Custom cases for CPS2 and CPS3 - turning bare boards into "Arcade Cartridges"

Hi everyone,

First post here, though I've been reading the forum for a long time. I'm Antonio, from Brazil, an arcade PCB collector and restorer (120+ boards) working under the name Stark Retro Lab. My main project is designing protective cases for arcade PCBs, and I'd like to share the two I've completed most recently: CPS2 and CPS3.

A key point about the process: every case is designed from scratch, measured directly from my own original hardware (no downloaded STLs). Printed in carbon fiber-filled PETG (PETG-CF), engineered to millimeter tolerances. The goal is to turn a bare, fragile board into a plug-and-play "arcade cartridge" for supergun setups protected, ventilated, and with every function accessible without opening the case.

CPS2 case (finished design):

• Themed per game: the top face carries a multi-color 3D-printed art plaque (relief-printed, lithophane-style) reproducing the game's artwork.
• Multiple color schemes: classic black with red accents, or full custom colors.
• Functional external volume and service buttons that actuate the board's own switches.
• Hexagonal mesh ventilation and a removable, magnetically mounted fan module with a genuine Noctua NF-A4x10 attached to the case structure, never to the PCB, so no vibration reaches the board or its solder joints.
• Coin counter window and contrasting color frame around the rear cutouts, echoing the original A/B board color coding.


CPS3 case (new, functional prototype):

• Same design language: engraved logo, hex mesh, contrasting yellow frame around the JAMMA edge.
• External SERVICE slider on the side panel, actuating the board's own switch.
• Volume knob extender on top: a printed piece that sits over the board's own volume pot and extends it through the case — same approach as Capcom's own CPS 1.5 "Dash" style case — so you can adjust volume easily and intuitively without opening anything.
• Security cartridge access button on top, mirroring the CPS2 layout.
• Magnetic rear access door with a flat cable slot this allows an ODE (BlueSCSI / ZuluSCSI family) to run with zero permanent modification. The ribbon exits cleanly through the slot; the door closes flush if you're using the original SCSI drive.
• A modular ODE mini-case with magnetic feet is in development, docking inside and supporting both common ODE footprints via swappable trays.
• Dimensions verified across -2/-3/-4 revisions, with clearance for recapped -2 boards and bodge wires.



Beyond these two, I already have 80+ finished case designs covering boards across the entire Konami, Sega and Data East families, the Double Dragon family, SNK pre-Neo Geo hardware, and Killer Instinct that one with active cooling in a positive-pressure dual-fan layout to protect the R4600 from heat, plus magnetic access hatches for the fan and dipswitches. And it's not just the usual suspects: I've designed cases for boards that rarely get this kind of attention, like Gradius III, Solomon's Key, Prehistoric Isle, and even older hardware like Great Swordsman. Non-JAMMA boards get a built-in adapter embedded in the case, so everything comes out the other side as a standard JAMMA "cartridge". A few examples below — I'll dedicate proper threads to these in future posts.



Feedback is very welcome especially from CPS2/CPS3 owners on features you'd want in future revisions.

Cheers,
Antonio [Stark Retro Lab]

Welcome. Very nice work!

Very cool.

This is awesome! I really like that the CPS3 case matches the same style as the CPS2 case, i might need to pick one of these up someday!

ZODIAK said:

This is awesome! I really like that the CPS3 case matches the same style as the CPS2 case, i might need to pick one of these up someday!

Click to expand...

Thank you! That was exactly the goal. One consistent design language across the whole family, so the cases look like they came from the same "factory". And when the time comes, just send me a PM, the CPS2 case is already available made-to-order, and the CPS3 should be finished next week.

On the Gradius and Prehistoric Isle cases it doesn't look like there's a whole lot of space to remove the edge connector?

nem said:

On the Gradius and Prehistoric Isle cases it doesn't look like there's a whole of space to remove the edge connector?

Click to expand...

Good eye and fair question, because on my very first cases that was exactly the problem: some edge connector housings were slightly wider than the opening, and I had to revise the design.

Since then I've tested against every edge connector I have here Hirose and various generic housings, which differ in both length and height and the connector mouth is now a standardized feature across the whole line: 136 x 14.5 mm. A Hirose CR7E (133.7 mm long) seats with about 1 mm of clearance per side, and the taller generic housings still clear the 14.5 mm height. The board edge passes through a narrow internal slit (2.75 mm) that keeps it aligned and supported, so the housing always has a clean, straight approach and since it mates outside the face, there's full grip on the connector body for removal.

The only exceptions are boards that demand it, like the Namco Classics (dual edge connectors) and the CPS2/CPS3, which get their own dimensioning.

One honest note: some superguns with acrylic enclosures won't plug straight into the case, since their built-in edge connector sits flush inside the acrylic. For those, a short JAMMA extension harness is the better solution anyway the case and the supergun usually sit at different heights, so a rigid direct connection would put the whole weight of one on the connector of the other. The harness takes all that stress out of the equation.

That's part of why I measure everything from real hardware instead of guessing: you only find these things by plugging things in.