Game Cabinets - A Newcomer's Guide
The actual computer itself need not have impressive specs or hardware - only the basics will do. Any second-hand computer, or an old one that's lying around will work. All such a 'cabinet computer' needs is:
1) A basic monitor that can fit in the cabinet. (a television can be used for better authenticity)
2) A simple, working keyboard and mouse.
3) Any old processor (even a 166 MHz Intel Centrino Processor would do)
4) A CD-ROM drive to install the operating system.
5) A USB port to transfer files in, or use the CD-ROM Drive.
6) A set of speakers to render the game sounds and music.
7) A 10 or 20 Gigabyte hard disk.
And that's it - no internet capabilities such as wireless bluetooth, a modem, or ethernet ADSL broadband are needed. After all, did arcades have internet access in those days? ;)
Now on such a computer, a low-end operating system with low system requirements will do, such as Microsoft Windows 98 or Windows Me, or a minimal distribution of Linux (such as Zenwalk). Microsoft no longer supports Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me, so you can either buy a used copy of Windows off eBay or any local computer shop. Old or unused copies of Windows 98/Me should cost around $30 to $50. However, if you want to cut down on expenses, you can download a free Linux distribution from the internet. A few examples of good, minimalistic Linux distributions are Zenwalk, SLAX, Zipslack, or Debian. Read up on them on websites like Distrowatch or Wikipedia to see which one best suits your needs, but Windows is still a safe bet.
Once the machine has been set up with an operating system, you should now load it up with Emulators and ROMS. Emulators are software programs that run ROMS (the arcade games). You need emulators as these games do not run natively on Linux or Windows just like double clicking an EXE file (an executable).
The best known emulator for all sorts of arcade games is known as MAME, which works for both Windows and Linux and ROMS for such games can be searched for on the internet. The ROM file sizes usually aren't all that big, taking up a few megabytes each. If you want to play laser disc games like Dragon's Lair, Dragon's Lair II, Space Ace, etc. you will have to use another emulator known as DAPHNE. Do note that the ROM game files for laser disc games take up a lot of memory, being anywhere from 200 megabytes to 1 gigabyte for each game, so you want to watch your hard disk space there.
When it comes to actually building the game cabinet, you will need plenty of large wood materials and carpentering tools, or you can order such custom parts from companies specialising in selling game cabinet parts, including wooden frames, special televisions, joystick controls and more. You can even buy a complete game cabinet frame plan from them, or order an empty cabinet pre-built, shipped and delivered to you. The second alternative seems to be a cheaper solution instead of buying new materials, but the choice is all yours.
Sites like GroovyGameGear and the BYOAC Wiki can help you out and give you more authentic information and details on how to build your dream game cabinet. So go out there and build your own arcade machine!
Related Tags: gaming, cabinet, arcade
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Cabinets
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Your Guide To The Starcraft 2 Zerg Vs Terran Matchup
A Starcraft 2 Zerg vs Terran matchup can prove to be a very interesting proposition. Pairing up the - Train For Battlenet With The Starcraft 2 Campaigns
The Starcraft 2 campaign in-game will have you facing some of the most challenging and brutal strate - Is There A Permanent Fix For Your Xbox 360 Red Rings Of Death Error? A Fix At Home Solution Here!
When the Xbox 360 first came out it was considered to be the best gaming console around. But today m - Would You Like To Fix Xbox 360 Red Ring Of Death Fast? - Do Not Give Microsoft $140 - Fix It At Home
More experienced owners tend to be looking for ways on how to fix Xbox 360 red ring of death. This i - Repair & Fix Xbox 360 Red Ring Of Death - Permanent Fix In Just 1-2 Hours Flat
Are you so frustrated and desperate to fix Xbox 360 red ring of death fast? Well first and foremost - Which Video Game Console Is The Best?
When we consider which of the consoles that we consider to be our very favourite, we must consider a - Starcraft 2 Elite Guide - When The Heck Am I Supposed To Expand? Playing As Zerg
The Zerg economic system is fairly unique from the Terran and Protoss economies, a noticeably smart - Starcraft 2 Elite Guide - An Ideal Opener To Any Match As Terran
An essential aspect you need to always remember pertaining to Terran is the fact their economic proc - Dugi's Ultimate Wow Guide - A Rip Off? - Definitely Not!
Firstly a sobering thought as gaming has suddenly received some extremely negative media comment. A - Do You Want To Find Best Game In Top Online Games?
Rappelz is one of best rpg games and top online games so this game an intense fantasy MMORPG game th
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Joanna's Horde Leveling Guide - Ultimate Horde Guide? Find Out Here
Joanna's Horde Levelling Guide is a World of Warcraft guide that was created by a player that calls - Should I Upgrade My Sony PSP Firmware
Sony already has a reputation of being in the forefront of the war over digital rights management (e - PlayStation 3 Features
The PlayStation 3 became available to retail merchants in the United States. Marketplace on November - Xbox 360 Backwards Compatibility
With the Xbox 360 getting more and more popular, more and more new exciting games will be coming out - How To Easily Get Gold In World Of Warcraft
Just like in real life one of the most frustrating things in world of warcraft is lack of money (gol - Xbox 360 Modchip - The Facts
As the Xbox 360 is fast getting more and more popular, there will be people who will want to make th - WOW Power Leveling Guide Part 1
World of warcraft or "Wow" is a strategy game with a Role Playing twist set in a mythical land of go - Record Number of People Expected to Call in Sick to Work Today
American families, girlfriends, domestic partners and pets are not the only ones feeling the brunt o - Free Sony Playstation 3 for Anyone
The PlayStation 3 is a highly seeked and demand product released to the U.S. market in late 2006. J - Tradeskill Improvements in World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade
World of Warcraft has been criticized in the past for a sub-par and almost useless profession system