MMP News

Shutdown -Nov 29, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

I'll be out of touch for the next few days, at least until I get the comp set up in the new place. Any e-mail will be on hold till then. Also the Oscar Store will be shut, I will get the orders I have now out the door tomorrow, but any new ones won't be shipped until Friday at the earliest. Thanks for your understanding!

Countdown -Nov 22, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Well 8 days left to moving day. Some small progress on the Defender cab so that it will be functional in the new room. A couple of new Mamey award winners have been voted in. Christmas is coming! And for those that asked, yep Jr is doing quite well. I'm still trying to figure out who is responsible for the red hair, but eh, I get to call him the drunken Irishman because of it :) I tell you, he gets mesmerized by the tv when the xbox is going. I think he'll make a great games player!

Deux -Nov 9, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Adding yet again to hobbies and misc, I went and picked up an Xbox today to celebrate the release of Halo 2. I picked up the see-thru box just to be different. So far my eyes are just killing me, so I am fairly sure computer monitors are much easier on your eyes than TV's. Gaa, it would be awful if I can't do 20 hour game marathons on the tv any more. Still, this is my first real console since the atari 2600, and as such I'm enjoying it quite a bit. We're getting the PS2 for the kids for Christmas, so I guess we'll have the best of all worlds! Now I just need to somehow free up more time to play this damn thing...

Stuff -Oct 29, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

There may be no end to my crazy hobbies. I ordered a 125 gallon reef tank for my diningroom yesterday. My wife wants it in the new arcade room, but hell that would make less room. I figure if I just put it in the dining room and fill it with water, what's she going to do, move it? Again, not arcade related news, but I feel bad when I don't post anything here, even if it is just filler!

Small Update -Oct 25, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Picked up the computer board today to finally get my defender machine up and running. Kinda want it done before the move. Another working Jamma cab showed up today too, that's three extra cabs sitting in the garage...which argh means a total of 7 cabs and one pinball to haul around on moving day :( Ah well, I'm sure the moving company won't mind... In other news... I've got the order sitting on my desk for the system for the Golden Axe cabinet. I'm debating whether to put the machine together now (it's so close) or wait till after the move. On one hand it would be more likely to get broken during the move, but on the other hand I don't think I'll have much time to work on it after... decisions decisions. I need an assistant!! Thanks to the regs who are sticking with me during this "slow period of few updates". I'll make it up to you, I'm sure. :)

USB's back -Oct 13, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Oscar USB interfaces should be arriving at the shop today. Sorry for the delay to everyone awaiting orders, they should be out by the end of the day.

New bar plans -Oct 6, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Been fiddling around with the layout in the basement of the new house, and there is enough space to split a room and make a nice 15X15 bar/arcade. Here is a rough render of it. Completion date? Early 2006.

Things should pick up -Oct 5, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Okay, back in the saddle a bit. Two tentative projects are in the design phase, and one other one is in the early-early stage. Another empty cabinet showed up yesterday, so now I have two of them out in the garage. I'm currently working on plans for my new bar/arcade, which will be able to hold only 3 vids 1 pin, a couple of slot machines and a sweet poker table. I've started snooping around for a glass front commercial bar fridge, instead of putting in a tap. Tough part is going to be getting the wet bar functioning. I'll post a mockup when I get a moment free!

Still at it! -Sept 22, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Halifax was nice, thanks for asking :) Now I come back to voice messages saying there is a couple of cabinets to pick up for free! I'll have to see what I end up with, but I -think- it's going to be a cocktail and a countertop unit! What fun! In the meantime I started working on my new pin. I ordered new rubbers for the playfield, and started cleaning everything. It works well except for the knocker (which is missing), the saw motor (which is burned out I'm sure) and the outhole coil, which is my last big fix before I am ready to put it into play. If anyone has more tips on fixing one wonky coil, feel free to drop me a line, as I'd hate to wreck something else while trying to debug! Oh and here's some pics of the new beast:

as you can see it is a bit dirty, but damn is it fun (even with the bad coil trouble!)

Back in a bit -Sept 12, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Well off to sunny Halifax for a week, I won't be able to respond to e-mails until then. I should get there just in time for that damn hurricane to slide up the coast and blast me off the map.

Slowly gettin back into it -Sept 11, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Holy f*ck it's the middle of September already!!! A nice new pinball game shows up tomorrow, and I've started plans for the new bar/arcade. I did a few more updates to the Defender cab, just to get it finished. I'll probably start putting some effort back into the Golden axe cab, since It's depressing seeing it sitting there without the monitor, so there is going to be some updates soon.

Still here -Aug 27, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Again, not much to report, sorry. I got another house, but have been busy trying to sell mine so that I'm not stuck with 3 mortgages, so that's what's been taking my attention. Hard to tear apart a monster cabinet with tools and whatnot all over when you are showing people the house! I'll start messing it up when it sells, oooh and then the new house has a juicy double garage that will make a niiiice workshop (well the part that doesn't have my wife's van parked in it!!).

