Console Mame

[alyinsanfran]

I'd like to build a mame cab', but don't have the room. So, if it's possible I'd like to throw a console loaded with Mame under my TV.
So I'm wondering what the state of play is with Mame on consoles. I have a PS2 but I understand Mame was purely an experiment on it.
How about XBox (surely with the HD it'd run sweet). And Dreamcast? I wouln't want to swap disks, just turn it on and run it (the beauty of MameGP32 IMO).

Cheers for any and all advice.

 

[Vimacs]

forget "full" mame with "fullspeed" on current gen consoles, maybe you can build yourself a cheap pc for the job

 

[DemonStar55]

jsut build a cheap PC and put the parts in a box thats vented under the TV and get it to work on the TV Im sure you can

 

[Horscht]

Depending on WHAT games you want to play, the xbox might be an option for you. The box can emulate everything up to NeoGeo Arcade games at full speed. However, it will have problems with most 3D games, like for PSArcade (or whatever the Arcade machine bassed on PS is called). However, a PC would probably give you more variety on MAME games emulateable.

 

[GA01]

Go with a PC. I've got a Shuttle next to the TV in our living room for all my maming needs including a wireless controller . The great thing about PC's is that you can update them to suit the game(s) that you want to play. Eventually, I would like to build a cabinet too but like you, don't have much space either.

 

[thegrimreaper]

If you have a PC you could emulate Pinball Tables too.

Visual Pinball is pretty impressive. I've had some nice "nostalgia moments" using that.

http://www.vpforums.com/vptables/tables.php

It takes some setting up, but once it's working it's awesome (needs a fairly powerful PC though)

 

[yaustar]

Xbox (cheap option) or PC (possibly more expensive) and you can get decent front ends for it.. http://www.atomicfe.com/EN/frame1.htm

 

[alyinsanfran]

I don't really want to play and of the modern stuff (by modern I'm showing my age.... anything after about '86!). Just the early 80's games, no 3D.
I just want a small box I can stick under the TV and use a joypad with.
Well, thanks for the suggestions guys, it's appreciated.

 

[yaustar]

hmmm.. you might be able to get away with the dreamcast then although I have no idea how the performance is on it...

 

[Gruntfuggly]

What about a mac mini ?

 

[Titcher]

You could also consider a mini-itx computer, http://mini-itx.com/

 

[bast525]

Xbox runs everything that is not 3d/poly based just fine, even very recent games like the amazing looking 2d shooter Guwange. All Neo Geo games run 100% perfect as well.

I say go for an Xbox, unless you really are hoping to play those 3d polygon mame games (kinda the wrong reason to be playing mame anyways IMO).

you can pick up a used Xbox for around $100, softmod it for free (no hardware/chip needed), install mame and literally thousands of games on the stock 9GB hard drive.

 

[alyinsanfran]

Xbox runs everything that is not 3d/poly based just fine, even very recent games like the amazing looking 2d shooter Guwange. All Neo Geo games run 100% perfect as well.

I say go for an Xbox, unless you really are hoping to play those 3d polygon mame games (kinda the wrong reason to be playing mame anyways IMO).

you can pick up a used Xbox for around $100, softmod it for free (no hardware/chip needed), install mame and literally thousands of games on the stock 9GB hard drive.

​

That's what I needed to know, cheers Bast525!

 

[Horscht]

You'd need to get it modded, tho. Either via modchip or softmod.

 

[bast525]

You'd need to get it modded, tho. Either via modchip or softmod.

​

Yeah I said that softmod it for free

It's gotten so easy to do now too. Oh but you do need one of the exploitable games, an original (read: first run copy) of Mechassault or 007 Agent Under Fire, or I think the platinum edition of Splinter Cell works as well?

If you can't find one of those games then yeah you gotta buy a chip, s'okay they're cheap now anyways.

 

[LHC]

You'd need to get it modded, tho. Either via modchip or softmod.

​

Yeah I said that softmod it for free

It's gotten so easy to do now too. Oh but you do need one of the exploitable games, an original (read: first run copy) of Mechassault or 007 Agent Under Fire, or I think the platinum edition of Splinter Cell works as well?

​

How is this free?

 

[Horscht]

if you got the game already......

and these games are available dirt ceap second hand nowadays.

 

[Titcher]

Ok I can tell you a way where it is free, it's called hotswapping, I've found it quite successful several times, it involves opening your xbox, unplugging it's IDE and plugging your PCs IDE cable in, along with xboxhdm and some replacement software along with it for your parititions, it reformats your drive and installs an exploit in the process. Therefore, free modded xbox.

 

[Horscht]

Yup, hotswapping is a free (totaly free) method of softmodding. However, harddrives are not acutaly made for hotswapping

 

[Titcher]

Yeah, it's not the safest method going, and I suggest you earth the xbox to your PC and earth yourself aswell. As long as you're careful it tends to work fine, at least from the 3 xboxes I've tried it on.