Nintendo Cabinet Differences

[FrizzleFried]

I don't know why, but I always assumed that Nintendo cabinets were made with some sort of template and that they were pretty much exact. Once I got my two Nintendo cabinets together that notion went out the door.

Both these cabinets started life as Donkey Kong Jr.'s. I don't have the serial number as I am too damn lazy to pull the cabinets to get them but rest assured they are authentic Donkey Kong Jr. Cabinets with the plates on the back (the Vs. system has 2 plates, a DK Jr and the Multisystem plate).

First difference I noted was this:

The control panel is actually longer on the cabinet on the left by about a half inch or so. That, in turn, pushes the coin door down by almost the amount.

Further proof of this size difference is this shot:

Which has the corners of the the CP's circled...you can see how close the "left" CP is to the edge in comparison to the "right" CP.

Then finally, even the marquee is off a bit...

With the "excitebike" marquee smaller by about 1/8"-1/4"...

 

[jar155]

That's pretty interesting. I didn't know that there were differences, either.

Now people are going to start asking, "Which version is it? Stretched panel or regular panel?"

 

[Jlannoo]

Didnt they make these in both particle board and plywood versions? Could that be it?

 

[ChompingQuarters]

Didnt they make these in both particle board and plywood versions? Could that be it?

I'm betting the same thing.

 

[KenLayton]

Yes, this has been discussed before. Some cabinets were made in the USA right here in Redmond, Washington.

Look on the metal nameplate for the original game. Most will say "Made in Japan" and be made of that 1/2" thick cheap Jap plywood. Some cabinets will say "Made in USA, Redmond, Washington" and the cabinet sides will be made of 5/8" thick particle board (and the cabinet is much sturdier too).

 

[FrizzleFried]

I'll have to pull the cabinets out to see the nameplates. The T-Molding appears to be the same... and neither are made of fiberboard that is for sure...

 

[cueball]

i know that my dedicated Popeye and DKJr cabinets are different. the Popeye is thinner plywood and the DKJR is thicker fiberboard. The popeye seems to have the laminate whereas the DKJr is painted. i will check the tags on the back tonight. but i am wondering if my 2 cabs have the same differences that yours do.

 

[WadeLanham]

I just picked up an original Jr and it's like the one you have on the right, and it's Made in Japan. I also have a Mario Bros Wide and it's made of the same materials and in Japan.

I hear about the formica sided Nintendo cabinets, but I haven't come across one in a long time, so recently I started wondering if any of them actually were covered in laminate? The paint on the sides of my Japan Mario and JR are such a nice quality paint that it appears to be laminate, but it isn't. I think that sometimes people say "formica" when they actually have a plywood original cabinet with the painted sides.

Does someone have a good picture of a formica Nintendo cab that will show me beyond any doubt that some came with the formica? I've really been wondering about this lately.

Thanks,
Wade

 

[cueball]

Yes, this has been discussed before. Some cabinets were made in the USA right here in Redmond, Washington.

Look on the metal nameplate for the original game. Most will say "Made in Japan" and be made of that 1/2" thick cheap Jap plywood. Some cabinets will say "Made in USA, Redmond, Washington" and the cabinet sides will be made of 5/8" thick particle board (and the cabinet is much sturdier too).

I just checked my Popeye and DKjr. Popeye is plywood and painted (not formica or laminate). It was made in Japan. DKjr is Particle Board and Made in the USA.

when i moved them, the DKJr was a lot heavier than Popeye - which is due to the thickness of the material.

 

[FullThrottle]

Ok, I've got a Mario widebody, all original. It definately has some sort of very thick plastic, epoxy, or Formica. With your nails it feels alot harder, none of my other games feel the same on the side. It wouldn't "wear" from your hand rubbing on it, at least I wouldn't think, not like paint or that thin black stuff. When peeling the sideart it doesn't lift, scratch or discolor, in fact it looks new underneath. However, it can chip if the correct force is applied. With the naked eye it definately looks unique as far as sideart material. You wanted a pic? Here's a lousy one of the laminate damage. It that was like that when I bought it. I think peeling if off to restore it may damage the wood. I had to move 2x other games to get to the back, but mine is "Made in Japan" It appears to be the cheaper 1/2 plywood material, but surprisingly its withstood the test of time and is still very sturdy.
Anyways, heres your "lochness monster pic":

 

[FullThrottle]

The material is definately stiffer/thicker/stronger than CPO material... my closest approximation of type would be similar to that 1970's plastic countertop that never seems to die!

 

[FrizzleFried]

I just picked up an original Jr and it's like the one you have on the right, and it's Made in Japan. I also have a Mario Bros Wide and it's made of the same materials and in Japan.

