Your Handy Guide to Arcade Gaming

Written by Marc DeAngelis

Tuesday, 03 November 2009 10:00

So you want to relive your childhood and bring an arcade cabinet into your home, but you don't know where to start? Well fear not, aging gamer; I'm here to walk you through the process of choosing a cabinet, the hardware, and, of course, the games. Hit the link for your handy guide to arcade gaming.

[Author's Note: I am not responsible for you're getting screwed in a "group buy," being electrocuted while working on your cab's wiring, getting arrested or fined for piracy, or any other damages, bodily or otherwise, that may be incurred after reading this guide.]

Introduction

Where to begin... Well, let's clarify what exactly you're going to need to get your arcade machine up and running. You'll need a cabinet, which houses the electronic components. Along with the cab, you'll also need a suitable control panel (the housing for the stick and buttons) for the game you want. For example, a 1-player control panel isn't going to do you much good if you want to play Street Fighter with your friends. And of course you're going to need a PCB (printed circuit board). These contain the game or have a socket to plug a game cart into. So how do you know which type of each component to buy? Read on.

Choosing Your Cabinet

First of all, let's choose what type of arcade cabinet you want. I'll divide the choices into three categories - Japanese-style, American-style, and Novelty.

Japanese-Style

Almost all Japanese cabs can be described as "candy cabs," which are stout, white cabinets, and are shorter than American ones, meaning you'll be sitting down to play them, rather than standing up. This makes a Japanese cab a better choice if you're going to be throwing down some marathon gaming. Candy cabs will set you back anywhere between $400 to $1,200.

There are many different kinds of candy cabs available. Some include Sega's Astro City and Versus City, Taito's Egret series, and Konami's Windy City series. They all have a similar chassis, but the color scheme and marquees differ. Also, the wiring of the cabs can differ, but we'll get to that later.

An Astro City 2-Player, 6-Button Control Panel

Japanese cabs are also much easier to customize than American ones. You can easily swap out the control panel (the plastic slab that houses the buttons and stick) and go from a one-player set-up to a two-player one. Or you can get a panel to change the button layout. For example, you can switch between a 6-button layout for Street Fighter games and a 4-button SNK-style layout for King of Fighters games. Another customizable aspect of the candy cab is the rotatable monitor. Some games use a horizontal 4:3 display (i.e. fighters, Metal Slug, etc.) and others use vertical 3:4 ones (Ikaruga, Raiden, and many other vertical shooters). Rather than being stuck with one type of monitor, you can simply rotate a candy cab's screen to go from a horizontal to a vertical position. Some cabs even have a monitor harness to make the process much easier (you'll need two people to rotate a monitor without a harness). Also, the button and stick shapes are standardized. Buttons have a 30mm diameter and select / start buttons have a 24mm diameter. This means you can buy any color combination and style of buttons your heart desires. The majority of Japanese buttons are slightly convex, but there are many variations, so shop around. They're cheap too ($2 to $4 each), so don't be afraid of wasting money on buttons that you won't like. Most sticks can also be easily swapped as well. It all comes down to what model stick you prefer.

On the down side, Japanese machines are almost always made out of plastic, which is easily broken while moving them from one place to another. If you have kids or helping-hand monkeys running around your house, keep in mind that candy cabs are rather fragile. Which brings us to another point. If you're looking to get an immaculate cab, you'll probably come up empty handed - almost all cabs I've seen have scuffs, scratches, dents, or cracks in them.

A popular Japanese alternative to a candy cab is Capcom's Cute (AKA Mini Cute) cabinet. These colorful cabs are still sit-down machines, but, as the name implies, they are diminutive in size. Mini Cutes are pretty hard to come by though, so expect to pay a bit more than what you would pay for a candy cab. Also, if you're going to playing a lot of 2-player games, keep in mind that you'll be sacrificing your personal space and comfort - these really are tiny, having a 27" width (as opposed to a candy cab's approximate 40" width), so you're going to be sitting practically on top of your buddy.

So how do you obtain a Japanese cab? The best way is to buy one from a fellow gamer. This way, you can ask for pictures before committing to a purchase. You'll also avoid paying over-seas shipping fees. The other way to get one is by what's called a "group buy." These are usually done through the forums of "hardcore" gaming sites. Payment is up-front. The handful of cabs - usually all of the same model - are ordered from a Japanese or other Asian supplier, shipped en masse over the Pacific, split up, and delivered to you. Keep in mind that condition varies between cabs and that you may end up with a scuffed up chassis, a burnt-in screen, and/or a mah jong control panel (which can easily be switched out - see above).

