Just from reading the posts, it seems mostly everyone here is already using or hoping to acquire arcade cabinets, and also mostly into Jamma-type fighting games (joystick + buttons type controls).
Is there anyone here like me that wants to be able to play many different Naomi games at home and also like to stow them away afterwards so prefers an alternative to an actual arcade cab? OK by now I'm probably gonna get labelled a heretic but I also prefer LCD panels to heavy flickery power-hungry CRTs too.
Its somewhat more of a challenge in my case as the games I like are generally driving/flying games rather than fighting games so don't have as simple control setups as just 2 joysticks and a few buttons. I've already had luck with modifying a standard PC flight-sim yoke to work for Airline Pilots as the original arcade yoke and pedals together are physically massive and weigh about as much as I do, no kidding, so hardly a portable option.
I have also just finished the first version of a portable combined driving game unit (Crazy Taxi/Wild Riders/Initial D 1/2/3) from bits I bought from Mick, Segashed Andy and also off ebay.
I made a simple wood panel with the wheel, shifter and start buttons that clamps to the edge of any table and put a regular computer monitor and speakers behind it. I also made a wood case that goes on the floor that contains the PSU, naomi2, GDROM, I/O card and has pedals on one end. I used parts of a Crazy Taxi wiring loom to make a long lead to plug the above panel into it.
The way I got around the I/O wiring differences between each game is fairly straightforward... Each game uses the same analog pins for steering, braking and accelerator (wild riders needs a 2nd brake pedal for which I bought something workable from happ, and its connection is ignored by the other games). Each game annoyingly uses different digital channels for the shifter though, so I wired in a rotary switch to select the appropriate shifter wiring for whichever game is currently loaded.
Now I've proved the concept I plan to make a better-looking one-piece but still portable mini-cabinet for it later. I just need to come up with a good design. Has anyone else already done or is planning anything similar?
Alternatives to arcade cabinets. OK I'm a heretic.
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OldFoo