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.