Oh and Brett, buy MY house, it's nice... gets you back into a civilized city and out of hickville! I know someone who could help you sell yours! :)

Still here -Aug 17, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Sorry guys, very little to report on the arcade front. Real life is taking a toll on me, I don't have time, energy or willpower to finish up the last cab, much less start the next one. I am hoping that things will somewhat slow down so that I can get a couple more cabs done. In the meantime I'll just settle for going to the Judas Priest concert tomorrow, how 80's is that?? I'm also still trying to get the new house, so bear with me through this quiet time. No worries, I'll be itching to get back at it!

Wasshappenin -Aug 5, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Well we're trying to buy a new house... which kind of explains my absence and lack of progress on cabinets. It would be cool if we get this house, the main entertainment area would have a full bar, pinball and arcade games. It's been hell trying to get this house, with lots of competition and shenanigans, but it looks like we might get it. If so, you're all invited to a hot tub party :)

Ebay rant -July 27, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

I've done a lot of dealings on E-bay, and sooner or later I'm bound to run into a twit or two. I sell this perfectly good minidisc recorder to some guy. He writes me saying it doesn't work and half-accuses me of running a faulty auction. I ask him to read the instructions and make sure he's running it properly since it's a bit harder than downloading an mp3. He assures me he's tried everything and demands a refund plus money to ship it back. Okay, I oblige. I get the unit back, hooked it back up and yup, it works perfectly. But OH! he happened to forget to return the blank discs! So I paid to have a guy steal blank discs from me. Guess I'll put the unit back into my stereo stack even though I don't use it any more...:sigh: why can't people just RTFM!!!!!!

Okay, that's it for my rant. :)

Back to Business -July 25, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Aluminum Engraved knobs are back in stock for those of you who e-mailed about them. I'm feeling better, but not good enough to run a marathon :) Thanks for the get well wishes I received today.

Ow ow ow -July 23, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Well, went for the big "V" operation today. Let me say to you guys thinking of, or being pushed into doing it, that they whole "it's one little cut, no big deal"...is a huuuuuge lie. Lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie. I feel like I got socked with a bag of doorknobs. I don't know why they lie about it, I just know that they do. You know the end of "Breaveheart"? That's all I could think of while it was going on. Now I may wake up tomorrow morning feeling just fine, but for tonight, they lied oh how they lied.

On a proper cabinet note, I may have made a deal to build 4 more machines. I think if I do that, they will be based on the mameroom plans (slightly altered). so stay tuned, cuz I can't hobble around here forever, and I'll be itchin to start cabin'.

Stuff -July 14, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Chances are good that Beast Cab (aka Golden Axe Ultimate) will be out the door soon. I took a bit of time to shop it around and got quite a few bites, so now I just have to figure out who will get it. The new project that will be based on the UAII plans is already sold for Christmas, so I'll have to start some plans for that, and while I'm at that one I should probably do up 2, since I can see those moving pretty easy, plus I'm out of empty shells! I'm also doing up a quick tutorial on how to make your own cab mobility/leveller system.

Stuff -July 7, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

The jukebox got auctioned off last night at an ALS charity event. Kinda makes you feel good when you can help a worthwhile cause like that. (Check out the jukebox page here). Elsewhere I have started in on the wiring for the beast cab, the mini-pac wiring harness is just a tad short to do an extra-wide panel, so I'll be splicing in some new wire tonight. Other than that things are pretty quiet.

Still Goin!! -June28, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Howdy everyone! Still plenty happening over in the cab section, I'm well into the "beast" cabinet now, which has transformed into a Golden Axe 2 project, I've just picked up a custom jukebox system that needs a bit of tweaking before it goes out, and I will be starting a "from plans" cabinet next. Oscar orders are brisk, and everyone seems to be in a good mood. So all is well in MMP land, for today.

Summer freezin! -June19, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Except for the fact that real estate is booming, and I'm making money hand over fist, this summer sucks! It's so cold out I could see my breath out there, and that is just nuts! So I went out and got myself a new floor standing drill press. Ahh, I feel better already. This thing is a monster, but finally I can do complete panels without having to resort to a hand drill for some of the holes. (and hey, it's got a laser pinpoint system!). Still cranking away on Golden Axe, getting ready for the auction, hopefully I can get it done on time!!

