9/24 - Midway Cabaret Multicade, from fail to win
Well here it is. The same Midway Cabaret from the last update, new & improved. This game arrived with a badly hacked in TV set and a broken Jakks Pacific plug & play game. I have since removed that mess and installed new & custom parts. This included a 48-1 PCB, a Dell 17" LCD monitor, new control panel overlay, new joystick and custom artwork for the marquee & bezel. As you can see, I kept the Galaga theme, but now it looks more like a dedicated game, even though I found out it never was a Galaga to begin with. Oh well, it's still miles ahead of it's previous identity.
A short slideshow and a long video are here for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy.
A short slideshow and a long video are here for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy.
7/17 - I've heard of cheap builds, but really?
In the arcade collecting community, there are always mixed opinions regarding multigame builds. Whether it be an elaborate MAME setup or a simple multicade (otherwise known as the 60 in 1), some love them and others despise them. Many "purists" see them as blasphemy, since many are built from classic cabinets. It doesn't seem to matter to them as to what the current owner or whomever is performing such a build started off with. In the eye's of an extreme purist, that game should be restored back to it's former glory at all costs. Some in this crowd also have a moral offense in regards to piracy. Other's usually see them as a nice upgrade. They see a broken or badly converted game brought back to life with new & simple technology. Going this route usually costs much less than a full restoration (especially in a multicade build) and, of course, allows for the enjoyment of multiple games in a single cabinet.
So what's my opinion regarding multigames? Well, I'm kind of in the middle grounds. I see both sides of the arguments. In my experience, some games are worth restoring and some are not. Of course there are many variables to take into account. What game is it? What kind of shape is it currently in? What does it need? What will it take to get it going again? You get the idea. In most cases, if it's a classic game with most of it's parts intact, I do my best to bring it back to it's former glory. Sure, there have been a few part outs and a few multigames (including my MAME build). And thru it all, I also manage to find stripped or converted cabinets.
Enter my latest acquisition. I recently picked up 2 games from a local thrift shop. One was a decent R-Type machine that I quickly fixed & flipped. But the other game, oh boy, I just had to share this story. It was a Midway cabaret which, at first glance, looked to be a multicade conversion. If you're not familiar with cabarets, they are smaller cabinets (sometimes with smaller monitors than their full sized brothers), often finished in artificial wood grain. These were marketed for those looking to vend in tight spaces. I never saw many of these back in their day. I remember seeing one crammed in the corner of a laundromat, but that's about it. Like cocktail games, cabaret's in today's home gaming market are more desirable and harder to find. Ironically, since they tend to have less artwork and are easier to have in the home, they often get converted into multicades. Some are done well, but others, well, not so much. This one that I found is by far the worst. It was not working and the store clerk (who I am guessing was also the owner) believed there was no circuit board in the game. I knew something was strange about this game because the monitor had a blue screen. If it had no board, the monitor would typically stay black (or gray if the brightness was set high). With the seller's permission I took a quick peek inside the game and immediately identified the problem. What was it you ask? Well I'll just show you, check out the video below...
So what's my opinion regarding multigames? Well, I'm kind of in the middle grounds. I see both sides of the arguments. In my experience, some games are worth restoring and some are not. Of course there are many variables to take into account. What game is it? What kind of shape is it currently in? What does it need? What will it take to get it going again? You get the idea. In most cases, if it's a classic game with most of it's parts intact, I do my best to bring it back to it's former glory. Sure, there have been a few part outs and a few multigames (including my MAME build). And thru it all, I also manage to find stripped or converted cabinets.
Enter my latest acquisition. I recently picked up 2 games from a local thrift shop. One was a decent R-Type machine that I quickly fixed & flipped. But the other game, oh boy, I just had to share this story. It was a Midway cabaret which, at first glance, looked to be a multicade conversion. If you're not familiar with cabarets, they are smaller cabinets (sometimes with smaller monitors than their full sized brothers), often finished in artificial wood grain. These were marketed for those looking to vend in tight spaces. I never saw many of these back in their day. I remember seeing one crammed in the corner of a laundromat, but that's about it. Like cocktail games, cabaret's in today's home gaming market are more desirable and harder to find. Ironically, since they tend to have less artwork and are easier to have in the home, they often get converted into multicades. Some are done well, but others, well, not so much. This one that I found is by far the worst. It was not working and the store clerk (who I am guessing was also the owner) believed there was no circuit board in the game. I knew something was strange about this game because the monitor had a blue screen. If it had no board, the monitor would typically stay black (or gray if the brightness was set high). With the seller's permission I took a quick peek inside the game and immediately identified the problem. What was it you ask? Well I'll just show you, check out the video below...
