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Question from Rob: I am a newbie to the arcade game world, but am very interested in buying one for myself. What I want is a cabinet that I can install a Jamma 60 in 1 board to play the classic games.
Is there a rule of thumb for what type of game to purchase to do this? For example, there is a local craigslist ad for a Bad Dudes vs Ninja Dragon machine that is working “great” for $125 – see http://omaha.craigslist.org/vgm/2026399109.html. From what I can tell, that is a Jamma compatible machine – can I install a 60 in 1 board? Is it as easy as simply buying a new board and hooking it up?
Should I be skeptical of a game such as this that does not have any side-art? (is that a sign that someone took a generic cabinet and installed the game?).
Thanks – your website and videos have been great to begin learning about this type of gaming.
Rob from Omaha, NE
1 answer
Response from Jonathan: Rob,
First off, sorry it has taken us so long to get back to you. We have been very busy this holiday season and are just now getting around to replying to emails. We hope that you receive this reply in a timely fashion.
As for your questions, the Bad Dudes Vs Dragon Ninja is probably not the best game to convert to a 60-in-1. You are right that you need to look for a JAMMA cabinet but it is also important to look for a cabinet that has a vertically mounted monitor. You could plug up a 60-in-1 to the Bad Dudes Vs Dragon Ninja cabinet and it would probably work but all the games would be displayed sideways because of the monitor orientation.
We would also recommend a cabinet that has 2 buttons already wired up. This will keep you from having to wire extra buttons yourself. You shouldn’t be skeptical of games that don’t have side art. In this case, it would actually be a good thing as you could apply your own side art to it. If the game does not have side art it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a generic cabinet. It could be a dedicated cabinet where someone either painted over or removed the original artwork.
To summarize, if you are looking for a plug-and-play cabinet for your 60-in-1 board make sure it is already wired JAMMA, has 2 buttons already wired up and has a vertically mounted monitor. If you can find a cabinet like this, it will be as easy as buying a 60-in-1 board and hooking it up.
We have also featured your question on episode 20 of our Q&A podcast which should be released soon. Please listen to it for more of our thoughts on your question. Thank you for your question and good luck with your future repairs.
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