Bad Retro: February 2013

Monday, February 25, 2013

Project : Space Invaders

I picked up a really cool item this weekend off of Craigslist, a Space Invaders cocktail arcade machine. In the last couple of weeks I have been visiting a lot of arcades which got me itching to own a machine. So after days of scouring Craigslist listings I finally found the perfect deal for me. Although it wasn't working I was more than happy to take it off of the guys hands.

The guy told me that the game had been working up until about a week ago and that he wasn't interested in trying to fix it. He showed me that the problem was when you turn on the game all get is pixelated garbage on the screen. After a little research I found that this particular problem is common and that it can be caused by a few things. So I guess at least I had a some places to start at when troubleshooting the issue. Most of the info I have found points to the problem being the reset line on the power supply. So I tested all the voltages on it which seem to be in range. With no obvious culprit causing the screen garbage I guess the next step is to rebuild the power supply. A few people said this corrected the problem right away. Ordered my parts last night so now I'll be waiting anxiously for them to come.

From what I understand about collecting arcade games is that there are two ways to collect. One, to buy working machines in good condition $$$. Or two, buy non working or in less than favorable condition machines for way less and fix them $. I like a good challenge and to tinker with stuff. I think I'm more of the number two type. Hopefully I'll have the game up and running soon.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Underground Retrocade

Found out about a new Arcade out in East Dundee and guess what, it is following the same business model as GGA. A flat entrance fee gets you in and all the games are set to free play. The Underground Retrocade is located on the corner of Water St. and Route 72 right next to the bridge before you cross the river. It may not look like much from the outside, but like they say it's whats on the inside that counts.

Underground Retrocade is wall to wall arcade machines with all the classics under one roof. They even had a couple of pinball machines. It also looked like they had a little room setup with retro gaming consoles to play.

I really love these types of arcades because it gives me a chance to play some great games of the past. Sure I could play them on MAME, but really there is nothing like playing them on the original hardware. For instance I found out that I really dig Tempest. The vector graphics just pop off of the screen brilliantly. Awesome game.

My son and I got to play a little bit of X-Men, which is one of my personal favorites. They had the 6 player two monitor behemoth version of the game. Another cool machine they had was a Fix It Felix just like from Wreck It Ralph. My son got to experience a lot of cool games today but his favorite must of have been Rampage. Not many things can hold his attention for more than a minute like Rampage did. I suppose there is just something about monsters destroying cities and eating people that he likes.

If you are in the area and are looking for a great way to spend a day check out the Underground Retrocade. We had a blast and I'm looking forward to going back soon.