ArcadeCab

9/28/04

I'm back!
I have returned from a lovely wedding and honeymoon.  We spent time in Las Vegas and then relaxed in Cancun.  I should be back in the groove of things within a few days so please excuse any response delays.

Jim Howard's Cabinet
I was able to coax a current picture of his cabinet from Jim, another individual new to the hobby.  As is the case with most all of us, he still has some details to add to his cabinet in the future.  He has a Tron marquee on the way and is considering building a custom controller at some point.  His coin door is already wired up to the X-arcade.  I really like his side art; the colors are great and are a nice alternative to many of our jet black cabs.  Thanks for the pic, Jim, and good luck with the enhancements as well as the university!

Go check it out on the Visitor's page.

9/16/04

Another Completed Cabinet PhotoClick to visit the visitor's page
Received a very nice email from another visitor who was able to follow my convoluted plans and come out with something very, very nice.  Mike Warren, from Pennsylvania, sent in a picture of his "almost complete" cabinet.  He is using the X-arcade as the controller until he can finalize his custom controller's design.  He  has already acquired a red illuminated 3" trackball, which will look (in my opinion) fantastic with his red T-molding.  The part of the cabinet he is most proud?:

"Even though it's small, the thing I'm most proud of is the power system. I mounted a micro switch behind the lighted coin return button and wired it to the soft power pins on the computer's motherboard. I also use one of the BITS Limited smart power strips using the computer as the control input. This allows me to power up/down the entire cabinet (computer, marquee, monitor, speakers) with a single push of the coin return. It's very convenient."

Go check it out on the Visitor's page.  Remember, if you've used my plans to build a cabinet, I'd love to see the results.

9/14/04

Jakk's Atari Paddle Games ControllerJakk's Atari Paddle Controllers
Jakks Pacific Inc. is releasing another product in their TV Games line, an Atari Paddle Controller.  This controller set will be available in the coming months and will feature fifteen paddle-based classics.  These include Super Breakout, Pong, Warlords and Canyon Bomber, among others.  An pre-release review gives it all thumbs up.  This expanding product line just shows that the demand for classic games just continues to grow.   

9/13/04

Upcoming Vacation
I am getting married this upcoming weekend and, as a result, will not be available from 9/17-9/26. Please understand that I will not be checking email at all during this time so I'll get back to anyone after that.  I will leave the store open but all orders placed during this time will not be processed until after 9/26.  

9/10/04

Retrogaming Radio
I came across a site the other day that was interesting.  RetrogamingRadio.Com has a collection of MP3 shows about classic gaming.  It is a monthly program that includes many interviews and new product discussions.  In their own words:

"RetroGaming Radio began in 1998 (as Retro Radio) to provide a then weekly show to supplement the news feeds that classic video game and emulator players so desperately needed. The show started off as pretty much as straight opinion program but soon grew into a complete, full-service broadcast including reviews of old, cool games (called 'Flashbacks'), modern software/hardware related to classic gaming, and the ever- popular interviews with famous and infamous figures in classic gaming history."

I have been listening to the most recent episodes while working on other PC projects.  Very interesting stuff.

9/9/04

Atari to reissue scores of old games!
It appears that Atari has realized the enormous interest (and potential profits) in classic retrograming.  In November the video game company will release an "Atari Anthology" with 85 of their games at a very reasonable cost of "about $20."  Atari also mentions additional products in the pipeline, including a miniature 7800.  More information can be found here.  For those of us who grew up on the original Atari, this is great news.

For those Atari enthusiasts who just can't wait...
There are a number of Atari 2600 emulators available. The one I have used in the past is Stella.  This cross-platform emulator works much as MAME32 does, with the emulator running the many games via Roms.  More information is found on the Stella link, here and here.

8/29/04

Complete BarCade plans now available!
At long last I have completed the help document.  It should assist in the construction of a bartop arcade cabinet of your own.  You may very well already have most of the required materials on hand, which can make this a very inexpensive project.  Anyone who does not have the room for a full-sized cabinet may want to try their hand at this design.

Hopefully this will make up for the lack of updates this last month.