Arcade cabinet
Encyclopedia
A video game arcade cabinet, also known as a video arcade machine or video coin-op, is the housing within which a video arcade game
's hardware
resides. Most cabinets designed since the mid-1980s conform to the JAMMA wiring standard. Some include additional connectors for features not included in the standard.
The sides of the arcade cabinet are usually decorated with brightly colored stickers or paint, representing the gameplay of their particular game.
Controls are most commonly a joystick
for as many players as the game allows, plus action button
s and "player" buttons which serve the same purpose as the start button on console
gamepad
s. Trackball
s are sometimes used instead of joysticks, especially in games from the early 1980s, spinners are used to control horizontally the action on screen, such as Arkanoid
and Pong
. Games such as Robotron: 2084
, Smash TV
and Battlezone use double joysticks instead of action buttons.
If an upright is housing a driving game, it may have a steering wheel and throttle pedal instead of a joystick and buttons. If the upright is housing a shooting game, it may have light gun
s attached to the front of the machine, via durable cables. Some uprights for shooting games have their monitors set a few feet further than usual, in order to make the game more challenging.
Upright cabinet shape designs varies from simplest symmetric perpendicular boxes as in Star Trek (1972) to most complicated asymmetric forms.
es). The monitor's orientation is usually in player two's favor only in two-player games when it's player two's turn, and in player one's favor all other times. Simultaneous, 4 player games that are built as a cocktail include Warlords, and others.
Cocktail
cabinet versions were usually released alongside the upright version of the same game. They were relatively common in the 1980s, especially during the Golden Age of Arcade Games
, but have since lost popularity. Their main advantage over upright cabinets was their smaller size, making them less obtrusive. The top of the table was covered with a piece of tempered glass, making it convenient to set drinks on (hence the name), and they were often seen in bars
.
sold many Neo-Geo MVS cabinets in this configuration, though most arcade games made in Japan that only use a joystick and buttons will come in a sit-down cabinet variety. In Japanese arcades, this type of cabinet is generally more prevalent than the upright kind, and they are usually lined up in uniform-looking rows. A variant of this, often referred to as "versus-style" cabinets are designed to look like two cabinets facing each other, with two monitors and separate controls allowing two players to fight each other without having to share the same monitor and control area. Some newer cabinets can emulate these "versus-style" cabinets through networking.
s, and racing game
s. These cabinets typically have equipment resembling the controls of a vehicle (though some of them are merely large cabinets with fair features such as a great screen or chairs). Driving games may have a bucket seat, foot pedals, a stick shift, and even an ignition, while flight simulators may have a flight yoke or joystick, and motorcycle games handle bars and a seat shaped like a full-size bike. Often, these cabinets are arranged side-by-side, to allow players to compete together. Some of these cabinets are very elaborate, and include hydraulics which move the player according to the action on screen. Sega
is among the biggest manufacturers of these kinds of cabinets.
for games such as Star Wars
, Sinistar
or Discs of Tron
.
s (both commercial and hobbyist) and newsgroup
s devoted to arcade cabinet restoration. They are full of tips and advice on restoring games to mint condition.
Of course, hobbyists prefer cabinets with original artwork in the best possible condition. Since machines with good quality art are hard to find, one of the first tasks is stripping any old artwork or paint from the cabinet. This is done with conventional chemical paint strippers or by sanding (preferences vary). Normally artwork cannot be preserved that has been painted over and is removed with any covering paint. New paint can be applied in any manner preferred (roller, brush, spray). Paint used is often just conventional paint with a finish matching the cabinet's original paint.
Many games had artwork which was silkscreened directly on the cabinets. Others used large decals for the side art. Some manufacturers produce replication artwork for popular classic games—each varying in quality. This side art can be applied over the new paint after it has dried. These appliques can be very large and must be carefully applied to avoid bubbles or wrinkles from developing. Spraying the surface with a slightly soapy water solution allows the artwork to be quickly repositioned if wrinkles or bubbles develop like in window tinting applications.
