My collection comes full circle with dedicated WWF Superstars

SuperGunGuru

in Memoriam

Donor 2014
Joined
Aug 20, 2005
Messages
5,102
Reaction score
311
Location
Bath, Michigan
My collection comes full circle with dedicated WWF Superstars

I'm a bit younger than probably the average KLOVer and so I grew up on a lot of JAMMA games, one of which was WWF Superstars. I used to go to a local party store nearly everyday after school to play it. It was only fitting that my first ever arcade machine was a WWF Superstars in a Berzerk cabinet. I actually found that particular machine on location at a Wal*Mart and called the operator's number which was on a sticker attached to the marquee. I had the game for a number of years and enjoyed playing it, but it wasn't until I got into collecting more seriously that I realized my Superstars was in a Berzerk cabinet. I had an idea to try and restore it and ended up gutting the cab to start turning it back to Berzerk, but I didn't get very far with no original parts to work with so I ended up getting rid of the cabinet. Now as much as I like the game I too will cringe seeing it in a classic cab and I wouldn't have wanted one like that. For a number of years I always thought that the game was only available as a kit and that's what everyone seems to claim. However I'm convinced now that they do exist in dedicated form and I was able to find one locally. You can see the flyer below says a kit or dedicated cab are available, plus the manual I have (courtesy of mudmantim) gives measurements for a "Technos cabinet" which also match my cab. Unfortunately there are no id tags on the cabinet so who knows who made this cabinet for Technos unless they made it themselves, but based on what I know, I have to believe this is a "dedicated" cab. Anyway, here are a few pics.

489050410_1716499892_0.jpg



DSCN0595.jpg


You can see that there are some mods done to the wiring. According to the manual the game should have a K7000 or Hantarax model monitor originally, but this one has had an Orion model monitor installed. Oddly enough it has some mild burn in from the game so I wonder how long the machine has been without its factory monitor. You can see they bypassed the original monitor video connector with those taps. They also ended up doing that to the power input to the monitor as well. At the very least I'm going to put new connectors for the monitor power and remove the splice they did to the original power wires. You can see the classic electrical tape used for the monitor power on the far left. This pic was taken after a Simple Green washdown and dry. Other than the mods done because the monitor was changed, the wiring is all nearly dressed and bundled, certainly not like a conversion at all.
DSCN0596.jpg



DSCN0594.jpg


Also a shot of the flyer from the game and you can see the cabinets match, although mine has that extra WWF logo sticker at the top. My side art has been abused through the years as well.

67000301.jpg
 
Thats cool , it looks like it is the dedicated version . I never played Superstars , but I did play alot of WrestleFest with Demolition and Legion of Doom .
 
I actually bought wrestlefest from a guy for 50 dollars. It was in really bad condition however, and is on the slate to become simpsons or turtles...havent decided..
 
I'm glad to see you got your dedicated. I did the same thing at the beginning of my collecting days, grabbed the games I liked in conversion cabs. As time went on I would find dedicated versions and sold off the conversions. It's all about the memories, and those dedicated cabs help bring those back.
 
Very nice indeed. I used to play that at my local bowling alley. A bunch of us (guys and girls thank you very much) used to bowl many a saturday night during moonlight bowling. We had so many of us that I'd fit in games in between frames, and my friends and I would switch off. Glad you finally got one back!
 
That's definately a dedicated cab, I've had a few over the years, always in that cab, and I think the flyer makes it pretty clear that it's dedicated as well.
 
Well, by reading the manual, it defintiely sounds like a dedicated cabinet was produced...the instructions say to remove the game from the crate, install the leg levellers, ect. I went with SuperGunGuru to pick this up, and I have nothing in my mind to lead to believe that this did not come from the factory like this. The wiring is way too cleanly installed, CP breaks are there, The CPO has button labels (the kits had ID tags that went under the buttons to identify them, Plus it matches the pictures on the flyer and the specs in the manual... I dont know who made the cabinet, I;m not so sure it was dynamo, as there are a lot of interesting differences in the way it is put topgether that I have not seen in say, a cut corner cab.
 
well shit, add that to the list of dedicated games I want to have. I love Superstars. I love Wrestlefest more but theres no dedicated cab for that one. Man, white joysticks are ugly!
 
I didn't think Superstars was ever dedicated. It's just a Dynamo cabinet, how do you know it just wasn't kits that operators installed themselves?
As Josh already said the fact the manual gives cabinet dimensions (which mine match) and talks about removing it from the crate combined with the flyer image makes it pretty much certain IMHO. There are no tags on the cabinet so it can't be said this is for sure a dynamo cabinet.
 
As Josh already said the fact the manual gives cabinet dimensions (which mine match) and talks about removing it from the crate combined with the flyer image makes it pretty much certain IMHO. There are no tags on the cabinet so it can't be said this is for sure a dynamo cabinet.

Time to print up your own tag and staple it on the inside of your cabinet.

-Tim
 
Awesome. I used to beg my Dad to shop at Safeway in our city growing up, because they had a Superstars there that I would always play. Seeing that game brings back a lot of awesome memories.
 
those joysticks are very tall, or is it just me?? lol

They probably are a bit taller than other joysticks, but those are the correct ones for the game oddly enough. The conversion I had used 1 of those sticks and the other was more "normal" height.
 
Wrestlefest was dedicated inside a Simpsons style cabinet, but it didn't have whole side art.

If a dedicated 4p wrestlefest popped up locally for a decent price, I would be all over it.
 
I didn't think Superstars was ever dedicated. It's just a Dynamo cabinet, how do you know it just wasn't kits that operators installed themselves?

Hmm. One big giveaway is on the flyer posted above, it has a picture of a dedicated cabinet and says the games available dedicated. I'd say that's pretty conclusive right there...
 
Back
Top Bottom