Latest News and Information!

Galaga Died

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 06 Feb 2021 12:29:47 GMT

So my Galaga died today...

I'm not sure if it's coincidence or related, but I was turning the power off on my Defender by the power switch under the control panel at the exact time it failed. The switch was a bit tough to toggle so it was like in the half way position when it happened. Both games are on the same circuit.

Kickman Restoration/Preservation started

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 23:10:28 GMT

Restoration/Preservation has begun on my Kickman.

It's not a full restoration, but more of a preservation of what is there. I like trying to keep things as original as possible. With that in mind, I can take a few chances on this one as the damage is already done. I'm mainly trying to prevent even more damage when I can. Worse comes to worse, I'll do a full restore on it down the road.

Two new games!

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 18:25:39 GMT

Yes, like I need more games... I picked up an Atari Video Pinball (1978) and a Galaga at an Auction today. In all the years of collecting, I've never owned a Galaga, but it's probably the most requested game. So now I can say "Why yes, yes I do have one..."

RoboJuke Updated!

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 15:38:35 GMT

Well, I decided to update RoboJuke with a new Motherboard, Processor and RAM. The old one was a Celeron 700 with 2MB of RAM running Windows XP. I upgraded to a Celeron N3150 (Quad Core 1.35Ghz), with 8GB of RAM running Windows 10.

After upgrading, I found out that the software I was using (Virtual Music Jukebox) wouldn't run on Windows 10. After looking for a replacement, I gave up and wrote my own Jukebox Software called "Simple JukeBox". It is avilable for FREE, you can read more about it here: http://forums.arcaderestoration.com/topics/17-Simple-JukeBox

New Links Section Added!

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 13:28:09 GMT

I know, long time since my last update! Life getting in the way of fun...

I added a new Links section for Arcades and Arcade Bars from around the world.

If you have an Arcade or Arcade Bar that you want listed, you can submit the information here:

http://www.arcaderestoration.com/SubmitLink.aspx

Will be getting ready for ZapCon 2016 (http://www.zapcon.com/), only a couple of months away!

Lots of work done on Reactor!

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 17:13:02 GMT

Spending a lot of time on this getting it ready for Zapcon. Check out the Reactor Restoration Page.

Reactor and Bubbles work progressing

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 12:25:30 GMT

I glued the bottom onto my Reactor. I also started working on Bubbles. The big bummer on the Bubbles is I thought I had "before" pictures taken of it, and I did not... So for this Restoration, I'll only have during and after shots. Sucks too because there is a laundry list of things that were wrong and screwy about this cabinet. Oh well, that's what I get for relying on my memory...

Semi-productive weekend

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 18:14:30 GMT

Worked on my Asteroids monitor and ran into issues with the Fly Back on it... worked on my Reactor and ran into issues with the new cut piece... Fixed a 4600 monitor for another local collector.

Could have been more productive, but still going in the right direction...

Updates to the Web Site

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 12:51:59 GMT

Revising some of the pages on the Web Site. The news page being the main focus right now.

Been going through some of the links as well and removing dead links. If you find a dead link, please let me know. If you want a link to your site, please visit the Submit Link page.

Any and ALL feedback is welcome!

Re-arranging the Arcade

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 18:04:41 GMT

Started to re-arrange the arcade a bit to make room for two new games and discovered this unpleasant surprise:

Termites!

Exterminators are coming out on Monday to check the game and the rest of the house.

Zapcon has come and gone!

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:50:04 GMT

Wes, Rachel and the rest of the Zapcon crew put on an excellent Arcade and Pinball Convention! If you were unable to make it this year, you missed out! If they come back next year (and I'm betting they will), you'll want to set aside the time to come to it. Hundreds of games to play and great people to hang out with.

Ugh what a weekend... :(

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 21:16:46 GMT

Lots of problems in the Arcade.

Flintstones had battery acid damage so I upgraded that to Lithium battery. No more leaks!

Tutankhamun is acting flaky. Wasn't booting, so I went to check the voltages and it came up.... It was upgraded to a switcher and I think that is starting to go. Might need to rebuild that.

Then the finally, is my Tempest monitor died :( Rebuilt it and it still has an issue that I have to track down.

Repair Party, etc...

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:36:16 GMT

Had another repair party on the 19th. Went really well! Didn't get as much fixed as what I would have liked, but we did make progress in several areas. It also spawned a new product to be developed (not mine) which might make it out in a month or two if all goes well.

I picked up several PSOne LCD screens and I have successfully moded one to work with my portable JAMMA test rig.

Should have another Repair Party in February, not sure the exact date yet, but will post on the Forums when that information becomes available.

Still Looking for Volunteers to help add PCB's, Repair Logs, etc.. to the database!

Added Forums to the Arcade Restoration Workshop!

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 18:17:05 GMT

I decided to add forums to the site for local collectors and for the discussion of the three different databases.

Newest Addition to the Arcade!

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 17:27:49 GMT

Picked up "The Flintstones" from my friend Todd. It now sits next to Funhouse! It has some cool features that make it entertaining.

New Arcade Restoration Workshop site is LIVE!

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 00:21:36 GMT

After adding lots and lots of features and fixing bugs in the BETA period, the new site is up and running.

I still have lots of ideas that I want to implement, but at some point you have to say "Ship it!". So here it is. If you have any feedback, you can drop me an email.

Enjoy!

The Arcade Restoration Workshop Enters BETA!

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 21:52:58 GMT

After 14 years, the Arcade Restoration Workshop has been revamped with a ground up re-write of the entire web site.

Major New features:

New Look (Logo courtesy of my friend Dave Giarruso!)
Friendly URL's (no more c=10&data=3892) in the URLS!
Search that works and works well!
Arcade PCB Identification Database
Arcade Part Identification Database
Arcade Repair Log Database
Better Organized

More features to come!

November 13, 2009

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Spent an couple hours today and modeled the Williams Control Panel.

If you find any inaccuracies, please let me know.

You can download the Google Sketchup file here:

Williams Control Panel.zip

November 11, 2009

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Ok, I wanted to learn how to use Google Sketchup, so I decided the best way to really learn the program is to do something realistic with it. The Williams Coin Box was a good start, but I needed something a bit more challenging.

So I decided to redo the Defender Dimensions on my web site. Here are the results so far:

If you have a Defender and would compare the dimensions of my Model with your actual Defender, that would be greatly appreciated. You can email me if you find something that doesn't match yours.

You can download the Google Sketchup file here:

Defender.zip

November 4, 2009

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Ok, since I couldn't find any plans already done I decided to sit down and create my own set.

You can download it from here:

Williams Coin Box Plans

Looking for an application to draw this out was an interesting quest. I finally ran accross Google SketchUp. This program kicks ass! I highly recommend it.

That progam is required to look at the full plans.

October 30, 2009

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

More work in the gameroom! Fixed my Defender. When powered up, it would go to the settings screen. Turns out the battery in that was dead just like the Sinistar one! I guess those CR2032's aren't 10 year batteries when used in an Arcade game.

Re-keyed Defender, Robotron, Sinistar and Jr. Pac. Most of my games are now all keyed the same. I still have 3 or 4 that need new locks.

I have two Road Blaster Cabinets now, that I am going to fully restore and put Indiana Jones and Road Runner in. The Road Runner control panel is MINT. The Indy, not so much.

Still looking for Coin Mechs that will handle .900 tokens! If you have any send me an email at spammehere@arcaderestoration.com

October 25, 2009

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Busy week in the game room!

I cleaned my token machine and wired a button to it so that it depenses tokens without having to put any money in it.

I converted 12 of the 25 games in the gameroom to .900 Tokens. I am working on getting 26 more coin mechs that I can convert to finish the job. If you need Quarter Coin mechs, let me know since I have 45 of them that cannot be used for the .900 tokens.

Rebuilt the power supply in my Sinistar, so it's alive once again! The Battery was dead, so I lost my high scores :( Guess I'll have to start playing again to get the 220K high score back on there :)

Did more work on my Wacko! Rewired the Monitor Power cord (one side was AMP, the other Molex). Put in the Marquee, it lights up quite nicely.

Replaced several broken or missing locks on Asteroids, Sinistar, and Centipede.

August 29, 2009

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It's been quite some time since my last update. Been busy working, not much time to work on the games. But I squeeze it in when I can afford to.

I picked up an R-Type, Burger Time, 2 Road Blasters and a Change Machine in the last two months. The R-Type was cheap, and the cab needs a lot of work, but it was good enough to put in the game room.

The Burger Time was in excellent shape, the bottom on one side has a little bit of peeling, but that should be easy to fix. However, since it's now in the game room, that might not happen for a LONG time :)

The Road Blasters are going to be converted to Indiana Jones and Road Runner. I have all the parts (except for Marquees) to convert them back. Well, the Indy control panel needs buttons, but who's counting?

Update My Arcade page with a couple YouTube Videos of the Arcade thanks to Dan Coogan!

December 5, 2008

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Wow, the year is almost over. Time flys, but I'm not having much fun :(. Been working too much and not working on my games enough.

The Eyelids for Rudy on my Funhouse pinball machine broke today. Working on getting a new set, and fixing the current ones until I can find a repalcement.

Added a new Link to CoinOpSpace.com - Classic Arcade Game Forum. Check it out!

Sold the Whirlwind pinball to a friend of mine as I wasn't playing it much and they wanted a pinball machine. Was a win win situation :)

Got my monitor back for Wacko!, so I should be able to finish that up soon, if I can find the time to work on it.

October 14, 2008

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This month marks the 10 year anniversary of the Arcade Restoration Workshop!

It's hard to beleive that I've been addicted for 10 years now, with no hope in sight.... :)

Ever since my mom got sick with Cancer and passed away this year, I haven't done much in the Arcade department. I'm still catching up with work and have been putting in a lot of 12 hour days and working pretty much 7 days a week.

I should be caught up enough by the end of this month that I can start doing more stuff again, assuming the economy hasn't gotten worse by then.

I just got a notification today that my Donkey Kong II artwork has been shipped, so that will give me something to work on next month!

If you haven't heard about JROK's Mutli-Williams board, then you need to check it out! It's a great board and you can't tell the difference between it and a real board. For more Iinfo: SYSFPGA

July 5, 2008

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

July 4th, 2008, was the saddest day of my life. My mother passed away after a battle with Cancer. Cancer is a horrible devastating disease that no one should ever have to suffer though. Please help support the fight against all Cancers by donating to a Cancer foundation such as the American Cancer Society.

If you would like to make a donation in honor of my mother, you can make a donation to:

[LINK@http://www.upmccancercenters.com/giving/index.html ,Hillman Cancer Center] in Pittsburgh, PA,

The specific type of Cancer is Sarcoma, which is a rare and very aggressive form of cancer.

May 22, 2008

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 22 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Finally another update!

UPDATE: Zoo Keeper is done! Check out the page for the final pictures!

Zoo Keeper is up and running now! Just working on the details now to finish it off! If you want to see what "Magic Erasers" are capable of doing, visit the Zoo Keeper Restoration Page

Finally got off my ass and posted pictures from the last BBQ. I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted to.

Added a link to ArcadeComponents.com, so if you're looking to repair your game, check these guys out!

Added a link to CoinOpChips.com, so if you're looking to repair your game, check these guys out!

April 5, 2008

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, now that the April Gameroom Magazine is out, I can post information on the secret project that I have been working on.

RoboJuke 2084! is now complete!

For indepth informaiton on it, pick up a copy of Gameroom Magazine. To get details on what went into building it, go to the [LINK@ http://www.arcaderestoration.com/index.asp?OPT=3&DATA=164&CBT=50,RoboJuke page]

I'm having an Arcade BBQ tomorrow and will put up the results of that on Sunday, time permitting.

February 27, 2008

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Lots of things going on, not much time to update the site, so I'll be brief for now and work on adding more as I find the spare time.

I purchased the Donkey Kong II ROM Hack for Donkey Kong and I have to say that it's fantastic! I highly recommend it to anyone who is a big fan of Donkey Kong. You can read more about it on Jeffs Site.

I've made progress on the Wacko!, but haven't updated the page yet. I picked up a new monitor for it (Vision Pro), and I'm ready to start putting things back together.

I've re-arranged my gameroom because of the two Pinball Machines I picked up recently. A Whirlwind and the best pinball machine ever made, a Funhouse!

I'm probably forgetting something, but I've been so busy it's hard to keep up...

December 4, 2007

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

This year is almost over! Yikes!

I won a Zoo Keeper control panel on eBay, that should be here soon, which will speed up my restoration. I also made up a Ribbon cable that I was missing for the board that connects the ROM daughter board to the other two boards. The only things left after that will be to hook up power.

My Rootbeer Tapper has developed a problem where the characters look like they are suffering from radio interference. I'll put up a repair log once I figure everything out.

I added a link to an excellent site that is working on reproduction art work for Pengo. The site is Rotheblog.com. Great looking site, with a ton of other information as well. Head over there and let him know you're interested in the art!

December 4, 2007

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The year is almost gone! Yikes!

Well, I won a Zoo Keeper Control Panel on eBay, hope that shows up soon. That will speed up my restoration on Zoo Keeper. I also made a ribbon cable for the ROM board to the two main boards.

My Rootbeer Tapper is now developing an issue, that I'm hoping is just the ribbon cables. I have replacements for them and will probably install them this weekend. The issue is that the characters look like there is a bunch of interfernce. I'll put up a repair log entry once I figure it out.

Added a link to a great site called Rothblog.com. On there they are working on reproduction side art for Pengo!

November 16, 2007

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Been extremely busy that last several weeks, but I'm getting a little spare time now. I'm sure that will disappear soon as the Holidays approach.

I fixed my Make Trax tonight. The game had lost Horizontal Sync. Replacing the 74LS04 at 1S fixed the problem. The game is now playable again! Man that game is hard!

I added several links to Brent's site www.brentradio.com. He has tons of great information on there. Things like the worst conversions ever, space invaders page with anything and everything you ever wanted to know about Space Invaders. Too much info to list here, check it out.

My Secret project is done, just haven't had time to have Dan come over and take photos of it yet. I'm hoping next week as this week is shot, due to work and hockey.

Picked up a bunch of Stenciles from Oleszakcreative and I hope to be able to use them within the next several months. Hope it's not longer, but you never know as I have a ton of projects going right now.

Now I just need to find some time to start restoring arcade games again :-)

October 28, 2007

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Well, I finally got off my lazy ass and put up the pictures for the Arcade BBQ that I just had. Only 7 years between BBQs! :-)

Check it out under Events!

My Seceret project is almost complete! Just have a few finishing touches left to do, then I'll post a page on it! Wanted to get it done by the BBQ but it didn't happen. However, I did show what I had done to those who were there.

September 7, 2007

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

My Arcade made the Cover of GameRoom Magazine! GameRoom Magazine

August 20, 2007

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Tons of things going on, just not enough time to document everything. I am getting to that though. Slowly but surely.

I've made good progress on the Zoo Keeper restoration (not documented yet). I've also made good progress on the Wacko! restoration (which HAS been documented).

I've been working on the Sinistar Sound problem as well. In the process I dug out all my Sound boards (6 that I could find) and 5 of them have problems. I've already fixed one of the Sound Boards (A Joust) and will be working on the rest as time permits.

I purchased a Zoo Keeper Bezel and Marquee, and if all goes well, those should show up this week. I am also working on getting the back door metal plate fabricated. Once that is done, I can complete the re-assembly of Zoo Keeper.

I also purchased a couple of extra PCBS (Jungle King and Time Pilot 84) in "Untested" condition, so I have something to practice my PCB repairing on. I've got a lot to learn, but it is fun!

My test bench is now setup and the UNIVID 1000 is up and running. I built a set of Adapters to convert the Molex connectors on the UNIVID 1000 to DB25 connectors (DB25 were cheaper then the DB15!). After I built that set, I built a set so I could test the Williams Sound Boards with out the need for any of the other boards. This has worked very well.

August 5, 2007

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Added a few more pictures of my Arcade to the My Arcade page. Replaced the picture of the Neon sign with one Dan took. Looks way better then my picture :-)

July 15, 2007

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Added a Repair Log entry for my Centipede Marquee Light.

July 13, 2007

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Dan Coogan was over last night and he took a lot of great pictures of my Arcade. You can see them on my Arcade Page.

June 20, 2007

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The Room is almost done! Check it out!. All that is left is the Carpeting.

June 9, 2007

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The Room Addition is almost done! I'm hoping to have it all complete this week if nothing else goes wrong.

