NEXUS 6

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NEXUS 6; aka Quad Laser Mark II
Topic Started: Friday, 3. July 2009, 21:38 (334 Views)
whoozwah	Friday, 3. July 2009, 21:38 Post #1
Geek of the Week Posts: 3,039 Group: Moderators Member #10 Joined: Jul 24, 2008	For those of you who don't know, I built an arcade machine some time ago. I called it the Quad Laser which was inspired by the Mooninites from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Here are a few pics: I love the thing. It took me 2 months to build and approximately 500 bucks in parts not counting the TV. However, if you notice, it is not a true cabinet. It's of my own design which is mainly to accomodate that big ass fucking television set which I have hooked up to it. This also serves as the monitor for my N64, Saturn, Dreamcast, xbox and PS2. I love vertical shmups. Dodonpachi, Armed Police Batrider, Mushihimesama etc etc. I also love classic games like frogger, galaga, donkey kong, pac man (which also all happen to be played on a vertically oriented monitor). The television I use for the Quad Laser is wonderful for console games and for horizontal games (sidescrollers, beat em ups, hori shmups, fighters) but leaves a lot to be desired for vertical games because they're all letterboxed. I want the real deal. This is where the Quad Laser Mark 2 comes in. I recently came into possesion of one of these: 24" HP with beautiful color reproduction, and a very low response time. Also, since it's an LCD, it'll save space inside the cabinet. I'm trying to decide on a cabinet style to go with. I've narrowed it down to a classic Williams style a la Pacman or a standard Dynamo cab. They look like this: Williams cab Dynamo cab What do you think? I'm also thinking about putting a PS2 in it for import shooters as well but that leaves the matter of wiring the control panel to accomodate the playstation as well as wiring the sound system I put in it to accomodate it as well. Lots of questions, lots of ideas. Lots of energy.
	You can call me Dave.


AzureEm	Friday, 3. July 2009, 22:13 Post #2
Ninety percent of the game is half mental Posts: 2,102 Group: Members Member #89 Joined: Apr 9, 2009	First off, I gotta say WOW on making your own arcade machine, while it does sound fun, I'm sure you went through hell and back building it. Congratulations. As for the cabinets, I would go for the Dynamo one, not only would it save you space, but from that picture, it looks like the screen is more upright than the Williams one, which would mean that you wouldn't have to slouch down as much.



whoozwah	Friday, 3. July 2009, 22:33 Post #3
Geek of the Week Posts: 3,039 Group: Moderators Member #10 Joined: Jul 24, 2008	it's hard to tell from the pictures but the dynamo cabs in general are much larger than the old williams cabs. I'm going to be cutting it close with space as it is but I'm still trying to decide. 'preciate the kudos on the Quad Laser mark I. Right now I'm researching sticks. Since this is basically going to be a dedicated vert shmup cab, I want a stick with a short throw/return to deadzone so that I can make quick, precise movements. I put optical sensing sticks in the Mark I but the spring on it is so tight. I'm looking for something a bit more flexible. It's a process. I don't go half-ass on things.
	You can call me Dave.


NFunspoiler	Saturday, 4. July 2009, 20:48 Post #4
The Crucible Posts: 3,266 Group: Moderators Member #77 Joined: Feb 16, 2009	I like the Williams Cab style best
	Also known as helium_flash "Good people do Good things. Bad people do Bad things. But for good people to do bad things, it takes religion." --Steven Weinburg, Nobel Laureate in Physics "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." --Thomas Jefferson "A Government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have." --Thomas Jefferson "The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries." --Winston Churchill


famicommander	Saturday, 4. July 2009, 20:50 Post #5
Jukebox Hero Posts: 7,402 Group: Admins Member #1 Joined: Jul 24, 2008	The Williams is the classic. Also, I like cocktail cabinets because it gives you somewhere to put your fucking drink.
	Kyle Orton (6-1) in 2009: 147/231, 1617 yards, 9 TD, 1 INT, 1 fumbles (0 lost), 0 rushing TD, 95.5 QB rating Jay Cutler (4-4) in 2009: 182/286, 2046 yards, 14 TD, 12 INT, 7 fumbles (1 lost), 1 rushing TD, 83.8 QB rating