Summer be sizzling -June 7, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Added a few more pics to the tattoo section (thanks for the new submissions guys!). I've been busy trying to get my pool and yard in useable shape, so any cabinet progress has been slow. I might be donating a cab to a charity benefiting those suffering ALS. Seems like a worthwhile cause, so keep tuned for updates. If I do donate one, it will probably be the new Golden Axe cab, since they want one for a July 7th charity golf tournament. That puts the pressure on, but I think I can pull it off. Oh and if you haven't tried these yet, here's a nice way to kill an hour or so with just you and your printer. Click HERE. So for the latest activity, be sure to sloop over to the BEAST project! OH! and I finally reached 100,000 hits on the counter! Glad to think that I've helped even half that number of people over the past while, and I'm looking forward to still being here when I hit 200,000!!!!!

Hot Diggity Dog -June 3, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Had a pinball machine that needed some work, but I traded it to someone who was interested in going to the effort of restoring it properly, so I ended up with a new toy: A Williams Slugfest! The kids and I are having a blast with it, however, I still have my sights set on a real pinball game, so I'll probably sell this one or trade it for a nice pin. It makes me wish I had a bigger game room area! Gaa, I gotta move!

Oh, and the Oscar store is back up and running (thanks Garrett!). That's what I get for using a hotmail account for business!! Sorry about the momentary inconvenience!

Troubles Continue -May 18, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Note to anyone trying to get in touch with me: The mameworld e-mail looks like it's finally gone tits up, so if you have me in your bookmarks with the mameworld addy, update it to the new one listed down a few posts.

Congrats go out to my buddy Dean and his new pride and joy. Baby arrived a couple of nights ago and is doing fine! Happy birthday!!!!

And speaking of proud pappys, here is little Zakk, much recovered from his early close call:

Stuff -May 13, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Artwork for the cabin cab is at the printers and I've done most of the internal wiring (power switch etc). Aardware is hand delivering the computer components they recommended this evening. We've decided to add pinball buttons to the cab, as I have finally taken the effort to figure out vpinball and pinmame...it's a lot of fun! Hats off to edgedamage who is helping me out finding tables for it.

And in other news, my shiny new copy of Project Arcade showed up today! It's a killer book, if you are thinking of making one of these cabs and want a bit of a hand doing it, don't hesitate to buy it! New york time's bestseller list for sure

Sights to See -May 11, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Welcome to yet another flood of RGVAC sightseers. It's been a while since the last time, but even though I will again assure you that almost every conversion I do on these cabinets can be undone (yes even the ugly panel on the Gravitar), I'm sure some of you will be...difficult. Just know that I am a fan of the original games (check out the defender restoration), and I do my best to use old generic cabs, or build my own. Anyway, I hope some of you enjoy your stay anyway, as all are welcome :)

If it makes you feel better, the wood on one side of the control panel of the gravitar was demolished when I got it, and the damn thing was rotting to pieces in the oh-so-perfect safety of a wet windy chicken barn (true story).

Hangin out. -May 7, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

I'm still around and making updates, just keep watching cabin cab and 'the beast' in the cabinet section. I've been going crazy here setting up a nice welding station for myself. I've been looking for excuses to weld anything to anything. Oh! and don't forget to get a copy of John St. Clair's new book, I think you might like it, check out the website here.

E-mail trouble fixed? -May 1, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

I got tired of waiting for mameworld to fix the e-mail trouble, so I redirected the main mail link to the mmp e-mail, and voom the e-mail started back up! I thought you guys didn't care anymore ;) seriously, I went from 5-10 e-mails per day directly related to mame cabs to 1 every 2-3 days! So to anyone who didn't get a reply from me in the past while, please shoot me another message, as I DO try to reply to all my e-mail as soon as time allows.

I might do a quick how-to of welding... just the quick tips, since it has become such a lifesaver for me... any time I need a custom bracket or harness, I just weld one up and go! Also, I did my first plexiglass top with a router instead of saw, knife and drill, and it worked awesome! Thanks go out to Kelsey at Oscar controls for giving me the incentive to try both the welder and the router in that manner... too cool.

As we surf into a new summer here, I look forward to a lovely few months of construction in the shop, with my newfound skills that I hope to share with you all. Game on!

E-mail trouble -April 25, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Ive been getting calls and messages from people saying that I am not returning their e-mail. Seems as though there is a problem with the mameworld e-mail server or something, since I've heard this from 5 people so far. (perhaps more since I might not be getting their mails!). Anyway, if you e-mailed me and haven't heard back, try mmpproducts@rogers.com

Gets yerself spinnin -April 17, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

New shipment in from Oscar, so just reminding you to get that Oscar Spinner today! Lots of tempest style, engraved or natural knobs, and extras!!

Invaders mame is gone, off to a happy home. I'm starting to work on the graphics for my new cocktail project, so that it can move along.

Some Stuff Gets Done! -April 14, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Space Invaders Mame is done, and ready to go out on the weekend. Cabin Cab is next to be completed, and has some good progress. Not much else happening around here except a new release of mame. Although there is noise in the air of a new project order. If not I might finally get to work on "The Beast".