Also, just in case you're planning on puting your cab in a laundomat or other establishment in order to make some money, remember that Japanese cabs take 100 yen coins, not quarters.

American-Style

While Japanese cabs are usually branded with their make and model, American cabs are usually what are called "dedicated" cabs, meaning they feature artwork of the game inside. This is a turn-on for some, but a deal breaker for others. Also, as time goes on, it becomes increasingly difficult to find an American cab with matching artwork - the sides of the cab may have a different them than the control panel or marquee.

Another problem with American cabs is that they aren't as customizable as Japanese ones. American cabs' wooden plys are thick, so Japanese buttons and sticks will not fit in their control panels. (You should be in good shape if you have an American cab with a metal control panel, though.) This all means you may be stuck with concave buttons and a baseball-bat-shaped stick. Again, that's fine for some, but a deal-breaker for others.

American cabs are usually made of wood, making them a bit more durable than candy cabs, so those monkeys and kids aren't as much of a threat. With the good comes the bad though. Keep an eye out for carpenter ants, termites, and moisture, or else you may end up with a devoured, soggy, or rotted cab. Also, the majority of American cabs are upright, meaning you'll either be standing up or sitting on a bar stool while playing.

Most importantly, they're easier to find. Searching Craigslist with the word "arcade" will bring up several possible buys. Not only does this mean you won't be jumping through hoops to find a cabinet, but you'll also have a comparatively easy time getting it to your house.

Depending on condition, American cabs can cost just as much as a candy cab. However, American cabs that have some aesthetic damage often go for far less.

Things to Check for Quality

There are a few things other than condition to look out for when buying a cab. First, make sure your monitor doesn't have an image burnt in. The last thing you want is to spend a few hundred more dollars on a new display when you've already spent a lot on the cab itself. Another thing to watch out for is the control panel. Even though you can easily switch them, make you life easier and check if the panel is made for arcade games or for video mah jong. Finally, check if you cab has what is referred to as a "kick harness." Originally, arcade machines could only use four buttons, but when Street Fighter II came out, everything changed. Since two more buttons for the kick commands (hence the name) were needed, an attachment was made which adds two extra wires. Kick harnesses are pretty easy to install but if you're not the handy type, you should make sure your potential cab has one.

Novelty

"Cocktail" arcade machines refer to table-shaped games. Not only do they play games, but you can also put things on top of them. These go from $500 to $1000 and can easily be found on eBay. They are more for single-screen games like Pac-Man and Space Invaders or for decoration than for fighters or shooters. Needless to say, cocktails aren't the best choice for long spans of gaming for various spinal reasons. Like the other types of cabs, the games are often interchangeable, depending on their wiring (see below). Keep in mind most American cocktails are "dedicated," just like their big brothers, while Japanese ones are only branded with their make and model.

One novelty arcade machine that's worth buying if you don't have much room to spare is a tabletop (AKA bar-top) cab. The ones worth getting were made by SNK in conjunction with a third party, Hanho Games a few years ago. Out of the box, these are kind of lame, since the games are encrypted and run off of an SD card. But - and this is a big but - an MVS board (see below) and an MVS cart, fit perfectly in one of these 1/4-sized cabs. For the low price (these have gone for as low as $60) the SNK tabletop cab is a great buy if you want to get into MVS carts.

One other possibility that would more fittingly fall under the category of "ghetto" than "novelty" is the "Supergun." This is the general term used for a consolized cart-loaded arcade system (such as MVS, NAOMI, or Atomiswave), meaning someone builds a box that houses the circuit board, leaving open access to the cartridge slot. Along with the bastardized arcade machines comes an home-made arcade stick and television adapter. The consoles and sticks are often hideously ugly and take up a lot of space. Honestly, it's a better idea to build a MAME box than to buy a Supergun. Superguns are available from certain online stores and can also be commissioned from forum members.

Wiring

The wiring found inside your cabinet is an important factor. The industry standard for arcade wiring is called JAMMA (borrowed from the company which popularized it, Japan Amusement Machinery Manufacturers Association). Think of it like the USB standard (which, as a matter of fact, is used by JAMMA). Instead of rewiring your cabinet every time you want to change the circuit board (which contains the game), a cab with JAMMA wiring allows you to unplug one JAMMA-compliant game for another, plug-and-play style. Tons and tons of games are JAMMA compliant, so buying a cab that features JAMMA wiring is a very good idea.

