Want to Collect Arcade Games? Here's Where to Start! JAMMA, JVS and Beyond! Arcade Collecting Guide

[@nathanddrews]

With the exception of UMK3 and several titles scattered between the Model 3 to Lindbergh era, I feel like I have achieved an excellent balance of quality ports and emulation (FPGA and software). FPGAs completely changed my perspective on collecting and preservation... and also greatly decreased my hoarding/spending tendencies.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

FPGA has changed the game. Pun intended

[@SkyScourgeGod]

I love basic videos like this. Arcade hardware can be endlessly complex and finicky so its important that newer generations of Enthusiast have access to modern videos explaining stuff like this. By the way a great example of a board that has a weird jamma standard to it is the Examu Ex-Boards. I have one for Daemon Bride and I nearly drove myself crazy trying to figure out why I couldn't get it to work. Turns out the jamma connector doesn't carry a video signal, that comes from a separate VGA connector and sound from two RCA jacks yet controls and power come from jamma. Really wierd stuff, though I'm sure you've seen weirder LOL.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s weird when they do that. Konami ZR-107 is the same way

[@METR0lD]

I'ma JAMMA that arcade board into my TV and it'sa just gonna work!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

If you try hard enough anything can work 🤣

[@THELEGENDARYK2]

I never left the Jamma standard. Recently magic smoked a board after collecting and playing pcbs for 10+ years. That key is important.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

The key is everything

[@BaronStVon]

I'd go bonkers with all the different standards, old forum answers to fixes, etc. Haha. More power to you, though

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I love how random it is. Always something to learn or make

[@robross6462]

Great video!!! We get multiple cats and a WiFi antenna pointer! Good advice on the keyed Jamma harness extension. My arcade harness is not keyed so I took a marker to the power connectors as a reminder. The keyed harness is a much better idea. Anyone looking to get into the hobby should be prepared to spend A LOT of time troubleshooting. You’re not always going to plug and play. Sometimes the boards are finicky or you spend an hour troubleshooting just to realize it was user error 😂. Invest in a label maker and label all the connections needed to play.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

The pointers are as much a part of the channel as the hardware is by now 🤣

[@anjumf1]

Great video. More like this would be very helpful.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

More will come

[@lucientaylor98]

Where would you recommend buying Jamma Extensions? I just got myself a Hyper Neo Geo, Buriki One, and a Has in the past few months but I absolutely need one.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Axunworks or RGB Lab. Unfortunately one is sold out and one takes months as it’s handmade. The ones on Amazon I’m not a fan of. I build my own honestly

[@JeffYPbPr]

100% the final frontier. I collect arcade cabs and it’s def a learning curve. Love it though

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s the most hands on collecting you can do as you absolutely need to learn repair and wiring. Which I love

[@CorenTheBrave]

I recently purchased a Vewlix C cabinet to use at home instead of my trusty box full of Miniguns, and I've been experiencing the fun of converting between standards using specialty equipment like the Irken Labs JAMMAfier and making custom one-off harnesses. Would not recommend as a place to start. Also, as someone who has been so obsessed when the their games that I've worked with EXAMU / Team Arcana in an official capacity running tournaments and convention booths; I appreciate hearing the Arcana Heart soundtrack. Saki is my favourite and that heart, that power from her stage is an absolute banger.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I love building custom conversion harnesses. Some of the most fun to me

[@CorenTheBrave]

​ Oh yeah, I love making a nice clean harness, but I also work as a technician and have nice tools and professional experience with it; its not where you wanna jump in with no experience though! Poor quality crimp on a power harness are a fire hazard for example, and most people just getting started aren't going to have access to a manufacturer original Molex Mini-fit Jr hand crimping tool. I would honestly recommend that people start with ordering pre-crimped wires from Digi-key or other suppliers honestly, you can trust them more than things you've done with a $40 Chinese knock-off multi crimper.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

No def not what I recommend people start with haha. The deep end of projects

[@TitchgamerRG]

Great video as usual mate, And a good call to say at the start you will have problems LOL I love collecting Arcade hardware but god knows some of these things drive you nuts! You prob should of mentioned CHAMMA and Kick Harnesses though as thats something noobs always ask about :)

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

True. Maybe part two will have CHAMMA and kicks. And yes arcade collecting always comes with problems and hassles. But I love that. Always something new to learn and solve

[@TitchgamerRG]

