Well, I have to say, that even as low of cash as Ive had over the years... when my Sega Turbo started wanting working parts,
and the game is a sadly undervalued at $200... I still didnt have the heart to mame it. Its a great playing game, and a historic classic.
If mame would only step up its input accuracy, Id at least be able to know that in the future, if the PCB dies, I could use the original
optical controls. Sadly, I dont think mame allows the ability to use optical pedal inputs yet...
Anyways, as much as Im not a huge Stern fan.... over the years of playing REAL physical pinball, and learning the tricks like
bumping, and vector manipulations... Ive realized that no Virtual table can replace the real experience. I have played virtual
pinball on the pc, and its nice for what it is... but its about 1/100th of the real experience.
Ive also played one of the Virtual Pinball tables at a show. It was so pale in comparison to all the wonderful Real pins there.
Even the Old Electrical Mechanical machines were more fun to play than that Pile of Garbage.
What amazes me, are people willing to trash these things and turn them into that. Its like Taking a Ferrari that needs some work...
then taking out all the Engine and performance parts... and putting a Chevy Cavalier engine and parts into it. >.<
Why not just get some plywood and custom build a coffin box? Hack some curbed furniture? Use some free Pallets?
I surely wouldnt announce myself mameing any machine.. and in fact, games which were getting too expensive to fix, I just
resold off as-is. Generic conversion garbage, is another story. But even the worst real Pins, are so much more valuable than
most Video cabinets.
You can pretty much have mame recreate the exact experience, note for note.. to the point where you couldnt tell a real
cabs innards from a PC. But with Pinball.. you just cant. Even the BEST virtual tables, with the Analog systems... just
dont even come within Miles of the Mark.
Please do yourself and this world a favor, and visit a Pinball show. Play at collectors houses. Learn how to work the ball on the table with bumping. (the single most important gameplay feature in Pinball) Get to realize the real value of real Physical Pinball machine.
Almost anything is restorable.. and so if you have something that you dont feel is worth it... give your opportunity to someone else
whom doesnt care about the costs. Many of them might have an empty shell for you. But at minimum, they will usually come up with
the cash to recover your losses... and or get you a profit, making the cabinet project that much closer to fruition.