April 14, 2007

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

It's been awhile since my last update, but that is because I've been busy as hell. I received my games from the East Coast deal I did, so now I have 7 more games in my collection. There were a total of 12 games (7 where mine, 5 were my friends).

The deal didn't turn out that great in the end. The games (except for a couple) were not in the condition I was expecting them in and since they came from the east cost, they had some mold and mildew issues. Not something you are really used to dealing with here in Arizona. If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't have done the deal.

99% of the games will take some work to get them up to snuff, but one is probably going to be a major project (Jungle King) . The Jungle King cabinet is pretty hosed and will probably require me to build a new cabinet for it.

On to more positive things... Construction has started on my new game room. I am having my old patio enclosed (plus an additional 6 feet) to give me an additional 240 Sqft for games. I'll put up a page of the construction progress later.

My "Seceret Project" is getting closer to being done. However, with the 12 new games in my garage I no longer have any room to do anything (including parking my car in there), so that's temporarily on hold.

I have a lot of information I want to post, but it will take some time to get everything together. Lots of pictures, and info to sort out. So keep checking back as I will post information when I can.

November 3, 2006

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Added a New "Tricks & Tips" article about Powder Coating. If you thought Powder coating was expensive, you thought wrong! Check out the article!

October 13, 2006

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Been busy on my "Secret" project. Couple more weeks and I might have something to show :-) Been working on it with my Brother for about 5 hours a week so it's not going as fast as I want, but it's turning out really cool. Stay tuned!

Added a couple more links, got rid of a few dead ones too. If you want a link on here, please send me an email at spammehere@arcaderestoration.com. I'm posting my email address on here since I get so much damn SPAM anyway it does't matter if it's posted in the open anymore.

I've picked up a lot of stuff over the past few weeks to help in restorations. Here are a few of the things...

Marble Madness Control Panel

Two brand new Track Balls for MM

Zoo Keeper Repro Overlay

New Gorf Joystick Handle Shells

Non-Working QIX boardset (with Harness, plates, etc...)

If you're in Phoenix and you have a cheap Atari System 1 cabinet you want to sell, drop me an email.

I should be working on my Zoo Keeper this weekend if everything goes as planned. Should have pics up shortly after that.

September 20, 2006

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Did a little more work on the DK Jr. Greased up the Joystick so it plays like new again.

Added a link to Arcade Chips which as a lot of chips that are good for repairing your broken PCBs. Check em out!

Updated my Williams Cabinet Identification page. Added Bubbles and Mystic Marathon thanks to David Haynes over at bombjack.org. I also made the image larger so it's easier to see the cabs.

September 18, 2006

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Major progress was made on the Donkey Kong Jr restoration. It is very close to being done. Waiting on T-Molding and that is pretty much it except for a few minor things.

September 17, 2006

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Ok, it's official! I've hit 30! No, not my age, it's the number of cabinets I now have. I picked up a Donkey Kong Jr and Gorf today. Those two pushed me to the 30 game mark.

Both games are in pretty decent shape. The DK Jr being in the better shape of the two. The Gorf has casters on it, which makes it nice and easy to move around, but I'm still not sure I like them on the game. I guess only time will tell.

Since the stuff on Donkey Kong Jr will be easy to do, I've already started restoring it. I hope to have it done by the end of Sunday if all goes as planned. Does it ever? :-) Check out the restoration page for details.

As for the Slot Cutter Router bit. I've looked at it and it has a cut depth of 1/2". That is too deep for what I need, so I will be looking for one that is 1/4" deep or I'll have to rig something up (maybe a bigger bearing) so it only cuts 1/4" deep.

September 9, 2006

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

If you're looking for Router bits (like the Slot Cutter used to cut the groove for T-Molding) you'll want to check out the MLCS link on the Parts (Restoration) section.

My bit just arrived today and I'll be using it tomorrow. So we shall see how it works.

More progress has been made on the "Secret" project :-) Figure to have most of it done in the next few weeks (only working on it one day a week typically).

September 8, 2006

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Well, I've been sick for the past 2 weeks. Not fun at all. I had a 101F temp for 5 days. I'm now at the end of it and just have to deal with the Sinus issues. Yuck.

I've been making progress on my "Secret" project. It's coming along nicely, but it's costing me a lot more then I had first anticipated. I'm sure I'll be happy with the end result though and will still be cheaper then if I had bought one out right. Only time will tell what it is :-)

Picked up a few more things. I got an NOS Pengo Overlay that is in OK shape, but not great. It has some cracking and is a little roughed up, but it's about a billion times better then what I have currently on my Pengo.

Picked up a Donkey Kong 3 Control Panel. I'm not a huge fan of DK3 (I actually think they shouldn't have made the game), but I have the parts to put one together. If you're going to have DK and DK JR, might as well have the bastard step child DK3 as well.

I picked up a QIX boardset with Control Panel and Marquee. I am considering converting the QIX boardset to a Zoo Keeper boardset if I cannot get a hold of a real ZK set. I am working on that though! I do like QIX so I don't want to convert it unless I have to.

August 13, 2006

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

I'm back in the swing of things again, Restoration wise. I decided to make time to work on my games to try and help relieve the stress and because it's fun.

I tend to work on a project then switch to another before it's complete. This is usually because I'm missing something, or I get distracted by something else. Could just be ADD :-)

The current projects I am working on are the Extra Bases Cocktail that I picked up recently and the Zoo Keeper cab that I picked up recently as well.

I am also working on another project, but I'm going to keep that a secret for now, you'll just have to keep looking back here to see when it's done. It's a project that I am doing from scratch and will be Video Game related. It may even inspire others to do the same :-)

You may notice a Space Firebird on the restoration page. It's a beaute! Check it out.

June 1, 2006

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Holy Crap! It's an update! I've been swamped... thought I would have more free time by having my own business.... BZZZZT! Wrong. I have less time then I ever did, but I'm happier then I've ever been, so it's a good thing!

I acheived a new personal best on Robotron today! I actually set my machine to what it SHOULD be (5 lives instead of 3 to start) and I hit 1,072,425 points. Man, my arms are tired...

January 28, 2006

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

----- Original Message -----
From: TIM ARNOLD
Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 11:27 PM
To: pinballhalloffame@msn.com
Subject: Pinball Museum is now OPEN!

The Pinball Hall of Fame is NOW OPEN!
This e-mail is going out to all those who used to get e-mails for Fun Night. There has not been a Fun Night in over a year, much to the dismay of many of you.

But now, we have taken 200 of the best pinball machines and put them in a store front THAT IS OPEN EVERY DAY TO THE PUBLIC! We have rented space at the North West corner of Tropicana and Pecos, right next to the Tropicana Cinema. Address is 3330 E. Tropicana.

We have been open for 10 days now, and things are VERY slow. We need you to come by and play. All games are on quarter play. Newer games are 2 quarters, older games are 1 quarter. We also have many novelties, gun games, mechanical driving games and all the other fun stuff you used to play at Fun Night. Except now, EVERY NIGHT can be Fun Night.

Please, tell your friends. Send this e-mail to everyone you can think of. SPREAD THE WORD! We have no money for advertising, we are counting on our pinball buddies from Fun Night to start the ball rolling. We are open from 11AM till 11PM 7 days a week.

October 10, 2005

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 10 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Bob Roberts has a New URL these days.

You can find him at http://homearcade.org/

Glad to see that he made it though Hurricane Katrina with out too much trouble (all things considered).

Bob now has a Forum up as well. If you're looking for parts or for information, Bob is the man.

October 9, 2005

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 09 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Well, as of tomorrow (10/10/2005) the Arcade Restoration Workshop will be 7 years old! My how it's changed over the years!

The first site can be seen on the Internet Archive, remember this was 1998, so most sites looked like crap. Mine included: On Primenet

In April of 2000, I setup the domain name that you are viewing right now. It's looking better as I did a make over before the switch. In April of that month, I was working on the look you see today. Here is what it looked like in April 2000. April 2000

The look of the site has been evolving slowly over time... who knows maybe a new look is around the corner.... only time will tell....

September 19, 2005

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 19 Sep 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Went through the links again, and found several more broken links. I marked those as broken in the database and will remove them eventually if they don't come back.

Added a link to www.robotron-2084.co.uk. which is by far the best site out there to find information on all Williams games. If you're looking for information on Williams, I would check there first. I've been using it to identify the stack of PCB's I picked up.

September 17, 2005

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 17 Sep 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Haven't had an update in awhile, so I figured now would be a good time to have one!

My friend John Butler decided to liquidate about 99% of his Arcade stuff and today was the Sale. I dragged my friend Dave down there. Ok, it wasn't really "Dragging" as he's an Arcade addict like myself.

When we got there, we started digging though the TONS of things that John had and wanted to get rid of. I had a plan to only spend a set amount of money and only pick up a set number of things. That lasted about 5 minutes :-) I'll be mailing John a check for the additional stuff and I got a lot more then I had imagined I would have.

It's a shame that John is getting out of the Arcade hobby (but staying with Pins at least) since he's such a great person to deal with. It's thanks to him that I have a Great Sinistar to play every day. He is one of the nicest collectors in the area. If you call Apache Junction "The Area" :-) I'm sure he'll be lurking though as once you're bitten by the Arcade bug, it's hard to shake it.

Dave and I arrived at John's place at around 7:30 - 8am. There were several other people (sorry forgot most of the names) already there loading up and rummaging though the piles and piles of stuff like Dave and I were. I walked away with a good number of things that I hadn't even planned on picking up due to John's generosity. John has always been an honest and fair collector to deal with, and I thank him for that.

We finally left his house at around 11:30 after hanging out, bullshitting and rummanging though more things. John was trying to get us to take as much as we could :-) After all was said and done, here is what I wound up with:

Univid 1000 Video Game System Tester with 6 Harnesses

Tektronix 475 Oscilliscope

Atari System One Main Board with Temple of Doom, Road Runner, and Marble Madness

Guantlet Board

Tutankam Kit (PCB, Marquee, CPO, Harness, Joysticks)

Donkey Kong 3 (with Marquee)

Williams boards (CPU, ROM, IO, Sound. about 30 boards (mix) in all)

Joust Joystick (Yellow, NOS)

Arch Rivals/Sinistar/Bubbles Joystick (49way)

Cadash PCB

Unknown PCB

Again I would like to thank John for his generosity and hope he doesn't wander too far away from the Arcade scene :-)

I tested a good chunk of the CPU boards and all of them had problems (as John figured they would). Just like the 5 I currently have :-) So this gives me a lot more project boards to work with. However, if I can fix the majority of them, I will have backup's and some things to trade.

Now I get to learn how to use an Oscilliscope! That should be a cool thing to learn how to use. That combined with the UNIVID 1000, should make testing boards a lot easier and a lot more fun! I'll need to build an adaptor to hook up Williams games to it.

I'll see about getting pictures up some time in the future of the UNIVID 1000 and my test bench once I get it all setup. Time is in short supply these days, so it might be a little bit. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things again, but it's not easy.

May 8, 2005

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 08 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Robotron Restoration #4 is progressing nicely. Stripped the paint from the right side.

My Friend Jerry's 5 year old son was just diagnosed with Leukemia. I put up a web site for his son, and you can visit it here www.joeyblack.org

March 1, 2005

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 01 Mar 2005 00:00:00 GMT

More depressing news....

I was down at Gross Games today, and David told me that they are closing the doors on the business. Due to Al's ex-wife and the legal trouble she is causing, they can no longer afford to keep the doors open.

It's sad to see something Al Gross worked so hard at building, going away because of the greed of his ex-wife. This is also a sad day for collectors as this was an excellent resource. It was wierd walking around the warehouse knowing that I may never go there again. Al's place had a lot of good memories for me and I hope it comes back some day. I doubt it will, but one can wish.

If you are not familiar with who Al Gross is, you can read his Memorial Page.

If you want to find out what a low life person his ex-wife is, you can read the News Item where I detailed what happened to Al. It's the September 3rd entry.

January 26, 2005

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 26 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT

For those who would like more information about Bryan and pay your respects, Shane has setup a site dedicated to his memory.

January 24, 2005

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 24 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT

This year started out with great promise of good things to come. Unfortunately, it didn't make it very far without another tragedy. I lost another close personal friend today. Bryan "KidHype" Smith from Retro Gaming Radio. Like Al Gross, Bryan was an individual who you are better off knowing.

With Al, his passing was somewhat expected as he was 84 years old and had a massive stroke. Bryan, was a year younger than I am and other than having Diabetes, he looked fine. Bryan died on the operating table while they were trying to operate on an infection caused by his Diabetes.

Bryan was a great friend and will be missed.

If you knew him, and would like to say something, Shane Monroe has posted a message on his forums. Those can be found Here

January 1, 2005

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Another year come and gone. Last year didn't end very well, so let's hope this year will be better. For those of you who missed it, Al Gross passed away.

December 30, 2004

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 30 Dec 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Today is a very sad day. I just learned that Al Gross passed away just after Thanksgiving. He was 84.

Nothing I can write here can give Al the credit he deserves. Al was one of the nicest people you could ever meet. I can't count the number of times that Al helped the less fortunate in the neighborhood around his warehouses. Al was a great asset to the collecting community and will be major loss for all collectors who knew him.

No matter what happened to Al, he always had an upbeat and positive attitude. I can't remember a time when he wasn't smiling. He was a hard working person with a work ethic that is rare to this day; even working after having a stroke, he never retired.

My sincerest condolences to his son David and his family, Al will be missed. Rest in Peace Al. I'm glad I knew you.

November 9, 2004

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 09 Nov 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Removed the Forums, no one was using them.

October 28, 2004

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 28 Oct 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Well, if you've been waiting for the new Paint Removal Technique, it's here! Check out the Recovering Art Work page for full details!

I've also added a new Restoration Page for Robotron #4. Check it out.

The Forums are up and running if you want to discuss any of this or have questions.

October 25, 2004

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 25 Oct 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Well, I finally broke down and found some Forum Software and put it up. Feel free to head over there and jump in!

Arcade Restoration Workshop Forums

Started working on a new restoration today as well. This is Robotron #4. This one will be for my Friend Dave in exchange for a Zoo Keeper. While working on it today, we discovered a new technique that works extremely well for removing the paint from the side of a game, while perserving the art underneath! Stay Tuned!

October 20, 2004

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 20 Oct 2004 00:00:00 GMT

I was looking at my Days Live counter this morning and I thought, Gee, it seems a lot longer than that (It was 1,625 if I'm not mistaken). So I decided to take a look at The Internet Archive and see what the oldest page they had for my site.

The oldest page they had of mine was in December of 1998. However, when viewing that page, the oldest information was October 10th, 1998.

So with that, I adjusted the date and this site has been live for 2,202 days, or if you prefer, 6 years, 10 days. How time flies! I'm sure it's been a couple months before that (maybe 6), but they don't have a record of anything prior to that, so who really knows :-)

If you want to see what the site looked like back them, head over to the Internet Archive and enter the following URL's...

To See it between 1998 - 2000 search for

http://www.primenet.com/~bking

To See it between 2000 - 2004 search for

http://www.arcaderestoration.com

It's kind of cool to see how it's evolved over the years and to see how my collection has changed and grown over the years!

In December of 1998, I had 12 games. 8 Cabs, 4 PCB's.

Today I have 64 games, 24 Cabs, and 40 PCBs!

Had I kept all my games I would have 31 cabs, however I don't have the room for that many :-)

Games that are no longer part of my collection....

Popeye (I have boards for it, so it may come back)

Thief

Gorf

Side Arms

Crystal Castles

Bosconian (Twice)

TMNT

October 17, 2004

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 17 Oct 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Well, I replaced the batteries in my Robotron with the Lithium Battery upgrade from Bob Roberts and it worked great. Had a little issue (wouldn't boot) at first, but that was probably my fault. The problem went away by itself, so it could have been garbage in NVRAM or a bad connection on the connectors.

I highly recommend this upgrade to your Williams boards. The Lithium battery will last a lot longer then the AA batteries and you don't have to worry about your board being destroyed from Battery Acid Damage. The kit is only $5 from Bob Roberts and only takes a few minutes to install.

Next up is Defender, Stargate, and probably Sinistar.

October 16, 2004

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 16 Oct 2004 00:00:00 GMT

The Q*Bert restoration has begun! I've gone through the entire machine and took a lot of pictures of what it currently looks like. To read more about it, head over to the Q*Bert Restoration page.

If anyone knows the value of the Q*Bert Volume POT, please let me know. Thanks.

