Blue Donkey Kong Jr. Board

I poked around RGVAC, and there were quite a few mentions of this blue Donkey Kong Junior PCB, and they all call it a ‘bootleg’. However, would bootlegs really go to the length of silkscreening the little DK character? Seems unlikely. ‘MacMan’ theorizes that this is a ‘Junior King’ boardset;

Just a guess but there was a blue solder mask Donkey Kong Junior that was called Junior King (JK)… I had it a while back. I don’t remember the big K on donkey kongs chest… but it could be something. Try and burn a set of bootleg DK Jnr’s and see….

Maybe Jason can pop the pcb into a game and check the attract screen, see if it actually a ‘Junior King‘. There aren’t any pictures of the board on the CrazyKong website. Here are the photos of the pcb;

Here are the topics on RGVAC referencing the PCB;

• Bootleg Donkey Kong JR
• Picked up 2 new games Arabin and Donkey Kong JR
• ID: somekind of wierd d-kong board (Junior King Reference)
• FT: Donkey Kong Jr board, SF Bay Area
• HELP: PCB Identification – DK Jr. CT (Junior King Reference)
• Help! PCB ID
• Donkey Kong Jr bootleg – colour problem (Junior King Reference)

The pots may be evidence enough that this was a mass run bootleg PCB. If you can provide some other referenceable evidence that this definitely is or isn’t a bootleg DK Jr. PCB (Or have links to other old topics), drop a link / comment below. Thanks to Jason S. for letting me post about this boardset.

You're reading “Donkie Buddy”, the fancy bootleg? is a post from: Jeff Rothe, originally posted on Rotheblog - An Arcade Game Blog. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Jeff on Twitter, Facebook, and Google +.

Cutting edge 1985 Graphics

I won’t rehash all of the great information and content that Chris at turbosub.com has compiled. From storyboards to photos of the original prototype with the creators, the site is rich in information about Entertainment Sciences and catalogs his work to track down the creators of the two ES games.

Admittedly, the timing of this Turbo Sub gameplay is interesting for me. Tomorrow I get to play this ES game in person, and I couldn’t be more excited now. Turbo Sub looks like it will be off the charts fun.

So Damon joins the ranks of Jason S., a guy in TX, Todd Bordelon and Kirby Gowland who own Turbo Subs. Jason says that Chris of www.turbosub.com doesn’t own one. Who else?

If you own a Turbo Sub and want to share your acquisition story I’d love to spotlight it here. The IONPool page really has the best information collecting memories of folks who encountered ES games. Congrats to you Damon, thanks for sharing the photo and the video!

You're reading Another Turbo Sub Surfaces is a post from: Jeff Rothe, originally posted on Rotheblog - An Arcade Game Blog. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Jeff on Twitter, Facebook, and Google +.

Play an original Tron arcade game at the Indiana State Museum

Tron is one of the few arcade games that continues to hold its value. If you tried to purchase a working Tron arcade game right now, you’d find a price tag of over $1,000. A collecting friend in Minnesota sold a pristine Tron on eBay in early December for $2,200! Why not get your fix while you can for just a quarter downtown at the Indy State Museum.

Once you walk in the doors, head downstairs and to the back side of the stairs. The Tron cabinet is just outside the entrance to the IMAX theater, and you can walk up and enjoy a game or two without having to pay for admission to another exhibit.

Other Tron Arcade Games in Indianapolis / Other Cities?

Who else went to see Tron Legacy and there was an original arcade game to play? What other special promotions or memorabilia were brought in to celebrate the release of the movie in your town? Leave a comment, I’d love to hear.

You're reading Catch Tron Legacy IMAX & play some original Tron is a post from: Jeff Rothe, originally posted on Rotheblog - An Arcade Game Blog. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Jeff on Twitter, Facebook, and Google +.

Passing off an I, Robot to a friend

I, Robot is a decently desirable game. One sold up in northern Indiana earlier this year for a great deal, but usually an I, Robot isn’t the type of game that sells for a cheap conversion price tag of $250. I, Robot is not a game I wanted, and being in New York it wasn’t one I’d reasonable be able to grab.

Since I wasn’t interested, I thought it would be cool to hook up a friend with a potentially cool find. I’ve had this happen before, I connected Bill J. to a Mad Planets in Ohio through an inquiry made here on this website.

It’s always great to expand the network, and I always make the effort to meet every arcade collector I can. Unfortunately, my network beyond the states neighboring Indiana isn’t as strong as I’d like. Plus, people are busy and don’t always have the time to return a message in a timely manner. Fortunately, the second person I contacted got back with me. He is in New York and was really interested to check out the I, Robot.

