Vs. Unisystem (The Goonies) - HEY YOU GUYS!
With all the great restorations in here, I had much inspiration to do my first "restoration thread" on my current project. I didn't do it for my first two projects, but to be honest, I'm guessing most guys in here don't care much for a Nintendo restoration. Regardless, I'm excited I'll be able to document it every step of the way and I hope you all enjoy. I'll try to post as many photos as I can along the way.
Long story short, I acquired it from a lady who won it at some booster club auction for her kids little league back in the 80s. It is the dreaded particle board cabinet that is a DK Jr. that was converted to a Vs. Super Mario Bros. Fortunately, it is exceptionally solid for a particle board cabinet.
There are definitely edges that have chipped or broken off, but the offset T-molding is still intact with no serious damage. Someone tried to glue the bezel in place so there is dried up glue all along the edges of where the bezel is put into place. That's going to take some time to clean up and sand away. All of the inside parts are working and in good condition. There was the usual dust and garbage, but no signs of any mice or rats so that was a plus. There is some black residue all over the front of the inside from something that exploded inside the cabinet. I'm not sure what it is, but the source of the explosion seems to be from the speaker area. Someone may have spilled a drink or something because it doesn't look like it came from any of the parts. The coin door is in good condition with no serious dents and the coin mechs are functional. The faceplates need to be replaced so I ordered replacements directly from Asahi Seiko.
All in all, I can't wait to get this cab all cleaned up. I've decided I'm going to make it a Vs. The Goonies cabinet. I think the orange will work really well with Vs. The Goonies though. If you can't tell already, The Goonies is one of my all-time favorite movies. I know many people don't find this game that enjoyable, but I think it's pretty cool. The graphics and music definitely push the nostalgia factor for me. The only piece I'll be missing when I'm done is the cardboard topper. I've only seen it pop up on ebay once in a kit that I didn't want to pay for, but I'm hoping it pops up again sometime individually. If you happen to have one for sale, please let me know.
So far, here is what I've done in chronological order:
- Removed back door, bezel, marquee and serial plate. Back door was screwed on so I'll just need to fill the holes and install a new lock.
- Removed control panel. Cleaned and replaced buttons. The CPO is in surprisingly great shape. There is only a little fading on the black. All done and ready to be used.
- Acquired Vs. The Goonies and NOS marquee.
- Acquired NOS Vs. Unisystem side art.
- Acquired Vs. The Goonies serial sticker and Red Tent instruction card.
- Started applying bondo to holes and damaged wood.
- Removed monitor.
- Removed coin door and coin mechs.
Please feel free to comment or make suggestions along the way. "It's good enough for me."
Below are the initial pictures of the cabinet when I brought it home:
With all the great restorations in here, I had much inspiration to do my first "restoration thread" on my current project. I didn't do it for my first two projects, but to be honest, I'm guessing most guys in here don't care much for a Nintendo restoration. Regardless, I'm excited I'll be able to document it every step of the way and I hope you all enjoy. I'll try to post as many photos as I can along the way.
Long story short, I acquired it from a lady who won it at some booster club auction for her kids little league back in the 80s. It is the dreaded particle board cabinet that is a DK Jr. that was converted to a Vs. Super Mario Bros. Fortunately, it is exceptionally solid for a particle board cabinet.
There are definitely edges that have chipped or broken off, but the offset T-molding is still intact with no serious damage. Someone tried to glue the bezel in place so there is dried up glue all along the edges of where the bezel is put into place. That's going to take some time to clean up and sand away. All of the inside parts are working and in good condition. There was the usual dust and garbage, but no signs of any mice or rats so that was a plus. There is some black residue all over the front of the inside from something that exploded inside the cabinet. I'm not sure what it is, but the source of the explosion seems to be from the speaker area. Someone may have spilled a drink or something because it doesn't look like it came from any of the parts. The coin door is in good condition with no serious dents and the coin mechs are functional. The faceplates need to be replaced so I ordered replacements directly from Asahi Seiko.
All in all, I can't wait to get this cab all cleaned up. I've decided I'm going to make it a Vs. The Goonies cabinet. I think the orange will work really well with Vs. The Goonies though. If you can't tell already, The Goonies is one of my all-time favorite movies. I know many people don't find this game that enjoyable, but I think it's pretty cool. The graphics and music definitely push the nostalgia factor for me. The only piece I'll be missing when I'm done is the cardboard topper. I've only seen it pop up on ebay once in a kit that I didn't want to pay for, but I'm hoping it pops up again sometime individually. If you happen to have one for sale, please let me know.
So far, here is what I've done in chronological order:
- Removed back door, bezel, marquee and serial plate. Back door was screwed on so I'll just need to fill the holes and install a new lock.
- Removed control panel. Cleaned and replaced buttons. The CPO is in surprisingly great shape. There is only a little fading on the black. All done and ready to be used.
- Acquired Vs. The Goonies and NOS marquee.
- Acquired NOS Vs. Unisystem side art.
- Acquired Vs. The Goonies serial sticker and Red Tent instruction card.
- Started applying bondo to holes and damaged wood.
- Removed monitor.
- Removed coin door and coin mechs.
Please feel free to comment or make suggestions along the way. "It's good enough for me."
Below are the initial pictures of the cabinet when I brought it home:
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