New Arrival - Donkey Kong: Part 2

November 2, 2017, 3:30 am

≪ Previous: New Arrival - Donkey Kong: Part 1

Before tidying up the cab, I wanted to get it working. One thing I was a bit concerned about though was the additional power cable going to the marquee. Fortunately my worries were unfounded as a modern strip light had been placed behind the marquee and no wiring hackery had occurred.

Upon switching on the cab, nothing happened, nothing at all! I checked the power supply unit, but couldn't see any obvious faults. I gave it a clean with an anti-static brush whilst I had it out.

After a bit of investigation, I found that the 300mA fuse on the Sanyo 20-EZ monitor chassis had blown. I replaced the fuse and switched the cab on, hoping to see Donkey Kong chucking some barrels once more. But nothing happened and the same fuse had blown. After a bit of research, I found that the horizontal output transistor or the flyback, or both were the likely culprits. I removed the monitor and took it along to Gunblade / Grant to repair. Grant replaced the flyback, HOT and the caps. After re-fitting the monitor, I switched on the cab and was chuffed to see Donkey Kong once again chucking barrels, but unfortunately there were still some issues. Sprites were missing and the game kept re-setting. I'm planning on getting the PCB repaired. In the meantime I purchased a Double Donkey Kong board set from Mikes Arcade.

This is a modified DKJr board and plays both Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Junior. It is plug and play in an upright Donkey Kong. I liked the idea of being able to play the two games in the cab, and you can switch between them by pressing the player-1 and player-2 start buttons simultaneously. It also has additional features including high score save. The cab internals were fairly clean, but whilst the board was out I had a quick hoover inside.

Inside the cab, with the monitor re-fitted and Double Donkey Kong installed.

I switched on the cab, and after some adjustment of the vertical and horizontal pots on the PCB I was greeted with this.

I'm chuffed to have the cab back up and running, and am really pleased with the picture.

Next up I plan on working on the aesthetics. But for now lets play some Donkey Kong!

Many thanks to Gunblade for fixing the monitor, absolutely awesome service. Also thanks to Mikes Arcade for the Double Donkey Kong PCB.

↧

Arcade Club

December 27, 2017, 4:29 am

≫ Next: The King of Arcades – A look back at Nanboya Arcade, Osaka

≪ Previous: New Arrival - Donkey Kong: Part 2

Once again we journeyed up North to Arcade Club, the largest gaming venue in Europe. The biggest change since my last visit is Floor Two ‘Modern Arcade’ is now up and running. Floor Two features PC gaming, a pinball room, VR stations as well as some extremely cool modern Japanese arcade games. It was awesome and slightly surreal seeing these Japanese games in the UK, and they were proving extremely popular. This floor is over eighteens only, or sixteen plus when accompanied by an adult.

Here is walk round video of Floor Two recorded on a busy Saturday night. There is also a pinball room and a classic arcade game room not featured in the video.

Floor One ‘Classic Arcade’ has lots of awesome new additions as well. Here are some of my gaming highlights, in no particular order.

Food Fight – Atari, Inc. – 1983

Another Arcade Club first for me. Guide Charley Chuck to the ice cream before it melts, whilst fending off angry chefs.

The ’49-way joystick’ gives players precise control over Charley Chuck.

A fun game and beautiful cabinet.

Alien Syndrome – Sega – 1987

Shoot the aliens and rescue the survivors in this overhead run and gun shooter.

A cool game and a fantastic looking cabinet, I love the alien topper!

Groove Coaster 3: Link Fever – Matrix Software / Taito - 2016

Rez meets Guitar Hero, as the player follows their in-game avatar on a high-speed journey along a fantastic 3D rollercoaster track. The game is really fun and immersive.

The game features tracks by Zuntata, Taito Corporation’s ‘house band’, known for the soundtrack of games such as Bubble Bobble, The Darius series and the Ray series, among others.

The cabinet even has a headphone jack, very cool!

Jubeat – Konami – 2008

Jubeat is an arcade rhythm game for Konami’s Bemani line of games. Whilst checking out the arcades in

Japan

, this title really stood out. It was something completely different, and watching a good player is pretty mesmerising.

Utilising an arrangement of sixteen buttons in a four by four grid, the player must press the squares as they illuminate in time with the music.

Initial D ArcadeStage 8 Infinity ∞– Sega – 2014

I enjoyed a couple of credits on this one-on-one racer, and love the cab aesthetics. Again it’s a shame there hasn’t been a Western release.

Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker – Sega – 1990

Regent Bowl in Great Yarmouth, which sadly burnt down last year, had one of these dedicated three player Moonwalker cabs back in the day.

I remember going down the bowling alley one Saturday afternoon with a pocket full of change and playing through to the end. It was the only place I had seen one of these cabs until now, and the game is just as awesome as it was then.

Saving the children and defeating Mr. Big’s henchmen, I was ten years old again. Catching Bubbles the chimp and seeing Michael transform into a giant robot complete with laser cannon arms and missiles never gets old!

Monkey Ball – Amusement Vision / Sega – 2001

One of my favourite Gamecube titles, it was great to play the arcade version.

The game was produced by the team behind another favourite of mine, Planet Harriers, and is extremely fun and unique. Check out that control panel!

Strike Force – Midway – 1991

Another uncommon and obscure title! Strike Force is a modern update of Defender, featuring pre-rendered graphics typical of the early nineties. Different weapons can be collected and the player can choose which planets to attack, giving the game a strategical element. A cool cab and an interesting game.

Cho Chabudai Gaeshi! 2 / Super Table-Flip! 2 – Taito – 2010

Flip the table, sending dishes flying and watch as the havoc unfolds in Matrix-style bullet time. I first played this in Akihabara, Tokyo back in 2012 and never imagined I’d get to play it on these shores. Hilarious and utterly brilliant!

Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters – Atari Games – 1989

This is a game I had never seen before and knew very little about, but had wanted to play for a long time. The name alone is one of the best video game titles ever!

The game has a science fiction B movie vibe. Intergalactic S.W.A.T. team members Jake and Duke must rescue the human hostages. Blast, duck and dodge robots and eliminate the Reptilons evil empire from Factory Planet X.

I would describe the game as a sort of cross between Marble Madness and Smash T.V., combining the isometric viewpoint and bright vibrant colours of the former with the relentless shooting action of the latter.

The levels within the Factory Planet X complex are comprised of different floors. To ascend to higher floors, the player must locate the master switch that turns on the ‘electro-stairs’. Wander too close to an unprotected ledge and you may fall and end up holding on to the sides for dear life.

The panel features Hall-effect joysticks, giving the player precision control.

I really enjoyed EFTPORM. It was great to finally play it and is definitely a new favourite old game!

Ice Cold Beer – Taito – 1983

This electro-mechanical classic is the perfect game to have next to the bar! Use the joysticks to balance and tilt the ball on the bar up to a lit hole on the playfield, whilst avoiding unlit holes.

MÚSECA - Konami – 2015

MÚSECA is a recent addition to the Bemani line of arcade rhythm games, and plays like a cross between Pop’n Music and a dance mat game.

The game is played with five circular pads, which can be pressed and spun, and also a foot pedal.

The game is fun, and the addition of the spinning pads and foot pedal is a nice twist.

There was an awesome selection of shooters, including Cyvern: The Dragon Weapons, Ketsui, Armed Police Batrider and DoDonPachi DaiOuJou.

DoDonPachi DaiOuJou was installed in a Capcom Impress. It was the first time I had seen one of these in the flesh. The cab is Capcom’s take on the AstroCity, similar to how the Status was styled on the Jaleco Pony.

The awesome Electrocoin cab line up.

Some more pics of Arcade Club.

This visit was made particularly enjoyable by my five year old daughter really starting to enjoy the games. BurgerTime and Pac-Land were definite favourites. During a game of BurgerTime she turned round, exasperated and said “Oh no, I’ve just been egged!” We also had fun protecting our castles from dragon fire on Warlords and enjoyed a few races on OutRun2, although until her legs grow a bit longer I’m on accelerator duty.