September 26, 2004

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 26 Sep 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Holly Cow! It's another update!

Yes, it's true, I am actually adding content too! I added a new section to the site called "Repair Log". When I first created this site, I wanted to mainly focus on rebuilding the games and not worry so much about repairing them. My reasoning at the time was that there were a lot of repair sites out there at the time, and I wasn't really repairing anything other than minor stuff.

However, as time went on, I realized that wasn't going to hold true for very long. As anyone who has collected games for any period of time will tell you, repairing games is an on-going affair. If you are unable to repair your games, or unwilling to do so, you'll probably spend a lot of money getting them fixed, or you'll have a game room full of broken games.

There are still several very good sites for finding information on how to repair games, and I suggest that if you are trying to fix your games, you should read as much as you can from as many different sources as you can.

I will be documenting what I fix (or in some cases, make worse) here, so that others can bennefit as I have from other sites. As with everything else on here, I will have as many pictures as I can to help illustrate the problems and solutions.

September 13, 2004

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Well, I finally got off my lazy ass and went through all 99 links and removed all the dead links and found replacements for as many as I could. If you would like to have a link to your site added, please feel free to drop me an email and I'll see about adding it.

If you would like to link to my site, feel free.

September 3, 2004

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 03 Sep 2004 00:00:00 GMT

I'm a big believer in the idea that really bad things happen in threes. After visiting Al Gross the other day, this gives this theory some credence.

The first bad thing that happened to Al was his stroke. I found out that it had actually happened near the end of April. I thought I had visited him after April, but it appears I had lost track of time. His stroke has left him paralyzed on the left side. He is unable to move his left arm or left leg at all. The right Artery in his neck is 100% blocked, and the left Artery is 80% blocked. On the good side, his memory seems to be fully intact and he is as sharp as ever. Unfortunately, his delivery is slowed down because of the stroke.

The second bad thing that happened to Al was that his Ex-Wife (who was married to him at the time this happened) and his step-son (Robert Armstrong) tried to take over the business, and cheat Al out of everything. They even went so far as to get a restraining order against Al’s son David so David couldn’t take over the business while Al was recovering. His Ex-Wife and Step-Son changed all the locks on Al’s House, and all the Video games he has on location. They also went around to every game he had on location and emptied the machines of what ever money that was in them.

If that wasn’t bad enough, they took several games and tried selling them in the paper as "The NEW Gross Games". However, that wasn’t the worst thing. The worst thing was when his Ex-Wife went around to everyone that Al knew, and told them that he was DEAD! It is simply amazing that there are people out there that could do something as bad as this to someone as nice as Al. It makes me sick. The other numerous bad things that they have done to Al aren’t even worth mentioning here as they pale in comparison.

If you are in the Phoenix area, please do not do business with Al’s STEP SON (Robert Armstrong) or any business claming to be the "NEW Gross Games". The old Gross Games is still in operation and is being run by good people.

The good news is that Al has a great son (David) who has helped Al get through this. David has taken over the business, his wife and daughter help run the shop, and they make sure he is well taken care of.

The third bad thing to happen to Al is his Cat "Video", which he kept down at the warehouse, was hit by a car and killed.

Even with all the bad things that has happened to Al, he is still the same old Al, that we all know and love. He shows up to the shop at least once a week and still tries to work on games. All I have to say is, that If this didn't get Al to retire, nothing will!

He is going to physical therapy which will hopefully get him in good enough shape so that he can at least walk and stand without help. Lets hope Al makes a speedy recovery!

I would like to thank all those who have sent cards already to Al, they are greatly appreciated by Al and his family. If you are just reading this for the first time and would like to send Al a "Get Well" card, you can send it to:

Al Gross
303 West Mohave Street
Phoenix, AZ 85003

August 12, 2004

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 12 Aug 2004 00:00:00 GMT

It's been a long time since I put up an update, but it's mainly due to me working on my new business (Software Development/Contracting) and trying to make ends meet. I have also been working on a new version of the site, but that's been put on hold for higher priority items. I just recently finished up the Twin Galaxies web site and it is now up live. If you haven't seen it yet, go over to Twin Galaxies and check it out.

On a sadder note, I just found out that a good friend of mine, Al Gross has suffered a stroke and is in the hospital. The stroke has left him partially paralyzed. I don't have any more information on his condition at this time. I don't think I could say enough good things about Al. He is one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet and you would be honored to call him a friend.

Many of you have probably done business with him at one time or another as Al has been great for the Arcade community.

If you would like to send Al a get well card, you can send them to his business at:

Al Gross
303 West Mohave Street
Phoenix, AZ 85003

I'm sure he would appreciate a card or two.

July 1, 2003

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 01 Jul 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Add new Master lists for Cart Commander. Get them from the Software Page

New Lists Include:

Thanks to Chad Tower

NEC Turbo Graphix-16 CD Media

NEC Turbo Graphix-16 Hu Cards Media

Nintendo 64 Media

Sega Saturn USA Media

Thanks to David Nelson

Sony Playstation 2 Media

May 29, 2003

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 29 May 2003 00:00:00 GMT

My friend Albert over at AtariAge is one of the organizers for the new Austin Gaming Expo. If you're into classic gaming at all, you'll want to check this out. Especially if Vegas is too far for you to go to, this might be closer.

Here is the press release:

A CELEBRATION OF VIDEO GAMES, BOTH PAST AND PRESENT

Austin, TX -- As the video gaming industry now surpasses the 10 billion dollar mark, videogame enthusiasts will converge this summer in central Texas for the Austin Gaming Expo. Kicking off its first year, this premiere event in the making caters to young and old, classic and contemporary gamers alike. Attendees will take part in a celebration of video games, the world's most popular form of electronic entertainment.

The Austin Gaming Expo is being held on July 26, 2003 in Austin, Texas, centrally located to all of Texas’ major cities. This event is the first of its kind for the state of Texas, and will feature a large number of vendors and exhibitors showcasing both classic and modern video games and consoles. AGE co-organizer Tim Wilson states, "Austin’s central location in Texas makes it a great venue to hold a gaming event of this nature."

Featured sponsors of this event include:
- AtariAge.com
- AtariCart.com
- AtariProtos.com
- The Atari History Museum
- Goodwill Computerworks
- Pixels Past
- Video Game Bible
- Sunmark

"Classic video gaming fans across the southern United States have desired an event like this for years, and we are pleased to be able to finally grant this wish", says AGE co-organizer Albert Yarusso, who is also one of the co-founders of the popular Atari fansite AtariAge.com.

Highlights of the Austin Gaming Expo include:
- Vendors with a wide variety of videogame merchandise for sale
- Large number of game systems setup for play, both Classic and Contemporary
- New game releases and demos from notable Homebrew authors
- Large assortment of video arcade and pinball games all set to free play
- Game tournaments on consoles of all types
- Giveaways and door prizes
- Buy, Sell and Trade with other gaming enthusiasts

The Austin Gaming Expo is being held at the Marriott Austin North, a modern hotel with many amenities for attendees and those wishing to stay overnight in the Austin area. The show hours are from 10am until 8pm and admission is $5. Vendor tables are available for $30 for any individuals or businesses.

For more information, please visit the Austin Gaming Expo website at: http://www.AustinGamingExpo.com

CONTACT: info@austingamingexpo.com

April 15, 2003

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 15 Apr 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Well, good news! I fixed my Tempest video problem by adjusting the brightness down to where it should be! I also had to adjust the Y size down a bit as it stretched past the edges of the screen. So I have a fully working Tempest in excellent shape for only $30.

I would say that I had a good weekend :-)

I will be ordering a repair kit for the monitor from @BOBROBERTS@ and will rebuild the monitor. This is to ensure that it operates for as long as possible and hopefully clear up a little bit of the jitters and bowing.

I will also be cleaning it up and putting it in the game room this weekend.

April 13, 2003

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 13 Apr 2003 00:00:00 GMT

I picked up a new game today. Tempest

Let's just say I'm a happy camper :-)

April 12, 2003

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 12 Apr 2003 00:00:00 GMT

I have an Armor Attack for Sale or Trade. Buyer must pick up, as I have no way to ship. Located in Glendale, Arizona.

Cabinet is in excellent shape, but the monitor board starts to smoke when you turn it on. Very minor water damage to the underside, but no repair is required. As you can see by the pictures, the Side Art is almost 100%. A few screws missing from the control panel, but easy to replace.

Here are the pictures:
Front
Left Side
Right Side
Back

Here is a link to Klov:
KLOV

I need a working Pac-Man PCB, so I would be willing to trade for that, or make me an offer. I'm also open to any other offers of trades, let me know.

February 5, 2003

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 05 Feb 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Finished replacing the Edge connector on my MsPac. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting! Only wasted three of the molex pins from bad crimping :-) The kit is worth it. Go to Bob Robert's page and order youself one.

I'll be doing Ron's MsPac here this Friday, so I should have plenty of pictures and information for doing another photo tutorial. I wanted to do mine without the camera so I could get an idea of how long it takes "Normally".

February 2, 2003

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 02 Feb 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Good news! Well, sort of. I found out why my Robotron wasn't working. The CPU board has a problem. I swapped the CPU board in my Stargate with the Robotron one and now my Robotron is working again! The problem is, now my Stargate doesn't work. So I will have to diagnose the problem with the CPU board and fix that.

If anyone has any clue what might be wrong with it, drop me an @EMAIL@. The symptoms is that when going into the diagnostics, it shows that all controls for Player 1, Player 2, and Player 2 Start (NOT player 1 start), are stuck "ON".

I replaced the fuse block on my MsPac and all I can say is WOW! It's like I gave the monitor a cap kit! Bright crisp screen now, with ZERO hum bar! Next thing to replace is the edge connector so that the game doesn't reset during play.

January 6, 2003

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 06 Jan 2003 00:00:00 GMT

First Post!

Of the New Year that is...

2002 has come and gone. Quickly. I didn't get hardly anything restoration wise done that year. This year, I want to get things rolling again, but as usual, I'm swamped with other things. I am going to make a concerted effort this year to do more restoration work. Maybe :-)

It appears that someone really liked FrostByte Freddie, as it has been selected as "Game of the Year" by Beefy Software!

Thanks for the award!

Visit their site, it has quite a few other good games listed on there!

I installed the Afterburner Kit in my Game Boy Advanced. Man, what a pain! The hardest part was cutting the case. If you are thinking of getting a GBA, I highly recommend that you spend the extra money and buy one with the AB kit already installed. You'll thank me later!

November 24, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 24 Nov 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Darlene, a friend of Todd Rogers submitted a score for FrostByte Freddie! Her score of 950,560 is another excellent score that is going to be hard to beat! Check out the screen shot.

October 20, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 20 Oct 2002 00:00:00 GMT

I just released version 1.1 of FrostByte Freddie. The majority of the fixes are cosmetic in nature. You can download either the full version, or the patch. Both are available on the FrostByte Freddie Software page.

In addition to the update of FBF, I updated the way the software pages work. Now only the most current version is listed on main Software Page, and you can get to the previous versions from the detailed pages.

What this also means, is that you can now book mark the detailed software page and you will always get the Latest version and any additional support files that are associated to it.

Additional files such as my Cartridge list are now listed on the bottom of the detail pages. This will allow me the ability to release updated/new Master Lists, Patches, etc... as well.

Added the Sega Dreamcast Master List for Cart Commander. Look on the Cart Commander page (at the bottom) to get that. Many thanks to Ron Robinson for providing this list!

I changed the way the buttons on the left work (only slightly). The selected item now has a hyperlink in it so you can get back to the top page from a detail page.

I will probably be making more changes as I find the need to, so if you get an error, it might be because I am working on the site. Just try back in a few minutes :-)

October 16, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 16 Oct 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Well, it was bound to happen!

Todd Rogers has run ahead of the pack playing FrostByte Freddie! His score of 6,467,260 is going to be a hard score to beat! Check out the screen shot. His next highest score of 1,103,820 might be attainable, but it's not going to be easy!

If you have a score you want me to post, feel free to send me screen shot :-) I only request that the score be over 200K so I'm not flooded with screen shots of 20,000 point games :-)

If anyone has any bugs to report, please do so, as I am working on a patch here to fix a few VERY minor problems. So far none of the problems have affected game play, they are simply cosmetic.

October 7, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 07 Oct 2002 00:00:00 GMT

For those who are keeping up on my site, you'll get a jump on those who are not :-)

A slight change in plans. FrostByte Freddie will be released at 12AM on Tuesday (10/8/2002). The site will put it up automatically at that time (technically the begining of Wednesday).

Ejoy!

October 6, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 06 Oct 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Well, it's been a while since my last update, so here's an update :-)

I finally got around to finishing off my first "Real" game (as in Developing it). It's called "FrostByte Freddie" and is a remake/modernization of the old Sega game Pengo

There are a few details about it Here.

The intended release date is 10/9/2002 (This Wednesday) after I get home from work (about 7-8pm Phoenix, AZ time).

The game will be absolutly free of charge with no limitations. This is my first "Real" game that I have completed. Your feedback is appreciated, even if you don't like it.

Check back on Wednesday to download the final version.

August 9, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 09 Aug 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Its CGE Time! We are leaving here shortly to head to Vegas for CGE2002. If you are going, stop by the Twin Galaxies area (should be the back wall of the convention hall) and say Hi!

Twin Galaxies will be holding two contests on Saturday. One on the Atari 2600 and the other on the ColecoVision. The Winner of the Coleco contest will receive a Coleco Adam!

I will be wearing my Level 255 Pac Man shirt tomorrow so you'll be able to spot me (unless everyone there is wearing the same shirt!)

If you want to talk about Cart Commander and what you do and don't like about it, feel free to stop by as well.

See you there!

August 3, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 03 Aug 2002 00:00:00 GMT

My Site is going to experience an outage tonight at 9pm for up to around 8 hours as the server is being moved to a new location. After the Move, my site will be on a T1. :-)

July 20, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 20 Jul 2002 00:00:00 GMT

OK,

My new Email Form is now on-line if you wish to contact me.

I picked up a Wavebird controller for the GameCube yesterday and it kicks ass! If you own a GameCube, I suggest you go buy one of these! It makes playing so much nicer.

You no longer need to worry about tangled cords or trying to move the GC to a location that will reach where you are sitting! The controller has 12 channels so you can have 4 of them easily without worrying about your neighbors Wavebird controller interferring with yours.

Termites were attacking my house so I had to get those taken care of. Luckily they have no sense of smell, so they couldn't smell my games! When they pulled up the carpet that my games sit on, there were termite tubes indicating that they were close to the games.

Yikes! That would have been very BAD! Luckily they never made it through the padding of the carpet.

CGE is right around the corner (August 9, 10, and 11th if I remember correctly)! If you're going to be there, look me up. I'll be running the Twin Galaxies Colecovision tournament on Saturday.

July 15, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 15 Jul 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Well, the Robotron Power Supply that I rebuilt failed again, so I put the switcher back in. I think at this point, I am going to keep the switcher in there since it works nicely. The only issue being I don't get coin-door lights or button lights.

I have officially killed off my email address of bking@arcaderestoration.com due to a large amount of SPAM. I also removed all my email addresses from all pages. I will be going through and as I find other peoples email addresses on here, I will be removing those as well.

If you don't have my new email address and you need to contact me, I apologize, I will be adding an Email form down the road so you may contact me. When that happens, I don't know as I am extremely busy at the moment. It could be a month or two away.

June 23, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 23 Jun 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Fixed the Power Supply for my Robotron so now I can take the Switcher out and put it back to 100% original. Another Get Well Kit from Bob Roberts did the trick along with re-soldering the connectors.

If you have a Williams game and are having intermittent problems with the game resetting, then it wouldn't hurt to get one of Bob's Get Well Kits and Re-solder the connectors.

Two more Williams games and everything should be up and running in my Williams row! I have a monitor problem with Stargate which goes out occasionally, have to determine if it's the monitor or a board problem. The other problem is with my Make Trax that when you bump the machine the video distorts. The Max Trax problem is probably something loose.

If you own a GameCube you may be interested in the News release that Twin Galaxies just put out.

Here is the news release from Twin Galaxies
------
News Release:

GameCube Players to Win listings in Official Video Game & Pinball Book of Records

GameCube superstars will have their chance to make it into Twin Galaxies' Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records as five big summer contests are being conducted to find the best players on Resident Evil, Super Smash Brothers Melee, Wave Race Blue Storm, Super Monkey Ball and Simpson Road Rage.