@@VideoGameEsoterica yes I am the same, I love the challenge and making my own adapters etc. But its defo not for everyone!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

@TitchgamerRG no it’s a unique sub set. Honestly if I had more time I’d start a side business doing custom harnesses for people

[@TitchgamerRG]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Yeah I have been asked multiple times to make CPS/PGM and other harnesses. But much like yourself I dont have the time or desire to do it for anything other than my own enjoyment/hardware.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha yep. As soon as you do it for someone else it goes from “fun” to “obligation”

[@robbyrobot3303]

I always look at a seller's other items to see if they tested other PCBs when selling as "untested" I've lucked out a few times buying clean looking boards from sellers who genuinely seemed ignorant of how to test and were selling as untested.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes you can score some deals that way

[@_nightkid83]

Hello and thank you for this informative video. One question though: I know that you're a big fan of Ridge Racer and I was wondering if you have the original Namco System 22? if yes, did you manage to make it work as it requires special connections for power, video & audio output and for the controls? Thanks

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

No I haven’t picked one up. Probably won’t. MAME emulation is exceptionally good and boards are exceptionally LARGE. I try and focus on things that don’t emulate well

[@Shaggyjunior760]

Have you ever thought about getting an exia Arcadia system??

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Not really. High price for what they are for me personally

[@simon41978]

I have a JAMMA console I got from aliexpress. It uses Saturn pads and RGB. I also have a mini one and a Raven Games London SuperGun with a blown PSU. My soldering isn't good enough or I would have fixed it.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Can always get better at soldering. Good skill

[@Riz2336]

I had a phase where I got into this, mostly because I wanted to play real neo geo hardware without going the aes route so I got a supergun and mvs board, once the mvs board died on me I just said forget it because I didn't have a clue how to fix it

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

MVS boards are so inexpensive sometimes it’s not worth fixing

[@sidnamyzo]

Very interesting, not for me though as I have a hard time even using all my retro consoles and MiSTer etc….do you have an arcade cab as well? Always wanted an Astro City that’s the dream

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

No cab. Condos in Chicago aren’t huge

[@StariusPrime]

Whats the best online source for learning the basics of jamma wiring? If one wanted to get into building or restoring cabinets?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s mostly forum posts and videos. I’m not sure of a central repository of info

[@RetroRockGamer]

I have that Top Gun thrustmaster flight stick! But mine's usb.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

USB is more “brains” then I need for these mods but yes they are a good flight stick

[@travisshipley2609]

Any leads on who fixes boards? I’ve got a fever SOS & donpachi board that needs repaired lol. My skill level is good but not good enough to mess with a cave board.

[@SavedByZero]

There a number of vendors on ebay and members on the KLOV/Museum of the Game forum that offer repair services.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Go to arcade projects forums. You’ll find someone

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

True

[@sunderark]

Caius and Philip Morris aka irongiant

[@sunderark]

Im glad i stopped collecting. It was insane at one point and now my games just lie in their own boxes. I might start selling them soon. Get a couple more fpga solutions and just thinning them down. At this rate i could reduce the mortgage to my house by about 30%

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha yes when you realize the value you could convert to cash it gets tempting

[@mlgxxx808]

Did arcana heart arcade use vga for video

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It did / does

[@RetroRockGamer]

Honestly, MiSTer killed any desire that I had to collect real hardware boards.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It just lets me focus more on 3D boards

[@drewba7741]

These videos = excuses for VGE to flex his collection on us XD

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

lol this isn’t even scratching the surface

[@drewba7741]

@@VideoGameEsoterica See? There he goes again :P

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha don’t be like me. Thats the takeaway

[@emrahdincer]

I had a colleague whose hobby was collecting arcade consoles, he was a great guy, he was telling me to buy bitcoin when a bitcoin was around 120 bucks and he was putting his savings there. Fast forward half a decade, he disappeared from office and it was declared he committed suicide. To this day I think someone killed him for his cold wallet.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Oof. Yeah def don’t tell people if you are a bitcoin millionaire

[@RadRat78]

For a video about where to start with Jamma, it get's into advanced set-ups rather too quickly

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s just a primer leading you through the diff types of boards

[@isunshin999]

First

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

You win 10 VGE points

[@KarnovJr]

This side of the video game collecting hobby is too much of a headache. Plus I'm not super wealthy. Thank God for emulation.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha I’m not wealthy either

[@sunderark]

Yeah wait till you get into arcade cabs too oof