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These ten arcade builds range from a full-size MDF cabinet to a cardboard prototype you can make from reclaimed materials. Choose by footprint, fabrication method and controls first; the computing platform can be a PC or a Raspberry Pi, depending on the project.
The projects below come from Cabe Atwell’s 2014 Make: roundup, published October 4, 2014, with December 3, 2015 also shown on the page. They are useful as design inspiration, not current plans, prices or product-availability checks. The range is the point: there is no single cabinet size, material or hardware platform that suits every home.
Choose a form factor before you choose materials
- Upright cabinet: a dedicated, full-height machine with room for a larger control panel and display.
- Tabletop or bartop: a smaller cabinet that sits on a table or counter and is easier to fit into a shared room.
- Coffee-table cabinet: a sit-down arrangement integrated into furniture, with controls that slide out.
- Miniature cabinet: a compact novelty build with correspondingly small controls and display.
After deciding where the machine will live, consider how much fabrication you want to do. The examples range from cardboard and tape to MDF/HDF, laser-cut parts and acrylic. These are different approaches, not a required progression or a claim that one material is best.
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1. Nintendo-themed MAME cabinet
This full cabinet combines an MDF enclosure and custom graphics with a PC. Its control panel uses Happ joysticks, buttons and a trackball, making it a distinctive option for builders who want more than a basic joystick-and-button layout.
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2. Borderlands 2 cabinet
Another MDF-and-PC build, this cabinet has a custom panel with illuminated buttons and two 8-way joysticks. The 2014 description specifies 20 LED buttons, a keyboard encoder and concealed access to a keyboard and mouse. That hidden input access is a useful design idea when a cabinet also needs conventional computer controls.
3. Porta Pi tabletop cabinet
The compact Porta Pi design centers on a Raspberry Pi, a screen and buttons connected through GPIO. Make: described laser-cut wood and plastic kit options at the time. The article listed 7-inch and 9-inch screen options, but those are historical descriptions, not current kit specifications or a recommendation for a new build.
4. BarCade tabletop machine
Mike Trello’s BarCade reuses old computer hardware, a sideways CRT and a custom interface board in a tabletop machine. Make: reported that Trello built it for $40 using parts he already had. That is a builder’s historical project-cost claim, not a realistic budget estimate for a build today.
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5. Project MAME cabinet
This project offered both upright and tabletop forms, built from MDF/HDF and fitted with a PC, LCD screen, speakers and a control board. Make: described the builder’s plans as open source. If adapting the concept, check the plans themselves for dimensions and details rather than assuming the roundup provides a complete cut list.
6. TrashCade
The TrashCade takes an intentionally improvised route: cardboard, tape, reclaimed materials and a PC. It is an approachable way to explore layout and the basic idea of a cabinet without committing to finished joinery or a permanent furniture-scale build.
7. CupCade mini cabinet
This miniature Raspberry Pi cabinet pairs a small screen with compact controls. The original description notes soldering and configuration work, so its small footprint does not mean it is a no-skill project. Make: identified a 2.8-inch display in this particular build.
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8. Coffee-table arcade
Instead of a standing cabinet, this design integrates arcade gaming into a sit-down table base. Its slide-out control arrangement keeps the controls available for play and tucked away when the table is being used as furniture.
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This unusual design combines an arcade build with a mini fridge and uses a PC running MAME. Treat the appliance integration as a novelty concept rather than a standard construction recommendation: it introduces additional space, electrical and practical considerations beyond making a cabinet.
10. Raspberry Pi Micro Arcade
The smallest concept in the roundup uses an acrylic cabinet, a miniature joystick and buttons, a small LCD and an OLED marquee. Make: described a 2.4-inch display for this example. It is a compact display piece, not a substitute for the larger play area of a tabletop or upright cabinet.
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Match the controls and platform to the build
The projects use both PCs and Raspberry Pi boards, and their controls range from trackballs and full-size joysticks to tiny arcade inputs. The roundup does not provide a current compatibility matrix, so treat those combinations as examples rather than a guarantee that a particular board, encoder or control will work with your chosen software.
- For a larger panel: plan player count and button positions before cutting. Check joystick and button mounting dimensions, panel thickness and available space beneath the panel.
- For a PC-based machine: account for the encoder or control board and decide how you will reach keyboard and mouse inputs if setup or maintenance requires them.
- For a Raspberry Pi build: confirm how the controls connect—GPIO or an encoder, for example—and make sure the enclosure leaves room for wiring and access.
- For miniature builds: scale the controls to the intended user and available space; small parts can make assembly and soldering more demanding.
If buying an arcade joystick and buttons kit, compare player count, mounting dimensions, interface or encoder, button layout and intended form factor. A kit suited to a full-size panel may not suit a tabletop or miniature cabinet.
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Plan fabrication and display around the room
For a permanent cabinet, sheet goods such as MDF/HDF allow a rigid enclosure, while a laser-cut or acrylic design can provide a more compact, precise form. Reclaimed materials and cardboard lower the commitment for an experimental build, but the TrashCade example should not be mistaken for a durable finished cabinet. Furniture hybrids need a plan for access to the controls and the hardware after assembly.
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Displays in the 2014 roundup ranged from a 2.4-inch micro-arcade screen and a 2.8-inch CupCade screen to the Porta Pi’s described 7-inch and 9-inch options, a 15-inch CRT in the BarCade, and a 19-inch display in Project MAME, with room there for 20- or 21-inch displays. These sizes describe specific historical projects; they are not comparable performance tests or modern purchasing advice. Decide on viewing distance, cabinet dimensions and screen orientation before finalizing the opening.
Keep game files and software choices lawful
The 2014 Make: article describes MAME as an emulator and warns broadly that ROM use is illegal in many countries. That warning is not a complete statement of current law for every location or circumstance. Check the applicable rules where you live and use game files you are authorized to use; the roundup does not establish that any particular file is lawful.
Use the original roundup for project context
Atwell’s Make: roundup of ten DIY arcade projects is a useful starting point for comparing these concepts. Its builds, vendor and kit references, prices and software details are historical, so verify current plans, components and availability independently before building.
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