Evolution of a collection

[racerx]

Or, How to Walk the Line Between Game Room and Divorce.

 

So last February, after wanting an arcade game since oh, 1980 or so, I finally talked the wife into letting me pick one up for our family room.

 

 

Come March, I found a good working Zaxxon for next to nothing. Sure, it'll fit.

 

 

April. Radikal Bikers. The kids loved this game in a local pizza place. Had to have it. Meant moving the second game center upstairs to my son's room.

 

 

May. Tron! My personal fave from my arcade rat days, and the one personal grail I had to have. Drove from north of Chicago to Louisville and back with #1 son as copilot. Plastic video game drums moved to spare basement room.

 

[racerx]

I loved the Paris to Dakar rally as a teenager. We played Big Run to death at our local multiplex. The race isn't really the same now that they run it in South America, but in August I brought the old magic home.

 

 

Who doesn't like Centipede? Picked up non-working for a song in August; one interlock switch and a couch moved upstairs later, and it joined the rest.

 

 

November means Thanksgiving and Asteroids.

 

 

And just for something to work on over the winter, I found a free Sprint 2 looking for a good home. It's still in the garage...not sure if it's a keeper or not as I don't know if I can get it down the stairs.

 

 

It's amazing how a new hobby can grab hold. I've managed to find a way to get 7 machines in the family room and an eighth is being worked on in the garage. I've gone from knowing nothing about the guts of these beasts to being comfortable doing cap kits on my monitors. I sneak peeks at Craigslist when I think the missus isn't looking. It truly is fun, though, and although my own kids kind of roll their eyes at Dad's old games, their friends think it's great.

Edited January 10, 2013 by racerx

[number six]

It always starts as one

 

Seriously it can be addicting.. the biggest problem about arcade collecting isn't usually money (games are actually not that expensive) but instead its space, space space.

 

I just had to sell a few games just so I could move around in my Garage. I've got 4 games at a Bar right now and i'm happier about the space savings than the money.

[Master Phruby]

I wish we had a basement.

[number six]

Basements aren't even possible in most of Florida unless you live on a mound of dirt.

 

One thing I've always wondered though -- isn't water a concern? Or is that only in certain parts of the country? Even one inch of water would destroy an arcade so how much of a risk is that?

[racerx]

Honestly water has never been much of a concern, and we've been in this house for 16 years. We definitely run a dehumidifier in the summer, though.

 

The only time we've ever had water was when the sump pump failed, and even then there's enough of a grade to the floor towards the sump pit that the water didn't make it to the finished area of the basement where the games are.

 

We've never understood what you you basementless types do with all your junk.

[number six]

Most people here use their Garages for storage. Mine is full of arcade games so I have to shove everything in the attic crawl space or in a shed out back. A real pain.. having a basement would be awesome but i'd have to move out of state to have one.

[nukeshed]

Ugh, I had to turn down a free pinball machine on two separate occasions because I didn't have space... Great photo, man, love that Centipede.

[RJ]

Well, if your marriage truly is in trouble as the first sentence implies, I suggest compromise. Some of the "reasons" you give for acquiring certain games seem tenouous at best ("oh, the kids like this one" or "I can work on this over the winter.") (I hope that includes flipping over the photo )

 

If & when it comes down to it- & when wives are involved, it most certainly will- every member of your family gets to keep the ONE game they like best.

Edited January 21, 2013 by RJ

[racerx]

Well, if your marriage truly is in trouble as the first sentence implies, I suggest compromise.

 

Rock solid marriage, lol...hence the tongue smilie guy.

 

Not sure about "flipping over the photo."

[Master Phruby]

Most people here use their Garages for storage. Mine is full of arcade games so I have to shove everything in the attic crawl space or in a shed out back. A real pain.. having a basement would be awesome but i'd have to move out of state to have one.

 

Garages are for Cars! They are not for extra junk that doesn't fit in the house. Otherwise they would be called storage units.

