Virtua Fighter 5 FS Arcade Lindbergh Cabinet (Share VF Arcade Cabs)

I am sharing my recently completed Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown Arcade Japanese Lindbergh Cabinet. Also, perhaps others could share their own VF Arcade Cabinets.


Regarding this VF5 FS Cab, I am using PS360 controller interface connected to a Xbox 360 for VS5 FS. Beyond playing "FS", I also use the cab for Virtua Fighter 5 and rarely DOA 5.

Sanwa buttons and joystick with a 1mm Kowal actuator. Also, I've been fortunate to get "dressing" for the cab regarding the "Version A" and "FS" graphic laminate mini art marquees.

I had to take apart the Toshiba LCD monitor to clean out the smoke haze behind the protective glass, especially built up on the left side of screen due to internal fans operating from the opposite side.

Overall, excellent cab for playing VF and getting into the "game center" zone.

 

wha!! beautiful!

 

That is quite sexy...

 

great job on this cab, it's very very impressive ^_^ i hope you're proud of yourself, for real ^_^

 

Thank you for the kind words including the prior positive posts above.

Regarding pride, it's not so much ownership of this cab but the inspiring way it drives myself to play VF and progress. The joy of advancing skills and seeing game play speed increase. So, the cab becomes a supplemental tool for achieving growing results.

The Lindbergh cab itself and NNC largely fell into my lap due to circumstances which couldn't have been mapped out knowingly. A sort of lottery scenario. I am not a wealthy person and came into these machines through sheer obsession and a touch of luck. So, not pride but respect for those who helped in obtaining these machines.

Because I have consolized the Lindbergh (and New Net City) the cabs are basically just design products encasing a monitor...

A monitor and lit up marquee. Essentially kiosks of sorts.

 

That's a real beauty!

I dreamt so much of owning such beauty but never had the space for it but now in my new house I already reserved a space for it (even for a versus one!)

So I was searching the web for dimensions and specs of a VF5S cab and found this link...
The irony, searching all over the net when it was right under my nose

I have a few question about this cab and would be great if you could help me out.

The two most important thing that I need to know to start this project are:

- first, its width, depth and height (to see how much space does it take).

- second, which monitor does it mount?
Is it the original one?
How many inches?


Again, great job Woodblock

 

Thank you

Regarding cab dimensions, here are rough measurements, rough in that I had to eye the protruding back section which is centered at the middle base of the cab. Also, the cab has leg levelers, which affects the height measurement.

Height with Marquee is 69.5 inches.

Without Marquee, height is 54.5 inches.

Depth is 32 inches.

Width is 32.5 inches.

Regarding the monitor, I have the original Toshiba 1360x768 monitor that came with the cab. The monitor has DVI and VGA inputs. With DVI, I was able to get 1360... Also, DVI to HDMI worked. For consolization of the cabinet, apparently PS3 won't work on the Lindbergh due to PS3 not being compliant with the monitor?, however xbox 360 and PC works fine. Ah, also Dreamcast via VGA and the screen can be auto corrected in which to make the image widescreen versus 4:3, if one wants that...

I believe it's 31 or 32 inches. I am not sure how to calculate monitor size but this seems about right.

If you plan on buying a Lindbergh Japanese sit down Cabinet, be aware of several problems constistent with the earlier Toshiba LCD's which were more prone to contrast issues, especially on the right side of the monitor near the fan intake. By "contrast", a faded, mottled "screen door" effect which produces a large vertical "band" that degrades the overall LCD image, though in game it's somewhat acceptable. Also, there is the issue of dead pixels.

Apparently the European upright Lindbergh cabinets used Sanwa monitors, which were prone to their own set of problems. Regarding the Toshiba monitor issues, it's worthy to note that these cabs have been operated for close to a decade, in many cases running non stop for years. The coin counters on a group of Lindbergh cabs in a purchase buy had on average, 40-50,000 coin drops. Interestingly, the cabs with the "updated revisions" specific to undamaged monitors had less play, which is the basis for stating "Later revisions"...

