Good, cheap MAME machine?

[VictorLazarus]

Hi guys,

I'm wanting to get a MAME machine, like a desktop arcade if some little box I can plug into a TV and use a controller / fight stick with. But I don't want to break the bank. (And I don't know much about these things so I thought here would be a good place to enquire)

I've used MANE on the PC, but I found the experience lacking, and I don't like having to set up the controls. I'd like something that turns on like a console, with no fuss, and in an ideal world had HDMI out so I could stream / record it.

Any recommendations / advice appreciated. Thanks!

MVL.

[Shadowrunner]

I have a modded original Xbox that I use for MAME and it works great. You can buy it already modded like I did but I know they're starting to get a little expensive. Not sure how hard it is to do yourself. It only has Component out but otherwise sounds like what you're looking for.

[AmigaJay]

I use a nvidia shield tv, little box sits under my tv with 2 proper joypads, though like any version of Mame takes a little to setup, Mame is still one of the hardest emus to setup and get the correct rom sets for, but if u used it on the pc then u should know what to do, you can then use a front end like gamesome or nostalgia to get boxart and load from those.

[VictorLazarus]

Some good ideas. I'm not opposed to setting up the MAME myself, or modding. A front interface to quick load would be ideal, soMill check out some of those.

MVL.

[Back in Time Sime]

Retropie on a Rasberry Pi3 is very smart, very small, very quite and simple to setup...

[zapiy]

Good shout, plenty of guides online as well.

[guest6250]

I did a front end with another member on klov using Arpicade from HSS...

here’s a video of the front end it’s verticals but i’m working on a horizontal version soon...

I’m new here but i go by Kickman over there....

Here’s a video of the image we did using the Arpicade

https://youtu.be/XLyvM2dYzYg


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[guest6250]

I guess i should point out that the Arpicade is ran off of raspberry pi, and this front end could be ran on HDMI with a keyboard style Ipac for cheap... let’s say if you had a monitor laying around 100 bucks with zippy joystick and a few buttons....


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