Andy and the team should be proud of what they have accomplished. Arcade Club is a monumental achievement and truly world class.

↧

The King of Arcades – A look back at Nanboya Arcade, Osaka

January 2, 2018, 9:31 am

≫ Next: New Arrival – SNK Super Neo 29 Type II

≪ Previous: Arcade Club

‘No need to book up’, I had told the Mrs. ‘There are loads of hotels in Osaka, and I know a great one’. Unfortunately I couldn’t find the place I had in mind, time was getting on and finding a bed for the night was proving difficult. We must have looked somewhat lost as a kind local stopped and asked if he could assist. After explaining our plight, he took us to a hotel and even managed to negotiate a cheaper rate! We dumped our bags, left the hotel for a bite to eat and just happened to pass Nanboya Arcade.

The arcade was located on a busting street adjacent to a crossing, and looked very similar to The King of Fighters ’98 Osakastage.

A worn sun faded Gradius poster in the window hinted at the awesome selection of classic cabinets inside.

The arcade was decrepit and filthy, the cabinets stained nicotine brown from years of cigarette smoke. In other words, a proper old school Japanese arcade!

The arcade had an awesome line up of rare candy cabs, including Irem Madonna’s, Namco Consolette, Jaleco Pony’s, Konami Domy Jr, Nintendo Vs, and SNK Candy Cabinets. The arcade felt anachronistic and I was amazed to find such an arcade still exists.

There was a nice selection of games, including Alien vs. Predator, Donkey Kong, Mr Driller G, Raiden II, Strikers 1999, X-Men vs. Street Fighter, as well as various Neo Geo MVS and Mahjong titles.

Playing Namco Classic Collection on the Domy Jr. I love these cabinets!

The Mrs getting excited with Bomber Man World.

The next day we just so happened to walk past the hotel I was originally looking for. I’m so glad we didn’t find it or else we may have never have stumbled upon this awesome arcade.

I have seen Nanboya arcade featured in two Japanese publications. First up is Joystick Gamers! Video Game Photo Magazine #2.

This magazine features beautiful photographs of old school Japanese arcades and candy cabs. Below are some shots of Nanboya Arcade.

Next we have the fan made Arcade Manual series. Each book in the series focuses on a particular candy cab and in the Namco Consolette 26 edition the author visits Nanboya Arcade.

Jeff / Rancor (Shmups / Arcade Otaku) very kindly translated these pages for me.

The write up on page 16 and 17 is a review of the arcade. The author writes about how it was the first arcade that he had ever seen an actual Namco Consolette in, and it was a shame that is was so deserted. Apparently it’s quite large and has many other candy cabs that are not often seen (Madonna, Domy Jr, Nintendo Vs, DECO etc). He stayed there for about three hours, and only saw five customers come and go, and he wonders how much longer the arcade can stay open. Since the air conditioning was cold (he was there in August) he thinks that maybe people just came in to cool down, and didn’t actually want to play any games. A few just sat in chairs and played their smartphones for a bit before leaving. He uploaded a video of the arcade to the URL.

http://video.fc2.com/content/20120815Bx3bL4Ww

He’d like to be able to spend more time in the arcade to make some 3D models of the machines. Apparently this arcade is quite special.

On page 17 he just describes the neighbourhood that it’s in, as well as how to find the shop. He says it’s quite grimy on the outside and is in a run down neighbourhood next to a place that sells grilled chicken.

Many thanks once again to Jeff for the translation.

↧

New Arrival – SNK Super Neo 29 Type II

February 15, 2018, 2:36 pm

≫ Next: A look back at Tokyo Leisureland, Odaiba

≪ Previous: The King of Arcades – A look back at Nanboya Arcade, Osaka

The Future Is Now
First a little story. Between 1997 and 2004 I worked on a tanker, transporting liquefied natural gas from Brunei to Japan. We would discharge at various ports near Tokyo, Yokohama and Osaka every three weeks or so. Quite often we would go to Sodegaura. Sodegaura had a small street, a shopping mall and a few small bars and eateries. If I only had a couple of hours ashore, I’d do a bit of shopping and have a few beers and some Yakitori chicken. One shop sold games, and I still have the used but minty Axelay I picked up. The company put on a courtesy bus from Sodegaura to Chiba, with a journey time of about one hour. When I had more time ashore I’d go to Chiba. Chiba was a great run ashore, with loads of shops, bars, restaurants and excellent arcades. And Akihabara was only a forty minute train ride from Chiba. Shore leave in Japan was one of the great things about the job, and as an engineer I’d always volunteer to work the early stand-by shift going in to port to get the afternoon and evening ashore.

So what’s all this got to do with a SNK Super Neo cab? Well on the bus ride to Chiba, we always passed Neo Geo Bowl, a large arcade / bowling alley run by SNK. I don’t have many gaming regrets, but one of them is never asking the bus driver to stop and spending the afternoon there.

Image 1

Image 2

In 2011 we visited Tokyo Leisureland arcade, Odaiba.

The venue was formerly the infamous Neo Geo World. Opening March 1999, the venue featured rows of machines showcasing Neo Geo titles, as well as rides, bowling, karaoke, restaurants, shopping and cinema. Neo Geo World closed March 2001 and later re-opened as Tokyo Leisureland. It was nice that the venue still housed an arcade, but NGW and the awesome SNK candy cabinets were long gone.

It is likely my SNK Super Neo Type II cab came from one of these SNK amusement parks. Who knows, maybe it came from the one I used to drive past all those years ago.

Image 3

About The Cab

I have a New Astro City which is my dedicated vertical shooter cab, and I really liked the idea of getting another 29” cab with the monitor set to horizontal. The cab currently has Akai Katana installed.

There were several versions of the Super Neo 29 cabinet. The Super Neo 29 was wired for MVS in stereo, and had a select button and space on the marquee for four Neo mini marquees.

The Super Neo 29 Candy was wired for Jamma in mono. In addition to the version with the ‘Super Neo 29 Candy’ marquee, there is also a ‘pop’ version with an insertion space on the marquee for arcade art and logos.

The Super Neo 29 Type II was wired for the Hyper Neo Geo. Some versions came with an LCD fitted in the Hyper Neo Geo marquee to show the game to spectators.

Interestingly the seller told me that the cab used to be owned by a guy from Ignition Software, who handled all of the UK home console SNK releases during the PS2 and Xbox era.

A couple of feet were slightly bent and needed straightening. When I was loading the cab onto the tail lift van, I straightened one of the feet and found a 50 Yen coin had become trapped next to it!

The Good

-It’s a fully working SNK candy cab!
-The cab is totally original and in great condition with only a few minor marks.

-The monitor is very nice with no noticeable burn.
-The side art is in excellent condition with no rips or tears.

-The cab is extremely clean.
-It came complete with manual and keys.
-The amount of space available for PCB’s is awesome! I’m thinking of constructing a shelf to store multiple boards.

The Not So Good

-There is some slight cigarette burn on the control panel upper near the instruction strip space. I will probably just leave this. It’s not too intrusive and all part of the character.
-The plastic monitor surround is a bit yellowed.
-Spares and parts seem to be much harder to source compared with my trusty NAC.

A massive thanks to Jamie (Arcade Otaku) for this awesome cab.

References
Image 1: Neo Geo Bowl, Chiba - Remains the copyright of John Anderson.
Image 2: Neo Geo Land, from Neo Geo Freak - 1996 September issue.
Image 3: Neo Geo Land, Osaka - Source http://www.orochinagi.com/gamer-guide-japan/gunsmith-in-japan-1999

↧

A look back at Tokyo Leisureland, Odaiba

March 1, 2018, 7:40 am

≫ Next: Return to The House of the Dead

≪ Previous: New Arrival – SNK Super Neo 29 Type II

In my last blog I talked about my visit to Tokyo Leisureland, which was formerly Neo Geo World. Sadly I have since discovered that the venue closed in July 2017. Located in the Pallette Town entertainment complex, Tokyo Lesisureland was a huge amusement space featuring arcade games, a haunted house and ninja castle, karaoke, bowling, billiards, batting and even a fishing pond! As a tribute to this awesome arcade, here are some pics of the venue from my visit back in 2011.

