I'm nearly finished my first ever cabinet build, I managed to tick every box you mentioned. Very please with it!! It doubles as a jukebox with a rather incredible sound system built in sporting 2x 12" subs in the base and a full Yamaha surround sound system that is very tastefully installed/displayed. Getting all this and a full pc including a hidden drawer for a keyboard and mouse plus wireless controllers, was a massive feat. Couldn't be happier. Just finishing off the deactivate sides (hexagon timbers with resin inlays with touch sensors and leds hidden within).
Oh that sounds seriously good! Nice one! I did consider making mine work as a jukebox too, but would have required a totally different sound arrangement, and I already have a Meridian music system that can provide music to different rooms of the house, so decided on full arcade style. You must do a video showing yours! Sounds great 😀
I built mine a few months ago. It cost me around $460 to build and took a week and a half total.I built a basic frame with heavy duty atic floor boards cut to size, then attached laminate shelving pieces for the outer side pieces. The display is a small computer monitor sitting on a hand made pedistal for easy removal.The hardest part was the lighting for the Marquee.
Yea the actual cost of the wood is not that much. Even monitors are cheap to buy now, so the main unit is fairly inexpensive for what it is. It is adding the PC, consoles etc that pushes the price up, depending how far you want to go with it . Great you made your own though too! Very satisfying! 🙂
Dude, the music is too much. Just let your ideas flow, you have a lot of good things to say and those are enough. I had to skip through the video to get the bare essentials of what you're saying because the constant cacophony was irritating. I appreciate the tips though, for real.
For two players just build a Dynamo Showcase Pedestal Cabinet, those Upright Midway Cabs are way too small for adult size players. The advantage of Dynamo Showcase is that you can have a screen further back and that allows you to have a relatively larger screen that will make it the Machine look cooler because the more borderless is the display the better.
They are cool, but I wanted something far more compact that would be good for regular retro games, gun games, and modern consoles too (mine will soon have a PS5 in it when my PS5 Pro arrives) 🙂 I have much larger cabs I designed and built too for other purposes, like a full-size sit-down race cab etc 🙂
Great vid, I've made a few cabs by now and I agree with all of your suggestions. I really like that design. I also wanted something understated and not super arcadey-flashy in appearance, so I built something very close to a Vewlix design and painted it solid black. I have two things to add: first is that I personally dislike the side panels of the cabinet to extend up past the control panel surface. They just get in the way. It has nothing to do with the playability, but I think having a flat plane for a control surface looks better and is more reminiscent of a genuine cabinet. Yeah, I know that's being really nitpicky. Second: a great source for sound systems is to look in your local thrift/charity shops for a used home theater setup. They usually have subwoofers as part of the package and you can obtain them inexpensively.
Thanks! The side panels don't get in the way on mine and personally prefer that look so was better for me, so a 'each to their own' on that kind of thing. I can easily add a sub if I like, but the sound this soundbar gives off is very nice, has good bass and is very 'clean' sounding so I am happy! I have home theatre amps and speakers in two other cabs I made th-cam.com/video/_ddyEdYwh9E/w-d-xo.html 🙂
Check quite a few home arcade build videos and guides and very few, if any talk about monitor type and viewing angles which would be a horrible and expensive mistake using a VA panel or a cheap monitor with no local dimming giving asteroids and Pac Man a grey background. OLED is expensive, but the best unless you have access to a CRT. Also, native refresh can effect some arcade games as there is a divisible factor that can cause stutter in some classic games. Another thing some are doing is using a larger 55" TV and putting in vertical and use 32-43" on the main screen and the rest on a top marquee that can change with each game.
Cheers! Yes the monitor type is super important. If my cab was a PURE retro machine then I would have thought about a CRT but I wanted it to remain compact, and be good for use on modern consoles too so overall was the best of both worlds. Viewing angle is so vital! I'm amazed a lot of the time this aspect seems to get missed 🙂
I want to build a similar cabinet but 100% disassembleable, as I usually move from homes from time to time. Thinking about the best way to make it strong enough under those contraints.
I did a 'How I Built This' video too, and the screen part detaches really easily from the main body making it very easy to move, and it is very sturdy and strong 🙂
Yeah I agree the Track ball was a mistake. I got one to make a machine that did as much as possible, so I included it, but for the number of games that take advantage of it for the realestate it takes up, I would have rather left it off if I did it all over again. I took an Arcade 1 up Xmen machine and modded. I'm very happy I did it and learned alot along the way. Just the track ball won't make the cut when I do another machine.
@@honestrob Yeah I used the mods from Arcade 1up as a starting point to swap out the monitor and control panel on the machine. I bought them at the same I got the machine, so I built it while modding it, which in retrospect I probably should just assembled it regularly so it was more straight forward, but I thought hey why built it twice? I swapped out other stuff like the speakers, and threw cup holders on the back of the control panel. There were some complications as I had wires that were too short on the moddied control panel. It kept disconnecting the player 2 controls or breaking the wires. I fixed them since I learned how put wires together as a kid from my father. When I ran over the cord for the electric lawn motor my electrican father had me put it back together as a teachable moment. I leanred not run over cords real fast. But I knew how play with wires from that and could fix what broke, but at some point I'm this just isn't working right as I can't close this thing up without something going wrong. I looked closely and figured out the wires were too short. The team at Arcade mod up sent me longer wires after I explaiend the situion, and I was able finnally complete the project a few days later. I felt so defeated for a moment having this massive extended 4 player control panel sitting on my couch and not being able to finish it after fixing all the broken wires correctly. (I had a extra rasberry pi I hooked up to my TV to test the controls without needing put all back together.) I was so close to completing it yet so far. But it all eventually came together. I just got my Sindin light guns this week, so I have as many gaming options as I can with in one machine. (Which the cupholders make great holsters for them.)My youngest nephew mind been blown as he been checking out it alittle more every time he comes over. His dad and I were laughing as he badly played duck hunt today. By this reason I built it. If I just wanted to retro game I could just stuck to playing my Pi 4 on my TV and called it a day. I wanted something to cool to have people come over, as last few years I hadn't had people come to my place for a couple reasons. I got it all cleaned up and organized as I wanted have my friends and family hang out and do cool stuff with me. I made sure it was a 4 player set up for that reason, and I really got the track ball because a friend of mine used be a huge fan of golden tee. It wasn't for my gaming habits. Getting the machine lite a fire under me as I knew I was going need space for it and it pushed me follow through on things I have meant to do for a bit. Some minor tweaks still need done, but I feel so much better about my apartment these days. I joked this what a midlife crisis looks like for nerds who aren't carguys hehe. I'm looking mod a countercade next as I got one cheap off ebay yesterday. I guess I just enjoy being a gremlin ripping apart things and putting it back together however I like.I will probably do some more from scratch as I get better at this, I'm enjoying the journey.