Condition of the I, Robot

Having sat for 15 years, I was hopeful that the I, Robot was close to HUO. By the owner’s description, it sounded as though the board would need some work, but the cabinet was in decent condition.

Sadly, that wasn’t the case. Here is the report I got back on this particular I, Robot;

I made arrangements to make the two hour drive to check out the game in person and a tear came to my eye when I saw it in person, there was mold on the cardboard surround! The control panel plastic was broken but that seems to be the way on all these games (I, Robots).

Also, on the exterior of the cab, there was evidence of water damage as you can see the water line on the side of the base….I had to drill out the lock sets to gain access. Once opened, it was apparent that water, at some time, had made it’s way into the cab.

I, Robot almost got trashed.

Discovering the condition, the idea was to walk away. But the seller really wanted to close a deal – in the end, the I, Robot got parted out! A really sad story that started out with such great potential.

Or so I thought!

On the way home, the buyer had such remorse about parting the game out and leaving the cabinet that he called the seller, struck a deal, and had the I, Robot cabinet shipped to his house instead!

I, Robot Restoration

This particular individual has some solid holistic repair chops, so I anticipate that he will restore this I, Robot from head to toe. As he does, I’ll post some updates.

As always, I always looking to build relationships with collectors in other states. It’s a blast to hook others up with great finds (even if they are moldy ). If you are looking to find a particular arcade game without any luck, drop me a line. Its always good to chat. Who knows, maybe I’ll email you one day telling you about a rare game (Quantum, Computer Space??) in your area!!!

You're reading The I, Robot hookup in New York is a post from: Jeff Rothe, originally posted on Rotheblog - An Arcade Game Blog. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Jeff on Twitter, Facebook, and Google +.

Best Mr. Do! Conversion Cabinet

That’s my take anyway, best by far. All those ugly wood grain conversions out there, the best of those uglies having that goofy circular sideart decal. To me, this ALS cabinet is the best hands down conversion, if you don’t count other licensed Tehkan Mr. Do! cabinet.

You’ll recognize this Zaccaria cabinet as it was pictured in several flyers for different games including Cat N’ Mouse and Money Money.

I’ve did plenty of Googlin’ on the interwebs back in the day, and I never ran across an instance of this cabinet. If you have seen a photo of, or know someone who owns this Mr. Do!, drop me a line. If you have any definite information on how ALS and their relationship to Zaccaria also leave a comment.

If you are a Zaccaria artwork / cabinet fanatic like me maybe its time to grab a cup of coffee and blow some time browsing through the photo gallery at Zaccaria.org. Thanks again to Dan at ArcadeFlyers.com for sharing.

You're reading Seen this Zaccaria Mr. Do! before? is a post from: Jeff Rothe, originally posted on Rotheblog - An Arcade Game Blog. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Jeff on Twitter, Facebook, and Google +.

Berzerk prototype sideart / artwork rendering

Stern was always looking to cut costs. They were just entering the video game market with the purchase of a small outfit named URL. As they hired a young designer from Dave Nutting Associates by the name of Alan McNeil, they were looking to produce their first video game hit.

Alan wasn’t going to get the chance to develop his own game at DNA, so he hopped ship and in the process, started a chain of events on Stern’s most popular arcade game of all time.

Berzerk had some small road bumps (joystick, color gameplay), but sold nearly 50,000 units upon release. We all know and recognize the blue and red stenciled artwork, but what if the artwork looked like the original rendering! What artist rendering you ask? This one;

Pretty awesome rendering. I love it. I am not crazy about the color palette, I do love the original blue and red, but how different would Berzerk have looked with this style of artwork on the sides of the cabinet and the bezel.

Thanks for sharing Alan! Check out Alan’s photo gallery at Coinopspace.com for a couple of other related images.

You're reading Original Berzerk Sideart Design via Alan McNeil is a post from: Jeff Rothe, originally posted on Rotheblog - An Arcade Game Blog. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Jeff on Twitter, Facebook, and Google +.

Donkey Kong Bargin – For someone else

The Craigslist ad didn’t have a phone number which meant there was an opportunity for me. I found the number and gave a call. It sounded as though both sides had sideart and the game still worked, and they were asking $200 for it. Anyone who wants a Donkey Kong arcade for their collection, $200 is a solid deal.

I was up on the northside all day on Friday, but I made a second trip back up to check out the Donkey Kong later that evening with the truck.

