Friday, September 30, 2011
A little extra...
Oh a little package arrived:
I read somewhere that an octo-gate is better then a square gate for the SANWA JLF. Well I purchased some from Lizardlick along with some quick disconnects (for wiring the pushbuttons for the arcade cabinet). I ordered four octo-gates. 2 for my Madcatz Tournament Edition Sticks and 2 that will go in the arcade cabinet.
Here is my arcade stick:
Here is the octo-gate:
Here I'm performing surgery on my arcade stick.
Here is what we are removing/upgrading:
Removed:
Side by side comparison:
New transplant:
Here is everything closed up. It doesn't look different. It doesn't smell different. Maybe it will play different.
First thing is to check out that I didn't break anything:
Fire up my main PC (different PC from my newly built MAME PC) which has SSFIV AE:
After a quick match....hmmmm....not bad!
Before I forget, I have to add up the cost of the gates and the quick disconnects:
Cost for gates & quick disconnects: $29.35
Total cost so far for project: $539.36 (this doesn't even include the Kraylix Cabinet. I'll add that price when I receive it)
Here is my arcade stick:
Here is the octo-gate:
Here I'm performing surgery on my arcade stick.
Here is what we are removing/upgrading:
Removed:
Side by side comparison:
New transplant:
Here is everything closed up. It doesn't look different. It doesn't smell different. Maybe it will play different.
First thing is to check out that I didn't break anything:
Fire up my main PC (different PC from my newly built MAME PC) which has SSFIV AE:
After a quick match....hmmmm....not bad!
Before I forget, I have to add up the cost of the gates and the quick disconnects:
Cost for gates & quick disconnects: $29.35
Total cost so far for project: $539.36 (this doesn't even include the Kraylix Cabinet. I'll add that price when I receive it)
Surgery on my PC...
What do I spy from Newegg:
Time to perform surgery!
Here is the old mother that has been surgically removed from the PC.
Now lay it on its side and get ready to turbo charge it!
Ohhh....Micro-ATX Motherboard:
Ohhhhhh....4GB Memory
OOOHHHHHH....AMD Phenom II x4 965 Processor!
OOOOOOHHHHHHH....HIS Radeon HD 6850 Graphics Card!
About 30 mins later. Surgery complete!
Yuk! Looking at this hurts my eyes!
Much, much better!
And a little extra (but we already knew that)!
After testing it out...Not bad! Not bad at all:
Everything seems to be working. Good!
I simply ran Windows 8 Developers build (64-bit) to test out the PC and make sure that all the components I ordered are working and not DOA. I will eventually buy Windows 7 home premium OEM from Newegg as a permanent install. Once I do that then I'll install SSIV AE and MAME.
Time to perform surgery!
 |
| Bring forth goodness!! |
Piece of crap!
 |
| Piece of Crap! |
Now lay it on its side and get ready to turbo charge it!
 |
| Its ready!! |
Ohhhhhh....4GB Memory
OOOHHHHHH....AMD Phenom II x4 965 Processor!
 |
| Stock Heatsink for now |
About 30 mins later. Surgery complete!
Yuk! Looking at this hurts my eyes!
 |
| Front of case |
And a little extra (but we already knew that)!
After testing it out...Not bad! Not bad at all:
 |
| Everything on high settings! |
I simply ran Windows 8 Developers build (64-bit) to test out the PC and make sure that all the components I ordered are working and not DOA. I will eventually buy Windows 7 home premium OEM from Newegg as a permanent install. Once I do that then I'll install SSIV AE and MAME.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Joystick shopping from home...cont...again
Here is the follow on order for the components that were not in stock. I also ordered two more additional blue 30mm pushbuttons that I forgot to order:
Oh crap...I just realized that I need to order some quick disconnects, wires, and a couple of distribution boards for wiring everything up. I'll also need two Mad Catz controllers to Padhack.