As a kid who frequented the arcades back in the late '70s and early '80s a trackball and a spinner were an absolute must for me. The whole purpose of my arcade machine is to take me back to those days and games like missile command, centipede and tempest were some of my favorites. I was also able to implement a flight stick for games like Gorf and since I also have a spinner, I can play Tron with both the flight stick and the spinner the way it was meant to be played. As far as the real estate they take up, it was mentioned in the video that you want a larger control surface anyway if you want to reasonably accommodate two players. So putting a trackball in the middle actually sets the two players apart just right IMO.
@@HeavyInstinct I played those games in arcades, but I was never that into using the ball. It sounded good but for how little it's used why bother for me? If that's your jam I'm glad it works for you. As the space it takes up, it makes the surface unuseable for anything else where it sits on the control panel. The screws come up around it, so you don't want to lean on them or rest your hand there. It doesn't add any value to my machine by being there. I will not be adding one to any future projects.
@@honestrob I completed my Countercade project and brought to work. Everyone loved it and wanted to keep it. So beings Project Rampage! I picked up a cheap Rampage machine off facebook market place, to mod for the breakroom at work. I am hoping to get cover by crowdfunding since everyone got a taste of having a machine there. And there wil be no trackball!
Crt will always be superior for such games. Before the hdmi times I always used my playstation 1 and 2 plus all my C64/Amiga on an Amiga crt monitor and it was night and day compared to anything else. Those commodore/philips small crt monitors upgraded the visual experience for sure. (In case of proper full separate rgb connection). Nowadays lcd panels are much better than back then but even the ips panels are too sharp for games like this. I think -since those commodore monitors was too small and also they are not available anymore, a good flat screen trinitron tv should do the work. I definitely try to avoid any non crt display when I build my own arcade cabinet.
Yep CRT is the way to go if making a cab purely for retro purposes. Mine does retro well, but I love to use the cab and controllers to play the modern fighting games like Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8 too, so this is a great mix of all things for my needs 🙂
Unfortunately not. I just took the 2x joystick dimensions and that was my width, then built it around that. Only took a couple of hours to have the main frame ready 🙂
Hi i thought About making a arcade machine from my modded ps classic my hori fight stick mini my adjustable 20 inch monitor and a makeshift cabinet what do you think
the first one i built years ago was built inside my workshop. after completed, it was suppose to go into my gameroom, realized it cannot pass thru a 36x80 door frame at any angle.
@@honestrob was not going to rebuild so removed the 2 doors, door frame and chip away concrete lmao. got lucky as the 2 wood doors was over 15 years old and needed upgrading to modern steel doors/steel frame anyway.
Kudos to the crazy Devil's Crush/Crash music in the background. Btw, your video has some interlacing issues. Thanks for the tips, I will keep them in mind when designing my own!
Cheers! It was meant to be a bit quieter though haha!! Weird on the interlacing thing - only a few people have mentioned it - I think it depends what device/player is used? Weird though!
@@Color-Theory Thanks! It's had several upgrades since this video! I've now replaced the ageing Aimtrak guns with Retro Shooter guns which are great, and added a drop down foot pedal system too for gun games 🙂
Hi there! I really liked your black and white machine what brand of monitor are you using? Is there a tempered glass on top of it together with the black bezel?
Hi there, and thanks! It's cut to size perspex with black self adhesive trim placed around it to improve the overall look, and hide the bezel of the monitor 🙂
I was surely waiting to get my hands in the mdf killer made from rice board, they say it's a bit stronger than mdf and water proof not just moisture, non toxic and great to cut. Hopefully this year I will get a sample for testing.
@@devincurrie4145 I love MDO which is absolutely the best for arcade builds! But, it's not always easy to find and a bit expensive which I don't care because of it being totally waterproof and if you are building a work of Art then top quality is the only way. If I'm just building a basic arcade then I will use MDF. These Arcades end up in a man cave basement I won't use MDF ever! With MDO being hard to find you may be stuck with having to buy in bulk which is called special order at 10 sheets at a time.
One of my "ideals" is to build a 4 player gauntlet 2 machine, but I don't know that it is even worth it for me since I am not sure I will ever have 4 players, or at least very often!
Yep, I kinda miss the old days of friends coming over randomly for that kind of thing. The convenience of online play has certainly taken away a lot of that truly social element for me.
