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BUILDING A VIDEO GAME EMULATOR

(lIKE i DIDN'T GET ENOUGH pACMAN IN THE 80'S)

"The best way to fill time is to waste it ." - Marguerite Duras

"Psychos will always be psychos; they don’t need video games to help them." -Scott Ramsoomair

"Finally, baseball without the chili dog farts." -unknown

"All your base are belong to us." - Zero Wing

 
 
 

 

 I've been thinking about doing this project since screwing around with the system my buddy Mo built. 

All those video games I spent my youth begging my parents for quarters to play, all the lost allowances.... now is the time for payback.  I'm finally going to get all those quarters back in free credits in my own home.  I'm going to play as many games as I want for as long as I want. 

Once completed, I can finally get the high score on Donkey Kong that I spent all my cash on as a teenager trying to achieve instead of pursuing useful endeavors like home work and dating.

The lovely and gracious Kellie's son has just bought a new laptop and turned over his obsolete desk top system to me.  This is the core of the project and will save me a small fortune in parts.            

This is the goal, a couple of joy sticks, a track ball and a spinner plus buttons.

Resources:

Link to cabinet design etc...

 LuSiD's Arcade Flashback

Link to software and pretty much anything else you could want:

 

The pictures of progress:

 

  
   

An obsolete computer getting some software in the garage. Good news, looks like everything works.

17 May 2008

Construction begins on the cabinet by tracing out the pattern.

The first of three sheets of plywood cut.

18 May 2008

A day of assembly, the cabinet takes form.

20 May 2008

The monitor shelf, speaker / marquee enclosure, front facing installed. The control panel parts are just sitting in place. The control panel is a project all in itself.

21 May 2008

The control panel is assembled. The speaker grills are installed. That pretty much completes the rough carpentry.

22 May 2008

Most of the first coat of flat black, and the exterior of the cabinet stained.

23 May 2008

The final coat of stain and flat black applied some of the trim installed.

31 May 2008

20" Monitor for $20 on Craig's list. Added a coat of flat black to the front and it's ready to install.

Installing the molding around the front. Used a heat gun to get the molding to soften up and turn the corner.

Monitor in place with a little blocking and bracing to make sure it doesn't move.

A piece of plexiglass cut to size, masked off and painted black on the inside to make the bezel.

The trim work is all done.

4 June 2008

The obsolete computer has been stripped to it's basics and attached to a shelf for installation in the cabinet..

Mounted in the cabinet.

Up and running...

Time to finish the detail work and control panel.

5 June 2008

My biggest fan playing a little Burger Time.

22 June 2008

Waiting for the controls and the marquee to be delivered, so I decided to continue some of the finish work. Here, I've installed the master power swich, the marquee light and speakers.

The master power switch from the outside.

Here's the wingnut and washer I've installed to attach the control panel. Should I build another panel with a different control configuration this will allow me to swap them out easily.

30 June 08

The final touches are on the way. Got the door attached.

Laying out the control panel. The spinner is the only part that hasn't arrived.

The lovely and gracious Kellie putting it to good use.

11 July 2008

It's done!! The lovely and gracious Kellie suggested it's place of honor in the living room / dining room... How freaking cool is she?