The
No Bull MAME Arcade Builder's Guide
-or-
How to Build your MAME Compatible Home Video Arcade Cabinet
By Adam Aarons
DIGITAL
EDITION
v1a
Published
at smashwords
Copyright
© 2010 by Adam Aarons (mameguy@gmail.com)
Cover Art © 2010 -
Slamet (Blewh) Mujiono
All
rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved
above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or
introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or
by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright
owner of this book.
Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of any product referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. MAME is the property of the MAME development team. The No Bull MAME Arcade Guide, and Adam Aarons are not, in any way, affiliated with the MAME project.
Digital Edition License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. If you would like to share this book with another person, please provide them a link to where they can legally download it.
* * * * *
For all of my girls.
* * * * *
Table of Contents
Control Panel Design Philosophy
Everything Else and the Kitchen Sink
Chapter 5 - A Lowly PC Made Divine
Chapter 6 – Monitors, Where You Can Really Spend Some Serious Cash
Chapter 7 - Putting the Darn Thing Together
Electrical and Other Components
Appendix A - Great Arcade Sites
* * * * *
Building your own arcade can be enjoyable and rewarding. Reading a book about it, not so much. To make the process as painless as possible, I've added notes throughout the book to assist you in your quest to build the perfect home arcade.
Tip - These are tidbits, shortcuts and other miscellaneous pieces of advice that might save you time and money.
Warning - These are safety warnings. Each and every one really is important. Don't skip them.
Definition - Throughout the book I use industry terms, technical jargon, and occasionally complete nonsense that you may not be familiar with. I've listed as many of as these terms as possible in the text.
You may notice that I occasionally badmouth a product or company--that's part of my no bull approach. This is just my personal experience. Do your own research and decide for yourself before passing on any company or product.
In this book, I've compressed the sum of almost ten years of arcade building. I've held nothing back. In fact, I've been so blunt that I'm using a pen name for fear of alienating people in the industry. While you may not agree with all the advice I offer, you can be sure that it's all based on years of trial and error.
No one likes reading manuals. They're often tossed aside and only referred to when all else fails. This book should be an exception. Unless you already have a good idea of what you are doing, I recommend reading from start to finish before starting your project. I can't tell you how many ugly, pathetic, and just plain misshapen arcades I've seen. A little planning goes a long way—don't build until you've planned everything out.
For overseas readers, I am sorry to say this book is predominantly US-centric. While I have listed some European suppliers, both the scope of this book and my limited knowledge of overseas companies make providing complete information for all countries impossible. You will find, however, that many of the US suppliers I've listed are more than happy to ship overseas. Those, along with the included European suppliers, should hopefully be enough to make your arcade dreams a reality.
A note about images: This book contains over 40 images. Most are included to assist you with critical parts of the build process, like wiring your control panel. I've made every effort to make these images as clear as possible, especially for black & white eReaders. However, if you would like to see larger and clearer color images, consider downloading the free Kindle Reader for PC. This will allow you view the images optimally.
Chapter 1 –
Why Bother?
So you're thinking about building your own home video arcade. The first question you have to ask yourself is: why? If the answer is simply to play video games, then building an arcade cabinet might not be the best solution for you.
Definition - Home video arcade: Throughout this book I'll refer to home arcades, or home video arcades. This is simply any arcade set up for home use. While it can include a coin door, it is not an arcade designed for commercial use. In this book, home arcade always means a PC-based arcade. Whenever you read those words, just think of the cabinet of your dream.
Building a home arcade cabinet from scratch will cost you hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars and is likely to require over a hundred hours to complete. If all you want to do is play a little Pac-Man, then buying an old machine off eBay is probably a more sensible way to go.
If you are short on time, but want to enjoy every arcade game you played as a kid, in the comfort of your own home, then you might consider buying a kit or even a pre-built arcade cabinet.
However, if what you're looking for is a challenging, rewarding—but usually not overwhelming—project that will provide you hundreds of hours of enjoyment, then building an arcade cabinet might just be for you.
