The urge. A short story and a question.

8-Bit

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Don't want to read all this text? You wuss! But go ahead and skip on down to "The Question" if that's how you feel.


The seed.

It was nearly one year ago to the day when I stumped upon a listing for a non-working Asteroids machine while on Craigslist. "Asteroids game - $100". "Dead monitor. Dead board.." it said. "...but the cabinet is in good shape...". As a gamer this was interesting. Just think of the appeal. An arcade cabinet in the game room. Why, you could build a PC inside it and emulate a ton of arcade classics. I immediately called up the owner and headed over to his place to inspect the machine. Very interesting guy, very nice, but video games and computers was not his thing, he was more into working on his cars. Apparently his wife got the machine somewhere... sometime... and knows nothing about it. While inspecting the machine he explains how it's totally dead as we poke around in the back. I explain how I was looking to maybe build a PC into it. While we're back there I get the power to come on... nothing really happens besides some mechanical clicks... "I think the monitor is burned out, from what I can tell that is expensive to replace" he says. As he's talking I notice the neck of the dusty tube is glowing. Even now I don't consider myself a super expert on such things, but that didn't stop flags from popping up in my head. That monitor isn't burned out.. this thing could be fully functional after all. I inspect the artwork. A few marks, but it still looked good to me. "I'll take it". I pay him in cash, he kindly helps me load it in the ... van... and I return the game back home.


The hook

The next couple weeks are filled with random tinkering and cleaning of the machine. Hours of research are spent finding repair manuals on the internet. I educate myself about everything I can in regards to the functioning, repair, and history of the machine. I join an online forum dedicated to people in the same situation. I've seemed to have joined a club. I slowly start working through the various problems with the machine, turning to my support group for when I can't solve something. One problem requires some IC's to be replaced, a job I didn't feel comfortable doing on such a limited piece of circuitry. A member offers to do the job for a reasonable price, I take a chance and pay for the service. A repaired board inserted, new capacitors installed, a rewiring and cleaning job later the main switch is flicked. A new humming sensation is experienced... "Nothing is happening" my brother says, a hint of disappointment and amusement in his inflection. "No wait! Something appearing.". I rush to the other side of the machine. Slowly the vector screen starts to faintly display a moving dot. "I see Asteroids".

The return of the urge

As I gaze at my console game room the Asteroid machine stands there like a trophy, an uncommon attraction in the video game collection for most gamers. It represents an important piece of gaming history, but also the experience of recovering the relic of the video arcade phenomenon, being born in 1988, I just missed. But as I gaze upon this trophy I can't help but notice that spanning empty space between it and the closet. "You know? There's enough room there for at least two more machines easy... maybe three!".

The question
(if you desire to provide an answer)

Asteroids has given me many hours of entertainment, and I wasn't really that big of a fan of Asteroids before (never played it on a vector screen, never played it on the real controls, can you blame me?). Now I hold it in high regard, and that goes with all vector games.

I've more than gotten my money out of, and I'm looking to upgrade it with a high score kit to help sustain my love. But I think I want something more. My affection for the arcade machines that I never knew has intensified from an already respectful size. I've always been a fan of Nintendo as well, and the prospect of owning and/or restoring one their classic arcade games is extremely appealing. The question is, which one? I'm a personal fan of the Mario Bros. arcade game, especially since it has multiplayer simultaneous support. I also have that new found love of vector games from Atari. Factoring in price, what would you guys recommend as a relatively easy to obtain, fixable, machine? What would you set as your primary goal if you were in my position? And what about Mario Bros in particular? Any common issues and traps I should watch out for?

And with that I thank Klov for its support as usual.
 

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Don't want to read all this text? You wuss! But go ahead and skip on down to "The Question" if that's how you feel.


The seed.

It was nearly one year ago to the day when I stumped upon a listing for a non-working Asteroids machine while on Craigslist. "Asteroids game - $100". "Dead monitor. Dead board.." it said. "...but the cabinet is in good shape...". As a gamer this was interesting. Just think of the appeal. An arcade cabinet in the game room. Why, you could build a PC inside it and emulate a ton of arcade classics. I immediately called up the owner and headed over to his place to inspect the machine. Very interesting guy, very nice, but video games and computers was not his thing, he was more into working on his cars. Apparently his wife got the machine somewhere... sometime... and knows nothing about it. While inspecting the machine he explains how it's totally dead as we poke around in the back. I explain how I was looking to maybe build a PC into it. While we're back there I get the power to come on... nothing really happens besides some mechanical clicks... "I think the monitor is burned out, from what I can tell that is expensive to replace" he says. As he's talking I notice the neck of the dusty tube is glowing. Even now I don't consider myself a super expert on such things, but that didn't stop flags from popping up in my head. That monitor isn't burned out.. this thing could be fully functional after all. I inspect the artwork. A few marks, but it still looked good to me. "I'll take it". I pay him in cash, he kindly helps me load it in the ... van... and I return the game back home.


