arcadephile

Arcade collector, restorer, and enthusiast.

[arcadephile]

FAQ

Got a question for me? There's a fair chance I've answered it here. If not, feel free to send me an ask; I'm always happy to chat.

What’s your favourite arcade game?

It’s too hard to pick just one, but my favourite arcade games are:

Blood Bros

Crazy Taxi

Daytona

Final Fight

Metal Slug

Millipede

Mortal Kombat 2

NBA Jam Tournament Edition

Out Zone

Raiden

Sega Rally

Snow Bros

Street Fighter 2 Hyper Fighting

Street Fighter Alpha/Zero 2

Super Pang

Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo

Three Wonders

Willow

Wonder Boy

I’m sure there are others I’ve forgotten, so I’ll update this list from time to time.

What’s in your arcade collection?

Cabinets:

Gottlieb Australia 2-player “Challenger”

Leisure and Allied Industries 2-player 4-slot Neo Geo MVS

Chinese Reproduction 2-player “Challenger”

Arcadeworx 1-player bartop

Custom 2-player MAME bartop

Leisure and Allied Industries Point Blank

Hankin Cocktail Cabinet

Generic Cocktail Cabinet

Leisure and Allied Industries Lowboy x 2

Generic Lowboy

Leisure & Allied Industries upright.

Game Boards:

2020 Super Baseball

Alien Vs. Predator

ArcadeSD (multi-board)

Fatal Fury

Fatal Fury 2

Ghosts ‘n Goblins

Kabuki Klash

King of Fighters 98

Metal Slug

NAM-1975

Puzzle Bobble

Raiden Fighters 2

Samurai Shodown 2

Samurai Shodown 3

Snow Bros

Street Fighter 2 Hyper Fighting x 2

Street Fighter Zero 2

Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix

Super Puzzle Fighter 2

Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo

The Last Blade

The Last Blade 2

Toki

Wonder Boy

World Heroes 2

I’m interested in arcade collecting, what do I need to know?

I’ve written half novels on this matter to people in the past, but I’ll try to summarise here:

Accept that things are going to break, and that unless you want to spend a lot of money, you’ll need to learn how to fix things yourself to some extent. An inexpensive multimeter with continuity test can go a long way.

Somewhat related to the previous point, don’t be scared to get your hands dirty, it’s how we learn.

Get to know people in the arcade community. Be they online or in person, local or halfway across the world. I really think this is key to fast-tracking your knowledge, and arguably more importantly, really enjoying the hobby. You’ll also get the best deals this way. The KLOV forums are a good place to start.

Ask as many questions as possible. The majority of people in the community are more than happy to help wherever possible. We all have to start somewhere after all.

Be wary of eBay sellers. You’re much better buying through Craigslist if you’re in the United States (or your country’s most popular classified site, if you’re not), or buying through local collectors.

Be wary of sellers who market their products to the “man cave” market. The products by and large will be garbage and expensive. As good as 10,000 games in 1 machine sounds, it’s really not.

Be wary of any seller who refers to an LCD monitor as an “upgrade”. This person is lying to you, and almost certainly aiming at the “man cave” market. While LCDs are more convenient in many ways, they simply don’t compare to CRT monitors when it comes to picture quality for older games. It is worth noting that I’m somewhat of a purist, and not everybody will agree with me on this point. These people are, however, wrong lol.

Be aware that purists will flame the hell out of you if you suggest putting and LCD monitor in a classic cabinet.

Be aware that CRT monitors are dangerous. Do thorough research before working on one, but don’t be scared to, as a few simple precautions make things pretty safe.

Once you’ve learnt your way around a few repairs, keep your eye out for cheap broken game boards and cabinets. You can save a lot of money this way, as well as gain a sense of satisfaction for bringing dead stuff back to life.

Don’t forget to actually play your games. It’s easy to get wrapped up in collecting and fixing things, but ultimately games are for playing.

Don’t forget to have fun. It’s easy to get disheartened when things die, but try not to let it get you down too much.

Help others. It’s amazing how quickly your knowledge grows in this hobby. Give back to the community by helping out somebody who is just starting out; it feels great.

I have a technical issue, can you help me?

Sure, I can try at least. Flick me a direct message and I’ll see what I can do.

[arcadephile]

30 seconds after I cleaned them…

[arcadephile]

Big Patrick passed away today, one day shy of his sixth birthday. No more suffering, mate. You will be sorely missed.

[arcadephile]

Did you ever visit Sega World in Sydney?

I did, multiple times. As a teenager I was a huge SEGA fan (still am) so when I heard it was opening it was not negotiable. I still have some merch floating around somewhere. Some very fond memories. Kills me seeing the abandoned building in photos.

[arcadephile]

Have you ever played Darkstalkers? What’s your opinion on it?

Not a whole lot honestly, but I really should. I’ve never seen it in the wild.

[arcadephile]

How often do you work on the arcade machines you own? Is it a very complicated process?

There’s always some little to thing to work on, but at this point most of the big things have been sorted. In this hobby though nothing is ever guaranteed, and things have a habit of going wrong just as you’ve got everything running smoothly. Of the 10 machines currently in my arcade room, my Point Blank is currently down (after we had guests over for a big session), and the sixth slot in my Neo Geo MVS is down also. As far as the process is concerned, the basics aren’t too hard to learn, and many problems can be solved with them alone. One thing I will say though is that if you’re considering buying a machine, expect to have to fix some things going forward.

[arcadephile]

What was your highest score in any street fighter game?

The only one I’ve ever really concentrated in score for is Street Fighter Alpha 2. I can’t remember exactly what my highest score is, but I would essentially finish every round with a level 3 super combo. I’m not sure what method the serious high score chasers use as a method though, there could be much better ones.

[arcadephile]

😂

[arcadephile]

Some new marquees made by Noodle Shirt. I also got a new control panel overlay for my 6-slot Neo Geo MVS, but I’ll post that separately.

[arcadephile]

I never saw these in the wild, and only recently found out that it was an option. Pretty crazy, and ergonomically suspect, but awesome nonetheless.

[arcadephile]

Join Arcade Collectors, Restorers, and Enthusiasts • Community on Tumblr

A community for lovers of arcade gaming

I started a community if anybody is keen.

[arcadephile]

You’re welcome; anything for pixel-art Val Kilmer.

[arcadephile]

RIP Val 💔

As sad as I am, I’m glad you’re no longer suffering.

[arcadephile]

Well, you don’t see an Ice Cold Beer themed cabinet very often.

[arcadephile]

Sega World (Abandoned) - Fukushima, Japan

😢

[arcadephile]

Sega After Burner 😍

[arcadephile]

hey!

what do you think of arcade rhythm games? or are they not retro enough for you?

I enjoy rhythm games although as you suggest they were a little after my time. I’m always thoroughly impressed by the serious DDR players you see in arcades, and know a couple who always impress me. If I’m entirely honest I’m a little intimidated by dancing games. I do really enjoy the Taiko games though.

[arcadephile]

My latest pickup.

[arcadephile]

Hmm, it seems the game board isn’t the only thing missing…