What It Will Take
Building your own video arcade machine from scratch requires woodworking, electrical, PC, and software skills. In addition, the average cost to complete a homebuilt arcade is over $1,000. It's a project most people go into not knowing what they're in for. Fortunately, you've got this book, so you'll know just what a ginormous project you've signed up for.
Money – Okay, let's cut right to the chase. Even if you plan to beg, borrow, and steal to build your arcade, you need to budget at least a couple hundred dollars for the project. Most home arcade projects go well over budget by the time they are finished. It's not unheard of for someone to spend upwards of $3,000 to build their dream arcade. $500 is a good rule of thumb for the minimum you'll spend.
Yes, it's possible to build your arcade for less than $500. In fact, it's possible to build one for free. However, every arcade project that I've seen has gone over budget—usually way over budget. You're probably going to need to budget a hundred bucks alone for specialty tools, and that's if your workshop is already well-stocked.
Definition - Donor cabinet: Usually non-working, this is a real arcade cabinet that is stripped, gutted, re-finished and rebuilt into a PC-based arcade machine. This can save you money, but greatly limits your design option (not to mention kills a poor, innocent arcade machine).
If you plan to use a donor cabinet (more on the plight of these defenseless donor cabinets later), and already have an old PC and monitor lying around, then it's reasonable to assume that—as long as you're frugal—you can build your arcade for $500 or less.
If however, you plan to buy a cabinet kit, large monitor, or high-end PC, your costs can rise dramatically. A 27-inch Happ Controls (Makvision brand) high-resolution monitor will run you over $600 (including delivery) alone.
Definition – High-resolution monitor: Any monitor that can display 640x480 is technically hi-res. However, what I mean here is a monitor that not only displays at least 800x600, but also supports 31kHz--the refresh rate used by PC video cards (refresh rates are explained in Chapter 3).
Skills
If you are an experienced woodworker, then building your own arcade cabinet from scratch is relatively simple. If not, you're hosed (or at least you shouldn't build your cabinet from scratch without help). There are many free plans available on the Internet (my favorite sites are: http://www.jakobud.com/plan-list.php and http://www.arcadecab.com). But if you had trouble putting together that TV stand you bought at Wal-mart, you may find it a challenge, even with a pre-fabricated kit.
You'll also have to know, or learn, how to do some basic wiring. However, this book covers control panel wiring in great depth (in Chapter 7). This guide should be the only resource you need to complete this task.
If you're able to check your e-mail, download and install a software program, and surf the Internet, then you are likely computer-literate enough to configure the software required to play games on your arcade. Basic software setup is also covered in depth in Chapter 8.
Time - Perhaps time should be covered along with money. Because when you're building a video arcade, everything comes down to time versus money. Almost every step of the way, you have the option to save time by spending more money. Finding the right balance between your budget and spare time is the key to a successful project.
This project will take a lot of time. Be sure you can set aside at least a few four-hour bocks of time. Even if you buy a complete arcade kit from one of the manufactures, you should set aside at least ten hours to build and configure the arcade.
If you plan on buying a cabinet kit, using a donor cabinet, or building a cabinet from scratch, it’s wise to set aside at least 40 hours total to complete the project. However, the actual time it takes to complete an arcade is highly variable depending on the complexity of the arcade and the experience of the builder.
Building an arcade is a great way for fathers and sons (or daughters), or even just friends, to bond. It's a great project for teaching kids basic woodworking and electrical skills while having fun. Friends, on the other hand, can usually be bribed to help with promises of future free video games and beer (though sometimes you have to pony up the beer right away).
Safety
Any project that involves power tools and electricity carries certain risks. Not only have I known people who have had to make trips to the ER for a few stitches, but I've also personally suffered broken bones. If you're not familiar with safe handling of power tools and electronics, please get the appropriate training before undertaking any project of this size.
An additional note of caution should be mentioned with regard to CRT monitors. I recommend only using closed-frame monitors. A closed-frame monitor is any monitor that's still in the case. You might think your old ViewSonic monitor will look better if you remove the case, but it's just not worth the risk of electrocution. Even monitors that have been off for years still can carry thousands of volts—potentially deadly volts.