@bradandrews777 if you don't mind it retroarch has netplay in its mame cores. You can even do it through launchbox/bigbox ui to make setting it up easier
No I don't, I made it very much on the fly - planned it in my head one day, seemed to be making it the next and never thought about plans or blueprints. I did do a 'how I built this' video too - hopefully that will help! th-cam.com/video/IaepD_MrMBk/w-d-xo.html 🙂
That's a personal preference and taste thing - I definitely prefer it way more like this and have no issues with what I am looking at when playing games 🙂
@@barryschalkwijk9388 Yea I think it looks way worse on camera as there are zero issues IRL, and I am super fussy on that sort of thing (my cinema room has dark wall surround behind the screen, slightly less surrounding dark walls, dark carpet, and even a grey ceiling to suppress reflected light from the projector 😆😂
The extra space is nice, I can see the two controller there, resting on a desk, that's a nice idea but it loses retro feel. My advice its get a coin-holder, placing a coin to play its what takes you to nostalgia trip pheromones, or will feel just playing on a PC emulator if you dont. Nothing wrong to feel shoulder against shoulder, that was the magic in arcades.
It's how I wanted it to look with the controllers I love, and 'retro feel' was not something I was looking for in the first place so does not matter, same for the coin-holder. I just wanted to build a machine that worked with PC and consoles (this has a PS4 and PS3 built in too, as well as a Retro-Shooter console and Guns now also) that didn't look too out of place in the living room 🙂 And that machine I was referring too in the vid is WAY smaller than a standard arcade machine so the shoulder to shoulder thing is FAR more 'intimate' than in the arcades and is basically terrible. My machine is a similar size to many full size two player arcade machines 😀
@@TestTube-m5e Cheers! Yep, I wanted this to play PS3 and PS4 games as well using the joysticks for all those beat-em ups (Soul Caliber, Streetfighter, Tekken etc), as well as the classic games 🙂
Great video. I'm in the planning stages of building a sit down cabinet as well so I appreciate all your tips. I'm curious, what are your PC specs, CPU, video card etc?
Thank you! I'm going to re-do this video soon as there are a few things I don't like about it, and will include the PC specs and things like that then 🙂
Hey man, do you have a video on how to setup your launch screen for mame, with the scrolling through gamecube, snes, etc with the previews of the games. Or can you point me in the direction of how to setup mine to do so, would be greatly appreciated 🙏
No, at the time they were good ol' Aimtrak guns. I have now installed Retro Shooter guns into this system and REALLY love these th-cam.com/video/RXVBWfOZfM0/w-d-xo.html . I'm adding 'drop down' pedals soon too into this arcade cabinet! 🙂
I might do a part 2 to this - there is ventilation but I didn't show it well enough - in the part where I lifted the hatch, where the unpainted wood with the mains block is, there is an empty back from about a foot up from the floor which allows plenty of ventilation 🙂
There is no vinyl on the one in the main video, it is painted, but for cabs like the yellow 'Out Run 2' cab which is shown briefly in the video, I applied the vinyl when the paint was still drying - not wet - but when it still had a little bit of tackiness to the touch - this made it stick really good! 🙂
@honestrob you know the front of the monitor. It looks like plexi glass, how did you have it stick to the screen? Or like the black trim around the monitor. Thank you
@@ura617 Sorry for late reply! I did not get notified of it and just randomly stumbled across this Comment! I ordered a piece of perspex about 1" larger then the screen all round, and very carefully cut some self adhesive vinyl so it fitted exactly but only showing the screen, then used good quality double sided tape to attach it onto the main unit 🙂
at 20 seconds is an xbox 360 racing wheel. i have a wireless one I was gonna sell but seeing that gives me better ideas. I wonder about what software/drivers are used!
@@danielberrett2179 No drivers needed if using it with a XBOX 360, otherwise you need the XBOX Wireless Adapter (Crossfire I think it was called) for use with a PC 🙂
Unfortunately not once the video is made... For some reason the background music came through a lot louder than it was when editing. I might re-do this vid as I find it way too loud too, and I can add in a few more important points about cab building too 🙂
I think there is a difference between 2 american people with american personal bubble and .. an italian combo for contrast :) but that is a noteworthy statement nevertherless :D
Yes true!! For two people the smaller cab I showed is very 'cosy' though.... Good if you're a guy and wanted to invite the girl you like over for some two player games, then it's a winner all day! 😀
Wow, you have a spot for drinks in the control section 😮 Anyone who would come near my cab with something liquid in their hands who end up even holding it above the cab should get hit with a piece of wood 🙃
It depends how close you are to the screen! If you have a really large control panel so are standing further back, then that's fine. If your as close as I am at my machine, it will be was too 'in your face' and be uncomfortable to look at 🙂
I went with 40 in which obviously isn't much of a difference. Most of the old games I'm playing are in 4x3 aspect ratio anyway. It also strikes a nice balance when standing back a bit for gun games.
No I don't. A TV won't run the other consoles I have plugged into this too like PS4 Pro and PS3. Going the TV route would be rubbish anyway - if you want the true arcade look (as I'm aware certain people will), you need a CRT monitor, and then the correct graphics card to convert it properly etc. I am well aware what 'I' want, ta 😀
It's still worth building this as a '2 player' unit though, as it looks great, and you can use both joysticks in certain 1 player games like Robotron and Smash TV 🙂
@@honestrobYes! This is one of my favorite things about the two-player setup. Roboton with two joysticks! Not only was it one of my favorite arcade games but now I can play it at home exactly the way it was meant to be played. Such a blast in the past!
@@HeavyInstinct Absolutely!! Robotron with two sticks is just a fantastic experience! Playing my favourite games with the correct control method is something I am very fussy about, and was one of the reasons why I had to have an Arcade 1up Star Wars unit!
