R.I.P. Dig Dug..

[spidermonkey]

Get a load of this hacked up mess. What really erks me is that he started out with a fully working Dig Dug. I don't know why I bother checking the "Arcade@Home" forums because I always seem to find something that irritates me whether its a rediculous post or pics of a buchered classic. I dunno,I guess its really none of my business as it's his cab and he's free to do whatever he wants with it but it still bugs me a little .

http://www.arcadeathome.com/forums/viewthread.php?tid=49969

[geomartin]

Thought I heard TAPS slowly playing...sooo sad...

[Stingray]

That sucks. What a frickin' wreck he made of a beautiful and apparantly fully functional classic.

-S

[AlanS17]

It doesn't even look good. It barely even resembles an ardcade machine now. It's got a hole with shelves where the coin door used to be. 

[ChadTower]

I need to find this person and fufill my responsibility as BYOAC Chief Kicker.

[RayB]

Cup holders? Like you can't just put your drink on the nearest damn table?

UGH!

[ChadTower]

A redneck must put a cupholder on everything.

[pointdablame]

 

[SuperGunGuru]

I'm middle of the road when it comes to Mameing classic cabs. I think there are times when it's fine to do it, but in this case the thing was already complete. There's also a tasteful way to mame a cab and this sure isn't it. Oh well. I guess it really isn't any of my business and it it's cab, but if Mame gets more and more popular, how many times are we gonna see this happen? I know they made about 25,000 Tempests for example, but how many were junked by ops and others because the game was though to be unrepairable or too much of a headache. Granted I did just see 3 Tempest cabs sell locally on eBay, it just seems like some games that didn't have huge production runs (compared to say Pac-Man or Ms Pac) will become less and less common to find. I just hate to see Mame conversions that can't be undone later. It'd be cool if we had some idea of how many are left of certain cabs.

[Effayy]

I'm middle of the road when it comes to Mameing classic cabs. I think there are times when it's fine to do it, but in this case the thing was already complete. There's also a tasteful way to mame a cab and this sure isn't it. Oh well. I guess it really isn't any of my business and it it's cab, but if Mame gets more and more popular, how many times are we gonna see this happen? I know they made about 25,000 Tempests for example, but how many were junked by ops and others because the game was though to be unrepairable or too much of a headache. Granted I did just see 3 Tempest cabs sell locally on eBay, it just seems like some games that didn't have huge production runs (compared to say Pac-Man or Ms Pac) will become less and less common to find. I just hate to see Mame conversions that can't be undone later. It'd be cool if we had some idea of how many are left of certain cabs.

As the popularity of MAME increases, the problem will become more widespread, that's for sure.

[ChadTower]

You mean like the Video Arcade Preservation Society.

[Effayy]

You mean like the Video Arcade Preservation Society.

Well.... Sure.  But Honestly, would you rather be known as a VAP'er, or a PAC-Man?

- FA

[ChadTower]

Don't make me VAPe you.

[Effayy]

Don't make me VAPe you.

Careful who you say that to.  They may be PAC'ing heat.

[ChadTower]

I'm packing Blinky.

[pointdablame]

I'm packing Blinky.

Everyone knows that Clyde is the badass

[ChadTower]

Doesn't matter, this guy can't handle either one and Clyde charges more per hit.

[dweebs0r]

When I first started following this hobby, I couldn't care less about Mameing a classic cab.

Now I see that and it makes me sad to think how easily a homebrew cabinet could have been built to hold up that ugly control panel.

That looks like it would have been an easy restore as well.


-D

[RayB]

I can understand MAMEing a classic "shell", but damn, taking a whole complete WORKING cabinet, gutting it, cutting holes in it, etc, that's just dumb. I'd like to know how much he paid for the cab in the first place.

[88mph]

Bleagh!  That's just wrong. 

When you start looking at it though, the whole arcade restoration thing becomes somewhat of a slipperly slope.  I'm in the process of restoring a Gauntlet upright.  I recently picked up a replacement marque on Ebay.  The question you have to ask yourself is this--had the marquee been sitting unused in a closet for years, or did the guy who sold it to me rip it off a complete and working Gauntlet in the process of making a MAME cab?  I'll never know if I saved a bit of arcade history or paid a guy to gut a fully working game. 

Ah well, as long as I'm putting them back together I'm happy. 

-88mph

[GGKoul]

Newbies....

[2600]

Newbies....