(the same is true for side art). As with side art, some replication art shops also produce replication artwork for these pieces that is indistinguishable from original. Some even surpass the originals in quality. Once these pieces are acquired, they usually snap right into place.
If the controls are worn and need replacing, if the game is popular, they can be easily obtained. Rarer game controls are harder to come by, but some shops stock replacement controls for classic arcade games. Some shops manufacture controls that are more robust than originals and fit a variety of machines. Installing them takes some experimentation for novices, but are usually not too difficult to place.
s. Normally, unless the main tube is blown, a raster monitor will provide good display characteristics with perhaps a few minor color adjustments. Vector monitors, on the other hand, can be challenging or very costly to service, and some can't be repaired at all (they have dwindled in use since the 80s and parts are hard to come by). Sometimes they will have to be replaced completely, but even finding replacement monitors is difficult since few, if any, are produced any longer. Bare new CRTs are still available from some suppliers (vector monitors use the same basic tube as a raster, just with different electronics), but as they are bare tubes they usually require the yoke to be removed from the old tube and fitted to the new tube and setting up, which isn't usually a job that can be undertaken by the amateur arcade collector. Retrofitting other monitor technologies to emulate vector graphics can also be done.
Some electronic components are stressed by the hot, cramped conditions inside a cabinet. Electrolytic capacitor
s dry out over time, and in many classic arcade cabinets their service life is nearing the end. If a game has its original raster monitor, it will usually need to be "re-capped"—that is, some capacitors will need to be replaced so the monitor will deliver a proper image. Due to the size of the capacitors and the voltages present inside a video monitor, this can be a dangerous activity and should only be attempted by experienced hobbyists or professionals. If a monitor is broken, a replacement can usually be obtained via coin-op distributors or parts suppliers.
.
Many cabinets are converted to be used to host a game other than the original. In these cases, if both games conform to the JAMMA standard, the process is simple. Other conversions can be more difficult, but some manufacturers such as Nintendo
have produced kits to ease the conversion process (Nintendo manufactured kits to convert a cabinet from Classic wiring to VS. wiring).
such as MAME
and a PC to replace the game hardware. These home built cabinets have many of the features of real arcade cabinets (such as a coin box, marquees etc.). MAME arcade units can combine several arcade controls (such as two types of joysticks and a trackball) in one unit to enable play of many different games.
At least one company manufactures flat-pack style cabinet kits made from Medium-density fibreboard
. These remove the need for the hobbyist to cut to shape large panels of the material, but still require assembly, painting and finishing; and fitting out with a game-system, controls and display.
Bespoke arcade cabinets can also be custom built to order, allowing the hobbyist to design the cabinet removing the manual skills necessary for putting a cabinet together.
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
's hardware
Hardware
Hardware is a general term for equipment such as keys, locks, hinges, latches, handles, wire, chains, plumbing supplies, tools, utensils, cutlery and machine parts. Household hardware is typically sold in hardware stores....
resides. Most cabinets designed since the mid-1980s conform to the JAMMA wiring standard. Some include additional connectors for features not included in the standard.
Parts of an arcade cabinet
Note: Because arcade cabinets vary according to the games they were built for or contain, they may well not possess all of the parts listed below:- A monitorComputer displayA monitor or display is an electronic visual display for computers. The monitor comprises the display device, circuitry, and an enclosure...
, on which the game is displayed. They may display either rasterRaster graphicsIn computer graphics, a raster graphics image, or bitmap, is a data structure representing a generally rectangular grid of pixels, or points of color, viewable via a monitor, paper, or other display medium...
or vector graphics, raster being most common. Standard resolution is between 262.5 and 315 vertical lines, depending on the refresh rate (usually between 50 and 60 Hz). Slower refresh rates allow for better vertical resolution. Monitors may be oriented horizontally or vertically, depending on the game. Some games use more than one monitor. Some newer cabinets have monitors that can display high-definition videoHigh-definition videoHigh-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
. - Printed circuit boardPrinted circuit boardA printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. It is also referred to as printed wiring board or etched wiring...
s (PCB) or arcade system boardArcade system boardAn arcade system board is a dedicated computer system created for the purpose of running video arcade games. Arcade system boards typically consist of a main system board with any number of supporting boards...
s, the actual hardware upon which the game runs. Hidden within the cabinet. - A power supply to provide DC power to the arcade system boards and low voltage lighting for the coin slots and lighted buttons.
