by JudgeX
February 28, 2009 13:22
I love my arcade machine. Built from a vandalized and beaten up old cabinet, and modified to run tons of emulators, it has been a dream of mine forever to have one.
Using a JPAC unit to connect a computer to the old arcade screen, and an X-Arcade do it yourself kit, with some HAPP authentic arcade controls, I managed to breathe life back into this gutted monstrosity, and give it capabilities it only dreamed of having in its previous life.
It's a little rough around the edges (havent gotten around to doing an aesthetic overhaul yet), and I haven't really completely customized the software side of it to the extent that I'd like to, but overall, there's tons of fun to be had on it. Using MAME as the primary emulator, GameEx as the frontend, and about 13 other emulators for Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, Virtual Pinball, Daphne Laser Disc games, and everything else, it can play over 8,000 individual games.
Street Fighter Alpha 3 on a Street Fighter 2 machine really makes me happy. "Hadouken".
Near future improvements will include a 4 port hub, for the easy attachment of control pads (for better authenticity while playing console games), and I've been considering using wiimotes as light guns and maybe even steering wheels, if I can figure out a really good way to do so. I'd also like to give it a good coating of paint, replace the plexi-glass front (it's scratched), and mount network attached or good USB external storage inside of it to hold games and applications, so that it's even more modular and able to be backed up easily. I've added several buttons to the panel in the front, flipper buttons on the sides, and auxilliary "control" buttons to allow swapping between menus in various emulators.
If you ever want details, technical specifications, or help with your own project, let me know!
