Can a kit/conversion game be a grail?

KidVidiot

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What do people think? I was asked the other day by another collector what my grail games are and it actually had me a little stumped. Maybe because I grew up in arcades in the jamma era (87-95), that there isn't really that dedicated vector or crazy cockpit that I identify really deeply with or lust after.

So the first game that came to mind after being asked the question was Splatterhouse, a game I hold near and dear to my heart, a game I only briefly played in some hole somewhere but that left a big impression on me, one that I bought a tg-16 for, imported the uncensored japanese version, but yet one that doesn't appear to have had a dedicated cabinet.

The other title I thought of was Haunted Castle which is a similar setup. I mean, at this point I've seen more Computer Space's for sale around here than Splatterhouse, Haunted Castle, or a complete Dark Adventure.

I think the other collector thought I was crazy though...
 
I understand completely. My most sought after arcade games were the Mega Man titles,which are kit only. I'm still looking for the last variation of one of the boards. At least with a game that came as kit only you can make your own dedicated cab for it if you wanted.
 
A "grail" game is really just whatever your favorite or "must have" arcade game is. Doesn't matter if it's dedicated or conversion kit.
 
Mine is Bubble Bobble...I just got the PCB, Marque and Harness from a fellow KLOV'er. Now just looking for the cab I want to put it all in.

I don't know if getting to pick the cab makes it harder or easier...
 
Mine is Bubble Bobble...I just got the PCB, Marque and Harness from a fellow KLOV'er. Now just looking for the cab I want to put it all in.

I don't know if getting to pick the cab makes it harder or easier...

Probably harder. :rolleyes:
 
i also dont think it has to be a quantum costing in the 3000.00 range!
enjoy your "grails" everyone!

A "grail" game is really just whatever your favorite or "must have" arcade game is. Doesn't matter if it's dedicated or conversion kit.
 
It can be whatever you want. My grail game (at least one I might actually get someday) is a Super Pac upright. There is only one kit game that I would consider the grail of all grails and that is Guzzler. I played it back in 83 and fell in love with it. I do have to say that I would also really like a Vs. SMB or Duck Hunt (so I can shoot that f*cking dog).
 
A "grail" game is really just whatever your favorite or "must have" arcade game is. Doesn't matter if it's dedicated or conversion kit.

For me a 'grail' implies rarity, and an epic quest to track it down. It's a pie in the sky game that you might get lucky enough to find during your collecting career.
 
I'm pretty fortunate to say I have most of my grails. I am certain I can come up with more that I don't have yet.

Haves:
Tron
major havoc (tempest)
wall game (fowl play, but I want a trapshoot)

almost everything else I have is a game I want to keep.
I do need to get a space duel again.
 
When all is said and done, it's the game that matters. Conversion kits were economic saviors when most arcades were closing in 1984-1985. You could turn that $5/week dead game into a $300/wk new game and only shell out a $1195 investment rather than try to sell the machine for $100 (if anybody would even buy it) and plunk down $3500 or more for a brand new machine. But there are also idiots who installed these kits in cabinets that just weren't appropriate or they got lazy when it was time to punch new holes for a good, ergonomic button and joystick layout.

So many fun games never had any dedicated cabinet but that doesn't make them lesser titles. Shinobi, .50 Caliber, U.S.Classic, Twin Cobra, E-Swat, these are just some of the games I bought because I personally loved them and they also kept earning good money as other titles came and went. I even got some $200-$400 closeout deals back then on neat games like Rampart, Aurail, Daioh and many others. They paid for themselves in days, not weeks or months. I doubt that rings true for the 50" super deluxe crap that might as well be part of a second mortgage -- at $18,000 a pop!
 
Oh I forgot to mention one of my grails that was a conversion.

great swordsman


never seen or heard of a dedicated cab.

I have a working pcb and jamma adaptor. Since it was licensed to taito, I am going to put it into a taito cab.
 
My friend's absolute grail amongst all the other video games he had was Gladiator.
 
Absolutely! Not is it only allowed, but actually quite common among 90s-centric collectors like you and me :) Most of the games I want are MVS or CPS2 carts.

In fact, I'd say that once you get into the JAMMA era, there's a solid distinction between cabinet and game, such that it's perfectly valid to have a grail cabinet irrespective of the game actually in it, if it even has a game when you get it. Neo Geo "Big Reds" are this to a lot of collectors, and for a more straight example, I really, really want a Sega Aero Table.
 
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As a Splatterhouse owner I can totally see the game being a grail for a JAMMA aged collector. I have also noticed a lot of SFII collectors lately. Collect what you like, you can never go wrong.
 
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