Sights to See -April 3, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Some good progress on the SI and the cabin cab, I've been trying to work equally on both. The SI is closer to completion since it was already a finished cab (of course). And if you're looking for an interesting read on how one controller company in the sc33n3 deals with irate customers, check out this thread on BYOAC (do it before it gets clipped or deleted) :) Check out some of the info on the site there if you haven't visited before.

Lockit -Mar28, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

I ordered a few oddball items from some of the guys at BYOAC. First, to follow up on the awesome black player buttons, I grabbed a bunch of round key barrel locks off of Peale. These things are just so much more "coin op" than regular key locks (at least to me). If you are interested in getting some for yourself, contact Peale through BYOAC or drop me a line.

Second, I got a couple of token mechs, along with a few hundred tokens. I figure that way I can just keep a dish of tokens for playing games, and I won't borrow out of it to feed the parking meters :) Why do I buy these things? I just DON'T KNOW!

Update -Mar23, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

There are updated pics of the cabin cab up. It's coming along pretty damn nicely. Just waiting on the t-molding now. Should be some new pics of the Space Invader cab up soon too. New spinner knobs (black anodized) are available in the Oscar Store. Did my first bit o' welding today. Man, I suck. Well, the pieces stuck together so maybe I don't suck that much, but it wasn't pretty... Fire is goooood though :) Oh, here's a pic of the two current projects... find more details in the CAB section.

So It Continues -Mar17, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Yet another cabinet is about to get the MMP treatment. The Space Invaders cab is coming in from storage and work will begin shortly. This one has to be done fairly quickly, so I will work on it at the same time as the Cabin' Cab, and my own project will have to go on the back burner. Ah well, the new owner of the SI cab is a bit of a collector, so the project will have a good home, and I know he won't be painting the sides with a black roller any time soon.

Weld! -Mar13, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Went out and got myself a new toy. There has been enough instances around here where it would have saved me countless hours to have been able to fabricate my own mounts, slings, panels etc. Soooo I went out and got a self feed wire welder. I think I'll spend a bit of time alone now getting acquainted with this new fella :)

Saga ends -Mar12, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Thank you to everyone that wrote during the past week. We finally have Zakk Jr home with us, and it's the best feeling in the world. His sisters are as thrilled as we are to have him home, and it's great to be able to hold the little guy whenever I can. After what he's been through the past week, he doesn't even cry anymore... he just looks at us like "what are you going to jab me with now?". He's battle-scarred like crazy, tract marks and bruises all over him...argh so hard not to feel guilty or helpless... Looks like it turned out for the best though, so it might be business as usual around here from now on. Zakk Jr is headed for hockey school and Zakk Sr is headed for the snippage surgery. After a run-in like that, I'm going to count my blessings and have my pet spade or neutered :) God bless everyone on this day...our heartfelt thanks.

Star Wars fun -Mar 9, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

For you guys that have a nice 'bought' copy of Battlefield 1942 lying around, there's a new mod to breathe some new life into it. Check out Galactic Conquest. New maps are released this Friday, so it's a good grab! I've been marching around Hoth in an AT ST to take my mind off things, not the perfect solution to dealing with personal strife, but not a bad one either!

The Edge -Mar 8, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Just saw a new webpage with a coolio hack for the old atari 2600 wico trackball. It might be an economical solution for some of you out there, hell I have one sitting in the closet too! Check it out.

New Mame -Mar 07, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Mame ver .80 released...most notable is the inclusion of sound in armor attack! That's good news, I've been waiting for that for a while!

Much appreciated -Mar 06, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Thank you very much for all the e-mails! Very much appreciated! Little Zakk is in intensive care, so it's been taking all our time and thought...I'll try and get back to everyone personally soon.

It's a boy!! -Mar 04, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Thanks for the e-mails and well wishes! Zakk jr was born at 2 am-ish on Mar 4. I almost couldn't ask for a better day. Yeah, I know it's not mame related, but I'm going to blather on about it anyway. He's a bit premature and not breathing well, so he might end up in intensive care, instead of coming home tomorrow, so we could use all the prayers you guys can give.

New Project Extreme! -Mar 02, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Looks like they're going to induce my wife tomorrow, so hopefully by this time tomorrow evening, I'll be a proud dad (again!). If all goes well Zakk Michael (just call him junior!) will be standing at the ole mame cab going "I can't believe you used to play these lousy games!" Or maybe he'll have some appreciation for the old classics...we'll see.

Definitely Dat -Feb 29, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

February draws to a close with a new Mamey winner! Check out this killer cocktail! We're also coming up on 100,000 visitors here! I checked my e-mail stats and I am averaging 18 e-mails a day from you crazy mamers!!! I'm actually getting more real e-mail to the mameworld account than I'm getting spammed in my hotmail account, and that's pretty impressive! I'm glad so many of you find the site useful, and hopefully it will be around for a few years yet for those that have yet to find mame! (Is there anyone left that hasn't??) Greets go out to Damian, Brent, Craig and Steve, oh and of course Dean.

