Ataricade: Older News

HOME · GAMES · POSTERS · QUANTUM REGISTRY · TEST EQ. · ODDS & ENDS · LINKS

OLDER NEWS

5/5/08: California Extreme 2008: July 19 & 20.

The official dates for this year's CAX are Saturday, July 19 & Sunday, July 20. For more information visit: California Extreme.

The CAX Forums website is also a good source for the latest news and also for details about what events will be scheduled.

You can see photos from last year's show here: CAX 2007.

Here's a link to a video (forward to 3:49 in the video): The Reboot.

3/30/08: 720° controller rebuild.

I rebuilt the rotary controller on my 720° recently and I posted a detailed thread on the KLOV forum that has procedural information, what parts needed to be replaced, and more. You can view it here: 720 Rotary Controller Rebuild.

3/17/08: 720° acquired.

I recently bought a 720° from local and long time collector Damon Claussen. Overall it's in great shape but I'll be doing some cabinet re-vinyling and will be replacing the control panel and marquee overlays. I'll add pictures of it to the photo gallery when I'm done.

Also I added a link to the Collector's/Reference Links page for Jeff Civitate's website that's devoted to all things 720° (make sure that you watch his YouTube video): Jeff's 720° Page.

3/8/08: "Game On" opens in Melbourne.

"Game On" opened yesterday at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne, Australia. For those living down under it's definitely worth paying a visit. There are many classic arcade games there (lots of Atari titles), an array of console games, the grandfather of video games (a replica circa 1962 PDP-1 computer which birthed the game "Spacewar") and much, much more. The show will remain in Melbourne until July 13th (photo © ign.com/ACMI).

Go here for a review and pictures (from ign.com): Game On Photo Feature.

Here's ticket info and more details from the ACMI website: ACMI: Game On.

3/7/08: Quantum Artwork Article.

Jeff Rothe has written an excellent article concerning reproduction artwork that has been made for one of Atari's greatest color vector games, Quantum. Read the article for yourself at the Rotheblog: Atari Quantum Reproduction Artwork.

3/6/08: Agent X/Cloak & Dagger artwork update.

The complete set of Atari Agent X/Cloak & Dagger artwork for the dedicated cabinet has entered the final stages of completion. You can view the latest images and read details at the project page on the ThisOldGame website: http://www.thisoldgame.com/Projects/AgentX.htm.

Additionally, Jeff Rothe of Rothecreations (the man who vectorized the front art for this project) has written a great editorial with some interesting printing process details. You can read more about it here: http://www.rotheblog.com/2008/02/arcade/agent-x-color-screens.

3/4/08: Agent X/Cloak & Dagger JAMMA adaptors coming soon.

Mark Spaeth has made an Agent X/Cloak & Dagger JAMMA adaptor which will be available for sale in the near future. For details and some pictures check out this thread on the KLOV forum: Cloak & Dagger to JAMMA Adapters.

2/22/08: Simple Sega G80 Vector Mod guide now online.

Patrick Cooke (Moderator "Mongo" on the KLOV forums) has completed his "Simple Sega G80 Vector Mods" guide. The guide is very easy to follow and Pat has incorporated a lot of pictures throughout the guide, which should make things very clear for those setting out to upgrade their Electrohome G08 color vector monitors. You can get it here: Simple Sega G80 Vector Mods.

2/21/08: Video walkthrough of Ataricade now online.

Last week I recorded a short video showing the current state of the game room. You can view it here: ATARICADE_2-15-08.

2/5/08: Southern California Classic Collectors (SC3) announcement.

The next SC3 has been scheduled for Saturday, April 15. If you're a collector living in Los Angeles, San Diego or the Inland Empire definitely try to make it out! More details can be found at the SC3 website (don't forget to R.S.V.P. if you plan to attend): http://sc3.classicgaming.gamespy.com.

2/4/08: Projects, projects, projects.

Things have slowed at work this month so there's now time to get on with some various projects that I've been wanting to complete. Up first is to restore Quantum cab #553 and send it off to its buyer on the East Coast.

Also on tap is to apply System II side art to my Paperboy cabinet. I'm still waiting on some white vinyl that is going to be applied after sanding down the cabinet and before application of the art. Matte white vinyl (and also matte black vinyl reminiscent of that used on the front of some Atari titles) is now available from ThisOldGame.

1/23/08: Luna City Arcade completed.

Peter Hirschberg's new Luna City Arcade is finally complete. The new location has 2 stories and is 40' x 60', with 12' ceilings. Here are links to some pictures and a recent video:

Peter's Luna City Arcade page (photos)

Video taken in the arcade (Jan. 21, 2008)

1/20/08: Poster collection page added.

Due to various inquires that I've received there's been a page added to the site that contains pictures of my collection of Atari coin-op video game posters. There's also a link to the poster page in the menu bar as well: Coin-Op Posters.

1/16/08: Atarigames.com update.

