tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27142332223460890872024-03-04T20:07:12.956-08:00moonlightminiarcadeTHE OFFICIAL BLOG PAGEArcade Puppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991585329323397532noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-26431010304359948752015-04-22T09:49:00.001-07:002015-04-22T09:56:49.335-07:00Last post here (Ironically)Well, I have finally found a free website / space provider that does a decent job in regards to template customization and content management (and smart-phone friendliness). I have created a new site at the following link:<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://bennysarcadelife.wix.com/index/">http://bennysarcadelife.wix.com/index/</a><br />
<br />
<br />
It still retains a bloggish-feel, but allows me to add / update specific pages much easier. I'll keep this blog up for a few more month, so my VAST number of subscribers (HA!) can get transitioned. Hopefully the new site will get 'the arcade dream' out to more people. Arcade Puppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991585329323397532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-31267751215253947822015-03-09T07:58:00.002-07:002015-03-09T11:44:53.258-07:00Finally back!Okay . . . wow. It’s been a frickin’ year since I posted. Can’t believe so much has happened and I haven’t documented anything. If you’ve been keeping up with the web / podcast stuff Rick and I have been working on, you know that it’s been dead for some time. Rick’s had continuing medical issues, and combined with me landing my dream job and keeping busy with the family stuff, it just wasn’t working out to keep the podcast going. Maybe I’ll push a solo cast in the future, but I want to focus on the arcade and other ‘at-home’ projects.<br />
<div>
<br />
Arcade life – my older son and I have been diving into the world of RC cars lately, but I’ve had a little time to tinker here and there in the gameroom over the winter. I purchased a back-lit keyboard for the Horizons cab, and finally customized / installed bezels for the ceiling black lights (bezel pics to come soon). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvssxBXWW-L-QMJMotbtNlcZf0dsQjNjjlSNMYZQt7JeA1oPnBfgrnYNU7wIcfqNZ_ckXpZn9LRWqzrD0nso9Tdk56UyUclRuzw6xcN2KcjUkiu73hUa8kpjZoQkcqvmQJhx7HuxrdKXY/s640/blogger-image--2090881821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvssxBXWW-L-QMJMotbtNlcZf0dsQjNjjlSNMYZQt7JeA1oPnBfgrnYNU7wIcfqNZ_ckXpZn9LRWqzrD0nso9Tdk56UyUclRuzw6xcN2KcjUkiu73hUa8kpjZoQkcqvmQJhx7HuxrdKXY/s400/blogger-image--2090881821.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
The mural is slowly moving forward again as well. After installing furniture sliders on the pinball machine, I was able to move it out enough so that I could start on the planet Saturn. The moon is going to need another coat of white paint with Rit color brightener to make it reflect better under black light. That reminds me – I’ll be adding a new section that includes some tech / how-to posts for you home gamers out there. That’s about it for now. Since the weather is improving, I should be able to start on the cocktail cab soon.</div>
Arcade Puppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991585329323397532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-89774243999661824412014-03-24T10:11:00.000-07:002014-03-24T10:11:55.555-07:00Let's talk PINBALL!!!So the wife thought it would be a cool idea if I looked into getting a pinball machine this year, since the tax return was so good (I know, she really is AWESOME!!). After weeks of research and looking around for the 'right' machine, I ended up getting a Gottlieb Surf Champ pinball machine, straight out of 1976!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuSXV6RjqOcLmg_a0YP8eB4TYqI09ov_wlpPBZhqPkenmMAAenz4KdpXttCVDNHSKcLDt3gRq2yOygiPuuDdHkAj4XXFi-jSlhGKDE46Gjh5vH69EDbGF7lj-HPOt1CCHLi3VcjtAiie8/s1600/pin1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuSXV6RjqOcLmg_a0YP8eB4TYqI09ov_wlpPBZhqPkenmMAAenz4KdpXttCVDNHSKcLDt3gRq2yOygiPuuDdHkAj4XXFi-jSlhGKDE46Gjh5vH69EDbGF7lj-HPOt1CCHLi3VcjtAiie8/s1600/pin1.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Save for a couple of minor items, the pin looks and play great! I'm just happy of the fact that the arcade is actually starting to look like an 'arcade', instead of a basement with one lonely cabinet. Livin' the retro-gaming dream for sure!! Next up, getting the basic build of the cocktail cab started!!<br />