- A marquee, a sign above the monitor displaying the game's title. They are often brightly colored and backlit.
- A bezel, which is the border around the monitor. It may contain instructions or artwork.
- A control panel, a level surface near the monitor, upon which the game's controls are arranged. Control panels sometimes have playing instructions. Players often pile their coins or tokens on the control panels of upright and cocktail cabinets.
- Coin slots, coin returns and the coin box, which allow for the exchange of money or tokenToken coinIn the study of numismatics, tokens are coin-like objects used instead of coins. The field of tokens is part of exonumia. Tokens are used in place of coins and either have a denomination shown or implied by size, color or shape...
s. They are usually below the control panel. Very often, translucent red plastic buttons are placed in between the coin return and the coin slot. When they are pressed, a coin or token that has become jammed in the coin mechanism is returned to the player. See coin acceptor. Early coin slots could be defeated using a piezo-electric gas fire or gas oven igniter held against the steel bodywork of the cabinet, thus enabling free credits to be obtained. In some arcades, the coin slot is replaced with a card reader that reads data from a game card bought from the arcade operator.
The sides of the arcade cabinet are usually decorated with brightly colored stickers or paint, representing the gameplay of their particular game.
Types of cabinets
There are many types of arcade cabinets, some in fact being custom-made for a particular game; however, the most common are the upright, the cocktail or table, and the sit-down.Upright cabinets
Upright cabinets are by far the most common in North America. They are usually made of wood and metal, about six feet or two meters tall, with the control panel set perpendicular to the monitor at slightly above waist level. The monitor is housed inside the cabinet, at approximately eye level. The marquee is above it, and often overhangs it.Controls are most commonly a joystick
Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or...
for as many players as the game allows, plus action button
Button
In modern clothing and fashion design, a button is a small fastener, most commonly made of plastic, but also frequently of seashell, which secures two pieces of fabric together. In archaeology, a button can be a significant artifact. In the applied arts and in craft, a button can be an example of...
s and "player" buttons which serve the same purpose as the start button on console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
gamepad
Gamepad
A gamepad , is a type of game controller held in two hands, where the digits are used to provide input. Gamepads generally feature a set of action buttons handled with the right thumb and a direction controller handled with the left...
s. Trackball
Trackball
A trackball is a pointing device consisting of a ball held by a socket containing sensors to detect a rotation of the ball about two axes—like an upside-down mouse with an exposed protruding ball. The user rolls the ball with the thumb, fingers, or the palm of the hand to move a cursor...
s are sometimes used instead of joysticks, especially in games from the early 1980s, spinners are used to control horizontally the action on screen, such as Arkanoid
Arkanoid
is an arcade game developed by Taito in 1986. It is based upon Atari's Breakout games of the 1970s. The title refers to a doomed "mothership" from which the player's ship, the Vaus, escapes.-Overview:...
and Pong
Pong
Pong is one of the earliest arcade video games, and is a tennis sports game featuring simple two-dimensional graphics. While other arcade video games such as Computer Space came before it, Pong was one of the first video games to reach mainstream popularity...
. Games such as Robotron: 2084
Robotron: 2084
Robotron: 2084 is an arcade video game developed by Vid Kidz and released by Williams Electronics in 1982. It is a shooting game that features two-dimensional graphics. The game is set in the year 2084, in a fictional world where robots have turned against humans...
, Smash TV
Smash TV
Smash TV is a 1990 arcade game created by Eugene Jarvis and Mark Turmell for Williams. Home versions were developed for various platforms and most were published by Acclaim Entertainment.-Description:...
and Battlezone use double joysticks instead of action buttons.
