My 5 year old MAME arcade machine is struggling a bit. All the reconfigurations over the last 5 years have left the operating system in a bit of a confused state. It is struggling to recognise some of the USB devices (light guns, SNES pads etc), and is asking to be re-authenticated.

I’ve decided to replace the WinXP with Ubuntu.

The games that are big with the kids right now are:

• Metal Slug (1,2,3,4,5 and X)
• RodLand
• Galaga
• Frogger

As long as I can get these games to work we are onto a good thing.

How To:

1. I was going to do a fiull write up but this is easier…go here and follow these instructions.
2. Result:
   
   Yay! It works.

TODO:

1. Install emulators for Atari, NES, SNES and N64..?
2. Configure all the above:
3. Figure out why having a USB keyboard plugged in causes phantom keyboard commands. Whenever a keyboard is plugged in every game gets phantom commends for joystick-left. Ruins every game. Not a big drama as I have simply unplugged the keyboard. But it means that for debugging/installing I have to dive into the guts of the machine before I slide open the keyboard tray.
4. Figure out why the drivers I have written for the LCD TopGun’s are so … clunky. They definitely work and track OK, but they don’t have very good targeting at the moment. Very gross movements, as if their are only 32-ish pixels/points spread evenly across the screen that the guns are aware of.
5. Get tinted, hardened glass to cover screen
6. Get marquee printed:
   

Until you have one of these you are not officially a donor:

I am not officially an organ donor – but I did send my documents today to request it. Although you can apply online it still comes down to you filling in a paper form and sending it away.

UPDATE 2008-10-17: Now officially a card-carrying organ donor.

I decided to start a blog. Mainly to chronicle my efforts at building a mame cabinet.

I’ll probably also ramble on about:

• cutting code (I am employed as a web developer – C#.NET at the moment)
• purchasing a new house – just about to get real serious.
• my half-arsed handy-man efforts.
• general nerd stuff.

But for now I can’t be stuffed to write to much. I had some fellow mame enthusiasts over last night and I am a tad tired. My current mame setup got a workout till 2am this morning. It’s functional but definitely not pretty.

It’s got 5000+ arcade games, plus all the atari, snes and n64 games. I have recently discovered a game called “Parodius Da!” – bloody awesome game play. I love scroller games like this.

Just yesterday I started cutting out the panels for the arcade cabinet. I have based my cabinet on the “Ultimate Arcade II” design. I have also been heavily influenced by Knievel Kustoms – this guy makes the most professional cabinets. Nice innovations, stunning visuals. I love his blue neon design – fantastic.

At the moment all I have is a crappy TV hooked up to a few old PC parts and a dodgy 2 person control panel that needs to be rebuilt for a pro finish…