Author Topic: A Pit-Fighter cabinet bought (Read 4815 times)

Raitsa · « **on:** July 14, 2009, 10:29:08 am »

Just bought my first dedicated cabinet, a Pit-Fighter in ok shape.
Made by Atari in Ireland in 1990.

Any opinions, is this one worth restoring or shall i just go for full on Mameing...?

http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9034

Billy_Goatfeet · « **Reply #1 on:** July 14, 2009, 04:11:25 pm »

I would have to be a hardcore Pit Fighter fan to restore it. If it were me, I would Mame it but that is sure to upset many folks here.

I guess it depends on if you would be satisfied playing one game (or other JAMMA board that might work) or thousands.

My 2 cents...

Sylpher · « **Reply #2 on:** July 14, 2009, 07:22:22 pm »

If it were a game I personally cared more about I would say restore, but unless you have some undying love for Pit Fighter I would go with MAME.

TOK · « **Reply #3 on:** July 14, 2009, 09:31:36 pm »

Most people hate this game. Thats a real nice one though, and I think it'd be a shame to hack it up.

Jack Burton · « **Reply #4 on:** July 15, 2009, 02:08:10 pm »

I think this game would get old very fast if you just kept it a dedicated machine.

The best compromise would be to restore it all the way, then buy a Jamma switch and JPAC and install them with a MAME PC. The existing controls would still be very conductive to playing hundreds of games.

severdhed · « **Reply #5 on:** July 16, 2009, 03:07:24 pm »

i hate pitfighter, but that cabinet is in great shape. i'd probably build a new control panel, and mame it, but keep the pit-fighter stuff so it could be restored someday...you may run across some crazy person who is just dying to have an intact pitfighter cabinet.

Raitsa · « **Reply #6 on:** July 16, 2009, 03:48:53 pm »

Quote from: severdhed on July 16, 2009, 03:07:24 pm

i hate pitfighter, but that cabinet is in great shape. i'd probably build a new control panel, and mame it, but keep the pit-fighter stuff so it could be restored someday...you may run across some crazy person who is just dying to have an intact pitfighter cabinet.

Thanks for the replies you all.
I will follow severdhed´s suggestion and Mame the cabinet with a possibility of a (future owner) restore someday.

Mame is definitely the games thing for me, i would probably get bored in a week for just Pit-Fights.

Gonna go pickup the cabinet tomorrow btw, a 450km drive.

Beretta · « **Reply #7 on:** July 17, 2009, 05:05:45 am »

Quote from: severdhed on July 16, 2009, 03:07:24 pm

i hate pitfighter, but that cabinet is in great shape. i'd probably build a new control panel, and mame it, but keep the pit-fighter stuff so it could be restored someday...you may run across some crazy person who is just dying to have an intact pitfighter cabinet.

+1

i seen one of these once with pit fighter still in it.

i actually liked pit fighter back in the day, still do.. although i hate the bars on left and right of the screen thats just stupid.

anyway it was'nt very popular and got converted usually.

would make a nice mame cab but i would'nt cut it up, like severdhed said make a new cp keep the old, dont go wild with drilling and cutting and you should be able to have your cake and eat it too.

Silas (son of Silas) · « **Reply #8 on:** July 17, 2009, 06:59:20 am »

Restore it... then sympathetically 'let in' a mame PC without screwing with the cab too much. That way you can always put it back as original if you want.

Raitsa · « **Reply #9 on:** July 17, 2009, 04:54:15 pm »

Thanks a lot guys, picked up the cabinet today: the roadtrip was smooth sailing all the way, sunny day and no problems at all.

Here are a few pics of the trip on a sunny day in southern Finland, 454km´s total.
Now the Pit-Fighter has been played by 3 players at the same time and awaiting for a Mame PC in the garage.

Interestingly, the game has a counter in the coin door, which was showing over 44.500 plays

Where´s the money?!!

Starting the trip:

Perfect weather for a arcade roadtrip:

All packed up on the car:

On the garage waiting for Mame´ing starting right away:

Sylpher · « **Reply #10 on:** July 17, 2009, 05:11:57 pm »

It is in pretty great shape. Let me change my vote from MAME it, to restore with MAME options.

Are you going to reset the counter or leave it?

Beretta · « **Reply #11 on:** July 18, 2009, 05:12:21 am »

i dont get, unless something is broke whats to restore? it looks lntact and in fair shape.. seems the options are.

1. play it
2. mame it then play it.

MaximRecoil · « **Reply #12 on:** July 23, 2009, 05:18:11 pm »

Pit Fighter was a horrible, horrible game, but I would leave that cabinet as-is and put a PC in there with a J-Pac. I think that having the art and look of a dedicated cabinet is more impressive than whatever one can come up with on their own. It screams "the real thing".

