/vr/ - Retro Games

You can build a low end ROM box for super cheap these days that will play most retro consoles and older arcade games.

Intel i3 Processor
4GB RAM
Micro ATX Motherboard
250 Watt low profile PSU
Gutted Micro ATX case
Video Card with S-Video out

>>1530443
Do you think specs like that would be able to emulate something like Soul Calibur (MAME or DC version)

I feel like 4gb of RAM, an i3, and even a lower end video card wouldnt have much of a problem, but I could be wrong.

Also, I dont think it would be too difficult to build a custom 2-4 player arcade stick with something like an arduino/microcontroller. Damn, I wish I had the arcade buttons and joystick components to test that out.

I plan on building one this summer with my dad. I don't know what parts to go with yet, but >>1530443 sounds good.

>>1530557
Soul Calibur worked ok in NullDC on single core CPUs. I3 is an overkill for most games. Any 10 year old computer will be sufficient for emulating stuff up to 6th gen(except sega saturn and 3D arcades).

>>1530616
What's the deal with Sega Saturn emulation?

>>1530634
It's even worse than N64 emulation, which is really saying something.

>>1530557
I have an overclocked Pentium Dual Core that can play DC games just fine, and it's Core 2-era at that. A Core i3 shouldn't have any problems.

In a battlestation thread I recently saw one anon who had hooks and such for peripherals made out of K'nex. This inspired me to bust my old tub up k'nex out and see what I could make, in my case game holders since that what I sorely need.

The SNES one is alright but it uses more blue & purple connectors than I'd like. At least there's plenty of room to also have dust sleeves on the cartridges.
The one for NES games is also decent, but only holds 8 or 9 games per sleeve, and they squeeze in a little too snugly if you got the plastic cases around the games.

The N64 holder is perfect, each sleeve holding 8 games and it's surprising how they don't topple forward or backward while resting in it. Of the three projects I'm actually proud of this one. Feel free to steal these designs if you also got k'nex and wanna build your own.

I made a shelf out of milk crates that holds my snes, nes and a bin of controllers

is that relevant?

>>1530678
seeing this makes me regret throwing out mine
:(

>>1530689
Buy some more.

>>1530408
>built
No. I'm not retarded. I just bought a cabinet for $25 and put the shit inside.

>>1530557
Ram isn't an issue but the CPU and GPU could be. Anything recent should be able to emulate DC fairly well. Nothing like the $5 real thing though.
>build a custom 2-4 player arcade stick with some wires
fixed

>>1530634
>>1530637
It's a lot better than it was a few years ago. Having a buttload of Saturns I hadn't checked for a few years but was amazed to see that it has gone from shit to very good.

>>1530637
Still pissed your PC is too slow to run Snap?

>>1530753
What's the best current emulator?

I'm planning to build one with my dad this Summer. I'd appreciate if you could answer some question.
What do we boot to play MAME games? Is there a specific OS to play it?
Is it possible to make it play older console games? (asking this for fighting and sports games that are on domestic consoles basically)

>>1530820
GroovyArcade http://code.google.com/p/groovyarcade/ is a Linux distribution based on Arch that has built in video drivers with special display modes that can use actual arcade monitors and boots into GroovyMAME 0.151.

Or if you can't into Unix-like systems or for whatever reason don't want to, you can heavily modify windows to do the same and run a frontend at startup.

http://dosmame.mameworld.info/x64_MAME_Cabinet
Ignore this dumbasses tip to install AV software. Will slow shit down and you don't need to be connected to the internet on an arcade cabinet, anyway.

>>1530820
I believe there's something in Linux that boots you straight to a front end, but I've never done it myself.

>>1530825
Maybe dumbass was harsh.
And there are many frontends like GameEx or Hyperspin that let you do multiple consoles.

>>1530825
>>1530830
>>1530829
Thank you for the help bros. Cheers.

>>1530682
OP here, was in class.

I think shelves for your consoles and stuff count. I need to build something for mine still.

>>1530820
That sounds like a really fucking cool way to spend time with your pops. Wish mine had the interest (in vidya) to do something like that with me. Ypu have any ideas yet?

>>1530830
Cool schematic, thanks.

>>1530898
My dad is only 39 actually, and I'm 21. It was easy to convince him since he wasted way more money on arcade when he was younger than me. I still don't have any idea what to do. I only know I will be using an old TV screen, and for the controllers I'll build 2 6-button pads and I'll try to include a button on each side of the cabinet for pinball games (his favorite game is Pinball Action, and with good reason).
For the software I'll use Hyperspin thanks to the bro above who mentioned it.

>>1530798
Trick question. Yabause is probably the best but not current.

>>1530951
>39-21
Your dad is awesome. Which unfortunately makes your mom a slut.

>>1530408
>select button higher than the start button

>>1531080
Yabause is fucking garbage. SSF is superior, but it's closed source, and requires Windows.

>>1530678
I built a stand for my 3DSXL out of legos...

