Below are all the posts that appeared
on the homepage at some point.
Aug
13, 2009 - DK3 Instruction sticker now available for purchase!
Rich over at This
Old Game is now selling the DK3 instruction sticker that
I designed. How cool is that?
This is a fictional sticker that never existed. DK and DK
Jr. both have these instruction stickers that go on the horizontal
bar above the CPO and DK3 has always looked naked without it.
I think these turned out great!
Rich is selling them for $6.00. Order
one today along with his EXCELLENT DK and DK JR. control
panel stickers.
I picked up a BurgerTime earlier this week, and I frickin'
LOVE IT. I love this game!! I easily put this in my Top 20
greatest arcade games and have been seeking one out for some
time. They don't come up 'For Sale' very often. And, it's one
of my wife's favorite games. It's a must own to me.
Anyways, check out the video. I'll be adding a detailed page
soon.
Aug
5, 2009 - DK3 Instruction sticker, now a reality?
I am not sure if you noticed, Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong
Jr. both have a "instruction sticker" that goes on
the horizontal cross bar above the Control Panel. I like this
sticker.
Donkey Kong 3 has no such sticker. I have been thinking that
my DK3 has been looking a little naked above the CP. So, I
decided to make fictional art for a DK3 instruction sticker.
Blasphemy? Who cares. I think it turned out pretty cool. I
am going to look into making a bunch of these and selling them
dirt cheap. Stay tuned.
In the mean time, here's the art. What do you think?
(click to enlarge)
Here's a comparison the DK, DK Jr. and my new proposed DK3
instruction stickers:
I have had a few people ask me for a new Baby Pac-Man video.
And, here it is! I think this is a more detailed video and
I hope it explains the game better.
Today, a bunch of us went down to an operator's warehouse
in Cape Cod. I was going to pick up a Nintendo cabinet to finish
my DK3 project. I already had the bezel, control panel, wiring
harness and PCB. I just needed a Donkey Kong style cabinet
and a Marquee. My buddy Dan, who also went, had a marquee for
me. Sweet!
So, anyways we met down there and had a great time. Tons of
games and the prices were great. I ended up with a Nintendo
Vs. RBI Baseball cabinet that was formerly a Donkey Kong.
Here's the cabinet:
I then took my Ninty magic wand and transformed it into this:
And, I then fired it up and BAM! It worked. Woot. Here's how
it looks:
Jul
23, 2009 - New game added to the collection - Gravitar!!
This is a bad ass game. Really bad ass. I played it at Funspot
earlier this year and fell in love with it. Never played it
when I was a kid.
It's an Atari Color Vector game that has a serious reputation
for being incredibily hard. For me, that's the appeal. Totally
looking forward to mastering this game. I'll be adding a Gravitar
page and vids to the site soon.
I
just finished correcting and adding all of the dip switch settings
for the Nintendo Vs. System games. This includes pretty much
ALL of the known Vs. system games, even the super rare ones!
Data was compiled from the MAME dip extractions. I fixed all
of the wrong data, so they should all be correct now and each
one is available as a handy little .txt file.
Jul
11, 2009 - Vs. Top Gun and Vs. Clu Clu land videos!
I
am slowly making videos of each of my Nintendo Vs. games. Are
you enjoying them? I hope so!
Today I filmed two videos. The first one is Vs. Top Gun and
the second is Vs. Clu Clu land. They are both pretty decent
Nintendo Vs. System games.
Vs. Top Gun is based on the movie of the same name and is
suprisingly hard. It's nearly impossible to land your jet on
the aircraft carrier. I used to play this game on the NES and
I don't remember it being this hard! Vs. Top Gun is a daughter
board game.
Vs.
Clu Clu Land is a pretty interesting title. It features a little
round bubble guy that sports some arms. This little creature
is moving out of control and you have to use your arms to swing
on pegs while trying to reveal Zelda looking jewels to form
shapes. It's a crazy little puzzle game. I LIKE IT!
Check out the videos and let me know what you think!
