Tempest to Major Havoc Added To My Collection

divingbuddy

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Donor 10 years: 2013-2022
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I must have the luck of the Arcade Gods this year. I found my Star Wars and Star Wars Return of the Jedi games.

Then the clouds parted again and a beam of light was guiding me to another pot of gold at the end of rainbow......an advertisement for Adventures of Major Havoc arcade game for a price I could not pass up. I have searched and speculated that I would eventually piece together a Major Havoc game to add to my Vector game list. Two days before the clouds parted I was talking about how much a working Major Havoc PCB goes for on EBay and then the cost of getting rest of the game together.

I was ready to call it a day, and as I always do, I told myself time to check my local listings for any arcade games being sold. I input a general search for arcade, scrolled down the page slowly checking each add for any hidden games covered with dust, cardboard, plastic or just in parts.

It really amazes me how bad the photos are from people who want to sell items. Just pull out your cell phone snap a couple of tilted, blurry, dark and underexposed photos. Then post the photos of these items up for sale and assume that you will get lots of enquiries and top dollar for your games. This is good for the dedicated collector, but you must have a seventh sense to find these gems. I found my Star Wars by seeing the shape of the game from the yoke controller in a blurry photo.

The ad for the Major Havoc game had been online for about two hours. I thought to myself that there is no way it could still be for sale. I debated about calling on the game because it was after 11 pm in the evening. As I was reading the ad again and feeling the adrenaline rush of possibly getting an actual Major Game in working condition, I heard an alert on my phone that my bid on EBay for a working Major Havoc PCB was just outbid, damn, now what do I do? Bid again, then get out bid again, or make the phone call on the Major Havoc game?

I dialed the phone number, thinking I was being a real jerk by calling as such a late hour. The seller answered the phone. I said I was sorry for calling at such a late hour but I needed to know if the game was still for sale?......Well I got the answer I wanted........yes it was still for sale.........I thought to myself, NO WAY!..........Now what should I do? I wanted the game but how was I going to secure the game at this late hour. I asked the seller if he would be willing to take my word that I wanted the game and I was willing to pay the price he was asking, with no questions asked except for the word that the game was in working condition. He agreed to accept my offer and post Sold on the ad. My heart was racing and the rush of getting the game is like no other feeling your can try and describe.........finding the game you wanted.....finding it locally.........finding a working complete game, plug and play........It is the rush of our addiction and that is what it is all about............here is the game.....enjoy.....

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[...] I heard an alert on my phone that my bid on EBay for a working Major Havoc PCB was just outbid, damn, now what do I do? Bid again, then get out bid again, or make the phone call on the Major Havoc game?

I think I was the one who outbid you. See, I did you a favor!

So how much DOES a working MH PCB go for? This is the last thing I need to finish my Tempest->MH conversion.
 
A lot of people don't really care for conversions but there are not many instances of a classic being converted to another classic. I think that MH looks great in either Tempest or Space Duel cabinets (could also be Black Widow or Gravitar but haven't seen them). The one I had was in a SD cabinet and it looked really sharp. Eventually, I changed it back to SD and sold the MH kit because I needed money. Got $300 for the PCB, CP and marquee (back in '04).
 
I just scored a roller and will be doing the mod soon.
 
Nice find, DB.

For what it's worth, I was in SLC on a project for work during that time and DB was nice enough to text me regular updates on the find, the pick-up, and the arrival of the Major Havoc to his arcade. The game was a smoking deal, so other than being green with envy, at least I get to play it the next time I'm in town... right?!

Pete
 
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