<br />Arcade Puppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991585329323397532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-27600013986353381362014-02-05T22:10:00.000-08:002014-02-05T22:14:05.012-08:00Have buttons, now let's build that next cab!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbVSVUpVUowajmN4UHMsiH8AxuLL2NSYWAv1r2Rlhi0EMrraLpmG0LD8yOsJKnxsf2rIK96rCUaO_oczIseTjnSs9pyf8BQI6CzloGTk5NvVnx6Pnlo3BnNuKIlMQxrqmcLXKJ5LTFSY/s1600/button.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbVSVUpVUowajmN4UHMsiH8AxuLL2NSYWAv1r2Rlhi0EMrraLpmG0LD8yOsJKnxsf2rIK96rCUaO_oczIseTjnSs9pyf8BQI6CzloGTk5NvVnx6Pnlo3BnNuKIlMQxrqmcLXKJ5LTFSY/s1600/button.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Finally got the buttons in for Rick's future cocktail cabinet. We ended up getting an 18-button set up for his cab: 2 players, with 6 action buttons each, 1 & 2-player start buttons, buttons for 1 and 2-player credits, and a couple buttons to incorporate a pause and escape for MAME. He's inheriting a couple of 8-way joysticks via my first cabinet, that was disassembled long ago.<br />
<br />
I'll hopefully be able to get my cocktail going soon, but I want the nice pac-man style joysticks and I've been pinching pennies to get other things fixed around the house. The plan is to get the supplies by mid-spring. In the meantime, I now have the 1 and 2-player start buttons for my Horizons cab from this last shipment, so no more holes in the control panel - yea!!!<br />
<br />Arcade Puppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991585329323397532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-90181491369158113302013-10-30T11:01:00.000-07:002013-10-30T11:04:29.417-07:00And the next arcade cab is . . . . So, I'm about done with the second RetroMameArcade podcast, and my podcast partner in crime, Rick, is going to build a side-by-side player cocktail cab for his first project. I figured it was fitting that I start working on my next cab as well, since the Horizons cab is done (WooHoo!). My plan is to do a traditional, pac-man style cocktail, with actual pac-man joysticks, etc.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9duqRtCyuHEh6RTH1HIujrP1fy99DL5LxunFuepmYVCKkzvWRfNVlRx-jJ_36n-F69peZ_UWh2E2nBVXnU1L56GLShJk0bED4LnUSMhWpvZyDWjOmLaQB9b2KHBx5s4pPRQV4JCHXFb0/s1600/pacmancocktailnew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9duqRtCyuHEh6RTH1HIujrP1fy99DL5LxunFuepmYVCKkzvWRfNVlRx-jJ_36n-F69peZ_UWh2E2nBVXnU1L56GLShJk0bED4LnUSMhWpvZyDWjOmLaQB9b2KHBx5s4pPRQV4JCHXFb0/s1600/pacmancocktailnew.jpg" /></a></div>
I'll be showing progress of the build in the cabs section of the blog, as well as the <a href="http://www.retromamearcade.net/" target="_blank">RetroMameArcade</a> website. Hopefully I'll be purchasing supplies (pushbuttons, MDF Panels, etc.) within the next couple of weeks. I'm pretty stoked!!Arcade Puppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991585329323397532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-63174451136025955912013-10-13T21:14:00.000-07:002013-10-13T21:18:22.298-07:00Busy Life, but happy . . .So, I added a couple pics of the Horizons cab in the cabinets section. SOOOOOOO CLOSE!!! All that's left now is the filler panel between the control panel and glass / bezel. I also need to figure out what to do with the edges of the arcade side panels, since I failed to route out grooves for T-molding in the beginning of the project. Other than some protective trim around the base, that'll be it!! WooHoo!!<br />
<br />
I'll be helping my friend Rick build his cabinet next, and my plan is to also begin building my cocktail cab at the same time (we're planning on buying buttons / sticks from Suzo-Happ soon). Slow-going but still fun. <br />
<br />
The podcast has really become an inspiration for me in this hobby. We've been getting great feedback so far, and we're working towards completion of episode 2. We're really hoping to fill the MAME niche in the podcasting world. It's been a major time juggle to fit in chances to record content for it, but we're determined to keep it going! I finally got it set up on iTunes, so check out the link on the home page:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.retromamearcade.net/" target="_blank">http://www.retromamearcade.net/</a><br />
<br />Arcade Puppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991585329323397532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-28292172426366300082013-08-27T14:38:00.000-07:002015-03-09T11:51:21.386-07:00Stuff<div class="MsoNormal">
So, the oldest son is now off to college, and now I can move
the treadmill / exercise machine into his room, allowing me access to the right
side of the north wall mural in the arcade.