A pretty nice looking machine! You can see the one side had a scrape but overall the sideart was in good condition. The monitor had some issues that could be solved by a $25 cap kit. Beyond that, solid looking cabinet, no scratches on the plexi and the cpanel plexi seems to be in decent condition as well.

Sounds like the couple had purchased this cabinet in hopes of starting a home arcade and Donkey Kong was the first piece. But that never came to be.

In the end, I passed on the game. It wasn’t something I wanted for my collection which means I would buy it to trade.

Did you buy the Donkey Kong?

Drop me a note. I’d be curious to hear who got it. I hope it was someone who actually wanted it and loves DK.

You're reading Donkey Kong Deal in Indy is a post from: Jeff Rothe, originally posted on Rotheblog - An Arcade Game Blog. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Jeff on Twitter, Facebook, and Google +.

Pepper II on Craigslist – Unclaimed for 3 days!

Here is the story.

The weekend of Aug. 6-8th I got away for a little while – Chris and I took a trip to Columbus, OH to play arcade games for the weekend. We hung out with Greg, with one of the most amazing gamerooms I’ve ever seen, and we also made the effort to get out and meet a couple of other more experienced collectors. Beat from the weekend of relaxing , Sunday was low key before the grind started back on Monday.

Chris headed out Monday morning fairly early, and soon after I saw the Pepper II posting. Once I heard back from the poster I realized Chris was about :30 minutes north of Lafayette and needing to get back. I decided to not call him, he could back track a half hour on a wild goose chase for all I knew. Knowing that I had a busy week and that the Pepper II cabinet would surely be claimed soon, I archived the email.

Craigslist adventure – New life

Having already figured the Pepper was gone and end of story, I was extremely surprised to get an email Tuesday afternoon. The seller shoots me a message out of the blue to say “The Pepper is still sitting on the curb as of noon today“.

Bizarre! I can’t believe its still there. The few arcade game collectors in Lafeyette must not be active anymore.

Even this anomaly couldn’t last and by the time I got home the Pepper cabinet would be gone. But I made some calls at 6:30 anyway to see if I could get some eyes on the ground.

I got a confirmation at 8:30 that the Pepper II arcade game was still sitting on the curb! Honestly, what the heck is going on?

Patiently waiting to get the game

By the time my wife got home to relieve me, it was after 10pm. It was going to be a long night and I’d be the only crazy person in the truck. Headed up to Lafayette, sure enough, there sat Pepper II with a lined piece of paper stuck to it reading “Free”.

No one could tell from the photos what condition the game was in. Sadly, the sides are painted over in black with no indication that the original Pepper II sideart is still there. The back door absorbed some water from sitting on the curb and will need to be replaced. However, the control panel and artwork in general are in excellent condition. Time will tell if losing three hours of sleep will be worth it.

I loaded the cabinet up in the truck, made sure everything was secure and headed back home.

Pepper II for sale in Indianapolis

I don’t plan to keep Pepper II, so it is currently up for sale with an offer pending. If you are interested and want to pick up in the Indianapolis area, drop me a line.

You're reading Pepper II, Free from Craigslist is a post from: Jeff Rothe, originally posted on Rotheblog - An Arcade Game Blog. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Jeff on Twitter, Facebook, and Google +.

Many of these cabinets will have wear and tear from 20 years of moving around from location to location and some restoration will be necessary to make your Donkey Kong look like the arcade game you remember.

Here is a photo gallery showing someone who restored their Donkey Kong (not me), converting back from a Rastan to its original Nintendo glory. From hole patching to side art placement, this photo tutorial has a lot of good information.

Feel free to leave comments with any questions, and even though it is not my machine, I will do my best to answer them. You can also visit my Donkey Kong arcade game page which contains a lot of information and resources to answer your questions.

Donkey Kong cabinet restoration – Part 1

Finding a Donkey Kong in your area should not be all that difficult. But usually, a complete working cabinet will cost $400-$450. Sometimes it makes more sense to buy a cheap cabinet and restore it. That is what this one home owner did.

This was originally a Donkey Kong cabinet that looks like it was converted to a Vs. cabinet then later converted to jamma Rastan cabinet. $60 dollars later and 3+ hours we had the cabinet home, and in the garage. As you will see, we had to do alot of filling and sanding ahead of us – The first photo is showing the cabinet converted to a Rastan and then the second shows some of the scratches and dings.

First step, use bondo to patch all of the imperfections on all sides of our Donkey Kong cabinet, even including the back door.

After the Bondo dried, time to sand down the sides of the cabinet.

The front had been repainted in black at some point in its life, but it was an extremely sloppy paint job. We started to use paint stripper on the Donkey Kong and get it to a base to be repainted.

