Open source multi-game PCB project?

Tornadoboy

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If I understand what this guy is doing he's running an open source project for a programmable multi-game PCB, which would be fantastic over the expensive Arcadeshop or inflexible and flawed 60-in-1 Icade boards if it works! Imagine a MAME-like project that uses solid hardware instead of a crappy PC emulation!

http://www.fpgaarcade.com/index.htm
 
Nothing against that project, but what's "crappy" about the current state of emulation?

I guess crappy was too strong a word, a lot of the emulation is more or less perfect, I guess it just feels cheesy to me to play an arcade game through all the garbage an operating system like Windows or Linux brings along, I would love to have something that boots only with what's needed to run games and goes into attract mode exactly like the original, and doesn't need unreliable stuff like hard drives and CDROMS. I don't dislike MAME, in fact I'll probably build a cab eventually, but it just doesn't seem quite the same as something completely hardware driven.

That's a good side question, exactly why do some of us prefer hardware over emulation? The way 60-in-1's and Arcadeshop PCBs sell is proof I'm not the only one, but I'm hard pressed to give a solid answer myself as to why, I just like hardware.
 
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I guess crappy was too strong a word, a lot of the emulation is more or less perfect, I guess it just feels cheesy to me to play an arcade game through all the garbage an operating system like Windows or Linux brings along, I would love to have something that boots only with what's needed to run games and goes into attract mode exactly like the original, and doesn't need unreliable stuff like hard drives and CDROMS.

That's a good side question, exactly why do some of us prefer hardware over emulation? The way 60-in-1's and Arcadeshop PCBs sell is proof I'm not the only one, but I'm hard pressed to give a solid answer myself as to why, I just like hardware.


Uh... shell to a front end (or even a specific ROM if you want)... run it off a CF drive... and you have exactly what you're asking here.

BTW... the chinese 48-in-1/60-in-1 boards... they actually have to "load" as well... if you've never had one, they "count up" the number of games on the board... that is the "os/roms" loading. A 60 in 1 takes about 30-40 seconds to "load".... I can load to my MAME front end in about 25-30 seconds total. That said, if something like the AS board but open ended to where you can load whatever ROM you want comes to market, that WOULD be kickass.
 
Yeah it's not perfect, but somehow that still seems better than working through Windows and such. Maybe it's because I'm a computer tech and have seen the carnage Window's flaws have reaped upon unsuspecting users? All the garbage with needless services running in the background, unknown and un-needed processes, anti-virus softwares poking and proding into everything, errors and slow downs that come from seemingly nothing, etc, etc...

Don't get me wrong, I'm not claiming it makes any sense at all, but I know I'm not the only one. And to make it even more ridiculous I hear the 60-in-1 runs a form of Linux/MAME emulation, so dope-slap me again for that.

Uh... shell to a front end (or even a specific ROM if you want)... run it off a CF drive... and you have exactly what you're asking here.

BTW... the chinese 48-in-1/60-in-1 boards... they actually have to "load" as well... if you've never had one, they "count up" the number of games on the board... that is the "os/roms" loading. A 60 in 1 takes about 30-40 seconds to "load".... I can load to my MAME front end in about 25-30 seconds total. That said, if something like the AS board but open ended to where you can load whatever ROM you want comes to market, that WOULD be kickass.
 
Sounds like you want to "shell" Windows and go straight to a front end just like Frizz said. You can even configure your FE to load a specific game right off without touching anything. If you make sure the computer is running arcade stuff only and isn't connected to the internet, you should be fine.
I just "discovered" the Mala FE and it's amazing! I am almost done with my first real "multi" MAME (instead of a "dedicated", boat anchor computer mame). Man, the FE layout has taken me over a week to get smoothed out but it looks real pretty....
 
Sounds like you want to "shell" Windows and go straight to a front end just like Frizz said. You can even configure your FE to load a specific game right off without touching anything. If you make sure the computer is running arcade stuff only and isn't connected to the internet, you should be fine.
I just "discovered" the Mala FE and it's amazing! I am almost done with my first real "multi" MAME (instead of a "dedicated", boat anchor computer mame). Man, the FE layout has taken me over a week to get smoothed out but it looks real pretty....
so uh, what does it smell like in the upchuck arcade?
 
If you're an "old fart" you can get the dos version of mame and get it to boot right into the front end from the startup file. I think this is a good way to go if you only have an old POS P.C. and you only want to load the older games.