I've been doing a little bit of touch-up of the mural in the
meantime: finished my final coat of
paint of the black-light reactive stars, as well as begin painting in the
land-masses of planet Earth. Along with
this, the Horizons Cab is almost done!!
I will add pics to the 'Cabinets' section of the blog
soon.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have also added a new section to the blog, called 'Game
Room'. This is where I will show
additions / mods to the arcade itself that aren't arcade cab specific. I plan to upload pics of the bezels I
installed on the black lights for the mural shortly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Other news:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first RetroMameArcade Podcast is completed. It's available for streaming on the website:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.retromamearcade.net/">www.retromamearcade.net</a><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It will also be available on iTunes very soon (just gotta
finish the RSS feed info, etc). </div>
Arcade Puppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991585329323397532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-28847337588445747342013-07-09T23:59:00.000-07:002013-07-09T23:59:41.954-07:00So it's early in the morning . . .It's one of those nights where you're tired, but actually don't feel like sleeping. I stayed up late to chat and hang out with my stepson, who'll be leaving for college in another month or so. We talked cars, games, etc. I'm finally starting to rest, now that I'm on a CPAP machine. It turns out I have really bad sleep apnea, and the CPAP is slowly bringing me back to having energy to burn some midnight oil. Tonight I decided to get a 'master' computer set up with all my MAME game roms. It took some time, as I have a few THOUSAND! Also the fact they were originally on CD when I got them several years ago increased the task time. Being able to finally get them fully onto a machine (as well as most of them on a jump drive) will make downloading them to the other PCs MUCH easier.<br />
<br />
The RetroMameArcade podcast is almost ready - funny how almost everything I plan ends up taking longer than I think. It's been a learning experience, but also fun. <br />
<br />
Been starting to work on the black light bezels for the ceiling, as well as the black light fish tank.<br />
<br />
Also (if I'm lucky), the Horizons cab will be done within the next two weeks. . . .WOOHOO!!!<br />
<br />
Wish I had more, but I've had lots of home / garden projects to take care of, as well as rebuilding my old Kawasaki 650 motorcycle.<br />
<br />
More later. Live the arcade dream!!Arcade Puppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991585329323397532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-88647293021050711712013-04-25T08:41:00.003-07:002013-05-08T14:59:35.696-07:00Not necessarily slacking . . . . I actually have a decent reason for not posting for a couple of months. I've been working on a MAME-based project with a good friend of mine. No, it's not a cab or anything like that. It's actually a web site for MAME enthusiasts called <a href="http://www.retromamearcade.net/" target="_blank">RetroMameArcade.net</a>. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.weebly.com/uploads/1/8/9/9/18992539/custom_themes/353169522715000262/files/retrohed.jpg?1365107555992" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="80" src="http://www.weebly.com/uploads/1/8/9/9/18992539/custom_themes/353169522715000262/files/retrohed.jpg?1365107555992" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It's still under construction, but the cool part of it all is that the web site will be a supplement to our upcoming podcast. The podcast (still in process) will be available soon - the plan is to have it up on iTunes, etc. by mid-June. It's going to cover pretty much all things MAME-ish. From general tech, to desktop control panel construction, to cabinet and and MAME-based arcade builds (real surprise there). <br />
<br />
We're hoping to make it fun (and a little sassy). I've been using my midnight oil over the past few weeks, tweaking the sound and production of the podcast. We're still creating content, and figuring out the details of what true direction we're going to have the podcast take.<br />
<br />
Can't wait for the first podcast to hit iTunes . . . I'll keep you posted!!<br />
