MMMKII

Bloody MKP on Ultimarc VGA and JPAC in MKII Arcade Cabinet. Characters by gabe687 PART II

2010-03-17T17:10:00.000+09:00

A problem with that is the default "high kick" button is mapped to SPACE which MUGEN does not allow.

MUGEN 1.0 uses new key codes that I can not find a listing of. Thanks to Gabe's help at http://elecbyte.com/ I no longer have an issue running full screen. He suggested I switch to MUGEN 1.0 which has a new release candidate after 2 years. Luckily his MKP edits all work. It is his characters that have really inspired me to do this.

Bloody MKP on Ultimarc VGA in MKII Arcade Cabinet. Characters by gabe687

2010-03-13T05:51:00.000+09:00

Mortal Kombat the way it was meant to be played.
Gabe687 has edited the MK Characters to near perfection.
http://www.youtube.com/user/gabe687
Check out his videos.
The Mortal Kombat Project is based on MUGEN.
My arcade cabinet has been altered to include a PC for use mainly with MAME however what I really wanted to do was play Gabe's version of Raiden in my cabinet which means figuring out how to get MKP to run properly in a JAMMA cabinet with a real Arcade monitor and controls. I have a Ultimarc VGA adapter and a Ultimarc J-PAC to interface the controls. A problem with that is the default "high kick" button is mapped to SPACE which MUGEN does not allow. After a lot of searching I found the solution was to edit the MUGEN.CFG file and manually edit the file so that the key codes correspond with the default JPAC control keys. Saving me from having to edit MAME and a million other things.
However the people who developed MUGEN did not use standard key codes giving me a huge headache. I ended up finding someone who found the keycodes for me.
http://www.esnips.com/doc/2a7b1a16-1d6f-4fd6-8c05-84ace33c4c9a/Code-Diagram

Is a Diagram of almost all keys as MUGEN recognizes them.

My Keys are now
JUMP 200
Crouch 208
Left 203
Right 205
A 42
B 45
C 56
X 29
Y 57
Z 44
Start 2

Not sure how to configure an escape button yet.
I intend to run the game from within HYPERSPIN so it may not be a problem but I have yet to mess with that.

My big problem now however is getting the game to run full screen...

I have tried several options and combos but with no luck.
Has anyone else gotten MUGEN to run on an ARCADE VGA card?

Windows XP and various software install.

2009-09-28T00:24:00.000+09:00

I sort of failed to chronicle the software side of things before.
Perhaps this is my Karma for that.

So now I am re-installing windows XP on my machine and it is proving to be a lot more difficult while the PC is inside the cabinet and while using an arcade monitor.
Unfortunately I do not have a CRT monitor to use at the moment and while originally installing windows with the Arcade VGA card installed it said my monitor would not support it.

I had major issues with my second hard disc with formatting errors for some reason.
However a major issue was when installing XP through my arcade VGA card the install screen was only the top half.

From MMMKII

I tried several times to install format but all ended in failure.
So seeing as my LCD doesn't work with my Arcade VGA and installing a different video card wasn`t going to happen I decided to try something totally different.

I installed TINY XP (which is technically illegal shhhhh!) on a different hard drive through my main machine and then took that had and installed it into my cab. First boot had some errors due to driver issues but because tiny xp includes a million drivers it found them all quickly except a few I needed to install from my motherboard disc and the Arcade VGA drivers. Tiny xp is a version of XP that is stripped down to the bare necessities. It boots up super fast as well which is a biggy for me due to my wanting to hit one switch and play games ASAP when people come over.

However the Tiny Xp disc I had made wouldn`t read in my systems DVD rom drive for some reason so I had to use my External USB CD/DVD drive that I picked up used on a whim when I had a Tablet PC for $15. Some things come in handy and that is probably why I am a pack rat..

My particular Arcade VGA card is an older version so the drivers that came with my JPAC wouldn't work. Luckily Minor God Andy emailed me the link to the OLDER DRIVERS and that got me up and sailing no problem.