I can honestly say that I don't mind. This machine has modern consoles attached too so old monitors would not be suitable, and I make a machine for my needs, not for what other people would prefer 🙂
Maybe if I painted a bright red and had crazy decals all over it would come over more acradey? It was designed for the living room and not meant to stand out, so not meant to look like a true arcade machine - I have made others for my arcade room in a more traditional style 🙂
@honestrob, that's not really what I meant and you make some good points in the vid. I just feel that this example feels more like a computer desk with two off-the-shelf arcade sticks, a soundbar, monitor and two drinks coasters. When I think of arcade cabinets I would typically expect to see the controls and speakers more integrated into the cabinet itself. Researching/buying a zero-pi board and sanwa components, such as buttons and sticks for example, would also be cheaper than two Hori arcade pro sticks for people starting out in actual cabinet design. This also gives you more flexibility when it comes to ergonomics. The cab styling/graphics is irrelevant as that is personal preference. Again, I liked your vid, just have my own opinion on cabinet design turorials.
@@koresoteira447 I sort of get what you mean, but there is a lot more to it than that 😆 I don't see many normal 'desks' with full sound bar, built in screen, coin buttons, twin joysticks (I like these above Sanwa and Happ which is why I used them, AND this has a PS4 Pro and PS3 built in too so they are used for those consoles too!), dual lightguns, gun holders, drop down foot pedals (not in shot), and more besides. And quite a few retro machines do look fairly similar. As I said if it was bright red with 'arcade' decals shouting 'I'm an arcade machine' as loud as it can, it would probably be different, but I like it as it is. I am not trying to please other people with the design, 'understated' and not full 'arcadey' was the intention 🙂
@@koresoteira447 It's not a design tutorial, it's about avoiding certain mistakes and has nothing to do with the personal look of the machine - which I really love - and it's nothing like a desk - the machine is designed to be stood at, or sat down at. A stand up only machine would look naturally more like a traditional arcade machine in appearance. All sit-down arcade machines have a similar kind of look and feel
Yea I know... for some reason it came out much louder once the vid was exported after editing. Weird. I'll probably re-do it soon as it is definitely something I don't like about the vid too
It's not a mistake if he didn't want to use one lol. CRT monitor would have made this super bulky, and required special graphics cards, and then cannot connect anything else to it like a modern console etc
@@RadicDotkey OMG what a bigot comment... YOU might make one for that, so that means EVERYONE has to make it for the same reason??? I have an arcade cabinet that I can use with a modern console too. And being able to play Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6 etc on it with joysticks etc is the cherry on the cake of a cabinet like this. If you want to stay in the dark ages, fine, just don't expect everyone else too
I'm nearly finished my first ever cabinet build, I managed to tick every box you mentioned. Very please with it!! It doubles as a jukebox with a rather incredible sound system built in sporting 2x 12" subs in the base and a full Yamaha surround sound system that is very tastefully installed/displayed. Getting all this and a full pc including a hidden drawer for a keyboard and mouse plus wireless controllers, was a massive feat. Couldn't be happier. Just finishing off the deactivate sides (hexagon timbers with resin inlays with touch sensors and leds hidden within).
Oh that sounds seriously good! Nice one! I did consider making mine work as a jukebox too, but would have required a totally different sound arrangement, and I already have a Meridian music system that can provide music to different rooms of the house, so decided on full arcade style. You must do a video showing yours! Sounds great 😀
Sounds like a great cabinet!!
Am now making a racing cabinet in the same manner and these will be a matching set, same colours and timbers with matching led/timber/resin details.
@@wayneperryman4146 Yeah nice one! Should look great together! I'm about to add 'soft drop' built in foot pedals to my Gun cab! 🙂
I built mine a few months ago. It cost me around $460 to build and took a week and a half total.I built a basic frame with heavy duty atic floor boards cut to size, then attached laminate shelving pieces for the outer side pieces. The display is a small computer monitor sitting on a hand made pedistal for easy removal.The hardest part was the lighting for the Marquee.
Yea the actual cost of the wood is not that much. Even monitors are cheap to buy now, so the main unit is fairly inexpensive for what it is. It is adding the PC, consoles etc that pushes the price up, depending how far you want to go with it . Great you made your own though too! Very satisfying! 🙂
Dude, the music is too much. Just let your ideas flow, you have a lot of good things to say and those are enough. I had to skip through the video to get the bare essentials of what you're saying because the constant cacophony was irritating. I appreciate the tips though, for real.
Yes I agree about the music, should have been quieter, or different, or both haha! You live and learn! Thank you for the comment, appreciate it! 🙂
@@honestrob DEVIL'S CRUSH! I love that soundtrack so much.
@@honestrobThe music is great, the volume gives the authentic feel of being in a proper arcade 😉
@@rosstee Thank you! Quite a mixed bag of opinion of whether it was intrusive or not! Glad you liked it though! 🙂
@@honestrob You should have watched the “Making a TH-cam video? STOP! Do NOT Make These Mistakes!” video before. 😂
For two players just build a Dynamo Showcase Pedestal Cabinet, those Upright Midway Cabs are way too small for adult size players. The advantage of Dynamo Showcase is that you can have a screen further back and that allows you to have a relatively larger screen that will make it the Machine look cooler because the more borderless is the display the better.
They are cool, but I wanted something far more compact that would be good for regular retro games, gun games, and modern consoles too (mine will soon have a PS5 in it when my PS5 Pro arrives) 🙂 I have much larger cabs I designed and built too for other purposes, like a full-size sit-down race cab etc 🙂
Great vid, I've made a few cabs by now and I agree with all of your suggestions. I really like that design. I also wanted something understated and not super arcadey-flashy in appearance, so I built something very close to a Vewlix design and painted it solid black.