<br />Arcade Puppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991585329323397532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-31408374581866457832013-01-31T10:25:00.002-08:002013-01-31T10:25:55.515-08:00New and improved blog . . . well, it will be soon. I ditched my arcade web site, as I wasn't utilizing the web space enough to make it worth the expense. But since Blogger allows us the option to add pages, etc., I'm basically going to move the web site over to the blog.<br />
<br />
So soon I will have a few 'pages' set up for you the check out. There'll be a page dedicated to my arcade cabinets, showing the build progress, stats and costs for each one, etc. I'll also have a Tech Tips & Tricks page, as well as a page dedicated to all things MAME. I'll probably add another page for the game room itself, showing how it's being decorated, lights & wiring, nick-nacks, etc.<br />
<br />
Overall, it will create a more complete arcade blog experience. I'm going to post a bunch of pics for the Horizon cabinet build soon, as it's basically a finished project. Keep checking in!Arcade Puppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991585329323397532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-81893133033538093772013-01-10T11:02:00.002-08:002013-01-10T11:02:37.127-08:00Christmas Vacation, My Ass . . . Well, here's a surprise. Didn't get time to work on anything arcade-related. Too much stuff going on with family holiday get-togethers, housework / home repairs and taking care of the baby while the daycare was closed. Baby brought home an awesome cold / sinus infection for the holidays, and we've all been getting it. The wife and I are still sick.<br />
<br />
While I haven't had time to actually 'work' on it, I have been thinking the directions I'm wanting to take with the game room. I've decided to nix the idea of a cabinet that's dedicated to the 3d Pinball! game that I have. Even though it's a great emulator, it's not the same as a real pin. I've also chosen to forego making a sister cabaret cab to the Horizons cab. The reason is simply that while a cabaret cab is enjoyable, it's not the most comfortable cab to play at. I would rather have another full-size upright. Also, the cocktail cab I will should cover all of those vertical-screen games that the Horizons cab isn't designed for. So my thinking has gone to actually have one REAL cab in the arcade. Something like a Space Invaders, Robotron, Berzerk, Missile Command or Defender. I wouldn't mind an Asteroids or Lunar Lander cab, but they're actually too tall to fit in the basement with the suspended ceiling. Here's the list of what games I want included in the game room (currently):<br />
<br />
1. MAME cabaret cab (Horizons - 95% complete).<br />
2. MAME cocktail cab (0% complete).<br />
3. MAME 4-player, full-sized upright cab (0% complete).<br />
4. Original, real arcade cab (when time & money allows).<br />
5. Real pinball machine or cockpit / driver-style MAME cab (still pondering)<br />
<br />
There is room for only 4 cabs in this game room in its current setup, and I figure the pinball machine, etc. will be last on my 'to-do' list. Once the baby gets a little older and the teenager moves out on his own, I'll be able to reorganize a couple areas to potentially add more cabs.<br />
<br />
That's what I've got for now. Live the Arcade Dream!!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Arcade Puppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991585329323397532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-64867509334291415792012-12-22T20:11:00.001-08:002012-12-22T20:15:33.744-08:00Have Christmas Vacation, Will Work on the Arcade!I lucked out and was able to get vacation time off from the 24th of December through the 1st of January. Actually I kind of had to, as our daycare is closed during that time, so someone's got to stay home and take care of the little one. At just over 8 months old, he's quite the handful, so I'm still going to have to use the 'moonlight' hours of the evening to work on the game room. But at least having time off from the normal work day will make it easier to lose a little sleep while pushing towards more progress in the basement.<br />
<br />
The Horizons Cabinet: recently, I was able to get the control panel front cover, back access door and the control front cover-to-keyboard drawer filler panel primed for painting. I'm hoping on getting the color coats done in the next day or two. After that, all that really needs done is get the filler peice between the control panel and the monitor bezel installed (once I make it), and adding a little adhesive backed insulation stripping on the cabinet internals, to keep the marquee lighting from shining through a couple gaps. I do eventually have to look into taking care of some other cosmetics (i.e. paint bleed on the side-art that needs touching up, etc.). I also have to finish the DOS-based batch file front-end / gaming menu system.<br />
