Dubbel5

MAME - Multi Arcade Machine Simulator, the next best thing to a real arcade game ?!

Not many of us can afford or have the space to have real arcade machines at home, even though that is far preferable :)
Mame offers the chance, if you have the arcade-rom, to play and enjoy almost ALL your old favourites in one machine !
Here are some links you might need 
MAME - The official site
MAMEWORLD - The largest MAME resource page
EMUMOVIES - Huge amount of artwork

ATTRACT-MODE - My choice of Front End, there are MANY but this called out to me

ARCADE ITALIA - ARCADE DATABASE - All the info you will ever need about all the games available
THUNDERSTICK STUDIO - Reproduction parts for your build, rotary joysticks and star wars yoke ?!
ARCADESHOP - More hardware, how about Atari Cone buttons or Joust joysticks
ULTIMARC - Hardware ! The must have iPac board to connect your buttons and sticks to your PC



Check out my Front-End set up HERE




STARTING OUT WITH A DEFECTIVE GENERIC CABINET

First and foremost : PLEASE, NEVER disect or convert an original dedicated cabinet into a mame or anything other than what it was. 
In my case a very worn and generic cabinet was the base for my own Mame-Project

INTEREXCHANGEABLE CONTROL PANELS

Gauntlet (2 players, 8-way joysticks, 2 buttons each)
Hyper Sports (2 players, 3 buttons each)
Asteroids (1 player, 5 buttons)
Arkanoid (1 player, spinner, 1 button)
Joust (2 players, 2-way joysticks, 1 button each)
Q*Bert (1 player, 4-way joystick (diagonal))
Rally X (1 player, 4-way joystick, 1 button)

Neo-Geo (2 players, 8-way joysticks, 4 buttons each)

Bank Panic (1 players, 2-way joystick, 3 buttons)

Defender (1 player, 2-way joystick, 5 buttons)
Robotron (1 player, 8-way joysticks)
Championship Sprint (2 players, wheels, 1 button each)
Marble Madness (2 players, 2 trackballs)

NEW PARTS


22AWG wireing (Aliexpress)
12 Pin Magnetic Pogo Pin Connectors (Aliexpress)
Atari Volcano buttons (Arcadeshop.com)
Williams Joust joysticks and buttons (leaf switch) (Arcadeshop.com)
Buttons (Aliexpress)
2-Way joysticks (Defender, Bank Panic)
4-Way joysticks (Q*Bert, Rally X)

8-Way joysticks (Gauntlet, Neo Geo)
3" Trackballs for Marble Madness (Happ Controls)

Spinner for Arkanoid (RAC)
Steering wheels for Championship Sprint (Baolian)
Spinner for steeringwheels above (Baolian)
USB-Foot pedal (Aliexpress)
Coin slot and switches (Aliexpress)
Marquee display (Aliexpress)
Speaker set (Aliexpress)
Scan line generator (Aliexpress)
iPac2 (Ultimarc)


ORIGNAL PANELS  (left) vs MY HOMEBREW (right)


ARCADE GAMES
THE RISE, FALL AND AFTERLIFE OF A POP CULTURE

The Pioneers

Arcade games, that is coin operated video games, was first introduced in 1971 with the game Computer Space, developed by Syzygy Engineering and published by Nutting Industries.
Syzygy Engineering was Ted Dabneys and Nolan Bushnell, later founder of Atari.
The game Computer Space was based on one of the very first videogames, Spacewar!
Developers Steve Russell, Martin Graetz and Wayne Wiitanen are named as creators of Spacewar, as early as 1962 ! Try it out !! Spacewar!

Computer Space sold 1.500 units !

In 1972 Bushnell started Atari. Engineer Allan Alcorn was given an assignment to learn videogame design. The result was Pong, a game that Bushnell decided was good enough to produce and it went on to sell 8.000 units as well as laying the ground for what was to become a whole culture, the arcades. If you didnt try Pong before, go ahead and give it a go HERE or read more about it at Atari Compendium



The Golden Years of Arcade Games 1978 - 1987

While it is individual preference to what games where great, and difficult to name but a few, here is five titles from each year of the "Golden Years" of arcade games. Years that attracted people to come to arcades to hang out with friends and play their favourite games.

