interest check: Assault CPOs

[mhkohne]

Anyway, if you feel like you're hitting something, inspect the cushion ring (black rubber ring) on the actuator (white plastic round piece near the bottom of the controller). It may have slipped out of position. Most often these just melt away over the years and turn into goo. There's a pinball rubber you can get that is a good replacement if you need a new one.

When I fixed mine (I didn't do a rebuild, I was just replacing the cushion ring) I used the flipper rubber from a Space Shuttle (I had a set of rings for it that I hadn't used yet). Looking at one of the rings, it says '1 1/2" x 5/32" x 1/2"' on the side.

Note that I only replaced the ring on the one stick, and I REALLY need to get in and do the other one. The difference isn't large, but since the other ring is quite old now, I can feel the difference quite a lot. So even if you don't do a full rebuild (when I got my Assault I REALLY wanted to play it fast!), if you swap one ring, do both.

 

[DP Louie]

Lol man I hear you. Rebuilding some of Atari's specialized controllers can be a pain sometimes. Well I'm sure that Stephen would do a good job with them. I would definitely grab a few NOS upper housings from him as well. They make a world of difference. Aside from increasing pivot ball performance, they really minimize the left/right jiggling of the shaft/handles as well.

I highly recommend Stephen (Mylstar). He rebuilt my Assault sticks (on the tailgate of my truck!), and they work great! He did an excellant job. Ditto on the NOS upper housings - I have NOS ones on my Assault as well as on the hall effect logo sticks in my Robot Monsters cab, and the difference is amazing.

 

[fatherpain]

bump!

Tom

 

[nash]

Here are a few pics post-cpo application and installation. I think the 2-player start button looks pretty nice installed installed opposite the 1-player start button.

I was thinking about the idea of some kind of decals to designate 1-Player and 2-Player buttons, but I'm not sure what the best idea would be for those. Had Atari incorporated any player start graphics on this cpo, they more than likely would have gone with these:

 

[DP Louie]

I was thinking about the idea of some kind of decals to designate 1-Player and 2-Player buttons, but I'm not sure what the best idea would be for those. Had Atari incorporated any player start graphics on this cpo, they more than likely would have gone with these:

That looks great, Nash. I want to do the same thing to my Assault. My idea for the player start buttons was to use the "tank" graphic thats in the upper center of the cpo. Here's a quick photoshop job, obviously they would have to be cleaned up and the "crosshairs" removed, but you get the idea:

 

[fatherpain]

That's totally bitchin guys (showing my age with that lingo, heh). Awesome cpo work as usual Nash. You're at the top of your game. I like both ideas. Either the atari person or tanks. I kinda like staying with the tank scheme although its hard to visualize how either one would look. The atari dudes might work nice as the border is black and would mesh well with the black grill stripes near the start buttons. The Tank graphics stay with the cpo theme although might be too much blue, dunno. Can you guys place the logos on top of the cpo without applying (sticking) to see how it looks? Both ideas are ace!

Tom

 

[DP Louie]

I wasn't planning on using the blue background, I just was in a hurry when I cut the tank graphics out of the pic - here's another quick ps job- although at this small resolution, the tank graphics look a little too phallic...

 

[mhkohne]

CP interest

I'm realizing that I'm probably interested in the repro CP, as well as the CPO - my CP has a bit of a curve to it, and I just looked and realized that there are extra bolts holding on the latches. I'm sure I could fix that, but I'm probably not going to get around to it, so a CP (pre-drilled for the 2P button!) would be awesome.

Any chance you guys would sell the repro CP's with the CPOs installed? My biggest worry is f-ing up the CPO while I'm putting it on.

 

[nash]

That looks great, Nash. I want to do the same thing to my Assault. My idea for the player start buttons was to use the "tank" graphic thats in the upper center of the cpo. Here's a quick photoshop job, obviously they would have to be cleaned up and the "crosshairs" removed, but you get the idea:

Thanks DP. Cool the "tank" graphic is a great idea too, and I see you posted a mockup with those. Let me do a few more mockups with the tank and the Atari "player" graphics and we'll take a look.

