Tracing a JAMMA Conversion Back to Origin
We follow the wiring history of a converted cabinet found locally, comparing harness pinouts against three regional release variants.
Documenting Arcade Cabinet Culture From Hurghada, Egypt
We dig into the wiring, the woodwork, and the classic beat 'em ups that kept coin-op cabinets glowing long after the arcades emptied out.
Browse ArchiveCabinets & Classics We Keep Coming Back To
A running catalog of machines and side-scrollers that shaped our documentation project
Final Fight
Capcom's 1989 cabinet set the template for the genre — three-player conversions are still hunted by collectors across the region today.
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs
A lesser-discussed Capcom brawler with striking sprite work, adapted from the Xenozoic Tales comics and often overshadowed by its stablemates.
Double Dragon
The Technos original that arguably invented the two-player brawler format still found in JAMMA-converted cabinets in the region.
Alien vs Predator
A dense, weapon-heavy beat 'em up from 1994 with sprite scaling that pushed CPS-2 hardware, still praised for its brutal pacing.
Warriors of Fate
An underrated Capcom sequel to Dynasty Wars, notable for its historical setting and rarely discussed outside dedicated collector circles.
Growl
Taito's 1990 jungle-set brawler with wild weapon variety, a cabinet we've traced through several regional import histories.
What Readers Say
I sent them photos of a beat-up Double Dragon cabinet I found in a storage room and they helped me identify the PCB revision within a day. That kind of knowledge is rare online now.
Their piece on Warriors of Fate finally explained why the US release got buried. Ten years of wondering, solved in one article with actual sourcing behind it.
Not another site rehashing Final Fight trivia everyone already knows. They go into the joystick harness wiring and cabinet variants nobody else bothers writing about.
Fresh From the Cabinet
Recent documentation from the Ma Petite Arcade project
Why Beat 'Em Ups Peaked Between 1989 and 1994
A look at the sprite budgets, coin-drop economics, and player-count trends that shaped the genre's brief but dense golden stretch.
Cataloging a Cabinet Before It's Gone
Notes from documenting a deteriorating cocktail cabinet, from control panel artwork to monitor chassis, before restoration work begins.
Where Local Collectors Are Finding Cabinets
A rundown of how coin-op machines have surfaced in the region over the past few years, based on conversations with regional collectors.
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs: The Brawler Time Forgot
Revisiting Capcom's comic-adapted brawler and why its sprite work still gets cited by artists despite the game's thin cabinet presence.