Baby Pac-Man, How much?

[Chris G]

Based on that desc, I wouldn't have had much issue with the $200, but I specifically want a Baby Pac.

Here you go, man... found you one for only $25!  It's cross-country for you, but I bet they'll ship.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/bab/375472566.html

[RandyT]

And please, please file this away for future reference:  you cannot visually tell, with any reliability, when an old fuse is dead.  Always always always continuity check them.

You can't visually tell with any reliability that an old fuse is alive.  But you can sure tell an obviously  dead one.  It's usually black from the vaporized metal, or in the small ones, the wire has a gap or is completely missing.  Those aren't going to be alive, no way no how.

It's the ones that look good you need to test

RandyT

[RayB]

The guy asked for $200? I'd have bit. THough you could have added the broken glass to the list (new tempered glass = $50+ )

[Kaytrim]

The glass was one  piece.  The 'crack' in the pics could have been to rubber glass surround that had fallen off and was hanging down.

I have yet to hear back from him and he did say that there was one other person that wanted to look at it.  If they get it then no big deal.  This would have been fun to restore but not one of my top cabs.  I would really love to get my hands on a Robotron or Sinistar.  Then maybe an Elvis Pinball.

TTFN

[shardian]

Luckily, that MPU board is fairly common. Will still set you back fine penny if it comes to replacement, and still no guarantees that will get the game working. You are probably looking at $200-$300 in fixing that thing, including all of "the little things". So assuming the worst, you are looking at a $450 investment, are you sure that you can recoup that?

[Kaytrim]

I honestly don't know if I can recoup the investment or not.  I was looking at this as a learning project and get some enjoyment out of it for a while.  Like I said if I don't get it for the $150 then no big deal. 

I am not looking real hard for a project cab.  If one comes along that I can work on, like this one then I'll take a stab at it.

TTFN

[ChadTower]

Here you go, man... found you one for only $25!  It's cross-country for you, but I bet they'll ship.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/bab/375472566.html

Boo!

Kaytrim, don't count on getting your investment back, on this cab or most others.  That's a hard thing to do in this hobby now.  The goal normally isn't to break even financially, it's to learn or get a game or save a game or something else but not to recoup all costs/profit.

[leapinlew]

Here you go, man... found you one for only $25!  It's cross-country for you, but I bet they'll ship.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/bab/375472566.html

Boo!

Kaytrim, don't count on getting your investment back, on this cab or most others.  That's a hard thing to do in this hobby now.  The goal normally isn't to break even financially, it's to learn or get a game or save a game or something else but not to recoup all costs/profit.

 

[Kaytrim]

You read my mind Chad.   However I have to appease the wife as well.  She is very money conscious which makes it difficult.  If I get the Baby Pac Man I plan on restoring it to working condition and later maybe fixing any of the cosmetics as time and funds allow.  Even though she thinks about selling it after I fix it up I may not do that for while.  Knowledge is still worth something after all is said and done.

TTFN

[ChadTower]

That's what you have to make her understand, I think.  Acquired knowledge has substantial value.  So does productive hobby time that makes you happy.  These don't show up in the checkbook.

If she doesn't appreciate those, tell her that not having a game to work on makes you want to go out and drink with your friends in that time instead.  See if that lights a bulb.

[leapinlew]

That's what you have to make her understand, I think.  Acquired knowledge has substantial value.  So does productive hobby time that makes you happy.  These don't show up in the checkbook.

If she doesn't appreciate those, tell her that not having a game to work on makes you want to go out and drink with your friends in that time instead.  See if that lights a bulb.

This is true. You need to give her a frame of reference. Go out, spend 100 partying, come home, kick the dog, punch a hole in the wall, pass out on the kitchen table (your decision if you want to vomit everywhere.

It's been my experience that many women look at other women for how good the other women have it but look internally for how bad they have it.

If the worst thing you do is spend a little extra money on a hobby that brings you pleasure and keeps you out of trouble - they are doing pretty good.

On the other hand, if your frying bologna for a "special" dinner - you may want to re-think your priorities.

Either way - Baby Pacman sucks.

[ChadTower]

This is true. You need to give her a frame of reference. Go out, spend 100 partying, come home, kick the dog, punch a hole in the wall, pass out on the kitchen table (your decision if you want to vomit everywhere.

And if that doesn't work, come home smelling like bad perfume.  When she goes off tell her that if you had a game to work on you wouldn't have been out in the first place.  Hope she buys it.  If none of that works, invite your fattest and smelliest friends over 3x/week and let them sleep on the guest couch... again, if you had a game to work on, you wouldn't be wasting your time with fat smelly loser friends.

It's been my experience that many women look at other women for how good the other women have it but look internally for how bad they have it.

