Mame project

I need a new coffee table and have decide to build myself a Mame @#!*tail cab, as its practical and ultra cool.
Have any of you guys done a project like this? if so do you have any helpful hints as to good supplies of buttons, joysticks etc.

I know there are loads of sites suppling the required electronics, but i would rather buy the kit, recommended by someone that has used it.

I work in the amusement industry (for my sins) here's your best bet for real arcade joysticks and buttons..

http://www.suzo.co.uk/

Thanks, thats a good enough recommendation for me.

Cheers

They're pretty good although you may need an account.

If you have problems let me know what you want and I'll see I can do with my company's account.

My email address should be in my user info.

cool. I made a DIY arcade cabinet.. but i popped a ps2 in it, and it was an upright. You will have to show us how it turns out.

Heres some pics of my results. I also made DIY projector, and DIY vr setup.. i love projects like this.
http://www.empowergames.com/sparcade1.jpg?
http://www.empowergames.com/sparcade2.jpg?
http://www.empowergames.com/sparcade3.jpg?
http://www.empowergames.com/sparcade4.jpg?
http://www.empowergames.com/sparcade5.jpg?

Happ Controls is arguably the most popular for arcade buttons and stuff.

These guys too, though I'm struggling to recommend right now given the really annoying Flash sounds playing in my browser.

I made a 3/4player box controller for my Super Gun Deluxe which allowed Megadrive controllers to be used, this must be erm about 7~8 years ago now back when I was realy big into arcade game collecting.

Good luck to you, but be prepared for time and days of utter frustration. Keep at it though, the results are worth it. :)

Rif Raf, good work there, looks great. Thanks for the link James, I will definately place that in my favourites.

Yeah Im prepared Enay, but as you say with the right amount of determination I will get there and hopefully the result will be worth it as you say.

I have already got the computer i am going to use set up and running. I am stripping down windows to the absolute minimum and creating a Blitz front end to mame, as I want it to be personel to me and dont want any trace of windows. I am switching on the monitor from the blitz app via the com port using the com port dll in the arcives, this way the first screen that is present to the user is the blitz created menu etc with no trace of a PC based system.

I will post some pics as i progress for anyone that is interested.

> I am stripping down windows to the absolute minimum
> and creating a Blitz front end to mame, as I want
> it to be personel to me and dont want any trace of windows.

I recommend installing Win98 SE, downloading the dos version of mame and then making it pre boot into dos mode only. It's certainly the fastest (and often the most reliable) way of using mame on a PC.

Yeah thanks Enay, I am actaully using win98. I have heard of the DOS front end for Mame but I was a little unsure how it would go with motherboard drivers, etc.

But I will give it a try, as you say it will be a lot faster.

As far as I can tell, the dos version is exactly the same as the windows version.
However, getting dos drivers for new hardware (if they exist) may be more troublesome.
But if you get it to work, at least you know Windows isn't going to be getting slower and slower gradually as you have your machine on.