This order: $82.95
Total spent so far: $510.01
Joystick shopping from home...cont
Well, this was suppose to be an easy ordering experience but some products were not in stock. Oh well, I'll just order what I can:
So it's a red & blue ball top. The 30mm white pushbuttons will be for the back button, the green 30mm pushbuttons will be for the guide button, the clear 24mm pushbuttons will be for the start button and finally the blue buttons will be for the player 1 buttons. I didn't order the joysticks and red buttons because they were not in stock and I didn't want to get it mixed in with this order because they would have delayed shipping until the rest of the components were in stock.
 |
| Lizardlick Order |
Order total: $46.45
Total Spent so far: $427.06
Joystick shopping from home...
While I wait for my computer parts to ship from Newegg, I might as well start ordering some parts to construct the control panel with. I have an idea of what I'm going to paint the arcade cabinet so I've decided to make the joystick and push buttons match also. I plan on painting the cabinet red and blue and therefore the joystick and push buttons will also be a combination of blue and red. With that in mind this should be an easy ordering process, so off to Lizardlick to order the parts.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Computer shopping from home...
I spent the better half of my Saturday researching and figuring out what components I wanted to buy to upgrade the PC. The challenge is trying to find the right processor and video card that will be powerful enough to play Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition (this will be my baseline) at 1080p, 60fps, and all settings at high. This may seem easy but I really don't want to go overboard. SSFIV AE is not a graphic demanding game and I don't want to get an Intel Core i7 and Radeon HD 6900 series video card because I know that would all be overkill in capabilities and price. I searched, researched, looked at the performances of certain video cards with SSFIV AE and finally made a decision late Saturday night on these things:
Total: $380.61
 |
| Newegg Invoice |
I decided to keep my power supply, case, and DVD-ROM drive from my PC and buy a new motherboard, RAM, video card, and processor. I think this should be enough but won't really know until I get everything and do a benchmark.
Total: $380.61
First thing to work on...
So I've ordered my Viewlix Cabinet from Kray a couple of weeks ago and while I wait on it I think I'll start working on my MAME computer that will be powering it. I also plan on installing SSFIV AE along with other emulators. Therefore I need my MAME computer to be somewhat powerful, but first I've got to dig out of my closet.
Here is the old ugly thing:
I thought to myself...I paid more then $600K for this PC which I thought was top of the line and it can't play high def videos! What a freaking waste of my money. It was already to late to return it and I was stuck with it. It really pissed me off!
Here is the old ugly thing:
 |
| Old PC (Micro-ATX Case) |
This is a micro-ATX case and I really have nothing but bad memories about this PC. I brought it back in 2005 if I recall. I brought it in the advent of high definition video becoming prominent. This PC cut through regular 480p videos of game trailers that I found on the internet but when I first downloaded a HD trailer for Dead Or Alive 4 for the Xbox 360 this PC struggled to play it!
 |
| Side view of this weak PC |
 |
| This was a barebone PC |
The weak thing was a Pentium 4 with some weak video card that I don't even remember what it was and with like 2 GB of RAM. This PC is not going to cut it. Time to hit up Newegg and perform some needed surgery on it to make it modern! This will be the first thing I work on.
Goals...
So what do I want to accomplish. First I want to accomplish a fully functional 2 player arcade cabinet. I would hate to have spent all this money and effort and at the end, it doesn't or I can't get it to work, but I graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering so I know I can do this!
My second goal is to have a great paint job on it but before I go on a little more background. I'm not actually building the frame of the cabinet. I could draw some specs and dimensions and go to Lowe's and have them cut some wood but that would be toooooo tedious. Instead, the Kray Vewlix sub-forum I mentioned in the first blog post is about clone Vewlix cabinets created and cut from MDF with a CNC router and shipped to your door. You just assemble the frame and add additional parts like joystick, buttons, monitor, etc. The cabinet is also shipped unpainted but Kray doe's provide some paint services. I knew I was going to purchase a cabinet but was unsure about getting it painted. I HAVE NEVER PAINTED MDF BEFORE. Also, before you could paint this type of wood you'll need to take the sweet time of sanding it all down, priming it, painting it, sanding it, painting it, sanding it, etc. ¡Ay, caramba!, that seems like a lot of work and I've got no sanding or painting skills! I was prepared to have Kray perform the painting services but two things drastically changed my mind. Instructions and money!
