Building a Basic Arcade Cabinet

The debate between what the better gaming platform is between consoles and PCs can add a third contender to the mix in the form of arcade machines. Sure, both consoles and PCs can play retro games but they can’t match the ‘feel’ you get fist-smashing those big coin-sized buttons while listening to 16-bit sound blasting in your face. Unfortunately, most arcades have gone the way of the dinosaurs but the good news is; the machines are making a comeback in our own homes as DIY projects.

Maker “tuschh94” and his brother recently designed his own using some clever woodworking skills and a PC. The entire build took a couple of months but the end result is quite nice. The frame is built entirely out of wood and cost roughly $400 to build, which includes the joysticks and buttons along with the signage LEDs. The internals include a massive flat screen CRT that’s powered by a PC running MAME for the old-school arcade games.

As you could imagine, Arcade KickAss weighs a ton and according to a reddit post by the brother, one of the support beams for the monitor blew-out while transporting it.

Makers have been designing and building their own arcade machines, including the sit-down ‘cocktail table’ versions, to play in their own homes, bringing back that arcade magic we felt long ago. It would seem all you need is a little bit of ingenuity, some carpenter skills and a bit of hardware to build your own. Just make sure the influx of visitors that come over have a steady supply of quarters!

See more of this build at Arcade KickAss project page.