One last thing, if you're looking for a chuckle, check out this new spiffy mame cab you can buy.

Oh and did I mention that it's only $650 plus shipping without the computer and that the guy selling them will tell you to go f*ck yourself if you tell him it's silly? Enjoy! (Edit: oh it looks like he's brought the price down to only $500!! Reminds me of the good ole days of the Romboxx! ...and no, I'm not the one who told him it's silly)

Dis and Dat -Feb 26, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Progress has been made on the cocktail cab, I'm still working out the dimensions for the thing, but the control panel is planned out and cut to shape. Oh, and I found the keys that got sucked into the snowblower a couple of months ago, so today has been a good day! I sold the stern warning cab to a new cabber, just to make some room in the garage. Too bad, I liked the look of that cab.

Ultimarc -Feb 24, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

I think I ordered these parts about 4 days ago, and here they are! My fist look at the mini-pac-opti. First impressions: "Holy sh*t, this thing is the size of a soda cracker, I paid HOW much for it???" Lasting impressions: "Man, this thing could be the greatest godsend to us repetitive-cab builders". I like it quite a bit, It comes with the wiring and everything....plus everything on one tiny little board! Oh and I got one of their trackballs while I was at it, since I'm trying to make the panel on the cocktail as compact as possible. Here are pics of the items, yet to say just how easy it is to figure out WHERE all the wires go to!

Road trip! -Feb 22, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Got myself a nice Golden Axe cabinet yesterday, thanks to edgedamage and his buddy. His buddy is a mame converter hater, but a really good guy and we were able to put our differences aside long enough to check out his collection of cabs and boards and parts. Overall an excellent roadtrip! Zelda is in the hands of her happy owner, and I have a new cab to play with. Now to get it out of the truck! (grumble grumble).

New Project! -Feb 14, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Just got an order in for a new project, it'll be a cocktail cabinet (finally!). A side by side model based loosely on Midway cab dimensions. Check it out here.

Vortex be back! -Feb 10, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Vortex spinners are back in stock here. These have been selling out faster than we can get them in so get your order in now! In other news, I swung a deal for a new Golden Axe cabinet that I should be getting soon. Lots and lots of e-mail coming in...I can hardly tell that everyone is stuck indoors making cabinets!!! Added: Here is a pic of the new vortex with the new machined aluminum flywheel, shown with three of the optional spinner knobs.

Galaga Lives! -Feb 3, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Finished the Galaga mini. Went very well, check it out in the cabinet section to see how it turned out. Also, anyone in the San Francisco Bay area that has built a cab and wants to maybe be on tv, drop me an e-mail in the next day or so and we'll see about making you famous! :) Also, the Oscar replenishment order is on the way, so we'll have stock for you crazy Canuk mamers. Thanks to everyone who has e-mailed lately, I'm trying to get back to everyone, but it must be that time of year when everyone gets locked in and starts on that project, so I haven't forgotten about you, I'm just working my way though them!

Special Request -Jan 26, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Got a request to save the life of an ailing Galaga cabaret machine today. Looks like we'll be putting a supercharged engine in this non working husk. I might be picking it up tomorrow, since it's a rush job, so this one might be a quick one!

Still Tickin -Jan 22, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Okay, bathroom project is almost done, at least for now. Sold an empty cab to a friend this evening, so it looks like I am next going to start either the stern warning cab or some work on the space invaders. Stay tuned!

:Pause: -Jan 16, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

I'm itching to start the next project, however I just picked up a pile of parts to re-do my bathroom, so there prolly won't be any new developments for a week or so while I install the new tub and tile. Plus it gives me time to figure out which cab I want to do next out of the bunch in the garage. Ah, decisions decisions...maybe should leave it to a vote ;)

Zelda mame Finished!! -Jan 9 , 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Well, it was a long haul, but I can honestly say the new owner will not be disappointed with his new cab. Check out how it turned out here. Now when am I going to become the Jesse James of radical cab building? Hey Discovery Channel guys! I'm ready for my audition!

Jukebox 8 finally! -Jan 5 , 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

've been waiting for this puppy for a while, and here it is! Check it out here.

New Stuff -Jan 2, 2004 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Happy New Year to everyone! Lots of mail happening right now for some reason, and as usual I'm taking forever getting back to everyone. I'm funny that way. We DO have a new Mamey winner, so be sure to cruise over there, and if you check out the special winter edition of Maximum PC, there is an article about building mame cabs...here's a snippet about our Oscar Vortex spinners!

Also, Ultimarc has a killer new product on the shelves...an all in one card! Spinner, trackball, joysticks and buttons on one board, and it's reasonably priced! Check out the mini-pac! Looks like there is much to come this year!