I found a sub-forum on Shoryuken about painting MDF! I read through it, took notes, and came away impressed. Impressed that I shouldn't do it. Yes, I was still weary about doing it. They were good instructions but I thought in practicality they were going to be a pain to execute. After I searched the forum some more I actually saw some peoples own results and I was blown away by it. That's when I had a change of heart and said, "If they could do it, then I could do it!" Also, Kray was going to charge about double to have the cabinet painted and that was going to be a no go. I'm not rich!
My last goal is to successfully hook up my Xbox 360 and a spare PC I have in the cabinet. The Xbox 360 will before fighting games and Xbox Live Arcade Games. The PC will be for fighting games on Windows Live and MAME and Dolphin for Capcom vs Tatsunoko in 1080p!
I look at this project as someone who has brought an old car and is about to go on a project to restore it. That person is ordering new parts, applying new paint, testing stuff, etc. I feel like I'm doing the same thing but maybe in a much smaller scale. I've got some goals with this project so let me get to it.
My second goal is to have a great paint job on it but before I go on a little more background. I'm not actually building the frame of the cabinet. I could draw some specs and dimensions and go to Lowe's and have them cut some wood but that would be toooooo tedious. Instead, the Kray Vewlix sub-forum I mentioned in the first blog post is about clone Vewlix cabinets created and cut from MDF with a CNC router and shipped to your door. You just assemble the frame and add additional parts like joystick, buttons, monitor, etc. The cabinet is also shipped unpainted but Kray doe's provide some paint services. I knew I was going to purchase a cabinet but was unsure about getting it painted. I HAVE NEVER PAINTED MDF BEFORE. Also, before you could paint this type of wood you'll need to take the sweet time of sanding it all down, priming it, painting it, sanding it, painting it, sanding it, etc. ¡Ay, caramba!, that seems like a lot of work and I've got no sanding or painting skills! I was prepared to have Kray perform the painting services but two things drastically changed my mind. Instructions and money!
I found a sub-forum on Shoryuken about painting MDF! I read through it, took notes, and came away impressed. Impressed that I shouldn't do it. Yes, I was still weary about doing it. They were good instructions but I thought in practicality they were going to be a pain to execute. After I searched the forum some more I actually saw some peoples own results and I was blown away by it. That's when I had a change of heart and said, "If they could do it, then I could do it!" Also, Kray was going to charge about double to have the cabinet painted and that was going to be a no go. I'm not rich!
My last goal is to successfully hook up my Xbox 360 and a spare PC I have in the cabinet. The Xbox 360 will before fighting games and Xbox Live Arcade Games. The PC will be for fighting games on Windows Live and MAME and Dolphin for Capcom vs Tatsunoko in 1080p!
I look at this project as someone who has brought an old car and is about to go on a project to restore it. That person is ordering new parts, applying new paint, testing stuff, etc. I feel like I'm doing the same thing but maybe in a much smaller scale. I've got some goals with this project so let me get to it.
A late start to blogging...
Where do I begin! I've decided to take on a project. One that is hopefully fun and awesome! My mission, my goal: build my personal home arcade cabinet. I've been playing Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition (SSFIV AE for short) on my PC for a couple of weeks and its brought back some nostalgia.
I remember playing Street Fighter II on the SNES, playing Street Fighter II in the arcades, World Heroes 2 Jet and Art of Fighter 2 on the NEO GEO, Mortal Kombat (never liked having a separate block button) in the arcades, Mortal Kombat 2 in the arcades (damn game was tough!), Killer Instincts (one of my favorite fighting games of all time) on the SNES, Killer Instincts 2 Gold Edition (I think they nerfed Orchid, she wasn't as fun to play with in the original) on the Nintendo 64, Samurai Showdown in the arcades, X-Men: Children of the Atom (the game was unbelievable to me) at an arcade in Six Flags Great Adventures, Street Fighter Alpha (first time I witnessed and couldn't believe Sagat's uppercut could hit me multiple times!) at an arcade in Six Flags Great Adventures, Marvel Super Heroes on the Playstation in my dorm room at Florida State University (FSU), X-Men vs Street Fighter on the Playstation in my off campus housing, Marvel vs Capcom at Swoozie's house in Orlando and finally, Marvel vs Capcom 2 (brought brand new for $20 bucks at the time) on the Dreamcast.