I have two things to add: first is that I personally dislike the side panels of the cabinet to extend up past the control panel surface. They just get in the way. It has nothing to do with the playability, but I think having a flat plane for a control surface looks better and is more reminiscent of a genuine cabinet. Yeah, I know that's being really nitpicky.
Second: a great source for sound systems is to look in your local thrift/charity shops for a used home theater setup. They usually have subwoofers as part of the package and you can obtain them inexpensively.
Thanks! The side panels don't get in the way on mine and personally prefer that look so was better for me, so a 'each to their own' on that kind of thing.
I can easily add a sub if I like, but the sound this soundbar gives off is very nice, has good bass and is very 'clean' sounding so I am happy! I have home theatre amps and speakers in two other cabs I made th-cam.com/video/_ddyEdYwh9E/w-d-xo.html 🙂
Good tips! Love the Devil's Crush BG music. One of my favorite pinball games.
Check quite a few home arcade build videos and guides and very few, if any talk about monitor type and viewing angles which would be a horrible and expensive mistake using a VA panel or a cheap monitor with no local dimming giving asteroids and Pac Man a grey background. OLED is expensive, but the best unless you have access to a CRT. Also, native refresh can effect some arcade games as there is a divisible factor that can cause stutter in some classic games. Another thing some are doing is using a larger 55" TV and putting in vertical and use 32-43" on the main screen and the rest on a top marquee that can change with each game.
Cheers! Yes the monitor type is super important. If my cab was a PURE retro machine then I would have thought about a CRT but I wanted it to remain compact, and be good for use on modern consoles too so overall was the best of both worlds. Viewing angle is so vital! I'm amazed a lot of the time this aspect seems to get missed 🙂
I want to build a similar cabinet but 100% disassembleable, as I usually move from homes from time to time.
Thinking about the best way to make it strong enough under those contraints.
I did a 'How I Built This' video too, and the screen part detaches really easily from the main body making it very easy to move, and it is very sturdy and strong 🙂
Nice vid! Love this subtle machine design too - perfect for the living space where you don't really want a shout-out-loud arcade cab
Thanks, and indeedy! 🙂
I've built a few myself.
You were spot on many things.
Great video
Great stuff on building them yourself too, and thanks! 🙂 I just posted a video of how I built the one in this video 😀
Yeah I agree the Track ball was a mistake. I got one to make a machine that did as much as possible, so I included it, but for the number of games that take advantage of it for the realestate it takes up, I would have rather left it off if I did it all over again. I took an Arcade 1 up Xmen machine and modded. I'm very happy I did it and learned alot along the way. Just the track ball won't make the cut when I do another machine.
Agreed! Trackball was not for me either 🙂 Sounds like you have a neat machine there having modded your Arcade 1up X-Men! 😀
@@honestrob Yeah I used the mods from Arcade 1up as a starting point to swap out the monitor and control panel on the machine. I bought them at the same I got the machine, so I built it while modding it, which in retrospect I probably should just assembled it regularly so it was more straight forward, but I thought hey why built it twice? I swapped out other stuff like the speakers, and threw cup holders on the back of the control panel.
There were some complications as I had wires that were too short on the moddied control panel. It kept disconnecting the player 2 controls or breaking the wires. I fixed them since I learned how put wires together as a kid from my father. When I ran over the cord for the electric lawn motor my electrican father had me put it back together as a teachable moment. I leanred not run over cords real fast. But I knew how play with wires from that and could fix what broke, but at some point I'm this just isn't working right as I can't close this thing up without something going wrong. I looked closely and figured out the wires were too short. The team at Arcade mod up sent me longer wires after I explaiend the situion, and I was able finnally complete the project a few days later.
I felt so defeated for a moment having this massive extended 4 player control panel sitting on my couch and not being able to finish it after fixing all the broken wires correctly. (I had a extra rasberry pi I hooked up to my TV to test the controls without needing put all back together.) I was so close to completing it yet so far. But it all eventually came together.
I just got my Sindin light guns this week, so I have as many gaming options as I can with in one machine. (Which the cupholders make great holsters for them.)My youngest nephew mind been blown as he been checking out it alittle more every time he comes over. His dad and I were laughing as he badly played duck hunt today. By this reason I built it. If I just wanted to retro game I could just stuck to playing my Pi 4 on my TV and called it a day. I wanted something to cool to have people come over, as last few years I hadn't had people come to my place for a couple reasons. I got it all cleaned up and organized as I wanted have my friends and family hang out and do cool stuff with me. I made sure it was a 4 player set up for that reason, and I really got the track ball because a friend of mine used be a huge fan of golden tee. It wasn't for my gaming habits. Getting the machine lite a fire under me as I knew I was going need space for it and it pushed me follow through on things I have meant to do for a bit. Some minor tweaks still need done, but I feel so much better about my apartment these days.
I joked this what a midlife crisis looks like for nerds who aren't carguys hehe. I'm looking mod a countercade next as I got one cheap off ebay yesterday. I guess I just enjoy being a gremlin ripping apart things and putting it back together however I like.I will probably do some more from scratch as I get better at this, I'm enjoying the journey.
As a kid who frequented the arcades back in the late '70s and early '80s a trackball and a spinner were an absolute must for me. The whole purpose of my arcade machine is to take me back to those days and games like missile command, centipede and tempest were some of my favorites. I was also able to implement a flight stick for games like Gorf and since I also have a spinner, I can play Tron with both the flight stick and the spinner the way it was meant to be played.
As far as the real estate they take up, it was mentioned in the video that you want a larger control surface anyway if you want to reasonably accommodate two players. So putting a trackball in the middle actually sets the two players apart just right IMO.