Definition - CRT: Stands for Cathode Ray Tube. Any monitor with a deep picture tube (funnel-shaped in back) is a CRT monitor (at least for the discussions in this book). They hold tens of thousands of volts, even when turned off; thus, they are very dangerous if not handled properly.
If you choose to work with an open-frame monitor (which I strongly advise against), then be sure to learn everything you can about how to safely handle and discharge CRT tubes. Safely working with CRT tubes is way beyond the scope of this or any manual; it's something that must be taught, hands-on, by someone with extensive high-voltage electronic experience.
Tip - If there's one area of expertise you are lacking in, try to find a friend (or make one) with the expertise you lack. Then ask if they can assist with that portion of the build. The worst thing that can happen is they'll ask you to assist them when they decide to build their own cabinet.
Chapter 2 – What To Build
So, you've scraped together a little cash, set aside some time, and you're ready to get started. The first thing you have to ask yourself is what type of arcade you want to build. The choices are endless: everything from coffee tables with built-in arcades, to pedestal arcades with 80-inch screens. Here, we'll cover the most common types of arcades. Don't let these limit your imagination; you can build anything you can dream up.
Tip - Check out various scratch-built arcade cabinets on the internet for inspiration. http://www.ArcadeControls.com is a great site to get you started.
Definition - Arcade controls: Any device used to interact with an arcade game. Arcade controls typically include joysticks, pushbuttons, trackballs, spinners, and light guns.
Cocktail Arcades
Head-to-head - The head-to-head arcade is the most common cocktail arcade. Think of the old Pac-Man tables you played at pizza joints when you were a kid. These arcades are typically designed for two-player games and have the controls mounted at either of the far ends of the unit. Stay away from building an arcade with the controls mounted on the front and back of the arcade (like Missile Command). There are not very many arcade games that are designed to be played with this horizontal orientation.
The head-to-head arcade is best for people who like to play old classic games such as Pac-Man, Dig Dug, and Centipede. It does not work well for many newer games, or fighting games like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter.
Don't worry too much about how you are going to get the video on your arcade oriented properly. Most of the emulator software available will handle rotating the screen 90° and even flipping for Player 2 automatically. As a matter of fact, most front-end menus can also easily be rotated so that they can be viewed while sitting at the head-to-head controls.
Side-by-side - A side-by-side arcade is probably the simplest and least expensive type of arcade to build. It allows you to play both classic vertical games (albeit in upright mode) as well as newer horizontal games. This arcade can be built with either single- or dual-player controls (two-player being recommended).
Three-sided cocktail - A popular hybrid, and my favorite style of cocktail arcade, is the three-sided or four-player arcade. This arcade has controls mounted on both the front and the sides of the unit. This allows up to four players to play. This type of arcade is great if you have a large family, or small children (or drunk friends) who all want to play at the same time. There are lots of four-player games available for your arcade; it's always more fun to play with a friend (or three).
Additionally, this type of arcade will allow you to play both horizontal and vertical arcade games in their native modes. There is some additional software setup required to enable this. However, once the games are set up, this is the most versatile arcade layout.
Definition - Native mode: Refers to the orientation and resolution that a game was displayed in on the original arcade. In discussing native mode on home arcades, our main concern is with the orientation: horizontal or vertical. In Chapter 5 this is discussed in depth.
Other styles of cocktail arcades include four-sided (or more) arcades, coffee table arcades, and seated arcades with monitors mounted at an angle.
Four-sided cocktail - These arcades allow for as many as six players to gather around the arcade. However, as controls are on all sides of the arcade, it cannot be mounted against the wall and therefore requires an inordinate amount of space. Also, there are not many six-player arcade games. Unless you have a large budget and lots of room, I normally recommend going with a three-sided arcade over this style.
Coffee table cocktail - Often the last stumbling block to building your dream arcade project is your significant other. I've seen more than one arcade designed to look like a coffee table, thus convincing a spouse to allow an arcade in the living room. These arcades typically have LCD monitors hidden under tinted glass and have control panels that are either partially or completely hidden (the latter requiring some sort of mechanism for opening and revealing the controls).
