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Building a Basic Arcade Cabinet

Fun & Games Woodworking
Building a Basic Arcade Cabinet
Arcade KickAss DIY MAME-based gaming machine. Doesn't look fun for player 2 though...
Arcade KickAss DIY MAME-based gaming machine. Doesnโ€™t look fun for player 2 thoughโ€ฆ

The debate between what the better gaming platform is between consoles and PCs can add a third contender to the mix in the form of arcade machines. Sure, both consoles and PCs can play retro games but they canโ€™t match the โ€˜feelโ€™ you get fist-smashing those big coin-sized buttons while listening to 16-bit sound blasting in your face. Unfortunately, most arcades have gone the way of the dinosaurs but the good news is; the machines are making a comeback in our own homes as DIY projects.

Arcade KickAss skeletal-frame view with monitor frame mount
Arcade KickAss skeletal-frame view with monitor frame mount

bare

 

Side painted and trim glued on. Those clamps... everyone has a lot of them too right?
Side painted and trim glued on. Those clampsโ€ฆ everyone has a lot of them too right?

Maker โ€œtuschh94โ€ and his brother recently designed his own using some clever woodworking skills and a PC. The entire build took a couple of months but the end result is quite nice. The frame is built entirely out of wood and cost roughly $400 to build, which includes the joysticks and buttons along with the signage LEDs. The internals include a massive flat screen CRT thatโ€™s powered by a PC running MAME for the old-school arcade games.

As you could imagine, Arcade KickAss weighs a ton and according to a reddit post by the brother, one of the support beams for the monitor blew-out while transporting it.

The signage features RGB color changing LEDs to give it that โ€˜retroโ€™ look
The signage features RGB color changing LEDs to give it that โ€˜retroโ€™ look

Makers have been designing and building their own arcade machines, including the sit-down โ€˜cocktail tableโ€™ versions, to play in their own homes, bringing back that arcade magic we felt long ago. It would seem all you need is a little bit of ingenuity, some carpenter skills and a bit of hardware to build your own. Just make sure the influx of visitors that come over have a steady supply of quarters!

See more of this build at Arcade KickAss project page.

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