Because most of these Japanese Lindberghs operated in "smoke friendly" Japanese Arcades, it's advisable to remove the LCD from the monitor casing so as to clean the screen and protective glass which has a haze of what appeared to be cigarette staining. The two fans and overall back area of the LCD should also be cleaned and blasted out with air, taking care not to allow the fan blades to spin freely.

Having taken apart eight of these Lindbergh cabs, the contrast issue seems consistent with the earlier Toshiba revisions which had a different structural design in what appeared to be over shielding of metal, while others, those with good screens were different, insomuch as there was an open structural design, apparently allowing more air flow and also, more dust and grime on the pcb's driving the monitor.

It seems that the monitors with problems had less than adequate ventilation due to added metal shielding. The latest revision has a different digital menu and noticeable screen difference.

Now, on one Lindbergh, I was able to remove the Toshiba LCD and install a Vizio 32 inch smart LED/1080p television as it was thin enough to fit fairly well within the casing. It would be advisable to use a bit of velcro in which to secure the tv up against the inside front of the monitor casing. The LED Vizio can be turned on and off via remote in which the sensor picked up the remote signal. The tv itself can be plugged into the back of the Lindbergh cab base with the extra power outlet. One must be very careful remounting the case, tightening screws with methodical precision, tweaking different areas in which to uniformly bring the case together. While everything reinstalled including the front side metal panels and flourescent top, overall the screws themselves are left partially tightened in which to keep the case or monitor from being damaged or cracked.

Basically the new ultra thin line of televisions can work, at least specifically the Vizio.

The particular model of Vizio is M322i-B1, which is priced at or around $300.00

It fit well and worked great, looking aesthetically pleasing but the protective anti glare glass has to be removed as there is no extra room.

I decided to keep the original monitor intact on my own Lindbergh cab as it's a later revision Toshiba which has no flaws and personally, the anti glare protective glass works well to deflect light and keeps with the dedicated nature of the cabinet. There are other Lindbergh owners who have replaced the anti glare glass with "naked" or "window" glass so as to have a crystal clear crisp picture image without the anti glare coating. The anti glare glass does reduce clarity by a fraction, though it's by no means opaque, personally a matter of angels dancing on the head of a pixel. The anti glare likely being more necessary in an arcade environment. However, it's nice to have ambient light properly absorbed.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask as I have spent a good deal of time tearing down and restoring these Lindbergh cabinets. Also, consolizing them including setting up to work with PC.

By the way, thank you again for the kind words.

 

Wow that was much more than I expected.
Thank you Woodblock!

Loved all the details.
I'm completely new in the arcade machine's field and I'd like to know better this fantastic world.

My first thought was to build it from scratch following some sort of blueprints, if any exists.
Like with my custom arcade sticks I love the time I spend building something.
I know it's not easy to get a good replica but keep in mind I'll use a numeric controlled machine to build every single piece (like with my arcade sticks).
Having said that I don't know if it's doable (does exist a blueprint? ) and I'm asking for advices on the matter.
If the replica project is not doable which are the other roads?

Another important point is the monitor.
I need it to be complaint with the ps3/ps4/xbox 360/xbox one.
On this cab I will play FS/GG Xrd (Xrd cab are the same of the FS ones, infact the arcade version is not full HD) and hopefully VF6
So the Toshiba one seems not good for my purposes but I'm still curious about the model being a lagless 32".
I know the vizio are good monitors/tv but was wondering which is the best lagless 32" on the market right now?

 

I am not aware of any blueprints available, though I can surely help with offering baseline dimensions. Looking at the Lindbergh cab, it is essentially four parts: The base, Spine, Control Panel and Monitor.

Of course marquee being the fifth.

With dimensions and pictures, one should be able to build a cab that contains the spirit of the Lindbergh aesthetic. A few "hooks" which are undeniably Lindbergh.

The only complicated section would be the cab base with it's many tapered angles on the front.

Once and if you build this Lindbergh, perhaps you could share your end product and schematic for others or put together a kit.

Many people have a love/hate affair with the Lindbergh, some of that likely due to the fact that it's a difficult cab to acquire and isn't well known or experienced. The sit down version is very different from the European stand up model and has a lot of beautiful detail work that wouldn't muster an arcade in the West. Delicate would be a good word to use.