Progress -Dec 30, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Zelda mame is turning out to be a real challenge! I've never wired so many controls on one board before. Should give me something to work on for New Year's Eve :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! -Dec 24, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Merry Christmas to everyone! As soon as Christmas is over, you've had the turkey dinner, and you're hopped up on rum, you'd better be hard at work making that Mamey-worthy cabinet! Check out those boxing day sales and get those last parts you need!

Spinner Shortage! -Dec 22, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

A huge rush of orders for Christmas has left the shelves bare! I'll be restocking shortly, but not before the new year. Hope everyone has fun with the spinners they get, it's just such a perfect way to enjoy a quiet winter evening, with a nasty game of Arkanoid!

Let there be light! -Dec 16, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

I received a few few "Laser LED" lights in the mail today...these things are awesome. They are superbright LED cannons. They come on a little plastic swivel mount, with double sided tape and they plug right into the HD plugs on your PC. Used mostly for case modding, they just happen to work perfectly for lighting up a trackball! Watch the Zelda cab section for details on the install of these puppies. I "pulled a Zakk" on the control panel, and yet again cracked my plexi on the very last hole. If you have seen it, you can figure out why it's got me fuming. So at least one thing worked out well today, since these little lights save me a fair bit of work when it comes to lighting the translucent ball! Here's a pic of the unit:

Slave Labor -Dec 14, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Getting closer to Christmas, and I find myself working constantly on Zeldamame. Turning out to be a very challenging project. The phrase "Most holes ever drilled in plexi" keeps coming to mind. The wiring will be a job in itself, and it will be a miracle if the config works first time out, considering there will be 7 joysticks and 4 rotary devices on this one panel(!). Ah well, maybe I'll be surprised and it will come together perfectly first time. Check out the progress here.

Tip -Dec 08, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Hey, if you're having trouble getting that marquee light going in that classic cab, just consider junking it (not the cab) and buying a new unit from Home Depot. This actually came up twice lately, where it just never occurred to people to just replace the light with a new self-contained piece. They are $9.99 here, and can simply plug into the power bar that you have your computer running from, and makes it easy to get bulbs and whatnot.

Zakk be back -Dec 07, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Okay, made a bit of cashola lately, so I can kinda relax a bit. I bought a Space Invaders cab off of my good friend Geoff today, and in a related article, here, Taito has announced plans to re-release space invaders. Cool! Greets to all my dedicated fans (?) and sorry I don't write here enough. If you want the latest, always check out the cab section, I tend to post there with whatever updates I have. Zelda mame is the latest flavour of the month, so that's where I am. I'm far from gone, and while I've got a few mails from you guys worried I'm leaving the biz, I think I was a bit misunderstood: I want to slow the output of Zakk cabs, not get out of the business. No worries, I'm here till I get tired of video games, and I think that could be a while yet to come. Greets out to Jerry, Mike, Christine, Geoff, Chris, Dean and of course Jay. Yeah, you guys make it worth keeping this page updated.

Go look -Nov 22, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Here's a project by a new Mame fan. Check out his new creation here! I'm trying to wind down my cab creating pursuits, as I find I'm taking too long getting cabinets ready for clients. I plan to finish up Zelda mame, then build one for myself, then one last one to sell off when it's done, however long that takes. Everyone has been very understanding, but I used to have plenty of free time in the evening to work on these, but lately the pager goes off right when I get started into something, and ruins my concentration. Lets see if my no more tours tour lasts :)

Oh so Much of an Update be Due -Nov 13, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Okay, I have a bunch of submissions to add to the examples page, as soon as I get the correct web software installed. I suppose I should get out of lazy mode and do that right now. I did manage to get Virtua delivered and running. Looked good in its new home. Zelda Arcade is coming along, and I even started a bit on Tack cab. Check it all out in the Cab section! Also bought a new Ford Escape SUV to help me move these thingies around. Doesn't fit the damn things very well, but I sure love being one of those asshole SUV drivers. It's great, I don't have to signal when I change lanes, I can slam on the brake every time I see a coffee shop, and I can park taking up 5 spaces...awesome! :) Oh, and as a followup to my posting of mid summer, I DID get my mustang painted and, well, sold off...here's a couple of before and after pics:

Quote from the King -Oct 29, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Submitted Virtua Mame cab to the blessed archives over at build your own arcade controls, and got a bit of kudos, which of course I will shamelessly repost here:

saint's note: I believe this officially, if there was ever any doubt, puts Zakk over the top for the most cabinets of all . . .Though MrArcade might have a thing or two to say about that :)

That does it, the gloves are off, and MrArcade and I are in the ring! In the meantime go check out how the cab turned out here. Thanks saint!

25 Signs You've "grown up" -Oct 28, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

1. Your potted plants are alive. And you can't smoke a one of them.

2. Having sex in a twin-sized bed is absurd.

3. You keep more food than beer in the fridge.

4. 6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to sleep.

