Is this Ms. Pac-Man on ebay really original?

Galagauss

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http://cgi.ebay.com/MS-PACMAN-full-...ltDomain_0&hash=item27bb822920#ht_1011wt_1138

This machine looks brand new and the ad claims it's original. Does that seem legit?

The artwork seems too good to be true. Look in his feedback and other auctions and you'll see another one with the same very nice artwork but it's peeling. What are the chances he had more than one with such nice art?

The Ms. Pac-Man entry on KLOV has a picture of a cabinet that looks similar: http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=8782 and http://www.arcade-museum.com/images/118/1181242138309.gif , where the ghost on the side is very red/pink like this one on ebay. However, I've seen pictures on KLOV before that looked like repros, so that's not conclusive. Usually the ghost is not *all* red/pink but instead only partially like shadowing. For example, look at the "Class of 81" sideart: http://www.bhmvending.com/Amusements/Namco/namco_ms_pacman_galaga_classof1981.html

What about the fact that it's hacked to "Super Ms. Pac-Man". Why would somebody with an original machine like that alter/replace the board? As far as having only 9k plays on the counter, that's easy to fake, right?
 
It definitely looks like it has vinyl stickers for artwork and the majority of Ms Pac-Man cabs were painted. Midway did use vinyl stickers for some of the later made machines, but I personally can't tell from the pictures if that's the original Midway art or replacement. It does look very nice though. Someone could have hacked it to "Super Ms Pac" because they thought it would bring in more money than the original Ms Pac. As far as the coin counter, there's no easy way to fake unless you break the glass and roll it back like on a car, or disconnect it. An operator would likely find the coin meter extremely useful so they'd have no reason to disconnect it.
 
The seller says they're decals but that it's original and the late games came this way from the factory.

Did the later games also come from the factory with "Super Ms. Pacman" boards?

The only thing known/quoted as replaced is the switching power supply.
 
Its probably Ms Pacman plus.. Thats a rom swap as far as I know. Certianly it could be legit. If it has vinyl sides, it could have been a late production run, which may not have been on location long (hence the 9500 plays), and then retired to a warehouse or gameroom. And yes 1100 is pretty steep!!
 
As far as the coin counter, there's no easy way to fake unless you break the glass and roll it back like on a car, or disconnect it.

I can think of a couple easy ways: 1. Replace it. 2. Roll it over.
If the 2nd one sounds crazy, well, it's not... I've actually done it before. All you need is a 12V AC power source and some diodes (or a bridge rectifier). At 120 pulses a minute it can take a while (hours), but it's not hard.

Oh, and I'm willing to bet that Ms Pac is not original.... Isn't that a Galaga cabinet?
 
I can think of a couple easy ways: 1. Replace it. 2. Roll it over.
If the 2nd one sounds crazy, well, it's not... I've actually done it before. All you need is a 12V AC power source and some diodes (or a bridge rectifier). At 120 pulses a minute it can take a while (hours), but it's not hard.

Oh, and I'm willing to bet that Ms Pac is not original.... Isn't that a Galaga cabinet?

The coin door is in the right spot to be a Ms Pac.

118124210965.jpg
1181242138309.gif


The one for sale:
attachment.php
 

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Not original - you can tell that the control panel overlay is an inaccurate reproduction, and that deep purple with white is clearly reproduction art. Also, Ms. Pac didn't come with blue T-molding, it came with black. Not sure about Super Ms. Pacman and what it looked like, but this is covered with reproduction items.

However, that's not all bad. I personally prefer the deep purple with white ghost hands to the orignal cabinet, which has fairly ugly (by comparison...) yellow highlight t in the purple ghosts.

Here are a few reference images (borrowed without permission : )

mspac_foodfight.jpg

mspacdecals.jpg

custommspacart.jpg


you can see that this ms. pac is wayyy different, but looks much better with the new art.
 
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They have a Super Ms Pac-Man at Pinball Wizard Arcade (in Pelham NH). It's not the same romhack as Ms Pac Attack. The mazes are completely different (well, actually, the 3rd maze is the same as the 4th one from regular Ms Pac, except the colors are different and it has 4 extra dots), and actually kind of annoying at turbo speed ;) It doesn't look like this one is using those mazes though, as the one pic shows the demo mode and it looks like the regular 1st screen. The one at Pinball Wizard also doesn't have the Midway logo on the title screen.
 
I can think of a couple easy ways: 1. Replace it. 2. Roll it over.
If the 2nd one sounds crazy, well, it's not... I've actually done it before. All you need is a 12V AC power source and some diodes (or a bridge rectifier). At 120 pulses a minute it can take a while (hours), but it's not hard.

Oh, and I'm willing to bet that Ms Pac is not original.... Isn't that a Galaga cabinet?
Good call on the coin counter. I guess I never thought of that.

I would still say however that this could very well be a legit original Ms Pac. Here's a pic from basementarcade.com and the article they scanned about the "last new Ms Pac-Man." This one was opened up several years ago and it seems to match the eBay pics.

tlmpm108.jpg


Here's a link to the webpage for anyone curious to see more pics.

http://www.basementarcade.com/arcade/mspacman/tlnmpm/index.html
 
Interesting - I've never seen that article before. This could very well explain why the TwoBits control panel art doesn't look original. If they copied what came off this cab, then that would explain the discrepancies.
It's a very neat article to read. :) I think that cab looks great myself and I think the transformer assembly looked more like the Super Pac suitcase style than what was used initially.
 
Also, I stand corrected on the CPO - the CPO on that machine is not a TwoBits reproduction, it is original -- or that is to say that the CPO did NOT come from TwoBits. I had the images of the 2 mixed up in my head. Here are the differences (again, borrowed without permission....)

twobits_mspacman_nos.jpg


You can see the one on Ebay appears to have an original CPO:

ebaymspacCPO.jpg


I guess that's what I get for trying to ACT like a MS. Pac expert -- clearly I'm not!!
 
That's a late particle board and decal side art Ms Pac

I have had a couple

They have the suitcase style PS and the plastic coin slots on the coin door

The PCBs are in an RF cage also

They look odd if your used to regular pac/ms pac...

Decals have a thin white edge to them and the t-molding is blue

They look odd in person, because they can be peeling and scratched up but the colors are always nice, not faded like most Ms. Pacs

Two I have had had G07's in them. One had a neck guard to protect the neck board
 
It would take a lot of work to get a game into that condition so the price isn't too far off. I would think for $800 it would be a good deal, for $900 it's ok, and even $1000 isn't that bad if it's what you really want. It probably is one of the later originals. It really just comes down to do you like paint or decals.
 
If I had room for it, I might give him 800. The burn-in on the monitor is a turn-off.
 
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