Another wiring standard is called JVS, which is an offshoot of JAMMA. JVS wiring allows for the easy swapping between standard arcade controls and novelty controls such as trackballs, racing wheels, and lightguns. Keep in mind, though, that a JVS cab can be easily play JAMMA boards (or vice versa) by the use of an I/O board. Depending on what board you're using, you may need to buy an additional power supply, as well, though.3/4

So what about PCBs that do not comply to the JAMMA standard? Well, you can still play them on a JAMMA-equipped cab, but you'll have to do some custom wiring. Searching arcade-related forums can yield wiring charts for many games, and just asking might get you some as well.

Basically, if you're just getting into arcade gaming, you want to get a JAMMA cabinet, but a JVS cab isn't a bad idea either, as long as you're comfortable with performing some custom wiring. There's a lifetime's worth of games available for the two standards. Take a look at some possibilities further down.

American vs. Japanese Hardware

The hardware you choose (eg: buttons and stick) are an important factor. If you're going to spend a lot of money on a cab, you might as well get a comfortable stick and buttons. Keep in mind that you are not stuck with what your cab comes with. You'll definitely be ok to swap the hardware if you are using that of the same region.

The difference between the two types are vast. American sticks are shaped like baseball bats and are comparatively stiff. The buttons are concave and don't have much "response" to them. American parts are very often referred to by the proprietary eponym, "HAPP," after a particular manufacturer.

Japanese sticks are metal poles with a plastic ball screwed on top of them and have less "throw" than American ones. The buttons are either flat or slightly convex, depending on the models. The two most popular manufacturers are Sanwa and Seimitsu. A general rule of thumb is that Sanwa sticks are better for fighting games while Seimitsu sticks are better for shooters. Sanwa sticks seem to accept quarter/half-circles and shoryuken movements better than Seimitsu sticks, but the Seimitsu ones are more accurate.

One important aspect to take into account is a stick's "restrictor," or "gate," which is the plastic piece under the control panel that determines the range of movement, or "throw," and general feel. There are three basic types of gates. Japanese sticks use all three types of gates, while American ones use circular ones almost exclusively. Square gates, which are the most commonly used, have, obviously, four right angles, so the only time you'll get a physical response from your stick is when you hit any diagonal. Octagonal gates have notches in all eight directions, much like a GameCube controllers plastic that surrounds the analogue sticks. Circular gates have no notches at all, like the plastic housing surrounding the analogue sticks of Xbox or PS2 pads. Again, it all comes down to personal preference.

So which should you go for - American or Japanese? That's totally up to you. Try both and buy what feels right for you.

Just keep in mind though, if you have an American cab, you may be unable to switch to Japanese parts unless you have a metal control panel. Some people have routed holes so that Japanese button fit into a wooden panel, as well as building support parts to allow for Japanese sticks. However, the poles of Japanese stick are often too short and will not be a viable option.

As for the other way around - using American parts in a Japanese cab - it can sometimes be done. Most American buttons fit into holes 1" to 1 3/4". Japanese cabs take 30 mm buttons, so you should be all set. Most American sticks should also fit into a Japanese cab. If you're unsure after taking measurements, just ask someone on an arcade forum.

Stick cost about $30 and buttons cost between $2 and $5 each. Ball tops go from $2 to $12 depending on their style (solid, bubble top, or mesh ball). They can be found at arcade retailers such as Lizard Lick Amusements, HAPP, and of course, EBay.

And Finally... The Games

You've come a long way, grasshopper. But don't rest yet; this is the most exciting part. Arcade games come in two forms - dedicated PCBs and media-loading system boards. Let's take a look at what these terms mean.

Dedicated PCBs

As stated previously, "PCB" stands for "printed circuit board." Dedicated PCBs are boards that contain everything you need to play, both in terms of software and hardware. The boards have all the components such as processors and memory, as well as system data and the actual game date. A dedicated PCB means one game per PCB.

Media-Loaded PCBs

Most arcade games use a mainboard which contains all the processors, memory, and other hardware, as well as the system data. What they don't have, though, is the game data. The game, which is printed on some sort of media, be it a cart, disk, or secondary PCB, must be connected to the mainboard. Here are some popular choices...

Neo Geo MVS

One of, if not the most popular media-loaded systems, the Multi Video System, uses videotape-sized carts which plug into 1, 2, 4, or 6 slot mainboards. This means you can have multiple carts plugged in and play any of them without the hassle of unlocking your cab, getting on your hands and knees, and swapping out the game. The MVS is home to tons of quality shooters, fighters, and puzzle games. Carts go from $20 to a bit over $100. The MVS is region-free. For the small cost and big selection, the MVS is a great choice for any arcade gamer.

