Who is your favorite cab manufacturer and why?

sohchx

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I have come to the decision that I absolutely love Atari cabs!!! The game play,the humor, even the side art is awesome on almost every game. My second fav would have to be Nintendo cabs. I like the shape and size of the cabs and the simple layout with small joysticks. I also like the subtle colors that they choose with simple small side art. In some ways I actually think they make a room more aesthetically pleasing no matter where it is. Unlike other cabs that are huge, have loud color or huge side art leaving you to only want them in a basement or garage, I think a Nintendo cab is almost nice enough to be put in a kitchen lol What are your faves and why?
 
Yeah, I noticed most of my cabs are Atari. They are the best pretty much for the reasons you talked about. I like purpose built cabs.
 
Atari had a lot of original cab designs, but I like different cabs for different games.

I.E. Asteroids in any other cabinet just isn't the same. Same goes for Tempest, Robotron, Defender, Crusn sit down etc
 
Yeah, I noticed most of my cabs are Atari. They are the best pretty much for the reasons you talked about. I like purpose built cabs.

I just noticed you own three of my grails, two being atari cabs. AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!!! Why are the atari's so hard to find? Actually too far is my problem.
 
For cabs, it's Atari, hands down. Nobody can match the number of original shapes, full side and silk screened side art, vivid colors, silk screened glass marquees and bezels, and great looking CPO's Atari produced. Even Kangaroo looked liked a game that you would want to play.

.|.
/|\ Hail to the King, baby.


/ yes, my ascii art sucks.
 
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Midway. I love their cabs from Sitdown drivers to standard uprights. They have everything I need when it comes to my cab needs. The upright cabs tend to have large control panels and 25" monitors perfect for fighting games. Their cabs are also perfect for converting to anything from a shooting game to a Golden Tee or bowling game. I <3 Midway.

I'm a Jamma guy for the most part. ;)
 
Pay attention to the steering assembly on the Chase H.Q.s. The way I played them back in the day, they had the original assembly with a rubber stopper. So I think technically it was a 360 wheel, but you couldn't turn it all the way around because of the stopper. Well, most of the Chase H.Q.s I've seen have replaced the assembly with a generic HAPP which is just a 360 with no stopper. Doesn't play the same without getting that THUMP when you hit the stopper, it kind of thumps right when you hit the other car, so it adds to the affect. In fact I thought it had force feedback when I started first looking for one.

Yeah, I actually have a 720 I need to fix so I can add to the siggy, too. Also working on getting yet another purpose built Atari game.

I have also been wanting a Q-Sound big blue cab as my dedicated fighter. Very functional. But they just don't compare the the 80's Atari cabs as far as looks.
 
Pay attention to the steering assembly on the Chase H.Q.s. The way I played them back in the day, they had the original assembly with a rubber stopper. So I think technically it was a 360 wheel, but you couldn't turn it all the way around because of the stopper. Well, most of the Chase H.Q.s I've seen have replaced the assembly with a generic HAPP which is just a 360 with no stopper. Doesn't play the same without getting that THUMP when you hit the stopper, it kind of thumps right when you hit the other car, so it adds to the affect. In fact I thought it had force feedback when I started first looking for one.

Yeah, I actually have a 720 I need to fix so I can add to the siggy, too. Also working on getting yet another purpose built Atari game.

I have also been wanting a Q-Sound big blue cab as my dedicated fighter. Very functional. But they just don't compare the the 80's Atari cabs as far as looks.

Thanks for the tip. I have all but given up on my search for a chase hq. It's been 11 years now and I'm tired. I am picking up a super chase next week though so that'll suffice. Haven't played a chase machine since the early 90's. I am watching an auction for a non-working 720 so we'll see what happens, praying that I get it.
 
The fantastic side art on Atari cabs makes them my favorite. When I recently moved my games around, I made sure that you could see the sides on my Space Duel. The downside... Atari made some damn heavy cabs.
 
The fantastic side art on Atari cabs makes them my favorite. When I recently moved my games around, I made sure that you could see the sides on my Space Duel. The downside... Atari made some damn heavy cabs.

Agreed, My world rally is converted from a pole position cab. Thank god it has rear casters.
 
Thanks for the tip. I have all but given up on my search for a chase hq. It's been 11 years now and I'm tired. I am picking up a super chase next week though so that'll suffice. Haven't played a chase machine since the early 90's. I am watching an auction for a non-working 720 so we'll see what happens, praying that I get it.

I love Chase H.Q. It's a keeper for me! It's a shame you aren't around here because there's always a few that pop up around here every year (plus you could practice at the Tamiya track).
 
If we're talking "cabs"... easy... Nintendo. Why? They are light and have wheels on the back. If we're talking "games"... that is a different story. I'd likely have to go with Atari as well as I seem to have collected more of them than any other game manufacturer.
 
No love for the Williams cabs? The monitor mounting was great in that it's also an aid to convergence with a nice test pattern in the menu and a built in mirror behind the marquee.

What more could you ask for? :)

Agreed re: Atari, as far as nailing the concept and producing a stand out cabinet to showcase their code.
 
i would have to say midway, just for the fact that they have so many different styles, with atari at a close second. but if we were doing this by weight nintendo would be first and atari would be dead last.
 
If we're talking "cabs"... easy... Nintendo. Why? They are light and have wheels on the back. If we're talking "games"... that is a different story. I'd likely have to go with Atari as well as I seem to have collected more of them than any other game manufacturer.

You beat me to it. As far as looks, I have to say Atari is the best, but when I'm moving a cabinet my opinion suddenly changes to Nintendo.
 
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