Angle-mounted cocktails - Great for people confined to wheelchairs, or who have severe neck problems, cocktail arcades with monitors mounted at about a 45° angle allow you to sit and easily see the screen without looking down.
Upright arcades
Cabaret arcade - Cabaret arcades are probably my favorite type of upright arcade, for two reasons. First, this is the type of arcade I often played Galaga on as a kid. Second, they have a small footprint, which makes them highly suited for most homes.
Cabaret
arcades typically come with a two-player control panel and—if
planned correctly—can often fit a trackball as well. The most
notable thing about this style of arcade is that the monitor is
mounted at an approximately 25° to 45° angle.
Standard upright arcade - Most upright arcades can be described as either two- or four-player designs. The monitors are mounted at closer to a 90° angle (typically about 75°) than that of a cabaret arcade, and are much larger as well. They can be designed to fit a wide variety of monitors and control panels.
Your standard two-player upright arcade has a 19- to 27-inch monitor and is the style you most likely remember playing in the arcades. The controls can be mounted flat or at an angle and the cabinets come in numerous styles.
Tip - Consider using an old CRT PC monitor in your arcade. These can be had for just a few dollars (sometimes free) on Craigslist.com and, because most classic arcades came with 19-inch or smaller monitors, they are perfectly sized.
Most four-player upright arcades come with 25-inch or larger monitors (27-inch being typical). This type of arcade is great when space is not a concern, because it allows four players to play at a time. However, besides consuming a large amount of space, they also consume a large amount of cash to build. You typically cannot use a donor cabinet for these arcades (as there are few four-player cabinets available).
Other common arcade styles include bar-top, pedestal, and wall-mounted units.
Bar-top - Bar-top arcades are great for rooms where space is a major concern. These arcades are so small they can literally sit on top of a desk or bar. However, bar-top arcades are typically limited to single-player and, because they normally include an LCD monitor, often cost more to build.
Pedestal arcade - Pedestal arcades (also called showcase cabinets) have recently become more popular. They are designed for larger monitors, often 32-inch, and can even be rigged with projection systems that project your arcade on an entire wall. Additionally, their design easily accommodates four-player control panels. Depending on the monitor or projector used, these arcades can be the most expensive type to build.
Wall-mounted arcade - Rarely seen, wall-mounted arcades either hang from a wall, or more commonly, are very narrow and are bolted to the wall. This type of arcade is only recommended for specialty installations where space is at a premium, because they do not lend themselves to good ergonomics (and game play).
Remember, when determining the type of arcade you plan to build, space and budget should be your main considerations. Careful planning is essential.
I was recently called to assist someone who had built a custom space into the wall of a new house for an arcade. After the drywall was in place, the customer decided that he simply must have a larger monitor. In the end, he had to sacrifice playability to fit the larger arcade in the designated space. This could easily have been avoided with a little forethought and planning.
Another common, almost proverbial, story involves some genius spending months building the perfect arcade in their garage, only to discover, once it's complete, that it doesn't fit through the doorway. Simple measuring and planning ahead will prevent issues like this from occurring.
Tip - Take a trip to a local arcade to help you decide what style machine you'd like to build. This will not only familiarize you with the different styles of arcades, but it will also help you figure out just what games you'll be playing on it.
Budgeting
No one likes creating a budget, but if you don't, you're going to spend more money than you realize. I can't tell you how many stories I've heard of people arbitrarily setting a number for a budget and then blowing it out of the sky. You'd be amazed just how quickly you can rack up several thousand dollars without even finishing your arcade.
Setting a budget will not only give you a realistic idea of how much you are going to spend, but it will also better enable to you figure out what the financial impact of adding more features or higher-priced parts will be.
As
you can see from the budgets shown below, the dollar signs start
adding up fast. These quotes do not include all the little extra
things you'll need (nor is shipping factored in). This is why it is
critical that you create a budget and stick to it (as closely as
possible). Just make sure you clear the project with your significant
other before showing them the budget.
Chapter 3 – How to Build
Designing your arcade is usually more fun than actually building it. However, it is important to take the time to address all the variables, options, and upgrades when designing the perfect arcade.