whoozwah	Sunday, 5. July 2009, 00:04 Post #6
Geek of the Week Posts: 3,039 Group: Moderators Member #10 Joined: Jul 24, 2008	cocktail cabs are slick but it's not what I'm really going for. I do have an update though. I've decided on my actual hardware: For the joysticks I'm going for the Mag Stik plus for multiple reasons. 1. It has a 4 way to 8 way switch in it. Old games like Donkey Kong are four way. Playing them with an eight way stick sucks because it hits the diagonals. With the Mag Stik, you just pull the stick up, turn it a quarter turn to the left and push it back down. It shifts a restrictor plate beneath the control panel that puts your stick in either 4 or 8 way mode. Fucking awesome. My optical sticks on the Quad Laser do that but it's a bitch and a half to switch them since I have to go underneath the control panel and take them apart to do it. 2. It uses a magnetic return to deadzone system instead of a spring. This makes the stick feel very light when moving it and gives it a shorter throw. This will help me move with more precision and less effort than with my opticals. 3. Ball tops. I'm going with Happ competition convex buttons. Basically this is going to play similarly to the candy cabs found in Japanese arcades but with American made parts. I'm still trying to decide between the Williams style and dynamo but it's looking more like I may do a modified williams style wherein the angle that the display is mounted in isn't so close to being horizontal.
	You can call me Dave.


famicommander	Sunday, 5. July 2009, 00:11 Post #7
Jukebox Hero Posts: 7,402 Group: Admins Member #1 Joined: Jul 24, 2008	Sounds good.
	Kyle Orton (6-1) in 2009: 147/231, 1617 yards, 9 TD, 1 INT, 1 fumbles (0 lost), 0 rushing TD, 95.5 QB rating Jay Cutler (4-4) in 2009: 182/286, 2046 yards, 14 TD, 12 INT, 7 fumbles (1 lost), 1 rushing TD, 83.8 QB rating


whoozwah	Sunday, 5. July 2009, 00:12 Post #8
Geek of the Week Posts: 3,039 Group: Moderators Member #10 Joined: Jul 24, 2008	I found the computer that's going to be running mame and the front end: Net..top
	You can call me Dave.


famicommander	Sunday, 5. July 2009, 00:15 Post #9
Jukebox Hero Posts: 7,402 Group: Admins Member #1 Joined: Jul 24, 2008	Same processor I have in my Netbook.
	Kyle Orton (6-1) in 2009: 147/231, 1617 yards, 9 TD, 1 INT, 1 fumbles (0 lost), 0 rushing TD, 95.5 QB rating Jay Cutler (4-4) in 2009: 182/286, 2046 yards, 14 TD, 12 INT, 7 fumbles (1 lost), 1 rushing TD, 83.8 QB rating


whoozwah	Sunday, 5. July 2009, 00:18 Post #10
Geek of the Week Posts: 3,039 Group: Moderators Member #10 Joined: Jul 24, 2008	yeah, my netbook runs mame and my preferred frontend with no hiccups with only 1 gig ram and intel graphics. I don't think it would be an issue and considering the extremely low footprint that thing has, I'll definitely save space, energy and emit a considerably low amount of heat inside the cabinet.
	You can call me Dave.


Heavy_Metal_Jesus	Sunday, 5. July 2009, 00:36 Post #11
I've got a halo 'round my head Posts: 884 Group: Members Member #54 Joined: Oct 9, 2008	Sounds pretty sweet.
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famicommander	Sunday, 5. July 2009, 00:48 Post #12
Jukebox Hero Posts: 7,402 Group: Admins Member #1 Joined: Jul 24, 2008	I dunno. My Netbook can actually get pretty hot if I have it set to performance mode for more than a few hours.
	Kyle Orton (6-1) in 2009: 147/231, 1617 yards, 9 TD, 1 INT, 1 fumbles (0 lost), 0 rushing TD, 95.5 QB rating Jay Cutler (4-4) in 2009: 182/286, 2046 yards, 14 TD, 12 INT, 7 fumbles (1 lost), 1 rushing TD, 83.8 QB rating