The instructions at Ultimarc are pretty thorough so I wont go through it all again here.
I have yet to properly set up my Jpac so I will go into that later as well. I am having some trouble setting keystrokes to work in MAME and MUGEN.

I also had some issues with some weird scrolling on my monitor image in windows. However games in MAME look fine. I found the answer with a small little control dial on the actual monitor circuit board on the back. I found the answer HERE. This guy has the same monitor and problem I had.

Now I am attempting to get MAME set up using HYPERSPIN as my front end.

Not an easy all in one process. Especially since I have no internet connection on my cab. So I am constantly going back and forth between cab and this pc with a thumbdrive because there is no all inclusive install package and its really pissing me off.

You need to download all the programs from the link above and the programs from HERE as well.

Plus you need Microsofts .NET Framework 2.0.

However I can not seem to build a database and get some error.

I am getting all kinds of errors and doing installs on a 640x480 is not my friend at the moment. I will attempt to get it all set up and running on my main PC while documenting it and then trying to replicate what I did over on my Cab.

Thats it for now. Lots of progress today.

I feel good.

Good news and bad news.

2009-09-26T02:58:00.000+09:00

The good news I got all of my new parts and can proceed with the install.
The bad news is my camera died yesterday in Kyoto while playing tour guide for my friend from out of town who was visiting.

It means that there will not be any new video or photos unless I use my cellphone. While my cell is pretty rad. Its photo and video quality does not compare to a dedicated device.

I took my dead hard disk out of my MKII cabinet and put it in an external enclosure. When attached to my main PC it still made the same clicky noises of death.

Seeing as I had given up on the HD anyway I decided to try 2 things.

1.) The old put a dying hard disk in a ziplock bag and then into the freezer for a few hours. The theory is that if you freeze an HD the metal will condense a little and the stuck parts will loosen up. Many people have reported that they could then use the HD for up to 2 hours until it dies again and then get their data off the drive. This did not work for me however. My drive did spin up however it was noticeably slower to do so. But the same beep beep beep returned.

2.) Hit it with a hammer. Yes I tried hitting my HD with a hammer. I hit it once lightly on the corner. When trying to power it up it actually made different noises. It sounded more broken but it had an effect! So for the hell of it I started hitting it more and dropping it from various heights. None of it helped but it was kind of fun to do something that felt so taboo.

So now I have the fun of reinstalling windows on a NEW hd while the PC is already inside my MKII cab which I will talk about more in my next post.

DEATH

2009-08-07T06:06:00.000+09:00

It seems the hard drive of my Mame machine has died.
It was my oldest HD so I suppose I should not be surprised but it sucks because now I have to go through all the hassle of a new OS install and tweaking the software all over again...

*Sigh*

Waiting

2009-07-28T14:42:00.002+09:00

I got an email from XtremeGameroom.com today. It seems some of my parts are on back order but will be shipped next week.
I appreciate being kept up to date. Like in relationships communication is the most important thing. I almost never get angry or upset as long as I understand what is going on and Fred is doing a great job of keeping me informed. It is the sign of a good business.

Much unlike my dealings with a certain seller on eBay this week or my web hosting company . I won't post the details here because it has nothing to do with my project but it is amazing to me to see the contrast between a great seller like XtremeGameroom.com who take time to ensure their customers are happy and making sure they sell quality parts and the other 2 who have no interest in anything except my money.

In the meantime I am fighting with the software aspects of things. I suppose I should go into detail about that and will shortly.

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Now playing: Ladytron - Beauty
via FoxyTunes

Progress

2009-07-14T23:16:00.003+09:00

I placed an order with XtremeGameroom.comfor a bunch of parts today.
I will be covering their install in great depth when they arrive.
I have been dealing with Fred there and he has been very kind and courteous and most importantly very helpful, knowledgeable and patient with a novice like myself. I have nothing but good things to say. I will have a lot more to say once things arrive. I suspect it will take a while due to the fact that I live in Japan and things have to go all the way over the pacific ocean.

