From Belgium😊

[gege1215]

Hello everyone

My name is Gérald, I'm 41 years old and I'm from Belgium.

I was born in 1984, right in the golden age of arcade gaming. I was lucky enough to experience the great console wars and, above all, the incredible arcade machines that made us dream. As a kid, I could never understand why the games in the arcade looked so amazing, while the "home conversions" on the Mega Drive were such a disappointment compared to the real thing.

My first arcade cabinet was a Mortal Kombat 1 machine that I bought many years ago for what now seems like a ridiculous price: €250. At first, I didn't know much about arcade hardware. I played that machine for years until I discovered the JAMMA standard and realized I could swap game boards. That completely changed everything. From that moment on, I started learning about the different arcade systems, and my passion really took off.

I went through a huge arcade collecting phase before moving into pinball. Eventually, I sold my arcade collection to focus on pinball machines. Unfortunately, today's pinball prices have become crazy, so I decided to step away from that hobby.

One thing I never sold, though, is my collection of Sony PVM monitors. I've always loved them, especially for retro consoles and RPGs.

Recently, I felt the urge to get back into arcade gaming, but this time without owning full cabinets. They take up too much space, require constant maintenance, and CRT arcade monitors can be unpredictable. On the other hand, arcade systems connected to a good Sony PVM look absolutely stunning.

These days, I'm much more interested in arcade systems than in collecting individual PCBs. I really love projects such as the Taito F3 Multi, Irem M92 Multi, Darksoft ST-V, Darksoft CPS2, and similar solutions. In my opinion, multi-system projects are one of the best things that ever happened to the arcade community. They allow us to preserve the original hardware while enjoying an entire library of games without having to store, maintain, or risk damaging hundreds of individual PCBs.

Sorry for the long introduction! I just wanted to share a little about myself.

I'm looking forward to learning from everyone here and hopefully contributing to the community as well.

Thanks for having me!

 

[raidenmaniac1]

Welcome ! You made a wise choice to keep your PVMs. I own some cabinets but nowadays I mostly find myself using my PVM with a Sigma AV7000 supergun just for the ease of swapping PCB/rotating monitor and built in autofire. Yes it does not have the charm of a real cab but the versatility of being able to plug in custom controllers (Rotary, spinner) to a supergun makes it much more valuable in my opinion.
Where are you located in Belgium?

 

[gege1215]

I'm really glad to read your reply because I completely agree with you.

After owning around 20 or 30 arcade cabinets over the years, I have to admit that I really miss the beauty and presence of a real cabinet. But, like you said, they're not very practical. Having to unlock the cabinet, rotate the monitor, swap PCBs, close everything back up... it becomes quite a hassle.

Honestly, I think the convenience of using a supergun changes everything. It has brought back my enjoyment of arcade gaming. I can simply plug in another system and start playing without spending time changing hardware every time.

Of course, nothing will ever replace the feeling of sitting in front of a real arcade cabinet. It has a unique charm. But I also have to admit that playing comfortably on a sofa with a high-quality monitor is a great experience too.

And honestly, Sony PVMs are incredible. Many arcade monitors have become quite worn over the years, and a PVM can really bring the games back to life. I've noticed details in some games that I could no longer see on certain arcade monitors because they had aged. The picture quality on a PVM is simply outstanding.

As for me, I'm located in Belgium, in the province of Hainaut, in a small town called Pont-à-Celles.

For a first conversation, I already find this really enjoyable, and I hope to chat with more people here.

By the way, what was your very first arcade cabinet, and where are you located?

Thanks again for your reply, and have a great evening!

 

[raidenmaniac1]

My very first arcade cab was (and still own) a generic dynamo cab with Gunbird 2. I m in Nevada quite far away from Belgium but close to my heart as I've been to Belgium many many times (Mouscron, Tournai, Mons...). Love the place and the large serving of French fries you get from food trucks down there.
Cheers.