What is this cartridge?

[Edmond Dantes]

Okay, I've given this some thought and I've decided that, over time, I might possibly want to do this.

The first question I have is... I don't understand the whole "A" Board thing. Is there a different A Board for each game or will just any CPS2 A Board do? And where can I find them?

And once I have an A Board and a B Board, how do I wire up a controller for them? (I've actually seen someone on eBay selling the control panel off a Street Fighter II arcade machine, but I'm assuming its not gonna be self-explanatory).

Thirdly, is there a way to wire this to output off a TV screen, or will I basically have to build a miniature arcade cabinet complete with a Jamma screen (which I believe I've seen for sale at Lizardlick)?

I don't understand what a "Kick Harness" is.

I'll probably have even more questions as time goes by.

[StealthLurker]

1. Think of the "A" board as the "video game console" and the "B" board as the game cartridge. You need an A board that matches the region for whatever game(s) B board you have. This is like the region lockout on game consoles, dvd players, etc...


2. For tv/monitor output and controller/joystick inputs, this is where the supergun comes into play. This is the device you hook up your A+B board combo to. Then the supergun provides the necessary interface for cables to feed to your tv/monitor and controllers/joysticks. It should also have some buttons for power, test mode, coin, etc etc.


3. Most arcade game boards adhere to the JAMMA interface standard. However this standard only supports 3 fire buttons per player. Street Fighter uses 6. Therefore there is a special cable that connects to the Street Fighter motherboard that also connects to the joystick. This cable gives you the extra 3 fire buttons. Other games/systems that use more than 3 use a similar setup.


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[Edmond Dantes]

Are the "A" boards color-coded like the cartridges are? So do I need a green A board to play green cartridges?

And any advice on where I can get them?

(and isn't this officially an Arcade Alley topic now?)

[StealthLurker]

Are the "A" boards color-coded like the cartridges are? So do I need a green A board to play green cartridges?

And any advice on where I can get them?

(and isn't this officially an Arcade Alley topic now?)

I believe all A boards are black. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. However, they should have an appropriately colored sticker with region name.

Craigslist, forums, ebay, etc. I've also bought some from local arcade operators.

Guess it could go either way... since we're talking about superguns also, it's a "consolized" experience.


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[Edmond Dantes]

So there are consolized A boards, just like those consolized MVS boards that were pictured in the Neo Geo thread?

(A part of me wonders if I couldn't build an actual arcade cabinet as well. I'd need to clear out a location but...)

[StealthLurker]

So there are consolized A boards, just like those consolized MVS boards that were pictured in the Neo Geo thread?

(A part of me wonders if I couldn't build an actual arcade cabinet as well. I'd need to clear out a location but...)

Consolized A boards are pretty rare. There isn't a lot of spare room for extra electronics I believe. Plus a consolized unit can only play games for that particular platform.

A supergun can play "virtually" any JAMMA arcade game board. Some setups require a few extra wires/components. A more complex setup would be a SEGA NAOMI one.

The pic above shows the basic idea of a supergun. A kit box with a cable and a long edge connector (JAMMA connector). You plug your game board (ex: CPS2 A+B board) to it. Then some inputs for controllers.

As for a cab setup...

It's probably easier to find a cheap old arcade machine and fix it up a little rather than building one from scratch.


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