I've always loved playing fighting games and decided now that I (sort of...) have the funds, why not build my own personal arcade unit to bring back a certain feel I had playing at arcades. I've always looked at purchasing an arcade cabinet but never looked at the modes of transporting one and didn't really want to. I was so happening to visit a forum called Shoryuken and happened to visit the Tech Talk section and landed on sub-forum about Vewlix cabinet clones created by Kray. I thought I've hit the jackpot!
Not only did I not want to deal with any shipping costs for an arcade cabinet, I wasn't to enamored with their sizes and dimensions albeit I have a house and garage (so plenty of space). I stumbled upon a forum (I don't remember) about new arcade cabinets that are popular in Japan and have a different size and look. They were called candy cabinets and after a Google search, I knew that's what I would like to own. Unfortunately, they were popular in Japan! The arcade scene here is dead for the most part in America so I thought at that time there was going to be no way I could get an arcade like that.
I went through the Kray and Vewlix sub-forum looking at all of the Vewlix custom cabinets that were made and custom painted and thought...I MUST HAVE ONE!
So why is the title of this blog post called, "A late start to blogging". You see, I've already started this fun project more than a week ago but just decided right now to capture all the efforts for creating this cabinet. I guess its better to start late then never!
I remember playing Street Fighter II on the SNES, playing Street Fighter II in the arcades, World Heroes 2 Jet and Art of Fighter 2 on the NEO GEO, Mortal Kombat (never liked having a separate block button) in the arcades, Mortal Kombat 2 in the arcades (damn game was tough!), Killer Instincts (one of my favorite fighting games of all time) on the SNES, Killer Instincts 2 Gold Edition (I think they nerfed Orchid, she wasn't as fun to play with in the original) on the Nintendo 64, Samurai Showdown in the arcades, X-Men: Children of the Atom (the game was unbelievable to me) at an arcade in Six Flags Great Adventures, Street Fighter Alpha (first time I witnessed and couldn't believe Sagat's uppercut could hit me multiple times!) at an arcade in Six Flags Great Adventures, Marvel Super Heroes on the Playstation in my dorm room at Florida State University (FSU), X-Men vs Street Fighter on the Playstation in my off campus housing, Marvel vs Capcom at Swoozie's house in Orlando and finally, Marvel vs Capcom 2 (brought brand new for $20 bucks at the time) on the Dreamcast.
I've always loved playing fighting games and decided now that I (sort of...) have the funds, why not build my own personal arcade unit to bring back a certain feel I had playing at arcades. I've always looked at purchasing an arcade cabinet but never looked at the modes of transporting one and didn't really want to. I was so happening to visit a forum called Shoryuken and happened to visit the Tech Talk section and landed on sub-forum about Vewlix cabinet clones created by Kray. I thought I've hit the jackpot!
Not only did I not want to deal with any shipping costs for an arcade cabinet, I wasn't to enamored with their sizes and dimensions albeit I have a house and garage (so plenty of space). I stumbled upon a forum (I don't remember) about new arcade cabinets that are popular in Japan and have a different size and look. They were called candy cabinets and after a Google search, I knew that's what I would like to own. Unfortunately, they were popular in Japan! The arcade scene here is dead for the most part in America so I thought at that time there was going to be no way I could get an arcade like that.
I went through the Kray and Vewlix sub-forum looking at all of the Vewlix custom cabinets that were made and custom painted and thought...I MUST HAVE ONE!
So why is the title of this blog post called, "A late start to blogging". You see, I've already started this fun project more than a week ago but just decided right now to capture all the efforts for creating this cabinet. I guess its better to start late then never!
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