After spending the day at Sega Joypolis, we walked in the direction of the Daikanransha ferris wheel and passed these buildings, which I think have a bit of a Blade Runner vibe.

Adjacent to the ferris wheel is Tokyo Leisureland. The arcade had a great selection of dedicated machines, old and new, and some of these machines I have never seen anywhere else.

The awesome Tetris Giant, known as Tetris Dekaris in

Japan

GTI Club: Rally Côte d'Azur and Supermini Festa! I love how the new version has a restaurant theme, complete with menu board and awning.

The only Tokyo Bus Guide arcade cabinet I’ve ever seen.

My wife cracking the whip on Akumajō Dracula: The Arcade. Note the look of sheer menace on her face!

The Blast on the left features Akai Katana, one of my favourite shooters. The middle Blast features RC de Go!, complete with dedicated panel. If you know what the game is on the right please let me know in the comments.

Developed by AM1 and released in 1999 on Sega Naomi hardware, Ring Out 4x4 is a vehicular combat game. The cabinet design clearly borrows a lot from the arcade classic Hot Rod. It’s a shame the game never received a Dreamcast home conversion.

There is nothing quite like sneaking up on someone whilst on the back of a panda!

↧

Return to The House of the Dead

March 29, 2018, 2:21 pm

≫ Next: Operator Raid – February 2018

≪ Previous: A look back at Tokyo Leisureland, Odaiba

I was extremely happy to see Daytona

USA

back in the arcades last year, and it’s awesome to see the return of another classic Sega franchise. Arriving twelve years after last installment, The House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn was location tested last month in

Japan

and the game was showcased at the Japan Amusement Expo 2018.

These promotional masks were given out to JAEPO 2018 attendees. I was fortunate to win one from the Throwback Tokyo – Gaming in Japan Facebook group.

It’s testament to the quality and popularity of the series that machines can still be found in many arcades around the

. The games play well and are still loads of fun today.

This awesome The House of the Dead trio is currently on location at the Grande Pier, Weston-super-Mare, UK.

Here is a look back at the series, with pictures of machines I have played over the years.

The House of the Dead

Year of release: 1996

Developer: Sega AM1 / WOW Entertainment

Hardware: Sega Model 2C CRX

Cabinet: 29” Upright, 29” Standard ‘Midi’ Cabinet & 50” projection screen Deluxe

The plot revolves around Dr. Roy Curien, a renowned biochemist and geneticist, reportedly obsessed with discovering the nature of life and death. Yes, that old chestnut! Agents Thomas Rogan and “G” are tasked with investigating Dr. Curien’s Mansion. His experiments have driven him insane, resulting in him releasing the subjects into the world. Well you knew it wasn’t going to end well!

Combining the first-person rail shooter game play of Virtua Cop with a horror zombie-survival / B movie theme, the game was an instant hit. With its gruesome visuals and cheesy voice acting, the game was a complete departure from anything Sega had released before. It’s hard to believe the game was released 22 years ago!

The House of the Dead Standard ‘Midi’ cab at Hemsby, UK.

This machine at Hayling Island, UK appears to be a Virtua Cop conversion.

The House of the Dead 2

Year of release: 1998

Developer: Sega AM1 / WOW Entertainment

Hardware: Sega Naomi

Cabinet: 29” Upright, 50” projection screen Deluxe & 50” projection screen Super Deluxe Theatre Cabinet

Set fourteen months after the 1998 CurienMansion incident in The House of the Dead, the game takes place in 2000 on the streets of Venicefollowing a zombie outbreak. Goldman, the man who funded Dr. Curien, is responsible. Agents James Taylor and Gary Stewart are sent to stop him.

The House of the Dead 2 Super Deluxe cab on Great Yarmouth seafront.

I picked up the awesome THOTD2 Gun Set for the Japanese Dreamcast upon release. If I remember rightly it was from ACE, a video game import shop down one of the small side streets off Carnaby Street, London. I was blown away by the conversion and I still have the game today. This game has also proved very popular with my little girl.

The House of the Dead 2 Upright at Hermanus Leisure, Winterton-on-Sea.

Gunning down zombies on a night out in Peckham at The Four Quarters.

The House of the Dead III

Year of release: 2002

Developer: Sega AM1 / WOW Entertainment

Hardware: Sega Chihiro

Cabinet: 29” Upright, 29” Naomi Upright & 50” projection screen Deluxe

The third entry in the series is set in the post-apocalyptic year of 2019. Players take control of Lisa Rogan and Agent “G” as they search for Lisa’s father, Thomas Rogan after he goes missing when embarking on a mission into a mysterious facility.

This time players are armed with a shotgun to take out the hordes of crazed zombies. The game features time-sensitive game play and a wide variety of branching paths.

The first and third installments at Weymouth, UK.

This arcade at Hemsby had The House of the Dead Naomi Upright, but sadly it’s no longer on site.

The House of the Dead 4

Year of release: 2005

Developer: Sega AM1 / WOW Entertainment

Hardware: Sega Lindbergh

Cabinet: 29” Standard ‘Midi’ Cabinet, 52” HD Deluxe & 62” HD Super Deluxe

This is set in the year 2003, between the events of the second and third installments. Agent James Taylor and newcomer Kate Green are investigating the Goldman Incident of 2000 and gathering intelligence at the AMS European headquarters. There is a sudden earthquake which leaves them trapped, and they are shocked to discover that the undead from three years prior have returned. Talk about having a bad day!

The Uzi submachine gun is the weapon of choice, and players also have grenades at their disposal. The action is unrelenting and at times there are dozens of enemies simultaneously on-screen. The game also features branching paths and has a critical shots counter, encouraging the player to go for headshots.

The House of the Dead 4 Super Deluxe cab at Sega Joypolis in Odaiba, Japan.

I love the gruesome cabinet details. Truly horrifying, in a good way! It’s also notable for being the first arcade light gun game to feature a high definition widescreen display.

Here is the Deluxe version on Great Yarmouth seafront and some pics of the internals.

Lindbergh power!

The House of the Dead 4 Special

Year of release: 2006

Developer: Sega AM1 / WOW Entertainment

Hardware: Sega Lindbergh

Cabinet:360° Motion Theatre Ride featuring two 100” screens & five-speaker sound system

The game takes place shortly after THOTD4, with Kate Green teaming up with Agent “G” to destroy the zombie infestation at its source, leading them to confront the Magician, a boss character who returns after having been destroyed in the first two installments.

I absolutely loved playing this at Sega Joypolis in Odaiba. Before the game commences, players sit down inside the theater unit, buckle up and are given a short safety brief. This reminded me of those pre-flight safety briefings, except all in Japanese. Two 100-inch screens are utilised, one in front of the players and another behind, and the seat automatically rotates to face the players towards whichever screen the zombies are attacking from. The seat shakes during attacks, and players are blasted with air when damage is sustained. The game features a life bar and there are no continues. In a two-player game, players are judged on how compatible they are. The game is fantastic fun and unintentionally hilarious!

My wife posing with the instruction card at Joypolis back in 2008.

ArcadeSpin-offs

There has been a couple of The House of the Dead arcade spin-offs: The Typing of the Dead (1999), Zombie Revenge (1999) and The House of the Dead EX (2009).

The only one I’ve played is Zombie Revenge, a cool beat ‘em up which was sited in a local bowling alley back in the day. Interestingly the game is a collaboration between Sega AM1 / WOW Entertainment and Data East, although the exact involvement of the latter isn’t clear.

The plot involves AMS agents being sent to WoodsideCity to eliminate the undead and track down the leader behind the attack, the mysterious ZED. There are various references to the original game. These include the CurienMansionappearing as its own stage, and the final boss is Black Magician Type 01, clearly based on the Magician. The game runs on Naomi hardware.