1978

  1. Space Invaders (TAITO) – One of the most iconic arcade games ever.

  2. Avalanche (ATARI) – An early Atari game where players catch falling objects.

  3. Fire Truck (ATARI) – A cooperative driving game.

  4. Skydiver (ATARI) – A parachuting simulation game from Atari.

  5. Super Breakout (ATARI) – A sequel to the classic Breakout.

1979

  1. Asteroids (ATARI) – One of Atari’s biggest hits. Vector screen.

  2. Galaxian (NAMCO) – The first Namco game with full-color graphics.

  3. Lunar Lander (ATARI) – A realistic landing simulation game.

  4. Monaco GP (SEGA) – An early racing game from Sega.

  5. Tail Gunner (CINEMATRONICS) – A space shooter with 3D-like graphics.

1980

  1. Pac-Man (NAMCO) – One of the most famous games and characters of all time.

  2. Missile Command (ATARI) – A strategic defense game from Atari.

  3. Rally-X (NAMCO) – An early racing game with a radar feature.

  4. Berzerk (STERN ELECTRONICS) – A robot-shooting game with voice synthesis.

  5. Phoenix (CENTURI) – A vertical scrolling shooter.

1981

  1. Donkey Kong (NINTENDO) – Introduced Mario to the gaming world.

  2. Frogger (KONAMI) – A classic game where players help a frog cross a road.

  3. Defender (WILLIAMS ELECTRONICS) – A fast-paced side-scrolling action game.

  4. Centipede (ATARI) – A classic insect-shooting game with trackball control.

  5. Gorf (MIDWAY) – A multi-stage space shooter.

1982

  1. Ms. Pac-Man (MIDWAY) – An alternative version of Pac-Man.

  2. Joust (WILLIAMS ELECTRONICS) – A unique game where players battle on flying ostriches.

  3. Robotron: 2084 (WILLIAMS ELECTRONICS) – An intense twin-stick shooter.

  4. Pole Position (NAMCO) – One of the first true racing games.

  5. Zaxxon (SEGA) – An isometric shooter with 3D-like graphics.

1983

  1. Mario Bros. (NINTENDO) – Introduced Mario and Luigi as cooperative characters.

  2. Track & Field (KONAMI) – A sports game with multiple events.

  3. Dragon’s Lair (CINEMATRONICS) – An interactive animated adventure.

  4. Spy Hunter (MIDWAY) – A driving combat game.

  5. Star Wars (ATARI) – A vector-graphics-based space shooter.

1984

  1. Tetris (ATARI) – Originally a computer game, but quickly became an arcade classic.

  2. 1942 (CAPCOM) – A vertical scrolling shooter set during World War II.

  3. Paperboy (ATARI) – A game where players deliver newspapers on a bicycle.

  4. Kung-Fu Master (NIHON BYSSAN) – One of the first beat-em-up games.

  5. Pac-Land (NAMCO) – A side-scrolling Pac-Man adventure.

1985

  1. Gauntlet (ATARI) – A classic dungeon-crawler game for up to four players.

  2. Ghosts 'n Goblins (CAPCOM) – A challenging platformer featuring a knight.

  3. Commando (CAPCOM) – A military-themed action game.

  4. Gun Smoke (CAPCOM) – A difficult game, Wild West shooter.

  5. Gradius (KONAMI) – A side-scrolling space shooter.

1986

  1. Out Run (SEGA) – One of the most popular and now classic racing games.

  2. Super Sprint (ATARI) – A top-down racing game for up to three players.

  3. Rampage (MIDWAY) – A game where players destroy cities as giant monsters.

  4. Bubble Bobble (TAITO) – A charming puzzle-platformer with dragons Bub & Bob.

  5. Arkanoid (TAITO) – A modernized version of Breakout.

1987

  1. Xybots (ATARI) – An early third-person shooter.

  2. Rainbow Islands (TAITO) – A colorful platformer sequel to Bubble Bobble.

  3. Street Fighter (CAPCOM) – The beginning of the famous fighting series.

  4. Double Dragon (TECHNOS JAPAN) – One of the first co-op beat-em-up games.

  5. After Burner (SEGA) – A high-speed aerial combat game.

Some statistics from the years 1978 - 1987


TOP 10 IN SOLD UNITS (reference)


10 OF THE TOP COMPANIES DURING THE GOLDEN YEARS



TOP 10 GAMES, BASED ON THE REVENUE FROM THE ARCADES (reference)

10 UNDERRATED GAMES


  • Marble Madness (1984) – A unique physics-based puzzle game with surreal level design.
    While this is a personal favourite, it's often mentioned as not getting enough love back in the day. Perhaps retroactively it's getting more attention.

  • Food Fight (1983) – A fast-paced game where players throw food at enemies while racing to eat an ice cream cone.

  • Mappy (1983) – A charming platformer starring a police mouse, overshadowed by bigger Namco titles.

  • Time Pilot (1982) – A time-traveling aerial combat game with innovative mechanics.

  • Bagman (1982) – A challenging platformer with puzzle elements that never reached mainstream success.

  • Bump 'n' Jump (1982) – A racing game with jumping mechanics that added a unique twist.