<br />
Also on my to-do list over the next week:<br />
1. Install bezels over the ceiling mounted black lights that shine on the space mural.<br />
2. Finish painting planet Earth on the space mural and begin working on Saturn.<br />
3. Look into adding a couple more mirrors (as my budget allows) to the west arcade wall.<br />
4. Optimize / reorganize console games that are currently in use in the arcade, as they're just kind of a mess all over the northwest corner of the game room.<br />
5. Finish cleaning out the arcade fish tank and begin testing the current equipment (light/bezel, air pumps etc.).<br />
6. Begin working on the PC for the next planned arcade cabinet (cocktail).<br />
<br />
We'll see how much of this list I get get accomplished, but I'm trying to keep up my enthusiasm, because if I don't see a little more progress, I'm going to get a bit bummed out and possibly a touch crazy!!! More soon!<br />
<br />Arcade Puppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991585329323397532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-54045778949389993982012-11-29T10:40:00.001-08:002012-11-29T10:41:33.082-08:00When will I get time to work on my dream?!?!? Well, it's been a good year for me. New job, baby, busy family stuff, etc. The only thing that does suck is the fact that I'm a little older, and being able to stay up late at night to work on hobbies, etc. (FYI - I quit night school for now) has been a rather challenging task. I'll plan out what I want to do with the arcade some evening, and once everything has been done with taking care of the honey-do's etc. I'm shot and have to go to bed. Frustrating. <br />
<br />
There's things to do that I already have the material for: finishing up the Horizons Cab, as well as finishing up the front-end menu system for it. There's work to be done on the space mural, wiring up the black lights in the ceiling, etc. to run from a remote control, and I even have a couple more machines that can be set up with MAME for future cabs. Also of note is that technically I can get started on the iTunes music kiosk for the arcade as well. And then there's the arcade fish tank that still needs to be cleaned and painted . . . lot's of things I could work on right now, if I could get off my tired butt at night and just do it.<br />
<br />
Hopefully I can get some energy and motivation this next month and make things happen. I'm such a slacker - Geez!!<br />
<br />Arcade Puppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991585329323397532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-12682007684195101152012-09-24T14:52:00.000-07:002012-09-24T14:52:42.072-07:00Finally - a real update!!!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7r9hOCaySjEtchZfdQPGNjnIcPNAcR3i11CDcz2lQinM4C3-g35ZALa4dn57uJnMvFrKDFcSWcr3TtWlfn3svd7NSW-6p6A2TtzNOl2V6O-diR4yENqXETKCwZyUJ3DVj2gQceb0rN-s/s1600/ctrlpanl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7r9hOCaySjEtchZfdQPGNjnIcPNAcR3i11CDcz2lQinM4C3-g35ZALa4dn57uJnMvFrKDFcSWcr3TtWlfn3svd7NSW-6p6A2TtzNOl2V6O-diR4yENqXETKCwZyUJ3DVj2gQceb0rN-s/s320/ctrlpanl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
So yeah . . . it's been a slow year for the arcade. But it IS still moving. Progress on the space mural, as well as the Horizons cab. I've got the control panel front cover and the back access door installed. All that's left to finish on the cab is the filler panel between the control panel front and the keyboard drawer, a filler between the screen bezel and the control panel top, a little painting and the first cab will be at 100% completion!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUWOwH0cXcQFZa3rekiAh-Fjs9ThimuD0dStrquyEfFZBOk-TIK46WhcpGoR0fNTg86T2uOy87o-ClGMySmijQcvdgsWczQ4t5tB4sBInfrHFaXzsE3WQp4JeYjL9VkuR9OY27v2tS7w/s1600/doorclsd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUWOwH0cXcQFZa3rekiAh-Fjs9ThimuD0dStrquyEfFZBOk-TIK46WhcpGoR0fNTg86T2uOy87o-ClGMySmijQcvdgsWczQ4t5tB4sBInfrHFaXzsE3WQp4JeYjL9VkuR9OY27v2tS7w/s320/doorclsd.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcJlhGX7rIEf7rH1XupzHeCVsT_EiNdaSpn3ocEQLWhYxK3XWOcCFN1cnsduPu5CSsMbmn04A6d6zQThGxd4EbcvZ4aI41J7eXsSZJqG43VmcX7-AO_cG5xdhyphenhyphenQ63unaFhUOYYmYei9E/s1600/dooropen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcJlhGX7rIEf7rH1XupzHeCVsT_EiNdaSpn3ocEQLWhYxK3XWOcCFN1cnsduPu5CSsMbmn04A6d6zQThGxd4EbcvZ4aI41J7eXsSZJqG43VmcX7-AO_cG5xdhyphenhyphenQ63unaFhUOYYmYei9E/s320/dooropen.