I would really love to play The House of the Dead EX.

From what I’ve read the game has a more light-hearted, comical vibe. The protagonists are Zobio and Zobika, a pair of young zombies in love, who seek to escape from captivity. The levels are made up of a series of minigames, similar to Namco’s Point Blank, and the game also uses a foot pedal. It runs on Lindbergh hardware and was only released in

Japan

The first installment and The House of the Dead Special made the biggest impact on me, and I consider them my personal favourites of the series. I can’t wait to see how Sega will continue the series with The House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to find out!

↧

Operator Raid – February 2018

April 9, 2018, 1:30 pm

≫ Next: An Evening With John Romero

≪ Previous: Return to The House of the Dead

I set off on a six hundred mile round trip to visit an Operator. The destination was an unremarkable unit on an industrial estate.

I rang the intercom buzzer several times. After a wait which seemed like forever, the door finally unbolted and I was led inside. There were loads of fruit machines and pub quiz games, as well as jukeboxes, kiddie rides, pool tables, crane grabbers, table football, air hockey and modern arcade games.

Whilst having a look around the unit I saw After Burner Climax SDLX, Guitar Hero Arcade, Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, Sega Rally 2 twin and Terminator Salvation 42”.

Terminator: Judgment Raid!

After Burner Climax SDLX is a very cool machine and seems to be quite scarce these days. The last time I saw one was at Planet Fun arcade in Ingoldmells a couple of years ago. The machine was for sale, but not cheap!

There was also a Virtual Pinball table and some modern arcade cocktail cabs.

I was really pleased to pick up a couple of boxes of arcade PCB’s and MVS cartridges, as well as MVS motherboards. The Op said these had been sited in Jamma cabs and had been stood a while in his storeroom. This is not the first time an Op has sold me PCB’s. A few years ago I picked up Galaga ‘88, OutZone and R-Type II from an arcade in Norwich. The venue is still open, but sadly it only has gambling machines now. More recently I got some CPS2 games and motherboards from a pub / entertainment venue in Chapel St. Leonard’s, near Skegness.

The car loaded up with boards and MVS.

A nice original Cadillacs and Dinosaurs on top of the PCB pile!

MVS
There is a decent variety of games and all the carts are original which is a nice bonus.

I gave all the carts a clean and tested them. I was quite pleased as some of the carts marked faulty worked fine after giving the edge connectors a clean with an eraser. All are now working.

I also picked up eight MVS 4 slots and one 1 slot. Unfortunately all of these turned out to be faulty.

PCB’s

They are a bit of a mixed bag as expected, with a mixture of workers, partial workers and completely dead boards. Here is a list of titles:

1. Cadillacs and Dinosaurs

2. Euro League. The board has some broken caps.

3. Final Blow

4. Golden Tee Golf

5. Golfing Greats

6. International Cup '94 & Taito F3 Mobo

7. Mortal Kombat 4

8. Pang 3

9. R-Type

10. Shinobi, on a Sega 16A board with a Quartet 2 label!

11. Street Fighter II'

12. Street Fighter: The Movie. A board is missing.

13. Super Pang

14. Tecmo World Cup '90

15. The Simpsons

16. World Rally

Raid Highlights

Cadillacs and Dinosaurs – Capcom - 1993
I was very surprised to see this PCB. Bootlegs are quite common and it’s rare to see original Capcom CP System I Q-Sound hardware. The board is in extremely clean condition and looks almost new, although the plastic grey case is missing. I do wonder if some of these boards were shipped out without the case.

I tested the board and the game was completely dead. The A, B and C boards were tested and appeared to be good. This is the World version. The ROMs were verified as correct. The voltage on the button battery was good. However the battery on the Q-Sound board was completely dead, i.e., the board had suicided. The Kabuki chip has been re-programmed and the battery replaced, and the board is now working perfectly. A massive thanks to Aaron, aka GadgetFreak (Ukvac) for the repair work.

R-Type – Irem – 1987
It was awesome to find an original R-Type board amongst the haul. The game was working, but had some graphical glitches. I sent it off to Phil, aka IronGiant / VectorGlow, along with some other boards from the Raid. He managed to repair the board fully, tracing the issue to two bad chips on two boards. Phil offers a fantastic service and comes highly recommended.

Shinobi / Quartet 2 – Sega – 1986
This is an interesting one. It’s a Sega 16A board running Shinobi, and has an official looking Quartet 2 label. I suspect it’s a factory conversion. Admittedly I didn’t know much about Quartet 2, and looking into it has piqued my interest even further!

Quartet was released in a four player dedicated cabinet, with each player using a specific set of joysticks and buttons. Quartet 2 is a two player version of the original, with a character select. It appears the game was sold as a conversion kit, allowing pre system 16 Quartet boards to be converted to Quartet 2 by swapping the ROM boards. Original boards seem to be scarce. Apparently it was common in Japan for Quartet 2 PCB’s to be hand converted from other System 16A PCB’s. Indeed there is one on the System II blog which was originally a Passing Shot. The fact that my board actually has a Quartet 2 label makes it very unusual. Hopefully I’ll be able to convert it back.

↧

An Evening With John Romero

April 27, 2018, 10:01 am

≫ Next: Lane7 Middlesbrough

≪ Previous: Operator Raid – February 2018

The award-winning game designer John Romero took the stage at the Centre for Computing History in Cambridge for a talk and Q&A session. It was great to hear John Romero, co-founder of id Software and the man behind such iconic titles as Wolfenstein 3D, Doom and Quake, talk about his career and his games.

John Romero was a really nice guy and I even managed to get a couple of my games signed.

Out of these items, I was most pleased about getting my Doom 64 signed. Taking place after Final Doom, Doom 64 was one of the first games I bought for my Nintendo 64 and I absolutely love this version. The game was developed by Midway Games, with id Software supervising the project. John’s wife, Brenda, seemed particularly impressed with my Japanese copy, saying that it’s a version missing from their collection.

I love the box art on the Super Famicom version of Wolfenstein 3D.

I must admit I felt a little star struck and was slightly nervous about asking him to sign my Japanese N64 Daikatana given its infamously poor reception after all the hype. Despite the bad press, the game was extremely ambitious for its time, featuring four distinct time zones, a wide variety of weapons and AI-controlled sidekicks, and is without doubt a fascinating piece of gaming history.

I was surprised when John told me the Game Boy Color had a pretty good version of Daikatana. I never knew this existed and thought he was joking. It turns out this version is a Legend of Zelda like top-down action-adventure game, with dungeons, puzzles and boss battles, along with a text based story. The game was only published in Europe, and is definitely one I’m going to look out for.

It was interesting to hear John reflect on Daikatana and its troubled development. However the game is not without merit, with John commenting that even now the AI developed for the sidekicks is still some of the most advanced out there.

It was also cool to listen to John talk about Gunman Taco Truck, a game designed by a then nine year old Donovan Brathwaite-Romero and co-developed by him with Brenda and John. The game is as mad as it sounds, with the player blasting their way across a mutant-infested United States in a heavily armored and weaponised taco truck, selling tacos with mutant-based fillings to survivors.

Some cool artefacts on display.

Development notebook contains John’s early notes for games.

Hand drawn map of Quake.

Doom Project CD and 5.25 floppy development disk for Wolfenstein 3D.

Doom on the Commodore VIC-20? Why not!

The beers provided by Lord Conrad’s Brewery and the slice of pizza from 400° Pizzeria went down well!

A video of the event can be seen here.

During the day we spent a couple of hours at the museum, exploring the history of computers, and playing on various computers, consoles and arcade machines.

Highlights include the Pixel Wall, some pretty competitive games of Pong with my wife and five year old daughter, and a few credits on Centipede, Tempest and Xevious.

It was the first time I had seen a Xevious cab. I love the design and cool artwork.

Following the 1983 videogame crash, 728,000 unsold games including E.T. were buried in a landfill site in Alamogordo, New Mexico, marking the symbolic end of Atari as a video game industry giant. Here are actual games excavated from the landfill site in April 2014, very cool!

