

[Flojomojo]

The riser looks like a dust magnet, but I don't think I'd notice it once the noises and flashing lights of OLD ARCADE VIDEO GAMES begin.

[mckafka99]

Wow, you snooze you lose - saw the Best Buy pre-order last night before going to bed, figuring I would pre-order in the morning and now there doesnt seem to be the option to pre-order anymore, just a 'Coming Soon'. :-(

[negative1]

 

That spinner seems stiff for Tempest, or is it just me? You should be able to move pretty quickly with it but it seems he's rotating the spinner quite a bit for relatively small movements on the screen. Also , the thing should spin freely making you move around the tube rapidly if you want it to.... but in the vid it appears to stop whenever he takes his hand off. Now I'm a little worried.

 

yeah, i wonder too. i have a USB one for mame, and played around a lot with the settings..

-----------

 

for the arcade version:

https://web.archive.org/web/20160421175734/http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/wiki/Spinner_Turn_Count

 

Game Effective_Tooth_Count Counts_Per_Revolution

Tempest 72 72 1 full turn moves 5 spaces on first screen

 

it takes 360 degrees, to move 5 segments ...

so it should be 360 / (5/16) = 1152 degrees or 3 1/5 revolutions

 

later

-1

[Cynicaster]

I could go line by line and agree or disagree with some of your points, but that seems like a lot of work. More to the point: You're willing to spend more money than I am on parts that are largely irrelevant window dressing. I do not give the first shit about glass bezels or side artwork, or any of that stuff. There's absolutely nothing wrong with spray paint vs. canned paint - in fact you'll get a smoother finish with no brush strokes if you spray it. As for the T-Molding - meh. it can look nice, or it can look like shit, depending on who installed it. If you bought decent Plywood or MDF - sand the cut edges and paint it. Done.

 

But the one thing I will call shenanigans on is the "time" it takes to do this. It's a wooden box. The most difficult part is designing and cutting your two side panels to a shape that resembles your favorite Arcade cab with the right proportions - there are plenty of free plans for this floating around the web. With a decent Jigsaw this is done in 1/2 hour. The back is two rectangle cuts, one you can put hinges on and make a door if you want. The top is a square cut. The bottom is a square cut. The front is another rectangle. use 2x4s as supports/beams along the edges and between the two sides at the top, middle, and bottom. - then put two to rest the monitor on at an angle, and a small shelf below it for your RPi, laptop or PC. The control panel is a rectangle that slightly overhangs your side and front panels by an inch or so, mounted at about a 10 degree angle, that you drill a few holes in and mount your controls on. I mean - I'm sorry, but this stuff is not Rocket Science. If this stuff takes you more than a weekend to cut, paint and assemble - I don't know what to tell you.

 

Don't forget, when talking about time and money, I included the caveat "assuming you have any standards of workmanship."

 

If you really think painted end-grain of plywood or MDF is an acceptable look for such a project, then you don't fall into this category and indeed you can probably disregard most of what I said.

 

It doesn't need to be "rocket science" to be time consuming. I'd suggest you head on over to the BYOAC forums and explain to them how inept they are for needing more than a weekend for their scratch-build MAME projects (especially their first ones). If nothing else, they'd have a good laugh.

[JBerel]

I'd agree. The New Yankee Workshop wouldn't turn out a decent looking and working Arcade cab in a weekend. Now if you're after one of them trashcades, knock yourself out, but get a good divorce attorney.

 

[John Stamos Mullet]

 

Don't forget, when talking about time and money, I included the caveat "assuming you have any standards of workmanship."

 

If you really think painted end-grain of plywood or MDF is an acceptable look for such a project, then you don't fall into this category and indeed you can probably disregard most of what I said.

 

It doesn't need to be "rocket science" to be time consuming. I'd suggest you head on over to the BYOAC forums and explain to them how inept they are for needing more than a weekend for their scratch-build MAME projects (especially their first ones). If nothing else, they'd have a good laugh.

Well, a few thoughts here are:

 

1. I already said you would SAND the edge before painting it. Making it a decent looking smooth rounded/beveled edge with a cheap rotary or belt sander isn't difficult and looks just fine after it's painted. Obviously, we're not talking about using shitty OBX or other fall-aparticle board like the stuff this ikea furniture Arcade 1up build it yourself cab is made out of.

 

2. as for the guys on those forums - you're probably right - they would probably point out how awful their first cabs came out and how difficult it was for them. But then - I'd be going to a video game dork site for carpentry advice, so I wouldn't expect much less. I might go there for reviews of monitors or controllers, but I'm not looking to ask non-carpenters for carpentry advice, seeing as how I already have decades worth of professional carpentry experience, having worked in the construction industry for 25+ years.

 

I get it. This stuff is difficult if you've never done anything like it before, don't own the requisite tools, aren't mechanically inclined in general. I agree. It's not for everyone. But the assumption that it is super difficult and majorly time consuming for everyone, because your personal experience was like that is not a safe assumption.

[JBerel]

True, it ain't difficult, but anything worth doing is worth doing right. A lot of folks who embark on one of those projects are more concerned about having a gaming rig than a good looking and functional cabinet. That's why so many bail half way through and do all the kludges and dumb control layouts. It takes attention to detail to really build something. You're talking about gamers here. I bet very few of them have the attention span to do these right. That's why there's a market for these retro things. Most of these folks want a cab, but aren't willing to put in the effort to build a good one. Drop a credit card and twist a few cams and there ya go....sort of. In any case, they usually become a dust collector within a couple months good or bad.