So what does the future hold for this game? Stay tuned for updates.
I also want to quickly add that the Marketplace page has been updated with many new items and quite a few price drops also. Be sure to check it out. You never know, I might have just what you need to bring your project game back from the dead.
I also want to quickly add that the Marketplace page has been updated with many new items and quite a few price drops also. Be sure to check it out. You never know, I might have just what you need to bring your project game back from the dead.
6/11 - A historical classic: Computer Space Ball
If you ask around as to what the very first video game was, you might hear "Pong" as a common response. But if you are a gaming historian, you already know that's the wrong answer. The first coin operated video game was actually released a year prior to Pong. It was called "Computer Space", and it was Atari founder Nolan Bushnell's first game (although his company was named "Syzygy" at the time). Nolan along with his partner Ted Dabney (who also developed the game) teamed with a company called Nutting Associates, who then manufactured the game. The cabinet design was elegant for it's time. Unlike the standard wooden cabinet, Nutting utilized fiberglass with lots of curves and a high gloss metal flake finish. It really is a stunning looking machine. The game itself unfortunately was a flop. If you play it today, you might say it bears an uncanny resemblance to the great Atari classic known as Asteroids. But I guess back in 1971, it was just too complex for the general public.
Bushnell needed to come up with something more simple. With the help of a new partner, Al Alcorn, Pong was released in 1972. A simple paddle & ball game for two players. It was a huge hit. No wonder many confuse it as the first video game. Computer Space was quickly forgotten while Pong lived on for many years. In fact it was so popular that many clones began to surface. One of the first examples of this came from that same company that manufactured Bushnell's first game. And it had a similar title too. Nutting released "Computer Space Ball" immediately following Atari's official Pong release. Looking at the game, it's clear to see similar manufacturing techniques from Computer Space. While Atari's Pong was released in a wood cabinet, this one, like Computer Space, is housed in a fiberglass cabinet, with that same sparkly high gloss finish. It even has the same old tube TV set that Computer Space had. What isn't clear is whether or not this really is one of the first Pong clones to surface, as this was released around the same time that Bushnell & company were phasing away from Nutting Associates. Is it possible that this was actually licensed to Nutting from Atari? If you have the answer to that please let me know.
So how did I get my hands on this one? Why on Craigslist once again, of course. This was listed for a mere $100, and I was the lucky first responder. Normally Pong clones don't fetch much, but as soon as I saw the photo and the Nutting brand on the game, I knew this one was, well, special. I didn't know the full history that I just mentioned, I just knew I better grab it, and fast. It was a 3 hour round trip but I knew it would be worth it, just as long as I can get the seller to hang onto it while I make the journey. Upon arrival I was greeted to a working game in mint condition. If it wasn't for light screen burn and one scratch on the side, I would actually call this one a showroom piece. I didn't get the full history from the seller but he did inform me that he had replaced the potentiometers for the paddles. That's actually a good thing, as many times these potentiometers are failing from years of use. Otherwise the game is all original, minus a missing coin mech & bucket, and someone had added a credit button on the side of the game. At this point, I am debating whether or not this game had ever even been used in a commercial setting. But no matter, I quickly handed over the cash and claimed my prize. Now I am totally unfamiliar with these fiberglass cabinets, and we were going to have to remove this game from the seller's basement. I couldn't believe how light this game is. I would actually compare it to moving a Rubbermaid trash can. And no, I didn't say a full can either. It took very little effort to get this game outside and into the bed of my truck.
Yes, I've said it too many times already, I'm at capacity. But after reading up on the history of this one I just had to keep it. A few years ago, I got my hands on a Pong clone called "Paddle-Ball" by Williams. I ended up flipping that one and quietly regretted it ever since. I won't be making the same mistake with this one, especially with the history I just mentioned. So I had to rearrange a few pieces in my game room. Stay tuned for more on that. In the meantime enjoy this slideshow and 15 minute video I shot.
Bushnell needed to come up with something more simple. With the help of a new partner, Al Alcorn, Pong was released in 1972. A simple paddle & ball game for two players. It was a huge hit. No wonder many confuse it as the first video game. Computer Space was quickly forgotten while Pong lived on for many years. In fact it was so popular that many clones began to surface. One of the first examples of this came from that same company that manufactured Bushnell's first game. And it had a similar title too. Nutting released "Computer Space Ball" immediately following Atari's official Pong release. Looking at the game, it's clear to see similar manufacturing techniques from Computer Space. While Atari's Pong was released in a wood cabinet, this one, like Computer Space, is housed in a fiberglass cabinet, with that same sparkly high gloss finish. It even has the same old tube TV set that Computer Space had. What isn't clear is whether or not this really is one of the first Pong clones to surface, as this was released around the same time that Bushnell & company were phasing away from Nutting Associates. Is it possible that this was actually licensed to Nutting from Atari? If you have the answer to that please let me know.
