This all started with my own aspirations to create a personal arcade machine for my home where I could play all of the games I grew up with. My plans included a 4 joystick, 4 player machine, with spinners, a trackball, and guns.
However...
In looking for a machine to convert into my arcade Mark and I make plans to go down to an arcade auction in Indiana. So I ask my father to borrow his truck and this sparks a lot of interest from my parents. They ask me all about the auction and then give me a list of different games they want and a price tag they want me to bid for each game for them.
In the end everything at the auction was overpriced except a nice NBA Jam machine that Mark got, but it did give me an idea.
Friday, December 25, 2009
So it begins...
At this point I decide I'm going to put my arcade on hold. I decide I'm going to create my parents a MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) machine for Christmas. Instead of playing one game they like it will play every game they like.
I start keeping a close eye on the arcade forums for any arcade in Michigan or nearby that will suit my needs. Amazingly, very quickly I find this: http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=89422 A free machine in Owosso, MI, it's 2 hours away but it's hard to argue with free. I lie to my dad(sorry dad) about how I need to borrow his truck again because Mark bought an arcade and I'm going to help him pick it up.
I start keeping a close eye on the arcade forums for any arcade in Michigan or nearby that will suit my needs. Amazingly, very quickly I find this: http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=89422 A free machine in Owosso, MI, it's 2 hours away but it's hard to argue with free. I lie to my dad(sorry dad) about how I need to borrow his truck again because Mark bought an arcade and I'm going to help him pick it up.
In the basement and the control panel removed
After a few months of ordering parts from the forums and different websites I realize that I'm not really getting anywhere with the cabinet in the garage outside. After one attempt to move the machine myself and actually dropping it on it's side I once again I enlist Mark's help to move it into my basement.
Now I can really work on it. I remove the control panel which is the part of the arcade that has all of the joysticks and buttons.
Now I can really work on it. I remove the control panel which is the part of the arcade that has all of the joysticks and buttons.
Pinball Buttons
The arcade will also have a Pinball Machine emulator. Currently my parents already have a real pinball machine in their game room. Magic City is a great pinball machine but it will still be fun to play some simulated pinball machines so it is essential that I drill spots to add pinball buttons to the sides of the arcade.
Paint Prep
Clearly the arcade will need to be painted to be a presentable gift so I remove the coin door and coin bin door and get the machine ready to be painted.
The Control Panel
It took longer then I thought to get all of the nuts and brackets off that had been holding the buttons and joysticks for a decade or two, but finally I had an empty control panel. My mom in particular is a big fan of trackball games, specifically Centipede and Missile Command, so obviously this arcade machine will need a trackball. I need someone to cut the trackball hole and mounting screw holes into the metal control panel. There are two people that I love that have the skills to do this for me... my friend Phil and my brother-in-law Steve. Phil just had his second child so the job falls on Steve...
The Monitor
Bought an excellent 19 inch CRT monitor off of Craigslist for $15, I've actually seen a few for free over the last few months but I was in a hurry to get started and this was the only one available for immediate pickup (I did use my master negotiating skills to talk the guy down from $20).
I decased the monitor, now this is where I put in a generic don't try this at home warning. Monitors are dangerous and can hold a charge even if they've been unplugged, you really have to know what you're doing to decase a monitor. I have done extensive research on the interweb so I'm pretty much an expert.
Also I purchased a black plastic monitor bezel to hide the monitor when it is in the cabinet and cut the bezel to the right size with utility knife and my handy metal ruler.
I decased the monitor, now this is where I put in a generic don't try this at home warning. Monitors are dangerous and can hold a charge even if they've been unplugged, you really have to know what you're doing to decase a monitor. I have done extensive research on the interweb so I'm pretty much an expert.
Also I purchased a black plastic monitor bezel to hide the monitor when it is in the cabinet and cut the bezel to the right size with utility knife and my handy metal ruler.
Painted
I was really happy with the way the paint job turned out. Also installed the pinball buttons on the sides. Nice...
Marquee Light
No proper arcade is complete without a lighted marquee. The arcade already has a light fixture mounted in it that just needs a bulb but after some research I find that these bulbs are hard to come by and expensive. Further research leads me to a way that I can modify this fixture to accept a standard bulb but the process involves drilling holes in the metal and some rewiring.