I hear about the formica sided Nintendo cabinets, but I haven't come across one in a long time, so recently I started wondering if any of them actually were covered in laminate? The paint on the sides of my Japan Mario and JR are such a nice quality paint that it appears to be laminate, but it isn't. I think that sometimes people say "formica" when they actually have a plywood original cabinet with the painted sides.

Does someone have a good picture of a formica Nintendo cab that will show me beyond any doubt that some came with the formica? I've really been wondering about this lately.

Thanks,
Wade

The one on the right IS formica the one on the left appears painted (or even painted over formica). I can guarantee that the one on the right IS indeed formica.

 

[WadeLanham]

That Mario looks like my Mario and my DK Jr, and it's not formica, it's just a good paint job. It's obvious that a lot of people call it laminate when it often isn't. (Maybe, sometimes it is, but I haven't seen one up close in the past several years that I've been paying attention to it).

Galaga has a similar finish. It's just a hard, durable, and fairly glossy finish. But that's something totally different than Formica or Laminate.

Frizzle, how can you be sure it's formica? If it is, you should be able to peel it off. If you can scratch, chip, or dent it, it most likely isn't. Since it's the Japanese DK JR like mine, I'd expect it has the same finish.

Maybe we're splitting hairs. But with so many people calling it Formica, it just had me wondering if there were cabinets different from mine.

Wade

 

[FrizzleFried]

Wade,

I double checked last night and yes, the left IS particle board and it's from the US. The one on the right IS plywood and it is from Japan. The one on the left is painted. The one on the right IS formica. I can separate it from the plywood at the back bottom corner. Being that I just removed an entire formica side from my Centipede cabinet I am pretty adept at identifying Formica.

It's Formica. Trust me on this one.

 

[cysnake]

My mario widebody is just a good paint job, ive been restoring the cab the last two nights, and sanding / bondo'ing if you sand through the orange, there looks to be a white primer underneath, and some of the bad spots on the plywood where the layers have separated ive had to peel up the first layer and you can tell its just paint because formica would come up in a sheet and is fairly thick. I think my DKjr and donkey kong are painted as well, I have not seen a formica cab yet, as for laminate, laminate will peel and bubble, ect, ive never run across any nin cabs that were doing that either.

 

[lurker]

The material used on the Nintendo cabinet sides is called Melamine Resin. Yes, as a base chemical, it's same "melamine" that was recently found in tainted pet food, but it's added to a plastic resin to form the final product.

It's a thermal fused plastic layer applied directly to the wood with a high heat/high pressure process.

In fact, formica *IS* melamine, just with a stand alone base of plastisized paper or fibers.

If Melamine is applied directly to wood, it is no thicker than a good coat of paint, and much more durable. Only when it's applied to a base does it become "Formica" and become thicker when subsequently applied to a cabinet.

Some later Bally/Midway cabinets actually used Melamine coated MDF panels as well. (Blueprint, Bump n Jump, Domino Man, some Tron panels, etc..)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formica_%28plastic%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melamine_resin

 

[WadeLanham]

Wade,

I double checked last night and yes, the left IS particle board and it's from the US. The one on the right IS plywood and it is from Japan. The one on the left is painted. The one on the right IS formica. I can separate it from the plywood at the back bottom corner. Being that I just removed an entire formica side from my Centipede cabinet I am pretty adept at identifying Formica.

It's Formica. Trust me on this one.

If you're talking about a Centipede upright, you just ruined your credibility for the purposes of this discussion.

Wade

 

[WadeLanham]

The material used on the Nintendo cabinet sides is called Melamine Resin. Yes, as a base chemical, it's same "melamine" that was recently found in tainted pet food, but it's added to a plastic resin to form the final product.

The question was whether or not some Nintendo cabinets actually have laminated sides. From what I have seen, all the Japan plywood versions do not, they have a nice paint job. I haven't seen one with Formica, Melamine type lamination, or anything of the sort.

Can anyone produce a laminated Nintendo cabinet? If someone has an MDF one (versus plywood), that would be consistent with most melamine laminated sheeting. I just haven't stumbled onto one like this before.

I think the laminated/formica terminology is definitely overused and misused, but that is not to say I don't believe there are laminated Nintendo cabinets. I'm just trying to find a good example of one so I'll know they were produced both ways (laminated, and painted). Both of mine are painted, as are all the others I've seen in the recent past.

Wade

 

[FrizzleFried]

If you're talking about a Centipede upright, you just ruined your credibility for the purposes of this discussion.

Wade

Wade, I am restoring a Centipede that some asshat converted to a Caliber .50 and stuck Formica on the sides of. I am not a moron...I "DO" know what Formica is.

Here is a pic of the monstrosity...

...and how it looks now...

 

[FrizzleFried]

I just tried to take some photos of the small spot where the Formica is separating from the wood but it's so small it's not really anything I can get a good photo of.