I
LOVES me some Ice Climber. It's a great game and even better
on the Nintendo Vs. System. Howeverm I was always bummed that
the game didn't use two monitors for simultaneous play like
Balloon Fight, Tennis, Baseball, Wrecking Crew and others.
You could only play two player simulataneous play using one
monitor and with your buddy about 3 inches from you. It's a
little cramped.
But, I recently discovered that in Japan, there was a Dualsystem
version of the game! So, I got a set working today and to my
dismay, the game doesn't support dual play using two monitors.
It's like having two separate installs of the game, one on
each side. The sides do not communicate with each other. So,
I am not sure what the point of it is. I was totally bummed.
If you are thinking about getting this game, don't. It's not
worth it. Just get the US version, it's the same as far as
I can tell.
Jul
1, 2009 - One step closer to completing my Donkey Kong trilogy!
I am now one step closer to completing my Donkey Kong trilogy!
Woot! Today my Donkey Kong 3 Control Panel, Harness, PCB, and
Bezel showed up. All I need now is side art and a marquee.
Oh, and a cabinet. Which I should be picking up later this
month. Can't wait to have all three Kongs lined up next to
each other! Yeeha!
Finally got around to filming a video of VS. TKO Boxing for
the Nintendo Vs. Dualsystem and Unisystem. It's a pretty all
right boxing game. It is beyond hard and there is some questionable
things going on between rounds. Check it out!
I just spent some time this morning updating the Nintendo
Vs. Tech page. I have added manuals, some daughter board
images, links to videos, and now show how many roms are needed
for each game. I hope this information proves useful!
Jun
27, 2009 - Namco's Star Luster for the Nintendo Vs. system
Here's a quick video of Star Luster for the Nintendo Vs. Dualsystem
or Unisystem. It's pretty cool. Reminds me of Star Raider for
the Atari 800XL. I guess this game was only released in JAPAN
for the FAMICOM and in the arcades. It's a really crazy and
deep game. A real gem for the Nintendo Vs.
My little site has been getting hammered with filthy dirty
Spam. I tried some Anti-Spam thing on the comment form. I hope
it works. I think it might make adding comments a little slower
to submit. But, if it stops the PrOn links it will be worth
it. Let me know if you have any issues!
Jun
10, 2009 - Punch-Out!! Video and Punch-Out!! and Bubbles
Multi-Williams pages added!
Just got done updating the website... Phew! I added the Bubbles
Multi-Williams page complete with video here. I also
addded the Punch-Out!!
page with video. Check it out and let me know what you
think! And, yes, I got my Punch-Out!! working tonight (with
help from my friend, Adam) complete with freeplay mod. It
rocks!
Jun
7, 2009 - JROK Multi-Williams video (and Garagecade tour)
Here's a quick little video showing the JROK Multi-Williams
PCB in an original William's Bubbles cabinet. This is a pretty
bad ass board that has Robotron, Joust, Sinistar, Bubbles,
Splat, Blaster, Defender, and Stargate. It's a pretty impressive
JAMMA board that was made using the original hardware. No emulation,
no MAME, it's the real deal!
In this video you can also see the current state of my (temporary)
Garcade. Complete with a Radarscope! Woot!
I
cannot tell you how relieved I am to be done with this damn
restore!!!! I think I have about 40hrs. total in this cabinet,
if not more. There is something to be said about spending a
little more and doing less. There isn't a piece in this cabinet
that I didn't touch, repaint, replace, or polish. This thing
was infested with mice when I got it and now it's a pristine
gem. It's minty.
A lot of firsts for me with this one...
I never used bondo before this project and am pretty proud
how it turned out. Can't even tell!
I never built a base from scratch before, looks like new.
Even got new wheels.
Never stripped down coin doors before this, they look like
new now.
Never dealt with mice before this, can't even tell they lived
here at one time.
Never painted an entire cabinet top to bottom, inside and out. It wasn't fun.
Took 6 coats of paint with sanding between to finally get it looking acceptable.