So how did I get my hands on this one? Why on Craigslist once again, of course. This was listed for a mere $100, and I was the lucky first responder. Normally Pong clones don't fetch much, but as soon as I saw the photo and the Nutting brand on the game, I knew this one was, well, special. I didn't know the full history that I just mentioned, I just knew I better grab it, and fast. It was a 3 hour round trip but I knew it would be worth it, just as long as I can get the seller to hang onto it while I make the journey. Upon arrival I was greeted to a working game in mint condition. If it wasn't for light screen burn and one scratch on the side, I would actually call this one a showroom piece. I didn't get the full history from the seller but he did inform me that he had replaced the potentiometers for the paddles. That's actually a good thing, as many times these potentiometers are failing from years of use. Otherwise the game is all original, minus a missing coin mech & bucket, and someone had added a credit button on the side of the game. At this point, I am debating whether or not this game had ever even been used in a commercial setting. But no matter, I quickly handed over the cash and claimed my prize. Now I am totally unfamiliar with these fiberglass cabinets, and we were going to have to remove this game from the seller's basement. I couldn't believe how light this game is. I would actually compare it to moving a Rubbermaid trash can. And no, I didn't say a full can either. It took very little effort to get this game outside and into the bed of my truck.
Yes, I've said it too many times already, I'm at capacity. But after reading up on the history of this one I just had to keep it. A few years ago, I got my hands on a Pong clone called "Paddle-Ball" by Williams. I ended up flipping that one and quietly regretted it ever since. I won't be making the same mistake with this one, especially with the history I just mentioned. So I had to rearrange a few pieces in my game room. Stay tuned for more on that. In the meantime enjoy this slideshow and 15 minute video I shot.
4/24 - Weekend score: Ice "Razor" Fast Track Air Hockey
I have such fond memories of playing air hockey, especially in my high school days. So it's only natural that I would have an air hockey table in my cave. I started off several years ago with a Chicago Gaming home model. It was good, but then I found something even better a couple years ago. That was an Arctic Wind. It was also a home model but was made by Dynamo, a known leader in commercial tables. It also had aluminum rails that the Chicago Gaming table lacked. However it lacked automatic scoring. I had added a scorekeeper from an old Halex kiddie table which was nice, but without switches in the goals I had to add pushbuttons instead. This meant that whoever scored a goal would need to press a button to register their score. While a minor annoyance, this worked out well and the table played good as well. But as with most recreational tables, the pucks were smaller and would fly off the table now and then.
As much as I wanted a commercial grade table, there's always three major roadblocks. Those would be size, weight and, of course, expense. Most commercial tables are 8' long, and I only have room for a 7' table. On top of that, my Dynamo home table was heavy enough. A commercial table would be twice the weight, which would require twice the muscle to move. But size & heft aside, they are just hard to find around here, and usually fetch a pretty penny when they do show up.
So weighing all these facts, I was pretty much settled with my Dynamo. But as a hobbyist, I am still scanning Craigslist on a regular basis for "arcade" bargains. Notice I put that word in quotation marks, because that's pretty much the only word I use anymore when searching on Craigslist. Well sure enough, this "arcade" air hockey table shows up in my search over the weekend. I first saw the $200 price tag and thought this had to be a store bought recreational table. But nope, this was the real deal, a "Razor" Fast Track table. This one was put out by Ice, another leader in coin-op games. Furthermore this turned out to be a smaller 7' table, but with a stainless steel top and support for both small and large pucks. So now I am thinking "for $200, it must be trashed, right?". Well the seller claims it's in good working order. So now the only hurdle is weight, as this beast still weighs in at over 500lbs. Well for the low price, I'll find a way to overlook that obstacle.