More news to come!

Ｕｐｄａｔｅ

2009-06-15T13:52:00.004+09:00

I bought the correct size bolts from the 100yen ($1) store and have attached the joysticks.
I also very temporarily twisty wired all of the buttons and controls and although very temporary I have managed to make a working arcade game and confirm that all of the old controls I have are functioning.

Now I need to decide how I want to wire up the controls. Directly soldering them or making some kind of quick release.

I have also started a topic about this project at arcadecontrols.com (which is an amazing resource that has answered 1000 of my questions) here.

Thank you to anyone who visits this site from there and also please feel free to say hello and comment!

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Now playing: drukqs (disc 1) - vordhosbn
via FoxyTunes

First video

2009-05-28T14:56:00.004+09:00

I made a video of what I have done so far.
My plan is to get the arcade up and running as an arcade game first. The once that is finished I wil go ahead and add a PC to the mix and have my MAME/MUGEN machine.

So far in this vid you can see the delivery of my game cab plus me hacking an old control panel for some pieces to add to the cab.

The quality on the video it pretty poor so I will try to reencode it later.

Welcome to MMMKII (an introduction you can skip if you want to)

2009-05-22T01:04:00.002+09:00

What is MMMKII?

It stands for: "Mortal Mame Mugen Kombat II"

Or you can put the M words in any order that pleases you actually. I don't mind.

Mame Mugen Mortal Kombat II
Mugen Mortal Mame Kombat II
etc.

If you don't know what M.A.M.E or M.U.G.E.N. are then you are reading the wrong blog. However the above links to their Wikipedia entries should give you an idea.

My gaming history. Feel free to skip all of this and go right down to the photos to see how I am doing with my project.

Originally when I was a child in the 80's I wanted a pinball machine.
I played some games like Ms. PACMAN and Donkey Kong at my Karate dojo while waiting for my dad to pick me up. My dad also went on a lot of business trips. Not to mention most of my family lived in other cities/countries. The airport was basically my arcade as a child. I was young. So I was not good and I think my parents could see their quarters disappear. Which also made them think it was a waste of money. However for me it was coolest thing.
My brother and I would always play Super Sprint, Spy Hunter, APB and P.O.W. Neither of us were any good at them but it was fun to play.
This was before we discovered or had a NES of course.

My second love was PINBOT. The pinball machine. I have since found and downloaded the music for it. Never say never but I think the chances of me actually getting my hands on a PINBOT machine seeing as I live in Japan now are slim to none. My earliest goal in life was to get a pinball machine.
My family moved around more than the average family I think and one of the neighbors at the third house I lived in had a pinball machine. Much to my surprise and jealousy. I don't remember it so well but it had some kind of American theme. They were also the second family I had seen that had a NES. That changed everything. ATARI and COLECO may have been first. But Nintendo raped them.
At the age of 7 I couldn't really understand why the pinball machine sat in the basement corner untouched and unloved and OFF while people jumped onto mushrooms and turtles or played that fucking impossible game (with awesome music) Ghost and Goblins. Seriously I never got to the first pit let alone past the first level let alone through the game twice which you have to do to beat it.

However seeing as I didn't have my OWN pinball machine and my parent promised they would buy one (when they could afford it which I actually got as a contract in writing) I was at the mercy of my neighbors. THEY wanted to play Nintendo because obviously they had worn out their love for the old pinball machine and despite the fact that only 2 people could play the NES and there were usually a whole bunch of us in that basement, the pinball machine was left unplugged.....

Later on I didn't have so many chances to go to arcades or play pinball. The NES and SNES were my only source of game fun.

I did however love the Simpsons arcade game and T2.
The Simpsons was the first arcade game I actually beat. I remember the other 2 players came and went but this young girl and I stuck through it to the end. I am not sure how many quarters it cost but we did it.

