[Project] Building a MAME Cabinet
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 5:35 pm
So I've decided to build a MAME cabinet. It's an idea I've toyed with for years, but never really had the inclination. The bug crept up and bit me recently to go for it, and given that I already had an old laptop I could devote to the cause I figured now was a good a time as any.
I at first wanted to do a full cabinet, but space-wise I realized it was going to be very impractical. The only room I could put it in would be the garage, and I couldn't see myself getting a lot of use from it out there. Besides, I wanted the kids to be able to play it when they got a little older, and we don't let them in the garage as a general rule (due to all the sharp pointy stabby tools).
The PC/software side is more or less complete - I've tested MAME and various UIs and the laptop runs them all great. So that's the least of my concerns.
My big decision now is whether to go with a mini-cabinet (1/2 scale version of the real thing) or just do a bartop unit. The mini-cabinet would be fun because it could go in the kids' playroom and I could go to town dressing it out like a "real" cabinet. It would give me the most flexibility in terms of artistic decisions. It's still taking up a good chunk of room though. The bartop unit would be the best fit in terms of space, but not as fun to pimp out as making a true cabinet.
The other debate is whether to buy a USB X-Arcade joystick for it and have it be easy plug-and-play, or go custom and wire everything myself. I'm leaning on just buying the joystick due to time constraints, but I may be able to come out a bit cheaper wiring it on my own.
At any rate, I'm still in the early planning stages (obviously) but it's been fun to research. I've got a bunch of co-workers shopping around to find me a good deal on a display, and a buddy of mine has offered to assist with the woodworking when I settle on a plan.
I at first wanted to do a full cabinet, but space-wise I realized it was going to be very impractical. The only room I could put it in would be the garage, and I couldn't see myself getting a lot of use from it out there. Besides, I wanted the kids to be able to play it when they got a little older, and we don't let them in the garage as a general rule (due to all the sharp pointy stabby tools).
The PC/software side is more or less complete - I've tested MAME and various UIs and the laptop runs them all great. So that's the least of my concerns.
My big decision now is whether to go with a mini-cabinet (1/2 scale version of the real thing) or just do a bartop unit. The mini-cabinet would be fun because it could go in the kids' playroom and I could go to town dressing it out like a "real" cabinet. It would give me the most flexibility in terms of artistic decisions. It's still taking up a good chunk of room though. The bartop unit would be the best fit in terms of space, but not as fun to pimp out as making a true cabinet.
The other debate is whether to buy a USB X-Arcade joystick for it and have it be easy plug-and-play, or go custom and wire everything myself. I'm leaning on just buying the joystick due to time constraints, but I may be able to come out a bit cheaper wiring it on my own.
At any rate, I'm still in the early planning stages (obviously) but it's been fun to research. I've got a bunch of co-workers shopping around to find me a good deal on a display, and a buddy of mine has offered to assist with the woodworking when I settle on a plan.
