MAME Arcade Machine

villanova04

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I'd like to acquire a MAME arcade cabinet for my home, but my knowledge is pretty limited. I don't know where to look to buy one, or how to properly build one.

I'm located in the Northern VA area. I'm looking for someone who can help me with this. I don't care if it's an old cabinet that has been refurbished or something build from scratch, as long as it is cost efficient, well built, looks good, and will last a long time.

What I'd like:
- Stand-up (classic style) cabinet
- 4 players (or 2 if more practical)
- Ability to play classic games like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, as well as more modern games like Street Fighter and The Simpsons. Maybe even games like Virtua Tennis.

If you can help please let me know, as well as a rough price estimate.
 
I can at least help you get started.....

I am not too familiar with setting up a mame setup in a cabinet - but have made a few multigames using "jamma" control boards that did not require more than plugging into the existing hardware.

Heres some tips to get started:

I did a quick search on Craigslist in your area with keyword arcade.

I see your post - I also see a lot of cabinets around $275.

So, you want to look at a couple of them, play them, make sure controls, buttons, and monitor all look and play correctly.
Then, pick the cabinet you most like base on what it is:
Do you want a standup or cocktail?
Do you want a small bartop?
Then the basics:
favorite game
artwork
# of players and controls
monitor size ie 19", 25" on up....
and a couple more detailed items below:

Ask if the cabinet is Jamma compatible - most are, but check back here to make sure. This means that you can "plug and play" other jamma boards.

Then the fun part: jamma game boards are relatively inexpensive and fall into 2 categories and are sold online (and from a couple of members on here):

Vertical: monitor is placed vertically - then it can use what is known as a 60 in 1...
Price is around $100 for the game board.
60 games include pacman, galaga, Time Pilot, Donkey Kong, etc.


Horizontal - monitor horizontal - then you have the XXXX in ones....ranging from 100 upwards of 2000 games.
Prices around $150-$300.
Games include just about everything from fighters etc.

Keep posting to this site....I knew nothing a few months back and now have 7 cabinets...one is vertical 60 in 1, another is a 1300 in 1...

Chris
 
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best bet is something like a NBA JAM, Blitz style cabinet if you want 4 player setup, or something like a Mortal Kombat style is good for 2 player, both can incorporate the full player set up with 6 buttons and still room for a trackball, you really dont need all the extra buttons as with JPAC, Ipac etc you can still coinup, escape back to menu,just looks cleaner IMO, as for computer, if you are wanting to run the likes of Virtua Tennis and other Naomi games, then might need to step up the pc spec, I was running a 1.8 Dual Core with 4gb RAM, and a Radeon X300 GFX card (which you can soft mod to 15hz) and that played VT, VT2, MvC2 and a lot of the other naomi titles fine, so over a JPAC there is nothing else you really need other than a JAMMA cabinet to get you at least running
 
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