Namco Pac Man Plug 'n Play for the Man Cave

Teddybear1 · Postby **Teddybear1** » March 24th, 2013, 9:15 am

Here is the closest a poor man will ever come to owning an actual arcade game without buying one....

I have always been impressed with the quality of these Plug 'n Play units - especially the Namco Pac Man. I was at a local Salvation Army thrift store recently looking at 13" TVs when I got my brainstorm.

Thanks to my very talented retired father I now have a table top Pac Man for the bar downstairs. The TV is mounted inside the cabinet and actually has a cooling fan on the backside of the unit. In the front a sheet of glass that has black painted around the edges you can hardly tell that the TV sits inside - it gives the appearance of being a real arcade unit. The controller is firmly mounted and can be removed underneath (to change the batteries) by turning the unit on it's backside. My dad actually added a second speaker - both are mounted on each side of the cabinet and cleverly concealed by painted-over screens. It sounds awesome. He also installed an "On/Off" switch and a red "power indicator" light on the panel so it can be left plugged in at all times.

Not to even mention the artwork. I printed him off pictures of actual Pac Man arcade game units and from these he stenciled and hand painted the lettering, characters and designs. This did require quite a bit of time as you can imagine.

Considering he already had the plywood and most of the paints this was a cheaply budgeted project. The TV from the Salvation Army was just $5.00. I hope these pictures show it off well as I am not skilled in uploading photos due to the size constraints.

Oltobaz1 · Postby **Oltobaz1** » March 24th, 2013, 12:27 pm

Cool stuff, your dad is talented.^

Rev1 · Postby **Rev1** » March 24th, 2013, 1:07 pm

that is a really cool idea, that really worked out perfectly.

Greisha1 · Postby **Greisha1** » March 24th, 2013, 2:02 pm

Pretty awesome stuff.

I've always thought about doing that with some of my consoles, with arcade sticks and all that shiza.

CoyT921 · Postby **CoyT921** » March 24th, 2013, 2:19 pm

That's awesome, and very creative! Thanks for sharing

a1 · Postby a1 » March 24th, 2013, 2:26 pm

So, I really want that. Um, if you're near the Detroit area could I pay you/your father for one? Or maybe some other arrangement? Please email me if you or your dad is interested. I have the Ms. Pacman plug and play and would like a cabinet that looks like the Ms. PacMan Galaga, but I would be thrilled to get the exact same one you have if it's easier.

Irenicus1 · Postby **Irenicus1** » March 24th, 2013, 10:23 pm

Congratulations Ted on owning something cool. My only question is: "Where do you put the quarter?"

Leo1 · Postby **Leo1** » March 24th, 2013, 11:27 pm

That looks very nice.

I love their recreation of Pole Position in their Ms. Pac-Man gamekey unit. If I was as talented as your father, I'd try something similar and create a table top Pole Position.

In case it's of interest to you since it would allow you to eliminate batteries, these things could be powered by a external power supply. I imagine you could match it up at a local Radio Shack. I think Jakks Pacific, the manufacturer, even produced one.

Some have even hard wired arcade joysticks and buttons into plug and plays. Something to keep in mind if the day comes and you start having an issue with the original joystick or buttons.

Teddybear1 · Postby **Teddybear1** » March 25th, 2013, 7:36 am

At a: believe me - I suggested to my dad the idea of trying to make three or four more and sell them. If you are near the metro Detroit area you have probably heard of Gibraltar Trade Centers. Rent a table and sell 'em. He has no interest though.

I had originally wanted him to do the Ms. Pac Man/Pole Position/Galaga and Mappy Namco unit. Something to resemble the actual Ms. Pac Man/ Galaga 20 year reunion arcade unit that you still see in bowling alleys and hotel recreation rooms. I decided not to though simply because I have found that these Nacmo plug 'n play units aren't as quality-made as the Pac Man ones were. I have broken on in the past and apparently they have stopped manufacturing these things.

One last thing - it is actually a bonus that the control unit is firmly mounted in the cabinet. It is a big and bulky thing to hold in your hand in the first place.

Thanks for the nice comments.....it is pretty sweet.

Leo1 · Postby **Leo1** » March 25th, 2013, 5:11 pm

I looked all over my Game Key Ms. Pac-Man and couldn't find a jack to plug a power adapter in. I have another couple of their units stored away including one with a 4 way stick with things like Super Pac-Man on it, but I'm assuming I was just remembering incorrectly.

So I guess short of a modding project, it's batteries or nothing.