Capcom Mini Cute Restoration 3 FINAL – The Arcade Blogger – Knowledge and brain activity with fun!!

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Capcom Mini Cute Restoration 3 FINAL – The Arcade Blogger

Team FunTrove

August 16, 2022

Capcom Mini Cute Restoration 3 FINAL – The Arcade Blogger

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So I believe I’m secure to confess now that after I took on this restoration, it was with some trepidation. Mini Cutes are scarce issues and extremely expensive (I perceive that one lately modified fingers in Europe for the perfect a part of €6,000), so while I’ve no plans to maneuver this on any time quickly, I at all times knew that any funding into the restoration wasn’t finally going to be cash down the drain. (Arcade collectors are at all times trying to justify purchases, so I used to be glad to have the ability to do this right here!).

But for those who’re on this passion “for the money”, you then’re in all probability not in the correct passion – my main motivator right here was to really personal a Mini Cute, slightly than trying to flip a revenue of some form.

As a chunk of Japanese industrial design, there’s no denying its appears when positioned in an arcade surroundings. Not to say the advantages of proudly owning a lovely cupboard with such a small kind issue, coupled with the flexibility to play a mess of video games – what you will have for my part is a really fascinating arcade cupboard that can match properly into any current assortment.

So by means of recap, you possibly can take a look at the primary two elements of this restoration right here and right here for those who missed the earlier updates.

I’d made good progress up thus far – the unique horrific paint job had been stripped, harm to the cupboard had been repaired, the respray was full, new art work was utilized and issues have been coming collectively properly.

Here’s the place we obtained as much as with the Mini Cute restoration. Starting to appear to be an arcade cupboard once more!

So it was time to check out the plexi. This is a smoked piece of acrylic that sits in entrance of the monitor. In earlier restorations, I’d usually substitute with a brand new sheet ordered from Trent Plastics right here within the UK. The subject right here is its form. Replacements are tough to come back by and though not inconceivable to breed, getting that organised and executed would probably value an arm and a leg. Luckily the plexi I had was in fairly fine condition, so I made a decision to scrub up and refresh what I had. Plus its a tick within the field for originality after all:

Here’s the primary subject. There was some overspray from the white paint used when the cupboard was resprayed. I tackled this with a fabric and a few paint remover. A variety of elbow grease required, however managed to get all of it off

The plexi had numerous high-quality and a few deep scratches to it as you’d anticipate. To sort out these, I used Novus plastic polish. There are three levels to undergo

Starting with grade 3 polish I gave this a great quarter-hour, then moved onto stage 2 and at last stage 1. The outcomes have been very spectacular.

So with the plexi wanting like new once more, I labored on another elements which additionally had overspray. Again utilizing a paint stripper compound, I used cloths to take away the paint from the monitor encompass and loom. An extended job, however properly price doing.

Timing was all the pieces. You want to go away the product on for simply lengthy sufficient to take away the offending paint with out damaging what’s beneath. But all the pieces labored out OK with a little bit of trial and error.

Next up was the most important subject I had with this cupboard, the management panel! You’ll recall this was lacking, and had been changed (badly) with a Sega Aero desk management panel.

Finding a substitute was laborious work. I obtained a number of leads from across the globe, however none have been fairly proper or value efficient to buy and ship. Eventually, I managed to do a commerce with a UK primarily based collector who was ready to swap an unique management panel for the chassis from the monitor that got here with the cupboard. As I used to be changing the monitor and so had no must preserve the chassis, this made sense to me. So after a drive to London, the deal was achieved – I used to be additionally capable of safe a monitor shroud – one thing else lacking from my cupboard.

Here’s the panel because it got here to me. Far from excellent, however it was full and unique!

First job was to strip all the pieces out. Removing buttons and joysticks

Into the sink with some sizzling water and detergent to take away the 30 12 months outdated gamer grime!

