Which games would have done better in a dedicated cab ?

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Which games would have done better in a dedicated cab ?

We all know a number of games that were released as kits only (or practically only) that are absolute top games but never had a dedicated cabinet.

I feel that games like Bubble Bobble and Bomb Jack would have done (even/much) better if they would have had their own dedicated cabinets.

What games can you think of ? Or apart from being commercially more successful, which games should have deserved a dedicated cab ? I think if there ever was any it was Bubble Bobble. The cuteness of Bub and Bob was screaming for some great side-art and maybe a wild style cabinet with bubbles extending somewhat like the Burger Time cabinet...

Another one I can think of is Metal Slug.
 
I thought someone here unearthed a dedicated Metal Slug a few months ago?

I honestly don't think it would have really mattered. When I was younger and playing games the status of a machine as dedicated or conversion never even crossed my mind. I was busy looking at the screen, not the cabinet. The only time I ever remember even thinking about anything like that was at this one pizza place that had a Deco cassette Bump n Jump that had the wrong marquee on it.
 
Arkanoid. I think it would get more respect today if it had been released as a dedicated game. As it is, so many classics were converted to it that it has more of a parasitic reputation among collectors.
 
I guess what's sort of odd now is that it seems like most video arcade machines that are made today are dedicated machines, at least from what I see out there in places like gameworks and dave and busters. I know Raw Thrills sells some kits for its games and some of the hunting games and golden tee games have kit upgrades.

There is a warehouse of games stored near me and they have a cab with one of the original kits for Arknoid with the original topper. I bet it's been sitting there over 20 years.
 
I guess what's sort of odd now is that it seems like most video arcade machines that are made today are dedicated machines, at least from what I see out there in places like gameworks and dave and busters. I know Raw Thrills sells some kits for its games and some of the hunting games and golden tee games have kit upgrades.

I think new games have to integrate the cabinet into the experience more to differentiate themselves from console games.

Look at the Silent Hill game with the curtain for example.
 
Kit games flourished back when 90 percent of games used $20 worth of joysticks and buttons, came in functionally identical cabinets 24" wide, all had 19" CGA monitors and were run for maybe 3 years before being converted or pulled from service

Today the most common machines are deluxe driving titles, that operators will run for 10 or 15 years. The rest of the machines are split between guns, trackballs, strange specialty controls, and joysticks. The machines out there now can't agree on monitor resolutions all that much either.

Thus there is no average machine for the kit maker to target, thus there aren't that many kits around anymore.



I guess what's sort of odd now is that it seems like most video arcade machines that are made today are dedicated machines, at least from what I see out there in places like gameworks and dave and busters. I know Raw Thrills sells some kits for its games and some of the hunting games and golden tee games have kit upgrades.

There is a warehouse of games stored near me and they have a cab with one of the original kits for Arknoid with the original topper. I bet it's been sitting there over 20 years.
 
I honestly don't think it would have really mattered. When I was younger and playing games the status of a machine as dedicated or conversion never even crossed my mind. I was busy looking at the screen, not the cabinet. The only time I ever remember even thinking about anything like that was at this one pizza place that had a Deco cassette Bump n Jump that had the wrong marquee on it.

very strong point. I don't remember a lot about the cabs themselves either. Some games I do, others not at all. What did I care if the DKjr. I played at a movie theatre (without going to the movies) was in a general cab and had a bootleg board inside....However SW sure made a lot of impression and at that age, your fantasy is much more active and I could really feel being Luke then....

Also vividly remember a Galaxian machine at a restaurant that used buttons for left and right and I hated it because I was used to the joystick version, but if it was the Bertollini version ? Who knows, I simply don't remember.

So let's focus to what we would have wanted to come in a dedicated disregarding the commercial aspect.

Puzzle Bobble ?
 
I'm surprised nobody mentioned Stern's Lost Tomb. One of my all-time faves. I'm a Robotron addict, and Lost Tomb is the only game I've ever played that is of a similar genre. Has the same insanity and basic controls, plus the added variety of walls, bats, whips, etc.
 
I'm surprised nobody mentioned Stern's Lost Tomb. One of my all-time faves. I'm a Robotron addict, and Lost Tomb is the only game I've ever played that is of a similar genre. Has the same insanity and basic controls, plus the added variety of walls, bats, whips, etc.

losttombfinished003.jpg

losttombfinished001.jpg

IMAG0024-1.jpg
 
Nightmare in the Dark,
Dragon Blaze,
Metal Slug (all),
Shock Troopers 2,
Dragon Saber

I thought someone here unearthed a dedicated Metal Slug a few months ago?

I seem to remember a metal slug cabinet that was made to kinda look like the metal slug or a tank in general but when I looked for the pics again I couldn't find them. Can't remember if it was a prototype or maybe it was something someone made. Looked kinda interesting.

Anyway I'd have loved to see a cotton 2 dedicated cab but that game wasn't even released in the US.
 
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