Further further research leads me to a simple suggestion... just add a new light fixture. Originally I was looking at a $12 florescent light fixture that would have gotten the job done but often has a heat problem in the confined space, eventually after some more research I settle on a $22 LED light that will last pretty much forever. I end up having to rig a mount with some wire into the existing screw holes but it ends up working perfectly.
Further further research leads me to a simple suggestion... just add a new light fixture. Originally I was looking at a $12 florescent light fixture that would have gotten the job done but often has a heat problem in the confined space, eventually after some more research I settle on a $22 LED light that will last pretty much forever. I end up having to rig a mount with some wire into the existing screw holes but it ends up working perfectly.
Coin Door
Now I don't expect my parents or anyone at there home to put quarters into the arcade but an arcade machine just doesn't look authentic without a coin door. I used a hammered metal spray paint that turned out very nicely, then I added some cabinet locks from Menards for an authentic look. As far as lighting it, I could have used the power supply from the computer and figured out the wiring to light the coin door... but instead I decided to just purchase a $5 string of Christmas lights and use that instead. I only needed two bulbs, so I have some backups until pretty much forever.
The Marquee
I designed a custom Marquee for the arcade and had MameMarquees print it out and cut the plexiglass to the right size.
On right of the marquee there are three small marquees of three of my dads favorite arcade games: Bezerk, Asteroids & Frogger. On the left are three of my moms favorite games: Ms. Pacman, Pacman & Centipede, I was originally going to use Missle Command instead of Pacman since I already had Ms. Pacman, but the Missle Command marquee is really bland and didn't look good.
A word of advice for anyone ordering a marquee from on the internet: when you measure your marquee make sure you take into account the amount of plexi/marquee that is hidden behind the bracket and order the right size so that you don't have to have such a headache mounting it like I did.
On right of the marquee there are three small marquees of three of my dads favorite arcade games: Bezerk, Asteroids & Frogger. On the left are three of my moms favorite games: Ms. Pacman, Pacman & Centipede, I was originally going to use Missle Command instead of Pacman since I already had Ms. Pacman, but the Missle Command marquee is really bland and didn't look good.
A word of advice for anyone ordering a marquee from on the internet: when you measure your marquee make sure you take into account the amount of plexi/marquee that is hidden behind the bracket and order the right size so that you don't have to have such a headache mounting it like I did.
Light it up
Just a few shots of the coin door and the marquee lit up in the dark. A little blurry in the pictures, but you get the idea.
Mounting the Trackball
Got the control panel back from Steve, the trackball hole is the perfect size but he forgot to drill the four mounting screw holes. It took me two nights and one morning for my crappy cordless drill to get them drilled. In the end it wasn't pretty but it was a good fit and the vinyl should cover up the ugliness.
Vinyl
Put the vinyl overlay on the control panel. If I had to do it over again I would have used a textured vinyl as the stuff that I have really shows all the imperfections in the metal, but it should look better once all the joysticks and buttons are on. I might end up redoing it sometime after Christmas.
Joysticks and Buttons
Installed all the joysticks and buttons. Mmmmm... beautiful. Now they just need to be wired...
Casey comes over and the wiring begins.
My brother Casey is a master electrician and came over to wire in a button to turn the computer on that can be pressed from the outside of the arcade. He also wired an existing switch in the arcade to turn on a power strip hidden inside. Then he offered to help me wire up all the buttons and joysticks too. The joysticks and buttons all are wired into an iPac keyboard encoder that translates the button presses into keystrokes that the computer can understand.
We foolishly thought we were going to get to play some games that night but we were actually up until 5:30am doing tedious wiring. Luckily the amp came in the mail last week so I was able to wire up the arcade's speakers and play my iPod through them, we listened to music and Paton Oswalt all night.
My brother is awesome... (and currently single ladies)
We foolishly thought we were going to get to play some games that night but we were actually up until 5:30am doing tedious wiring. Luckily the amp came in the mail last week so I was able to wire up the arcade's speakers and play my iPod through them, we listened to music and Paton Oswalt all night.
My brother is awesome... (and currently single ladies)
The arcade part is done... it just doesn't play games...
Mounted the monitor. I used the bottom of the original case to create a shelf that the monitor clips into. Put the bezel on to hide all the ugly bits. It's the day before Christmas Eve and the arcade part is done. Just need to finish the computer now so that it actually does something other than look pretty.
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