We had a great day at the museum and I would highly recommend a visit. A massive thanks to John Romero and the Centre for Computer History for hosting the event. It’s well worth keeping an eye on their website for upcoming events.

http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/pages/30677/What-s-On/

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Lane7 Middlesbrough

May 13, 2018, 2:47 pm

≫ Next: Great Yarmouth Arcade Heaven

≪ Previous: An Evening With John Romero

I was recently working in Middlesbrough and took the opportunity to checkout Lane7, an awesome new bowling alley which also features an arcade and bar. It’s always great to see a new arcade opening.

I passed this cool ad whilst walking into town. I remember seeing the game back in the day, probably down Great Yarmouth seafront, but my memory is extremely fuzzy. I would love to know if it was a US cab or an Electrocoin cab made under license. I’m looking forward to watching this, and I can’t wait to see George the gorilla, Ralph the wolf and Lizzie the crocodile Rampage!

Lane7 opened in December 2017 and is located inside Centre North East on Albert Road. The arcade has a nice selection of classics, more modern games and pinball tables. Tokens are purchased from the bar.

The Space Invader and Pac-Man Ghost bowling balls behind the bar are very cool!

The arcade classics include 1942, Donkey Kong, Double Dragon, Space Invaders, Street Fighter II’ and Track & Field. These are scratch built repro cabs, with LCD screens and running emulation.

Arcade purists may bemoan the use of non-original hardware. Whilst these repro cabs don’t offer an authentic gaming experience, they were being enjoyed by people hankering for some classic arcade gaming. These cabs are perhaps understandable given the difficulty in keeping old arcade hardware and CRT’s running, and I’d much prefer to see these than original machines which have been butchered.

The venue also has Chase H.Q.2, Crazy Taxi, Dancing Stage EuroMix 2 and The House of the Dead 4. It was great to see Chase H.Q.2. The game had a fairly limited release back in 2007 and you don’t see many about. I also had a couple of credits on The House of the Dead 4, in preparation for Scarlet Dawn, and the awesome Crazy Taxi.

The pinball tables are a cool addition. I enjoyed a couple of games on Starship Troopers.

I had a great time at Lane7. There are also Lane7 venues in Newcastle and Aberdeen, although the bar attendant did mention that the Middlesbrough site currently has the biggest selection of arcade machines.

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Great Yarmouth Arcade Heaven

May 18, 2018, 1:57 pm

≫ Next: Great Yarmouth Bed and Breakfast Arcade Raid

≪ Previous: Lane7 Middlesbrough

Great Yarmouth arcades were amazing back in the day, and have played host to an awesome selection of titles over the years. I remember playing games I haven’t seen anywhere else, including Chase H.Q. DLX – the motion based one where you sit in a black Porsche, and Star Wars Arcade – the Sega Model 1 powered game.

Here is a pic of the Flamingo front, taken back in the late eighties / early nineties.

Check out the Sega Taikan cabs! From left to right the following machines can be seen:

1. Galaxy Force DLX. Yes, Galaxy Force DLX! Sega, 1988

2. After Burner DLX, Sega AM2, 1987

3. I’m unsure about the machine just left of the Coka-Cola vending machine.

4. WEC Le Mans 24 DLX (to the right of the Coka-Cola machine), Konami, 1986

5. Super Hang-On DLX (just above traffic bollard), Sega AM2, 1987. Look closely and you can see someone sitting on the bike.

6. Another one I’m unsure about. Positioned between SHO and OutRun DLX, it looks like a test your strength or love meter type game?

7. OutRun DLX, Sega AM2, 1986

8. Power Drift DLX, Sega AM2, 1988

9. Winning Run DLX, Namco, 1988

10. Space Harrier DLX, Sega AM2, 1985

Remember this was just one arcade along the Golden Mile, and wasn’t even the best!

The pink neon sign is still there, but sadly it’s now all fruit machines and ticket redemption.

↧

Great Yarmouth Bed and Breakfast Arcade Raid

May 24, 2018, 8:42 am

≫ Next: The Four Quarters East Out Runners – Synthwave special / OutRun cab reveal

≪ Previous: Great Yarmouth Arcade Heaven

Growing up near Great Yarmouth, we really were spoilt when it came to the arcades. In addition to the awesome arcades down the seafront, we had arcades on holiday camps and in pubs. One holiday camp in the village where I lived even had an OutRun DLX!

Back in the day, pub games rooms were fairly common. Adults would be in the bar whilst the kids would keep out of trouble in the games room. There was one pub within walking distance from my house with a cool games room. The pub was a short walk down a dirt track, across a field and along Breydon Water. The pub was called ‘The Fisherman’s Inn’ and I remember going there after school and playing Cisco Heat, Shinobi, Street Fighter II’ and Toki, among others.

After one summer, the pub was refurbished. The games room became a restaurant and the arcade games disappeared forever. I recently contacted the pub, enquiring about the whereabouts of the old machines. I knew it was a longshot, and a couple of days later I got a reply. “I’m afraid I am unable to advise what happened to those gaming machines as they would have belonged to the tenant at the time of The Fisherman’s Inn.” I was grateful to receive a reply, even though it was pretty much what I’d expected. It was worth a try I thought.

Then the unexpected happened!

A little while later I received another email. “I just had a thought…I cannot remember the last time they got played on, but at my Mums house, she has old school arcade machines. The age where they use the old 10p coins.”

It turns out that the Mum had moved in to a former Bed and Breakfast around ten years ago, and the machines had sat there in the basement all this time.

So begins my next Raid!

The machines were located in the basement, which was formerly a bar / games room. The cabs were a bit grubby and it was obvious they had sat there a long time. But under the grime they appear to be in really nice condition and should clean up really well. It’s great they’ve been in doors all this time in nice dry conditions.

Game World Jamma cabinet

I haven’t seen one quite like this before. It’s a nice narrow cab, making it great for home use, and I really like the gold T-moulding. Inside the cab is a nice clean Bomb Jack pcb, the perfect game for the cab!

Sega / Gremlin Astro Blaster Cabaret

The Raid highlight for me! I absolutely love this little cab. Other than some light surface rust on the coin door, the cab looks great.

The nameplate on the back.

Is that a rare manufacturers sticker on the hood? Erm, no. It’s a 80’s Heineken beer mat! I’m tempted to leave this in place.

The Getaway: High Speed II

I had toyed with the idea of getting a pinball table in the past, but lack of space and expense ha put me off. However this was just too good to pass up!

I had watched a couple of YouTube videos beforehand with transportation tips, so had some idea of what to expect. It was by far the trickiest machine to get out of the building. In fact the other machines were a walk in the park by comparison! I had to label all the wires and disconnect the backbox to get it through narrow doors, manoeuvre the machine round a tight twisty corridor and then take it up some stairs.

I really like the look of this one, it almost has an OutRun vibe.

Lord of the Rings Fruit Machine

This was bought as part of the deal and I will be selling it on.

Cabs out of the basement and on the ground floor.

The machines on the van locked and loaded!

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The Four Quarters East Out Runners – Synthwave special / OutRun cab reveal

June 8, 2018, 8:46 am

≫ Next: Cabs from the Bed and Breakfast Raid – Game World Cabinet

≪ Previous: Great Yarmouth Bed and Breakfast Arcade Raid

To celebrate the reveal of their new OutRun DLX cabinet, the venue put on a day of Synthwave / Retrowave / Outrun vibes. Despite being at work, the stars aligned and I was able to go along on a very sunny Sunday afternoon.

Here is a walk round video.

OutRun DLX proved to be a massive hit throughout the day.

The cab was enjoyed by all age groups, from people who played the game back in the day to young children wowed by the machine.

The cab played well, the monitor was great and the cab looked stunning.

I had a chat with The Four Quarters about the history of the cab. It had been purchased from a Government repossession auction in Belfast, and was in a bit of a sad state when it arrived. There were mice nests inside and some of the 240V cabling had been chewed. The game played blind and at some point the monitor had been replaced with a trisync. Restoration work took three months, and work undertaken includes monitor replacement, renewing the damaged cables and powder coating the base. The hard work has really paid off. It’s amazing to see this awesome machine restored and back out there for people to enjoy.