I know it could have looked better with a sprayer. But, I was not about to
buy an expensive compressor so I used a foam roller. Honestly, it turned out
pretty decent. I used Rustoleum Satin Black and thinned it with Acetone.
Anyways, you get the idea! Check it out!
I took a TON of photos of the restore. Click
here to view the album. I will be adding a Punch-Out!! page with video
to the page ASAP.
It seems as if there is a documentary in the works called "The
Truth About King of Kong". If you are not familiar with
the controversy surrounding King Of Kong, it goes a little
something like this... Tim Sczerby was at one time the world
record holder for Donkey Kong. He beat Billy Mitchell's score.
Then, Steve Weibe beat Tim's score. Then Billy beat Steve's
score. The controversy comes in because King of Kong makes
no mention of Tim or his score in the movie or how Tim's score
fits into the timeline. So, this little documentary is looking
to set things straight. Should be interesting.
Check out a preview video of the documentary here.
I actually met Tim at Richie Knucklez arcade event. Check
out photos of him going for the high-score here.
And if you are wondering what it takes to get a million points
in Donkey Kong, here's a copy of Tim's little cheat sheet.
It shows what score is required for each level in order to
stay on pace for the world record:
May
20, 2009 - Williams Bubbles Added to the Collection!
I have been looking and looking for a good solid Williams
cabinet for some time. I want to make a Multi-Williams cabinet
using JROK's
Multi-Williams board. If you are not familiar with this
board, it's basically a multi-game board with all the best
Williams games on it. What's different about this one is that
it's not emulating the hardware. It's the real deal, not MAME,
no emulation. The board has Robotron, Joust, Defender, Stargate,
Sinistar, Splat, and BUBBLES on
it!
So, today on Craigslist a really dirt cheap arcade cabinet
showed up. I knew right away it was a Williams so I made arrangments
to go get it. I suspected it was either a Joust or a Bubbles,
I coudln't quite tell in the photos and the seller knew nothing
about arcade games. Either way, I knew it was for me. It had
been converted to The
Combatribes, it had been JAMMAtized. Actually, this works
out well for my plans as the JROK board is JAMMA. So, that
means I wouldn't need an adpater or a new wiring harness to
make it work in the cabinet.
I got there and knew right away it was a Bubbles. I could
see the bubble faces under the black paint. It was also blue
on the inside in the overspray areas. So, I bought it! I got
it home and plugged it in, nothing. No workee. I inspected
the wiring and saw the power cable was cut in one spot. I patched
it up and plugged it in. Bam! It works! I'm playing The Combatribes!
(it blows!) Woot! Monitor looks pretty decent, needs a cap
kit. No burn in. I am in business.
So, I got a really solid cabinet - it's exactly what I was
looking for. I have high hopes I can remove the black paint
and reveal the intact original Bubbles painted side art. If
I can save the side art I am going to restore it to look like
an original Bubbles and just get a multi Williams control panel
overalay.
Here's the cabinet in its current state, YUCK! It's
actually in really good and solid shape. Built like a tank.
May
12, 2009 - Nintendo Punch-Out! Added to Collection!! WOOT!
Last night I picked up a Punch-Out! arcade machine from some
local collector friends. Huge thanks to Dewman and Wickedbass
over at KLOV for scoring this one for me.
This one has been on my list of Nintendo games to own for
awhile. It's a really cool cabinet and features two monitors.
It needs some TLC and currently has board problems. I also
opened up the marquee tonight and found a huge mouse nest!!
Eek! It was pretty much the most disgusting thing ever.
Anyways, here are some shots of it in its current form and
a shot of the mouse nest.
I have had a bunch of people asking for my MALA layout. Well,
it's now available for download! I think I got it all bundled
correctly, let
me know if it doesn't work.
Features include:
Number of times a game has been played
Marquee images instead of text when selecting games
Videos and Start Screen Snaps
Colorful graphics
Vertical Orientation only and designed for an arcade monitor
(640x480)
After you download you'll need to grab the game videos and
start screen snaps. I purchased mine from emumovies.com.
