Introduction: Home Arcade Game Hack

By
About: Traveler

I recently found this video game box that plugs into the AV plugs on a TV and brings 5 awesome old-school arcade games to your living room! I bought the little machine at a thrift store for $2 and after playing a few of the games for a couple hours and after a couple of beers I realized that this little machine needed to be "improved"
The action on the joystick was a little slow and the fire button was a little too clunky.

Time To Hack!  

Step 1: Remove Screws From Side Panel

the screws are hidden under the side decals. if you feel around  for a bit you should be able to figure out where they are

Step 2: Remove Clippy Thing

this little white clip holds both of the case halves together. removing this will allow you to separate the case. be careful at this step as the decal on the front of the box can tear if you're not careful... you wouldn't want anyone suspecting that your box had been tampered with... especially in tournament play!

Step 3: Peel Sticker Carefully!

Step 4: The Fire Button

This is the first hack that will improve game play drastically! 
remove the screws that hold the fire switch to the case top. you will find that the button looks like this from underneath.
remove the button. you will notice that there is a convenient hole in the bottom of the button. A perfect location to insert a small screw. 
inserting a small screw creates a longer bump which can be adjusted to ones trigger preference.

Step 5: Shim the Joystick Switches

in the first photo you can see the small joystick switches un-shimmed. by placing a little spot of hot glue or a small self adhesive piece of tefflon you can bring the switch surface closer to the joystick barrel.

Step 6: Removing the Joystick Detents

Removing the detents that restrict the movements of the joystick can create new situations and/ or cheats that can be helpful in game play. this also allows the player to switch between joystick commands more fluidly.
to remove the detents  simply cut with an x-acto knife and file the surface until round.

Step 7: Play Your Favorite Games!

With these hacks you will find game play much more enjoyable. having your skills un-impeded by sub par manufacturing tolerances could create the next world champion!
And now you can fly diagonally!

MakerBot Challenge

Participated in the
MakerBot Challenge