@@HeavyInstinct I played those games in arcades, but I was never that into using the ball. It sounded good but for how little it's used why bother for me? If that's your jam I'm glad it works for you.
As the space it takes up, it makes the surface unuseable for anything else where it sits on the control panel. The screws come up around it, so you don't want to lean on them or rest your hand there. It doesn't add any value to my machine by being there. I will not be adding one to any future projects.
@@honestrob I completed my Countercade project and brought to work. Everyone loved it and wanted to keep it. So beings Project Rampage! I picked up a cheap Rampage machine off facebook market place, to mod for the breakroom at work. I am hoping to get cover by crowdfunding since everyone got a taste of having a machine there. And there wil be no trackball!
Crt will always be superior for such games. Before the hdmi times I always used my playstation 1 and 2 plus all my C64/Amiga on an Amiga crt monitor and it was night and day compared to anything else. Those commodore/philips small crt monitors upgraded the visual experience for sure. (In case of proper full separate rgb connection). Nowadays lcd panels are much better than back then but even the ips panels are too sharp for games like this. I think -since those commodore monitors was too small and also they are not available anymore, a good flat screen trinitron tv should do the work. I definitely try to avoid any non crt display when I build my own arcade cabinet.
Yep CRT is the way to go if making a cab purely for retro purposes. Mine does retro well, but I love to use the cab and controllers to play the modern fighting games like Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8 too, so this is a great mix of all things for my needs 🙂
Dang, those holstered guns look pretty awesome
Thanks! I love it too! I have since added 'drop down' foot pedals to this system too! 😀
Do you have the plans for this cabinet? I would love to have a copy. Its simple and just what I am looking for.
Unfortunately not. I just took the 2x joystick dimensions and that was my width, then built it around that. Only took a couple of hours to have the main frame ready 🙂
Hi i thought About making a arcade machine from my modded ps classic my hori fight stick mini my adjustable 20 inch monitor and a makeshift cabinet what do you think
Yes go for it! Just plan it properly first! I am considering making a 'lap top' arcade system! 😀
the first one i built years ago was built inside my workshop. after completed, it was suppose to go into my gameroom, realized it cannot pass thru a 36x80 door frame at any angle.
Oh no!! Really easy mistake to make!! Where did you have it in the end?
@@honestrob was not going to rebuild so removed the 2 doors, door frame and chip away concrete lmao. got lucky as the 2 wood doors was over 15 years old and needed upgrading to modern steel doors/steel frame anyway.
Kudos to the crazy Devil's Crush/Crash music in the background. Btw, your video has some interlacing issues. Thanks for the tips, I will keep them in mind when designing my own!
Oh and your cabs look amazing. :)
Cheers! It was meant to be a bit quieter though haha!! Weird on the interlacing thing - only a few people have mentioned it - I think it depends what device/player is used? Weird though!
@@Color-Theory Thanks! It's had several upgrades since this video! I've now replaced the ageing Aimtrak guns with Retro Shooter guns which are great, and added a drop down foot pedal system too for gun games 🙂
Hi there! I really liked your black and white machine what brand of monitor are you using? Is there a tempered glass on top of it together with the black bezel?
Hi there, and thanks! It's cut to size perspex with black self adhesive trim placed around it to improve the overall look, and hide the bezel of the monitor 🙂
Perspex or acrylic?
Clear or tinted?
Do you have a link for the black trim ? Thanks
@@markgillespie3118 Acrylic is just another word for perspex I believe - effectively the same thing 😀
I was surely waiting to get my hands in the mdf killer made from rice board, they say it's a bit stronger than mdf and water proof not just moisture, non toxic and great to cut. Hopefully this year I will get a sample for testing.
Sounds really good! If you coat MDF with Zinsser B.I.N (it's a primer, sealer, and stain killer) that improves it massively too 🙂
I hate MDF cuz of weight and hard to paint.
@@devincurrie4145 bullseye shellac by zinsser
Traditional finish clear transparent. Paint over your panel and your color will stick
@@devincurrie4145 I love MDO which is absolutely the best for arcade builds! But, it's not always easy to find and a bit expensive which I don't care because of it being totally waterproof and if you are building a work of Art then top quality is the only way. If I'm just building a basic arcade then I will use MDF. These Arcades end up in a man cave basement I won't use MDF ever! With MDO being hard to find you may be stuck with having to buy in bulk which is called special order at 10 sheets at a time.
Interesting tips, thanks 🙂
One of my "ideals" is to build a 4 player gauntlet 2 machine, but I don't know that it is even worth it for me since I am not sure I will ever have 4 players, or at least very often!
Yep, I kinda miss the old days of friends coming over randomly for that kind of thing. The convenience of online play has certainly taken away a lot of that truly social element for me.
@@honestrob I haven't heard of even an online cooperative Gauntlet 2 style game!
@bradandrews777 if you don't mind it retroarch has netplay in its mame cores. You can even do it through launchbox/bigbox ui to make setting it up easier
A curved moniter would look cool in one. Especially in the Jurrasic Park on, maybe one for Assassin's Creed Black Flag too
Yes maybe! Never been a fan of the curved monitors myself, but would look cool 🙂
do you have blueprints for this. I would love to build one myself
No I don't, I made it very much on the fly - planned it in my head one day, seemed to be making it the next and never thought about plans or blueprints. I did do a 'how I built this' video too - hopefully that will help! th-cam.com/video/IaepD_MrMBk/w-d-xo.html 🙂
I have HRAP4, really nice arcade stick for Tekken :), nice collection you have there
Thanks Kasumi! Really happy with these sticks! I have a separate one for the PS5 too 🙂
biggest mistake was making the outer bevel light grey :-) . It really messes with the vision. Should have been as black as possible.