Looking at the aesthetics, especially the prototype model that was first revealed with enclosed gridded speaker grills similar to the front main coin door patterned with the similar silver toned grid, the designers were going for a Japanese revival where the cultural past meets the present.

The cab itself invokes a sense of being a Butsudan, or Japanese Buddhist Altar with it's grid lines which imitate the inner doors of the more elaborate variety. Also, it harks in some ways to a "Sedan" in which high officials, merchants and nobility would be carried by laborers as a sort of medieval taxi.

It seems that the designers sought out and crystalized a very Japanese essence within the piece and hybridized this essence with modern design elements.

It's a very masculine cabinet and has again, some classical properties which would likely be lost on Western observation. Unlike the other cabinets such as the Viewlix, Noir and Galaxy, the Lindbergh is very elaborate and decorative, with the strange sky "tree line" motif on the control panel area. A sort of "dark night in Kyoto" scenario from an obscure Buddhist letter juxtaposed with modern gaming. Even the amber Lindbergh marquee light attached to the top of the monitor casing has a certain natural glow, a sort of somber candle light.

From another vantage, because of it's stark curvature at the base, one could think of armor, which then translates into a sort of cold steel military platform.

Anyhow, these metaphors are a matter of denoting the underlying themes playing out with this cabinet, a departure from the more streamline "Net" series that came before.

Part of the large cost of these cabs comes from the craftwork and extra details that are added. The final touch would be the adddition of gemstones or silk fabric (gold brocade micro swathes or flourishes). A sort of embossed leather control panel showing a scene from a Buddhist sutra.

Sega was obviously bringing art and depth back to the arcade platform. A touch of Louis Vuitton. A "high class piece". This is of course seen in Virtua Fighter series and others from Yu Suzuki. A matter of tradition really.

With that in mind, one could build the baseline dimensions but also think about design elements which fall under the same footprint as that of the Lindbergh. One doesn't need to necessarily design an exact copy but translate through use of different materials a similar "high class" approach.

A whole family of Lindbergh home cabs highlighting some cultural aspect or impact within the philosophy obtained from the original design.

Regarding Monitors, yes, it would be difficult to find a Toshiba at an affordable price as they are essentially industrial monitors for commercial use that have been reengineered to work within the Lindbergh and more so have a lagless experience. No one seems to know the rate of the monitor but it's obviously adequate for game playing, otherwise this would be a popular complaint and the "coffin nail" for the cab itself.

I am not personally well versed in what particular brand or model would be best for fighting games.

I am an avid Shmup enthusiast who plays a lot of CAVE bullet hell shooters so lag is an important issue. In this case I play with a Toshiba Pure Flat CRT arcade monitor housed in a New Net City, plus another Gateway 27 inch CRT monitor. CRT is great for lagless gaming.

However, that wouldn't work for your project so I would simply go online and find reviews and comparision studies on different monitors. I can remember a Japanese Virtual Fighter champion (Fudoh?) complaining at EVO about the level of Lag in their ps4/monitor set ups and attributed losses and need for modifying strategies around this issue. So, it's obviously a concern.

Looking at the cab, I think it is doable to complete a replica project, especially if one has the will and funds in which to complete the task.

Unlike other cabs, the Lindbergh again, has a lot of details that showcase a certain subtle cultural depth which could be exciting to work with from many different angles, regarding material, design and ultimately conveyance.

Rather than a piece of furniture, the cab could take on an artist piece aspect, in which one can also play games....

I can scan some of these mini marquees (Version A, "Don't sit at cab unless playing" placards in Japanese...) that I have so that you could arrange them on your completed project to add more impact as a Lindbergh cab, presenting as if it's a viable arcade piece on location in Japan somewhere.

Type in Butsudan in a search Engine under images and look at some of the examples with black laquer, silver and or gold and one begins to form a bigger picture.

I look forward to your project and will help you complete it offering information, insights, suggestions and of course dimensions. Also, I can take close up pictures for anything you need. It would be exciting to see a home Lindbergh cabinet built with a high class, cultural touch.