The course map on the coin tower was a nice touch.

Music inspired by the game and the decade was played throughout the day.

I also enjoyed a couple of credits on Cotton Boomerang, Crazy Taxi, Donkey Kong, Final Fight, Narc and Star Wars Trilogy.

The irony didn’t go unnoticed.

Passarella Death Squad’s “Fantasy Scenes” artwork on display.

Some more pics from the day.

↧

Cabs from the Bed and Breakfast Raid – Game World Cabinet

June 28, 2018, 1:12 pm

≫ Next: Super Operator Raid II’ Turbo Edition

≪ Previous: The Four Quarters East Out Runners – Synthwave special / OutRun cab reveal

This cab was fully working, except for the monitor image rolling. A tweak of the vertical hold pot on the chassis sorted this and I was able to play some Bomb Jack!

Bomb Jack is an awesome game, extremely fun and addictive. The premise is simple: collect all the red bombs, ideally in the correct order for the best score, whilst avoiding red eyed homing birds and other adversaries. A local pub had a Chinese candy cab clone with a 60-In-1 multi game board installed, and me and my wife often played Bomb Jack on ‘date nights’, whilst listening to some tunes on the juke box and enjoying a few beers, good times! My wife is still getting higher scores than me though, which is a bit annoying!

The monitor is 14”. Unfortunately there is some burn, with some light Pac-Man maze image present.

The front of the cab has hinges and can be tilted towards the player, allowing internal access. This is the first time I’ve seen this and is pretty cool. The internal light is also a nice feature.

The coin count is very low. It looks like the cab had a Pac-Man type game installed originally, and the coin counters were probably replaced when the PCB was changed out.

Old ten pence pieces still in the coin box.

The cab had been sat in the former bar / games room for a long time, and was coated with years of grime and nicotine. After a couple of hours cleaning and polishing, the cab looks almost brand new. I used Mr Sheen multi surface wipes on the cabinet body, Wilko glass wipes on the monitor glass and baby wipes on the T-moulding. The pic shows the T-moulding partly cleaned to give you an idea how grimy it was.

I also replaced the fluorescent tube, and I used Steller stainless steel cleaner on the marquee retainer brackets and fixings. This is great for removing surface rust and making parts shiny again. I’ve still got to have a clean inside and replace a damaged button.

I find these quirky UK built cabinets really interesting, and so far I haven’t been able to find much information about this cab or the company who manufactured it. However I have found some pics of the same cab type, but with different artwork.

First up is this Puck Man cab. This appeared recently on Ebay.

Next is this Vanguard cab. The source for the following pics is http://.jammajup.co.uk/

I really enjoyed cleaning this cab up and I'm pleased to add it to my collection. I'm now looking forward to finishing off my Donkey Kong and working on my next project, Astro Blaster!

↧

Super Operator Raid II’ Turbo Edition

July 6, 2018, 3:07 pm

≫ Next: Darius PCB – Pick Up from the Weymouth Raid

≪ Previous: Cabs from the Bed and Breakfast Raid – Game World Cabinet

An open road, blue skies and sandy beaches. Although in this case it was more stony than sandy. It was a lovely day for a Raid in sunny Weymouth.

Weymouth is a fair old trek from home and so it became part Raid and part caravan holiday. It all started a couple of months ago when I saw an advert for some Electrocoin Duet cabinets.

This piqued my interest and I enquired whether they had any more PCB’s or arcade gear for sale. It turns out the seller was an Arcade Operator working for Bristol Coin Equipment. The company had operated arcades since 1972, and at one point they had fourteen arcades. They even had a custom built Jamma test rig and a full electronics workshop for repairing boards. Unfortunately loads of parts had been binned a couple of years ago. Last year the decision was made to close their last site in Weymouth, Harry’s Amusements.

The Op mentioned that they had twenty BAS Jamma cabs in the basement, and had sold them all to a collector. He also had three Ridge Racer DLX cabinets which were sold to collectors.

I visited the arcade back in 2016 when I was working in Portland. The arcade still had some nice machines, especially Ridge Racer DLX, which was one of the nicest ones I’d seen. Here are some pics.

After clearing out the old office in Bristol, the Op got back to me saying he had found some PCB’s. During our holiday, I visited the Op. Everything was sold as untested and supposedly working until it was pulled from service. It amazes me what’s still out there in storage, lock-ups and old buildings after all these years.

When I got back from our holiday, I started off by checking through and testing the PCB’s in the crate on the right. These boards have been stored in Namco kit boxes, which were sent from Brent Leisure. The boards are in like new condition, and amazingly all of them proved to be fully working. There is a definite running theme with these boards!

1. Street Fighter II’ The World Warrior

2. Street Fighter II’ Turbo-Hyper Fighting

3. Street Fighter II’ Champion Edition

I was pleasantly surprised to find some arts when I opened up this box.

I removed the arts and was in for another surprise. Check out that gigantic spider!

It was dead and has probably been dead for a long time, but it didn’t half make me jump. It would be more at home with an Aliens PCB!

Here are the arts. Unfortunately the Electrocoin marquee has yellowed quite badly.

4. Street Fighter II’ Champion Edition

Yes, yet another one!

5. Street Fighter II: The New Challengers

This one looks like it’s had a hard life.

However the board cleaned up well and is fully working.

6. RoboCop

Now for something completely different! An awesome game, I have fond memories of playing this back in the day.

The PCB’s in the left crate were more varied, with some very cool and rare titles.

1. Black Tiger

I was a bit stumped identifying this board as it had a Wrestlefest tag attached to it. I powered it up and was pleasantly surprised to find it was a fully working Black Tiger.

2. Darius

Yes, Darius! Well this is one you don’t see very often! It’s such a shame the original cab was scrapped, but at least the PCB was saved.

3. Football Champ

No Raid would be complete without a couple of football titles!

4. League Bowling

Well I wasn’t expecting to find this cart when I opened the box. Another case of mistaken identity!

5. Mortal Kombat

6. Mortal Kombat (bootleg)

7. Robo Army and mobo

I’m really pleased with this being a massive fan of SNK and scrolling beat-em-ups, and can’t wait to play it. It’s a little dusty, but fully working.

8. Tecmo World Cup ‘90

9. Xevious

Raid Highlights

My Raid highlights are Black Tiger, Darius, Robo Army and Street Fighter II’ The World Warrior. Darius is a particularly rare find, I’ll be looking into that one a bit more on my next blog entry.

↧

Darius PCB – Pick Up from the Weymouth Raid

August 9, 2018, 1:50 pm

≫ Next: New Arrival – Electrocoin Chase H.Q.

≪ Previous: Super Operator Raid II’ Turbo Edition

Sega Taikan cabs were massive crowd pleasers back in the day, wowing arcade goers with the very latest arcade tech. Not to be outdone, Taito’s response to this was the incredible Darius triple-screen cabinet, released in 1987.

WARNING!! A HUGE PCB IS APPROACHING FAST

Darius was the highlight of my recent Raid in Weymouth. I must admit I was pretty shocked to see this one in the crate amongst the PCB’s, although the large triple layer boardset isn’t exactly hard to miss. Just look at the size of it, it’s almost as intimidating as those mechanical aquatic monstrosities which appear at the end of each level!

The PCB is a little dusty, but is otherwise in very good cosmetic condition.

Aaron, aka GadgetFreak (Ukvac) very kindly made a custom harness to test my Darius PCB.

This post on ‘Arcade Power Up’ blog proved extremely useful with its excellent harness and board pin out information:
https://pcbiroiro.blogspot.com/2012/01/ninja-warriors-and-darius-to-jamma.html

Given that the board is thirty years old, the complexity and the fact it had been stored in a dusty crate, I didn’t have high hopes. Needless to say I was absolutely amazed to find it’s fully working!