Conducted as high-score contests, the summer long tournament invites players to submit videotapes of their best performances before the September 2, 2002 deadline. The top ten scores on each game will be featured in the next edition of the Book of Records which will be issued later this year.

"We wanted to make sure that the top GameCube players had a shot at getting into the Book of Records before the deadline on Monday, September 2nd," explains Walter Day, Chief Scorekeeper at the Twin Galaxies Intergalactic Scoreboard, sponsor of the event and publisher of the Book of Records.

Twin Galaxies' Board of Scoreboard Editors and Referees are conducting the events under the adminstration of Robert Mruczek, of Brooklyn, NY, who is Twin Galaxies' Chief Referee. "We asked our board of referees to select contest games that they know like the back of their hands, so that the judging process would be completely accurate and free of error," says Mruczek, who, himself, will be judging a series of contests on the Dreamcast and N-64 platforms.

"The GC championships are expected to draw competitors from every part of the world," says GameCube Referee Matt Leto, of Ohio, who will be supervising most of the GC events. "The editors of the Book of Records delayed the record book for many months so we would have a chance to get these GameCube Champions into the forthcoming edition;" says Leto. "It wouldnt be the same without them."

To see more details and the rules, go to: http://www.twingalaxies.com and read about the Summer Contests 2002. ------

June 6, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 06 Jun 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Whoo Hoo! My Defender is fixed. I did a Get Well kit from Bob Roberts and it fixed it about 99%. The game was still rebooting after about 3 levels.

I just finished reflowing the solder on the molex connectors on the Power supply board and that fixed it. I was able to play 6 games in a row with no problems what so ever!

June 4, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 04 Jun 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Nothing much new right this minute. I am working on fixing my Defender. It has a power supply issue. I replaced all the Caps, IC's and the Transistor thanks to Bob Roberts "Get Well Kit", I can now get to about level 3 before it reboots now. It was rebooting at power up, so its improved now. I'm going to have another go at it hopefully this weekend.

I added a new link under "Links to other Cool Sites" so you should check it out if you like Tron, MAME or building your own cabinets from scratch!

CGE is right around the corner so I better get to work on the next version of Cart Commander! I hope to have version 2.1 out in time for CGE.

May 2, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 02 May 2002 00:00:00 GMT

If you would like to be notified about changes to Cart Commander send me an email with "Cart Commander Announcements Add" in the subject line. You can also just click here: Join!.

For those paranoid, emails are sent via BCC and the email addresses are kept in my personal address book. I do NOT use Outlook of any flavor so your addresses are as safe as I can make them.

April 28, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 28 Apr 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Well, I worked on my Make Trax today and I fixed up the coin door. In the process of doing that I made a new photo tutorial on the process. Check it out.

April 13, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 13 Apr 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Yes, its true! I have actually done some restoration work again! Wow! Ok, its not much, but it generated a bunch of pictures. Check out the Donkey Kong restoration for more information on what is happening!

I finally found some time and started working on my Donkey Kong again. I hope to have the cabinet cleaned up and stripped this weekend.

April 11, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 11 Apr 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Update: Another Couple Master lists are now in the works as well.

Another two Master Lists under the new registration option are being compiled for Cart Commander, this time its for the TI-99/4A and the Tiger Game.com handheld. As new lists are claimed, I will add them to the news.

Lists Being Worked on:

Neo Geo Pocket

TI-99/4A

Tiger Game.com handheld

Dreamcast

Sega CD

April 10, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 10 Apr 2002 00:00:00 GMT

The first Master List under the new registration option is being compiled for Cart Commander. As new lists are claimed, I will add them to the news.

Lists Being Worked on:

Neo Geo Pocket

April 7, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 07 Apr 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Cart Commander 2.0.1.7 is now on-line!

This release is a bug fix release.

I have decided to add one other "Registration Option". If you contribute a Master List, I will count that as the registration fee. There are a few rules though.

You must contact me and get approval for the list first. This is so no one wastes their time doing a list that is already being done by someone else.

The lists have to be in Cart Commander format. No other formats will be accepted.

The lists must have Title, Manufacturer, and if possible Model Number. Set Qty to 1. Additional Information is welcome.

Lists must be as complete as possible. This will be up to my discretion.

Lists must be consistent. Names must have the proper case and punctuation.

I reserve the right to reject a list due to poor quality.

Fields can not be missused. If it says "Label Type" you cannot put a note about the cart in it.

If in doubt, @EMAIL@ me and we'll talk. I'll warn you in advanced, this is a lot of work. However, if you want to help, this is one of the best ways to do it.

April 6, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 06 Apr 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Cart Commander has been downloaded over 300 times! This is much higher than I expected! I have been fixing a few bugs (6 to be exact) and I am looking for feedback on any bugs that have been encountered.

I started a new topic on AtariAge's Message board called Cart Commander 2.0 Bugs if anyone wants to post there. If you don't want to post there, you can @EMAIL@ me a description of the bugs.

Unless I get a lot of bug reports, a new version will go on-line tomorrow night with the 6 bug fixes.

March 31, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 31 Mar 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Cart Commander 2.0.0.6 is now on-line!

Major new features:

Track Hardware as well as Media

Track All Media Types: Cartridges, Disks, CDs, etc.

New Collection Explorer to easily manage your collection

New Collection Groups for flexible grouping of your lists

Now Track 25 attributes for Media and 20 for Hardware

Over 100 Platform Names pre-configured

New Master Lists added

If you have any problems, please let me know.

March 20, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 20 Mar 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Cart Commander 2.0.0.6 will be released on March 31, 2002. CC is in the final stages of clean up and testing and will be released to the general public at the end of this month. Please check the software page at that time.

March 18, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 18 Mar 2002 00:00:00 GMT

In an effort to reduce the number of SPAM emails I am getting, I changed the email addresses present on my site. Do not be alarmed if you click on the email link and is says "spammehere at arcaderestoration.com". I am doing this to see if my email is getting harvested off my site. If it is, I will change the way the site operates as far as email addresses go.

March 14, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 14 Mar 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Added a new link for a new restoration page for Atari's 720 that Jeff sent me. Check it out under "Restoration Links for Specific Games".

Cart Commander is now at BETA 5. Beta 4 had a few ugly bugs that I had to squish. I'll keep everyone informed on the progress of that.

Since every time I say "This should be the last BETA" and I wind up putting out one more, I'm going to say that there will be 100 more BETAs. That way this one might actually be the last BETA! Then again, this could back-fire and there might actually be 100 more! Hope not.

March 7, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 07 Mar 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Cart Commander 2.0.0.6 BETA 4 was released to the BETA testers and registered users last night. This should be the last BETA unless someone finds a major bug. Version 2.0.0.6 will be relased to the general public in approximately 3 weeks.

In preperation for that I wrote a new section for the web site for software downloads. All software information is now stored in a database and built dynamically. Check out the software page. This will allow me to track the number of times the software has been downloaded.

January 28, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 28 Jan 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Cart Commander 2.0.0.6 BETA 1 has been released to the BETA testers! I expect to have a minimum of 3 BETAs to make sure that everything is working correctly.

Look for a Release in March.

January 13, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 13 Jan 2002 00:00:00 GMT

News Updated

I added a review of a cool new reproduction part! Its a replacement for your kick plate! Check it out under Reviews.

The ALPHA version of Cart Commander was sent to registered users and my testers today.

Updated the Cart Commander page with the system requirements. If someone has a lower end machine that what is listed, then drop me a @EMAIL@ and let me know if its running.

Work has been progressing quite nicely on the new version of Cart Commander. This is going to be a BIG release. Registered users will be getting an ALPHA some time tomorrow to take a peek at it.

I picked up a Nintendo Game Cube last week and all I can say is "Wow!". The games I got are Super Monkey Ball (Sega), Star Wars, Rouge Leader II (Lucas Arts), and Luigi's Mansion (Nintendo). All three games are top notch! Just more to cut into my Restoration time :-(

The DECA 2002 is in full swing over at Snipercade. Hop over there and register to win a HotRod controller for your PC! If you don't know what a DECA is, it's a "Decathlon" for Arcade games played in MAME. There are 10 games to play to qualify, the person with the best score overall wins.

A good friend of mine Shane Monroe, is the author and publisher of Retro Gaming Radio. Retro Gaming Radio is available in MP3 format.

Shane has also developed a couple of really cool Windows games.

VS. Ball is a Strategy game that is a mix between break-out and mahjong with a whole lot of attitude built in. This game is a must see and must play!

Kablooey is a remake of the most popular Activision game on the Atari 2600. Kaboom! This game does it justice and more! Its just as addictive as the original was!

If you couldn't tell, Shane is a busy guy! Well, if you're a DVD freak, like Shane is, then you need to check out his DVD Site!

If you're interested in writing games for windows and want to do it easily, then you should check out his other site called Blitz Profession. This site is dedicated to the programming Language BlitzBasic

Since I'm plugging all of his other sites, I might as well plug his "Home Page" :-). Monroe World is his home page. Check it out.

January 1, 2002

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 01 Jan 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Happy New Year! Yes, its 2002 already!

Time to check those batteries and replace them if they are getting old! Leaking batteries can cause damage to your PCB's and that would be a bad way to start the new year!

December 14, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 14 Dec 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Ok, as promissed, I did link Maintenance. 12 links are dead. If you have a new link for them, send me an @EMAIL@ and I will update them. Otherwise they are going away.

December 11, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 11 Dec 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Its Link Maintenance time! I will be checking all the links on my site and if I find a dead link, its going to a new category called "Dead Links". After a month, they will be purged.

If you have a link that you would like added or need one updated on here. Now is the time to do it. You can @EMAIL@ me your link and a description and I'll add it. If you don't provide me with a description then you'll just have to suffer with the one I come up with. :-)

December 4, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 04 Dec 2001 00:00:00 GMT

I've made a few cosmetic changes to the site. Hope you like them! I will be making more changes over the next few days/weeks. Any comments are welcome and appreciated!

I will also be cleaning up a few things related to other browsers (Opera specifically). If you don't know what Opera is, you should check it out. Its a very Fast and configurable browser! I have switched from IE to it. Check it out at http://www.opera.com/

December 1, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 01 Dec 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Its December already! How time flies! Just in time for Christmas is Cart Commander 1.3.0.5!, the Ultimate Cartridge Collecting Utility!

November 25, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 25 Nov 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Swapped the crappy micro 8 way joysticks on my Namco Classics for real 4 way leaf switch joysticks! Works so much better! Ever try playing Pac Man with an 8 way? Yuck!

Fixed a bug on my web site with the Links in the "Latest News" box. Clicking on it no longer generates an error! In place of that error is the actual information that should have been there in the first place! Imagine that.

November 24, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 24 Nov 2001 00:00:00 GMT

I didn't get to work on my Donkey Kong like I had wanted as it took me all day to get the trade done. It was worth it though! I now have a 25" JAMMA cabinet that I can play my Namco Classics in! Sweet!

Make Trax is in the game room along with the new JAMMA cab. I'll be looking into adding the Multi-JAMMA kit to that cab so I can have both Namco Classics 1 and 2 in it at the same time. Right now I have to swap boards. Its not that much of a pain, but I'm sure it will be after about 100 times :-)

Since trading those three games and moving the two cabs into my Game Room. I now have most of my dining area back. Just three more cabs in there :-) Once I'm done with Joust, it will be put in the game room and I'll be offically out of space in there.

Time to pay off that 2nd mortgage so I can get a bigger house so I can put all my games in one room :-)

Updated the pictures in my game room!

November 23, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 23 Nov 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Ok, I finally got off my ass and updated my data entry tool for my web site. Now I don't have to update it by hand anymore! Yeah!

I fixed my Make Trax! Turns out that it was a short in the wiring of the control panel. I'll be moving it into the game room this weekend! The down movement still isn't great, but I think I just need to adjust the leaf switches.

I am trading my Popeye, Punchout and Bosconian (all of them have minor problems) Al for a 25" JAMMA cabinet. I'll be putting my Namco Classic 1 and Namco Classic 2 in that cabinet. I'll then have 12 games in one cab!

Cart Commander 1.3.0.5 has been finalized and will be released on December 1st. Those who have registered can get it now.

I am going to start on my Donkey Kong tomorrow. I am also going to work on doing another review of a new product that was sent to me and possibly another photo tutorial if I can get the time.

October 14, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 14 Oct 2001 00:00:00 GMT

October is busier than expected!

My friend Ron is trying to sell a few things so I'm selling them for him on my eBay account, if you're interested in some top quality (and some really rare) stuff for Atari, Coleco, NES, etc... please check out the auctions on eBay.

Some of what is up for auction right now is:

Atari 2600 Swordquest Waterworld

Coleco Prototype of "Video Hustler"

A Complete NES System

Atari 2600 Strawberry Shortcake

Atari 2600 Tigervision Polaris (PAL Version) in MINT condition!

October 6, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 06 Oct 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Its been a long time since my last update! I've been so damn busy its not even funny. This update is just to let you know that I am still alive and well.

My friend Ron Corcoran is selling the following stuff, please email him if you are interested.

Bosconian Upright, Good Condition $250

Mr Do! Upright, Needs Monitor $100

Vectrex in original box w/11 carts in box w/manuals & overlays $400

If you are interested you can email him.

Buyer pays shipping, local buyers prefered, but he will consider shipping.

The month of October is my busiest month since I work out at the Haunted house the entire month. If you are in Phoenix, you NEED to check this Haunted House out!

August 8, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 08 Aug 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Cart Commander 1.2.0.4 is now available! Too many things to list here, check out the Software Page. If you are going to CGE, you should probably download this version. As always, backup your data!

The Site was up and down there for the last week due to the Code Red Virus. Everything should now be back under control.

If you are going to CGE, look me up! You'll know who I am :-)

June 18, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 18 Jun 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Its been a long time since I posted an update. Probably 2 months now! Yikes! Well, time flies when you're busy as hell :-)

I've been busy working on several software projects plus an array of other things. The first thing you should notice is that there is a new version of Cart Commander out! Check it out on the Software page.

My friends Ron Corcoran and Shane Monroe got me hooked on Blitz Basic which is a version of BASIC designed specificly for game development. I have spent the last month working on my remake/update of the classic Pengo game, and hope to have it done within the next few weeks. If you're into game development, you need to check it out! I highly recommend it.

My Bosoconian has a Power Supply problem, which is game #3 for me that has a power supply problem (Defender, and Robotron are the other two). I'll have to look for a repair kit or replacement power board for Bosconian. Anyone have one?

Picked up a Make Trax a couple weeks ago, has a board problem which I am trying to track down. When started, the character always goes "UP" and won't go in any other direction. Thought it was the buffer chip at 8E, but I replaced that and it still has the same problem. Time to take a peek at the schematics again.

I've been trying to find time to update my site, but its in really short supply at the moment. The other issue is that I haven't updated my Edit Software to use SQL server on my site yet so I'm doing all updates to the database by hand currently. So the first step is going to be to update that software. Once done with that, I should be updating more frequently again.

Added a new link for a Star Wars Restoration. If you like Star Wars check out this site!

The Killer Instinct Project has a new URL! The link has been updated.

Ward Shrake sent me an updated version of the Bent Pins Tips & Trick, and its been posted! Excellent document! A must read for all you Techies :-)

April 29, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 29 Apr 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Its been awhile since I posted an update, however, there is good reason for it! If you haven't noticed, the site is now running ASP code instead of the old CGI code. This provides a few things such as better performance and easier to maintain by me.

The search feature is currently off line as I determine the best way to reimplement it, everything else should be there.

New features added:

1) You can now bookmark www.arcaderestoration.com if you want, and you don't have to book mark the CGI page.

2) Site is A LOT faster as its running on a SQL Server now.

3) Now tracks the last time you visited the site and marks categories with new data (used to only mark data if it was new within the last three days)

4) Allows you to sort the categories on the left alphabetically or by the order I have chosen.

5) Allows you to hide categories that you are not interested in.

6) You can hide the welcome message that appears before the "Latest News"

I'll be working on more features as I get time to do so. The new version is actually readable in Netscape now. It still isn't perfect, but its better than nothing.

Nothing new on the Arcade front, but I hope to start working on my restorations again this weekend. (Knock on wood!)

March 16, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 16 Mar 2001 00:00:00 GMT

My friend Ron Corcoran is looking to make some room in his game room and is putting his Bosconian up for sale. If you are interested go over to his site and drop him an email.

I put up a start of my lists. They are on the Cart Commander page.

