I'm assuming you want to build a full-size machine that mostly looks like it could have really been in an arcade... And you're right. The wood alone for such

I'm assuming you want to build a full-size machine that mostly looks like it could have really been in an arcade... And you're right. The wood alone for such a project is very expensive right now. I know because I started it a while ago with scrap wood, and I'm rethinking how I'm going to do it with cabinet-grade plywood. Add in all the knowledge and effort to design and build the cabinet, and it becomes quite a task if you aren't already a woodworker with those tools. If someone is really into it, I think it's a great project and they should absolutely do it. But I don't recommend it for people who merely want the end product.