whoozwah	Tuesday, 7. July 2009, 00:54 Post #13
Geek of the Week Posts: 3,039 Group: Moderators Member #10 Joined: Jul 24, 2008	I'm pretty much set on the modified Williams cab design. I just have to get exact measurements on everything then modify to suit the monitor. Also, with the last cabinet, I used female disconnects to wire the controls up, as seen in the second pic of the first post. I think that instead of using disconnects + stripping and crimping wires, I'm going to solder everything except where the wire connects to the keyboard controller. It will end up being SO MUCH cleaner that way. Look at this pic for a reference as to what I'm talking about: If you look closely at the posts on his switches, there aren't any female disconnects anywhere. Dude cuts the crap and gets down to damn business. He solders that shit down and runs it back to the length that he wants it and the strips and screws back to the keyboard controller. For the ground he runs a daisy chain but he solders that as well. Fucking insane. Yet super clean at the same time. This is definitely the route I'm going to take for my next cab.
	You can call me Dave.


whoozwah	Tuesday, 7. July 2009, 22:54 Post #14
Geek of the Week Posts: 3,039 Group: Moderators Member #10 Joined: Jul 24, 2008	I want you guys' input on a visual style for the cabinet. It's mainly going to be for vert shmups but I'm going to be putting some classic vertical games on it as well. It's definitely not going to be Aqua Teen again. Everyone that I've told my plans to IRL has said they think I should do a Ghostbusters cab but I don't know if I want to do that or not. I'd like to find something that gels with the selection of games I'm choosing but overall, I just want something that looks badass but not amateur. Any ideas?
	You can call me Dave.


famicommander	Tuesday, 7. July 2009, 22:58 Post #15
Jukebox Hero Posts: 7,402 Group: Admins Member #1 Joined: Jul 24, 2008	Something with guns. Ghostbusters and SHMUPs don't fit. I know you liked Gundam Wing. That fits with the space shooter theme in my opinion.
	Kyle Orton (6-1) in 2009: 147/231, 1617 yards, 9 TD, 1 INT, 1 fumbles (0 lost), 0 rushing TD, 95.5 QB rating Jay Cutler (4-4) in 2009: 182/286, 2046 yards, 14 TD, 12 INT, 7 fumbles (1 lost), 1 rushing TD, 83.8 QB rating


whoozwah	Tuesday, 7. July 2009, 23:07 Post #16
Geek of the Week Posts: 3,039 Group: Moderators Member #10 Joined: Jul 24, 2008	good start. I don't know that I'd want a dedicated Gundam Wing cab, or a dedicated anything cab but something with guns. For some reason, every time I think about designing the theme, I have Kenny Loggins - Danger Zone stuck in my head. Could mean something...
	You can call me Dave.


famicommander	Tuesday, 7. July 2009, 23:08 Post #17
Jukebox Hero Posts: 7,402 Group: Admins Member #1 Joined: Jul 24, 2008	How about Blade Runner?
	Kyle Orton (6-1) in 2009: 147/231, 1617 yards, 9 TD, 1 INT, 1 fumbles (0 lost), 0 rushing TD, 95.5 QB rating Jay Cutler (4-4) in 2009: 182/286, 2046 yards, 14 TD, 12 INT, 7 fumbles (1 lost), 1 rushing TD, 83.8 QB rating


whoozwah	Tuesday, 7. July 2009, 23:09 Post #18
Geek of the Week Posts: 3,039 Group: Moderators Member #10 Joined: Jul 24, 2008	cyberpunk...brilliant blade runner, akira, bubblegum crisis, einhander, snatcher... so much awesomeness in that visual style
	You can call me Dave.


whoozwah	Tuesday, 7. July 2009, 23:14 Post #19
Geek of the Week Posts: 3,039 Group: Moderators Member #10 Joined: Jul 24, 2008	what to call it though?
	You can call me Dave.


famicommander	Tuesday, 7. July 2009, 23:18 Post #20
Jukebox Hero Posts: 7,402 Group: Admins Member #1 Joined: Jul 24, 2008	I dunno, man.
	Kyle Orton (6-1) in 2009: 147/231, 1617 yards, 9 TD, 1 INT, 1 fumbles (0 lost), 0 rushing TD, 95.5 QB rating Jay Cutler (4-4) in 2009: 182/286, 2046 yards, 14 TD, 12 INT, 7 fumbles (1 lost), 1 rushing TD, 83.8 QB rating


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