Making A Mini Arcade With A Gp2x, A Usb Arcade Stick, And The Breakout

[Marco1983]

Question of the year... Why not make a mini arcade cabinet with the help of the GP2X, a USB supported arcade stick, and the Breakout Board?

The real question is, would this be possible in the future? I realy am very interested into this. But i absolutely don't know if it is possible for programmers to make an arcade stick (for example the "X-Arcade" stick) compatible with the GP2X console, and the breakout board. But, after that would be compatible with the GP2X you would still have the issue that not every emulator or game supports the stick. Or am i thinking a little to weird here?

At the moment i am thinking about building a nice cabinet, but the only thing that is spinning my mind at the moment is the fact that there won't be any (or very little) support for this in the future. I am not begging programmers for this here. Not at all! I just need to know if it could be possible to connect a certain arcade stick to the Breakout Board, thats all :rolleyes:

If this would be possible than i certainly am going to give this project a shot!

 

[JaqMs]

You might as well just make the cabinet with a low-end computer. It would be easier, and would perform better.

 

[xinfernoofdantex]

What I don't understand is why wait a year on these message boards to start becoming the neighborhood asshole?

 

[brandon9271]

perhaps he meant integrating the GP2x screen into the design and make it very small? or perhaps using a very small monitor and scaled down cabinet that would not allow for a PC mobo... plus, the power consumption of the GP2x would be MUCH less than a PC... but seriously, maybe he wanted to do it just because he can?

 

[Shikaku]

Question of the year... Why not make a mini arcade cabinet with the help of the GP2X, a USB supported arcade stick, and the Breakout Board?

The real question is, would this be possible in the future? I realy am very interested into this. But i absolutely don't know if it is possible for programmers to make an arcade stick (for example the "X-Arcade" stick) compatible with the GP2X console, and the breakout board. But, after that would be compatible with the GP2X you would still have the issue that not every emulator or game supports the stick. Or am i thinking a little to weird here?

At the moment i am thinking about building a nice cabinet, but the only thing that is spinning my mind at the moment is the fact that there won't be any (or very little) support for this in the future. I am not begging programmers for this here. Not at all! I just need to know if it could be possible to connect a certain arcade stick to the Breakout Board, thats all :rolleyes:

If this would be possible than i certainly am going to give this project a shot!

Yes, it's very possible... the only thing that we need now is exactly this: multiplayer support and USB joystick support.

The things that you would need that are available are:

TV-Out adapter

Monitor/TV that can receive the connections

a PSU (try and get the official one...)

a cabinet XD

 

[speedmike]

Maybe he wants to make something like this

World's Smallest Mame cabinet.

 

[lol2232]

People here are so nice

 

[Godmil]

I know nobody likes JagMs, but he has a good point. If you used an old pc you'd have much better performance and compatability, with potentially the full mame rom set (not just 0.35), and full multiplayer support. Would be a hellava lot easier if this was a first time construction.

I mean, yeah using a GP2X to power it would be cool, but really not very practical. It would be useful if you were making a tiny cabnet... but from the looks of that Arcade stick, I have a feeling that's not what Marco is after.

 

[Marco1983]

What is basicly want to do is the following:

*Make a cabinet, including a tiny PC monitor (15/17")
*Monitor ---> VGA box ---> S-Video on the breakout board ---> Ext GP2X
*The cabinet will have a little door that can be opened and closed when i want. Behind that door (inside the cabinet) i will make a hanging system for the GP2X and all the necessary hardware that will be used. Like the power adapters and the breakout board for example. That way i can still get my GP2X out of the cabinet when i want it to. So i still can enjoy it while i am on the go.
*It will also feature a USB compatible arcade stick that can be used to control the menu from the GP2X, and all the other programs like the emulators and stuff like that.
*Sound will be the main issue i guess... Because the GP2X will be inside and i dont want to mess with the inside hardware from it. But i will come up with some idea in the end i guess
*Maybe even add a little space for a tiny mouse and keyboard!

It sounds like a lot, but personaly i think i could build it real small! There are only a few issues i need to strangle with in the days that are coming. I think i am going to give it a shot anyway. The challenge will be hard, but the result will be awesome in the end when things go the way i want

Your main question untill now is: Why don't you just use an old PC? Well, the main reason for that is that i already bought a GP2X, and i dont want to spend any money on another(!) PC. And the fact that i could build a real tiny cabinet with this hardware all together. Then there is also the fact that power consumption is way much lower that a full sized PC system. And lets just don't forget that you would have something realy special that you could be realy proud of in the end! There arent going to be many people on this planet that will actualy own a GP2X arcade cabinet! B) That is, when i am finished of course... Hell, i even don't have my GP2X yet!! But still i am way exited about the whole thing, including this idea!

 

[ketchupgun]

What is basicly want to do is the following:
*Sound will be the main issue i guess... Because the GP2X will be inside and i dont want to mess with the inside hardware from it. But i will come up with some idea in the end i guess

As a general rule, I'm terrible at these sorts of modifications and logistics (that Mini Mame Cabinent witht he Ipod floored me) but why not run sound from the headphone jack into mini speakers?

