New House = New Gameroom

Much has happened since the last update. We've moved, which means I now have a bit more space to create the perfect game room. Right now, the games are kept in the garage, using up about half of the space. The #M@ME?! cab is up running strong. We've also put up a dartboard and several small posters of 80s movies, including Top Gun and Blade Runner. Over the summer, we purchased an air hockey table for $50, and it's in the garage as well. A table hockey joins it, found at Target for a mere $25 on clearance. I've been checking Craig's List daily looking for a pinball machine, cocktail cabinet, or any other interesting arcade game.

This past week, I hit the jackpot.



The ad was for a nonworking Roadblasters cabinet. It was the sit-down version, enclosed and everything. It looked like it was in decent condition, and I figured it was worth the $50 asking price for the coin door and frame alone. I arranged for my brother to pick it up in his truck (come to think of it, Ryan brought me the Q*Bert cab too). Saturday, we unloaded it.

It was HUGE. A full 7' long. One side of the art was missing, and the black contact paper or whatever on the seat area was gone. When we unloaded it, several quarters fell out! The switch for the power was loose, flopping all around, and I figured that might be the problem. We decided to plug it in anyway.

A few hums and buzzes, then the musical beeps and boops began. The monitor was working and everything! The only issue was the credits. The coin door had been wired with a credit button, and the coin mechs were missing. The button didn't work. However, a wire was hanging loose off the back of the microswitch, and that wire, when touched to metal, gave credits! A few flicks of the wire and the game was playing just fine!



It needs a thorough cleaning. There are some cosmetic details that need repaired. The red on the screen is quite dim. But it's still a fully functional, aesthetically pleasing cockpit-style driving game... IN MY GARAGE. I guess you could even call it a gameroom now.