If an upright is housing a driving game, it may have a steering wheel and throttle pedal instead of a joystick and buttons. If the upright is housing a shooting game, it may have light gun
Light gun
A light gun is a pointing device for computers and a control device for arcade and video games.Modern screen-based light guns work by building a sensor into the gun itself, and the on-screen target emit light rather than the gun...
s attached to the front of the machine, via durable cables. Some uprights for shooting games have their monitors set a few feet further than usual, in order to make the game more challenging.
Upright cabinet shape designs varies from simplest symmetric perpendicular boxes as in Star Trek (1972) to most complicated asymmetric forms.
Cocktail or table cabinets
Cocktail cabinets are shaped like low, rectangular tables, with the controls usually set at either of the broad ends, or, not as common, at the narrow ends, and the monitor inside the table, the screen facing upward. Two-player games housed in cocktails were usually alternant, each player taking turns. The monitor reverses its orientation for each player, so that everything seems right-side-up from each perspective. This requires special programming of the cocktail versions of the game (usually set by dip switchDIP switch
DIP switches are manual electric switches that are packaged in a group in a standard dual in-line package...
es). The monitor's orientation is usually in player two's favor only in two-player games when it's player two's turn, and in player one's favor all other times. Simultaneous, 4 player games that are built as a cocktail include Warlords, and others.
Cocktail
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
cabinet versions were usually released alongside the upright version of the same game. They were relatively common in the 1980s, especially during the Golden Age of Arcade Games
Golden Age of Arcade Games
The golden age of video arcade games was a peak era of video arcade game popularity, innovation, and earnings. Although there is no consensus as to its exact time period, most sources place it around the early 1980s.-Overview:...
, but have since lost popularity. Their main advantage over upright cabinets was their smaller size, making them less obtrusive. The top of the table was covered with a piece of tempered glass, making it convenient to set drinks on (hence the name), and they were often seen in bars
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
.
Candy cabinets
Owing to the resemblance of the plastic to hard candy, they are often known as "candy cabinets", by both arcade enthusiasts and industry. They are also generally less heavy and easier to clean than upright cabinets. They are positioned so that the player can sit down on a chair or stool and play for extended lengths. SNKSNK
SNK is a former name of SNK Playmore, a Japanese video game company . This may also refer to:* SNK European Democrats* SNK Union of Independents* Southeast Airlines ICAO code...
sold many Neo-Geo MVS cabinets in this configuration, though most arcade games made in Japan that only use a joystick and buttons will come in a sit-down cabinet variety. In Japanese arcades, this type of cabinet is generally more prevalent than the upright kind, and they are usually lined up in uniform-looking rows. A variant of this, often referred to as "versus-style" cabinets are designed to look like two cabinets facing each other, with two monitors and separate controls allowing two players to fight each other without having to share the same monitor and control area. Some newer cabinets can emulate these "versus-style" cabinets through networking.
Deluxe cabinets
Most commonly used for games involving gambling, long stints of gaming, or vehicles, such as fighting games, flight simulatorFlight simulator
A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and various aspects of the flight environment. This includes the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they react to applications of their controls and other aircraft systems, and how they react to the external...
s, and racing game
Racing game
A racing video game is a genre of video games, either in the first-person or third-person perspective, in which the player partakes in a racing competition with any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings...
s. These cabinets typically have equipment resembling the controls of a vehicle (though some of them are merely large cabinets with fair features such as a great screen or chairs). Driving games may have a bucket seat, foot pedals, a stick shift, and even an ignition, while flight simulators may have a flight yoke or joystick, and motorcycle games handle bars and a seat shaped like a full-size bike. Often, these cabinets are arranged side-by-side, to allow players to compete together. Some of these cabinets are very elaborate, and include hydraulics which move the player according to the action on screen. Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
is among the biggest manufacturers of these kinds of cabinets.