Let's assume that one of the styles in the previous chapter caught your fancy. Now's the time to decide not only which style of cabinet to build, but how to actually go about getting the cabinet ready for your electronics and controls.
Typically, you have three options for your cabinet: building it from scratch, cannibalizing a donor cabinet, or buying a prebuilt or partially prebuilt kit. All these options have their advantages and drawbacks. Time and money, again, are chief among them.
Scratch Building
If you have solid woodworking skills, building your own arcade from scratch is definitely the cheapest way to go (and you'll learn as you read; I'm a cheap old fart). There's nothing more satisfying than playing an arcade that you built from the ground up.
It's also very inexpensive to buy the wood to build your arcade, especially with so many free plans available on the Internet. However, if you don't possess the required woodworking skills, scratch building a cabinet is not only foolhardy but a great way to lose fingers (it's dangerous).
If you've made the decision to build your own arcade from scratch, the next question is what type of wood to use. You can use an exotic plywood such as oak, or opt for plain particleboard, or coated melamine board.
Definition - Melamine: Melamine is a hard finish applied to wood panels, usually in a solid color. It's composed of resin that is applied on top of MDF or particleboard with a high-pressure heat process. It's the same stuff used in Formica, but with a much thinner layer. You can normally identify it by its high shine. Using melamine not only results in a beautiful high-gloss surface, but it also saves the hassle of painting your cabinet.
Plywood - Veneered plywood can make a beautiful cabinet once stained. However, it is unforgiving, and you'll need to possess superior woodworking skills to build a showcase quality cabinet from it. Additionally, cutting the groove for and installing T-molding in plywood is difficult for even the most experienced woodworker. If you decide to use any type of plywood for your arcade cabinet, then I highly recommend using edge banding rather than T-molding (we'll cover these later in this chapter).
Particleboard - Plain particleboard is the simplest and most common material used for building arcades. In fact, nearly all classic arcades from the ’80s were built with particleboard. Be sure to use particleboard that is 3/4-inch thick (not 5/8-inch). Also, try to buy the densest board available (usually west coast pine).
Before painting particleboard, seal it with a primer. In fact, several layers of gray primer (sanding between each layer) are recommended. Note that "sanding sealer" does not work well with most particleboard.
Warning: Composite wood panels, such as Plywood, Particleboard, and especially MDF may be manufactured with chemicals that can be toxic when released in the air. Use of a dusk mask or respirator when cutting these panels is highly recommended. As is, dust control, such as a filtered vacuum system or proper ventilation.
Melamine - If you have the right skills and tools, then my personal recommendation is to use black melamine on your scratch-built arcade cabinet. I believe it provides the best-looking and most authentic finish for an arcade.
However, black melamine is particularly difficult to work with because it scratches easily. Additionally, when cut with a blade, it is also prone to chipping.
Using the proper tools and being extra careful are the only options to prevent scratches. Once the wood is cut to size, place it somewhere safe and out of the way to avoid accidently scratching it.
Tip - if you get chips on your melamine, try using either a black paint pen (usually located in the craft section of department stores) or a black fabric pen (usually located in the sewing section). You can ask any of those old ladies who work in the sewing section to show you where to find these. Don't use a black Sharpie, as the color will not match and will stand out in direct light.
To prevent chipping, use blades designed for double-sided melamine board. Additionally, I recommend putting masking tape over the cut line on both the top and bottom of the wood. Then re-measure and draw the line on top of the masking tape. Be sure to press the masking tape down firmly and it will go a long way toward mitigating or even preventing chipping.
Tip - This may be an old one, but it bears repeating. Cut twice and measure once. Or if you prefer to do things right the first time, try: Measure twice, cut once. In fact, when I am working late, I often measure three times because I like to "burn an inch" on the tape measure (and I sometimes forget that I've burned it).
Donor Cabinets
A donor cabinet is an old, typically non-working arcade that you re-purpose into your PC-based multigame system. This option was very popular several years ago. However, it has recently fallen out of favor. The advantage to using donor cabinets is that they can often be obtained for little or even no money.