That's a personal preference and taste thing - I definitely prefer it way more like this and have no issues with what I am looking at when playing games 🙂
@@honestrob Sure, to each his own, but from a camera POV it really looks distracting lol. Maybe it's a lot less noticable close and IRL.
@@barryschalkwijk9388 Yea I think it looks way worse on camera as there are zero issues IRL, and I am super fussy on that sort of thing (my cinema room has dark wall surround behind the screen, slightly less surrounding dark walls, dark carpet, and even a grey ceiling to suppress reflected light from the projector 😆😂
The extra space is nice, I can see the two controller there, resting on a desk, that's a nice idea but it loses retro feel. My advice its get a coin-holder, placing a coin to play its what takes you to nostalgia trip pheromones, or will feel just playing on a PC emulator if you dont. Nothing wrong to feel shoulder against shoulder, that was the magic in arcades.
It's how I wanted it to look with the controllers I love, and 'retro feel' was not something I was looking for in the first place so does not matter, same for the coin-holder. I just wanted to build a machine that worked with PC and consoles (this has a PS4 and PS3 built in too, as well as a Retro-Shooter console and Guns now also) that didn't look too out of place in the living room 🙂 And that machine I was referring too in the vid is WAY smaller than a standard arcade machine so the shoulder to shoulder thing is FAR more 'intimate' than in the arcades and is basically terrible. My machine is a similar size to many full size two player arcade machines 😀
Retro feel is not always the idea. I like it!
@@TestTube-m5e Cheers! Yep, I wanted this to play PS3 and PS4 games as well using the joysticks for all those beat-em ups (Soul Caliber, Streetfighter, Tekken etc), as well as the classic games 🙂
What front-end are you using here?
Hi there, it is Coin Ops Next 2 🙂
Nice gaming set up
Thanks! I have improved it further since this video, adding Retro Shooter light guns, and a drop-down foot pedal set-up 🙂
Yo Rob, mind telling me what OST this music is from? Absolutely banging.
It's Dragon's Fury AKA Devil Crush/Crash! Here is the full soundtrack: th-cam.com/video/ReIh0T9RNa4/w-d-xo.html
@@honestrob Much obliged - TY matey Xx
@@2thre3 Your welcome!
Great video. I'm in the planning stages of building a sit down cabinet as well so I appreciate all your tips. I'm curious, what are your PC specs, CPU, video card etc?
Thank you! I'm going to re-do this video soon as there are a few things I don't like about it, and will include the PC specs and things like that then 🙂
Hey man, do you have a video on how to setup your launch screen for mame, with the scrolling through gamecube, snes, etc with the previews of the games. Or can you point me in the direction of how to setup mine to do so, would be greatly appreciated 🙏
Hi, that is a planned video! I will be doing more arcade, retro based videos soon! 🙂
Considering the IPS screen are those light guns Sinden light guns??
No, at the time they were good ol' Aimtrak guns. I have now installed Retro Shooter guns into this system and REALLY love these th-cam.com/video/RXVBWfOZfM0/w-d-xo.html . I'm adding 'drop down' pedals soon too into this arcade cabinet! 🙂
Doesnt the PC overheat? I dint notice any fans on the actual cabinet.
I might do a part 2 to this - there is ventilation but I didn't show it well enough - in the part where I lifted the hatch, where the unpainted wood with the mains block is, there is an empty back from about a foot up from the floor which allows plenty of ventilation 🙂
how did you made the vinyl stick to the wood?
There is no vinyl on the one in the main video, it is painted, but for cabs like the yellow 'Out Run 2' cab which is shown briefly in the video, I applied the vinyl when the paint was still drying - not wet - but when it still had a little bit of tackiness to the touch - this made it stick really good! 🙂
@honestrob you know the front of the monitor. It looks like plexi glass, how did you have it stick to the screen? Or like the black trim around the monitor. Thank you
@@ura617 Sorry for late reply! I did not get notified of it and just randomly stumbled across this Comment! I ordered a piece of perspex about 1" larger then the screen all round, and very carefully cut some self adhesive vinyl so it fitted exactly but only showing the screen, then used good quality double sided tape to attach it onto the main unit 🙂
What wheel did you use for that driving cab? The one with outrun on and crazy taxi decal
at 20 seconds is an xbox 360 racing wheel. i have a wireless one I was gonna sell but seeing that gives me better ideas. I wonder about what software/drivers are used!
@@danielberrett2179 I think it would show as an xbox 360 controller maybe? Can you connect it with a cable to pair it for wireless use?
It's the XBOX 360 Wireless Wheel 🙂
@@danielberrett2179 No drivers needed if using it with a XBOX 360, otherwise you need the XBOX Wireless Adapter (Crossfire I think it was called) for use with a PC 🙂
@@rDanny The wheel connects wirelessly to a XBOX 360 with just a power cord needed for the rumble and resistance 🙂
What size screen is that ?
Hi there, it is a 27" IPS screen
Goodness can you turn down the background music?!
Unfortunately not once the video is made... For some reason the background music came through a lot louder than it was when editing. I might re-do this vid as I find it way too loud too, and I can add in a few more important points about cab building too 🙂
No! Turn it up! Dragon's Fury is epic!!
@@TestTube-m5e Haha! Good for some, not so much for others! 🙂
Dragons Fury - good choice! 🤘
Haha yes great soundtrack on that game! 😀
@@honestrob Without actually checking, I thought it was a version of the Devil's Crush/Crash music, rather than the sequel.