Capcom CPS I-III

Capcom were possibly the first company to design a board that could play swappable games in order to cut costs. There are a handful of good games for the system, such as Forgotten Worlds and Ghouls & Ghosts.

Five year after the CPS came the more powerful CPS II, which is more popular amongst the home-arcade crowd. The games are stored on huge boards encased in brightly colored plastic. Some great games include later Street Fighter II titles, the Street Fighter Alpha series, Dungeons & Dragons (a 2D beat 'em up), Alien vs. Predator (another 2D beat 'em up), Progear, Mars Matrix, and Giga Wing.

The CPS II isn't without its problems though. One major overhaul between CPS I and II is the use of data encryption. CPS I games were pirated to no end, so Capcom decided to apply a thick layer of encryption to its CPS II games. Each game has a particular key that is checked upon boot-up. If the key isn't found, the game won't boot. This is all fine and dandy, but the key is stored on a suicide battery, which dies after several years. You can replace the battery and keep the encryption code, but it must be done before the original battery dips below two volts, which is when it will forget the key data. Even better, the game can be reprogrammed with an unencrypted version, which will never need another battery. This process is called "phoenixing."

The CPS II is also region-locked, so your A (system) board and B (game) board must be of the same region. Fortunately, phoenixing some games will result in a region free B board.

Most CPS I and II games cost between $100 and $300.

The CPS III is home to the Street Fighter III series, the JoJo's series, and a fighting game called Red Earth. And that's it. It might be worth it if you're a die-hard Third Strike fan, but even then, you could just buy a Dreamcast to play it on. What I'm trying to say here is "go with CPS I or II."

Sega NAOMI

Sega's New Arcade Operation Machine Idea is the more powerful little brother of the Dreamcast. It uses the same processors, but it has double its RAM and video RAM, and four times its audio memory. Games were stored on either fancy-looking carts about the size of a laptop battery or a GD-ROM. The data on the GD-ROM was loaded in its entirety into system memory upon bootup, making it just as fast as the solid state carts but cheaper to produce.

Most NAOMI games can be played in near perfection on the Dreamcast, but a few non-DC games do exist, such as the Melty Blood games.

Most NAOMI games cost between $50 and $300.

Sammy Atomiswave

The Atomiswave is based on NAOMI, which isn't too surprising given NAOMI's astronomical success, arguably second only to the MVS, and due to the fact that Sammy now owns Sega. The games are stored on tiny red cartridges. There aren't a ton of games for the system, but it might be a good choice for someone looking to own more current hardware. Games include King of Fighters XI, Metal Slug 6, Neo Geo Battle Coliseum, and the Rumble Fish series. Reasonably priced carts cost between $80 and $200.

Taito Type X, X+, X2

Taito's Type X systems are the most commonly used for new games, such as King of Fighters XII, Street Fighter IV, and Raiden IV. Since they systems aren't obsolete yet, they still cost an arm and a leg. The system itself costs thousands of dollars, and the games can cost $1,000 to Street Fighter IV's $3,000 price tag. These games are only for the super-rich kids.

Where to Buy Boards

Online stores dedicated to selling arcade games are very hard to come by. Two of the most popular ones are Coin Express, Quarter Arcade, and JAMMAboards.com. EBay tends to have better prices than these sites, though, so shop around before buying.

Another way to buy boards is to join an arcade community forum. These sites often have buying, selling, and trading forums, where system boards and games often go for far cheaper than anywhere else.

Cheap Alternatives

If you don't have the money or room to buy all of this hardware, there are cheaper, less authentic ways to play them. I won't get into the details, since they entail shady business, but I will show you some tricks.

One way to go is to get an modded Xbox. An extra chip is installed onto the motherboard, which lets the user install games and emulators onto the hard drive (which can be replaced with one of a higher capcity). Installing MAME (Multi Arcade Machine Emulator) will let you play tons of highly accurate arcade games.

You can do the same with a PC. A PC MAME box can do something that an Xbox can't. Using a little circuit board named the "J-Pac," a PC can be quickly connected to a JAMMA cabinet. Now you can tell all your friends you have a billion-slot MVS board.

Conclusion

Here we are, at the end of this guide. Hopefully you know a lot more about arcade gaming than you did 20 minutes ago, and hopefully you now have the knowledge to become an arcade enthusiast. It's a lot of work and a lot of money, but the outcome is the ability to play games that you can't play anywhere else. And remember - winners don't use drugs.