The only other arcade game I beat was THE PUNISHER which was amusing but as far as arcade games go it was pretty disappointing.

Everything changed with the release of Street Fighter II.
That game was probably what made me give up my dream of a pinball machine. At the time of its release the arcades we buzzing with SFII and MKI. At the time I thought MK was bullshit. I don't know why.
It was 1992. Street Fighter seemed like the way to go but it was probably just the fact that I didn't understand how to play MK and got tooled every time I tried in the arcade.

SFII was responsible for giving me my first thumb blisters when we spent every day of an entire summer having game after game after game in my house on the SNES.

I had decided that SFII was the arcade game I was going to eventually own.

That was until MKII came out.

Perhaps it was the fact that the fatalities were finally left in the home version as well as all the gore. But without a doubt once MKII came out I didn't care about SFII turbo at all. Even when SUPER SFII came out I liked it but MKII was it.

My dream, twice changed, was settled. I would some day far far away own an MKII machine. Before I left my home country (almost 6 years ago) I phoned around and talked to several people and businesses. NO ONE had an MKII for sale. There were quite a few people that had SFII and Turbo cabs for sale. But they all wanted more than $1000 each.
I considered it. I considered it pretty hard. That was about the same price as my plane ticket... But in the end it wasn't an MKII dedicated cab so... I bought the plane ticket instead. There would be plenty of time to complete that dream when I returned to my homeland.

That was an awful lot of history, sorry if any of you got bored and fell asleep.

So what does that have to do with MAME and MUGEN and me writing this blog now?

Well. In the last few years I made a list of things I wanted to do in my life.
Because I am superstitious about them I won't list them here. However obviously one was to own an "Arcade Game".

With the advent and release of MAME which I discovered some years ago there was the very real possibility of MAKING my own arcade machine!
It may not have been my DREAM machine but it would probably be pretty close! So I downloaded and installed MAME on my PC and even went out and bought an arcade style PC stick.

THE BORG! (ill post a photo later when its not 3am and I can find my camera)

I gave it a good go and well. I was disappointed. It was $25 a think and the most I had spend on anything to do with "gaming" for a long time.
I seem to use a lot of quotes and parentheses it seems.....

While it was a step in the right direction it still didn't feel right.
The controller was only part of it. I am still sitting in front of my PC using a PC monitor.... It just not right. Kind of like margarine when you have grown up eating butter or diet soda...

Everything sort of changed when I finally decided that Japan was indeed where I want to stay for the foreseeable future to meet one of my other goals in life that will remain a secret until I am on the cusp of achieving it.

Once I had decided to live here then came the question of all my "Stuff" back home. What to do with it etc. I crunched some numbers and it indeed simply made more sense to ship the bulk of it here than to do a small run and end up replacing a lot of it.

Unlike most people I don't have a room in a parents house that I could simply leave all my shit in until I got around to it or until my mom threw it all away so I could later curse that she threw away my priceless collectibles.
My stuff was in storage in a friends basement with the understanding that it would be there for 1 year.... 5 years ago.

So I had to either pay for long term storage in a facility somewhere. Throw it all away or ship it to Japan. Sending a few heavy boxes of sentimental stuff (photos, journals, yearbooks etc) would have cost about half of what it cost to send pretty much everything I wanted... so I bit the bullet, bought my plane ticket and went home to sort through all my junk and prepare it for its sea journey to its new home.

However it also occurred to me that this would probably be a good time to buy at least an empty cabinet because wood is rare and expensive here. I thought about just importing some sheets of wood as well but then I would have to find a place to work on it and tools to cut it and lets also face it. I am pretty sloppy. This would probably be my last chance to do it!