@@lurkerrekrul Dragons Fury was the name for Devil Crush/Crash in USA 🙂
I think there is a difference between 2 american people with american personal bubble and .. an italian combo for contrast :) but that is a noteworthy statement nevertherless :D
Yes true!! For two people the smaller cab I showed is very 'cosy' though.... Good if you're a guy and wanted to invite the girl you like over for some two player games, then it's a winner all day! 😀
Wow, you have a spot for drinks in the control section 😮 Anyone who would come near my cab with something liquid in their hands who end up even holding it above the cab should get hit with a piece of wood 🙃
Oh don't worry, the drinks coasters are just for me, no-one else is allowed to have drinks there!! And I only have 2 coasters for symmetry reasons 🙂
@@honestrob Symmetry...I love that kind of nerdy dedication! 🙃
@@MrOpz Hell yes! And both joysticks had to be identical too! 🙂
43 inches is the perfect number.
It depends how close you are to the screen! If you have a really large control panel so are standing further back, then that's fine. If your as close as I am at my machine, it will be was too 'in your face' and be uncomfortable to look at 🙂
I went with 40 in which obviously isn't much of a difference. Most of the old games I'm playing are in 4x3 aspect ratio anyway. It also strikes a nice balance when standing back a bit for gun games.
@@HeavyInstinct Yep exactly! Sounds great!
you want to get a tv to get the arcade experience
No I don't. A TV won't run the other consoles I have plugged into this too like PS4 Pro and PS3. Going the TV route would be rubbish anyway - if you want the true arcade look (as I'm aware certain people will), you need a CRT monitor, and then the correct graphics card to convert it properly etc. I am well aware what 'I' want, ta 😀
👍🏾💯
Thanks! 🙂
OK .
I have no friends .
It's still worth building this as a '2 player' unit though, as it looks great, and you can use both joysticks in certain 1 player games like Robotron and Smash TV 🙂
@@honestrobYes! This is one of my favorite things about the two-player setup. Roboton with two joysticks! Not only was it one of my favorite arcade games but now I can play it at home exactly the way it was meant to be played. Such a blast in the past!
@@HeavyInstinct Absolutely!! Robotron with two sticks is just a fantastic experience! Playing my favourite games with the correct control method is something I am very fussy about, and was one of the reasons why I had to have an Arcade 1up Star Wars unit!
i honestly don't like your design, i still like the old cabinets with the old monitor
I can honestly say that I don't mind. This machine has modern consoles attached too so old monitors would not be suitable, and I make a machine for my needs, not for what other people would prefer 🙂
I think the design is great, but that glossy display would annoy me
@@uendarkarplips7263 It only shows like that on camera, does not appear like that when being played 🙂
Feels a bit more like a computer desk than a true arcade cabinet, but if it works for you, then it will do the job perfectly.
Maybe if I painted a bright red and had crazy decals all over it would come over more acradey? It was designed for the living room and not meant to stand out, so not meant to look like a true arcade machine - I have made others for my arcade room in a more traditional style 🙂
@honestrob, that's not really what I meant and you make some good points in the vid.
I just feel that this example feels more like a computer desk with two off-the-shelf arcade sticks, a soundbar, monitor and two drinks coasters. When I think of arcade cabinets I would typically expect to see the controls and speakers more integrated into the cabinet itself. Researching/buying a zero-pi board and sanwa components, such as buttons and sticks for example, would also be cheaper than two Hori arcade pro sticks for people starting out in actual cabinet design. This also gives you more flexibility when it comes to ergonomics.
The cab styling/graphics is irrelevant as that is personal preference.
Again, I liked your vid, just have my own opinion on cabinet design turorials.
@@koresoteira447 I sort of get what you mean, but there is a lot more to it than that 😆 I don't see many normal 'desks' with full sound bar, built in screen, coin buttons, twin joysticks (I like these above Sanwa and Happ which is why I used them, AND this has a PS4 Pro and PS3 built in too so they are used for those consoles too!), dual lightguns, gun holders, drop down foot pedals (not in shot), and more besides. And quite a few retro machines do look fairly similar. As I said if it was bright red with 'arcade' decals shouting 'I'm an arcade machine' as loud as it can, it would probably be different, but I like it as it is. I am not trying to please other people with the design, 'understated' and not full 'arcadey' was the intention 🙂
@@honestrob Dude it looks great - ignore the weirdo's who criticize it just because it's not to THEIR exact style preference lol
@@koresoteira447 It's not a design tutorial, it's about avoiding certain mistakes and has nothing to do with the personal look of the machine - which I really love - and it's nothing like a desk - the machine is designed to be stood at, or sat down at. A stand up only machine would look naturally more like a traditional arcade machine in appearance. All sit-down arcade machines have a similar kind of look and feel
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Good ol Space Invaders! 😀
Sorry, but very anoying background music.
Yea I know... for some reason it came out much louder once the vid was exported after editing. Weird. I'll probably re-do it soon as it is definitely something I don't like about the vid too
Main mistake is not using a CRT monitor.
Yes big mistake! My PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 that are built into this too would have looked amazing on that! It is not a 'retro' only machine 🙂
It's not a mistake if he didn't want to use one lol. CRT monitor would have made this super bulky, and required special graphics cards, and then cannot connect anything else to it like a modern console etc
@@TestTube-m5e You make an arcade cabinet to play arcade games. What it has to do with consoles, especially the modern ones?
@@TestTube-m5e Exactly! 😀 And I do have a PS3 and PS4 Pro hooked up to this too. Another reason I used the monitor I did
@@RadicDotkey OMG what a bigot comment... YOU might make one for that, so that means EVERYONE has to make it for the same reason??? I have an arcade cabinet that I can use with a modern console too. And being able to play Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6 etc on it with joysticks etc is the cherry on the cake of a cabinet like this. If you want to stay in the dark ages, fine, just don't expect everyone else too