I had a mame box I built and I wasn't crazy about sometimes needing the keyboard and I didn't like having to explain what all the buttons on the control panel did when guests played it (plus someone was always accidentally hitting the key coded for 'ESQ' which would toss it out of the emulator). I'm sure with some effort I could have got around most of my issues with enough time and effort and especially if I would have installed a track-ball.

I recently picked up a jamma box and put a 60-1 board in it and I'm very happy with it. You get the original arcade feel with out any hassles. Even my 4 year old niece knows how to turn the machine on and run it without any adult supervision (yes including inserting quarters).

What "flaws" in the 60-1 are you referring to?
 
What "flaws" in the 60-1 are you referring to?

Flaws:
High Score table "if it'll work" will only save the highest score and even then you'll be lucky if it saves your initials when you power cycle it. Usually it'll put the default game initials in on your high score.

The volume on the games vary which is annoying

Some of the games are missing their proper sounds.

Bugs - such as shots going through enemies and not killing them when they should.

And actually when these boot it takes ~70 seconds Frizz lol

They are certainly fun and worth having but the "flaws" are irritating to most.

And FWIW - you can;t possible emulate each games sounds because of the differences in all the hardware. The sounds are "pitchy" on most games. If you own or owned one of the originals you will tell right away how "pitchy" they really are. Most people woldn't know the difference.
 
I have a 60-in-1 which I play quite a bit. While it does need improvement, it still works well.

The high score save function is actually better than most of the original arcade games, which do not save the scores at all when powered off. They only save the highest score on each game (provided you surpass the minimum high score), and not your initials. Considering you pay $90 for a DK high score save kit, and you pay $90 for a 60-in-1, it's a pretty good deal.

As far as my 60-in-1 goes, the high score save feature isn't spotty at all. It will always save the highest score without initials. That's pretty much it. Never has it not saved the high score, after beating my previous record.

My biggest complaint about this board is the over-driven sound on a few games. Although, if you adjust the volume lower it's not as noticeable. If you were to add some sort of in-line volume control, that you could adjust from the exterior of the game, it would really make things better. The only game I really notice it on is 1943, which is one of my favorite games.
 
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Flaws:
High Score table "if it'll work" will only save the highest score and even then you'll be lucky if it saves your initials when you power cycle it. Usually it'll put the default game initials in on your high score.

The volume on the games vary which is annoying

Some of the games are missing their proper sounds.

Bugs - such as shots going through enemies and not killing them when they should.

And actually when these boot it takes ~70 seconds Frizz lol

They are certainly fun and worth having but the "flaws" are irritating to most.

And FWIW - you can;t possible emulate each games sounds because of the differences in all the hardware. The sounds are "pitchy" on most games. If you own or owned one of the originals you will tell right away how "pitchy" they really are. Most people woldn't know the difference.

And WHY did they choose a gray background instead of black? Lame
 
If I understand what this guy is doing he's running an open source project for a programmable multi-game PCB, which would be fantastic over the expensive Arcadeshop or inflexible and flawed 60-in-1 Icade boards if it works! Imagine a MAME-like project that uses solid hardware instead of a crappy PC emulation!

http://www.fpgaarcade.com/index.htm
Based on the video outputs I'm thinking this is supposed to be more like a Supergun than a plug and play multi board. There's no Jamma interface that I see on the board and the video output supported is what's found on televisions.
 
If I understand what this guy is doing he's running an open source project for a programmable multi-game PCB, which would be fantastic over the expensive Arcadeshop or inflexible and flawed 60-in-1 Icade boards if it works! Imagine a MAME-like project that uses solid hardware instead of a crappy PC emulation!

http://www.fpgaarcade.com/index.htm

Interesting idea but ultimately it's still emulation. The problems that exist on the multi-cade boards will need to be solved here too.
 
Based on the video outputs I'm thinking this is supposed to be more like a Supergun than a plug and play multi board. There's no Jamma interface that I see on the board and the video output supported is what's found on televisions.

In the brief description at the top of the page: "A JAMMA board is in development."
 
With all the positive and neg remarks here about the 48 in 1 and the 60 in 1 i haven't seen where anyone has brought up the difference in the a board and the b board. May people are happy with the a and not so happy with the b
 
They're pretty much identical... at one time the "B" boards had a higher fail rate. Oh, and the "B" boards supported a single trackball whereas the "A" boards supported two.

I've always went with the "A" boards in the past... the price difference isn't significant enough to do otherwise.
 
I like plug 'n play capability.

I HATE setting up PC's with hardware/software.

I value my time.

I like the dummy-proof aspect of multiboards

Thus, I like jamma ready multigames even with their crappy gamelists and flawed emulation.
 
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