So while I took a peak on eBay and on craigslist and holy shit someone was selling a MKII dedicated cabinet! They wanted $650 for it.
I phoned the guy long distance and it seems he had been trying to sell it for a while and no one had been interested. I was still about 2 months away from going home. So obviously I couldn't put a hold on it or anything.
On the phone he told me that the cabinet had seen a lot of love and was damaged in several places. He also said the monitor had some burn in and that the second player controls had some issues.....
While not ideal it was looking not bad!

One of the people I contacted on eBay had an MKII cabinet that had been converted to an Area 51 with guns instead of controllers for $600.

And there was another guy on craigslist who had several arcade games for $150 and up....

My brother phoned this guy and much to our surprise he said he also had a Mortal Kombat II... and it was only $150 because the monitor was dead.

So I phoned him as well long distance and told him I am coming from Japan to buy a Mortal Kombat II dedicated arcade cabinet because they are very rare in Japan. He said that the game played fine it just needed a cap kit on the monitor and that would cost $40. I specifically asked if it was a the DEDICATED MKII machine cab with Raiden and all the lightning on the side and he said yes. He said it was MINT other that the monitor. I asked him to send me some photos and gave him my email address. He said he was going to storage to get it and would mail me photos the next day. Which he never did. He did however sound like a drunk. Too good to be true? Perhaps. At any rate nothing could be decided until I got home a month or so later. It seemed there were 3 available.

I kept in touch with all 3. The drunk guy never got back to me but I talked to him on the phone once more before getting into town. He promised me photos which never came. The eBayer sent me photos and said they would swap out the guns for me and put in the original control board (but not the game board itself) and the original guy was still sitting pretty on his kinda damaged machine. Which he sent me photos of as well.

When my plane landed the first person I phoned was the drunk guy and left him a message. I phoned him less than an hour after my plane landed and before I had even phoned my mom who had not seen me in the flesh for 3 years.

A few days later I got an email from the first guy that said he had sold his machine. Which although limited my options I was happy for the guy but it did limit me.

Drunk guy finally got back to me and we set up one of the most disappointing meetings of my life. Turns out he lived on some small island that is only accessible via small ferry. My friend drove me via SUV all ready to take my prize home with me. We got the property in question and sitting out on the lawn was a medium sized all black rusted metal trimmed many many times converted cabinet with a poorly hacked paper MKII marquee and Street Fighter 2 controls. Drunk dude stumbled out of his house and instantly reminded me of Hunter S Thompson. Sort of stumbley rambly drunk. The first thing I said was. "This isn't a dedicated cabinet" to which responded "oh yeah those are rare".....
He tried plugging it in and it didn't even power up. He took the back off and it became clear that it was originally a centipede cabinet.. That shows how many times it had been converted. He also took me to "storage" which was a shed in his backyard where he had several other games as well. The she had holes in the roof and the sun shone through unrestricted not to mention the remains of several bees nests in the corners.

I didn't buy it obviously. $150 for a non working wood box from the 70s.
No thanks. I want to say 10000 bad things about him and how he basically lied to me on the phone. But it was really too good to be true. I knew it.

That left me with only one choice. The MKII convert to Area 51 Reconverted back to MKII for $600.

In total I spent about $3000 on shipping all of my life's worth of purchases to Japan. Including one used Mortal Kombat II dedicated arcade cabinet.
A total of 7m3 worth of stuff.

Bellow are all the photos I have of it so far. These are the photos they sent me along the way.

My machine is due to arrive along with all my other worldy goods this coming Tuesday.

Then I have the joy of first trying to wire in the original controls back into the machine and getting "Tumble Pop" working and once I have that up and running then ripping out the Tumble Pop board (and selling it) and then throwing my old computer inside and figuring out how to make it all work with MAME and MUGEN.

This blog will be the ongoing saga of where I am in my dream project and and perhaps even be helpful to other people who want to go down the same road and perhaps even to me when I get lost.

Stick around! Its going to be a wild ride because I have never done anything like this before and to be completely honest I really don't know what the fuck I'm doing.

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Now playing: Mindless Self Indulgence - Pay For It
via FoxyTunes