>>1531219
Not /vr/ but still wouldn't mind pics

>>1531193

Yabause is underdeveloped. There's a difference. It could be great if they worked on it more. Had more docs. Knew all the Saturn's secrets. It's a great base, and very portable.

SSF is where it is because it's based on a lot of docs that are not supposed to be released. Which is why it's closed source.

>>1531080
>Which unfortunately makes your mom a slut.

You'll be surprised to find out she was 30 when I was born, while he was 18. She's a teen molester if anything.

>>1530443
That's good for an emulation machine that can handle demanding emulators like PSX games but it seems overkill for most 90s and 80s consoles.
Still not a bad setup. Just not the cheapest.

I was on the verge of building one a long time ago. The only advice I can give is to install a second sound card and have this shit play on it:

http://arcade.hofle.com/

Some guy recreated the sounds of the classic arcade in '81, '83, '86, and '92.

>>1532215
Yeah, im sure itd be much pricier than something like Raspberry Pi. Anybody know of any small/more powerful prebuilt PCB alternatives to RP?

>>1532594
Ah that's a great idea, its little details like that that makes a DIY arcade box more authentic IMO.

>>1530830
and if you cant find a real arcade monitor or need to make a small/lightweight machine get one of those 1600x1200 LCD monitors and run some filters

>>1532735
Cubieboard
ODROID
Beaglebone

Or if you want to shell out a bit more, you can get a Mini-ITX board with an Intel chip.

>>1532761

Nice idea. I haven't looked into building one since then but can you really use an arcade monitor hooked into a PC?

>>1532761
I was thinking of maybe just taking the shell off of a small CRT or old computer monitor and sticking it in a machine, that may be too deep though...

>>1532762
I was checking out the BBB, it sounds promising hardware-wise, but it seems like a lot of people have had problems getting emulators installed or working correctly. Ive only skimmed google for BeagleBoard Black diy arcade, though. Why is Raspberry Pi so hyped up if the BBB is capable of the same goal?

>>1532839
Only knowing about the Pi, it has an emulation focused distro available as well as RCA video and HDMI. I'm willing to bet the IO pins are nice, too.

>>1531878
I confuse. Who is more awesome? The 30 your old MILF who banged the 18 your old or the 18 year old who banged the 30 year old MILF.

Is it worth it to get a CRT/arcade display or will an LCD work fine?

I was thinking of picking up an old CRT from Goodwill and removing the casing. Any help is appreciated.

>>1530408

>>1533546

and my other

Is there any input lag on MAME and is the emulation frame to frame accurate for fighters?

>Is it worth it to get a CRT/arcade display or will an LCD work fine?
CRT is ideal, 120Hz LCD + black frame insertion is acceptable, 60Hz LCD is unacceptable.

>Is there any input lag on MAME and is the emulation frame to frame accurate for fighters?
There's generally more latency than the original hardware. I haven't actually measured it but supposedly running it through RetroArch with Linux KMS gives the lowest latency possible. MAME reports accuracy problems when you start the game. If present these are mostly minor graphical glitches that won't affect frame timing.

>>1533289

If you're going through the trouble of building your own display/machine you might as well go the whole hog and use a CRT.

>>1532839
>I was thinking of maybe just taking the shell off of a small CRT or old computer monitor and sticking it in a machine, that may be too deep though...

I've read somewhere that using old computer monitors are not a good idea because the actual thing is a lot larger than the screen itself, so when you install it you'll have a screen that's only half the size of the cabinet, with huge borders.
CRT screen is a good bet though. What cables do we need to plug a CRT to the computer? Are there VGA to composite cable adapters? Is that even possible to do?

>>1533546
>>1533547
Those are pretty nice.
Did you build the joystick table yourself or you bought it? What about the vinyl, is it glued to the table or is it simply put there and it won't move? Is the wiring process difficult?
One last thing, did you build a custom button to turn the computer on/off from outside the cabinet?
Sorry for the questions, but your machine is pretty professional looking and I'd really appreciate your input.

>>1533991

Everything built from scratch on both! Yea the control panel I just drilled them out with some drill bits, used a Ipac for one and a Kade controller (kickstarter one) for the other both very good.

No both are sitting on rubber feet that screw on. They will not move they are quite heavy! That's large PC (FT02 Case) in the background pf the first image.

I was going to use vinyl but god dam its pricey, so I went for printers, the sort that can print up to A1 and got them to print me out the art work on a large ink jet (that's will give you your best colours) use a good quantity poster paper. The control panel its wooden with a dual layer of perspex, 3 or 4mm for the top and 2mim for the bottom, bottom layer has a larger cut out and is more just for art work to sit on (japnese button need 3-4 mm, Happ (USA) button doesn't really matter) artwork goes between the layers. Then 2 chrome cap screws on each side into wooden blocks.

Wiring is fine pretty easy when you get your head around it, Youtube has a few helpfully videos on it, everything else is a standard PC wiring job, just takes a time going it.