Virtua Fighter series is in itself top shelf including other Sega arcade masterpieces...It's a matter of keeping with the tradition of excellence!

 

Cool how many influences there are in this cab, really impressive...
I'm no expert at all in this field but it's great to know what's behind the creation of an object like this.
Woodblock if you have any further analysis on it please go on.

Wasn't expecting a fortune like this at all.
Without your contribution building a good replica it would have been 10000 times harder.
I really really really appreciate your help!

If this project is doable I will share for sure everything necessary to build it and even a step by step guide.

I love this cab but I think I'm going to left out some details like the coin door (it has no purpose outside of arcades and I think it does not add anything esthetically) or the moves list on the control panel (???) and the Akira artwork over the monitor (because I don't want it to be related to a particular game).

One thing that I will add is a six buttons layout to play other games too with the others optional buttons (record, play, back/select/share/dashboard/etc) somewhere else on the control panel or on the side (???).

I'm even open to suggestions for "improvements" or adding particular finishes.

About the monitor I still have in my home a 32" 16/9 CRT: I was still playing my fighting games on it till two years ago finding unbearable the monitors' lag but now they have become quite good (5~8 ms of total input lag, NOT only response time!, with good ghosting etc) with the additional pros of definition, dimensions and consumptions).
I already knew that industrial monitors used at airports, railway stations etc do not have lag due to the absence of any images post processing and was already thinking of getting technical informations about them.
However if anyone knows about any lagless 32" please let me know (I'm quite into the argument but 32" monitors are not so common and 32" tv are usually with more lag than monitors).


In the meanwhile I'll try to find a solution to the monitor problem I could really use your help to reverse engineering the blueprint of this cab, starting with a look at all its sides from away and then some closeups for the details.
This way I can have a general view, drawing a first pseudo technical design, and then proceed with the measurements of all is parts.
After that we can discuss about the "fine tuning" from a technical/esthetical/functional point of view.

How does it sound to you?
Any suggestions?

 

That looks sweet! But where you get Final Showdown Lindbergh DVD? I can't find that nowhere?

 

I apologize for the very late reply. I am recovering from pneumonia and just got off the inhaler.

Everything got sidewinded.

Anyhow, to VFhayato, its not a DVD, but actual gameplay from the Xbox 360 version of VF5FS.

Basically, just monitor DVI to HDMI cable out to xbox and controls run through PS360 usb/RJ45 controller.

God3l, let me know if you want dimensions and or images.

Regarding your design choices, whatever is best for you, or i'll add something to this post later.

 

Sorry to hear that man.
Right now don't worry about anything else but taking care of yourself Woodblock.

When you'll be fully recovered we can continue this project

 

I have not logged in or spoken on these forums or the vf community at large for a few years now. When I saw this thread I had to log in however.

Absolutely stunning job with the cabinet and having a mini arcade in your living room. It looks beautiful, I am about as good with my hands (being a craftsman) as a mouse with with keeping cheese so my respect for your level of work is immense.

Also, I pray you get well soon You need to build a second machine (2 player) and show us how its done!

 

Hey G0d3L, thanks for the get well post, well again. Let me know anything you might need. I will be making a youtube video soon highlighting the cab and doing a complete walk around.

Hey Kurt, thanks for the kind words. Just to add, I didn't build the machine, simply mod it. I won't likely get another chance for a second Lindbergh any time soon but will be shortly getting a custom two player panel made for two player action.

So, yeah, if I can be of any assistance let me know. Good to see the weather is warming up!

 

Found this in my area arcade(Round One Bowling and Arcade in Santa Ana CA):

 

Not sure if op is around still lr not but if anyone has a scan, link to or better image / translation of the "how to play" strip it would be great.

 

8 vfrs hungry for a female VFR with the like button. The saga continues just like japan.
Not happy w/ your current gf that plays Tetris then find a female VFR. I've seen this first hand and it's inevitable. Wonder when my challenger appears happens to me?!

Oh no!!!

 

What?

 

I'll bite