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Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

By Bill Detwiler

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Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

MAME cabinets and consoles

MAME cabinets and consoles

For gamers like me who grew up with arcades, having a game cabinet the basement would have been the ultimate cool toy. Even as PC and console games met and eventually surpassed arcade machines, the mystique of owning an arcade cabinet still exists. Besides, a mouse button click just isn’t as viscerally satisfying and frantically smashing and arcade control panel’s buttons. Unfortunately, authentic arcade machines are still fairly expensive to buy and maintain and few people have the space to accommodate more than one or two machines.

With emulation software, a little wood working knowledge, and a bit of wiring skill, retro gaming enthusiasts can now experience arcade gaming in their dens without spending their 401K. Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator (MAME) software allows users to run ROMs of vintage computer games. Emulation software is available for Windows, Linux, DOS, Mac OS, Unix and even consoles like Microsoft’s Xbox. In the U.S., owning emulation software is currently legal. Owning or distributing the game ROMs is another story. Most arcade games are protected under copyright law. Despite the fact that most emulated games are no longer commercially available or the originally copyright holder no longer exists, it may still be illegal to own or distribute game ROMs. Legal issues aside, many retro gamers are still looking to put the arcade thrill in their own game room.

Here are a collection of MAME cabinets and consoles that any arcade enthusiast would love.

Compiled by Bill Dewtiler

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Blank sheet

Blank sheet

Webshots member 442much posted these the following 27 photos of his MAME cabinet project.

Where to start?

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Side cut and sanded

Side cut and sanded

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Cabinet standing

Cabinet standing

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Coin box

Coin box

The coin box before restoration

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Coin door attached

Coin door attached

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Coin door open

Coin door open

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Control panel box

Control panel box

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Control panel box with blank top

Control panel box with blank top

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Control panel on cabinet - front

Control panel on cabinet - front

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Control panel on cabinet - side

Control panel on cabinet - side

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Control panel on cabinet - cut out

Control panel on cabinet - cut out

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Lexan cut out for the control panel

Lexan cut out for the control panel

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Lexan on control panel

Lexan on control panel

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Control panel primer

Control panel primer

The control panel with the first coat of primer

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Primer - back

Primer - back

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Primer - front

Primer - front

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Primer - side

Primer - side

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Primer - back

Primer - back

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Making the LED washers

Making the LED washers

Making the LED washers to light up the buttons.

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Painted - front

Painted - front

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Control panel - initial wiring

Control panel - initial wiring

You can see my LED-Wiz for lighting the buttons and the I-Pac keyboard encoded. Common ground wires and 4-port USB hub with external USB connect on left side. Everything is design with quick disconnects so the CP can be removed.

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Marquee holder and wiring

Marquee holder and wiring

Added the marquee holder and some basic wiring. 12V and 5V power to CP. Speakers wired. Marquee light.

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

T-moulding installed

T-moulding installed

T-Moulding, speakers and marquee light installed.

© Webshots – 442much

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Color Coordinating the buttons

Color Coordinating the buttons

Webshots member capstone66 posted the following 16 photos of his MAME console project.

I went with a Red/White/Blue theme. It easy to tell the buttons apart in a dimly lit theater and looks great.

© Webshots – capstone66

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Controls in place (no wiring)

Controls in place (no wiring)

This is the Blank SlikStik panel loaded with the buttons, joysticks, trackball and spinner all ready to be wired.

© Webshots – capstone66

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Control panel front

Control panel front

© Webshots – capstone66

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Wiring begins

Wiring begins

I used 16G stranded wire (Green for Ground) and color coded the rest of the controls

© Webshots – capstone66

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

iPac with Molex harness

iPac with Molex harness

I originally was going to build a cabinet/pedestal to hold the PC HW, so I used Molex connectors to allow for access and strage.

© Webshots – capstone66

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

The MOLEX Connector

The MOLEX Connector

Commonly used for electronic wiring harnessness, this was my first crack at working with creating them. They take a long time to create but worth the effort when it comes time to disconnect and move the cabinet around.