5. You hear your favorite song on an elevator.

6. You carry an umbrella. You watch the Weather Channel.

7. Your friends marry and divorce instead of hookup and breakup.

8. You go from 130 days of vacation time to 7.

9. Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as 'dressed up.'

10. You're the one calling the police because those darn kids next door don't know how to turn down the stereo.

11. Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you.

12. You don't know what time Taco Bell closes anymore.

13. Your car insurance goes down and your car payments go up.

14. You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonald's.

15. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.

16. You no longer take naps from noon to 6 p.m.

17. Dinner and a movie = The whole date instead of the beginning of one.

18. Eating a basket of chicken wings at 3 a.m. would severely upset, rather than settle, your stomach.

19. You go to the drugstore for Ibuprofen and antacids, not condoms and pregnancy test kits.

20. A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer 'pretty good stuff.'

21. You actually eat breakfast foods at breakfast time.

22. "I just can't drink the way I used to," replaces "I'm never going to drink that much again."

23. Over 90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.

24. You don't drink at home to save money before going to a bar.

25. You read this entire list looking for one sign that doesn't apply to you!

Whew! -Oct 20, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Thanks to everyone who has been writing asking questions about the screen setup. Is it better than mame on a dedicated cab though? Sorry to say, no. Best way to watch movies? F/N A!

And just a reminder, we're still your Canadian stop for Oscar supplies!

Stop Yer Whinin -Oct 16, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Well I suppose the "get over it" e-mails were right on the money :) Yeah, yeah, feeling a bit down the other night it seems, but back in the swing of it today...Can't be in a bad mood when you play Metal Slug on an 8 foot screen!!! Check out some of the snaps! (Any blurriness was from taking pictures in a dark room...

The Asteroids Deluxe was definitely the best. The berzerk was a close second. I think I would have liked the tempest a bit more if I had a spinner control and not a keyboard for this test. Ah well, can't have everything. Am I spoiled or what? :)

Boo Hoo sucks to be me -Oct 14, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

I haven't taken a vacation in over 10 years. I mean taking a break from work for like one or two weeks. Just can't do it. My choice I suppose...but lately, I've been feeling a bit of the real life pushing on me (thanks to jackoffs like Brian Wilson...fuck you brian). Er, hem, anyways...anybody have a good vacation spot? I mean, a kick your ass gonna blow your mind good place to vacation? Visitors from all over the world (literally) view this site for whatever reason, and I'm sure at least one or two of you look out your window daily and see paradise...tell me about it! Oh and of course I'm partial to coconuts and sandy beaches, so let me know the place to go, even if you don't live there. Hell, I've never even been on an airplane, not once! I just slave away making sure the family is secure and well off. Tell me where to go (heh and not the usual way I'm told where to go!). Anyway, that's a bit of booze talking, but damn I need to get away. Ah well off to bed with me, day 100 without a break tomorrow. Gotta give up one of these jobs sooner or later!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stuff and That stuff..too -Oct 2, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Good Progress on Virtua Cab, but no current pictures. I lucked out yesterday and picked up an AMD barton 2500+ what was actually a downgraded 3200+ with a 400 FSB. Cranked up the voltage on it a smidge and whoo hoo! A $700 processor for $100!!! Still running fine, temps all good, and I didn't even need to upgrade the ram. Damn that's too cool. I thought it was a pretty good deal when I picked up the chip, but then I looked at the price of the 3200's. I mean, it's fast, but not $700 fast! Built the new comp for my office with that cold cathode tube. I'll have some pics when and if I ever get my new furniture delivered. How interesting is an office? Not. What does it have to do with mame? Nothing. What's that, shut up then? Okay!

I will have pics of Virtua once the artwork gets printed. Back to your regularly scheduled program.

Greets -Sept 25, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Greets go out to Chris, who bought an empty cab off me today, and is trying his hand at building his own. I'll have pics of the completed cab if he gets it done. Also, picked up a cold cathode light today, I'm thinking of putting it into either my cocktail cab, or the new computer for my office. I'm kinda in awe of the light this puppy puts out...lookit that sweet glow:

Also got word that my trackball will be shipped tomorrow for Virtua...good news!

Lookit -Sept 21, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

It's my girl's birthday today, so everyone wish Lindsay a happy Birthday! It was the oldest one's Bday the other day, but I didn't grab a snap of her, so I'll have to add it in here later. My wife is on our fourth (!!) child right now, and she's having a lot of problems, in and out of the hospital with this one, so it makes you sit back and appreciate the frailty of life a bit more...well anyway, it makes a Birthday just that much more special around here:

Happy birthday Lindsay and Amanda! (oh yeah, you can tell she loved this gift).

