Sven & Angus' 800+ MAME Arcade Console Project
Rum Runners animators Sven & Angus decided they needed a distraction in the studio once in a while. The result is the "Frankenputer" Mame arcade console you see below. Some of these pictures were all taken via cell phones, so they're grainy and blurry. Deal with it. The cabinet is based on the original blueprints for "Defender." The monitor is a 21-inch fixed-frequency Sun (for early Macs). Due to it's frequency limitations, it has to be driven by an early sync-on-green capable video card, a Matrox Mystique/Rainbow Runner. Yes, we still have one of those. The PC itself is pieced together out of parts in our computer boneyard, hence the name "Frankenputer." The controls are all from Happ Controls. The extra monitor placed inside the cabinet is multi-sync and is there to allow access to the PC in case of boot problems (DOS/Boot modes do not support fixed frequency monitors, but since we had it, we used it). Below you can see the progression from the early cabinet stages through the completed arcade console. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The base cabinet structure and ancient sync-on-green monitor | Decks for back-up monitor, game system and subwoofer |
The pullout keyboard/mouse access panel |
The marquee light |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The system access door | The marquee reflector and speaker decks |
The monitor supports | The backlit printed marquee sign |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The backlit printed marquee sign | The monitor bezel, speaker grills and Plexiglas cover |
The monitor bezel, speaker grills and Plexiglas cover |
The system wallpaper |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The control panel face and hole template |
The control panel box and controls |
The controls and graphics in place | The control panel fitted to the cabinet |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The trackball mounted to the control panel |
The trackball mounted to the control panel |
Testing game resolutions | The control panel trackball wiring |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The control panel wiring beginnings |
The working control panel mountedand one cabinet skin |
The working control panel mounted and one cabinet skin |
The finished marquee and front display |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The completed interior system |
The finished keyboard panel | Close-up of main screen | Close-up of marquee |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Close-up of control panel | Close-up of control panel | Finished cabinet | Finished cabinet |
 |
Rum Runners, Rum Runners logo, Svenimation, Svenimation Studios, Brickhouse Betty, Brickhouse Betty logo, Grandpa Slappy, Mr. Queue, Santa the Bartender, Angus the Easter Bunny, JD the Jungle Dude, Sven the Leprechaun, Holly and Jolly, The Puppeteer and Blotto the Chimp are TM & ©2007 Rum Runners. All rights reserved. |