Whether you"re a pinball wizard, aficionado of classic shoot-"em-ups, or a "Street Fighter" extraordinaire, many options exist when it comes to bringing the arcade home -- specifically in the form of a full-sized home arcade machine. If you have the bucks to burn -- we"re talkin" $4,000-$5,000 and beyond here -- you could simply buy a high-end, ready-to-go package from a company such as HanaHo. It"s a great, albeit expensive, turnkey solution.
However, if the scratch isn"t too tight, there"s another, more user-friendly alternative -- ordering an assemble-it-yourself arcade cabinet kit. That"s the plan for this feature since time is as much of a concern as dollars. Currently, there aren"t that many options in this arena, but there are a few worth your consideration.
Of course, you"ll also need to decide if you"re going to go the route of creating a single-platform arcade machine or if you want the versatility of playing on multiple game systems. Many will opt for the single-system approach and install a PC as the power plant for this specialized rig. Some, however, will want to hook up an Xbox, GameCube, PS2, Dreamcast and/or a combination of systems to increase their gaming pleasure. It"s really up to you -- and your budget -- as to how simple or tricked-out you want to go.