Wasn't this the first arcade game to use fully digitized graphics? If so, it has a bit of historical significance, for whatever that's worth.

I remember being amazed by the graphics when I first saw this game in 1990 at Space Port. Then I played the game, and that's when I first really realized that great graphics ≠ a great game. I never played it again, except for many years later on MAME, and it was as bad as I remembered it.

Raitsa · « **Reply #13 on:** July 23, 2009, 06:21:50 pm »

Thanks a lot guys for the ideas.

The counter can stay in, I wont be using the coindoors.
I will leave the cabinet as is, just assured of putting a Mame PC in it.

So, what do i _really_ need?
Just a J-pac will do?

MaximRecoil · « **Reply #14 on:** July 23, 2009, 06:43:52 pm »

Quote from: Raitsa on July 23, 2009, 06:21:50 pm

Thanks a lot guys for the ideas.

The counter can stay in, I wont be using the coindoors.
I will leave the cabinet as is, just assured of putting a Mame PC in it.

So, what do i _really_ need?
Just a J-pac will do?

You will also need an Ultimarc ArcadeVGA video card, or one of the software solutions (such as "Soft-15KHz") combined with an ordinary video card that is capable of 15 kHz. The ArcadeBGA is the easiest method; the software solution is the cheapest.

Beretta · « **Reply #15 on:** July 24, 2009, 01:33:45 am »

wow i guess im by my self here, i actually like pit fighter, the bars on teh side of the screen is stupid but game play wise i liked it.

MaximRecoil · « **Reply #16 on:** July 24, 2009, 03:11:54 am »

Quote from: Beretta on July 24, 2009, 01:33:45 am

wow i guess im by my self here, i actually like pit fighter, the bars on teh side of the screen is stupid but game play wise i liked it.

It seems like a button-masher to me, like the way most side-view boxing games are, but with particularly poor game mechanics and bad animation.

Beretta · « **Reply #17 on:** July 24, 2009, 04:02:17 am »

ya animation is jerky but i can forgive that, ya it's a button masher most games are.

i liked the digitized actors and the overall setting of the game, underground fight club for profit and glory.

i like how the crowd will try to stab you if you get close or push you back into the pit.

i dunno i just really liked the game despite it's flaws of course this is no big deal now days but back in the very early 90's, this was pretty unique stuff imo.

only thing i really hate about the arcade version is the side bars, and of course the only decent fighter of the 3 is Ty imo.. his 3 button round house combo is the ownz!

mj147 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 24, 2009, 08:00:44 pm »

I actually played quite a bit of Pit Fighter back in the day. I even got the snes version which was horrible.
Since the start of this thread I loaded it in MAME.............. yikes that game was bad

Guess I used to remember it being better...

mj147

rcoltrane · « **Reply #19 on:** August 07, 2009, 09:11:13 am »

PLEASE, JUST RESTORE IT!!!!!!!!! I love this game and this cabinet is great!

If you want to MAMEfy a cabinet, please, take a generic one. A decent and complete dedicated Pit-Fighter cabinet is extremely rare these days. Take care of it.

Regards,
Roger.

DaveMMR · « **Reply #20 on:** August 08, 2009, 11:35:27 am »

Quote from: rcoltrane on August 07, 2009, 09:11:13 am

PLEASE, JUST RESTORE IT!!!!!!!!! I love this game and this cabinet is great!

If you want to MAMEfy a cabinet, please, take a generic one. A decent and complete dedicated Pit-Fighter cabinet is extremely rare these days. Take care of it.

Regards,
Roger.

I dunno. Pit-Fighter may not be "generic" in the proper sense of the term, but it sure is generic looking. The sideart is nothing more than a poster. The CPO is probably the most unique thing about it. And it's just black.

On the other hand, I agree with you. I don't like seeing perfectly fine dedicated machines (crappy game or otherwise) irreversibly MAME'd with ugly CPs, bad art, etc. for no reason. There's always a fan or collector out there.

I think the OP is going to correct route with this - leaving as-is and putting a PC in there (fully reversible). I would maybe replace the CP - that is, build a new one and leave the original stored away somewhere (you can even order a Pit-Fighter overlay with your specific controls to keep the "theme" going). You never know when someone looking for a dedicated PF wants to make you a decent offer. (Two VAPS members are looking for one, according to KLOV - however accurate or inaccurate it may be).

By the way, good score!

Raitsa · « **Reply #21 on:** July 09, 2010, 08:56:38 am »

Just a quick update on this project: i ended up selling the Pit-Fighter in the very same condition i originally bought it at.

And i went full on Mame with this one instead:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=90892.msg1029473#msg1029473


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