I contacted the seller and was told someone was picking it up the next day. Damn. Oh well. I responded with my interest and asked to keep me in mind if the buyer backs out. Sure enough, I get a text the next morning asking if I still wanted it. Sweet! I made the short drive after work to claim my prize. Luckily the seller had the game in his garage and plenty of friends waiting to help us load this beast in my trailer. I was in and out in less than 10 minutes. I had to wait until the next day to get help with the unload. On top of that, I really needed to sell my Dynamo before I would have room to move this one in. I feared this would take some time, but fortunately I had an interested buyer contact me immediately. He came that day with cash in hand. He also offered to help move this one in. One nice thing about this Fast Track table is that the top comes right off of the base. While it is the heaviest part of the game, this makes it fairly easy for 2 to 3 people to move and reassemble. I didn't want to put him out of the way too much, so I asked if he could simply help move the top. Alli and I would handle the rest.
After half a day of cleanup and reassembly in it's new home, it's ready to play and enjoy. In fact, heres a short video of Alli & her friend Andrew enjoying a quick round...
As much as I wanted a commercial grade table, there's always three major roadblocks. Those would be size, weight and, of course, expense. Most commercial tables are 8' long, and I only have room for a 7' table. On top of that, my Dynamo home table was heavy enough. A commercial table would be twice the weight, which would require twice the muscle to move. But size & heft aside, they are just hard to find around here, and usually fetch a pretty penny when they do show up.
So weighing all these facts, I was pretty much settled with my Dynamo. But as a hobbyist, I am still scanning Craigslist on a regular basis for "arcade" bargains. Notice I put that word in quotation marks, because that's pretty much the only word I use anymore when searching on Craigslist. Well sure enough, this "arcade" air hockey table shows up in my search over the weekend. I first saw the $200 price tag and thought this had to be a store bought recreational table. But nope, this was the real deal, a "Razor" Fast Track table. This one was put out by Ice, another leader in coin-op games. Furthermore this turned out to be a smaller 7' table, but with a stainless steel top and support for both small and large pucks. So now I am thinking "for $200, it must be trashed, right?". Well the seller claims it's in good working order. So now the only hurdle is weight, as this beast still weighs in at over 500lbs. Well for the low price, I'll find a way to overlook that obstacle.
I contacted the seller and was told someone was picking it up the next day. Damn. Oh well. I responded with my interest and asked to keep me in mind if the buyer backs out. Sure enough, I get a text the next morning asking if I still wanted it. Sweet! I made the short drive after work to claim my prize. Luckily the seller had the game in his garage and plenty of friends waiting to help us load this beast in my trailer. I was in and out in less than 10 minutes. I had to wait until the next day to get help with the unload. On top of that, I really needed to sell my Dynamo before I would have room to move this one in. I feared this would take some time, but fortunately I had an interested buyer contact me immediately. He came that day with cash in hand. He also offered to help move this one in. One nice thing about this Fast Track table is that the top comes right off of the base. While it is the heaviest part of the game, this makes it fairly easy for 2 to 3 people to move and reassemble. I didn't want to put him out of the way too much, so I asked if he could simply help move the top. Alli and I would handle the rest.
After half a day of cleanup and reassembly in it's new home, it's ready to play and enjoy. In fact, heres a short video of Alli & her friend Andrew enjoying a quick round...
By the way, this table has the added bonus of having a blue & yellow color scheme. The same colors as my favorite NHL Hockey team. You can probably guess what team I am referring to, but if not, look for a subtle hint in the video.
3/13 - Sorry Froggy, Music is the Weapon!
Another change in the lineup. And once again I'm having to eat my words. As I have stated recently, I usually don't like messing around with huge, heavy games. But in this case, I simply couldn't let this one go. Yes, you are looking at a beast of a game called Revolution X. If you aren't familiar with it, this was one of two rail shooters released by Midway in the mid 1990's (the other being Terminator 2). While I'm sure T2 was another great arcade game, I probably wouldn't be a huge fan. Revolution X is a different story. This game features Aerosmith. The premise is that the game takes place in the future, 1996. Ok, the game was released in 1994. Anyway, a corrupt alliance known as the "New Order Nation", or "NON", has banned movies, games, pretty much anything relating to youth culture, especially music. NON is capturing and seizing all youth from age 13 to 30, and you are one of the few survivors. Armed with a CD launching machine gun you must destroy NON members while freeing some pretty sexy hostages and finding Aerosmith members for bonus multipliers.
I remember playing this back in the day and thinking it was an OK game, nothing spectacular. But what about now? I recently picked up not one but two of these from a nearby operator. I've raided his warehouses a few times recently and always remembered seeing one of these sitting around. So on the most recent raid, I decided to dig a little deeper. I knew it was missing the marquee, but still had the marquee box. But unfortunately, it was missing the main board, so I decided to pass. But then he decided to show me another room that I had not been shown in my previous visits. In this room stood yet another Revolution X. This one was missing the marquee box altogether and the cabinet had a few busted corners, but the game was otherwise complete including the main board that the other game was missing. Well now I just had to make an offer on both pieces, thinking I could hopefully make a good game out of the pair. After some haggling the seller agreed. As luck would have it, I was able to piece these together to make one nice Revolution X with parts to spare.
