Just Because they are Awesome!

Hyde

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We all know that some of the best games to collect are ones that have good gameplay, right?

Well my question to you is this: Would you ever like to own a game for reasons other than it being fun to play?

For example, maybe this certain game is not fun at all, but is extremely rare. Would you like to own it, or make way for one that you would enjoy playing more often?

How about a cabinet that has excellent artwork, but the game itself is sub-par?

For me, I would like to own these three games just because they are awesome:

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Just look at the cabinet art. It's amazing. I remember playing Warrior at Videotopia and being stunned by the visuals, but the game was a bit awkward to play. Not to mention the game is very rare. It uses a half-silvered mirror to project the graphics onto a detailed dungeon setting, a very cool effect to see in person. Warrior is really one of those games you cannot play in MAME, it must be experienced. Once again though, it is somewhat awkward to control your character's movement and attack.

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Of course I have to include Computer Space. There is no other cabinet out there like it. (except maybe that funky fiberglass "Space Race", another game I should add to this list) Everyone knows that the game is really not all that fun to play. But who wouldn't want to own one of these beauties? Granted, I would never pay $3000+ for one, but it would be still very nice to have a Computer Space.

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Here's the strangest game on my list. I can't imagine there are anymore than just a few of these let in existence. I've never played it myself, but I can tell you that the cabinet looks incredible. (This picture doesn't do it justice, but it's the only I could find). I think a member here on these forums restored one, but I can't recall who.




So there you go, three games I would like to own for reasons other than gameplay. I'd like to hear some other people's choices on cabinets they would like to own purely for the "awesome" factor and not the game itself, and maybe even some comments on the games I chose.



And yeah, I know "realistically" I will probably never own one of these games. But I can dream, right?
 
Isn't sundance the one that the monitor allegedly blew up/broke/started on fire immediately after turning it on? I seem to remember reading that somewhere...

for the cool cab factor yeah I'd add the fiberglass space race, Burgertime, Tron, and Maneater.
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@prOk

Yep, that's the thread I was recalling. Incredible restoration work there.


@RedWolfJC

Sundance's monitor did catch on fire due to a poorly applied powder coating of some sort (If I remember correctly). And those are some good cab choices you picked. Especially "MANEATER". I totally forgot about that one!
 
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I would consider owning a food fight just for the art even though I don't care for the game. Same with Arabian if it were dirt cheap. Art is really cool. Game sucks bad. Would own a man eater for the cool shark cab.
 
That's really one thing I'm on the fence about. The guy in essence created a new cabinet and slapped the guts into the cabinet. Right or wrong - to me the game is no longer original. I know a person could argue anytime you do anything to a cabinet the authenticty is removed - but this is extreme.
 
I would consider owning a food fight just for the art even though I don't care for the game. Same with Arabian if it were dirt cheap. Art is really cool. Game sucks bad. Would own a man eater for the cool shark cab.

I've actually never played Food Fight or Arabian, but you are right when you say the art looks cool.


@Deadly
I see what you mean, but it looked like the old cab wasn't salvageable. The only real way to keep that cab alive was to rebuild it.
 
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That's really one thing I'm on the fence about. The guy in essence created a new cabinet and slapped the guts into the cabinet. Right or wrong - to me the game is no longer original. I know a person could argue anytime you do anything to a cabinet the authenticty is removed - but this is extreme.

I don't think he had much of a choice with the original that far gone. Either you have to rebuild the cabinet or throw away the game. As bad as the bottom was, the rest was probably pretty bad too.

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That's really one thing I'm on the fence about. The guy in essence created a new cabinet and slapped the guts into the cabinet. Right or wrong - to me the game is no longer original. I know a person could argue anytime you do anything to a cabinet the authenticty is removed - but this is extreme.

I agree that's it's not original but no restored game is. Not my donkey kong, q bert, tron, ect ect. If the original was in great shape and someone chose to gut it and put the parts in a newly made cab then I might think it was strange. IIRC the original cab was not in the best shape and the cab prOk made was pretty much spot on to the original. So no not original but very very nice IMO. BTW I doubt prOk would go around telling anyone that it's original when it's not so it's not as if he's misrepresenting it.
 
Not saying the work wasn't top notch, more of a conversation about at what point is a game no longer worth the rarity price due to this factor.
 
The maneater cab is awesome. I would love to have one of those. Has anyone ever seen one in person? What material is the cab made of? I'm kinda interested to know.
 
to add to my last post as well...

Computer Space does has an awesome cab. IIRC there was some sort of sit down with the same sparkly cabinet too? Maybe it was a different game. I think I remember seeing one on here in a barn raid somewhere. Maybe I am making this up.
 
Nobody would ever claim that to be an original cab anymore, but there was simply nothing on that cabinet that was salvagable. The thing sat in a field under a tarp for years, by the time it was shipped to me it had rotted for so long the bottom 4/5 inches of it had simply rotted away and the rest wasn't much better.

In the end, I did the only thing that could be done. If it could be saved from the original it was, right down to the ground strapping and the metal sheet under the monitor and all the stickers and hacky built moving handles. All put back where they were, even the nails used to assemble were in the same places. The boards, monitor, cp, bezel, kickpanel art, coin door and misc metal parts were all salvaged and put back in their original positions..

Now is it worth as much as a mint original, nah, but considering there's only 3 or so known to exist at least one more is out there! Who's to say where restoration crosses a line.. is painting a cab too far? replacing the bottom? Bondoing corners? To me, I do what must be done, nothing more to bring the game back as close to original as possible. In some cases it's a bottle of windex and i'm done, in others it's pretty extreme.
 
to add to my last post as well...

Computer Space does has an awesome cab. IIRC there was some sort of sit down with the same sparkly cabinet too? Maybe it was a different game. I think I remember seeing one on here in a barn raid somewhere. Maybe I am making this up.

Night Driver?

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Night Driver?

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I think kspiff either gave two of these away or trashed them a year or so ago 'cause nobody wanted them.

For me, the one that I have added that is both rare and has no value is Mystic Marathon. But that is just sentimental as I was the second programmer on this game at Williams. It is always a kick to play something you know you had a hand in.

The other one that is probably a never to be realized dream to own is a Joust pinball. I love playing two player head to head on that pin :)

ken
 
I think kspiff either gave two of these away or trashed them a year or so ago 'cause nobody wanted them.

For me, the one that I have added that is both rare and has no value is Mystic Marathon. But that is just sentimental as I was the second programmer on this game at Williams. It is always a kick to play something you know you had a hand in.

The other one that is probably a never to be realized dream to own is a Joust pinball. I love playing two player head to head on that pin :)

ken

That certainly explains your Avatar now doesn't it? :D
 
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