  • Vanguard (1981) – A scrolling shooter with multiple weapons and directional movement.

  • Turbo (1981) – An early racing game with impressive graphics for its time.

  • Wizard of Wor (1980) – A multiplayer maze shooter with intense action.

  • Lunar Lander (1979) – A realistic landing simulation that was overshadowed by Asteroids.

MY OWN TEN FAVOURITE GAMES (in no perticular order)


  • Marble Madness (1984) - Atari
    The music, the controls, the competetive part, this didnt get the love it deserved.
    Only 3270 units were ever produced, I owned TWO of those over the years ad regret selling it
    Not an all time high but one of my top favourites
    Check out the gameplay HERE


  • Time Pilot (1982) – Centuri
    Again, from the "underrated" list and maybe not one of the very biggest games, but a fast paced and addictive game with the perfect arcade recepie, you learn it in 10 seconds, improve enough to want to give it "just one more" try and it just keeps eating my coins
    Check out the gameplay HERE

  • Rainbow Islands (1987) - Taito -
    This is probably the one I spent the most time on, and while I managed to complete the game, I never did it "perfectly" with by winning all the 7 islands diamonds, YET I should say !
    Check out the gameplay HERE

  • Bank Panic (1985) - Sega - 
    Another one I just can't stop playing.. How is your trigger finger ? Not too slow, not too fast !

    Check out the gameplay HERE

  • Rolling Thunder (1986) - Atari - 
    I managed to "warp" this one too, once you memorise the enemies, it's not too hard
    This one gave me one of those great memories where I had a crowd watch me complete it, in the arcade
    At least 8 people was wispering behind my back and doing OHH's and WOW's to cheer me on !
    Check out the gameplay HERE

  • Galaga (1981) - Namco - 
    I never was any good at this mega-classic, and I probably actually spent more time on the prequal Galaxian, but there is something about Galaga to put it on my top 10
    Check out the gameplay HERE

  • Joust (1982) - Williams Electronics - 
    This two-player co-op / competative classic was also in my private collection and I once dragged the whole cabinet to a morning show on swedish TV... What can go wrong with jousting ostriches ??
    Check out the gameplay HERE

  • Championship Sprint (1986) - Atari - 
    This and the sister game Super Sprint, preferably in multiplayer (2 or 3) is always awesome, I had the cabinet for this one too, the bigger Super Sprint is a very rare sight in Sweden however
    Check out the gameplay HERE

  • Gauntlet II (1986) - Atari -
    This one wants your coins, for sure, "Green Elf needs food, badly"
    We played this for hours at a hamburger joint, we stuck the fire button with a toothpick and went to have burgers, just to continue deeper down in the levels after.
    Check out the gameplay HERE

  • Super Qix (1987) - Taito - 
    Spell it out, CASTLE, THUNDER,ROCKMAN find the hidden picture and get the word, easy and awesome
    Check out the gameplay HERE

The Dedicated Cabinet and its Artwork

In the Arcade machines were competing for your attention, one way was to have the game make a little demo, an attract mode, of all the fun it offered, toggled with a High Score-list to show you the competitions results on that game.
Another way, and more obvious and important to the history and the overall experience, in my opinion, was the artwork of the game. A dedicated cabinet meant that it the whole cabinet was designed for that perticular game. 
The marquee, the sideart, the control panel, the bezel and the posistion and size of the monitor, all to get your attention (and your coins)

10 GAMES THAT OFFERED ASTOUNDING ARTWORK (Again, in my opinion)


The generic cabinet and LACK of artwork

In 1985 a new standard connector for games to connect to the cabinet was introduced, the JAMMA connector.
Standards are all well and good, in this case it meant that instead of replacing the whole cabinet, you could just get a new board and swap it, reducing costs for shipping and handling immensely.
However.. you couldnt very well have a cabinet saying "Pac-Man" and then playing "Bubble Bobble" so cabinets with beautiful artwork was replaced with a generic versions or in a worst case scenario, sanded down and repainted black.

Marquees was replaced with generic ones saying nothing or perhaps "ARCADE" or "NEW GAME", soon after followed mainboards with replaceable cartridges, much like a home videogame, and ofcourse games "had" to be adapted to fit the control panel, instead of the other way around.. 

Did this help kill the hype and lose the charm to the easy access and fast improving consoles for home use ?
In my opinon, yes, 100%

That being said, there where thos who went far and above to make the cabinets stick out and be special, 

How about these 10 games ?


  • Space Harrier (1985) – Sega– Featured a sit-down motion cabinet that moved with the player's controls.

  • Super Hang-On (1987) – Sega– Had a motorcycle-style cabinetwhere players leaned to steer.