After a long hiatus, Scott Evans has updated the content on his site, Atarigames.com. Check out the BMX Heat prototype photos, new movie content, promotional item pictures and much more: http://www.atarigames.com.

12/23/07: Missile Command sit-down added.

3 months after initially contacting the seller about this game, Missile Command sit-down #133 is finally here. I was told by an ex-Atari employee that Atari produced 200 of these. This one is structurally sound and is beautiful overall. I'll be adding pictures of it to the photo gallery soon, but you can also see some pictures in a KLOV forum post I made about this game here:

Gentlemen, the missiles are flying. Hallelujah

11/17/07: Atari LETA chip replacements made.

Collector and coder James Rowan (Jrok Land) has put the LETA, a chip that Atari used to decode trackball/roller signals, onto a Xilinx CPLD. Games that utilize the LETA are Major Havoc, Marble Madness, Rampart, and many others. See James' site for more details: Atari LETA on a CPLD.

11/15/07: Agent X/Cloak & Dagger artwork.

The complete set of Atari Agent X/Cloak & Dagger artwork for the dedicated cabinet is nearing completion (included is speaker grill overlay artwork that was never before seen or produced)! This project wouldn't have seen the light of day had it not been for the efforts of collector Richard Ford, who has invested a lot of time and money into seeing it through. Here's a link to Richard's g.g.d.b. entry which has pictures and lists his amazing collection (he's got a lot of games!): Richard Ford.

Richard Lint of ThisOldGame is doing the printing based upon the actual Atari films that are on loan from Scott Evans of the Atari Games Museum. Having bought some of ThisOldGame's offerings previously, I can say that I have no doubt that this artwork will come out looking like it came straight from the Atari factory. Here is the project status page: http://www.thisoldgame.com/Projects/AgentX.htm.

Also contributing was Jeff of Rothecreations who vectorized the awesome front art. For more information (and pictures) check out the below threads posted on KLOV and BYOAC:

   Need your opinion of Agent X/Cloak and Dagger

   PROJECT X

   PROJECT AGENT X

9/28/07: Warlords cocktail #991 arrives.

Today I received Warlords cocktail #991. I had declined buying any cocktail game in the past because I never thought that I would have enough space, but after rearranging the game room layout last week a new area was created for one to fit (it fits in pretty comfortably in fact). I'll get some pictures of it up on the MY GAMES page soon.

9/9/07: Newest addition.

I recently got a Millipede with excellent front and side art. I had been looking for one for awhile but all the ones I had seen previously had some type of cabinet damage and/or missing artwork. I'll be adding some pictures to the "MY GAMES" page soon.

9/6/07: Southern California Classic Collectors (SC3).

The next SC3 is just around the corner (September 15)! If you're a collector living in Los Angeles, San Diego or the Inland Empire definitely try to make it out! More details are at the SC3 website (don't forget to R.S.V.P. if you can attend): http://sc3.classicgaming.gamespy.com.

8/28/07: Games page updating.

I've been updating the "MY GAMES" page of this site the past week and I'm continuing to add more pictures as I can. The game room at my new place is finally starting to come together. I should have all of the games photographed and posted on the site by the first week of September hopefully.

8/14/07: Back from CAX.

I arrived back from California Extreme last Sunday night and had a really great time. I was able to meet a lot of people at this year's show that I didn't get to previously. For more details (and a lot of pictures) check out the thread that I started on the KLOV forum: Images from California Extreme 2007.

8/6/07: New game room update.

I've been very busy lately moving into a new place and have been restoring a few games at the same time. The photo gallery is down for awhile as I'll be busy updating it this week. Things are really starting to look great in the new game room. Here's a sneak peek of a few of the games: Ataricade.

6/12/07: California Extreme update.

California Extreme is almost upon us (a month from Saturday)! For full details, current news, or to buy tickets check out the CAX website California Extreme, and be sure to register at the brand new CAX Forums. Also you can download the flyer here: CAX 2007 flyer.

Also of note is that the 10th Annual D-L-P Gathering will be taking place at CAX on August 11 & 12. Check their website for more info: Dragon's Lair Project.

Additionally, Super Auctions has confirmed for August 11 in the building next door to where CAX is taking place. Check their site for details: Super Auctions.

6/27/07: Star Wars/ESB Multi-kits now available.

The second run of Mark Spaeth's SW/ESB multi-kits are now available for $160 each. At this price I expect them to sell out rather quickly (like the first run did). For more details or to order your kit go here: SW/ESB Multi-Kits.

6/24/07: 2007 Funspot Tournament Review.

Mark Alpiger has put up a page on his site covering the ninth annual International Classic Game Tournament that took place at Funspot in Weirs Beach, NH. There are tournament results, media articles, and close to 250 photos! Learn more about it here: Funspot 2007.

6/18/07: Replacement WG K6100/K6400 HV now available.

After extensive and successful beta testing, Mark Shostak at Cinelabs has officially released replacement high voltage transformers for Wells Gardner K6100/K6400 monitors, and they are now available for purchase at Arcadeshop for $79 each: HV-2000.