But you have to say it like Seinfeld would say "Newman"

[paigeoliver]

Bleagh!  That's just wrong. 

When you start looking at it though, the whole arcade restoration thing becomes somewhat of a slipperly slope.  I'm in the process of restoring a Gauntlet upright.  I recently picked up a replacement marque on Ebay.  The question you have to ask yourself is this--had the marquee been sitting unused in a closet for years, or did the guy who sold it to me rip it off a complete and working Gauntlet in the process of making a MAME cab?  I'll never know if I saved a bit of arcade history or paid a guy to gut a fully working game. 

Ah well, as long as I'm putting them back together I'm happy. 

-88mph

More often than not the part is ripped from a complete machine, or the seller bashed the cabinet in order to part the machine. Especially when it comes to control panels, wiring harnesses,  coin doors, and silk screened monitor glass. Boards and marquees were often left over from conversions, but those OTHER items all pretty much guarantee a machine was parted out to make those parts. Most of those parts you see on ebay are NOT coming from guys bashing classics to make mame cabinets, but instead are coming from guys who strip complete machines for parts, and then bash the cabinet and toss it in the dumpster.

 When you "restore" or deconvert a machine all you are really doing is moving parts from one machine to another, and paying $100+ in shipping costs in the process. Oh, and you are also ensuring there will be less and less dedicated classics in the future, as not all parts from the parted units will make it back into machines, many will be bought to by guys collecting spares, or guys who are collecting up the parts to make a machine, but who never actually make the machine, and some will be damaged or lost in the process.

[ChadTower]

In that way it's no different than restoring anything old that can be parted out.  At least you're ensuring that ONE good instance remains.  That one being tossed in a dumpster will be tossed no matter what you do.

[TheVengeance]

I need to find this person and fufill my responsibility as BYOAC Chief Kicker.

Come on guys, this isn't anything we haven't seen before, a hundred times over, on this forum.

[ChadTower]

At least he HAS a MAME cabinet!

[RayB]

I doubt he read the book. Probably saw something equally ugly online. Doesn't Saint's book also contain the "manifesto"? (I wouldnt know, I haven't read it).

What just makes my mind explode is CUTTING A HUGE HOLE IN THE FRONT TO MAKE SHELVING.

[ChadTower]

I doubt he read the book.

I doubt he's read a book.

[Grasshopper]

Well there are two sides to this story.

Restoring a classic cab to its former glory can cost quite a lot of money and they're too big to store for posterity. So if you've got one you basically have four choices - restore it (expensive), MAME it (significantly less expensive), throw it out, or sell it to someone else.

If the fourth option is to be viable then I think people who complain about the MAMEing of classic cabs really need to start putting their money (and storage space) where their mouth is, and start buying these cabs.

Once word gets around that they're worth something then people will stop trashing or MAMEing them.

[ChadTower]

Again, always a question whenever you restore anything.  How much does it cost to restore a dead and trashed '69 Mustang?  More than you could sell it for?  How long can you keep the car yourself once you're done?  Why would you do it, if you can't sell it for a profit, or keep it forever?

[Stingray]

Restoring a classic cab to its former glory can cost quite a lot of money and they're too big to store for posterity. So if you've got one you basically have four choices - restore it (expensive), MAME it (significantly less expensive), throw it out, or sell it to someone else.

The way I read this, retoration wasn't needed. It was complete and judging from the pics it was in reasonably nice shape. He butchered it.

...people who complain about the MAMEing of classic cabs really need to start putting their money (and storage space) where their mouth is, and start buying these cabs.

I would suspect that just about everyone here who agree with me about this guy butchering a classic probably have indeed put their money where their collective mouths are. I own a couple of classics that will remain untouched. I'll bet that most of the others who fall on the "butchered" side of this discussion also own a classic or two. We're doing our part and would only like for others to think before they gut a working classic in order to bolt a on a frankenpanel and hang a bunch of cupholders all over it.

-S

[ChadTower]

Seriously, who needs all those cupholders when your PC has that nice motorized cupholder built in.

[PetitMorte]

I'm running into restoration angst in my current project.  I bought an ugly, cammoflage spraypainted Ikari Warriors conversion off Ebay.  I wanted the joysticks, and got the cab for cheap.  I figured that I'd just repaint the cab and save myself some trouble in making my MAME.  I talked it over with my wife, and sold her on that idea.