I suggest you do the same, it's totally worth it!
I have included all of the marquee images that have been resized
so each marquee is the same size. Some are normal, some are
stretched and some are squooshed. It's the best solution I
could come up with for a consistent look.
I just FINALLY added the Nintendo
Vs. Dualsystem page to the MY COLLECTION section of the
site. This page features videos of some of my games as well
as a wealth of Vs. info. Check it out!
I also finally got Vs. Super Sky Kid working. I have posted
a video, check it out! This game is pretty bad-arse!
Mar.
21, 2009 - OMGWTF BBQ!!! Vs. Balloon Fight is in the house!!
After months of plotting, planning, loathing, wanting, needing,
dreaming of, lusting after, thinking about, and crying over,
I have finally acquired my holiest of Nintendo Vs. grail's...
Vs. Balloon Fight!!! This game is totally different than the
NES version and features two player simulataneous play on two
monitors. It pretty much frickin' RULES. It was released in
JAPAN and is one hell of a special Vs. game. It ROCKS. Check
out my video you muthas'!
I finally added the Toobin'
page complete with a video and some minor details. I
still need to add some photos and other info.
Nintendo Vs. Tech update! I have been getting a lot of questions
regarding how the whole Nintendo Vs. system works as it relates
to PCBs, Roms, PPUs, CPUs, and daughter cards. I hope these
new videos can help anyone that is not sure how it works. Check
it out here.
Mar.
18, 2009 - Richie Knucklez Arcade Video Tour and Photos
So, I just got back from the Classic Arcade
Gaming Tournament down at Richie Knucklez arcade in Flemington,
NJ. First off, Richie is a class-act. The guy rules, and so
does his arcade. His place reminds me of the suburban Chicago
arcades I used to ride my bike to as a youth.
The tournament was very competitive. I realize now that I
completely suck at these games. But, really, I knew that already.
It's ok with me as I am just playing for fun.
Anyways, check out the photo
album here or check out the video below!
Mar.
8, 2009 - Donkey Kong Junior Restore COMPLETE!
Took
me all day, but it's finally done! My Donkey Kong Junior has
been restored to its former glory. Well, mostly. I decided
to leave the original side-art intact and didn't mess with
any of the scuffs in the laminate. I did, however, replace
the t-molding, CPO, buttons, coin door lock, and fixed the
broken bottom front piece of missing wood, painted all the
black parts, sanded the rust off all the metal parts, and cleaned
the living daylights out of everything. It was a major ordeal
and I'm glad it's done. It looks AWESOME!
Mar.
4, 2009 - Vs. Mighty Bomb Jack added to collection!
I picked up a totally rare Nintendo Vs. game on eBay last
week. It's called Vs. Mighty Bomb Jack and it was only released
in Japan. This game did appear on the NES but was never released
in the arcades in the USA on the Nintendo Vs. Dualsystem or
Vs. Unisystem. The Nintendo Vs. version is a little different
than the NES version and it adds a 2 player mode and some minor
changes to level warping, etc.
Feb.
28, 2009 - Donkey Kong Junior added to collection!
After much searching, I finally picked up a Donkey Kong Jr.!
I found one that is in pretty decent shape and for a fair price.
It's all original and only needs some minor cosmetic tweaks.
I plan on replacing the CPO, T-Molding, buttons, and maybe
side art. Other than that, it just needs a good cleaning. The
monitor is bright and strong and the controls are perfect.
I love it!
Check out the photos and a little YouTube video tour.
I never had one of these when I was younger. In fact, I am
pretty sure I was in high-school when these came out. So, that
wouldn't have been 'cool'. Well, now I am an adult, and who
cares!! Check out my vintage Nelsonic Super Mario Bros. watch.
Beyond nerdy!
Feb.
20, 2009 - Walter Day to attend arcade event in NJ!