March 16, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 16 Mar 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Ok, there were a few things bugging me about Cart Commander 1.0.0.0 so now Version 1.1.0.1 is out! Go to the Software page to get the latest version and to read about the changes.

Thanks to all those who have sent emails about CC already. That means a lot to me. If there is something you don't like, or would like to see added, don't be shy. I do not get offended. Write me an @EMAIL@ and if I like it, I'll add/change it.

March 14, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 14 Mar 2001 00:00:00 GMT

I'm proud to announce the release of Cart Commander 1.0.0.0! This software will allow collectors to easily track their entire collection of cartridges! Check out the software page for more information and to download the software.

March 10, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 10 Mar 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Ok,

I promised reviews of the art work and I delivered! A little later than I had wanted, but they are here! Go to the reviews section and read all about it. Arcade Renovations continues to do excellent work and is a tremendous asset to the collecting community! Show your support and let them know what you think about the work they are doing.

I picked up several carts for my Lynx and found several other carts for my 2600, 5200 and Colecovision.

Sold my Crystal Castles today to my friend Shawn. Its in a good home right next to a lot of other cool games :-)

I plan on spending some time tomorrow doing Arcade type stuff. Imagine that! I actually have some free time to work on my games again!

March 2, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 02 Mar 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Well, the NES DECA is now offically over! Check out the NES DECA Scores page for the final standings! Thanks to all those who participated and the winners will be sent their prizes next week!

Congratulations to the 3 winners:

Joe Ledesma
Jeff Arensmeyer
Petteri Höglund

Ordered a Williams Multi-JAMMA kit from Clay, looking forward to that!

Everything else is slow as usal for now due to work and other obligations at this time. Hope to have some free time in the next couple of weeks.

February 15, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 15 Feb 2001 00:00:00 GMT

I received my Ethernet Adaptor for my Dreamcast today!

I also updated my Donkey Kong conversion page with the pin-out comparison that I kept neglecting to add.

February 14, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 14 Feb 2001 00:00:00 GMT

The Art work is rolling in now. In the past couple of days I've recieved my Spy Hunter (Side Art), Centipede (Side Art), Donkey Kong (CPO), and Pac Man (Stencils) art from Arcade Renovations. I will be posting reviews over the next couple weeks as I get more time.

From what I have seen so far, let me just say that if you are in the market for any of these, buy it. I've looked at all of the art so far and as usual, Arcade Renovations has come through with top notch, perfect reproductions.

Keep checking back here for the reviews. First up will be the Donkey Kong CPO.

I also just received my Digital Press Guide for Collectors (Consoles). If you are into collecting consoles, this is a must have!

February 4, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 04 Feb 2001 00:00:00 GMT

The NES Deca is in full swing now. Its been a rollercoaster ride for me as I try to address all the different issues. The rules page has been updated to hopefully address some of these.

Ordered Pac Man stencils from Arcade Renovations, hope to get those in a week or two. Plus some additional art. Look for more reviews when they show up.

Ever have one of those weeks where you wish you could have just slept in that week and let it pass? Well last week was one of those weeks.

My Saturn LS2 has been in the shop 13 times since the day I bought it (actually the first time was at a little over 2,000 miles). I am now getting a new Saturn. They are doing a "Buy Back", which translates to "Bend Over". I have to shell out around $2000 for my "Use" of my current Saturn in order to get the new one.

The $2000 pisses me off, but it does have some good coming out of it.

1) The Saturn Myth is broken for me. I no longer feel they can do no wrong.
2) I get a new car with Zero miles on it again
3) My insurance will go DOWN, yes you read that right, DOWN $16 a month because of new safety features.

The bad news...
1) I have to break in a new car
2) It will take 6 to 8 weeks for the car to come from the factory.
3) I have to shell out $2000
4) Lots of Stress.

The to add more stress to my life I decided to wipe out a days worth of work by inadvertantly overwritting the source code I had just worked on for the previous 8 hours. Lets just say I was not a Happy Camper and leave it at that.

Then to top off the week, my Hockey Team lost 12 to 4 tonight.

I think I'm going to skip next week....

January 7, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 07 Jan 2001 00:00:00 GMT

The scores are rolling in now :-) Ron Corcoran (Snipercade) is currently in the lead, however, J.D. Lowe will pass him as soon as he submits his last 3 scores.

J.D. has an AMAZING score on Marble Madness of 99,690! Looks we have some work to do on catching up to him! Great Job JD! Keep those scores coming in!

Progress has been made on my Multi-JAMMA cabinet! I now have the power wired up, and the board comes up! I have a cold solder joint on the color adjustment that I need to fix, but thats trivial.

Hope to have it done this week so I can start playing my Namco Classics!

If you wish to join the NES DECA, please send me an @EMAIL@. Everyone is welcome to play.

For current scores view the NES DECA Scores page to see how everyone is doing!

January 2, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 02 Jan 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Let the games begin!

These are the games that will be played in the NES DECA.

Super Mario Bros.

Tetris

Mike Tyson Punch-Out

1943

Dr. Mario

Galaga

Gauntlet

Spy Hunter

Castlevania

Marble Madness

All videos or pictures must be postmarked by Feb 28th, 2001 in order to be eligible. send me an @EMAIL@ for additional information on where to send your video or pictures. You must have a score for all ten games to be eligible.

Santa was good to me this year! I picked up a Donkey Kong High Score Save Kit so now I have one for DK and DK JR!

Picked up a Dreamcast with Crazy Taxi, Ready 2 Rumble and Dino Crisis!

While checking the Thrift stores near my parents house, I also picked up an Odyssey 2 and another NES with several games.

January 2, 2001

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 02 Jan 2001 00:00:00 GMT

There is a change in the list of games to be played in the NES DECA due to the fact that the score on Mike Tyson Punch-Out resets back to 0 for each new fighter. Another game was chosen at random to replace Punch-Out, the new list is below.

These are the games that will be played in the NES DECA.

Super Mario Bros.

Tetris

Sky Shark

1943

Dr. Mario

Galaga

Gauntlet

Spy Hunter

Castlevania

Marble Madness

December 16, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 16 Dec 2000 00:00:00 GMT

The NES Deca has been updated. There are 10 games listed that will most likely be chosen for the DECA. Please take a look. If you haven't voted yet, then please do so as soon as possible! Your votes do count as we have a 7 way tie for 10th place.

If I don't get to any more updates for this year, then Merry Christmas! and Happy New Year!

December 6, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 06 Dec 2000 00:00:00 GMT

An Update Here, an Update there, an Update everywhere!

Well, not quite everywhere, but in a few places.

Yeah! My Inbox is empty again! Went through 191 emails... Ugh, I really need to reply sooner to some of these...

Received my Donkey Kong Jr. side art! WOW! Check out the review of it.

Received my replacement Joysticks for Robotron and they make a WORLD of difference! Now I just have to get used to the new feel of the joysticks.

Created a new conversion page for Donkey Kong -> Donkey Kong Jr.

You still have until the end of this month to get your votes in for the NES Deca! Top 3 people will win prizes!

If you have an Atari 800 that you wouldn't mind selling cheap, drop me an @EMAIL@.

November 29, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 29 Nov 2000 00:00:00 GMT

The NES DECA information has been updated. Please read the information on the NES pages as there are a few additions to the rules and the way votes are being handled.

Ordered a Namco Classics 1 and Namco Classics 2 today. I'll have to hook them up with my Multi-JAMMA for a 13 games in one Cabinet :-)

November 28, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 28 Nov 2000 00:00:00 GMT

The Votes have been updated. We have a top 10 so far. If you don't like what you see and you haven't voted yet, do it soon!

November 27, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 27 Nov 2000 00:00:00 GMT

The DECA Prizes have changed thanks to Ron Corcoran! Thanks Ron!

The new prize structure is:
First Place: $50
Second Place: $25
Third Place: CAPCOM CD-ROM (PC)

Send in your votes for the games you want to play now!

November 26, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 26 Nov 2000 00:00:00 GMT

The NES DECA has been extended! Since I was not able to promote it in a timely fashion, I have decided to extend the voting period until Dec 31st, 2001. After that the votes will be totaled up and the games will begin Jan 1st, 2001 and run until Feb 28th, 2001.

I decided to put $50US in for First Prize as well so now its more than just bragging rights. Please see the NES DECA page for more information.

I converted my PC10 back to its original roots last night. It is now back to Punch Out! A much better game :-). The lower monitor needs a cap kit, but other than that its in pretty good shape.

November 20, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 20 Nov 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Its been a quite month, well ok, quite on the Arcade side of things! I'm still recovering from last month and work has been the 50hour work weeks as we attempt to hit our deadline.

I added a review of Q*Bert art from Arcade Renovations. The best word I can think of to describe the art is "WOW". Take a look for yourself.

Ron, Shane, their daughters, and I went to Castles and Coasters here in Phoenix. Its the largest Arcade next to Game Works and they have a lot better selection of classics than Game Works. Like Game Works, however, they too have butchered the classics by putting them in generic cabinets. Mind you, its not as bad as what Game Works does, but its close.

The Donkey Kong there is HORRIBLE!. Its in a generic JAMMA cab and uses a BAT Micro-Switch joystick. The joystick is way out of alignment since every time you climb up a ladder, Mario wants to walk right as soon as you release the joystick. You spend more time fighting the controls then you do the game.

Robotron and Joust controls where also HORRIBLE! I had to come home and play mine. Its nice to go to these places and realize that even though the one you own isn't perfect, its still a hell of a lot better!

You've never played Ms. Pac until you've played it on a 25" monitor using a BAT Micro-Switch joystick. Ick!!

Broke the 100K mark on Metrocross the other day (108K+) and will be going for 200K shortly.

For those who have emailed me, please be paitient, I have about 180 emails to go through, I will try to respond as soon as I can.

Well, thats it for now...

October 22, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 22 Oct 2000 00:00:00 GMT

I'm still here. I've been working at the Haunted House here in Phoenix (Peoria to be exact) in addition to my day job, so I have had ZERO time to work on anything. If you live in Phoenix, this is THE BEST haunted house and you should come out and visit it!

After Nov 15th, I should have more time and I will attempt to add more information. I would like to get my Mr. Do! Cocktail all fixed up and on here.

Unless I get 10 or more people interested in the NES DECA, it will be canceled. It is currently at 6, so if you know people who would be interested, please let them know to send me their votes or atleast let me know they are going to participate. Votes need to be in by the end of this month.

My Defender went on the fritz. Keeps reseting over and over again. Probably a power supply problem.

I now have 2 scores over 100K on DK and the rest are in the 90K range. My Ms.Pac scores are now consistently over 120K. Still trying to break that 200K barrier. Greed kills me every time, trying to get that extra 1600 points on the higher levels.

I will be doing a review of the DK Control panel replacement from Arcade Renovations as soon as I get enough time to do it. Look for it in November (After the 15th). If you haven't read the review on the Side Art, go take a look at it on the Reviews page.

Congratulations (belated) go out to Ron and Snipercade on his 3rd year anniversary! If you're involved in Consoles and Highscores in anyway, send him a note and tell him thanks!

Speaking of anniversaries, my 2 year anniversary was on the 10th of this month! I would like to thank all those who have visited here and especially to those who have contributed to the success of this site by allowing me to use thier information and stories!

Well, time to get back to work...

September 22, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 22 Sep 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Its Here! Yes, thats right the Side Art from Arcade Renovations showed up today, and all I can say is "Wow!". Check out the review and pictures of it on the Reviews page. You wont be disapointed!

Come on folks, get your NES DECA votes in! The more votes the better! Hop on over to the NES DECA page and check it out. I also posted the rules for the DECA.

September 14, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 14 Sep 2000 00:00:00 GMT

I still need your votes! Please email me a list of the 10 games you would like to play in the NES Deca!

I also added a NES Page, look for it on the left hand side!

Received my Punch Out! control panel. Needs some work, so I will have a Tutorial on it later.

September 4, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 04 Sep 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Its about time for another update :-)

(Imagine the music to "Soap" while reading this ). I traded Ron my Gorf for his Gorf which he traded to Al for a Ms. Pac. I then traded my Gorf, which was Ron's Gorf to Shawn for His Second Ms. Pac. I was going to trade Shawns Second Ms. Pac for Rons Ms. Pac so Ron would have a nicer one, however we didn't because the Ms. Pac I got had a few issues. Confused?

Ok, so... to make a long story even longer, I wound up trading my Gorf for a Ms Pac. I also picked up a Punch Out! (converted to a Play Choice 10) cabinet and am in the process of converting it back to Punch Out.

I will be running the NES DECA for Twin Galaxies, I decided to do the Poll the LOW TECH way :-) @EMAIL@ me with your list of 10 games that you would like to see in the DECA. I will total up all the requests (One Email only please) and post the results. Voting will end at the end of October, 2000 and the DECA will begin in November.

The DECA (Decathalon) consists of playing 10 games (as voted on by the public). The scores are then all added up and the person with the highest score wins.

For more information on previous DECA's and other DECA's going on for the Atari, Colleco and other platforms, visit Ron's site.

Restorations are going a bit slow right now, mostly due to the heat and lack of time. I will probably be working on my Joust this weekend in an attempt to get it closer to completion.

There is a review of the Donkey Kong High Score Kit on the Reviews Page as well.

BTW: Did I mention that I broke the 100K barrier? Yes, its true, I got past the Third Elevators 3 times now :-) My High score is now 121,800. My next goal will be to break the 200K mark.

Also thanks to Ron, I have set a new Record for me in Ms. PacMan (Fast Version, slow version is unbearable to play!!) of 158,000 (Forget the exact score). I am also shooting for 200K on this game.

August 22, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 22 Aug 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Updated my Cart list again :-)

I just received my 13"x19" paper, and will start printing Back Door instructions as soon as they are done.

Put a switcher in my Robotron since the game was acting up. Also replaced the CPU on the Sound board. The game seems to be working again. The draw back to the switcher though is that there is no Coin Door lights or CP lights. I'll have to fix that later.

August 17, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 17 Aug 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Happy Birthday to me! Yes, its true! I made it to 32 today! Hope to triple that number :-)

I received 15 more carts today for the 2600, one of which was an odd Pole Position with an end label that says "Pole Positn*" on it. Check out the pictures on the Computer and Console Collection page.

I made an error on the CGE page, when I gave Walter Day the credit for doing CGE. The fact is, is that Walter is responsible for the Twin Galaxies presence at the show. The real credit for CGE goes to John Hardie, Sean Kelly, and Joe Santulli who organized the show and to John and Keita Iida who created CGE two years ago.

My apologies for the confusion.

August 13, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 13 Aug 2000 00:00:00 GMT

I finnaly got past the third elevators in Donkey Kong last night! I missed the 100,000 point mark by a lousy 2,000 points! All I had to do was complete the next level and I would have my 100,000 points! Oh well, must have been too exicited :-)

Updated my 2600 collection again. I am now up to 388 carts, I also picked up quite a few for my Vic-20 and C64.

If you are interested in trading, please let me know. I will also trade across platforms. Such as Vic -> 2600, or 2600 -> Vic, etc... If you just want to get rid of your carts, I'll pay for shipping :-) @EMAIL@ me if you are interested.

I tried to clarify my trading policy for the 2600 carts a bit. I'm flexible in this area. I've tried getting some carts via eBay, and have managed to get a couple lots, but the price per cart is too much. If you frequent eBay for carts, I say stop unless it is truly a rare game or you're getting a good deal, which after shipping you're probably not.

Changed the speakers on my Gyruss. One was a 4" and the other was a 6" mounted to the side of the game. Factory speakers are 5 1/4". I went and picked up two from Radio Shack for $6 each and installed them. The game sounds a whole lot better now.

The restorations have slowed down for now due to the heat. Restorations will probably pick up again in October or November when I can actually go back out into the garage. :-)

I added an Atari 2600 Links category and I am looking for Atari 2600 Links, if you have them, please submitt them.

August 10, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 10 Aug 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Updated my Atari 2600 cartridge list. If you are intersted in trades, please drop me an @EMAIL@!

August 6, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 06 Aug 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Ok, the stats are working again.. The numbers are lower than before because I had assumed it was a corrupt database and I replaced the database. Turns out it was a commit problem.

August 5, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 05 Aug 2000 00:00:00 GMT

The CGE2K page is up! Check it out.

Finally got all my 2600 carts cataloged, I'll have those up soon as I can.

August 3, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 03 Aug 2000 00:00:00 GMT

AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

OK, This week REALLY sucked. My CGI was taking the server down, the DNS got hosed up so I couldn't reach my site or it was pointing to the wrong site. My site has been moved to another server to prevent it from affecting the rest of the sites running on the same server and the CGI has been modified to prevent this failure from happening again. (Said Crossing fingers).

On a more positive note I went to the Classic Gaming Expo last weekend in Vegas and had a great time! It was great to meet Walter Day, Billy Mitchell, Steve Krogman, Dwayne Richards, and the many, many others I met.

I finally got to put some faces with some names from the News Groups and IRC. I met Evil Exidy, the people from the Blast from the Past (They do awesome work).

I should have lots of pictures up (probably this weekend) since I updated my collection thanks to CGE :-)

If you have bookmarked anything with /webcgi.exe?opt= in it, that is no longer valid. It is recommened that you only book mark the http://www.arcaderestoration.com/ as the CGI can (and has) change.

July 23, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 23 Jul 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Added a New Page for Williams Cabinets under Restoration Data.

July 22, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 22 Jul 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Picked up a couple more "Projects" from Al today. One is a Pac Man, the other is an empty Robotron (pretty beat up) that will probably be made into my Multi-Jamma Cabinet.

July 21, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 21 Jul 2000 00:00:00 GMT

My Intenet connection was down for 3 days... ARG! All is back to normal.

Found another company doing Donkey Kong Side Art! Actually, they are doing more than just that, so check them out. They are under Featured Sites!

Fired up the ol' Commodore 64 yesterday and found a BBS program that I wrote for it when I was 14 or 15. I'm going to work on getting that disk on to the PC to preserve it forever :-)

I'm still looking for Joust Joysticks.

Recieved new RAM for my Bosconian so I hope to get that fixed soon. (Hope its a RAM problem).

I've submitted several horrible scores to Twin Galaxies High Scores. If you play any games (I bet you do, why else would you be reading this?) and want to be "recorded" in the Video Game History books, visit that site and read what you need to do. I'll work on improving my scores when I have more time. Lots of 2600 Carts to play! Never enough hours in the day....

July 16, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 16 Jul 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Recieved my Donkey Kong Side Art Yesterday, and I have mixed feelings about it. You can see a Review of it on the new "Review" Category on the left.

Recieved my Attaxx kit from Warren Maiden the other day, and it looks awesome! I will have pictures someday :-) As soon as I find some time.

Also recieved my 51 Atari 2600 carts as well. Again, I'll put pics up when I get some more free time.

Still Looking for Joysticks for my Joust! If you have a set, please drop me an @EMAIL@.

Added a new link for a Phoenix Restoration that looks totaly awesome! Check it out, its under "Restoraiton Links for Specific Games".

July 14, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 14 Jul 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Recieved my New Pengo board yesterday! The thing looks brand new!

I ordered Donkey Kong Side Art from PC Amusements for $160 (Shipped). I'll have pictures and a review up when I get them.

Added more pages for Bob Roberts, Check them out!

Still Looking for Joust Joysticks, if you have a set that you can sell to me, please drop me an @EMAIL@!

There are close to 100,000 words on this site now :-) 5,769 of them are in the cross-reference table. Why only 5,769? Well its because the remaining words show up 100 times or more on the site and are excluded because they are too common. If you are having trouble finding something, please let me know and I can make adjustments to the cross-reference table as needed.

July 12, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 12 Jul 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Someone thought my Defender Dimensions sucked, so I redrew them. New versions are up. The dimensions on this are correct. They have been verified and double verified.

July 9, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 09 Jul 2000 00:00:00 GMT

The site has changed again! I now have a real home page, and I have added statistically significant information to help people find information quickly.

I started work on the Joust restoration. I THOUGHT I had two Williams joysticks but I can't for the life of me find them. Who knows, maybe I was thinking of the Stargate ones.... Going crazy in my old age :-)

Changed the wiring on my Robotron while I was going to put in new Joysticks. Turns out the handles on the joystick are too short and the housing felt strange when playing the game. So I put the original joysticks back in.

I am looking for Joysticks for my Joust and I need the centering Gromets for the Robotron style joysticks. If you have these for sale, please drop me an @EMAIL@.

Updated my Joust Restoration page with LOTS of pictures. Take a look!

Updated the Photo Tutorial on how to fix a control panel with wood putty. My analysis is at the bottom of the page.

July 5, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 05 Jul 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Well, it turns out that I didn't fry the Power Supply for my Atari 2600! The Power supply puts out about 14V DC while it is not under load. Everything seems to be back in working order now. The one good thing that came out of this, is that I found out that Frys does cary an exact replacement for the Atari 2600 power supply for $7.

I had a few friends over to watch the 4th of July Fireworks and to play some games. It was really cool to see the game room packed and hear all the games being played at one time! Funny thing, is that the 2600 was also a big hit :-)

Added a new link for another restoration site, that can be found under "Links to other Restoration Sites".

July 3, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 03 Jul 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Grrr... I was starting to test my 2 new 2600's when the first one I tried decided to eat my Power Supply! Now I need to find a replacement. Hope Frys "We Specialize in Body Cavity Searches" Electronics has one, or Radio Shack. The PS is 9V DC, 500mA, 1/8" Stereo Plug with Positive Tip.

Updated my "Featured Sites". So far this month is "ClickTo" and "Snipercade" Check them out.

Added another Story from Bob Roberts.

July 2, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 02 Jul 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Metrocross is DONE!!!! Yep, its in the Arcade now. Lots of pictures on the Conversion page.

Many Thanks to Ron Corcoran for the 11 new 2600 carts! Those have been added to the 2600 page.

Updated the Arcade pictures. I had to move some games around and I have left some room for a couple more games. There are currently 10 games in the room and I think I can squeeze 2 more in comfortably. Probably going to be Joust and Donkey Kong Jr.

I plan on making a Nintendo Row to go with the Williams Row :-) Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong JR., Popeye, and maybe Punch Out.

Games close to being done are:

Popeye

Joust

Robotron #2

I've started work on the Mr. DO! Cocktail. Pictures will be coming later.

I recieved my two 2600's, 7800 and 5200. The 5200 and 7800 need power supplies which are specific to those consoles. I may wind up hacking one in so I can juse use a standard power supply. If you have an extra PS for either console and wouldn't mind parting with it, please drop me an @EMAIL@.

June 26, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 26 Jun 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Added a new Photo Tutorial on how to Key your locks alike (Sorta , read the tutorial to get the full disclaimer).

June 24, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 24 Jun 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Ok, New pictures are up! Go to Restorations and Choose Robotron #3. Yes, Number 3 :-) Read the intro to that to get an idea of WHY I have 3.

Many thanks to Cory for coming over and helping out with my Robotron to expedite its transition into my game room!

A new picture has been added for the Game Room too!

June 23, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 23 Jun 2000 00:00:00 GMT

I was on my way home last night from work, and I decided to stop by a Thrift store that I visit occasionally looking for Atari 2600 carts, Vic-20 Carts, etc...

I walked in the door was looking around and spotted something that looked familiar. I took a second look and it was a Robotron! I walked over to it and it had a sign on it. "Yes this is for sale". I thought, nope, its not for sale anymore because I'm buying it!. $200 later, I walked out with a Working, Complete Robotron!

The sides are a little scuffed and could use a new paint job, but the cabinet is in excellent shape, all the side art is there. The Monitor Galss is probably a 7+. The Marquee is probably an 8. The control panel has a couple cigaret burns, but I have a replacement for that. I also have a replacement Marquee (which is a 10).

The game is all Original. Original Power Supply, everything. The game had a RAM error, but I swapped CPU boards and thats all better now. I will take the time to fix that board later.

The game is getting cleaned up and put in the gameroom this weekend.

Many thanks to Shawn for helping me get it home! He also brought over a spare Tron PS to test my friend's Tron with. Yep, its the Power Supply! So now I can finish fixing the game. Glad it was only the power supply :-)

June 14, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 14 Jun 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Tons of stuff happening!

I recieved my Multi-JAMMA from Clay today! Its awesome! Looks like I am going to have to get a cabinet just for JAMMA games now.

Recieved my Bubbles Marquee and Glass today as well! Everything is in excellent shape and I am very happy with it. The other thing that was interesting is that Bubbles appears to come in the same size cab as Moon Patrol. I wonder if Williams decided to move to the smaller cabs to cut costs or ???

Took TONS of pictures and I started putting them on-line. Follow the categories with the Yellow Star on them to find the pictures.

Updated the pictures of the "Arcade"

Finally got my DSL straightened out with US West. Took some yelling on my part, but its now up and running smoothly.

Did more work on the Control Panel for my Metrocross (read about it on the "Fixing Control Panels" photo Tutorial.

Did more work on my Metrocross assembling! (read about it on the conversion page)

Added a new Photo Tutorial on replacing Florescent Ballasts. Its not a hard thing to do, but if you've never done it before, this might help you get started.

Added a Restoration page for Mr Do!

June 8, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 08 Jun 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Just recieved 34 cartridges for my Atari 2600 (and soon to arrive Atari 7800) from a place called Ltd. Check them out!

More assembly done on the Metrocross (little bit each day). Should have it done by this weekend if all goes well!

Still fighting US West to get my internet connection straight. Everything except accessing the news groups work. Something about me being assigned the wrong IP address... Grrr...

June 4, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 04 Jun 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Fixed my Crystal Castles Track Ball. It wasn't moving in the horizontal direction. I got a replacement Optic board from Al and everything works great now!

I was concerned that my Isolation Transformer was putting out 130VAC rather than 120VAC. I could not get a diffinative answer if it was 100% safe to plug the monitor in. So I said F-It and I plugged it in and it worked just fine.

I have assembled more of my Metrocross! Pictures when I get some extra time.

I am now running VDSL at home!! Yes, that means I have 1Mbit both directions now! Uploading my database now takes 13 seconds instead of 3 minutes! I now get 100+K downloads instead of 30K downloads. I am a happy camper!

June 1, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 01 Jun 2000 00:00:00 GMT

I added two new Categories to the left. One for my Atari 2600 Collection and the other for my Vic-20 Collection.

Did more work on the Metrocross control panel. I am removing all the glue that was left on there by the old CPO. Its a lot of work! Look for more info later this week.

May 30, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 30 May 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Sanded and Started assembling my Metrocross today.

I put up the Metrocross Conversion page. I'm pretty sure that is the last of the old site now :-) Only time will tell.

I'm looking for Vic-20 and Atari 2600 Cartridges so If you have any cartridges and would like to sell some to me, please drop me an @EMAIL@ with a list of what you have and a price.

May 26, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 26 May 2000 00:00:00 GMT

You know how I said I had all the data up from my old site? Well... I was mistaken :-) Somone wrote me an email asking for some information and I realized that I had missed the conversion section of the old site! DOH!

So, now there should be a Conversions category listed on the left. I have the Popeye to Donkey Kong conversion up, hope to have the Metrocross one up this weekend.

May 23, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 23 May 2000 00:00:00 GMT

I added a help page for those who want to get more out of my site. Its under the "Help!" category of all places :-)

May 20, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 20 May 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Thanks to Ward Shrake for contributing some Tricks and Tips, please check them out!

I put up the rest of the Tips and Tricks from the Old site.

I put up the rest of the Restoration information that I had up on the old site

I put up the rest of the info I had on fixing control panels.

That pretty much takes care of the information from my old site. Now I can concentrate on adding more new information to my site.

I am looking for Feedback on the search engine. If you are having trouble finding things please let me know. If you like it or have any other comments about it, please let me know. Thanks

May 15, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 15 May 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Ok, The search engine is on-line. It has a few bugs in it and I don't like the way the results are ranked yet, however, please feel to try it.

I will be tweaking it over this week to get it the way I want it.

Got my Popeye PCB from David Countryman today! My Popeye now lives!

May 15, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 15 May 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Picked up another cabinet from John today! Its a Robotron cabinet, and its a different style than the one I have, so I guess I'll just have to restore both of them :-) Actually the one John sold me isn't going to be that hard to restore since it has all the side art still in tact.

I also took a peek at the Control panel and it still has all the original holes (who ever converted it to Rastan did a good job for once! No black paint on the side art, minimal damage to the control panel (I'll have to fill some holes, but the important holes still exist!).

If you see the Search box show up, give it a try. I am working on getting it on-line and tweaked.

May 10, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 10 May 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Added a new Category for Restoration Data. This category will be used for Paint Colors, Dimensions, and other information that will help restore a game. If you have paint colors, dimensions, material types, part substitution, or parts information and would like to contribute, please @EMAIL@ me.

Currently I have Defender Dimesions in that category. I will be looking for Paint Colors next.

May 7, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 07 May 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Lots more cool stuff going on!

I just wiped my system and reinstalled it (Upgraded while I was at it) so I've had some down time for the PC while I reinstalled everything and reconfigured everything. Yuck!

My Randy Fromm CD arrived! Pretty cool. I'll put more up about it after I have some time to go through it.

My Color Printer arrived! The best word to describe this printer is "Amazing!" Its the Desk Jet 1220cxi printer from HP. The printer does 13" wide by 50" long. The printer can print at up to 2400x1200 DPI on Photo paper. I printed a schematic at 11"x17" and it is simply amazing. If you're looking for a color printer, I highly recommend this one!

Avery makes an 8.5x11 label for the color printer. I found that at Staples (Office Max didn't carry it). I am going to use the lables to make reproduction stickers for the front of my Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. (The Long labels that go above the control panel and below the front glass). I will also use it to make the "Insert Coin" sticker that goes below the control panel.

Fixed the link the Russ's Site.

April 30, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 30 Apr 2000 00:00:00 GMT

I just added a new feature that allows you to list out ALL the links that are on this site. This should help those who are looking for the URL for a site but are unsure of what category they might fall into.

I now allow Logo's and a Single Pictures for Links. If you have one that you want to go with your Link, please email the logo and/or picture to me. Logo's should be 403x100 in size. If they are a different size the site will scale it to that size, so you may want to edit the logo to that size so it looks right. Pictures should be 190x47 for the small image, larger images can be any size you want.

T-Molding.com has a new look! Its pretty cool looking. Take a look at it. The site also has a lot of T-Molding now! If they don't have the T-Molding you are looking for, chances are that no one will.

April 30, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 30 Apr 2000 00:00:00 GMT

I'm feeling much better now. Man, I hope I'm never that sick again!

Fixed a Boo-Boo on my Mr Do! Cap Kit (I should read ALL of the instructions first). The picture still has a slight problem, but I think I can adjust that out.

Added the ability to Submit Links On-Line now. I will review them and put them live as they are added. Choose the Category that you feel best suits the Link. If you think that I need to add a New category then send me an @EMAIL@ and let me know. It doesn't take much to add a new Category.

I started working on my Q*Bert PCB. This should be interesting :-) I already replaced the crushed chip with a Socket (and I have the replacement chip). I also replaced the crushed socket with a new one. When I finish up the Restoration tables, (adding a couple of tables) and integrate them into the site I will put up a page for Q*Bert.

Speaking of Q*Bert. If you have one and have a Digital Camera, I would appreciate any high-quality pictures of the Inside of your cabinet. I need pictures of where the boards are mounted, where the wires run, etc... Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I finished painting the second side of my Metrocross cabinet. The second side is not as smooth as the first side probably because I didn't put any Paint Conditioner in the second batch of paint. Oh well, another lesson learned. I'll probably sand it down with 200 Gritt sand paper and call it even :-)

I decided that I would like to fix up my Mr DO! Cocktail. I will have a page for that as that project progresses.

I decided to add two new categories for Older News (1998 and 1999) to help seperate out the news a little more.

April 27, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 27 Apr 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Man, this week has really sucked. I've been sick all week (Doctor says its a Sinus infection... feels worse than that).

I ordered Randy Fromm's CD last Sunday, hope to get that soon.

Got my Joust Front Glass, not exactly what I had hoped for, but it will do for now.

Put a few more Tips & Tricks up. Now I'm off to bed again... Ugh, I hate being sick.

April 22, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 22 Apr 2000 00:00:00 GMT

I picked up a Q*Bert board set from Al today for Free. The reason? Well, it appears that someone dropped something sharp and heavy on the PCB because a chip is crushed, an eprom socket is toast, and about 6 traces were obliterated!

I also took a second look at the Cap Kit I did on the Mr Do! Cocktail since the picture wasn't 100%. I found out the Horizontal Width Coil was broke. So I took one off my other GO7 that is broken and used it. Hope Bob Roberts has replacements :-)

More data is up! Slowly but surely. I am trying to get at least one page up a day. Some days I get more up. I will also be reformating pages over time to fit the new page sizes and layout.