  • After Burner (1987) – Sega– Came with a moving cockpit that tilted and rotated.

  • Out Run (1986) – Sega– Offered a deluxe sit-down cabinet with a steering wheel and pedals.

  • Star Wars (1983) – Atari– Had a cockpit-style (enviromental) cabinet with flight controls.

  • Battlezone (1980) – Atari– Used a periscope-style viewer for a first-person tank combat experience.

  • Turbo (1981) – Sega– Featured a sit-down racing cabinet with a steering wheel and pedals.

  • Pole Position (1982) – Namco– One of the first sit-down racing cabinets with realistic controls.

  • Buggy Boy (1986) – Tatsumi– Driving game with tunnels, jump ramps and slalom gates.

  • TX-1 (1983) – Tatsumi– A triple-screen racing gamewith an immersive cockpit-style setup.

10 DESIGNERS WHO'S WORK WAS THE FOUNDATION OF THE GOLDEN YEARS

Ed Logg
Eugene Jarvis
Toru Iwatani
Nolan Bushnell
Tomohiro Nishikado
Shigeru Miyamoto

MEN DOMINATED THE INDUSTRY

The list of women arcade game designers is unfortunatly short

  • Dona Bailey- Co-designed (along with Ed Logg) the arcade classic Centipede (1981) while working at Atari.
    Centipede was notable for its vibrant colors and accessible mechanics


CONTROLS FOR DIFFERENT GAMES

Was it the many unique ways to control the games that attraced players to try new games, and that made some games succeed while other may have failed for the same reason ? Marble Madness would never have played with Joysticks ?
Did you try the sequal Marble Madness 2 - Marble Man ? Not the same with Joysticks

How would you play Robotron 2084 without the dual Joysticks ? Defender was a complicated setup, and still a success.
Here are some of the different ways and the games that adapted them, excluded the "regular" 2-way, 4-way and 8-way joystick controls, while they differ from eachother they are quite standard.


SOUNDS OF THE ARCADES

Equally important (!?) to graphics is/was the sounds and music, to get you attracted and to get you to stay, and remember the game for next time

How about these 10 classics ?


  1. Space Invaders (1978) - One of the first arcade games with a memorable sound loop that increased in tempo as the game got harder.
  2. Pac-Man (1980) - The cheerful and simple music in Pac-Man is instantly recognizable and has become a part of popular culture.
  3. Donkey Kong (1981) - The music in Donkey Kong, especially the iconic intro melody, is a classic.
  4. Galaga (1981) - Galaga is known for its uplifting and energetic music that perfectly matches the game's intense action.
  5. Frogger (1981) - Frogger has charming and light-hearted music that adds to the game's fun and relaxed atmosphere.
  6. Dig Dug (1982) - The music in Dig Dug is simple but addictive, and it changes dynamically based on the player's actions.
  7. Rainbow Islands (1987) - As cute as the graphics is the music to this cartoon classic
  8. Dragon's Lair (1983) - Dragon's Lair is known for its cinematic music that adds to the game's sense of adventure.
  9. Bubble Bobble (1986) - Catchy tune that wont leave you alone after a couple of games.
  10. Out Run (1986) - Out Run is known for its fantastic music, which the player can choose from different tracks, a unique feature for its time.

CONTROLS FOR DIFFERENT GAMES

Was it the many unique ways to control the games that attraced players to try new games, and that made some games succeed while other may have failed for the same reason ? Marble Madness would never have played with Joysticks ?
Did you try the sequal Marble Madness 2 - Marble Man ? Not the same with Joysticks

How would you play Robotron 2084 without the dual Joysticks ? Defender was a complicated setup, and still a success.
Here are some of the different ways and the games that adapted them, excluded the "regular" 2-way, 4-way and 8-way joystick controls, while they differ from eachother they are quite standard.


COMPETITION FROM THE HOME CONSOLES AND COMPUTERS

As the years went by the home consoles and home computers got better and eventually passed by the arcade, but have a look at these comparisons in game conversions, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and the "original" arcade version, no wonder we prefered the arcade when we could


OUT RUN - ZX SPECTRUM - COMMODORE 64 - ARCADE

SUPER SPRINT - ZX SPECTRUM - COMMODORE 64 - ARCADE

BANK PANIC (WEST BANK) - ZX SPECTRUM - COMMODORE 64 - ARCADE

BUBBLE BOBBLE - ZX SPECTRUM - COMMODORE 64 - ARCADE

GAUNTLET - ZX SPECTRUM - COMMODORE 64 - ARCADE

AI-GENERATED ARCADES - How could a home console or computer beat this ?

KONTAKT

FÖRSTA SIDAN
GÖTEBORGSRULLEN
LAGSERIEN