Arcade cabinets can be constructed from scratch or by using a kit.
Kids that grew up playing coin-operated arcade games might have fantasized about one day having their own arcade. Today, it's surprisingly easy. Modern technology allows a simple PC to be set up to play hundreds of classic games. Arcades can even be personalized to make the perfect addition to a rec room, den or public gathering place.
Instructions
1. Decide how personalized your cabinet will be. Pre-made cabinets can be purchased as kits, with all the pieces already portioned out and instructions included. Putting this together can be challenging, but it's still easier than designing a cabinet from scratch. And it costs about the same. A great resource for kits is MameRoom, a company that specializes in supplies for home-made arcade units. These vary in price from about $200 for a simple jukebox style unit to $900 for an elaborate cabinet.
2. Build or purchase a controller, the input device for the arcade. To build a controller, you'll need to buy trackballs and joysticks, which are used to move the characters on the screen. You'll also need to buy the buttons that make those characters do things. The joysticks, trackballs and buttons would then need to be wired to a motherboard. However, you can buy controllers built exclusively for DIY arcade cabinets. Well-made, versatile controllers include the SlikStik, X-Arcade or Ultimarc. Each of those brands costs around $200.
3. Insert the PC in the base of the constructed cabinet, with the monitor at the top of the cabinet and the controller along the dash. Once these are all wired together, the arcade unit is ready to go. ROMs and emulators (software that "emulates" the internal workings of a video game system) are available for all home systems and arcade systems in many varieties. If you're not looking to use a PC, just install whichever video game system you're using in the base.
4. Finish the cabinet with cosmetic touches. Personalized marquees can be purchased to go along the top. The monitor bezel, controller dashboard and cabinet sides can be painted to match the style of original arcade machine. Coin-op slots can even be purchased to give the machine a fully retro look.
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