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Street fighter 1 pneumatic board

APDWaldo6

APDWaldo6

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I’ve finally found a street fighter board with the pneumatic switches on it. I’m wondering if anyone here has or has ever came across the pneumatic buttons.
 
As interesting as it is, that honestly looks like injury waiting to happen. I would think about how much you really would end up playing that thing. Joel from the Last Gamer show actually broke his wrist as a kid playing this machine and I can see why.

Is there any reason to hit it hard or can you give it moderate thumps with the same result?

It’s so dry right now that my hands are splitting and cracking from minor household bullshit. I envision blisters and shit from one play session with that machine
 
a lot of good restoration info can also be found on this KLOV thread: https://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=245025

Wraith said:
that honestly looks like injury waiting to happen.
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A big reason these are so rare is because they were nearly all converted to 6-button. Most likely because of player injuries and the pneumatic buttons breaking.

Regardless of how hard you NEED to hit the machine, when you tell people: "the harder you hit the button, the harder it hits in game" people are going to immediately take that as a challenge to see how hard they can hit the button.
 
I played it when I was a kid. It was out of order a lot because people would smash the shit out of it. Back then people didn’t know that it was only 3 levels but thought it was like a strength game like the punching bag and would try and hit it as hard as possible. I’m curious to see now how hard you actually had to hit it to get a strong punch or kick.
 
First and only time I played this version was a few years ago at the Kawasaki Warehouse arcade in Tokyo. Was neat to try, but I'd much rather play with standard buttons.
 
A lot of 3rd strike players slap the ever loving shit out of the buttons, especially when doing a super or an EX move, not to be obnoxious but because you want more of a chance to execute the move you’re trying to do. I’d imagine if you were playing this machine you’d do the same thing
 
If someone broke their wrist as a kid playing this, it’s most likely due to bad aim. He most likely slammed his wrist down on the bezel of the button instead of the middle of the punch pad. To get a fierce/roundhouse, you don’t need to hit it that hard.
 
APDWaldo6 said:
I played it when I was a kid. It was out of order a lot because people would smash the shit out of it. Back then people didn’t know that it was only 3 levels but thought it was like a strength game like the punching bag and would try and hit it as hard as possible. I’m curious to see now how hard you actually had to hit it to get a strong punch or kick.
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The machine in the video is mine. Took me a while to get it working.

Most people who have never played, or haven’t played in a while are curious how the buttons feel. I played this as a kid, and it’s pretty much how I remember.

Anyway, the rubber buttons have small pistons that need to be compressed so they can push air out. Most of the resistance comes from a large thick spring in the assembly.

So, the pads are firm, and you’d have to strike them fairly hard to get compression, and to get a response. And that’s what most people try to do. Most kids can’t consistently get an attack to come out because they mostly slap the buttons, and not much air comes out. But, there is a way to just push the button down, and be much more consistent; almost like one-handed CPR. All three “techniques” are in the video.
 
APDWaldo6 said:
@Vinsanity I’m loving your story so far, keep it coming. For anyone else that might be interested check out https://streetfighterone.wordpress.com/2019/06/02/street-fighter-one-introduction/
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Thank you! I mainly wanted to document what I’ve found before I forgot it all. The hope is that it can be a resource to help resurrect more of these beasts.

It’s a work in progress, and there’s not much yet there. I probably shouldn’t have published it incomplete, but I didn’t think anyone would actually read it!

Hope you enjoy, and please let me know what you think.
 
Vinsanity said:
APDWaldo6 said:
@Vinsanity I’m loving your story so far, keep it coming. For anyone else that might be interested check out https://streetfighterone.wordpress.com/2019/06/02/street-fighter-one-introduction/
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Thank you! I mainly wanted to document what I’ve found before I forgot it all. The hope is that it can be a resource to help resurrect more of these beasts.
It’s a work in progress, and there’s not much yet there. I probably shouldn’t have published it incomplete, but I didn’t think anyone would actually read it!

Hope you enjoy, and please let me know what you think.
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Its gonna be a long time before someone either finds a stash of old parts or takes the time to reproduce them. I should start looking for a pneumatic board for my cabinet.
 
zero238 said:
Its gonna be a long time before someone either finds a stash of old parts or takes the time to reproduce them. I should start looking for a pneumatic board for my cabinet.
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Do you have a deluxe/crescent cab. I’m actually moving down to Florida (hopefully soon) from my one bedroom apartment in Brooklyn NY. Flying out tomorrow to look at houses. I want to make sure I have enough room for about 5/6 cabs, one of them being a deluxe/crescent cab if I can find one.

I’ve kind of given up on anyone trying to reproduce them. I’ve seen plenty of posts about it but nothing ever seems to come of it. If I ever come across anything I’d definitely give it a try though, wether it being 3d printed or cnc milled (I don’t have a laser cutter yet, but will be looking into one once I’m settled in Florida)
 
the control panel can be taken off completely. After that is the problem of how you're going to move it because of its awkward shape. Also its an Atari cabinet so it will weigh heavier than lead. The control panel is 4ft wide but the main cab is 27-28in wide.
 
So, I've finally finished writing up my SF1 Pneumatic Cabinet restore. Here's the link if you're interested:

STREET FIGHTER ONE - Resurrecting the SF1 Deluxe Pneumatic Arcade Cabinet

In the end, the problem was not all that complex, but I thought it was interesting. This is not a quick read. And this is not really a tutorial (although it has enough information to be one). But more of a reflection on the history and development of Street Fighter, and also on my personal experience with the franchise.

A big part of preservation is sharing information. My hope is that the information I shared can be a resource to help appreciate SF1 a bit more, and maybe resurrect a few more of these pneumatic beasts.

Thank you all, and let me know what you think! Now, let's see those resurrected cabs!
 
I'll just be satisfied with getting the missing artwork. It looks pretty naked without the side art and marquee.
 
Thanks Vinsanity. I hope one day to find the pneumatic control pods. Don’t think I’ll ever find the cabinet but would be happy to build one from scratch if necessary.
 
zero238 said:
I'll just be satisfied with getting the missing artwork. It looks pretty naked without the side art and marquee.
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APDWaldo6 said:
Thanks Vinsanity. I hope one day to find the pneumatic control pods. Don’t think I’ll ever find the cabinet but would be happy to build one from scratch if necessary.
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Thanks so much! And, the art is in progress.
 
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