On the first boot up, we did get a Ram Error, possibly because all the power points weren’t connected. However the board was tested numerous times afterwards and proved to be fully working.

The game plays surprisingly well just using the centre monitor. At first we were a bit concerned sprites were missing, but then remembered it was designed for triple-screens. Only the centre monitor was connected and the ships were still off screen! Here is a short video of Darius up and running.

Here are three shots showing the left, centre and right monitor.

In order to seamlessly connect the three-screens together inside the arcade cabinet, the left and right monitors were placed underneath the playfield, facing upwards, with their visuals reflected into view via a one-way mirror. The centre monitor was placed behind the mirror and is the only one actually facing the player. The reflection of the two bottom monitors partially overlaps the third monitor, giving the illusion of a seamless massive horizontal playfield.

The placement of the monitors can be seen in this pic of The Ninja Warriors, taken at Mikado game centre.

The music is absolutely fantastic and is one of the first great soundtracks to come from Zuntata, Taito’s in-house band. The PCB has left and right channel headphone outputs and the cab came equipped with headphone jacks, another innovative feature.

The Making of Darius

Source: Shmuplations.com

The website shmuplations.com has a report entitled ‘The Making of Darius’. This is a translation of an article which originally featured in the 4/87 edition of BEEP! magazine. It’s an excellent read about Darius and its development, and includes an interview with the team behind the game. There are some great insights. I found it fascinating to hear that once they got the three monitors working seamlessly, there was a lot of debate around what type of game to make and that there was even an idea to make all three monitors vertical!

Here is the link to the full article.

http://shmuplations.com/%20darius/

The Electrocoin Connection

Like many Taito arcade titles released here in the UK, the cab was produced under license by Electrocoin. I asked Electrocoin’s John Stergides about how they managed to develop such a strong working relationship with Taito, and he commented “The founder and owner Mr Kogan, was good friends with my father when the TAITO UK division was discontinued. HQ in Japan decided to appoint Electrocoin as their distributer and manufacturer and we still have a close relation with them however at this time there are currently no new products earmarked for Europe.”

When asked about Darius, John Stergides noted “The game was built at our factory for the European and Middle East markets although some units made it to the USA. We built over 100 units and the machine sold for £6,000. It had a moderate income.” Hopefully there are still a couple of machines out there, gathering dust, just waiting to be found!

I don’t recall ever seeing a Darius cab on these shores, although I did see The Ninja Warriors triple-screen cab many years ago on a school trip to the zoo. There was a fault, either the controls weren’t working correctly or a monitor was dead, and the cab had an ‘Out of Order’ sign prominently displayed. I remember removing the obtrusive sign, putting one or two ten pence pieces in it anyway and having a go. The cab must have made quite an impression on me as that’s the only thing I can remember about the trip!

Darius in Japan

Here are some pics of the awesome Darius games I’ve played in Japanese game centres.

TRY Amusement Tower, Akihabara, 2004

TRY Amusement Tower, 2011

Taito HEY (Hirose Entertainment Yard), Akihabara, 2011

The awesome Dariusburst: Another Chronicle EX.

A pretty impressive Darius II set-up.

Mikado, Takadanobaba, 2011

Both Darius and The Ninja Warriors were selectable via a switch. The Darius II is a duel-screen cab. Interestingly two different versions of the Darius II PCB were produced, one for duel-screen and one for triple-screen.

St. Tropez, Ikebukuro, 2011

Taito Station, Hiroshima, 2011

G-Darius and Darius Gaiden are on the left of the row.

Sega Avion, Osaka, 2011

Darius Gaiden

When I visited Taito Station in Osaka back in 2011, I loved that there was a book for fans to write comments and exchange tips about Darius Burst.

I would love one of these in the games room!

Play Continue Game?

Darius is incredible for its time and its legacy lives on. The game has a large following and there have been many sequels released over the years for the arcade as well as home systems. In fact Taito has recently announced Darius Cozmic Collection for the Nintendo Switch, a compilation of classic Darius titles, due for release early next year. Darius is a landmark title and the legendary series will be enjoyed by gamers for many years to come.

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New Arrival – Electrocoin Chase H.Q.

August 23, 2018, 12:46 pm

≫ Next: Skegness Raid

≪ Previous: Darius PCB – Pick Up from the Weymouth Raid

Let’s Go Mr Driver!

This was one of my favourite arcade games back in the day and is just as awesome as I remember it.

About The Cab

Work Done By Previous Owners

1. Outside of cab cleaned with magic erasers.

2. Scratches on side art and front art touched up with Sharpies, and a few areas of white touched up.

3. Cab internals cleaned.

4. Marquee glass cleaned. Retainer strips cleaned and chips touched up.

5. Coin door cleaned.

6. Wiring cleaned

7. Replacement US250 PSU fitted.

8. Control panel cleaned.

9. Footplate cleaned.

10. NOS high / low metal plate fitted.

11. Pedal blasted and powder coated.

12. Monitor fully serviced with cap kit and new lopt.

The Good

-The cab is fully working and plays perfectly.

-The cab is solid, well built and in excellent condition overall.

-The monitor was fully serviced a few years ago and has a great picture with no visible burn.

-The flashing pursuit lights work correctly.

-Overall the artwork is very nice. The left hand side art is near perfect. The control panel overlay, marquee and bezel are in excellent condition.

-The steering is perfect and stops like it should. A common fault on these is the steering wheel spinning endlessly.

-The wheel is in excellent condition and has the original Taito emblem.

-The cab has the original Taito shifter with turbo button.

-The foot plate matting is original and in great condition for its age.

-The cab is nice and clean inside.

-It came with original locks and key.

The Not So Good

-The right hand side art has some wear and marks around the T-moulding.

-There is some small damage to the art on the front of the cab between the pedal and the coin box door.

-There is one small break in the top white vinyl below the marquee on the right.

-The bezel glass has one tiny indent.

I’m really pleased to have these two together at long last!

↧

Skegness Raid

September 6, 2018, 1:50 pm

≫ Next: Southend-on-Sea - 2018 Update

≪ Previous: New Arrival – Electrocoin Chase H.Q.

These arcade machines have been recently re-discovered after being in dry storage for many years. Back in the day they had all been operated in the Skegness area.

A tidy looking Quartet between two Virtua Fighter 2 cabs.

It’s the first time I’ve seen one of these Electrocoin ‘Fortune 4’ cabinets.

Grand Champion, released by Taito in 1981.

This super rare WEC Le Mans 24 DLX is a barn find. Released by Konami in 1986, it came out of an arcade in Skegness years ago and has sat in a lean-to since. The cab looks awesome, I would love to have a go on one!

The images remain the copyright of Ian Eason. Many thanks to Ian for giving me permission to post these pics.

↧

Southend-on-Sea - 2018 Update

September 20, 2018, 2:30 pm

≫ Next: Clacton-on-Sea & Walton-on-the-Naze Arcade - 2018 Update

≪ Previous: Skegness Raid

Happidrome

The Happidrome has an awesome selection of video games, including some real classics as well as some more modern titles. The machines are well maintained and in excellent condition, and there is now a dedicated retro arcade section.

Here is a short walk round video of the retro section.

Metal Hawk – Namco – 1988

Metal Hawk is a top-down, multi-directional shooter and the player has control of the altitude of the helicopter. The game runs on Namco System 2 hardware.

It has become almost a rite of passage for some to visit Southend just to play this awesome game. I’ve only ever seen one other and that was in Mikado game centre, Takadanobaba, Japan. It’s a real treat to see one of these machines in an arcade in such nice condition. Here are some more pics of the cab.

Shinobi – Sega -1987

Well it has been many years since I’ve played this in a seaside town arcade! One of my all time favourites, the game played well and the sound was cranked up nice and loud. A timeless classic!

Landing High Japan– Taito -1999

Pilot a commercial airliner in this arcade flight simulator, taking off from and landing in ~~LondonSouthendAirport~~several Japanese airports. Another extremely rare title and in fantastic condition as well.

Some nice pinball tables. And another excuse to post a pic of Metal Hawk!

