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Re: OT: MAME Arcades
#84680 08/31/05 12:35 PM
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Bob Roberts usually has the harder to find stuff too. RIght now, though, he is "evacuated" from his home due to the hurricane.

Happs is top notch, and a majority of real arcades are made with their parts. PonyBoy, who I mentioned before, can get you Happs parts at a discount.



Farewell - June 4, 2020
Re: OT: MAME Arcades
#84681 11/01/05 05:49 PM
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Okay, it's now Christmas shopping season, and I have to decide whether I want to further enable my kids to play video games.

I found out that Target (of all places) is selling something called The Midway Home Use Arcade Machine. I can't believe they can sell this thing for $500. It has games I'm interested in.

Probably still not as good, for me, as the previously mentioned controller pads, but it sure made me go "hmmm..."



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Re: OT: MAME Arcades
#84682 11/01/05 08:28 PM
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Wow....that looks pretty cool.

Re: OT: MAME Arcades
#84683 11/02/05 03:20 AM
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From what I have been told it is a cheap unit, like those $20 units that you hook up to a TV, inside a box that is smaller than regular arcades, but does include a small TV. For $500 I think that it is a bit pricey for what you get, but to each their own. Personally, I like the fact that I can play over 5000 real arcade games and I am not limited to 10-20. Look at it this way as well. If you or your kids get tired of the few games that are there, you will have a good size, ugly decorated, TV in a box sitting around.

Again, some people are going to eat this stuff up, and if it is for you, great. I am only expressing my opinion and words of caution. If anyone here gets one, I sure won't bad mouth them or belittle them for their decision. There is obviously a market for these, or Target wouldn't sell them.

If you do get one, please share your experiences with it so that I can share with others at www.arcadecontrols.com...

Here is a link to a discussion about this 5'2" "monster"... Maybe if you sit down... Hmmm. Mine is taller than I am and I am 6'2" with shoes on.

Anyway, the link ...
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=44831.0




Farewell - June 4, 2020
Re: OT: MAME Arcades
#84684 11/02/05 06:08 PM
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Dear Nick,

Thank you for the link. It confirmed my suspicions that this thing is the arcade version of a cheap HTIB.

I'm seriously leaning toward buying a X-Arcade or HotRod controller. The SlikStick is just too much money for me. I'm leaning toward the X-Arcade, primarily because I want the USB support. Do you have an opinion?

The environment is the living room; I'd just haul out the controller and plug it in when we want to play games (i.e. neither the computer nor the environment are dedicated to gaming). I've not yet implemented MAME on the machine, but beyond the learning curve, don't anticipate any problems.


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Re: OT: MAME Arcades
#84685 11/02/05 08:46 PM
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SlikStick products ARE expensive, but they are top quality. X-Arcade is generally considered to be made of "cheaper" parts, but still better than many knock-off products. The SlikStick stuff is made to be an exact duplicate for actual arcade machines that need extreme durability to last in arcades, the X-Arcade stuff is less durable, but by no means does that mean that it will break or anything, just that the switched won't last as long, but should still last longer than most people would care, and they are super cheap and easy to swap out down the road if need be as well.

So, if money isn't falling out of your pockets, and as long as you don't have an actual arcade machine to compare the button clicks to, go for the X-Arcade and save a few bucks.

As for HotRod (didn't mean to leave them out), they are the original "arcade controler for a PC" people. Solid products. I would put HotRod above X-Arcade for quality, but under SlikStick for options.

All of these are plug and play once you have MAME installed. MAME will recognize these controllers out of the box and work wonderfully.

Good luck!


Farewell - June 4, 2020
Re: OT: MAME Arcades
nickbuol #405718 06/23/14 05:55 PM
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I don't think it would be easy to quantify an award for thread revival, but I'd like to nominate myself.

Life goes fast. Holy sh!t.

I need remedial MAME help. I've got some parts laying around and would be interested in a bartop-format affair. But I am kind of a retard, so some of the stuff I'm reading on the web is still a little beyond my grasp.

I want to use my existing stuff. I don't want to buy new hardware. If I can't do it with my existing stuff, I'm not going to do it. The point is to reclaim/reuse/repurpose some old tech "assets" and have fun. The point is NOT to "build a MAME cabinet". Capisce? (we're re-watching "The Sopranos" with our daughter).

So, what I've got is a Zotac ZBox with a dual-core Atom processor and a X-Arcade controller. Both are "a few" years old.

I don't know enough about Linux. What I *think* I should do is install Ubuntu (or some other, lighter distro) and install whatever MAME emulator package and front end "works" on that distro.

I have surplus a 19" 4:3 LCD and a 21" 16:9 LED.

I want to play crappy old games from arcades and consoles (if possible).

Got any advice?


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Re: OT: MAME Arcades
nickbuol #405722 06/23/14 07:55 PM
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MAME needs very low powered machines to run the good ol' classics.

I say "go for it." I think that you can be successful pretty easily. I am a "keep it simple" guy, and I know nothing about Linux/Ubuntu to help there. I loaded up a stripped down version of Windows XP back when I last loaded up my machine 2 years ago. Windows 7 was considered slower due to bells/whistles of Windows 7 vs XP, and XP working better or older hardware.

Going with Linux/Ubuntu should get more performance from your hardware, but might be trickier to install.

So long story short, you should be playing Donkey Kong in no time once you get the O/S installed.

After you get that working with a TV, then it is just some basic carpentry to build a box to put it in, or heck, just mock it up in a cardboard box and call it good.



Farewell - June 4, 2020
Re: OT: MAME Arcades
nickbuol #405724 06/23/14 11:56 PM
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You're the best, Nick.

laugh


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Re: OT: MAME Arcades
nickbuol #405725 06/24/14 12:12 AM
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I dunno, I think that's a little too fancy.


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