Here’s the outcome. A few choices to make right here. Replace the vinyl overlay or preserve it? I wished to repaint the rusty edges, which to do correctly, would imply eradicating the unique CPO. After a lot thought I made a decision to masks off the CPO and paint the perimeters by hand with white Hammerite paint, which meant I may preserve some originality and substitute the unique art work

So after rigorously touching up the rust spots, I used to be capable of rebuild the {hardware} and ended up with this:

Rewiring beneath was not a enjoyable job. Thankfully I had the unique looms and connectors. I did discover a break within the floor loop which wanted monitoring down and fixing, however obtained there ultimately

Here we go! Super happy with how this turned out

So with this final piece of the puzzle sorted, it was time to mount the monitor. Now you’ll recall that the unique monitor utilized in Mini Cutes is a really uncommon one. The 18″ display measurement could be very tough to seek out nowadays, as evidenced by the 19″ monitor that had been hacked into the cupboard after I obtained it. But I had a 17″ Hantarex mendacity round searching for a house, and determined to create new mounts contained in the Cute, so I may utilise it in my cupboard.

The model new, by no means used, Hantarex monitor

And right here it’s mounted horizontally within the cupboard. Looks nice! Notice the 4 mounting bolts I had created to carry it in place

And vertically. I used to be eager to have the choice to play each horizontal and vertical video games within the cupboard, so the brand new bolts permit me to rotate the monitor simply. Takes about 2 minutes to do!

Another factor lacking from the cupboard, which I didn’t realise for a while is the plexi-marquee. This is mounted on the high of the cupboard to showcase to gamers the present recreation put in. Courtesy of Arcade ArtShop UK, I used to be capable of get a brand new substitute.

The plexi is in two elements, which holds any artwork properly. (I must resize this clearly)

So the large query is what am I going to make use of to play video games? For now, I’ve arrange a Jamma-Pi system. This intelligent little bit of package makes use of a Raspberry Pi pc, working an emulator, with an adaptor to attach it to the Jamma loom discovered contained in the Mini Cute. The menu could be very straightforward to navigate and swapping video games will be achieved with the press of a button

So that’s just about it! Here’s the completed product:

Here its working Street Fighter Alpha 3. (Apologies for the way in which the digicam picks up the monitor. Pesky refresh charges!)

I really like the color. It pops properly within the daylight. The repro facet artwork and varied decals look nice

And this shall be its residence. It suits properly underneath the eaves of the loft arcade room, subsequent to the Nintendo Red Tent and Robotron cabaret

But that’s not all. I managed to discover a man primarily based in Taiwan who reproduces management panels, so requested him to make me up a 1P panel. It took a number of weeks, however the outcome was nice and excellent for this tiny cupboard.

After populating with substitute Seimetsu purple joystick and buttons bought from the blokes at ArcadeWorld UK, we’re good to go

Here it’s put in with a comparability of the 2 layouts for one or two gamers. Its a fast sizzling swap to alter them out relying on what I would like

Great to have choices and a much less cluttered management panel when enjoying 1 participant video games

So there you will have it. Its been an extended street to get this cupboard to the place it wanted to be. But after quite a lot of thought and planning, I’m delighted with how this Mini Cute has turned out. There’s a few minor jobs left to do. I need to substitute the switching energy provide. Its not unique, and I’m not satisfied its totally dependable, so have a Suzo Happ one on the way in which, which I’ll drop in subsequent week. I’m additionally searching for lock tangs for the management panel. Its safe with the screws holding it in place, however for authenticity’s sake, I like to finish that job (get in contact if in case you have any!). Some of the loom inside may do with tidying up too.

There’s additionally the topic of the monitor. I’m nearly swinging in direction of shopping for an unique 18″ one to make the cupboard precisely the way it ought to be (I’ve discovered one right here within the UK on the market), however it received’t be an affordable train, and would require some modifications to the monitor mounts that I painstakingly designed to be able to match the 17″ Hantarex. I’m going to have to chop the cupboard not directly to suit an unique monitor. Having mentioned that, the Hantarex does give a beautiful image and is barely barely smaller than the unique, so it isn’t troubling me in any respect when it comes to enjoying video games – it’s a niggle although. Anyway, let me know your ideas on that within the feedback under – I’m undecided.

Meantime, right here’s a reminder of how this cupboard began out, and the place it’s now!