 

[JaqMs]

So basically, you are taking away the main purpose of a "handheld"? Then you won't be able to bring it anywhere. Plus, you will probably fill it with 5000+ MAME roms, which leaves you no space to try new things. You can get a cheapo computer for around $300 that can do much better performance-wise than the GP2X.

 

[Godmil]

Actually yeah Marco, that does sound really cool. good luck. and post pics

 

[yalborap]

So basically, you are taking away the main purpose of a "handheld"? Then you won't be able to bring it anywhere. Plus, you will probably fill it with 5000+ MAME roms, which leaves you no space to try new things. You can get a cheapo computer for around $300 that can do much better performance-wise than the GP2X.

But then you have to buy the computer.

Why would I mod my xbox to play emulators, homebrew games, and stream video from my main PC when I could just built an HTPC? Why would I play console games when I could just wait until they're emulated and buy a PC to emulate them? Why would I buy a tv-out adaptor for my GP2X when it's a handheld?

Because they're cool, because they're readily available for less than alternatives, and because I can. The world of geekery is built upon the 'because I can' logic.

 

[Shikaku]

So basically, you are taking away the main purpose of a "handheld"? Then you won't be able to bring it anywhere. Plus, you will probably fill it with 5000+ MAME roms, which leaves you no space to try new things. You can get a cheapo computer for around $300 that can do much better performance-wise than the GP2X.

But then you have to buy the computer.

Why would I mod my xbox to play emulators, homebrew games, and stream video from my main PC when I could just built an HTPC? Why would I play console games when I could just wait until they're emulated and buy a PC to emulate them? Why would I buy a tv-out adaptor for my GP2X when it's a handheld?

Because they're cool, because they're readily available for less than alternatives, and because I can. The world of geekery is built upon the 'because I can' logic.

Why would we attempt to run Windows 95 on the GP2X?

Seriously, WHY?

:lol:

 

[DemonStar55]

craigix did it with a gp32

 

[JaqMs]

So basically, you are taking away the main purpose of a "handheld"? Then you won't be able to bring it anywhere. Plus, you will probably fill it with 5000+ MAME roms, which leaves you no space to try new things. You can get a cheapo computer for around $300 that can do much better performance-wise than the GP2X.

But then you have to buy the computer.

Why would I mod my xbox to play emulators, homebrew games, and stream video from my main PC when I could just built an HTPC? Why would I play console games when I could just wait until they're emulated and buy a PC to emulate them? Why would I buy a tv-out adaptor for my GP2X when it's a handheld?

Because they're cool, because they're readily available for less than alternatives, and because I can. The world of geekery is built upon the 'because I can' logic.

You would get an Xbox because then you can readily play emulators, homebrew, and video on a television. You would get console games because they are the -perfect- emulation. You would get a GP2X with tv-out to bring the GP2X to OTHER PLACES and be able to hook it up to any TV for movies/games-on-the-go. The main function of a handheld is to take it places, not sit at home all day playing it on a TV when you have a Xbox or Dreamcast to do that for you.

If you are just going to throw your GP2X into a cabinet, sell your GP2X and buy a low-end computer (you can probably afford the computer with the profit you make from selling all your GP2X stuff alone).

 

[Shikaku]

You would get an Xbox because then you can readily play emulators, homebrew, and video on a television. You would get console games because they are the -perfect- emulation. You would get a GP2X with tv-out to bring the GP2X to OTHER PLACES and be able to hook it up to any TV for movies/games-on-the-go. The main function of a handheld is to take it places, not sit at home all day playing it on a TV when you have a Xbox or Dreamcast to do that for you.

If you are just going to throw your GP2X into a cabinet, sell your GP2X and buy a low-end computer (you can probably afford the computer with the profit you make from selling all your GP2X stuff alone).

This post proves he is a troll: he isn't reading the replies. He wants to do it because he CAN.

Plus, taking 3-6 cords+GP2X is easier than taking an Xbox+cords...

 

[JaqMs]

That just proves that you can't think. I know he can, but it is so useless. He will only have limited space, can only play some MAME games, and will make the GP2X immobile.

Plus, taking 3-6 cords+GP2X is easier than taking an Xbox+cords...

You really think so? It's harder to plug a joystick into an Xbox and plug the Xbox into a TV than buying a breakout box, AC Adapter, large SD card, and still having to make the joystick actually work?

 

[Marco1983]

JaqM, please go and read up since the start of the topic. I have told a couple of times why i actualy want to do it this way.

The console will also be movable from the cabinet. When i want to take it with me, i just take it out.

It will sost some money though, and perhaps it will cost more than i am thinking of right now. But hey, i will be cool, real cool! My little brother actualy says i should not do it, and leave the console the way it is, and don't make the cabinet at all. But i still am thinking about it a lot. This afternoon i already made a sketch of the way it should look when it's totaly finished. If the support for the arcade stick will come, i am going to do this! Else it wont be possible at all.

I will be making the cabinet anyway i guess. With or without the help of the GP2X. It just has my personal favor for making the cabinet with, because i already bought it, and don't want to spend any more money on cheap PC parts. And the total cabinet will be very nature friendly because power consumption will be VERY low!

Edit: I just saw in another topic that when you want to have images send to the big screen you need to do it with the help of the console it self. Of course this sucks big time as i don't want to strangle myself into the cabinet every time i want to play on the big screen... Another big issue :unsure: