Ms Pac Man Kick Plate
What is a kick plate? A kick plate is generally a strip of rubber or plastic that runs along the front bottom of an arcade machine. Its primary purpose is to protect the front of the game since people have a tendency to kick the front, or rest their foot on it. If you look at the picture, you can see the kick plate on my Ms. Pac Man.
A local company here called AZ Arcade Games has produced a reproduction of this kick plate which fits most arcade games. If you are unsure if it will fit your game, drop them an email at azarcadegames@cs.com . They are friendly and responsive.
One of the first things you'll notice about the kick plate is that its not the same color as what is on my Ms Pac Man. This was on purpose. They are providing a base kick plate, which you can then paint to match your cabinet. This allows for the best flexibility since different games use different types of black. Some are glossy; some are flat, etc... I think this was a wise choice on their part. It only takes a few minutes to paint, let it dry over night and you're set.
The texture is slightly different than my Ms. Pac, however, since the replacement isn't painted, this could account for the difference. Its nothing major, just something I noticed while handling it.
If you look closely at the Ms. Pac, you'll see that the original is on there with staples. I don't like that, but if you want it to keep it as authentic as possible, feel free. The replacement kick plate is designed primarily to be fastened to the game with some sort of adhesive. They recommend 3M #80 Adhesive Spray or Liquid nails.
The only issue that I would be concerned about with this method is that you'll have a hell of a time trying to remove it later if you need to. However, with that said, its highly unlikely that you would need to. Most of these games will be in a good environment and probably won't be abused.
The picture you see here, is what the new kick plate would look like on the game (before its painted). It should be noted that its not actually attached to the game in this photo, but it should give you a good idea of what a difference it will make. If it was painted, it would look even better.
If you're looking for a smaller version for the Mini games, you're in luck as they just told me that they now have those in stock.
The cost of the kick plate is $35 plus $5 for Priority 2 day shipping on the first 2. There are no discounts on quantity due to the low cost. They can also accept PayPal if you wish to pay that way.
To order, contact Darin Jacobs at Phoenix Arcade
If your kick plate is trashed, or has seen better days, I would highly recommend picking one of these up!