April 20, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 20 Apr 2000 00:00:00 GMT

I Added More of Bob Robert's Articles. I also added a few more links.

I also updated the site to display some stats on the right hand side.

I got my Robotron Marquee from Marco Specialties and it is Sweet! Its NOS with the Paper still on it!

The now will only show up if the data is 3 days old. I felt that 7 days was a bit long for those who visit frequently.

April 16, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 16 Apr 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Bought a Mr. Do! Cocktail from Charles Fala today. Thanks Charles! Looks like it was a Stern game in its previous life. After I clean it up and do a Cap Kit, I'll have to figure out where to put it :-)

Al's Arcade has a new URL. Check it out at http://www.alsarcade.com/.

April 15, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 15 Apr 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Tried my Paint Gun today! The results are SOOOOOO much better than a Paint Roller its not even funny! I only did one side today (ran out of paint, I only had like a 1/5 of a can left). Not sure that its the best paint job, but its my first time. I'll get better over time.

As you may have noticed a lot more data is now on-line. Let me know if you have a link you want added.

April 14, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 14 Apr 2000 00:00:00 GMT

More data is now online!

I stripped the other half of my Joust last weekend.

I am going to try using my Paint gun tomorrow on my MetroCross Cabinet. We'll see how that goes :-)

If you have a Link or an Article that you would like to share please send me an @EMAIL@ and I'll add it.

You may notice that some of the buttons have a Yellow Star by them. This is an indication of new items that have been posted within the last 7 days.

I should have my Joust Front Glass this weekend and hopefully my new Robtron Marquee.

I built another Williams Harness last weekend that will probably be used for my Joust (since its being built next).

Thanks for Visiting, and as always comments are encouraged and welcomed.

April 12, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 12 Apr 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Site has a New Face!

Just in case you hadn't noticed, the Arcade Restoration Workshop has gone through a major over haul. I decided to change the way the site worked in order to provide better content with more ways to access it. The new features of the site are:

Searchable:
The entire site is now searchable! This means that you can type in keywords or partial keywords in the search box above and the site will return a list of all News, Articles, Tutorials, and Links that match your criteria. The search will be available from any page at any time.
NOTE: This feature is currently off-line as it is in development!

Built from a Database:
The entire site is now built from a database. No more static pages. This will give the site a consistent look and is one of the reasons its searchable. This also means that I will no longer need to edit HTML pages by hand. Now all I do is change the data, and the site changes automagically. All items will have a date last updated in the database and categories that have new information in them will have a by it.

More Compact:
The information on the left has been compressed, by clicking on buttons, it will open that section to reveal its contents. This allows you to only see the information that you need at that time.

Consistent:
Since all the pages will be built by a CGI application, every page will have the same look and feel as the rest of the pages. All pages now have a Fixed Width of 780. This means that if you are at 640x480, its time to move up to 800x600 or higher. By switching to a fixed size it gives me more control over the way the pages look. Links that you have visited already are in Purple, links you have yet to visit are in Green, and change to Cyan when the mouse is over them.

Interactive:
Over time this site will be more interactive. You will be able to contribute you own ideas to the Articles, Tutorials, etc.. Similar to the way Slash Dot works except more limited (read: I will be moderating and controlling content).

Relational:
Items on the site that are related to other items will have direct links to those items. For example, an Article refers to a Tutorial, and a Link, those items will be listed under "Related Information" on the right side of the page.

Printer Friendly:
One of the top items on my list of improvements was to make the site more Printer Friendly. With the new layout and text colors, I hope to achieve this. This has been tested on a HP Laser Jet 5P, if you run into problems printing on other printers, please email me and tell me what the problems are. If its fixable, I will do it, otherwise you might be SOL. Currently the printing on my printer chops off the Right Column with the related links. Say Thanks to Microsoft for that one.

You should also see a lot of other subtle things on the site (With IE4 and IE5) such as Popup Hints on Links, etc.. As I find other little ways to help you find the information you are looking for, I will incorporate those ideas into the site.

The site has been tested under IE4 and IE5. If you have another browser and are having problems, please drop me an @EMAIL@. If you are using a browser older than version 4 of either Netscape or IE, you should consider upgrading.

I decided to put the new site on-line since it is very close to being done. You will notice more options showing up on the left over the next few weeks and a few things may change as I tweak the code to get everything just the way I want it. If you run into a problem, please let me know by sending me an @EMAIL@. Formatting of Articles and other information will be changing as I start to go back and add the new formatting commands I have coded in the CGI application.

I realize that this site does not look that good under Netscape yet, however, I will be working on making the appropriate tweaks to get it to look right. Please bear with me for the next few weeks.

April 3, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 03 Apr 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Well, I've decided to let the Sneak Preview go one more day! (Well, ok, just until I get home from work)

I am interested in knowing if anyone has any problems. Fonts not working? Too Hard to Read? Fonts too small? Any and all Comments welcome.

If you are using Netscape, then this site will look like Crap. I am currently only going to support IE4 and IE5.

I spent several hours trying to get it to look right in Netscape and was not happy with the results. Since IE is FREE, I see no problem with designing to that. If I have more time in the future I will try to get the site to look good under Netscape.

Until then, go to Microsoft's Web Site and get the latest version of IE.

April 2, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 02 Apr 2000 00:00:00 GMT

I picked up a set of Dado blades for my Table Saw. Man are they expensive! ($90!!).

I did a Cap Kit on my Crystal Castles and it looks great now! Thanks again to John for selling it to me.

The Gyruss Link has been updated! Rob now has a domain name! Check it out!

I have a Special Sneak Preview of my new site! This will only be up until Monday Morning so take a peek at it while you can!

Let me know what you think!

Please be aware that it is a WORK IN PROGRESS and still has lots of work yet and I don't have all the data in there yet. Comments are appreciated. Thanks.

March 27, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 27 Mar 2000 00:00:00 GMT

I actually spent some time restoring my Joust! Yeah! Check out the Joust page for more details! Since Joust is turning out so well, its been bumped up in the Restoration Queue. I bought Caster Wheels for my Table Saw. Probably the best investment I could have made for the Saw. It makes moving the table saw around A LOT easier! Saturday, James came over and we installed two new 20A circuit breakers and 4 outlets in the garage so I can run my Table Saw and Compressor without dimming the lights in the house! Work on the new site is going better than planned! I may put up a preview in a week or two. If you are interested in testing the new site for me, drop me an email. Is it just me, or is this becomming an addiction :-)

March 21, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 21 Mar 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Cool stuff happening again!
Sunday I picked up a Table Saw! Whoo Hoo! Thanks to James for helping me bring it home (no way it would have fit in my car!) and setting it up. Turns out that I will need to install an additional circuit breaker in my house and run an outlet into the garage just for the Table Saw. We tested it after it was all set up and it dimmed the lights in the house :-) I am going to be picking up Wheel Casters for it so I can move it around easier. Trying to move a 280LB Table Saw around is not an easy task. I had to move all but 3 of my games inside the house now. My house now has 18 games in it. Yikes! Luckily, 4 of them will be moving out when my Friend Jerry's house is finished. Then I can move the other 3 inside too and use the rest of the space in the garage as a complete workshop. As I start to paint and do more work with the table saw, I am going to need the room in the Garage anyway. This should also tell me not to get too many more games :-) I updated my Joust Restoration page! I decided to try the Heat Gun trick that I read about on Usenet and it works so well, that I am going to be using that technique from now on if I can. Updated the Photo Tutorial on Fixing Control Panels, it now has more pictures and descriptions of the progress.

March 18, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 18 Mar 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Ok, time flies when you're having fun. So I'm told, that is. I've been so busy with work lately that I haven't had much time for fun :-( I have started the design of the new site and hope to have that finished in a week or two. After that I will design the database to drive the new design and write the applications to support it. I expect to have the new site on-line in a month or two. I'm really excited about the new design and how its going to make this site even more useful! Looking for T-Molding? Well, I've got a site for you! Its none other than www.t-molding.com , its your one stop shopping for T-Molding. I did more work on my Metrocross Control panel (I have pictures, but I haven't put them up yet) I plan on picking up a Table Saw here in a week or two. Hopefully, I'll even get a chance to use it. Now I just have to find a place to put it. I received an Excellent story from Howard Cheatle on his experiences with Tron and Solar Fox. This is a must read! Check it out under the Stories category. Hope to get more info up later... not enough hours in the day

February 18, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 18 Feb 2000 00:00:00 GMT

I added another story about Super Glue from Bill Williams under the "Tips & Tricks" section. It is highly recommended that you read about the dangers of Super Glue and Bill's story as well. Both are worth the read.

February 13, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 13 Feb 2000 00:00:00 GMT

I picked up two new games today from John Butler. Bosconian and Crystal Castles. Both games are in excellent condition (very dusty though ). Both could stand a Cap Kit, but that's nothing new. Most games this old need a Cap Kit. Both cabinets are in Excellent shape and side art most would be jealous of :-) The best thing about these are that I don't have to restore them! Yeah! I also picked up a couple Williams board sets for my Joust and other Stargate. While I was at Johns, I met a friend that I hadn't seen in probably 6 years (maybe more?) when I had an Atari ST. Now it appears that he is also into collecting. Small world. Bought an Air Compressor as well. Works wonders for cleaning the dust off of parts. Eye protection and a mask are not optional with the amount of dust flying around! I didn't get a chance to work on my Control Panel like I wanted. I doubt I will get to it this week and next weekend is booked so I doubt that its going to happen until 2 weeks from now. :-(

February 10, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 10 Feb 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Not much new yet, I just submitted my site to 30 search engines, (Link at the very bottom of the page). Hope to work on the Control Panel this weekend if I can find some spare time. Hits are above 6,000! Thanks for visiting, and hopefully after Feb I should start updating the site on a more regular schedule. Feb is going to be busy at work so the site may get updated here and there, but not as often as I would like.

January 29, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 29 Jan 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Another month is slipping by... Make sure you update your links to point to www.arcaderestoration.com because I'm killing my primenet account in two days. SPAMERS can continue to send email to bking@primenet.com . I've added a couple more links on the left, one for a Gyruss Restoration, excellent work on that! Check it out, its under "Restorations for Specific Games". I also added a link for fixing Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. PCBs under "Repair" links. Very nice site, also talks about a Nintendo to JAMMA adapter in the "Coming soon" section of their site. Interested in doing a Multi-Kong? Check the site out. Made some wholesale changes to the site, so if you find broken images or links please let me know. The changes should speed things up a bit and provide a easier method for me to make changes in the future.

January 9, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 09 Jan 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Added a link to the site FunTrack. This is an up and coming site that as the name implies, will track everything that is fun (about arcade oriented stuff). It looks like it could be a good source of information as long as people contribute to it. Ron has a second site at http://www.classicgaming.com/snipersarcade which is his New and Improved site. Excellent site. Its a MUST see.

January 8, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 08 Jan 2000 00:00:00 GMT

I would like to thank Steve at Ultimate Information Systems for providing me with the space and band-width for hosting my site. He was instrumental in getting my site moved over so quickly. I added a new link for Brian's Vintage Gaming Page which contains a lot of good articles scanned and posted for your reading. Be sure to check it out! I also added two more links under the "Other Cool Sites" category. Be sure to check them out! JROK is what I would call "Mr Namco" :-) You need to know something about Namco, go see him. He also has a RGB->NTSC converter for sale for those interested. The other site I added was for my friend Ron, he runs SniperCade. He is very involved in the older consoles (Atari 2600, etc..) and his site is dedicated to keeping track of all the High Scores in the world. He also does this for MAME games. If you think you're the best at a game, don't miss his site! He is also a fellow local collector here in Phoenix. Basically if it involves video games, be it the Standup, MAME, Atari 2600, C64, or what ever, and the World Record for playing that game; He's involved. I picked up another Popeye PCB today from Al to test in my machine and it turns out that it has similar problems. So now I think I'm going to have to test the board in my JAMMA setup once I'm done with my Nintendo to JAMMA adapter. Got my 1802 Monitor yesterday and it turns out that it doesn't have RGB inputs as I assumed (you know what they say about ass-u-me'ing). No problem though, I have other plans for it. I also got my SCSI cable (Costs almost as much as the damn SCSI Card!) so now I have my ScanJet 3C up and running!! That thing is FAST! Its only a 24bit Scanner, but it was worth the price. It also scans up to Legal (8x14) size sheets, where as my other scanner would only do Letter (8x11), so I can try scanning my Metrocross Marquee in again, this time in only two chunks :-)

January 6, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 06 Jan 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Yes, its true. The Arcade Restoration Workshop has MOVED. I'm tired of dealing with companies that do not give a damn about their customers. A Link to the story will remain on my site until I get tired of it. Unfortunately, this is becoming a trend with a lot of companies. There is an upside to this though! First off, I get a URL called www.arcaderestoration.com and I get more disk space AND I can now do CGI to make the site a lot more consistent and dynamic (You'll see changes over the next 3 months as I get stuff on-line). If you find any broken links, pictures, etc.. please let me know so I can fix them. Thanks. Its a pain to move a site, I've had to modify 82+ pages of HTML, I have to change all my software that references Primenet, I have to update things like VAPS, the Web Ring, etc... Its when you get customer service like I got that drives you to do things like this.

January 3, 2000

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 03 Jan 2000 00:00:00 GMT

First update of the New Year! Ok, I have my Popeye Page up and a Popeye Restoration page, feel free to check those out. I have a few problems with the PCB so if anyone has schematics that they could scan and email me, I would be VERY grateful! My Metrocross Control panel has been sanded and additional putty has been applied to help level it out. More pictures to come later. Other than that, the new year is starting nice and slow :-)

December 31, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Fri, 31 Dec 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Its the last update for the Year! Ok, I added a couple of new links on the left! I finally answered all my email! I don't mind answering questions, but please be specific and to the point. "My Game doesn't work, please fix it" is not going to get you an answer. Also, "demands for help" get deleted. Also, I will not call anyone to help. I will attempt to help via email if I can, but that's it. If you're local, and I have time, I would be willing to help in person if I know I can help. Please keep your questions short as well, I would hate to have you write a 500 word email for my to only say "Sorry, I don't know". Good examples would be, "When I power up my Donkey Kong, I get a gabled screen, what could cause this?" Ok, now that I have that off my chest :-) I did a little more work on Popeye and it turns out that part of the PS was unplugged. Now it powers up but the screen shakes, there is some garbage on the screen and the self test shows garbage where there should be characters. I have a feeling that its just a bad EPROM so I am working on reading all the EPROMS and comparing them with the version from MAME. If they are bad, then I'll just burn a new EPROM and hopefully that will fix it. HAPPY NEW YEAR! (read this part at Midnight )

December 30, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 30 Dec 1999 00:00:00 GMT

December is about over and so is this Year. I thought I would end all of them with a new Photo Tutorial on doing a "Cap Kit" on a Sanyo 20EZ monitor (Used in Nintendo Games). Let me know what you think or if you have any questions. The Cap Kit is part of my Popeye Resurrection. I picked up a Popeye for $50, the side art is "OK", its missing some parts here and there where people have been picking at it and playing with it. When I got it the monitor was powering up, then immediately powering off. After doing the Cap Kit, it now works great. Now I have to fix the power supply or replace it with a new one/switcher. Haven't decided on that yet. Once I put a Popeye page together I'll have more info to share on it. I want to wish everyone a Happy and Safe New Year! If the world doesn't explode on the first, then you should see more updates :-)

December 13, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 13 Dec 1999 00:00:00 GMT

December is slipping by pretty quick! Thought I would give a quick update and let you know that I've made more progress on my Control Panel Repair. Still isn't done, but I have more pictures up and have progressed further. Between Work, getting ready for the relatives and shopping, I haven't had much time to do anything! A friend of mine is moving into a new house so I have the honor of baby sitting his Asteroids, Tron and APB. While I'm baby sitting them, I also need to try to fix the Tron (Garbage on the screen) and maybe the Asteroids (Distortion problem and Fire Button problem). I told him it might take a year or so to fix. I want to make sure they are thoroughly tested :-) I don't think he bought it.... oh well, one can only try. I met a couple of locals here last week, visit Ron's page www.snipercade.com. He has a Sweet looking Tron! Like myself he's into collecting Atari 2600 carts and other computer related stuff. Also met Mike McDuffie and another person who's name I have forgotten (Sorry if you're reading this, I'm horrible with Names...) I think they should have a law forcing everyone to wear name tags until I've had a chance to memorize the names :-) All of them are very nice and live fairly close, so I'm sure we'll be getting together off an on in the future to swap ideas, and play games. There may be a few updates this month, not sure yet. Only time will tell. If you are wondering what happened to October 1999's news, well there wasn't any. I was busy helping my friend with his Haunted house (Follow the link below on the Banner). Al Warner's started a cool new project, that I think we should all show our support for. Its an Audio Magazine type of thing dealing with Video Games and Pinball. Here is a link to the audio page http://www.dameon.net/batlzone/pinsnvids/ . Its worth a listen. Also added a link under Arcade Primer for Cap Kits since I forgot to do that :-)