While using a donor cabinet limits your design choices, it makes assembling your cabinet very simple and cost-effective. Typically, all you will need to do to get a donor cabinet in shape is sand and paint the cabinet, then reinstall the T-molding (though this does take more time than it sounds like).
The limitation on design choices is a major drawback to using a donor cabinet. However, there is, in my opinion, a much larger concern. That is the destruction of classic arcade cabinets.
Many classic arcades have actually become collector's items in recent years. Once they are gone, they cannot be replaced. It would be a terrible feeling to realize that you accidentally destroyed a rare vintage arcade cabinet to build your home arcade. Because of the current scarcity of many of these pieces of history, I recommend not using a donor cabinet unless you know for sure that the cabinet is both unsalvageable and from a common game.
If you do decide to use a donor cabinet, your two biggest challenges will be figuring out how to mount the monitor and designing the control panel.
Monitors - Your donor cabinet may include a working CRT monitor. However, the odds of a real arcade monitor working with your PC-based arcade are very low. The main problem with arcade monitors is that they do not support the proper frequency for PCs. Most old video game monitors operate at 15kHz. However, nearly all PC video cards output at 31kHz. If you have an arcade monitor that only handles 15kHz, your main options are to replace it or get a video card that supports 15kHz. Ultimarc (http://www.ultimarc.com) is the only manufacturer currently making such a card, and it is very cost prohibitive (although it's a darn good video card for arcade monitors).
There's another option if you are good with computers and a little adventurous. It's a software utility called Soft-15khz (http://community.arcadeinfo.de/showthread.php?t=9367). It's programmed by arcade enthusiasts to allow many cards to display 15kHz frequencies. It sounds pretty cool, and I've heard that it is (I've never actually tried it). However, it has a small downside. There's a good chance—if you don't know what you are doing, or are just unlucky—that it will blow up your monitor. No, not blow it up as in glass shards flying everywhere, more like it will never work again—and may just catch fire. So, if you are adventurous enough to go this route, proceed with caution.
WARNING: This bears repeating: if you do not know how to safely handle and discharge a CRT, do not attempt to do so (in fact, don't even open the case or back of the cabinet). CRT monitors (commonly called tube monitors) can store tens of thousands of volts and have been responsible for killing people who did not safely handle them.
Assuming your donor cabinet did not have a monitor in it, you will have to figure out how to mount your monitor. If you're using a standard PC monitor, one option is to paint the bezel black (thus you don't have to remove the case and chance short-circuiting your heart—always a terrible way to end a day). Most hardware stores carry specialty spray paint designed for use on plastic. This works great for painting a bezel. Just make sure you carefully mask the glass display area of your monitor before spray painting, and only paint in a well-ventilated area. If you should happen to get a little paint on the glass, don't worry. A little bit right along the sides can be removed using a razor blade. It is possible to scratch the glass, so proceed with caution. For larger mis-painted areas, try using pain thinner or rubbing alcohol.
Control panel - Because donor cabinets are pre-built, you will most likely be very limited in the layout of your control panel. This makes a difficult task even more challenging; the control panel is one of the most important aspects of any arcade cabinet. I recommend using a piece of cardboard the same size and layout you plan to use for your controls. Actually install your controls into the cardboard, and then try playing the controls to see if the location is conducive to intense play.
Short-Cutting With Cash
So, you are no good with woodworking, and just the idea of cannibalizing a classic arcade cabinet gives you the willies. Well, you're not out of the game yet. How thick is your wallet?
Buying an arcade kit, or even a completely pre-built unit, is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, if you are not a woodworker, then buying a kit shows that you really care about building a quality cabinet.
Kits - Arcade kits allow you to skip some of the headache of building your own arcade. You can purchase anything from simple unfinished panels (from http://www.arcadedepot.com) to complete, ready-to-assemble arcades (from http://www.dreamarcades.com).
Tip - Check out Appendix B. I list vendors, including my opinion of and personal experiences with each.
If you just want someone to cut some wood panels for you, then both www.arcadedepot.com and www.MAMERoom.com will do the job. Arcade Depot is one of the oldest arcade companies, though they only offer one style of arcade (head-to-head). They also make you buy the control panels and just about everything else separately.