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Main => Software Forum => Topic started by: jimmy2x2x on August 14, 2010, 08:57:44 am

Title: Archer MacLean's Dropzone cab
Post by: jimmy2x2x on August 14, 2010, 08:57:44 am

I seem to remember an article in an old Edge magazine about Archers interest in arcade cabs, it showed him renovating a Star Wars cab, a few pics of his workshop and storage areas, also showed him printing the side art for Dropzone.

Does anyone have any further information about this?

Was it a custom version inside the cab, or an existing commercial version.

Any pics of the final cab anywhere?

Title: Re: Archer MacLean's Dropzone cab
Post by: zorrobandito on August 15, 2010, 07:46:10 am

I remembered the Edge article and am a big fan of both Dropzone and Archer McLean so I did a bit of googling. For those of you who don't know him, as well as being a celebrity bedroom coder from the 80's and 90's (Atari 800, C64, Amiga, etc), according to the Edge article he also owns one of Europe's biggest private collections of arcade cabinets.

For your clicking pleasure, here's the original Edge article (http://www.ionpool.net/arcade/archuk/edge_interview.html), a series of cabinet restoration pages by him (http://www.ionpool.net/arcade/archuk/archer_restoration.html) and last but not least, pictures of the extremely rare (only 6 prototypes built) Dropzone arcade cabinet. (http://www.retrofusion.org.uk/news/5/c64-dropzone-cabinet-/)

Title: Re: Archer MacLean's Dropzone cab
Post by: jimmy2x2x on August 15, 2010, 08:17:56 am

I knew I wasn't going mad!

Thanks very much for that ;)

From that information, it seems to be the c64 version - looking at the CP, it has 3 buttons and maybe a working coin door?

So a modified c64 version sounds likely.


EDIT: Some misleading information there, but straight from Archers lips, its a modified Atari 800 version (which was way better than the cut down c64 version!)

Well I might not be able to track down the modified version, but the original Atari 800 version is in my sights, I've only ever played the C64 version which I thought was excellent!

Title: Re: Archer MacLean's Dropzone cab
Post by: zorrobandito on August 15, 2010, 10:27:17 am

No probs for the info, it was pleasant reading. I'll have to dig out my Edge Retro Special with that article and read it again.

I haven't played the Atari 800 version but I have played a lot of the SNES version, which is excellent. I also have the Gameboy Color version which is pretty good, though the Gameboy screen is a bit small for all those pixels whizzing about. Oh and I also 'own' the arcade cabinet as an unlockable in Archer's Pool Paradise :-)

Now that I know about it, I guess I'll have to go searching for the Atari 800 version. Damn you!

Title: Re: Archer MacLean's Dropzone cab
Post by: jimmy2x2x on August 15, 2010, 10:48:16 am

hehe

Just got it all setup, its a bit busier and a lot more colourful than the c64 version - easily surpassing it ;)

Title: Re: Archer MacLean's Dropzone cab
Post by: TOK on August 16, 2010, 12:32:51 pm

Cab appears to be a converted Atari cab, Gravitar maybe. That part of it should make it relatively easy to reproduce since dimensions are available. Side art would probably be the tricky part.

I had this game for the Atari computer as well. Played it a lot and Atari's own port of Defender for the Atari computers was fantastic.