Very true.  And since it's all relative, things you have that may be pretty good can be bad simply because they aren't quite what their friend has... yet the areas in which you are clearly superior are just normal and acceptable.

If the worst thing you do is spend a little extra money on a hobby that brings you pleasure and keeps you out of trouble - they are doing pretty good.

Just keep her away from the couple down the street where the husband is so whipped his idea of a "good night" is shoe shopping and not getting berated into a sloppy pulp for not picking up a sock.  That sets bad bad juju example.  The acceptable answer to "why can't you be more like him" seems to never be "because he's not a man".

[Chris G]

"Project Arcade 2: how to manipulate your marriage to preserve your arcade hobby" by C. Tower and L. Lew.

[ChadTower]

I took the simple route.  I married a woman that doesn't mind so long as I'm not putting games on the main floor.  Of course, I had no idea that would be the case when I married her several years before picking up the hobby, but such is the luck of the draw.

[Hawk Daddy]

Just don't say, I played games before you, and I'll play games after you, I don't think that would be in your best interest.

Hawk

[leapinlew]

I took the simple route.  I married a woman that doesn't mind so long as I'm not putting games on the main floor.  Of course, I had no idea that would be the case when I married her several years before picking up the hobby, but such is the luck of the draw.

Cool - whats his name?

[ChadTower]

Heh.  Believe it or not, there are women who get the "he could be out drinking and cheating" concept.

In the long run, games are cheaper than bar tabs.

[Kaytrim]

As I thought might happen, I was out bid on the machine.  No big deal, it would have been nice to have but not necessary.  Thanks everyone for all your advice and help.

TTFN
Kaytrim

[koolmoecraig]

The guy asked for $200? I'd have bit. THough you could have added the broken glass to the list (new tempered glass = $50+ )

I bought a brand new piece of tempered glass for mine for $22.  Shop around and you'll find cheaper deals.  I didn't call one place that was over $40 and I live in a pretty expensive area.

[koolmoecraig]

and I stand by my statement that people who think Baby Pac sucks are people who either find it too difficult or don't like the challenge.

The video part is the same as Pac-Man except it has three different mazes and you have to earn the power pellets by doing well in the playfield. You can also speed up your tunnel speed on the playfield. Also, the ghosts are far "smarter" in Baby Pac.  If you think Baby Pac blows then I would assume that you don't like any other games in the Pac-Man series since it is the exact same game play except for the added difficulty and obviously the pinball which is hard to master due to it's small, fast-moving size.

Most of my friends that come over and play it think it sucks too because it's difficult.  It's the kind of game you have to REALLY practice at which I think is the mark of a great game

It definitely a game that grows on you and has an extremely long shelf life.  Owning a regular Pac-Man would bore me to tears if not for the nostalgia factor.  Same patterns over and over and easy to "master".

If any of you guys have the opportunity to get one, do it.

[RandyT]

and I stand by my statement that people who think Baby Pac sucks are people who either find it too difficult or don't like the challenge.

I don't know if I would go as far as saying that it sucks...but I will say that when it was in my local gameroom, I played it a couple of times and that was about it.  By time Baby Pac-man made the rounds, they were really milking the theme.  IMHO, the game was half a videogame and half a pinball machine.   I.e. there were better vids and better pins out at that time, so Baby Pacman never got any more of my quarters.  Difficulty never had much to do with it.

Just my 2 cents....

RandyT

[leapinlew]

and I stand by my statement that people who think Baby Pac sucks are people who either find it too difficult or don't like the challenge.

I don't know if I would go as far as saying that it sucks...but I will say that when it was in my local gameroom, I played it a couple of times and that was about it.  By time Baby Pac-man made the rounds, they were really milking the theme.  IMHO, the game was half a videogame and half a pinball machine.   I.e. there were better vids and better pins out at that time, so Baby Pacman never got any more of my quarters.  Difficulty never had much to do with it.

Just my 2 cents....

RandyT

 

I agree

[ChadTower]

  I didn't call one place that was over $40 and I live in a pretty expensive area.

You didn't call a place at which you already knew the price and didn't want to pay it?   

[leapinlew]

and I stand by my statement that people who think Baby Pac sucks are people who either find it too difficult or don't like the challenge.

Yes, I prefer easier non-challenging games like Defender, Robotron, etc. I cannot be bothered with an inferior half-breed video game.

[shardian]

and I stand by my statement that people who think Baby Pac sucks are people who either find it too difficult or don't like the challenge.

Yes, I prefer easier non-challenging games like Defender

hehe, I was traveling this weekend and happened across the nintendo version of defender, which lets you use the directional pad to control your ship. I enjoyed the game much more...but I still sucked at it.

[ChadTower]

Eff Robotron.  Black Widow!