Cocktails to look for, cocktails to avoid

[Hookindafoot]

Interesting Article on the Origins of the "Video Cocktail Tables"
Worth a look

Preliminary Report - What Was the First Cocktail Table Video Game?

This post is actually a bit premature. I was planning on waiting to publish it until I had some more solid information. I am still accumulat...

allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com

In actuality Probably the first "Coctail Cabinet" was most likely a Pinball Machine, players most likely just sat their drink on the glass while they played the game.Probably where the idea came from. If you even look at the advertisement ,Video games were so new they even put the controls on the side like Flippers.
Hillarious
Tune In Tokyo!! Tune In Tokyo!!

 

[64B1T]

Was that a conversion kit?
Looks good and probably plays good on a cocktail, did'nt realize how many conversion kits were bdeing used on cocktail cabinets.
Looks good anyways, though/.

No, that's dedicated. Very small run of those though.

 

[GothGirl]

Was that a conversion kit?
Looks good and probably plays good on a cocktail, did'nt realize how many conversion kits were bdeing used on cocktail cabinets.
Looks good anyways, though/.

It's a dedicated unit, they didn't make a whole bunch.

 

[Alpha-tron]

I tend to avoid cocktails even tho I own them. Depending on your own personal habits. If you have the condition called flat spot ist, I would avoid cocktails laughs. If you have the tendency to put things down on a flat spots, your going to end up with crap on your cocktails. The possibilities of accidently scratching your cocktail is a real risk.

 

[MartyMcfly]

I have a modest game room with two pinballs, some slot machines, and a Ms PacMan and a Donkey Kong Jr. I'm looking to add some more games and am watching for a Galaga, Frogger, or Centipede. I'm in a small market so you never know what's going to pop up available for sale.

I'd like to get a cocktail game. Part of it is nostalgia since I remember going to bars and playing cocktail games and part is more pragmatic; I could use a cocktail table to put drinks and snacks on while people sat and played them. I'm looking for advice on which commonly available games are not too compromised in game play plus work well as a cocktail table. Conversely, which games are terribly compromised on game play and/or would be a disaster if a drink was spilled on them?

If there's slim pickings I'd recommend buying any cocktail that comes up for sale. You can then determine if you like it or not. If you aim for machines based on the responses you get here you'll narrow it down too much and won't end up with too many possibilities.

Personally, I love cocktails. I like having an option to put my drink down when I play. I've had a few of them over the years but the $100 bacterized Taito I have got the most plays out of any of them; mainly because it had an Elf 412-in-one. It's ugly AF but I'll never get rid of it.

 

[DeLuSioNaL29]

Cocktails are great to gain entry to expos as well. Easy to move and small enough to store in the garage in a corner. I have an Arkanoid in a Taito cocktail machine that I bring to shows here and there. Also, I won't get too upset if anything happens to mine, since mine it's a little bit rough on the edges.

Del

 

[Yoeddy]

The T&F cock with a Hypersports board/HSS kit is the ultimate cock!



Thanks,
Jason

 

[Hookindafoot]

The T&F cock with a Hypersports board/HSS kit is the ultimate cock!

View attachment 776356

Thanks,
Jason

That has got be a conversion kit. Never The controls don't make any sense. If you were on the other side how could yoy play?
Definetely a bootleg machine. Probably still playable to some extent though. Just dont' think it ever was a 4 player game. I never saw a Track & Field that wasn't a standup.

 

[Yoeddy]

That has got be a conversion kit. Never The controls don't make any sense. If you were on the other side how could yoy play?
Definetely a bootleg machine. Probably still playable to some extent though. Just dont' think it ever was a 4 player game. I never saw a Track & Field that wasn't a standup.

Not a bootleg.

Thanks,
Jason

 

[Insane]

Also just know that the Centipede / Millipede cocktails are heavy as SH!T.

 

[64B1T]

Yeah all Atari games seem to be made of lead... Even the cocktails. Space Duel cocktail is one heavy sucker.

 

[dalaibl0445]

Asteroids in a cocktail is awesome.

It is.. my buddy and his niece playing.

 

[andrewb]

There are no bad cocktails.

 

[Olexo2424]

Reunion cocktail is the bomb, I have Arkanoid RoD in a cocktail, that is a fun one also.

Other option is to look for a super pac cocktail or similar (joysitck +1 button per player) and put a cabinet to jamma adapter and then a bitkit2 in it.
You get the benefit of the nuclear-bomb-proof midways joysticks and a single fire button so you can play a lot of games.
You can get the entire pac catalog, including Super Pac, on BitKit, Galaga, Frogger and many many more.

Look up @CraftyMech BitKit2 and I think you will see its a great option for starting out, to add a stack of games in a single cocktail.

Good Luck!

"nuclear-bomb-proof midways joysticks"
That is the best way I've seen them described. They wanted operators and players to be ready for nuclear annihilation with the USSR.

 

[Olexo2424]

Frogger cocktail is bulletproof. Solid and perfect for a cocktail. I personally dislike the upright design and would never waste the space on Frogger's upright cabinet. But the game kicks ass obviously. So not only do you get a great game in a smaller form factor, it's also a great head to head cocktail game where two people can spend their frogs with the monitor flipped to them each turn and it plays very well as a cocktail as you travel home with each frog.
I have the 19 inch monitor model. Sega/Gremlin made 13 inch and 19 inch models. 19 inch definitely makes me feel spoiled in a cocktail. You lose nothing in screen real estate in the smaller form factor.

 

[Phetishboy]

They may be heavy, but they are beautiful.

 

[mrbill2084]

I have had a few cocktails. best cocktail is without a doubt eliminator. if you have never played the 4 player eliminator, you have no idea how good it is.. puts warlords to shame..


best looking is probably qix.



then probably centuri ripoff.




I would also give honorable mention to tank 8 and space duel



I am a big fan of space duel, so it has a special place in my mind. I think cocktail plays better than the upright in 2 player mode.

 

[64B1T]

I have had a few cocktails. best cocktail is without a doubt eliminator. if you have never played the 4 player eliminator, you have no idea how good it is.. puts warlords to shame..


best looking is probably qix.

View attachment 798445

then probably centuri ripoff.

View attachment 798446


I would also give honorable mention to tank 8 and space duel

View attachment 798447

I am a big fan of space duel, so it has a special place in my mind. I think cocktail plays better than the upright in 2 player mode.

View attachment 798448

I second Space Duel as being an awesome cocktail. It is the favorite in our collection as far as cocktails go. Especially now that I can have it on true Free Play with attract... We also have a Qix, but that thing is MASSIVE for the screen real estate that it offers... I like the Atari cocktails with the sidebar art - crystal castles, dig dug, millipede, food fight.

 

[mrbill2084]

I second Space Duel as being an awesome cocktail. It is the favorite in our collection as far as cocktails go. Especially now that I can have it on true Free Play with attract... We also have a Qix, but that thing is MASSIVE for the screen real estate that it offers... I like the Atari cocktails with the sidebar art - crystal castles, dig dug, millipede, food fight.

I would agree qix is a waste of real estate like qbert and the dk cocktails.. but the topglass is stunning.. thats why I said it was best looking.

 

[tomservo]

One thing I didn't mention is that if you get tables of the same style, they can look good pressed together. I have mine set up to be played on the couches

View attachment 776065

Oooh, I spy an Odyessy 2.