Mini Arcade (thanks, Utinniii!)

[Daigo_Bah]

A departure from SW dios for a bit; yet another childhood love (and a significant one at that) of mine was arcade games. So much so that my friend and I several years ago would buy used arcade cabinets and decals/marquees from distributors to display. The only thing I have left is the Atari arcade game (non-working) in my dio room, but the recent paper arcade examples Utinniii posted reminded me that I needed to do some of those. So I made 5 so far, printed onto glossy cardstock-type photo paper, carefully cut with sharp x-acto blades and glued together. I also glued strips of posterboard along the edges just like the real machines. The map pin idea for the joysticks was a great one, so I did that as well. And lastly, I bought a sheet of felt to mimic carpeting, and made a wall with straws to simulate pipes like my favorite arcade growing up, Spaceport in the New Orleans East Plaza mall B)

The scale that I printed is roughly 5", similar to Walking Dead figures, as you can see in this pic with a Riot Gear Walker.

I plan on two more for the space I have, probably Tempest for its unique cabinet design, and Moon Patrol because it was a favorite!

My SW game:

 

[Utinniii]

Those look really great! The floor (and games) could use some gum! I printed out tiny candy wrappers and popcorn boxes too! If you have access to plastic toothpicks, they can be cut into quarters and firing buttons (I think they are the correct scale).

Posters would look great on the walls!

I tried to find a Star Wars papercraft arcade games, but alas!

If you are interested, there are also paper pinball games and the sit down tabletop arcade games.

I'm really glad you used the print outs. The posterboard looks great! The machines look really sturdy.

 

[Daigo_Bah]

Thanks man! You probably saw the fantastic sit-down version someone made (the template is nowhere to be found though):

And I did run across a couple templates for the stand-up:

I didn't like the look of the front face of this one:

 

[Utinniii]

Actually, I was thinking of the tiny sit down tables that look like end tables. Restaurants had them. That thing is amazing. If someone was good with Gimp (I'm not) that amazing Simulator sit down version could be made into a template. We would just need to find a few reference photos to make a composite. I tried to do that with my Space Invaders. It didn't work out that well.

Usually, I am "build it and move on to the next thing" kinda guy, but seeing your dio makes me want to revisit arcade games!!

I can really see the time you put into making yours. They blow mine away! Mine look like paper models. Yours look like actual games.

 

[Deathspawn9000]

Get to work boys! I did almost all of these a few years ago. Got em all in a box somewheres... I'll post pix when I find it...

EDIT: A quick Google search for "Papercraft arcade", "Papercraft pinball" or "papercraft video game" will keep you busy for a looooong time...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/46792053@N03/sets/72157623146178671/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/46792053@N03/sets/72157623146178671/

 

[Daigo_Bah]

Wow, so many great ones! Yeah, the tabletop ones were usually referred to as cocktail tables. I loved those too. There is only one papercraft version of those I could find. My friend and I owned about 4 actual cocktail table games, the best one being Joust, which I believe was the only one that seated two on the same side!

 

[Deathspawn9000]

Yeah, start with the "too much time on his hands" comments...
Actually had a great time doing these with my then 12 year old!
Even did the map pin joysticks!

 

[Utinniii]

Great templates DS9000! You have the second page to the Space Invaders I couldn't find.
I just did a quick Google search for papercraft images. There were several links to deviant art. I couldn't see anything since I haven't logged in for years so I don't remember how. I did find good shots of the exterior of the game though. Not enough of the interior, sadly.

Anyone want to tackle making (or finding) that template?

I didn't play a lot of arcade games (I'd rather spend the $$ on books, comics, toys or chocolate!). But I do have some fond memories. One of the strangest games was "Gals Panic". All I remember are spiders, something with lines and if you finished the game is would show a really lame image of a naked Asian girl. What I found really strange about it was that every time I was at that arcade, different Asian couples would be playing it together. It made no sense!


EDIT:
OOOOOOOH I loved that Xman game. I still get the jungle music stuck in my head!
I wanted to find the papercraft Elvira pinball machine but could only find the stickers for it.

 

[Deathspawn9000]

Gals panic was based on QIX with pictures revealed in the background as you cleared the play field. I spent several years running an arcade, hence the e-love....

The links from the previous post aren't mine, but that's where I got the majority of the templates I did.

Museum of the Game - Arcade, Videogame, Pinball Machine, Game, and Antique Coin-Operated History -- International Arcade Museum

 

[Sizzzler]

Wow, what a fantastic customs idea! A way to relive those great 70's/80's arcade days which would be very difficult to manage with the actual games today.
One of my favorite novelty Christmas ornaments is the Pac-Man Arcade cabinet that Hallmark made some years back. I still regularly play my Buckner & Garcia Pac-Man Fever album that I remember getting as a kid. I converted it for the PC and often play it while I'm online... (I'm playing it right now!)

 

[Daigo_Bah]

I've since made a Defender, and not necessarily because it was a favorite, but the template was oriented on the page better than some others for the scale I've been printing them.

 

[M1S2]

Awesome work! They look great, particularly the graphics.

 

[Sizzzler]

One of my favorite novelty Christmas ornaments is the Pac-Man Arcade cabinet that Hallmark made some years back.

Found some time to take a few pics with it...

 

[Daigo_Bah]

Wow, that's pretty cool! I don't remember seeing that.

Well, got a new printer at home, but also gave up my good camera! So, I added an Asteroids to the group, seen here in a crappy pic:

 

[Deathspawn9000]

Just out of curiosity, what materials did everyone use to make theirs? Mine were just printed on plain cardstock and cut and glued. I think when (if) I get to redo them my way would be to print on glossy decal paper, apply to styrene sheet and go from there. Daigo-Bahs machines look light years better than mine, but his are a larger scale too. Thoughts?