© Webshots – capstone66

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Trackaball and Grounding connector

Trackaball and Grounding connector

I used doublesided tack to secure the wiring strip to the underside of the trackball–a good central location for ground connections.

© Webshots – capstone66

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Caffeine and Wirecutters

Caffeine and Wirecutters

The MOLEX connectors were a real pain, so a little MtnDew got me through.

© Webshots – capstone66

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Spinner placement

Spinner placement

The spinner (Tempest, TRON and others) was smack-dab in the way of a lot of wiring, but what could I do.

© Webshots – capstone66

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Using spade connectors for grounds

Using spade connectors for grounds

This was a “10 trips to Home Depot” project with the multiple connector types, wire colors etc, I was at Home Depot all the time.

© Webshots – capstone66

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Another MOLEX connector done

Another MOLEX connector done

I crimped a total of 84 wires for the MOLEX connectors for this control panel.

© Webshots – capstone66

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Wiring Nightmare

Wiring Nightmare

The wiring is almost complete. As you can see there’s a lot going on in there (and it’s not even finished). The Track Ball and Spinner have a separate console board that still needs to be installed.

© Webshots – capstone66

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

MAME Arcade SlikStik Pedestal

MAME Arcade SlikStik Pedestal

The pedestal for now is an old tower speaker. I am still noodling the pedestal plans to include a keyboard tray and storage for the GameCube controls.

© Webshots – capstone66

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

iPAC Control Chip

iPAC Control Chip

This is the heart of what sends the commands from the PC Emulator to the different arcade controls.

© Webshots – capstone66

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

SlikStik CO 2

SlikStik CO 2

Here’s the MAME master control panel ready for Classic arcade fun.

© Webshots – capstone66

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

MAME test on 10-inch Screen

MAME test on 10-inch Screen

The first run with the new controls went very smooth. The configuration software offered by SlikStik was invaluable. GUI interface is perfect for guys like me.

© Webshots – capstone66

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Homemade MAME cabinet

Homemade MAME cabinet

Webshots member capstone66 posted the following 24 photos of the homemade MAME cabinet.

I went with a Red/White/Blue theme. It easy to tell the buttons apart in a dimly lit theater and looks great.

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Internet Access

Internet Access

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Blurry Galaga 88 title screen

Blurry Galaga 88 title screen

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Control Panel with 2 8-ways 1 4-way, Happs TB, Oscar Spinner plus buttons (1)

Control Panel with 2 8-ways 1 4-way, Happs TB, Oscar Spinner plus buttons (1)

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Another control panel shot

Another control panel shot

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Side shot of CP showing pinball flipper

Side shot of CP showing pinball flipper

Bbutton and cabinet volume control knob

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Control panel - side shot

Control panel - side shot

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Speakers and marquee

Speakers and marquee

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Console open

Console open

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Console open 2

Console open 2

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Oscar Spinner - Hotrod version (to avoid using mounting plate)

Oscar Spinner - Hotrod version (to avoid using mounting plate)

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Console open 3

Console open 3

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Shot of homemade PSOne controllers interface (in tupperware!)

Shot of homemade PSOne controllers interface (in tupperware!)

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Closeup of Trackball, 4-Way, and Spinner

Closeup of Trackball, 4-Way, and Spinner

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Left Player 1 controls

Left Player 1 controls

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Right Player 2 controls

Right Player 2 controls

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Shot with Access Door open showing PC, Keyboard, Amp, and PSOne wires

Shot with Access Door open showing PC, Keyboard, Amp, and PSOne wires

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

PC and Video/Audio Switch

PC and Video/Audio Switch

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Keyboard, PSX, Hacked Amp, and CPU

Keyboard, PSX, Hacked Amp, and CPU

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Side shot

Side shot

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

Arcade jukebox

Arcade jukebox

© Webshots – iluvmame

Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console

With bar stools

With bar stools

© Webshots – iluvmame

Image of Bill Detwiler
By Bill Detwiler
Bill Detwiler is the Editor for Technical Content and Ecosystem at Celonis. He is the former Editor in Chief of TechRepublic and previous host of TechRepublic's Dynamic Developer podcast and Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show.