Pole Position vs. Pole Position II (nostalgia vs. more tracks)

supertechnoboy

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Pole Position vs. Pole Position II (nostalgia vs. more tracks)

A Pole Position II popped up local on CL. I had been casually looking for a Pole Position, since that is what I (and everyone else) played when I was a kid. The one I played was at the Carousel Skate Center here in Wichita, along with a Super Sprint and Spy Hunter. They had other games too, but apparently I only remember the ones with steering wheels.:D I also love the artwork on Pole Position.

My question is whether having three additional tracks adds enough value to overcome the nostalgia lost by not having the "original" Pole Position. Opinions, please.
 
You dont really lose anything with PPII. The original Fuji track is still there, so the 3 others are an added bonus. Same sounds, same graphics, hell even the cabinet and PCB are the same.

If its cheap, and working, I would buy in a heartbeat. Then I would cross my fingers and pray that it never breaks down. Apparently these can be a nightmare in maintenance.
 
You dont really lose anything with PPII. The original Fuji track is still there, so the 3 others are an added bonus. Same sounds, same graphics, hell even the cabinet and PCB are the same.

Have you actually played or even seen both? The sounds are completely different, the Fuji track in Pole II has different billboards and the cars behave differently. There is also different dedicated artwork for both, including side art, bezel, marquee and dash shroud. I have both and I prefer Pole I. Pole II is cool, but the test track is boring, the other 2 tracks are nearly impossible with all the hairpin turns, and the accelerate, gear change and explosion sounds are all different.
 
I have a PP cab sitting here I couldn't sell for $50... non working of course. So I figured "what the hell" and just picked up some PPII boards.

I just checked the boards I have in it last night (first time really even opening up the sucker) and I measured only 4.5v at the 5v. I read about a mod where you cut off the +5vdc from the harness and run a switcher directly to the +5vdc and ground on both the mainboard and video board.... I think I might try that with these PP boards. Who knows...maybe they actually work too (it's already been modded with a battery mod and a few other mods it seems).

If I have to have one, it will be PPII simply for variety.
 
I have a PP1 in my collection. I love it. A couple of months ago I was able to play a PP2 cockpit. I really liked that, too. The cars do drive differently and the sounds are different. Hell, if you have a chance though I'd pick up that PP2...
 
I've had several board sets in the past and have gone back and forth between PP1 and PP2. To me, it seems that PP1 is more of a gimmick. The car does not go very fast, making the game relatively easy. PP2 is the real challenge. Now you're actually speeding past all of the other cars, desperately fighting to stay alive.

I'd say stick with 2, but it's relatively easy to downgrade back to PP1.
 
Thanks, everyone, for your input. Phet, I feel your Pole Position passion!

Based on your opinions, I decided it was worth pursuing. I called the guy today, and found out the game is still available but is not actually in Wichita. It's at his folks place in Lawrence. (Not good. Red flag.) He said he'd bring it to town this weekend and I could have a look at it Sunday. He said he'd call me back this weekend, then didn't get my number. I can already tell that I won't enjoy this transaction, but I'll call him back Sunday.
 
Have you actually played or even seen both? The sounds are completely different, the Fuji track in Pole II has different billboards and the cars behave differently. There is also different dedicated artwork for both, including side art, bezel, marquee and dash shroud. I have both and I prefer Pole I. Pole II is cool, but the test track is boring, the other 2 tracks are nearly impossible with all the hairpin turns, and the accelerate, gear change and explosion sounds are all different.

Some sounds are the same, only a few are really different. Opponents may behave differently, but its the same track, so if anything it's enhanced gameplay of something that you are already familiar with. Billboards, who cares? How technical do we have to be? It's still essentially the same game, with improvements. There are differences in the dedicated cabs, but odds are he's looking at a PP conversion, far more common. Only difference with the artwork is the bezel and marquee. The dash panel is the same, occasionally youll find different artwork, but thats about it.
 
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Sad end to my PP2 story. The guy finally called me back today. I went to look at the machine and it was too rough. It was turned on when I got there, but the screen was locked up. We rebooted it, and it did work, but no speech. The back of the cabinet had been pried off, busting out a large portion of the back where the lock goes. The front of the cabinet had a broken spot on it, the steering wheel was rusty, the CPO was damaged, etc.

After playing it, though, it was still really hard to walk away! Now I know what I want.
 
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