As if it wasn't enough to meet Matt
McCarthy and I at Richie
Knucklez arcade in NJ on Mar. 14, 2009, it now looks like Twin
Galaxies referee superstar Walter Day will be attending the
Classic Arcade Gaming Tournament! You know who he is, he's
the guy with the referee shirt on in King of Kong. Should be
cool!!
Feb.
9, 2009 - VGO Spring FunSpot event!
Well, it's official. The VGO Spring arcade tournament will
be on April 25, 2009 at the FunSpot arcade in Weir's Beach,
NH. Sign-Up
here. Check out photos from the previous event
here.
Feb.
9, 2009 -'Other Stuff' UPDATED!
Ok, I just finally added the Other
Stuff page. Check it out
for arcade photos, links, and more! The site is pretty much
done!
Feb.
9, 2009 -Nintendo Vs. Updates!
I just updated the Nintendo
Vs Tech page with images of daughter
boards. If you have images to contribute to this section, please
e-mail me.
Feb.
8, 2009 - Popeye Page Update
Whoa. Two updates in one day. Crazy talk!
Anyways, I just added the Popeye
cocktail page complete with
a video and photos. Check it out!
Feb.
8, 2009- Ms. Pac-Man Page Update
I just finished the Ms.
Pac-Man page. This page features my
Ms. Pac-Man with 60-in-1 JAMMA board with the Lizard Lick JAMMA
adapter. Good stuff!
Feb.
2, 2009 - Arcade Tournament and Vs. Update!
Sorry for the lack of updates. I need to get back to working
on this site and finishing up all the sections! Stay tuned.
I did manage to update some info in the Nintendo
Vs. Tech section.
I recently added a few Nintendo Vs. games to my collection
and updated the page to reflect this. My collection is near
complete!
Muhahaha
Arcade tournament!
Join Matt McCarthy (The
Kill Screens) and
I at Richie
Knucklez arcade on March 14 for the 2009
Classic Arcade Gaming Tournament. We will be competing
(and losing) on Saturday. The tournament is being held on March
14 and 15 and is open to anyone. Registration is $40.00 per
entry. We are entering it just for fun and it should be a good
time. A bunch of people who were in the background of King
of Kong will be there. So, if you ever wanted to get close
to that world, now's your chance!
Demo video of Ms. Pac-Man with 60-in-1 JAMMA board
and how to wire the Control Panel:
NOTE: I installed an Anti-Spam script
on the comment form. It now takes longer for comments to post after
pressing
Submit. Please wait
while the form is submitting. It will go through if you are not
a spammer!
Aug
13, 2009 - DK3 Instruction sticker now available for purchase!
I
just finished correcting and adding all of the dip switch settings
for the Nintendo Vs. System games. This includes pretty much
ALL of the known Vs. system games, even the super rare ones!
Data was compiled from the MAME dip extractions. I fixed all
of the wrong data, so they should all be correct now and each
one is available as a handy little .txt file. 
I
am slowly making videos of each of my Nintendo Vs. games. Are
you enjoying them? I hope so! 
Vs.
Clu Clu Land is a pretty interesting title. It features a little
round bubble guy that sports some arms. This little creature
is moving out of control and you have to use your arms to swing
on pegs while trying to reveal Zelda looking jewels to form
shapes. It's a crazy little puzzle game. I LIKE IT! 
I
LOVES me some Ice Climber. It's a great game and even better
on the Nintendo Vs. System. Howeverm I was always bummed that
the game didn't use two monitors for simultaneous play like
Balloon Fight, Tennis, Baseball, Wrecking Crew and others.
You could only play two player simulataneous play using one
monitor and with your buddy about 3 inches from you. It's a
little cramped.
I
cannot tell you how relieved I am to be done with this damn
restore!!!! I think I have about 40hrs. total in this cabinet,
if not more. There is something to be said about spending a
little more and doing less. There isn't a piece in this cabinet
that I didn't touch, repaint, replace, or polish. This thing
was infested with mice when I got it and now it's a pristine
gem. It's minty.
Whoa. Two updates in one day. Crazy talk!
I just finished the 