Yea I did (it's a must) the red mutton on the back, Street Fighter arcade has it on top, use a a momentary push switch for that.

Don't use spray paint when painting just a tip, you will see many guys saying to, use a good quality paint out of a tin (bush on, it will dry flat, don't worry) it wears a lot better and work out cheap + better finish. That's what they used on the old arcades.

I'm watching tread so again thing else just ask, I will anwer in due time. Good luck and more pic's just so you can see, hope they help.

Just used some PC speakers, opened them up, the normally have frames you can use to screw in.

120mm fans for cooling. On the Street Fighter I used a fan at the bottom/foor of the arcade and blow out the top.

Clamped the sides together and hand finished the the edges/

Use a Sanwa JLF TP 8YT stick, they are more clicky and tighter than other sticks aka the best!

QanBa Shaft Cover if you want then, just for looks.

Sanwa OBSF 30 Arcade Button, they are really nice!

Thanks to the guy posting all of his stuff. Taking it down for my project.

Have fun!

>>1534624
Thank you bro for taking the time. You were really helpful and I appreciate your helpfulness, I'll keep on reading relevant articles/videos.

Oh

And must for artwork:

http://arcadecontrols.com/artwork.shtml

Mounting options:

http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/mounting_layering.html

Next project! Hopefully!

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,132902.40.html

>>1534665
>>1534701

No problem! First days scary but you pick it up as you go!

>>1534668
Damn, anon, thanks for the inspiration and information. Impressive work, by the way. Im wondering if it might just be easier to gut an older PC and mount it in a cabinet instead of getting an RP or something similar. Atleast that way one could optimize it for emulation and not worry about performance too much. Only problem would be the weight of the already heavy cabinet.

>>1535621

Yea that's what I ended up doing, at first I had an amd phenom ii x4 but it was overkill, so I just picked up a few old XP towers at my local carboot sale/ auction / gumtree (cragslist for you guys mostly) sometime they are broke but it's normally just needs a new PSU. People just giving them away for nothing!

I realized I just end up playing the old classic 2D arcade games on them so I dont't need much power, Pentium 4 is perfect! If you want to go 3D you will need something more powerful

Same goes for LCD/CRT you see them all the time for nothing!

I built the Street Fighter arcade for £120-140 all in! Just buy picking up used bits and the Space Invaders for closer to £450 (first one) but I downgrade it so it's a lot less now, control panels the only pricey thing.

Iv'e looked into the RP and it would do the nicely,if it's all you got then go for it! but if you can pick up a old PC that's would be the best way to go, you just have more options with power and software (Mame and frontends like maximus arcade and hyperspin)

You don't need to spend a lot of money and It feels great when you do it for nothing.

>>1535621

Yea that's what I ended up doing, at first I had an amd phenom ii x4 but it was overkill, so I just picked up a few old XP towers at my local carboot sale/ auction / gumtree (craigslist for you guys) sometime they are broke but it's normally just needs a new PSU. People just giving them away for nothing!

I realized I just end up playing the old classic 2D arcade games on them so I don't need much power, Pentium 4 is perfect! If you want to go 3D you will need something more powerful

Same goes for LCD/CRT you see them all the time for nothing!

I built the Street Fighter arcade for £120-140 all in, just by picking up used bits and the Space Invaders for closer to £450 (first one so I spent more) but I downgrade it so it's a lot less now £250ish, control panels are only pricey thing.

Iv'e looked into the RP and it would do nicely, if it's all you got then go for it! but if you can pick up a old PC that would be the best way to go, you just have more options with power and software (Mame and frontends like maximus arcade and hyperspin)

You don't need to spend a lot of money and It feels great when you do it for nothing.

>>1530408
I am thinking of doing one with raspberry pi.
the box will look something like a pic.
this controller(x-arcade dual joystick):

>>1536197
i fucked up.
here is the arcade box.

>>1531234
its nothing special. literally just a really wide base in an L shape with a small lip on the front+sides to keep it from sliding around. I was getting tired of holding it while playing ace attorney.

>>1536249

http://www.e-basteln.de/asteroids/asteroids_intro.html

>>1536201
nice.

>>1530665
to add to this anon, i have one that can play fucking ps2 games

>>1533546
>kof94

>>1536201
>ENTIRE cab is Killer Instinct
>Except the MAME marquee

Bump

>>1536197
>>1536201
A Pi feels like an unwise choice, given all the space you have in a case that size.

Pi is great, I have one I use often but compatibility isn't stellar. It struggles to run many SNES titles. In a cab that size you could fit something much more suitable.

>>1533546
Did these come from premade plans or did you free-cut these? They are beauteous...

>>1538657

Thats the Street Fighter side, I had it printed out on A1 card and then copied that to the wood. The other I I just draw out on the wood, from some scribble in a note book.

It will give you a idea of the shape and thanks!

bemp