Pengo as a HUO Prize in 1983!

[EthanB]

I am working on getting a Pengo set up for my friends ice cream store.

Upon opening it up, I found a preliminary manual AND several papers indicating that this Pengo was a PRIZE for a Quaker Oats game contest.

According to a letter (indicating where the keys would be) dated 04-14-1983, you could have selected either a Star Trek, Super Zaxxon or Pengo as a prize.

Unfortunately, the DIP switches won't take it off of free play! I have to go check the wiring, because it says that the 1 Player and 2 player switches are "set to simulate coin insertion and start the game".

Anyone else come across a game that was used as a PRIZE? The congratulations letter is dated March 1983 and is "signed" by Bob Rosenbaum, VP of Marketing and Sales.

 

[JohnDrzal]

Can you scan the letter? It would be cool to see.

 

[bit_slicer]

WTF he picked PENGO?!?!?

(and I vaguely remember entering that contest.)

 

[pat9000]

Open up the control panel and there should be a small 2-pin connector that only has 1 wire installed. Disconnect it and leave it hanging and all will be normal again.

When connected, it shorts the start button to a coin switch so as you press start it credits and starts at the same time.. this is a handy trick that also works for Nintendo & MCR games (for example) with no free play settings.

 

[savit4l8r]

For clarification, is the Pengo NOS you're putting in the ice cream store? If so, let me know if you're interested in taking offers on it. Thanks!

 

[savit4l8r]

For clarification, is the Pengo NOS you're putting in the ice cream store? If so, let me know if you're interested in taking offers on it. Thanks!

[edit] Oops, meant HUO, not NOS of course... thanks!

 

[EthanB]

For clarification, is the Pengo HUO you're putting in the ice cream store? If so, let me know if you're interested in taking offers on it. Thanks!

Yes, it is. But it's not mine to sell. I found it for my friend's shop. He bought it. Since he has a lift gate equipped truck and helped me pick up an Asteroids Deluxe from the same place, I'm "sprucing up" his Pengo.

In about a month, you can come to Loveland CO and play it in his store. (Appropriately named Penguins!)

 

[EthanB]

Open up the control panel and there should be a small 2-pin connector that only has 1 wire installed. Disconnect it and leave it hanging and all will be normal again.

When connected, it shorts the start button to a coin switch so as you press start it credits and starts at the same time.. this is a handy trick that also works for Nintendo & MCR games (for example) with no free play settings.

You were close, but definitely on target. There were two jumper wires on the edge connector. Snip-snip and it takes quarters now. Thanks for the advice. I would have NEVER thought to look at that otherwise!

Yes, I left the jumpers there in case I ever buy the game back and want it on free play! LOL!

The game counter has over 100,000 plays on it, however. And the joystick and CPO have the wear to show it. Played an average of over 10 games per day.

Now if I can just solve my sprite issue...

 

[savit4l8r]

For clarification, is the Pengo HUO you're putting in the ice cream store? If so, let me know if you're interested in taking offers on it. Thanks!

Yes, it is. But it's not mine to sell. I found it for my friend's shop. He bought it. Since he has a lift gate equipped truck and helped me pick up an Asteroids Deluxe from the same place, I'm "sprucing up" his Pengo.

In about a month, you can come to Loveland CO and play it in his store. (Appropriately named Penguins!)

DAMNIT! How nice is it? I haven't cried yet today. Tell him to name his store Ms. Pac Man's...

...and I even have a friend in Denver that could pick it up for me.

 

[pat9000]

You were close, but definitely on target. There were two jumper wires on the edge connector. Snip-snip and it takes quarters now. Thanks for the advice. I would have NEVER thought to look at that otherwise!

np.. I guess they wanted to save 50¢ by not using the connector on Pengo! I have a Star Trek with a factory-installed free play mod and I assumed they might have done it the same way..

 

[zfcamaro]

So that means somewhere out there is a HUO Super Zaxxon??? Hmmmmmmmmm.

 

[Vindog]

I saw an ebay auction a few years back where they were selling an upright Star Trek which was won as a prize. Squeaky clean and nice. Saw a copy of the congratulations letter. Might have been for the same promotion. It went for close to 800 bucks. I shoot myself now for not bidding.

 

[TexasHotshot]

I think for the sake of the poor game you should find another one for the ice cream store.

Home Use Only copies of games with production runs of 2200 units aren't easy to find... please don't send it out to be destroyed by sticky hands.

 

[savit4l8r]

I think for the sake of the poor game you should find another one for the ice cream store.

Home Use Only copies of games with production runs of 2200 units aren't easy to find... please don't send it out to be destroyed by sticky hands.

+1... and I'll make you an offer whereby they can go out and get another and have money left over.

 

[7146aaron]

I remembered hearing about this before. There was a guy on here that got one recently still in the box. Here is a link. not sure if is the same guy. look at his pengo description.

http://www.ggdb.com/Collectors/ViewMember.aspx?mid=1075

 

[TexasHotshot]

Hell, I wouldn't even want a HUO Ms. Pac-Man put out on location, much less a rare title.

 

[Ace]

savit, did you ever check out the Pengo the occasionally pops up the LA craigslist? It's the guy who says he got over 500,000 points and has nothing left to prove.

 

[TexasHotshot]

Then why is the world record 1.1 Million?

 

[cleverlyj]

if you look on basementarcade.com there's a pic on the ms. pac page of a new ms pac that was never uncrated till a few years ago. it'd be cool to come across something like that in a warehouse. wasn't there a bunch of robotron mini's that were new never opened that were sold a few years ago?

 

[jayrowthee]

Richard Ford is definitely not the same guy as the collector posting here about the HUO Pengo.

Pretty cool to know that there were multiple Pengo's being offered as prizes...