Mini arcade for the fire station: Firefighter builds two arcade cabinets
The tinkerer "Mok x Sandman" has built two retro arcade machines for his fire department. The machines run on the open-source Batocera system, support lightguns, and offer multiplayer for up to eight players.
A firefighter didn't just put a console in his station's common room. The tinkerer with the username "Mok x Sandman" built two arcade cabinets. The machines are large, multiplayer-capable, and technically much more complex than a simple retro PC in a wooden case.
"Mok x Sandman" documented the build on YouTube and Reddit. There, he shows the finished machines and explains many technical details. The two cabinets are now in the fire station where he works. Up to eight players can play together.
Two large cabinets instead of mini-arcade
The machines are built as stand-alone units. Each cabinet has a wide control panel with multiple joysticks and buttons. Above it sits the main display. In the upper area, there's a narrow additional display that serves as a dynamic marquee. It replaces the classic illuminated sign above the screen and can show a different logo or artwork depending on the game.
The design is based on classic arcade machines. At the same time, the machines are designed for modern use. You can not only launch old arcade games but also console classics, racing games, lightgun shooters, beat 'em ups, and other multiplayer titles.
Batocera as the interface
According to "Mok x Sandman", each machine is powered by a mini-PC with a Ryzen 5 4500U. The games run via Batocera, a free, open-source operating system specialized in retro gaming.
Batocera bundles emulators, game library, and input management into one interface. This means users don't have to switch between individual programs. The machine boots directly into an interface designed for controllers, arcade buttons, and large screens.
According to "Mok x Sandman", the performance is also sufficient for more demanding systems. Gamecube and Playstation 2 games run, he says. For Wii games, the results are mixed. Some titles work, others cause problems.
Lightguns without CRT display
For lightgun games, "Mok x Sandman" uses Retroshooters Reapers. Classic lightguns usually don't work with modern LCD displays because they were developed for CRT televisions. The Reapers circumvent this problem with infrared sensors on the screen frame.
This allows lightgun shooters to be played again in front of a modern display. His setup runs, among others, "The House of the Dead 2 & 3" and "Attack of the Movies". Other titles like "Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles" and "Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles" caused problems in his tests.
Wood construction, wiring, and many individual parts
"Mok x Sandman" built the cases himself. He stated that he did not use a ready-made blueprint. He based his work on videos, previous projects, and his own adaptations.
In addition to the wood construction, he had to accommodate many components: main displays, marquee displays, mini-PCs, joysticks, buttons, speakers, amplifiers, power supplies, USB connections, and the sensors for the lightguns. Especially with eight players, the wiring quickly becomes complex. Every joystick and every button must be properly connected and correctly recognized in Batocera.
Then there's the construction itself. An arcade cabinet must be stable because several people play on it simultaneously. The control panel must not give way, the displays must be securely seated, and the technology must remain accessible in case something needs to be replaced or repaired later.
The self-build is not cheap. According to "Mok x Sandman", each cabinet cost around 1800 US dollars. So, the material cost for both machines is about 3600 US dollars. This does not include labor time.
From self-build to tournament device
At the fire station, they are not just displayed but actually used. On Reddit, "Mok x Sandman" reports on Mario Kart tournaments between different stations.
After watching the video, one thought sticks with me: every break room actually deserves at least one such arcade machine.
My interests are varied, I just like to enjoy life. Always on the lookout for news about darts, gaming, films and series.
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