Cockpit and environmental cabinets
These are close relatives to deluxe cabinets except the player sits inside the game itself. Examples of this can be seen on the Killer List of VideogamesKiller List of Videogames
The Killer List of Videogames is a web site featuring an online encyclopedia devoted to cataloging arcade games past and present. It is the video game department of the International Arcade Museum, and has been referred to as "the IMDb for players."....
for games such as Star Wars
Star Wars (arcade game)
Star Wars is an arcade game produced by Atari Inc. and released in 1983. The game is a first person space simulator, simulating the attack on the Death Star from the final act of Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope...
, Sinistar
Sinistar
Sinistar is an arcade game released by Williams in 1982. It belongs to a class of video games from the 1980s called "twitch games". Other "twitch games" include Tempest, Defender, and Robotron: 2084. Sinistar was developed by Sam Dicker, Jack Haeger, Noah Falstein, RJ Mical and Richard Witt...
or Discs of Tron
Discs of Tron
Discs of Tron is the second arcade game based on 1982 Disney film Tron.-Description:While the first Tron arcade game had several mini-games , Discs of Tron is inspired by the Jai alai sequence in the original 1982 film in which Kevin Flynn is forced to play against Crom, leading to Crom being...
.
Mini cabinets
The mini or cabaret is a squatter version of the upright cabinet. It may also have a smaller monitor. Mini cabinets spare bulk and are easier for small children to play than some full-size cabinets.Countertop cabinets
Countertop or bartop cabinets are not much greatter than necessary to house their monitors and control panels. They are often used for trivia and gambling-type games, and are usually found installed on bars or tables in pubs and restaurants. These cabinets often have touchscreen controls instead of traditional push-button controls.Restoration
Since arcade games are becoming increasingly popular as collectibles, an entire niche industry has sprung up focussed on arcade cabinet restoration. There are many websiteWebsite
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
s (both commercial and hobbyist) and newsgroup
Newsgroup
A usenet newsgroup is a repository usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users in different locations. The term may be confusing to some, because it is usually a discussion group. Newsgroups are technically distinct from, but functionally similar to, discussion forums on...
s devoted to arcade cabinet restoration. They are full of tips and advice on restoring games to mint condition.
Artwork
Often game cabinets were used to host a variety of games. Often after the cabinet's initial game was removed and replaced with another, the cabinet's side art was painted over (usually black) so that the cabinet wouldn't misrepresent the game contained within. The side art was also painted over to hide damaged or faded artwork.Of course, hobbyists prefer cabinets with original artwork in the best possible condition. Since machines with good quality art are hard to find, one of the first tasks is stripping any old artwork or paint from the cabinet. This is done with conventional chemical paint strippers or by sanding (preferences vary). Normally artwork cannot be preserved that has been painted over and is removed with any covering paint. New paint can be applied in any manner preferred (roller, brush, spray). Paint used is often just conventional paint with a finish matching the cabinet's original paint.
Many games had artwork which was silkscreened directly on the cabinets. Others used large decals for the side art. Some manufacturers produce replication artwork for popular classic games—each varying in quality. This side art can be applied over the new paint after it has dried. These appliques can be very large and must be carefully applied to avoid bubbles or wrinkles from developing. Spraying the surface with a slightly soapy water solution allows the artwork to be quickly repositioned if wrinkles or bubbles develop like in window tinting applications.
Control panels, bezels, marquees
Acquiring these pieces is harder than installing them. Many hobbyists trade these items via newsgroups or sites such as eBayEBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
(the same is true for side art). As with side art, some replication art shops also produce replication artwork for these pieces that is indistinguishable from original. Some even surpass the originals in quality. Once these pieces are acquired, they usually snap right into place.
If the controls are worn and need replacing, if the game is popular, they can be easily obtained. Rarer game controls are harder to come by, but some shops stock replacement controls for classic arcade games. Some shops manufacture controls that are more robust than originals and fit a variety of machines. Installing them takes some experimentation for novices, but are usually not too difficult to place.