After that we taped off the sides so we can paint black on the inside.

Donkey Kong arcade restoration Part 2 – Primer

Coming in the next part of the tutorial, we are going to start to lay down the primer on the sides of the cabinet before we give it a fresh coat of blue!

You're reading Donkey Kong Arcade Game Restoration is a post from: Jeff Rothe, originally posted on Rotheblog - An Arcade Game Blog. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Jeff on Twitter, Facebook, and Google +.

A Sundance arcade game in Little Sweden

The story of this Sundance arcade game is truly a riveting one. It started out simply enough – a collector was doing some surfing on a site called ArtificalOwl.com, a site dedicated to photographing some of the most fascinating abandoned man-made structures.

One of the sites was an old lodge named Little Sweden, 22 miles east of Sonora, CA on highway 108. This old lodge had been abandoned but not cleaned out. If you take a look at the Little Sweden photo album, you will see a decaying time capsule of 70′s furniture, appliances and other commercial relics. The album as a whole is bewitching, at times amazing and at others spooky.

Photo via Artificial Owl

But nestled within this album was one lone photo with a caption “An old video game.”

Photo via Artificial Owl

Well, this is not just any old video / arcade game. This particular game was one of the first made by Cinematronics in 1979. While some of the Cinematronics titles saw wide pervasive distribution, other titles (such as Cosmic Chasm) had only a limited production run. These rare titles are still sought after by collectors that consider them “holy grails”.

This was the case with Sundance. Tim Skelly, the creator, is quoted as saying Sundance was a “very fragile game, and few lived long”. But being an early black & white vector, collectors still find this game highly desirable. Here is the original flyer;

Flyer from ArcadeFlyers.com

How rare is the game? Well, VAPS.org lists only two known instances of Sundance. There is very little information online about the game in general from photos to chatter about the game on forums. One of the few really interesting articles available is Brian Jones’ Sundance restoration from the brink of disintegration.

There probably aren’t more than 15 still around, maybe less. Couple that with the fact that Sundance is a Cinematronics game and is extremely rare, ‘collectors’ will spare no cost to step over each other to get one. Due to the low numbers it’s hard to know what this arcade is worth, and the kicker – we don’t know anything about the condition or completeness.

The Sundance Chase

The minute that first photo surfaced on the 27th of July, 2010 I knew there would be groups vying to acquire the game. Some would attempt a legal route of acquisition, some would stay completely silent until they had the Sundance cabinet in hand.

I would normally say – Go read how the whole story unfolded in the quest for this arcade game. Sadly, the forum is so poorly moderated the thread exploded to 60+ pages of information, 99% of which is useless postulating, greed, immaturity and general idiocy.

Photo via Artificial Owl

So here is basically what ends up happening.

Many collectors are trying to get a hold of the original owner of the Little Sweden property – Donald Williams to legally purchase the game. A ton of research and effort goes into tracking down information about the property, the owner, his property tax status etc. Maps are posted, neighbors in the area are phoned and interviewed, information is purchased – a tremendous amount of resources into finding more about the circumstances and the possibility of legally purchasing the game.

But in the end, its the guy who has the moxy to walk into a meth ridden, decrepid, feces riddled structure, pull the Sundance cabinet out and drive it home that ends up with it.

One forum member by the handle name of Jehuie ends up stopping off on a trip with his whole family and snags the Sundance out of the cabin and takes it home. He then proceeds to post photos of it online, and the condition of the game is amazing given the surroundings.

Enter the Little Sweden Sundance Arcade gallery

The Sundance arcade epic – Ongoing

The story is currently ongoing. After the photos of the cabinet were posted the topic reached a boiling point. The forum is completely public, so any individual can pop in and see the photos that were taken, what was said and who ‘appears’ to have the game. Letters were written and so many people locally to the area were approached that one old arcade game has hit a word of mouth tipping point.

Jehuie has said he’s been approached by the police and has been recommended to keep information close to the chest.

Conclusion

There isn’t a conclusion to the Little Sweden Sundance Chase. But it is a pretty amazing story. From one random photo album on the web, to an extremely rare arcade game out in the middle of no-where, to the collectors going out and rescuing the cabinet which is in decent shape.

What would you have done? Would you have just gone onto the property, grabbed the game and not told anyone? If you were within driving distance, and you thought you wanted the game, what would have been your approach?

You're reading Best way to acquire an arcade game worth $2,000? Steal it! is a post from: Jeff Rothe, originally posted on Rotheblog - An Arcade Game Blog. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Jeff on Twitter, Facebook, and Google +.