Crazy Hair Brained Scheme


sm1988

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Apr 15, 2008
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I went to go visit my buddy over the weekend and I suckered his dad into selling me a simpsons arcade game for 70 dollars. It is in great shape but it doesn't work so I was thinking of putting in a 32 inch tv that I have, a small opening in the front where I can plug and unplug a pandora, throw a slick paint job on it and wala a very short cutted mame cabinet.
 
sm1988 said:
I went to go visit my buddy over the weekend and I suckered his dad into selling me a simpsons arcade game for 70 dollars. It is in great shape but it doesn't work so I was thinking of putting in a 32 inch tv that I have, a small opening in the front where I can plug and unplug a pandora, throw a slick paint job on it and wala a very short cutted mame cabinet.
The cabinet is the hardest part of an arcade project. Since you already have one you're more than halfway there. Just get an i-PAC and wire it to the controls, and you're pretty much done. Just have USB and S-Video cables coming out somewhere to plug into the Pandora.
 
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It could certainly work. I've had cabinets running off PC's, so there's no reason why you couldn't do something similar with Pandora via TV-out and some USB based arcade controls. You just have to wait for Pandora to actually come out and MAME to be ported (won't take too long I bet).

Would be hilarious to see that tiny little Pandora "powering" a big MAME cabinet. :p

Just keep in mind - MAME needs tremendous resources compared to some other emulators, so you won't be able to run every MAME game on the Pandy. Certainly most 3D games are out. But for most 2D 80's and many early 90's arcade games, it should be alright. Of course there will be other faster arcade emus for Pandy too I'm sure (for NeoGeo, CPS2 etc.).

If you do it, please post some photos. That would be fun to see!
 
Chip said:
sm1988 said:
I went to go visit my buddy over the weekend and I suckered his dad into selling me a simpsons arcade game for 70 dollars. It is in great shape but it doesn't work so I was thinking of putting in a 32 inch tv that I have, a small opening in the front where I can plug and unplug a pandora, throw a slick paint job on it and wala a very short cutted mame cabinet.
The cabinet is the hardest part of an arcade project. Since you already have one you're more than halfway there. Just get an i-PAC and wire it to the controls, and you're pretty much done. Just have USB and S-Video cables coming out somewhere to plug into the Pandora.


Actually the hard part was convincing my girlfriend to let me bring it home that was about as easy as making a cabinet from scratch with a butter knife and scotch tape. The I pac is a great idea I never thought of that :)
 
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Prophet said:
It could certainly work. I've had cabinets running off PC's, so there's no reason why you couldn't do something similar with Pandora via TV-out and some USB based arcade controls. You just have to wait for Pandora to actually come out and MAME to be ported (won't take too long I bet).

Would be hilarious to see that tiny little Pandora "powering" a big MAME cabinet. :p

Just keep in mind - MAME needs tremendous resources compared to some other emulators, so you won't be able to run every MAME game on the Pandy. Certainly most 3D games are out. But for most 2D 80's and many early 90's arcade games, it should be alright. Of course there will be other faster arcade emus for Pandy too I'm sure (for NeoGeo, CPS2 etc.).

If you do it, please post some photos. That would be fun to see!
I think a cabinet that could run neogeo would be worth the effort alone plus if you add in all the console emus too you are talking some great fun at least i have something to do while I am waiting for the tiny core of my project to be released :)
 
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Yeah, I have to agree with Orkie. If the original art is in decent shape, it's best to keep it. IMO.

sm1988 said:
I think a cabinet that could run neogeo would be worth the effort alone plus if you add in all the console emus too you are talking some great fun at least i have something to do while I am waiting for the tiny core of my project to be released :)
Definitely. If I still had a cabinet I'd do this myself.
 
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Prophet said:
Yeah, I have to agree with Orkie. If the original art is in decent shape, it's best to keep it. IMO.

sm1988 said:
I think a cabinet that could run neogeo would be worth the effort alone plus if you add in all the console emus too you are talking some great fun at least i have something to do while I am waiting for the tiny core of my project to be released :)
Definitely. If I still had a cabinet I'd do this myself.


come to think of it for it being as old as it is the artwork is in beautiful shape so I think
I am going to leave it :D
 
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Orkie said:
Nooo! Don't ruin a perfectly good cabinet by painting over the artwork!
I concur! Leave the original artwork alone. They look much better that way.
 
