Bubble Bobble themed Bartop Arcade Build

AndersHP

The project's all finished! Check out the last few pictures - I'm really happy with the result! :-)

spruce_m00se

it looks sweet! I just painted my cab today with a roller, I wish I had been able to get it sprayed, putting it back together after painting was a ballache!

MattyL42

Awesome job buddy! What did you secure the marquee in with and how did you do the push to credit buttons or where did you get them from? That's a brilliant idea. The colour makes them look like coin entry slots!

AndersHP

@mattyl42 said in Bubble Bobble themed Bartop Arcade Build:

Awesome job buddy! What did you secure the marquee in with and how did you do the push to credit buttons or where did you get them from? That's a brilliant idea. The colour makes them look like coin entry slots!

Thanks man! The marquee is actually a tight fit, so it's holding itself in place. That way it's easy to get to, if something happens to the light or speakers behind it, but still no visible screws or such.

The coin buttons are supposed to look like old-school slots! They're red buttons from arcadeworlduk, with a black/white printed piece of paper with the graphics behind the glass. I got the BubbleBobble graphics from a Zonaarcade community thread (lots of artwork in there, by the way!) and the coin I found on google ("coin sprite"), then I edited the parts together and did the text myself in GIMP :)

caver01

@andershp finished result looks great! Now you can tweak the software config for the rest of your life!

AndersHP

@caver01 this is so true, I can't believe it :-D

gforce31

Love this project. The attention to detail is excellent.

I'm currently planning my own bartop build so this has been really useful reading.

I'm planning on a ninja turtles themed bartop as it was my most played arcade machine as a kid. Have everything set up on the pi3. Ordered il joysticks and suzo happ buttons from arcade world uk which arrived today so things are starting to come together. Just need to decide whether to build the bartop from scratch or to buy a flat pack kit.

spruce_m00se

@gforce31 ive build my cabinet from scratch, if you have the tools I think you will apreciate it more, if you dont have a jigsaw and a router and wont use them for other things I would buy a kit

AndersHP

@gforce31 great to be of inspiration and thanks!
I had a hard time choosing also, but never regretted building my own.

If you have a bit of experience with tools, it's really not that hard. I took my time, especially with the jigsaw cutting, and saw a ton of youtube vids. And a Plunge saw with guiderail is priceless to have at your disposal for the long straight cuts.

If you don't need the tools afterwards, it's also a possibility to rent or loan them perhaps?

AndersHP

Just added an 8bitdo NES30Pro controller to my Arcade Build.

Some of the old console games just play better with a D-Pad on a controller, plus it's better for casual comfy gaming!

caver01

@andershp How do you like that controller? I picked up two via Massdrop some months back but I haven't set them up yet. I plan to do another build project, this time as a set-top box using these controllers. I have read mixed reviews.

spruce_m00se

@andershp I have a ds4 controller on my arcade machiene, and when I want to do comfy gaming I run a 10m HDMI out of it onto the main tv instead of the one in the cabinet, it works a treat!

AndersHP

@caver01 Sounds like a cool idea, been tinkering with that thought myself.

I quite like the controller actually. Setup was easy (followed this guide), and I think the responsiveness of the controller is good.

Finished the last 2 levels in Kirbys Adventure and started on Chrono Trigger yesterday and these console games just play good from the couch. Haven't charged the controller yet (but then again, gaming time has only been like 3-4 hours or so).

I haven't really tested the analog Sticks, they configure fine in ES, but maybe the few PSX games I tested didn't support them (Destruction Derby, Alundra). Otherwise I may have to edit my retroarch.cfg files ...?

Overall I think the controller is nice. The glowing light and the NES look is cool, and I like the buttons and sticks. Also the size is fine, I think.

If I should put my finger on something, I'd like it to weigh a little bit more, and the tactile feel to the buttons on the up- and downside (bluetooth, power and shoulder buttons) are a bit too easily pressed.

Please, do share your thoughts of it when you set it up.

AndersHP

@spruce_m00se Yeah I can see this would work also.

Newellj79

@andershp What size monitor did you use? Your build is awesome!

AndersHP

@newellj79 Thanks man! It's a 19" Dell 5:4 monitor.

Newellj79

@andershp
Thank you sir. I am starting my build this weekend and will be using alot of your pictures for reference.

AndersHP

@newellj79 I'm humbled!
I like that many games run fullscreen on a 4:3 or 5:4 monitor, but I must admit that the many cool overlays available on this site has made me think that a 16:9 monitor could have been cool also.

Just something to consider!

Majin Wamu

Aww, your Bartop is so cute! I love Bubble Bobble! The insides is a lot neater than mine! That's for sure. I thought about someday making a Bartop, but I want the correct tools first. Makes for a more accurate cut.

AndersHP

@majin-wamu Thanks for the kind words! I'm usually a bit messy, so I forced myself to tidy things up as much as possible :-) makes it even more enjoyable.

Yeah you definitely need some good tools, I always wanted a table saw but ended up loaning a guided plunge saw instead. Takes a bit more time to get everyting even (enough) but still gets the job done.