Heylo -Sept 20, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

I really don't update this page enough, as I was just told in e-mail. Can't argue with that, but as always, look for current changes in the cabinet section, as that's where I spend the free time I have. There has also been a new Mamey category added, and a new Mamey winner! Also, stay tuned for a pic of Mame playing on my 8' screen! I'm serious about these damn things. If I can convince just one person that it is the best way to watch a movie, well then I've done a good job. Here is a pic of my viewing room with the new 8 footer installed. Compare it to the pic of the 5' screen a few posts down. Nothing better than watching a concert like this!!!

Sh*t -Sept 7, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Complete and disastrous Hard drive crash last Friday, I'm just now getting back up and kinda running. Still no graphic proggies installed, guess that should be next. Man, it's when you have not backed up for the longest time that you lose a hard drive. I lost e-mail and a lot of web page updates, and addys and stuff like that, so if you are waiting for a reply from me, send me another note, as I might just have lost your msg. In the meantime, Massive cab got delivered, Deano is done and awaiting delivery, and Virtua and Zelda mame have been started. My Mustang came back from the body shop and looks like a million bucks, too bad I'm going to sell her. I managed to get an 8 foot screen for my dvd projector, and if you missed the posts below, be sure to consider one if you are thinking about a large screen tv.

I've gone insane -Aug 25, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

I went in to get a few computer parts for Deano mame, and ended up buying a $200 case for my own pc. Whooo she is purty though! Check out the Thermaltake Xaser III:

The case is almost all metal (mostly aluminum I would guess), there's 7 fans with speed controls, top mounted firewire and usb inputs, dual panel front acess, glowing E-LED front light, side window, etc etc etc. Oh and it's BIG, REAL BIG. I'd nominate it for one of the best looking cases out there today. I love it.

Oscar Parts and E-mail -Aug 25, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

All of the backordered parts are now in stock, and all standing orders are now cleared and being sent out today. Sorry for the short delay.

E-mail has been working intermittently at best, I think I'm getting all the mail, but sending is taking up to 2 days to allow. Hopefully this is just a server problem and will be worked out soon. Thanks for the patience! (Now go buy a spinner! :) )

Dis Dat and da Udder -Aug 20, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

I actually got a fair bit of mail on the projector screen news, and I've moved up from projecting on a wall to a 5' screen. I'm still trying to work the deal for an 8' screen, but for now the 5 footer works. Here's some pics of the screen pulled down in front of my 'real' tube tv:

Now for everyone that I haven't returned e-mail to, again it's just my lack of free time. It's 12 midnight, and I still have 'real' work to do, along with trying to cut a keyboard drawer and get some wiring done. Then some sleep and up at 8 again to start all over, and tomorrow looks like a BUSY day! :) Still greets go out to Greg Dean and Jimmy, my loyal groupies that (almost) never yell at me for not returning their e-mails in good time, but still send me good e-mail tidbits on a regular basis...cheers guys!!!

Now for some real news, I am getting a fair bit of e-mail about the Oscar products. Would it be easier if I just have the products listed in US funds?? There seems to be a bit of confusion about the whole thing, with people thinking I'm charging US on those prices as opposed to CAN funds. Seems silly to post Canadian parts in US funds, but would that be a better idea? If you have an opinion on it, let me know, as it doesn't really make a difference to me, in fact it's easier to just copy the prices from the main Oscar site, instead of using a currency converter....let's hear what you have to say on the matter!!

Baby! -Aug 17, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

Congratulations to my cousin who just had his first baby girl, Lily-ann. She was born during the blackout in New York, so it was an interesting experience to hear about, but they're all doing fine! Cigars for everyone, so smoke em if you got em!

The shop is starting to look pretty busy. Dammit don't you people know this is just a hobby? Sheesh :) Here's a shot of some of the work going on:

and one of the 20" monitors waiting to be installed:

AND one shot of the new Vortex spinner next to my real Tempest spinner:

Deano cab is nearing completion, so on to the next ones soon!

Too much! -Aug 11, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

The new cabs arrived, and one of them is another painted over Defender! Also the first shipment from Oscar Controls showed up, so the Oscar Store is officially online. Busy busy day!

Unrecommended, (is that a word?)-April 20, 2003 EMAIL A NEWS ITEM

mamemarquees.com has swiped most of the art off this site and started selling it. Tsk Tsk. Save yourself some money and have a marquee printed by a local print shop. Much easier to ensure that what you get is what you want. Check out the showcase section for examples of great marquees people have done themselves.

The movie is over for god's sake!!

Old old old (as far back as 2001) news deleted. If you read all the way to this point, well hell I'm impressed beyond words. Hope that after all that reading you found something useful! Cheers to you fellow mame fanatic, know that as I type this I am having a glass out of a $250 bottle of Johnny Walker Blue in your honor (really!) Hope you didn't want to read more, because the last couple of years worth or drunken ramblings are gondo. Eh, you're not missing anything. Go have a drink.

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