 

[Daigo_Bah]

Thanks for saying so! I printed mine onto glossy photo paper (almost as thick as cardstock), cut them with x-acto blades, folded with a straightedge, and used regular elmer's glue in thin amounts. I then glued foamcore pieces inside the cabinet, at least on the front facing and side facing panels. Lastly, 2 thin posterboard strips were cut, folded along the contour of the cabinet, and super-glued along the 2 front edges to get the molding look (which also gives a faux thickness appearance to the paper itself).

Edit: I might reprint just the lower front face of the Joust cabinet, since the old printer gave it a kind of low-res striped look.

 

[Utinniii]

Glossy paper might be OK. However, (if my faulty memory serves me correct) the bulk of the machine wasn't glossy (just the decals). The styrene will add the proper thickness so I think that is a great idea.

I agree that DB's look exceptional. Mine were testers to see if the image would print nicely and they look like paper models. His look like real machines.

(I had hoped someone had found the template for the sitdown SW game.:'()

 

[Daigo_Bah]

Glossy paper might be OK. However, (if my faulty memory serves me correct) the bulk of the machine wasn't glossy (just the decals).

You're absolutely right- the decals and to some extent the monitor can be considered glossy. But the combination of this new printer (such vibrant colors!) I have now, plus the glossy paper, the new machines are looking even better! I made yet another: Tempest, due to the color scheme and unique cabinet shape. It is scaled to the others, but you can probably see the Asteroids is a bit smaller because I "fit to page" when printing that one. I love how colorful that one came out too! I'm thinking of remaking Dragon's Lair with the new printer. Here is the current arcade:

 

[Utinniii]

Lookin' great!
A tedious way to add gloss is cutting glossy tape to size or printing out the decals separately.

Different machines were different sizes, especially if a machine was reconditioned to make a new game so yours doesn't look out of place to me.

 

[Daigo_Bah]

Ok, I made ANOTHER one! Moon Patrol this time, and I THINK I'm done (yeah, right!).

 

[Deathspawn9000]

...especially if a machine was reconditioned to make a new game...

Oy! Don't remind me. Hated expecting a new game and getting a kit instead! Would rather rewire a pinball machine (again) than do another conversion! It's not so much that it was difficult, it was taking a dedicated machine and changing it. Think of it as taking a vintage Vader, gutting him and turning him into a POTF Vader!(shudder!)

 

[Daigo_Bah]

Couple new ones made recently! And I expanded the floor size a little bit, so the group pic is to come...

Edit: here are a couple new pics of the full setup:

 

[Daigo_Bah]

More added! Crystal Castles, Centipede, and the must-have Ms. Pac-Man!

 

[Deathspawn9000]

Again, wish the "like" button would return!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Awesome work as usual! You need a Star Wars machine in there!!:awesome:

 

[Utinniii]

Just the other day I was thinking I haven't seen any posts by you recently and then you submit these fantastic arcade games!
If you add Rampage, marble Madness, and the 3 person X-man game, you have my perfect arcade!
I second at least one Star Wars arcade.

 

[SITHLORD1963]

A 1/18 scale Ms Pacman would make a great centrepiece for anyone who wanted to do a Diorama of Quicksilver's bedroom from X-Men, Apocalypse.

 

[dxdave]

Man, you should sell these. I don't have a printer and am too horrible of a customizer. I would love an arcade!

 

[Empire]

These are so great!
I want to eventually make a 1:18 version of my Star Wars Trilogy Arcade sitdown game to add inside my spaceport.
I added the game to my home arcade about 10 years ago and it's still my absolute favorite.

 

[Daigo_Bah]

Oh my, what an amazing arcade! Love the wall graphics, and Gorf was a favorite of mine too!

Edit: Also remade Defender on the new glossy paper and brought the old, dull one to my desk at work

 

[Deathspawn9000]

If the mini arcade isn't enough...

https://archive.org/details/internetarcade?&sort=titleSorter

 

[Rchrz60]

These are so great!
I want to eventually make a 1:18 version of my Star Wars Trilogy Arcade sitdown game to add inside my spaceport.
I added the game to my home arcade about 10 years ago and it's still my absolute favorite.

Home arcade, looks like you even have your own claw machine. If I had one I'd put my kids phones and tablets in there and let them play (pay) for the ability to use them that day or week. Lol


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[Warsaw_Wonder]

Does anyone know where I can buy water slide decals or something close of computer monitor screens for 1:18 scale (3.75") figures? The decals need to be transparent behind the "text lines and graphics".

 

[Idpullthecurtain]

You forgot Larry The Looter!

 

[Daigo_Bah]

Made a couple more recently: Dig Dug and a remake of Pac-Man on the better paper!

 

[Utinniii]

Sadly, you now have to redo the entire diorama to make it scale for the Stranger Things figures!!!

 

[VideoViper]

I made one of these years ago & placed it in Jabba's palace.

Anyone have a 1:18th scale The Last Star Fighter Game? It would be a natureral fit into any space diorama.

 

[Utinniii]

Sorry, I don't. A quick Google search didn't find it either. However, there are a couple of sites dedicated to arcade papercraft. You could also photoshop pictures of a real game onto a papercraft model of similar design.

https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=8394

"I've got Asteroids though. Sometimes can't sit down for a week."

 

[VideoViper]

Ya I believe I had to resize the Pacman one I did from 5" to 4~4.5" to fit better with Joes.

 

[Daigo_Bah]

Got another one made with Galaga! I absolutely love this high gloss thick photo paper I've been using for the last 7 or 8 machines.

 

[DagobahDweller]

These are so cool. Anyone try custom printed transparencies with led back lighting to make them light up?