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Well . . . I still have to finish up the batch file front-end for Horizons as well, but that's not a big deal, really. Once this cab is finished, I'll most likely start work on either the cocktail cab or the Hyper 3D pinball cab. Stay tuned!!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Arcade Puppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991585329323397532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-39452094447128659722012-06-13T11:16:00.000-07:002012-06-13T11:18:51.437-07:00Long time, no post!Yeah, it's been a friggin' eternity since the last time I put anything up on the blog (or the website). So much has happened over the last few months; almost every 'hobby' has been put off. The reason for this is that there's a new baby in the arcade!! Gabriel Joseph, born April 16, 2012. He's taken most of my attention, and of course the schoolwork has continued to be significant time-eater as well. I have also embarked on a new chapter in my work life as well. I'm now a data programmer for a major clinical research firm.</br></br>
What can I say? Too busy to make the arcade dream progress to another level. That's not to say that I haven't been planning / thinking about it. This week I will accquire the PC that will be used for the eventual 4-player mega-cab. When I get done, this beast should literally play thousands of arcade games through MAME, along with Rogue Synapse's versions of Space Paranoids and The Last StarFighter.</br>
</br>
Hopefully the next project I will show will be the addition of more black light sconces, progress on the space mural and the completion of the Horizons Cab. Stay tuned!!Arcade Puppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991585329323397532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-2471064948215664432011-12-06T00:21:00.000-08:002012-08-10T11:47:25.620-07:00Mini Arcade TourI thought it would be fun to create a little video of the arcade space, to show the slow but steady progress. Hopefully I can make some good progress during Christmas, as I'll finally have some time off from work and school. Check out the vid below!<br /><br /><center><br /><object style="height: 345px; width: 420px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NO3GyuUEFSw?version=3&feature=player_profilepage"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NO3GyuUEFSw?version=3&feature=player_profilepage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="420" height="345"></object><br /></center>Arcade Puppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991585329323397532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-36752372321136954942011-09-07T23:50:00.000-07:002012-08-10T11:52:41.382-07:00Fun with Ms.PacmanWent to our local arcade recently (yes, we actually have an arcade!), owned by a local pizzeria (Valentino's). Once there, my friend Rick and I enjoyed a few games of Ms.Pacman. The machine's DIP switches were set for ultra-fast game play, and Ms.Pac flew around the mazes at an astonishing rate. Check out the video that Rick filmed . . . please forgive the quality, as my phone isn't that great for videos.<br /><br /><center><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0t1nzzYg6G4" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" width="420"></iframe><br /></center><br /><br />Anyway, it was fun while it lasted. It's just a little too bad that I suck at Ms.Pacman!Arcade Puppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991585329323397532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-51435456067872805542011-08-31T10:37:00.000-07:002013-01-31T10:53:46.922-08:00Gathering the talents. . .I know, I know. . . . it's been an insanely long time since I've posted on the blog (or the website). But between a new job that keeps me ultra-busy and taking night classes (I'm about a 3/4-time student), it leaves little time or energy to work on my beloved arcade. Fear not! I'm gearing up to get some things done soon.<br />
<br />
I have acquired a couple PCs for use as cabs: An older HP that will be used for the video pinball cab (see earlier post). An NEC that will most likely be used in a cocktail cab that I have planned, and tan IBM unit with see duty in the Horizon's sister cab, called 'Vertigo'.<br />
<br />
Anyway, the Horizons cab is almost completed and I have new pics to post soon. I will also be adding to the 'Cab Tech' section of my website, and will include some good shots of the Horizon build.