So now it's time to flip it, right? Well as I began playing the game I realized just how much fun this game can be. Back in 1994, this was a quarter muncher, you know, one of those games that only lasted a minute or two before it demanded more money to continue. So in most cases, I never really got far into the game. Now I was playing the game on free play with more ammunition to spare. On top of that, I was really digging the recoil of the guns as well as the sounds, especially the awesome Aerosmith soundtrack. I began to think this game is much easier to appreciate when it isn't in a noisy environment. From there, some quick online research had taught me of tons of secret paths and even some Monty Python references. OK, this game just keeps getting better and better. Yeah, I have home ports, but they just didn't match up at all to this beast. I just had to keep it. But that of course presents another problem, I'm at capacity. Really, above capacity to be honest. If I was keeping this game, something was going to have to go to make space.
I had recently been talking to my friend Jeremy (The Basement Arcade). If you've been following up on his site then you already know where this is going. I knew he was a Rev X fan, he actually has the ginormous 3 player version. I had to tell him about my latest acquisition and since he is familiar with this game I knew he could help with some technical advice. After some discussion via text I had told him I too was becoming a Rev X fan and that I would likely be selling my recently acquired Frogger to fit this one in. He immediately expressed his interest. Now I knew he was at capacity too, so I was surprised to hear he was actually looking for a Frogger. OK, this is awesome. Frogger is a great game but I have a basement full of other greats, so it had to go. Now at least I know a good friend has it (the same friend who also still has my old Rush the Rock), so I can always play the game at his place now. I get to keep my new Rev X, he gets the Frogger he had been looking for, everyone wins.
Now if you will excuse me, it's time to hunt down Headmistress Helga. Music is the Weapon!
I remember playing this back in the day and thinking it was an OK game, nothing spectacular. But what about now? I recently picked up not one but two of these from a nearby operator. I've raided his warehouses a few times recently and always remembered seeing one of these sitting around. So on the most recent raid, I decided to dig a little deeper. I knew it was missing the marquee, but still had the marquee box. But unfortunately, it was missing the main board, so I decided to pass. But then he decided to show me another room that I had not been shown in my previous visits. In this room stood yet another Revolution X. This one was missing the marquee box altogether and the cabinet had a few busted corners, but the game was otherwise complete including the main board that the other game was missing. Well now I just had to make an offer on both pieces, thinking I could hopefully make a good game out of the pair. After some haggling the seller agreed. As luck would have it, I was able to piece these together to make one nice Revolution X with parts to spare.
So now it's time to flip it, right? Well as I began playing the game I realized just how much fun this game can be. Back in 1994, this was a quarter muncher, you know, one of those games that only lasted a minute or two before it demanded more money to continue. So in most cases, I never really got far into the game. Now I was playing the game on free play with more ammunition to spare. On top of that, I was really digging the recoil of the guns as well as the sounds, especially the awesome Aerosmith soundtrack. I began to think this game is much easier to appreciate when it isn't in a noisy environment. From there, some quick online research had taught me of tons of secret paths and even some Monty Python references. OK, this game just keeps getting better and better. Yeah, I have home ports, but they just didn't match up at all to this beast. I just had to keep it. But that of course presents another problem, I'm at capacity. Really, above capacity to be honest. If I was keeping this game, something was going to have to go to make space.
I had recently been talking to my friend Jeremy (The Basement Arcade). If you've been following up on his site then you already know where this is going. I knew he was a Rev X fan, he actually has the ginormous 3 player version. I had to tell him about my latest acquisition and since he is familiar with this game I knew he could help with some technical advice. After some discussion via text I had told him I too was becoming a Rev X fan and that I would likely be selling my recently acquired Frogger to fit this one in. He immediately expressed his interest. Now I knew he was at capacity too, so I was surprised to hear he was actually looking for a Frogger. OK, this is awesome. Frogger is a great game but I have a basement full of other greats, so it had to go. Now at least I know a good friend has it (the same friend who also still has my old Rush the Rock), so I can always play the game at his place now. I get to keep my new Rev X, he gets the Frogger he had been looking for, everyone wins.
Now if you will excuse me, it's time to hunt down Headmistress Helga. Music is the Weapon!
