That Arcade Guy

08/05/2022

A few new designs...

06/29/2021

Last week I was contacted and asked if I could repair a non-working Ms Pac-Man cocktail table for somebody. They said it wouldn't even turn on when plugged in. So, I offered some quick advice over the phone about how he could get the machine powered up. He got it powered up and said there was nothing but garbage showing up on the monitor. I gave him a few different options as to the level of repairs that I could do... Whether it was a full restoration, just getting it fixed up so it works again, or cleaning it up and converting it to play more than just Ms Pac-Man.

He decided he would just get it back to working, and replace the broken glass top, since the rest of it was in pretty decent shape already, so he could sell it. So I figured, why not ask if I can just buy it from him as is!

We worked out a deal and I picked the game up over the weekend. After checking to be sure that all voltages were good, and that nothing was loose or out of place, I swapped out the PCB with another working one that I had sitting on the shelf already. (Doesn't everybody keep spare Ms Pac-Man PCBs in a box at home? LOL!)

As I dug into the machine, I noticed that it appeared to be always used in a home use only setting, not in an actual arcade. The cabinet's serial number and the serial number on the PCB matched up, and several parts inside that are usually swapped out or removed were still there!

A collector has already contacted me through another group that I'm in asking about getting it from me. So it will end up with them! I'll be holding on to it just a little while and enjoying it before getting it to its new home!

06/21/2021

Another poker cabinet converted to a 60 game multicade. Because the original Galaga bezel only had about 1 inch of art below the monitor, I had to do some custom graphics work to make it work with more space underneath the monitor. (This one is now at it's new owners home being enjoyed!)

04/26/2021

My latest build... Everything is new except for the LCD monitor itself.(new Gameboard, power supply, jamma harness, buttons, joysticks, scan-line generator, t-molding, and artwork.)

I'm pretty excited about this one, as it is a little different than any other one I've done before. It is a two player setup and is running the newest vertical multicade board that is available...The King of Air 2 made by Pandora Box. It plays all of the games that are in the 60 in 1, all of the games on the 412 in 1, and some other extras too. The coolest surprise on it is the fact that it plays Super Spacefortress Macross...and with two player co-op, it is SUPER fun!

This one is already sold, but if you'd like something like it, let me know and we can work out the details.

12/11/2020

12/04/2020

A member of the Carolina Arcade and Pinball Collectors group, James Bill Super, sent me some great pictures of the marquee in his original Galaga arcade cabinet. I wasn't able to add them in line with the photos I posted yesterday, so I am adding them together this way for easy comparison.

You will notice a "warmer" light in the original Galaga cabinet, as it is florescent, and not LED.

Enjoy!!

12/03/2020

For the first time, I have two Galaga themed multicades ready at the same time! (both are already sold too!) And of course, I had to line them up side by side for some photos!

So...I also thought I would post some comparison pics of the marquees, because I got them from two different vendors.

In each set of pictures, the first one is of the marquee ordered from ArcadeShop.com, and the second is the marquee ordered from PhoenixArcade.com.

Note: both marquees are being back-lit with the exact same 18" LED light. (Some purists in the hobby refuse to use LED lights, but I actually prefer them. They use WAY less electricity, they are rated for 50,000 hours so they do last longer, they put off no heat, and they won't fade your marquee's artwork like the old fluorescent ones could.)

11/18/2020

I collect vintage arcade game marquees, because the artwork on them is usually REALLY awesome!

These are pictures of the marquees that I got to add to my collection this week. (Yeah, I have a serious addiction, I know)

Some of these are bootlegs, which makes me like them even more, some are from games that I had never heard of before, and some are games that I just love the artwork for. (The one for Moon Patrol might be one of my all time favorite designs!)

Anyhow...enjoy!

09/17/2020

Tried something new...vertical grade laminate instead of paint for an arcade cabinet.

The prep work is all the same...striping old paint, sanding, bondo, more bondo, more sanding...but doing the laminate gives you a perfect finish that is ready to go in under 45 minutes!

Painting takes DAYS to get right...because of primer, sanding, 3 coats of oil based paint with one day of drying time and sanding in between!

It looks AMAZING! I don't think I'll ever go back to painting!

09/10/2020

Today I had a request to put together a quick tutorial of how to mount an LCD monitor into a vintage arcade cabinet.

There are lots of ways to do it, using just pieces of scrap wood, or metal brackets, or a combination of both of those.

I have found it easiest to use these square metal, "universal VESA mounting plates" that can be purchased online. (From time to time Monoprice.com has them on sale for as low as $5.99 a piece...and SOMETIMES they even run specials for free shipping...so load up on them when they are cheap!)

For this tutorial, I will be installing the monitor in a Ms Pac Man cabinet that is being converted to a Galaga themed multicade. (Yes...ANOTHER one...everyone loves Galaga!)

1. You will need to cut a piece of 1/2" or 3/4" plywood to match the inside width of your arcade cabinet. It will need to be 3" tall. (This allows for plenty of breathing room behind the monitor, and it allows the correct mounting holes in the plate to be assessable.) For Pac-Man, Ms pac-man, Galaga, and similar Midway brand cabinets, 23" is the magic number to use for the width, and 1/2" is the best thickness!

2. Next, you will have to find out what the best placement for the plate is on the plywood. That will vary depending on what brand of monitor it is, and whether you are mounting it vertically or horizontally. In this particular case, the plate is slightly offset, so that the vertical mounted HP brand monitor will be perfectly centered.

3. Once you have the board marked to show the correct location for the plate, you will need to attach the plate to the plywood using four 1/2" #8 wood screws.

4. After that, you will attach the board and plate to the back of the monitor.

5. Now that the monitor is mounted to the board in a way to ensure that it is centered, you will need to figure out what height to mount it at so that it is in the right position behind the bezel. The beauty of doing this in a Ms Pac-Man type cabinet, is that you can slide it up and down on the existing rails, then put the bezel in place, and make sure that the screen is perfectly located. Once you have the right location mark it with a pencil and drill pilot holes through the wood board and into the metal rail. Then put one screw on each side, left and right, to mount it in place.

6. That's it! You can now put your plastic bezel in place, and put the glass bezel back in. You're all done and it will look perfect!! (I use the 19-in LCD plastic bezel from TwistedQuarter.com. After trimming to the correct size, they look REALLY good!)

If you have any questions or run into any issues, feel free to send me a message I'd be happy to help you through it!

06/07/2020

Well...finished up the coin doors today. They turned out great!