Once I got it home, I started in on the sides with a heat-gun.  The black/brown/green spraypaint seperated relatively cleanly from the origional artwork, and I was left looking at reasonably clean Burgertime side-art. 

After I drilled out the rivets holding the plexi on the control panel, and peeled off the black vinyl, there was a nice looking Burgertime CP overlay with a bunch of holes drilled into it.

So I start thinking... Do I want to restore the thing?  With a little paint, and some time, and TLC, I could have a restored Burgertime.

I even thought about MAMEing it then and just putting on 4-way/one-button/ vertical games.

So I showed it to my wife, who gave me a choice.  Restore it to its former glory, and then sell it, or proceed with the planned conversion and be allowed to bring it into the house.

Lesson Learned:  If you don't intend to restore the origional artwork, just get a chemical stripper and save yourself a lot of work and angst.

[ChadTower]

Or, you could put it in the house when she's not there, and tell her if she wants it gone, she can move it.

[88mph]

Bleagh!  That's just wrong. 

When you start looking at it though, the whole arcade restoration thing becomes somewhat of a slipperly slope.  I'm in the process of restoring a Gauntlet upright.  I recently picked up a replacement marque on Ebay.  The question you have to ask yourself is this--had the marquee been sitting unused in a closet for years, or did the guy who sold it to me rip it off a complete and working Gauntlet in the process of making a MAME cab?  I'll never know if I saved a bit of arcade history or paid a guy to gut a fully working game. 

Ah well, as long as I'm putting them back together I'm happy. 

-88mph

More often than not the part is ripped from a complete machine, or the seller bashed the cabinet in order to part the machine. Especially when it comes to control panels, wiring harnesses,  coin doors, and silk screened monitor glass. Boards and marquees were often left over from conversions, but those OTHER items all pretty much guarantee a machine was parted out to make those parts. Most of those parts you see on ebay are NOT coming from guys bashing classics to make mame cabinets, but instead are coming from guys who strip complete machines for parts, and then bash the cabinet and toss it in the dumpster.

 When you "restore" or deconvert a machine all you are really doing is moving parts from one machine to another, and paying $100+ in shipping costs in the process. Oh, and you are also ensuring there will be less and less dedicated classics in the future, as not all parts from the parted units will make it back into machines, many will be bought to by guys collecting spares, or guys who are collecting up the parts to make a machine, but who never actually make the machine, and some will be damaged or lost in the process.

Well, you're making quite a few assumptions there, namely that all parts used to restore arcade games come from complete original machines that are parted out solely for the sake of selling the parts.  As you well know, there are a lot of people out there making reproduction art, and some of it is of very high quality.  If you use these parts/artwork in a reproduction, no machines are being sacrificed in the process. 

I don't quite understand your logic though.  You're saying that 'restoring' a game is moving parts from one machine to another, and that I am somehow ensureing there will be less dedicated classics in the future.   So if someone parts out an incomplete machine, sells me a part that I need to complete mine, and does so to a few more people, you can emerge from the process with more 'complete' machines than you started with. 

There is much more to 'restoring' an arcade machine than moving parts around.  I for one have fabricated my own metal, plastic and wooden parts for restorations.  I have built new wiring harnesses, repainted machines, added new cabinet hardware, etc..  Anyway, I find it dismissive to categorize all arcade restoration work as just moving parts around.  There is a lot more to it than that, especially for people serious about the hobby.

-88mph

[Stingray]

88MPH- I agree with your perception of how cab restoration works a bit more than I agree with Paige's although he does make some valid points as well. But seriously, if I have for example, a converted Burgertime and I buy everything I need from one guy who parted out a working Burgertime and restore mine, then I have a complete Burgertime and the guy I bought my parts from has an incomplete Burgertime. If just one more person buys some parts from the same guy and restores another Birgertime, then we now have two where there was previously only one. I know that there are those who buy parts & hoard them, but if only one person who buys parts from this fictious Burger-butcher actually restores a Burgertime, then no machines were lost.

-S

[Bones]

At any particular time there are maybe 1 or 2 classic cabs (at most) on Ebay available Australia wide.

To see some half-wit butcher something as classic as this makes me violent because I have such little chance of actually being able to obtain one. 

[SuperGunGuru]

So I start thinking... Do I want to restore the thing?

[RayB]

I have to ask, why do you need the wife's permission? Does she ask you for permission before buying a new pair of footwear every week?

heh
 

[Kremmit]

Here's one that's even more painful:
Mortal Kombat coctail.