6/16/07: Arcade game photography.

I posted on the KLOV forum awhile ago about this but I forgot to post to the site's news about arcade game photography taken by artist Rosemarie Fiore. She took long exposure photographs while playing Tempest, Quantum, Gyruss, and Qix respectively, and each game was recorded on it's own frame of film, which produced some really interesting patterns. Her photos are for sale at various sizes but be forewarned that they aren't cheap (email Rosemarie for pricing). Here's the link to her arcade photographs page: Rosemarie Fiore.

6/15/07: Super Auctions confirmed for 8/11 at CAX.

Super Auctions has confirmed that they will be holding an auction at Parkside Hall in San Jose, right next door to California Extreme on Saturday, August 11 and Sunday, August 12. For more details go here: Super Auctions August 2007.

6/3/07: Replacement WG K6100/K6400 HV units coming soon.

Replacement high voltage transformers for Wells Gardner K6100/K6400 have been undergoing beta testing and are soon to be released from Mark Shostak of Cinelabs. These new units are going to be priced at $79 each and will include a new focus assembly. For more details, pictures, and the installation guide go here: Cinelabs HV-2000.

5/28/07: Red Baron side art & more.

I recently received Black Widow and Red Baron side art along with some control panel overlays from Archer Maclean and they came out really nicely. The side art was done in a 'satin' finish (all of Archer's recently printed side art was done in this finish). See this thread I posted in the KLOV forum for more details and some pictures: LINK.

5/16/07: Star Wars/ESB Multi-kits & more.

A second run of Mark Spaeth's SW/ESB multi-kits are scheduled to be ready for sale next month, along with AVG replacement pcbs, Star Wars Interconnect boards, Taito ZK/Qix NOVRAM adapters, and more. For more details or to pre-order, email Mark at the following link: SW/ESB Multi-Kits.

4/28/07: Gravitar #91 Acquired.

Some games that I bought locally arrived today and one of them is Gravitar (serial #00091) and it's in even better condition that I had thought it was. When I originally went to see this Gravitar I couldn't get too good of a look at it because it was packed in a garage with a lot of other games. Here are some pictures of the exterior: left ; right ; front.

4/17/07: California Extreme 2007.

Athough the official dates for this year's CAX were previously announced (August 11-12) the CAX Forums website is now up, so be sure to log in and register. Also of note is that Super Auctions will be at this year's event for one of the 2 days. If you've never gone before definitely make plans to go, and even if you have gone before, go again! For more info visit: California Extreme.

See pictures from last year's show and also of the guest speakers: CAX 2006.

4/10/07: New Arrivals.

I recently received a Star Wars cockpit and an Asteroids, both in really excellent condition, along with a few other games. Everything's going to remain plastic wrapped until construction on my new game room is completed. Here are a few pictures of it (these were taken at the previous owner's house): left ; right ; back ; monitor.

3/21/07: Battlezone Cockpit.

This was announced awhile ago but I never posted about it on my site and it's definitely something that deserves mention. Check out this conceptual animation: Battlezone Cockpit.

Here's a link to the announcement thread: BattleZone Cockpit Concept.

Here's the last update: BattleZone cockpit >>UPDATE # 1<<.

3/5/07: Precious Memories.

The arcade that I regularly hung out at from the late 70's to the mid-80's was called "Westworld". Although it's changed names and owners throughout the years, it still exists today in Westwood Village, CA. I mentioned it to Michael Kelley and it turns out coincidentally that he had played there too, and he kindly scanned me this write-up about it from an issue of EG that he had: Westworld.

I played Quantum there, and Michael's pretty sure that they had Lunar Battle (Gravitar prototype) there, so it's possible that it was an Atari test site. It may have been a Sega/Gremlin test site also because Michael played Tac/Scan there and he said a lot of the other Sega vectors were there too.

2/27/07: Quantum Registry Online.

I've been working on a registry for all known Quantums in existence. It's still a work in progress, but you can view it here: The Quantum Registry. There's also a permanent link for it in the menu bar now.

2/2/07: Vector Parts Now Available.

Previously mentioned products such as the Amplifone HV transformer and the AVG chip are now available from Arcadeshop (see: Arcadeshop's parts page).

1/27/07: ZVG Update.

My friend who was going to give me his non-working (but complete) Space Duel has not come through on his word as of yet, so I'm on the hunt for a local Space Duel for my ZVG project. If anyone local to Los Angeles, CA has a Space Duel that they would like to sell please contact me.

1/13/07: Update on Cinelabs Amplifone HV Transformer.

There's been an update about the Cinelabs-produced, Arcadeshop-distributed replacement Amplifone HV transformers. A shipment of units have arrived and beta testing is now underway.

For more info go here: Cinelabs Amplifone Flyback Replacement.

FOR NEWS PRIOR TO 2007 GO HERE: 2006 NEWS

HOME