| Main > Lightguns |
| Gunblade (positional gun) cabinet for emulation |
| << < (3/5) > >> |
| Zebra:
I have a Steel Gunner gun. They are identical to the Operation Thunderbolt gun inside and out. Only the sticker on the base differs. I love the look of these guns but not how they feel. The problem is that their gears have a really narrow range of movement. It's kinda frustrating. I have real trouble pointing them to both edges of the screen. I remember thinking the same when I was a kid playing Op Thunderbolt in the arcades. I like the guns iron sights to line up with the crosshairs. These ones are near impossible to calibrate well. I guess they are OK if you only play Op Thunderbolt in 2 player mode so each gun only has to cover half the screen. This is the main reason I prefer to use my Gen X guns. They move more than enough and motion feels far smoother. Both have outstanding recoil. Op thunderbolt shells look nicer as they look like a real gun instead of a science fiction gun. But, the shells are interchangeable. I.e. You can put an op thunderbolt shell on a Gen X stick and gear mechanism. Similarly, you can probably switch out the Op Thunderbolt gun gear mechanism if it becomes a problem. More importantly, It's worth asking if you really want to invest in two fixed gun cabs before getting a light gun and IR gun cab. Ideally you'd want at least one of each type. If you are going to spend some money, America's Army cabs are currently the holly grail of light gun mame cabs. There is usually a few on ebay. There were two others available when I bought mine recently. My solution to wanting more fixed guns is that I'm working on a fixed gun pedestal on wheels (that lock). The pedestal will have 5 or 6 different fixed guns. Being on wheels, I'll be able to move it to use the gun I want for each game. At the side will be holsters for my light guns and my House of the Dead 4 guns. I like the idea of one gun cab that does it all so I have room for a twin racing cab and maybe one with an analog flight stick. |
| vholfx:
Well, I'm going to try both cabs today and check them out, you're right I might not want 2 mounted guns arcade cabs, but I'm not in the US so finding ANY kind of cab is rather rare and there's little to choose from. I get what you mean about the gun range in Steel Gunner, I'll keep an eye on that when I do test it. Would you put both Steel Gunner and Gunblade guns in the same level? or do you consider one better than the other? I MIGHT get both, leave Steel Gunner original and turn Gunblade into a mame cab since it comes with no board. Still deciding but like I said, not that many options on this side of the world |
| Zebra:
--- Quote from: vholfx on November 29, 2019, 11:32:27 am ---Well, I'm going to try both cabs today and check them out, you're right I might not want 2 mounted guns arcade cabs, but I'm not in the US so finding ANY kind of cab is rather rare and there's little to choose from. I get what you mean about the gun range in Steel Gunner, I'll keep an eye on that when I do test it. Would you put both Steel Gunner and Gunblade guns in the same level? or do you consider one better than the other? I MIGHT get both, leave Steel Gunner original and turn Gunblade into a mame cab since it comes with no board. Still deciding but like I said, not that many options on this side of the world --- End quote --- The Gunblade guns are very different to most other fixed arcade guns I have seen. It's a least 3 times the size (and weight). They don't pivot on the grip like the others so you would only be able to use them for gun games. I like to use my Gen X guns for games like Afterburner as they make awesome analog flight sticks. Duel purpose is a plus for a mame cab. Plus, recoil makes old flight games more fun. Gunblade guns are a lot better in terms of their range of motion but can only be used for full auto only games due to the recoil being from a brush motor instead of a solenoid. If I had to choose one, I'd go with the Steel Gunner cab. Just make sure you can aim at both screen edges with both guns. As you are going to try them, I suggest you get whichever one you find more comfortable to use. You are the one who will have to use them. I could never decide so I bought a whole bunch... I seriously doubt you'll like the Steel Gunner game enough to keep the cab original. It sucks. You won't want a single game you'd never play taking up room IMO. If I was going to buy a dedicated one-game cab, I'd want one of the games that never got ported and doesn't work in mame. There is a lost generation of awesome arcades that nobody can play now. My new house is a lot bigger so I have plans for a few myself. I'm on the look out for Blade of Honor, Tera Burst (or Op Thunder Hurricane), Star Wars Pod Racer or Raw Thrills Fast and Furious super bikes (or any decent dual motorbike cab). I don't know where you live or what the market is like. If there are any active arcades nearby, I've had good luck asking owners to part with old arcade kit that no longer makes money. It does take a lot of patience though. You usually have to check ebay every day until that cab you want comes up somewhere close enough that you can go get it. |
| vholfx:
I tried Steel Gunner today. Cab is in decent shape, markee is 10/10, side art is 7/10 but the rest is either gone or badly damaged (the artwork, not the cab itself). Monitor is pretty good. The guns are in great shape except for the recoil. If you lightly hold the tip of the gun and fire the recoil works, I was told "something is loose inside" but I have no idea so I'd be going blind hoping it can be repaired. This are not OP Thunderbolt, or at least not Taito, this say Namco here's a pic. Are such things repairable? I was not able to check out the Gunblade cab, BUT since I've been asking around, I found someone with a Generation X cab in fully working condition but he wants 1,000 USD for it while Steel Gunner is going for 300 USD. It's not expensive in local standards, arcade cabs in general are quite expensive in Chile since not many made it here from Japan or the US. I guess I'll check out the Gunblade cab before I make a final decision, I'm leaning towards Steel Gunner because I like the form factor, it reminds me of the arcades I played more than Gunblade does. |
| Zebra:
Is it steel Gunner 1 or 2? If it's the one with Mac 10's then it's the same as the Op Thunderbolt guns. If it's the 22's with the round thing on the back, they aren't. Namco sold the game in kit form as an upgrade for Op Thunderbolt cabs. If the solenoids still work, they should be easy to fix. It's likely a loose wire or the diode needs replacing (a very common issue). If the solenoid doesn't work, they aren't easy or cheap to replace those recoil mechanisms. I'd only get one with working recoil or it will likely be cheaper to replace the whole gun. Finding drop-in replacement solenoids for arcade guns that old is near impossible unless you get lucky on eBay. I don't know your financial situation but, for me, I'd rather pay more to get the cab I want than make a small saving to get stuck with one I don't like for the foreseeable future. Maybe the Gen X seller will take an offer. Arcade machines usually aren't that easy to sell as very few people want to put them in their homes. Anything expensive usually sits there unsold indefinitely. Offer him $500 and tell him you've been offered Gunblade for $300. |
| Navigation |
| Message Index |
| Next page |
| Previous page |