[RJ]

Not sure about "flipping over the photo."

 

It's upside down for some reason.

[number six]

Garages are for Cars! They are not for extra junk that doesn't fit in the house. Otherwise they would be called storage units.

 

I wish! I have a 2.5 car-sized storage unit then!

 

Seriously, when you can't have a basement your options are limited.

[Master Phruby]

It's amazing how often I drive down the street and see garage doors open. They are typically packed floor to ceiling with boxes and crap. There is no way to put a car in a garage. In my opinion, it really make the neighborhood look junky and rundown and doesn't do much for property values. If a garage is packed nine levels deep, there isn't anyway to get at something so why keep it? It reminds me how rural red necks keep junk cars on their property for years and never get rid of anything.

[Ransom]

It's amazing how often I drive down the street and see garage doors open. They are typically packed floor to ceiling with boxes and crap. There is no way to put a car in a garage. In my opinion, it really make the neighborhood look junky and rundown and doesn't do much for property values. If a garage is packed nine levels deep, there isn't anyway to get at something so why keep it?

 

Sometimes I think I'm the only one in my neighborhood who uses his garage for its intended purpose. And I live in a neighborhood where most people have a basement!

[the.golden.ax]

This is why the house we picked and moved in to two years ago has a basement. I knew I'd eventually do the same thing.... We are at 5 right now. It'll go up I'm sure.

 

NICE STUFF DUDE!

[number six]

It's amazing how often I drive down the street and see garage doors open. They are typically packed floor to ceiling with boxes and crap. There is no way to put a car in a garage. In my opinion, it really make the neighborhood look junky and rundown and doesn't do much for property values. If a garage is packed nine levels deep, there isn't anyway to get at something so why keep it? It reminds me how rural red necks keep junk cars on their property for years and never get rid of anything.

 

My redneck garage has a full arcade so makes me happy. I don't really care what other people think. I seriously doubt i'm hurting property values by having arcade machines in my garage, lol.

Edited January 23, 2013 by number six

[Master Phruby]

Those are the kind of garages you hope they leave the door open so you can come over with a dolly.

 

[racerx]

Got the 60-1 dragged down to the basement and put in place...

 

[racerx]

Picked up an early birthday present for the twins today. It's just a cheap conversion so I don't know if it's a keeper, but they're going through a major Ninja Turtle phase right now.

 

 

[DaveD]

Very cool. Love seeing the evolution. So when will you be building the addition then?

[racerx]

Who am I kidding...I can't stop buying these things.

 

I like Xevious a lot, but I REALLY love the cab and the artwork. I picked this up a couple of days ago. I have it in the break room at work for now.

 

[RJ]

Xevious is a kickass game. Mine's in the next room, I could see it right now if the bathroom door werent closed.

[racerx]

Xevious is a kickass game. Mine's in the next room, I could see it right now if the bathroom door werent closed.

 

Yeah, I have to mess with this one a little. The explosion sounds are missing. All other sounds work fine.

 

Also, the first mothership is always accompanied by the damnable exploding black balls, no matter what difficulty I've got the dips set at (though they do properly affect the other airborne baddies). It's the only version of the game I've ever played that throws those at me right off the bat...they've always been the single-shot ones before. (The first Andor Genesis mothership produces Brag Zakato vs regular Zakato, for the Xevious cognoscenti)

 

I can't get past the bullet hell that a screen full of these produces. Any ideas about why I can't turn those off?

[RJ]

Those are a b-tch all right, sorry I cant help you, I dunno either. Too bad they come at you so early on.

 

EDIT: awhile back I posted a question about entering 3 letters vs 8 letters on Xevious' high score list, in fact you posted to it. Was told there's a difference between Atari & NAMCO ROM versions. Maybe thats it?

 

Also the game adjusts its skill level based on how well you're doing- that is, it sends out harder enemies the better you do. Maybe it thinks you're doing TOO good by the time you get to the 1st Andor Genesis.

Edited May 26, 2013 by RJ