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Fishbong said:
If its only Neogeo you want, The GP2X can do that very fine.
True but I need all the excuses I can get for getting a pandora :D plus I thought it would be neat to have a simpsons arcade that could play an emulated simpsons arcade game, it's kind of freaky if you think about it :blink:
 
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I've wanted to do the MAME cabinet thing for years now. Using a handheld to power it is ... quite simply amazing.

After googling, I found this - PSP Arcade Cabinet (not what you think) which you can buy for £7.95 (which, according to the latest US dollar showing is about $15,028.95) from here.

I also found a video comparing the performance of the GP2X to a custom built MAME cabinet (powered by an Athlon desktop).

Makes a strong case, especially since the Pandora will be more powerful, have USB ports and video out. :blink: crazy? Hair brained? I don't think so. BRILLIANT is the word, my friend.
 
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Even though its probably very possible to use the pandora, it wouldnt make much sense. A full size pc could fit inside an arcade cabinet and easily out-perform pandora, while being cheaper.
 
But, but, but....

Don't you see? Don't you get it?

We're talking about running a MAME Cabinet off a HANDHELD GAME SYSTEM!!!

Inconceivable! Since it *CAN* be done... It *MUST* be done!

Imagine the possiblities... :blink: :blink: :blink:

You walk into your gaming den (basement, bedroom, gargage, whereever this thing is set up) Head over to your full sized 32 inch screen mega cool controls authentic paint gaming cabinet - and Blast the CRAP out of some invaders from space, right.. Then you flip down a little door, pull out this tiny tiny laptop, and KEEP PLAYING as you walk away. :gp2x

Your Cabinet High Scores are on your handheld! Your Ultimate Frogger run is saved on your pocket sized system - because it was *PLAYED ON IT*!!!!

Think of the cabinet as your Pandora docking station.
 
Holokauston said:
So your either putting a portable handheld in a non portable shell? or having a big arcade machine standing useless unless you have your handheld?

No don't really see the point to be honest :p
Well i was just seeing it as bypassing the whole boot thing with the pc plus when i do want to take stuff on the road I still have the same scores and saves that I did on the arcade setup plus i just like the feel of a good old fasioned arcade. best of both worlds basically (portability without sacrifising capability) I think the devs knew what they were doing when they were thinking up features for the pandora. :)
 
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Holokauston said:
So your either putting a portable handheld in a non portable shell? or having a big arcade machine standing useless unless you have your handheld?

No don't really see the point to be honest :p
Docking station... Think docking station.

Ever plugged a keyboard, mouse, and monitor into a laptop? Ever seen anyone else do it? Ever heard of a docking station at all? If so, then you should at least acknowledge that the concept of plugging a portable device into a non portable shell has merit on some level.

Why did the billion-dollar-a-second minds at Sony put a video out into the latest version of the PSP? Because some people want to plug a portable system into a bigger non-portable screen. Why did the incredible minds behind the Pandora include a video out in their design? For the same reason.

Whether that screen is a 19 inch TV from the early 90s, a 24 inch LCD computer monitor on your desk, a 60 inch Plasma, or a screen inside of an arcade cabinet - you're still plugging a portable device into a non-portable shell.

With an arcade cabinet style docking station for your Pandora, you get to experience all the nostagla of a MAME cabinet and all the convience of a handheld.

Why do people even bother building MAME cabinets when a PSP, GP2X, laptop, etc. can already do MAME? Why limit yourself to having to stand up in front of this very heavy box when you can play the same ROMS on your iPhone? Because there is something about playing them the way they were meant to be played.

On the other hand, why port MAME to a handheld? because you don't always want to be standing in front of a huge heavy box - or you can't always be there with your big heavy box.

Powering a MAME cabinet with a portable game system is an incredible concept. I am truly blown away.
 
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