<br />
<br />Arcade Puppyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05991585329323397532noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-81403574289325134752011-03-17T10:55:00.000-07:002011-03-17T12:23:10.705-07:003D Pinball Cab Concept Sketch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_CKbfeCHao_lXEDFFW8EEyLlGTf0eE_Yas-dyGyaGlHIublQIDGolFChMod_NntvG5Rg1pLQtuYCa4ifwjOdhFWyOggaIlXGzEWtgcnRECbe9a3zQrub2gsYMX7KTsmS1Ry5mdbAeYUl/s1600/3dpinsktch.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 159px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_CKbfeCHao_lXEDFFW8EEyLlGTf0eE_Yas-dyGyaGlHIublQIDGolFChMod_NntvG5Rg1pLQtuYCa4ifwjOdhFWyOggaIlXGzEWtgcnRECbe9a3zQrub2gsYMX7KTsmS1Ry5mdbAeYUl/s200/3dpinsktch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585109354006840498" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So I have been thinking about what the next cabinet is going to be. Since I won't be able to afford a real pinball cabinet anytime, I wanted to make a cabinet based on a pinball emulation that, to me, is about the best I've ever played. Produced back in the mid-90's, <span style="font-style: italic;">Hyper-3D Pinball</span> was awesome! I played it forever and a day when it was new. The original game only seems to like running on Windows 95, but I still have the old HP computer (with the bad-ass Pentium 75 CPU) that I played the game on back then. The sketch you see here is a general cabinet idea I'm going for. Although the HORIZONS cab isn't fully completed and I should finish it first, I figured it can't hurt to plan ahead a little bit. . .Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-35046398415519099382011-01-21T09:13:00.000-08:002013-01-31T10:56:22.480-08:00Bad News for Home Arcade Enthusiasts. . .GAMEROOM MAGAZINE IS DEAD!!<br />
<br />
Since 1988, GameRoom Magazine has been a wonderful resource and inspiration for home arcade collectors and builders. Starting with a focus in jukeboxes, GR expanded into the realm of pinball machines, video games and eventually had articles featuring home game rooms. Because of a continued poor economy, GR has had a difficult time getting enough advertisers to maintain its operations, and closed its doors in November of 2010.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFzJtglUcMBlsUQG8-pmNL8sLeEXycFlCJpSBPadM5Sho9-WiNgzguKVDQ_DDoOb17FTwrHbfMmpWdHuJPSHb0xFNITp3hJlSAwGdhBsTPHkUUEM_VemwVk9D73UEr8JzQLbnU0s6MjHM/s1600/grlogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="61" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFzJtglUcMBlsUQG8-pmNL8sLeEXycFlCJpSBPadM5Sho9-WiNgzguKVDQ_DDoOb17FTwrHbfMmpWdHuJPSHb0xFNITp3hJlSAwGdhBsTPHkUUEM_VemwVk9D73UEr8JzQLbnU0s6MjHM/s320/grlogo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<center>
<br /></center>
I was fortunate enough to have had an article published in GameRoom's "Coin-op Confessions" section, back in May / June of 2010. It was a wonderful magazine and it will be dearly missed. More details about the demise of GR can be found <a href="http://www.vendingtimes.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=EB79A487112B48A296B38C81345C8C7F&nm=Vending+Features&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=4F16453D97294E4C8205C595DFF81E9C" target="_blank">here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-46358046682446044552011-01-14T12:45:00.000-08:002013-01-31T10:55:15.741-08:00LED Light-art experiment #1 After seeing the latest TRON movie, and then learning that the illuminated suits that the characters wore were real and not CG'd, I got curious. I was able to find <a href="http://www.glowhut.com/">Glowhut.com</a> - a place where you can buy various illuminated wires, tapes and panels.<br />
