Update On Pandora Arcade Cabinet

[magicman5421]

I was considering building a MAME cabinet with a couple of my friends but it didn't work out. we kind of lost steam once we saw how complicated it was...i'd like to give it a try again, because it was a few years ago that we tried...any good links?

 

[jbr]

Wow. This sounds really cool. Those keyboard encoders are awesome also. For $40, I might just have to pick one up.

 

[chad78]

I was considering building a MAME cabinet with a couple of my friends but it didn't work out. we kind of lost steam once we saw how complicated it was...i'd like to give it a try again, because it was a few years ago that we tried...any good links?

What part did you find complicated? The cabinet itself is what stopped me. My stepdad was going to build that for me a few years back, but stuff got sidetracked, and I never really followed up on it.

The guts are pretty simple, from what I read, a PC (or in this case, a Pandora) a big ol' CRT monitor, the controller(s) and a power strip, (so there's only one cord coming out the back.) Unless you wanted to add stuff like a working(isthatpossible?) coin slot or something. Maybe fan on the back.

The software is fairly easy now, too, since there are several dedicated Linux Distros available - or freeware for Windows that's pre-designed for this specific usage. (I'll add the links when I find them again.)

Just... Um... Try to avoid crap like this. (The guy is very harsh sometimes - but sometimes it's damn funny! keep hitting next - seriously!

 

[Prophet]

I was considering building a MAME cabinet with a couple of my friends but it didn't work out. we kind of lost steam once we saw how complicated it was...i'd like to give it a try again, because it was a few years ago that we tried...any good links?

The only link you'll ever need:

http://arcadecontrols.com

A great, great site (and one that I briefly wrote for a little, long ago). Check the messageboards - people there know EVERYTHING and ANYTHING you could ever imagine about arcade games, controls etc.

 

[Chip]

The cabinet itself is what stopped me. My stepdad was going to build that for me a few years back, but stuff got sidetracked, and I never really followed up on it.

If you can swing $550 + shipping, the MAMERoom Designs kits are supposed to be excellent and snap together like most assembly-required furniture. It's probably the cheapest and easiest tool-less way to go.

I've had on-again off-again plans to build an arcade cabinet for nearly 10 years. I even have four players worth of arcade controls and an iPAC in the basement that I bought a while back before I got sidetracked with another project. I still check Craigslist every once in a while, just in case somebody in the area is getting rid of a 4-player cabinet cheap

 

[Prometheus]

Chip, those kits are awesome. And somewhat better-looking than my actual JAMMA cab (a big hulking Electrocoin Xenon, which is rather beat-up looking after what I can only assume was years of real-world service before I bought it)... Which is sad. :lol:

 

[chad78]

If you can swing $550 + shipping, the MAMERoom Designs kits are supposed to be excellent and snap together like most assembly-required furniture. It's probably the cheapest and easiest tool-less way to go.


Wow. Snap together. That's awesome. I may end up getting one of those - lazy-ass that I am. Probably end up using an X-Arcade controller, too. (much cheaper than the controllers on that site - you can get a two-player model for under $200.) BTW - the X-Arcade site *sucks* None of the links work for me unless I turn off Javascript. That's garbage.

Anyway, it's great to know that such an option exists. I would still like to design my own, (and I'm sure I'd save money that way.) But we'll see what happens. Thanks for the link!

 

[Orkie]

For $550 + shipping you could just buy yourself a candy cabinet which would look much nicer than that monstrosity and actually come with a monitor and coin mechanism (clearly everything would already be pre-wired too being a real arcade machine). That flat pack machine really is a rip off, doesn't even have t-moulding...

 

[chad78]

For $550 + shipping you could just buy yourself a candy cabinet...

Where? I've been googling, and I found one for $340! But it didn't have a joystick - much less two. (and with it being a finished unit - installing one would not be as easy or slick-looking as it could have been). I found one with 2 joysticks - but it's over a grand.

Where are you finding these candy cabinets?

 

[Chip]

For $550 + shipping you could just buy yourself a candy cabinet which would look much nicer than that monstrosity and actually come with a monitor and coin mechanism (clearly everything would already be pre-wired too being a real arcade machine). That flat pack machine really is a rip off, doesn't even have t-moulding...

I've seen those in the $500 range, but freight shipping usually ends up costing almost as much as the unit itself. The control panel is very small too, so you're limited to very basic 2-player controls.

As for aesthetics, it must be a regional thing. In the US, real arcade games come in huge black particleboard cabinets. Oddly shaped plastic cabinets are for video poker and kids games at Chuck-e-Cheese.

 

[Orkie]

Where? I've been googling, and I found one for $340! But it didn't have a joystick - much less two. (and with it being a finished unit - installing one would not be as easy or slick-looking as it could have been). I found one with 2 joysticks - but it's over a grand.

Where are you finding these candy cabinets?

Keep an eye out for them on places like neo-geo.com and KillerCabs, they pop up from time to time. The one you found didn't have a joystick? They are only $20 each for decent ones. That flatpack cabinet doesn't come with any controls, which will set you back the same amount as you would have to spend for the candy cabinet's and the monitor could cost $100+ too where nearly all candies come with a 29" CRT.

I've seen those in the $500 range, but freight shipping usually ends up costing almost as much as the unit itself. The control panel is very small too, so you're limited to very basic 2-player controls.

As for aesthetics, it must be a regional thing. In the US, real arcade games come in huge black particleboard cabinets. Oddly shaped plastic cabinets are for video poker and kids games at Chuck-e-Cheese.

Umm... no? I have a candy cabinet and it is slightly wider than my wooden cabinet (which incidentally is a real cabinet and only cost $140, complete in reasonable condition) and has two joysticks, 7 action buttons and a start button per player and is less cramped than the wooden one too!

We only had wooden ones too until Sega started bringing its Naomi stuff over, but they are mostly cabinets with strange controls (at least in all of my local arcades). Still, I can understand you not liking candy cabinets but that thing is not a good deal in any way, shape or form.

 

[vampire8bit]

Will there be any possibilty to run the games on TV at their native arcade resolutions to get an authentic look?

 

[chad78]

Will there be any possibilty to run the games on TV at their native arcade resolutions to get an authentic look?

<assumes you are referring to running them off the Pandora> It depends on the actual quality of the TV Out, and the controls for it. Basically - yes, there is the possibility of that - but in the Schrödinger's Cat kind of way. We won't know for sure until we have a Pandora in our hands.

 

[vputz]

BTW, just another plug both for arcadecontrols.com and for the Ultimarc site. I made a CP with Ultimarc components and used a lot of help from arcadecontrols and it turned out great; customer service with Ultimarc was fantastic for such a small company and everything worked as advertised (I used the mini-pac with prebuild wiring harness and it worked like a champ).

If you're just using the existing controls, the J-pac may be just the thing. If you go far enough to build your own control panel with custom joysticks, check out Ultimarc's Ultrastik 360 which has gotten fantastic reviews (I use their older J-stick but wish I had the Ultrastik; it's a fantastic product although you do have to do some work to get it going well under Linux).

 

[telegramguy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MmolhMSgyg

gp2x vs candy cabinet

lol

 

[chad78]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MmolhMSgyg

gp2x vs candy cabinet

lol

Good find.

The cool thing about this (now defunct) project is it's not one vs the other - it's both.

"I try not to think about what might've been. 'Cuz that was then, and we have taken different roads. We can't go back again, there's no use givin in and theres no way to know what might have been."