The hook

The next couple weeks are filled with random tinkering and cleaning of the machine. Hours of research are spent finding repair manuals on the internet. I educate myself about everything I can in regards to the functioning, repair, and history of the machine. I join an online forum dedicated to people in the same situation. I've seemed to have joined a club. I slowly start working through the various problems with the machine, turning to my support group for when I can't solve something. One problem requires some IC's to be replaced, a job I didn't feel comfortable doing on such a limited piece of circuitry. A member offers to do the job for a reasonable price, I take a chance and pay for the service. A repaired board inserted, new capacitors installed, a rewiring and cleaning job later the main switch is flicked. A new humming sensation is experienced... "Nothing is happening" my brother says, a hint of disappointment and amusement in his inflection. "No wait! Something appearing.". I rush to the other side of the machine. Slowly the vector screen starts to faintly display a moving dot. "I see Asteroids".

The return of the urge

As I gaze at my console game room the Asteroid machine stands there like a trophy, an uncommon attraction in the video game collection for most gamers. It represents an important piece of gaming history, but also the experience of recovering the relic of the video arcade phenomenon, being born in 1988, I just missed. But as I gaze upon this trophy I can't help but notice that spanning empty space between it and the closet. "You know? There's enough room there for at least two more machines easy... maybe three!".

The question
(if you desire to provide an answer)

Asteroids has given me many hours of entertainment, and I wasn't really that big of a fan of Asteroids before (never played it on a vector screen, never played it on the real controls, can you blame me?). Now I hold it in high regard, and that goes with all vector games.

I've more than gotten my money out of, and I'm looking to upgrade it with a high score kit to help sustain my love. But I think I want something more. My affection for the arcade machines that I never knew has intensified from an already respectful size. I've always been a fan of Nintendo as well, and the prospect of owning and/or restoring one their classic arcade games is extremely appealing. The question is, which one? I'm a personal fan of the Mario Bros. arcade game, especially since it has multiplayer simultaneous support. I also have that new found love of vector games from Atari. Factoring in price, what would you guys recommend as a relatively easy to obtain, fixable, machine? What would you set as your primary goal if you were in my position? And what about Mario Bros in particular? Any common issues and traps I should watch out for?

And with that I thank Klov for its support as usual.

I think you aswered your own question. Mario is calling you.
 
very good story! I would say keep a look out for a nintendo cabinet, reguardless of which one (dk,dkjr, popeye, converted vs.) because it can always be converted and that is a fun project in itself. If you want a widebody I would think there not easy to find, I havent tried to find one. Either way I think you should find a game you want and know your gonna play, also with mario bros you can add a popeye pcb so you can play that as well!
 
Just be patient. I waited 4 years for my DK and then one day it just popped up on Cleveland CL. The great thing about Nintendo cabs is how much easier to move than the Atari lead cabinets. I'm in a similar situation as you but it's because I have two Asteroids and am deciding whether to sell the mint CT or the unrestored early model UR.
 
i would say definitely mario. they're fairly common, and all nintendo cabs are easy to fix, and as others have said, they're pretty light as well. or you could go with a dk. lots of replayability either way.
 
It's good to know that the Nintendo cabs are not as heavy as the Atari partical board monsters. My god, getting the thing up to the 2nd floor totally sucked! I remember taking off the back panel and being impressed by how heavy that thing was. Then being horrified when I looking at all the stapled, nailed, and glued edges of the same material through-out.

Mario it is then. I'd forgotten that those cabinets are all basically the same on Nintendo's stuff.
 
Nintendo cabs are also about the easiest restorations out there. As long as they have decent Formica on the sides, everything else is available new.

My advice would be to skip the Nintendos and look for more vectors. You have a great start, don't ruin it.

Just kidding around, buy what ever pops up in good condition, at a good price, in a title that you would like to own. Sounds like you know what the classics are, stick with them and you'll go places :)
 
Is it... Pong?
No, you're guessing. Read the question again: Mario gets on a train traveling north at 60 miles per hour. Luigi is on the same train traveling 30 miles per hour. (!!!) How many levels before the slip ice stage???

The answer is (for 8-Bit) is to get a Mario Bros and play it, play it, play it!
 
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