Maverick1978
Student
Hey folks... I've been here for awhile, but realized a moment ago that I never introduced myself properly!
I'm relatively new to actual owning of arcade machines, but an old hand at the community in general - as a lurker, anyways.
I was a kid in the 80s, like many of you, but I lived in a rural area, and my family didn't have much in the way of extras - like allowing me quarters to feed I to every pin and arcade that I saw!
On the rare occasions that we would go out to eat, it was usually to an establishment that had an arcade machine in house. Pac-man, Mspac, 1941, these were usually what I saw - yes, I was the kid constantly scrounging the coin returns and the floors nearby the arcades, candy machines, and jukes looking for quarters! - and the pay phones were a favorite too! Although I realize that some of you younger forum members might not know what those are
My golden time was in the late 1980s when arcades had all but disappeared...but we still had skating rinks! The local rink had a selection of about 10 games, and when my brother and i would go skating, we were usually given $1.50 for a slice and a drink for lunch.
Me, I drank water from the fountain and went hungry... there were games calling!! Mspac, DJ Boy, Contra, 1943, Joust, Double Dragon, and 2 pins who's names I cannot for the life of me remember... these were what I played
As I got older and working for my own money, I started collecting the consoles and games we couldn't afford when I was younger. I started feeding my vintage computer and comic addiction (other toys I enjoyed and couldn't afford growing up).
When emulation hit, I was there, installing MAME and all the standalone DOS emulators (RetroCade and RetroBabe still rule!)
I then started learning to build controls to interface my console controllers with the computer for emulation play... later, I started building fightsticks and converting fightsticks for multi-console (though I called them arcade sticks and still prefer that term)
When I got a PVM, I started RGB modding my consoles. Even though i was lazy for years prior, as I've always had my old Commodore RGB monitors around... but who wants to game on a 13" screen!?
I took the arcade plunge a few years ago with a Pac Cocktail that is forever in a state of refurbishment. One of these days i need to finish stripping that cab and getting her refurbished completely.
Earlier this year, I bought a Sega Bass Fishing and am working to convert it back to a Blast City.
I then stumbled upon not one but two 19" jamma cabinets, both with Irem Skins Game within. Do you smell those conversions cooking!?
I then snagged a 720 for a good price that I'm currently trying to trade away. Then a few days later, I stumbled upon a lot deal for a gimme price - two Area 51 Site 4's, Hydro Thunder and Fast and Furious sit downs, a Rowe jukebox, 2 redemption machines, and a bill changer.
I've currently got an Area 51 working and am working on the 2nd, the plan being to flip all of these machines to pay myself back for what I'm keeping as well as to (hopefully) fund my weekend at this year's FreePlay Florida event.
I don't have the room to keep all of the arcades I've acquired, so 2 (or 3) is my allowance. For now..
We all know how this usually ends up going..
I'm relatively new to actual owning of arcade machines, but an old hand at the community in general - as a lurker, anyways.
I was a kid in the 80s, like many of you, but I lived in a rural area, and my family didn't have much in the way of extras - like allowing me quarters to feed I to every pin and arcade that I saw!
On the rare occasions that we would go out to eat, it was usually to an establishment that had an arcade machine in house. Pac-man, Mspac, 1941, these were usually what I saw - yes, I was the kid constantly scrounging the coin returns and the floors nearby the arcades, candy machines, and jukes looking for quarters! - and the pay phones were a favorite too! Although I realize that some of you younger forum members might not know what those are
My golden time was in the late 1980s when arcades had all but disappeared...but we still had skating rinks! The local rink had a selection of about 10 games, and when my brother and i would go skating, we were usually given $1.50 for a slice and a drink for lunch.
Me, I drank water from the fountain and went hungry... there were games calling!! Mspac, DJ Boy, Contra, 1943, Joust, Double Dragon, and 2 pins who's names I cannot for the life of me remember... these were what I played
As I got older and working for my own money, I started collecting the consoles and games we couldn't afford when I was younger. I started feeding my vintage computer and comic addiction (other toys I enjoyed and couldn't afford growing up).
When emulation hit, I was there, installing MAME and all the standalone DOS emulators (RetroCade and RetroBabe still rule!)
I then started learning to build controls to interface my console controllers with the computer for emulation play... later, I started building fightsticks and converting fightsticks for multi-console (though I called them arcade sticks and still prefer that term)
When I got a PVM, I started RGB modding my consoles. Even though i was lazy for years prior, as I've always had my old Commodore RGB monitors around... but who wants to game on a 13" screen!?
I took the arcade plunge a few years ago with a Pac Cocktail that is forever in a state of refurbishment. One of these days i need to finish stripping that cab and getting her refurbished completely.
Earlier this year, I bought a Sega Bass Fishing and am working to convert it back to a Blast City.
I then stumbled upon not one but two 19" jamma cabinets, both with Irem Skins Game within. Do you smell those conversions cooking!?
I then snagged a 720 for a good price that I'm currently trying to trade away. Then a few days later, I stumbled upon a lot deal for a gimme price - two Area 51 Site 4's, Hydro Thunder and Fast and Furious sit downs, a Rowe jukebox, 2 redemption machines, and a bill changer.
I've currently got an Area 51 working and am working on the 2nd, the plan being to flip all of these machines to pay myself back for what I'm keeping as well as to (hopefully) fund my weekend at this year's FreePlay Florida event.
I don't have the room to keep all of the arcades I've acquired, so 2 (or 3) is my allowance. For now..
We all know how this usually ends up going..
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