There are also some nice games in the main arcade area.

Daytona 2: Power Edition – Sega AM2 – 1998

Daytona 2 is becoming quite scarce these days and remaining ones still on site are usually beat-up. However this one is in phenomenal condition!

Pink fluorescent tubes were originally used inside the topper and look especially awesome!

The game played well and the monitors looked great, really showing off the fantastic Model 3 powered graphics.

The side plastics and art look like new!

Power Edition is an updated version released a few months after Battleon the Edge. Changes include the following:

-The beginner course dome and natural scenery has been removed and has a closer look and feel to the original Daytona USA beginner course. The course layout remains the same.

-The “Challenge” course option is a new addition and combines the three courses.

-The handling physics are slightly revamped.

-The beginner’s car livery is altered.

-The Hornet Classic car, the player car from Daytona USAhas been added, albeit with an altered design.

-The AI of your rivals is more aggressive and one corner in the advanced course has been altered to balance out the difficulty.

Some more pics of the arcade.

I also had a wander down the seafront and checked out the other arcades. Here are some pics.

Go!! Crazy Climber – IGS – 2009

It’s always great to stumble upon a new arcade you’ve never heard of, particularly when it’s a reimagining of an old classic.

Players must avoid the obstacles, which include staging and King Kong (or is it Donkey Kong!?) and climb to the top of the building. The climbing action is initiated by spinning the paddle, and there are buttons for left and right movement. The game is fun and something a bit different, although my Mrs did complain about breaking a nail!

We gonna rock down to…

We also made a trip just down the road from Southend to CanveyIsland, a reclaimed island in the Thamesestuary. There is a small theme park, LeisureIsland and some amusement arcades along the seafront.

This Daytona USA twin was in nice condition and played really well.

It was very ‘lucky’ to see this in the ‘wild’. (Sorry!)

I enjoyed a couple of credits on this cool Fish Tales pinball machine.

For some reason I had a hankering for fish n chips afterwards.

We really enjoyed Southend. It’s been almost four years since our last visit, way too long! Unfortunately I didn’t make it to AstroCity arcade, it appears that they now cater mostly for kid’s parties and private functions, and are only open to the general public on Friday nights. There did seem to be less video games along the seafront this time round, but there are still some decent games and the Happidrome is fantastic. In addition to the awesome games, the arcade is very family friendly, with one attendant even helping my daughter win prizes on the two pence pushers.

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Clacton-on-Sea & Walton-on-the-Naze Arcade - 2018 Update

September 27, 2018, 2:35 pm

≫ Next: Arcade Operator Warehouse Mini Raid

≪ Previous: Southend-on-Sea - 2018 Update

We spent a couple of days in Clacton during the summer hols and checked out the arcades during our seaside days out. It’s been just under two years since our last visit.

Clacton-on-Sea

The pier still has a good selection of modern arcade games.

Mario & Sonic At The Rio 2016 Olympic Games Arcade Edition – Nintendo / Sega
Well who would have imagined Mario and Sonic joining forces in the arcades!

CrazyTower– Adrenaline Amusements - 2017

The first thing that strikes you is the cool 3D holographic display. The game utilises a LED projector and enables four-player simultaneous independent play.

Players are tasked with building a tower and must tap the button at just the right moment as the blocks overlap. If the blocks aren’t perfectly aligned, the size of the next block diminishes until it’s game over. Simple, addictive arcade fun.

There is an arcade / bowling alley just across the road from the pier with some modern titles.

Luigi’s Mansion Arcade– Capcom / Nintendo – 2015

A cool game that’s not seen all that often. I love the Poltergust 3000 vacuum controllers!

Operation G.H.O.S.T. – Sega - 2012

I was pleased to see this still here. A cool game and pretty uncommon.

I also tried my hand at winning the worlds biggest Chupa Chup, but no such luck.

The amusement arcades along Pier Avenue also had a selection of modern titles.

Ghost Busters – ICE / Play Machanix / Raw Thrills - 2015
It’s a bit of a novelty game, but I love Ghost Busters, and who can resist shooting ping pong balls at ghosts and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man!

Walton-on-the-Naze

On arrival, I saw a banner proclaiming that the pier is under new management. There have been quite a few changes since my last visit, unfortunately not all of them good. A gambling area for over eighteens has now been set up at the front of the arcade. This is seemingly at the expense of the videogames. Quite a few games have now been relocated to the back. A few older classics, including Manx TT Super Bike, RapidRiverand Sega Rally have gone, as well as Tank! Tank! Tank! and Panic Museum 2, two uncommon games.

On the upside, there is a lot of OutRun and Ferrari love in the building! The OutRun2S DX is an awesome new addition.

The OutRun2SP is still present at the back of the arcade.

And a Ferrari parked inside the pier!

Unfortunately OutRun2SP DX was hampered by a number of issues. These include dead screen, flickering screen and steering pulling to the right, leaving just one car working correctly.

Tomb Raider –Square Enix / Crystal Dynamics - 2018

It was the first time I had seen this game. Admittedly I’m not the biggest fan of Tomb Raider. I had the original game on the Sega Saturn and never managed to get out of the first room. However it was great to see a new arcade shooter.

The large screen size and four player option is pretty cool. The guns are reloaded by pulling back the top slide, rather than the usual ‘shoot outside the screen’ mechanic.

The first level features wolves attacking you, and the second level introduces human adversaries. Unfortunately enemies occasionally proved difficult to see, with me not noticing some until after I’d been shot at. Also the enemy animation was a bit poor, and the game felt a little uninspired. It’s definitely not up to Namco or Sega standards, but we still enjoyed a couple of credits.

Some more pics of the Walton pier arcade.

A small graveyard section tucked away in a corner.

There were no videogames, but I did spy a Pac-Man Ball pusher.

It’s a shame some of the older titles have gone. However there are still some decent video games, and with the fairground and beach (tide permitting) it’s a nice way to spend a summers day. Here’s hoping the OutRun2SP SDX is repaired soon!

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Arcade Operator Warehouse Mini Raid

October 4, 2018, 12:34 pm

≫ Next: Lunapark Reflex – Ostend, Belgium

≪ Previous: Clacton-on-Sea & Walton-on-the-Naze Arcade - 2018 Update

I recently visited an Arcade Operator who has been in the industry for twenty five years. Nowadays the Op deals in fruit machines and vending machines, pool tables and jukeboxes. Video games have become a smaller part of the business, and sadly he admits that a lot of arcade gear had been scrapped over the years. The Op told me he had lost track of his inventory. He allowed me to have a rummage round the premises and stockpile items I was interested in buying. There were some nice items to be found.

Machine Storage Area

In this room there were a lot of fruit machines with a few arcade cabs amongst them.

A partially buried Simpsons cab.

Point Blank and Ninja Assault, two great Namco shooting games.

A Mr. & Mrs. Pac-Man pinball backbox.

A Dinosaur King and a Love and Berrycab. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen the latter. The Op mentioned that these may go back on site.

A generic cocktail cabinet. Unfortunately it looked pretty beat-up.

A classic Taito Space Invaders.

Parts Store Room

I spent most of my time rummaging in this room. Items had to be relocated to move round the room, and getting gear out was a bit of a mission! It was mostly fruit machine parts, but I did manage to dig out some nice items.

There was a full arsenal with guns, sniper rifles and even a crossbow!

Some buried monitors.

These Sega cages were well buried, but I was determined to dig them out!

The Op thought they were Sega Rally and Touring Cars, but wasn’t sure.

There were all sorts of random items on the shelves, including monitor chassis, joysticks, buttons, looms, power supplies and Sega Model 1 parts.

Workshop and Storage Area

The workshop area had shelving units full of spares. On one shelf I found a stack of PCB boards and some monitor chassis.

The PCB’s include Asteroids, Liquid Kids, Space Invaders and Wardner, as well as some others I haven’t yet identified. Quite a random selection to find on a shelf. I don’t recall seeing either Liquid Kids or Wardner back in the day.