 

[nash]

That's totally bitchin guys (showing my age with that lingo, heh). Awesome cpo work as usual Nash. You're at the top of your game. I like both ideas. Either the atari person or tanks. I kinda like staying with the tank scheme although its hard to visualize how either one would look. The atari dudes might work nice as the border is black and would mesh well with the black grill stripes near the start buttons. The Tank graphics stay with the cpo theme although might be too much blue, dunno. Can you guys place the logos on top of the cpo without applying (sticking) to see how it looks? Both ideas are ace!

Tom

Thanks Tom, here are a few options. Also, I did a mock-up with the Atari "player" characters colored in black, and they looked horrible (they bled into those vertical black lines and weren't distinguishable - looked really crappy). I think with those guys, white would be the best option.

 

[fatherpain]

hmm...side by side, I'm leaning towards the atari men. mebbe its the color or simplicity... The blue of the tanks looks a little off. Is there a way to make the tanks black instead of blue? Or does the tank kinda resemble a flower? Nash, can you make the interior of the men yellow instead of white to see how that would look with the black outline?

Tom

 

[nash]

Is there a way to make the tanks black instead of blue?

Not cleanly, and honestly I don't think that would look too good. I think for whatever graphic is used (if anything) the more black that is involved, the more that the graphic will blend into the vertical black lines.


Here are the men in yellow, although the black outline isn't that defined (but you get the idea):

 

[fatherpain]

hmm...At first glance the white men looked better... but now the yellow is growing on me. Ugh I can't stand being wishy washy heh. But I am leaning towards the men as opposed to tanks. What do you guys think?

Tom

 

[nash]

Yeah I think using white for any graphic in this case will pop more. Black and yellow should probably be avoided.

 

[BberryArcade]

I'm in for a CPO and CP if one is made...

WOW, things are really moving along here! Very, very nice work. Put me down for a CPO and A CP should one be made. Are the AS1 / AS2 boards still available?

 

[fatherpain]

Awesome BberryArcade, gotcha down for both. The Assault high score save kit (that enables Assault and Assault plus switchable) is available from the esteemed Matt Osborne:

http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=158001&highlight=assault+high

A truly amazing kit really and must have for all Assault owners.

Tom

WOW, things are really moving along here! Very, very nice work. Put me down for a CPO and A CP should one be made. Are the AS1 / AS2 boards still available?

 

[DP Louie]

Okay, I have to agree with Tom, the atari men look better than the tanks, although I still like the idea of the tanks. Maybe a simpler representation? I pulled these from a screenshot of Atari's Combat for the 2600:

 

[nash]

Hmm I'm not too sure about those tanks DP. I think the Atari men graphics might be candidates for the most original looking though, as that's the graphic Atari used to designate 1-Player and 2-Player start for many of their titles starting in 1982 and throughout the rest of the 80's. And color-wise, I think the white pops a lot more.

 

[BberryArcade]

Fatherpain....

Thank-you for the link, I will get busy and check it out....

Awesome BberryArcade, gotcha down for both. The Assault high score save kit (that enables Assault and Assault plus switchable) is available from the esteemed Matt Osborne:

http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=158001&highlight=assault+high

A truly amazing kit really and must have for all Assault owners.

Tom

 

[mhkohne]

Okay, I have to agree with Tom, the atari men look better than the tanks, although I still like the idea of the tanks. Maybe a simpler representation? I pulled these from a screenshot of Atari's Combat for the 2600:

I don't think combat-style tanks really work (they look good, but since they don't look anything like the Assault Tank, I don't think they work), I think the men (in white) work best of what we've seen so far.

My problem with the tanks is that they really do look a bit too phallic (due to the size).