I bought a couple of wires from them that included a voltage regulator and power adapter. The wires are actually quite flexible and easy to work with.<br />
I am planning to possibly utilize the LED tape in different colors on the West wall of the arcade to illuminate the vertical slat decor that's already there. Then the plan will be to paint / apply geometric designs between the slats that will glow under black light. The goal is to give the wall a 1980s TRON-ish feel.<br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-52288461106892510522011-01-11T11:50:00.000-08:002013-01-31T10:57:49.946-08:00More artistic endeavors in the arcade Well, despite working full-time, maintaining a household and being in school (almost full-time), I'm still squeezing in a little late-night work on the first art piece for the arcade. This mural, called MOONSCAPE, will depict a large space-scene. The large sphere is the moon, with planet Earth and Saturn off to the left. The Moonlight Mini-Arcade logo will be placed in the center of the mural, surrounded by various video game characters floating and flying through space. There will also be a couple astronauts on the moon surface, playing the arcade game "Lunar Lander" - fitting, eh?<br />
Most of the detail artwork will be done with black-light friendly acrylic paints. There will eventually be black lights mounted to the ceiling, and covered by a long bezel, to illuminate the mural.<br />
As you can see, the work is still at the very beginning stages, with only the planets roughed in.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jUfysUgS-GA7rIXvXykrswmLRzBFlg3DGoROATgCZgIC7wwwplETayNdkaBl_bS94VRrFl8RPwYlUKtZROgITMegG82mC6fXW1SRYP2YE06J72xw07FpaQr2i90Vbkq7619j_OWd_T0/s1600/muraljan11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jUfysUgS-GA7rIXvXykrswmLRzBFlg3DGoROATgCZgIC7wwwplETayNdkaBl_bS94VRrFl8RPwYlUKtZROgITMegG82mC6fXW1SRYP2YE06J72xw07FpaQr2i90Vbkq7619j_OWd_T0/s320/muraljan11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-18118296460861321342010-12-19T10:19:00.000-08:002010-12-19T10:25:52.018-08:00Horizons Cab on YouTubeNot that long ago, Ed Fries created a new homebrew game for the Atari 2600. Called HALO 2600, it's literally a retro-version of the original HALO game that came out for the xbox. This game is available for download for use with most Atari 2600 emulators like Stella and Z26. I installed Z26 on the HORIZONS cab months ago, and I immediately put HALO 2600 on it to play arcade style. For fun, I put up a video for YouTube of the arcade action. Check it out . . . <br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dJYlKFNN7fw?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dJYlKFNN7fw?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714233222346089087.post-46957136149475251622010-12-03T12:44:00.001-08:002010-12-03T13:40:33.634-08:00The blog is back! After many months, I have decided to resurrect my arcade blog. Time is something of a scarce commodity in my life right now, so I haven't been able to update the actual <A HREF="http://moonlightminiarcade.bjrstudios.com/"> Moonlight Mini Arcade Web Site</A>.<br /> I plan to have frequent updates on the blog, such as how-to articles, progress reports and fun stuff arcade / retro-gaming related. The Web site will have a large photo-gallery, as well as more in-depth pages on some topics covered here.<br /> The arcade is still in it's infancy, so there's going to be many projects in the future to cover. Stay tuned!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0