Monitors
Raster monitors are easier to service than vector monitorVector monitor
A vector monitor or vector display is a display device used for early computers. It is a type of CRT, similar to the oscilloscope, but typically uses magnetic, rather than electrostatic, deflection...
s. Normally, unless the main tube is blown, a raster monitor will provide good display characteristics with perhaps a few minor color adjustments. Vector monitors, on the other hand, can be challenging or very costly to service, and some can't be repaired at all (they have dwindled in use since the 80s and parts are hard to come by). Sometimes they will have to be replaced completely, but even finding replacement monitors is difficult since few, if any, are produced any longer. Bare new CRTs are still available from some suppliers (vector monitors use the same basic tube as a raster, just with different electronics), but as they are bare tubes they usually require the yoke to be removed from the old tube and fitted to the new tube and setting up, which isn't usually a job that can be undertaken by the amateur arcade collector. Retrofitting other monitor technologies to emulate vector graphics can also be done.
Some electronic components are stressed by the hot, cramped conditions inside a cabinet. Electrolytic capacitor
Capacitor
A capacitor is a passive two-terminal electrical component used to store energy in an electric field. The forms of practical capacitors vary widely, but all contain at least two electrical conductors separated by a dielectric ; for example, one common construction consists of metal foils separated...
s dry out over time, and in many classic arcade cabinets their service life is nearing the end. If a game has its original raster monitor, it will usually need to be "re-capped"—that is, some capacitors will need to be replaced so the monitor will deliver a proper image. Due to the size of the capacitors and the voltages present inside a video monitor, this can be a dangerous activity and should only be attempted by experienced hobbyists or professionals. If a monitor is broken, a replacement can usually be obtained via coin-op distributors or parts suppliers.
Wiring
If a cabinet needs rewiring, some wiring kits are available over the Internet. An experienced hobbyist can usually solve most wiring problems through trial and errorTrial and error
Trial and error, or trial by error, is a general method of problem solving, fixing things, or for obtaining knowledge."Learning doesn't happen from failure itself but rather from analyzing the failure, making a change, and then trying again."...
.
Many cabinets are converted to be used to host a game other than the original. In these cases, if both games conform to the JAMMA standard, the process is simple. Other conversions can be more difficult, but some manufacturers such as Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
have produced kits to ease the conversion process (Nintendo manufactured kits to convert a cabinet from Classic wiring to VS. wiring).
Scratch built
Some cabinets are constructed entirely by hobbyists to mimic an arcade cabinet using emulatorsVideo game console emulator
A video game console emulator is a program that allows a computer or modern console to emulate a different video game console's behavior. Emulators are most often used to play older video games on personal computers and modern video game consoles, but they are also used to play games translated...
such as MAME
MAME
MAME is an emulator application designed to recreate the hardware of arcade game systems in software on modern personal computers and other platforms. The intention is to preserve gaming history by preventing vintage games from being lost or forgotten...
and a PC to replace the game hardware. These home built cabinets have many of the features of real arcade cabinets (such as a coin box, marquees etc.). MAME arcade units can combine several arcade controls (such as two types of joysticks and a trackball) in one unit to enable play of many different games.
At least one company manufactures flat-pack style cabinet kits made from Medium-density fibreboard
Medium-density fibreboard
Medium-density fiberboard is an engineered wood product formed by breaking down hardwood or softwood residuals into wood fibres, often in a defibrator, combining it with wax and a resin binder, and forming panels by applying high temperature and pressure...
. These remove the need for the hobbyist to cut to shape large panels of the material, but still require assembly, painting and finishing; and fitting out with a game-system, controls and display.
Bespoke arcade cabinets can also be custom built to order, allowing the hobbyist to design the cabinet removing the manual skills necessary for putting a cabinet together.
See also
- Arcade gameArcade gameAn arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
- Slot machineSlot machineA slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
- Video arcadeVideo arcadeAn amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
- Arcade system boardArcade system boardAn arcade system board is a dedicated computer system created for the purpose of running video arcade games. Arcade system boards typically consist of a main system board with any number of supporting boards...
- JAMMA
- MAMEMAMEMAME is an emulator application designed to recreate the hardware of arcade game systems in software on modern personal computers and other platforms. The intention is to preserve gaming history by preventing vintage games from being lost or forgotten...