November 30, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Wow! Where did November go? It seems like it just started yesterday, and now December is upon us, and in another 25 days, Christmas. So if you're thinking of sending me a Christmas present, now is the time to do it :-) Added a link for Empire Strikes Back. Excellent work done on that so far! Check it out. I also added a lot of other links to game specific restorations. Several point to the same place, however, I wanted each game listed separately. I've had numerous requests on where to get Manuals and Instruction Cards so I have added two new categories on the left side for both of those. If you know of other sites that are hosting these types of information, please let me know and I will add a link to them. I've also had a lot of questions concerning games in general, so I have added the "Arcade Primer" category. Under there you will find links to pages I have as well as other sites. If you have a good site that would fit this category please let me know. If you haven't visited "The Dot Eaters" site, you really should, this is an extremely well put together site that has tons of excellent information on it. The link to this site is on the left under "Arcade Primer" I've had a lot of questions on how to Identify PCBS, well now I have a link under "Arcade Primer" on how to identify boards. It links to the BEST site for identifying PCB's. Its a link you should bookmark and keep around as long as your in the Arcade Collecting hobby. Among the other top questions I get are on how to fix games. This site isn't really about fixing games electronically speaking, however, it is an important part of restoring a game at times so I have created a section on Repairing Games. This will be mostly for links to other sites that can devote more space to that. If you have links to sites for repairing games please let me know. I get a lot of email asking about MAME. I'm not against MAME, and I've used it before to see what games look like and its what rekindled the fire of video games in my past and got me into collecting. With that said, you will not find any links or information about MAME on this site. If you are looking for MAME stuff, use a search engine, there are only a couple million sites devoted to MAME, a lot of them good. As you can tell, I have added a TON of links. If you have others please feel free to send me an email at bking@primenet.com and tell me what category you think they should go under. I try to make sure all my links are working, but I now have several hundred links to check, so if you find a broken one, please let me know so I can check it out and either fix it or remove it. Thanks!

November 28, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 28 Nov 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Started work on my Metrocross Control Panel (See the link on the left under Photo Tutorials, called "Fixing Control Panels"). I also added more pictures to my "Anatomy of an Arcade Game" page.

November 21, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 21 Nov 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Ok, I put up my Restoration page for Donkey Kong! Check out the pictures of what needs to be done. More as I get into this, first thing I am going to do is strip the game down parts wise, then I will strip the game down paint wise. I went to a yard sale and picked up a couple of glasses, one is a Pac Man Glass, and the other is a Ms Pac Man glass. See the picture of the glasses. I am also looking for a Power Supply for a C64 that I have. I am also looking for Vic-20 Cartridges, and Cables from the C64 and Vic-20 to the 1541 Disk Drives. I have started collecting Computers that I used to own and also Game consoles (such as the Atari 2600). The addiction never stops :-) If you have any of the above and would be willing to part with them, please let me know.

November 14, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 14 Nov 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Many thanks to Ernie for catching the error on the Checking Florescent Lights Tip! It should have read 100 VAC and not 100 VDC. The page has been updated.

November 14, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 14 Nov 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. (Ok, so there weren't any rumors... that I know of ) If you sent me an email, I am trying to get to them if I can. If I missed your email, I apologize, I am going through about 200+ emails right now that have been neglected over the last 30 days. If you didn't get an answer, (and don't get one in the next day) then send your question again. My "Test Rig" is up and running and I already want to change it. I need to think about how to make it easier to hook things up and I need to build something to give me an easier work space. October is now long over and I actually have some spare time again now that I am not helping with the Haunted House (See the Banner at the bottom of this page for a link to info on that). November has started out slow as I am trying to catch up with everything else that was also put on hold during that time. Hopefully this month I can start working on my new Donkey Kong cabinet and converting my Current Donkey Kong cabinet to Donkey Kong Jr. The cabinet is going to require a whole new paint job from the ground up. That should be interesting. Since the game was converted from Donkey Kong (its an actual Donkey Kong Cab) to a JAMMA cab I will need to build a new wiring harness. Luckily, they converted it to a Vertical JAMMA cab so the Monitor is already mounted in the correct direction. Since I am going to be doing that, I need a couple of parts, if anyone can help out here, please email me. I will need the Metal bar used to hold the PCB's in place (Donkey Kong didn't have the cage). Many Thanks goes to Donald Gesswin for sending me the connector that connects the two PCB's on my Donkey Kong Jr.! Thank you! I would also like to thank Dan Gooch for selling me an absolutely beautiful Donkey Kong Jr. Front Glass! I sold my Space Shuttle Pinball, it was taking up too much room and I didn't have the time to work on it. I finally broke 100,000 points on Stargate the other day!! I'm able to do about 2 warps then I proceed to getting my ass kicked. Its probably the most played game right now in my collection. Its made me take a new approach to restoring my games as well. I am going to work on getting them up and running, then worry about the art work since that seems to be my Achilles heal at this point. There will be exceptions like Donkey Kong where I don't have any art for it anyway (or an easy way to reproduce it) . I will be dealing with the cosmetics of the cabinet and the operation of the games first, once I find a good way to reproduce the side art and kick panel art, then I will disassemble the games again, paint them and then re-assemble them. This way I can enjoy playing the games as I have with Stargate. If you are going to repro Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr Side Art, drop me an email as I would like a set as well. I also picked up a Mr. Do's Castle PCB (Don't know if it works yet... need to work on that) and a Ghosts & Goblins PCB (Sound Problem). I plan on starting on the Donkey Kong/Donkey Kong Jr. restoration this week, so as I get something done on it, I will put information up here. If you haven't looked at this site, http://www.enteract.com/~twisnion/ then you should take a peek! Its for Video Game Parts Reproductions. Some really cool stuff on there. I'm looking for more sites like this! Looking for more reproduction Art? Check out the Arcade Shop! Lots of really cool reproduction stuff on there. I also added a link for Pinball Restorations. Visit the PinHeadz site. Updated a ton of links, and added new ones. FabFan finally has a separate page for the Overlays! Spies changed a little bit, if you are looking for the Manuals and such, you need to go to http://www.spies.com/arcade/ instead of www.spies.com . If you're still looking for manuals and can't find them, try ftp.stormaster.com in the /pub/RGVAC-Arcade directory. I would also like to thank the 21,000+ visitors to my site! Well, thats it for now...

September 6, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 06 Sep 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Today I spent several hours working on my "Test Rig". Its ugly looking, but it will work. I will put pictures up when I am done. It was made from scrap wood, etc.. laying around so its not very pretty. I was shooting for functional, and I think I have it. I picked up a cabinet from Al that started life as a Donkey Kong, during its life it was transformed into a JAMMA cabinet and the front panel was painted black. The side also has graffiti painted on it. The structure of the cabinet is excellent so I am going to restore it to Donkey Kong and then use the Popeye cabinet for my Donkey Kong Jr. Then I don't have to worry about converting the Vs. System into Donkey Kong. Since I am going to be doing that, I need a couple of parts, if anyone can help out here, please email me. I will need the Metal bar used to hold the PCB's in place (Donkey Kong didn't have the cage). I will also need the cable that connects the two PCBs together. Right now I have to switch it between DK and DK Jr. I also need the Stand offs that go between the boards, however, I might be able to use the ones for the PC. I should be getting my DK Jr. Front glass here this week! I added another story from Bob Roberts on the dangers of Super Glue and Heat. If you ever plan on using Super Glue, you better read this! Received my Mr. Do! CPO a couple days ago, also received a Willis Zaxxon overlay (Take what I can get and it looks pretty good, besides I have to cut it down to fit the Cabaret) Work looks like its slowing down a little so I might be able to get more done this month than the last couple of months. I have so much to work on, I have no idea where to start :-) Atleast while I am waiting on one thing, I have something else to do. Are you artistic? If you are and want to help me out with my Metrocross Marquee then please email me. I have scanned it in and am trying to make it one piece so I can reduce its size and print it out again for my Cabinet. Why? Read the Metrocross conversion page for more details... The site is approaching 17,000 hits! I would like to say thanks to everyone for visiting and for sending your comments in email. They truly are appreciated.

August 29, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 29 Aug 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Work has started on my Joust. The cabinet that I got from Al was a Joust that has been converted to Rastan. The cabinet is in excellent shape. I bought an awesome Marquee off of eBay and I purchased a FabFan repro overlay. To read more about it check out the Joust Restoration page. I finally got tired of looking at both of my Stargate cabinets so I decided to completely strip one (sides) and put my Stargate parts into it until I can get around to finishing the side art. If you would like a copy of the AutoCAD files and images I am using, please let me know and I will email them to you. They are kind of big and I only ask that if you make them better (or actually finish them), you send me a copy back. Look at the Stargate Restoration page to see a picture of the assembled cabinet. More pictures later. I'm saving my pennies to buy a table saw. I saw the Rigid table saw at Home Depot for like $470. It looks like a really nice table saw. If you have any experience, good or bad with this table saw, please let me know. I'm working on getting new Front Glasses for my Gorf and for Donkey Kong Jr. I should have enough parts here soon enough to convert the Excite Bike into Donkey Kong Jr. Sold the Side Arms. I wasn't playing that much and someone local who really liked the game was looking for one, so I sold it. Updated the PacMan link. If you have a page about restoring a specific game, drop me an email and I'll put a link to it on here.

August 10, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 10 Aug 1999 00:00:00 GMT

I received a Money Order from Jeremy Wilson today so I am removing the "Shit List" from the site. My dealings with Jeremy are now complete.

August 2, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 02 Aug 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Time flies when you're not being productive :-) Nothing really new to report due to work and the heat. I don't know how much I will get done this month as its still over 100F in my garage. I am working on scanning my Metrocross marquee in so that I can shrink it down and reprint it. I would also like to use it to make a custom CPO. I should be working on building a new Control Panel next weekend. Well, I didn't enjoy it, but I had to do it. I created the "Shit List". This is the list (and story) of the people who have burned me. It takes A LOT to get on this list and so little to get off of it.

July 5, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 05 Jul 1999 00:00:00 GMT

I hope everyone had a great 4th! Its summer in Arizona again and its DAMN hot. So hot in fact that I started stripping a cabinet, let it set for 15 mins like I normally do, and then went to scrape it off. The only problem is it had completely dried! So much for that 3/4 can of stripper. So with the remaining 1/4 of the can of stripper I applied the stripper, and 20 seconds later I started scrapping. Most of it was dry by the time I was done scraping. I'm sure August is going to be just as bad, if not worse. I might start working on the games at midnight (but its still around 80 at that time) just so its cool enough to be productive. I picked up (Ok, actually, John dropped it off) a Sinistar today! Awesome game. It still kicks my ass. Time to set it on "Wussie Mode" so I can get past the 3rd level :-). Pictures are up on the Sinistar Page! It could stand a new CPO as the one I have has some cracking and cigarette burns, but its still very nice. Everything is original on it and is very clean. The art work on the sides are a little scuffed, but nothing major and I am very happy with it. The rubber-band thing on the joystick is broken so if anyone knows where I can find a replacement, please send me an email at bking@primenet.com . Super Mario Brothers has been changed to Excite Bike as I think its a better game. Its been the weekend of re-arranging. I re-arranged my computer room, then I re-arranged my Arcade so that I can fit more games into it. I think I can cram around 10 - 12 games in there. Pictures of the Arcade are on the Arcade Page. I also now have pictures of my Space Shuttle Pinball up on the Space Shuttle Page.

June 29, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 29 Jun 1999 00:00:00 GMT

I updated the Anatomy of an Arcade Game page. Metrocross is getting closer to completion. I am working on moving all the controls over to a smaller control panel so it will fit in the cabinet. I'm dreading having to cut the Metrocross marquee down to size, but I don't have a choice. If you are having problems upgrading from version 1.0.1.2 to version 1.1.0.3 of Arcade Game Tracker, please let me know so that I am 100% sure that I uploaded the correct version :-) I should be getting a Sinistar this weekend!! Whoo Hoo! That game KICKS MY ASS, but I still love it :-) Maybe there is a Whimp Mode I can put it on so its easier for me! Finished the Cap Kit on my Gorf and its now in the Arcade. The WG4600 monitor is so far #1 in my book for being a pain in the ass to do a Cap Kit on. The Sanyo 20EZV comes in a close second :-) I really need a new front glass for it since the one I have is flaking really bad. Does anyone have a scan of the front glass that I might be able to have printed? If so, drop me an email! Thanks.

June 24, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 24 Jun 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Updated Arcade Game Tracker. It now tracks parts purchased and if they were used for repair or restoration. If you already installed an older version, just download the update and install that. If you have any problems or have any comments feel free to drop me an email at bking@primenet.com . It may take me a while to respond, but I will :-)

June 14, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 14 Jun 1999 00:00:00 GMT

When it rains, it pours... read about the problems on the Metrocross conversion... On top of the problems with the Metrocross, I'm now on Power Supply #4 on my main PC. Yes, that is FOUR, as in the number right after 3. Apparently I have been getting a bunch of crappy power supplies so now I have 2 crappy power supplies. One to use in the machine and another to use when this one dies. I've got a lot more pictures for the conversion and I am creating a page called the Anatomy of an Arcade Game to show all the different parts. You can view the work in progress and let me know if you need more details in any given area. This will be under the guide for Restoration. You may have noticed that the Voting thing has been removed from my site. Its turning into a bad joke. I have been watching it for a week now and the number of votes for all the sites keeps changing. One day I'll have 11 votes, the next I'll have 4, then back to 7... Since it appears to be a meaningless vote, I decided that I would no longer participate. For those who voted for my site, thank you.

June 5, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 05 Jun 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Can we say "Primered"? I can! Yes, I have primered the cabinet for my Metrocross, check out the conversion page!. Warning! The page has A LOT of pictures now. I went down to Forward Air for the first time, and let me tell you, I was shocked! The forklift drivers were flying around like they were driving in a video game :-) Other than the work on Metrocross, not much else has been done. I will paint the cabinet tomorrow. Don't forget to vote. Right now this site is getting beat by a bunch of N64 sites... Ick! (Except for KLOV, which deserves to win too!) More later.... If you have Taco Bell/Pizza Hut/KFC Game Pieces, 2, 4, 10, 13, or 20, send them to me, you will be very well rewarded (Depending on which one it is). :-)

May 31, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 31 May 1999 00:00:00 GMT

I'm still here :-) I've just been VERY busy. Long hours at work and a few other projects that have been keeping me busy. I was going to start painting my Metrocross today, but after breaking up the Mr Do (Converted Frogger) cabinet, I was too tired and I wouldn't have enough time to get it done. I will save that for next weekend. If you want to see pictures of dead Mr Do cabinet, read "Section 2 - Game/Cab Identification" as this has been updated. I now have my Stargate Marquee, and a second one is on the way, I am going to be restoring two Stargates at the same time. I also will have two front glasses coming, one has the area where the instruction card is painted black, so I'm going to see about fixing that. I got my Robotron board set up and running! I will have to start working on the Side Art for that as well. I still have to finish the Stargate! Hope to make more progress today on that. I got another cabinet (thus the need to destroy the other cab to make room ). This one is a Joust cabinet. Painted all black as usual. It was converted to Rastan. The current monitor is a GO7 and its doing some REALLY FUNKY stuff right now. I'll have to work on fixing that. If you don't know me by now... well its another Restoration Project :-) It will be converted back to Joust. My Defender monitor is pissing me off :-). I leave it in the Cab and the screen is all Blue. Take it out and put it on my Test Bench, and it works great. Its obviously a tube that is going out and the flat surface is keeping the Blue gun from shorting out, however when its tipped back (i.e. installed in Defender), the Blue gun shorts out. Time to replace the tube. What a pain. The site has hit the 10,000 mark! Whoo Hoo! I would like to thank the countless number of people who have visited here, and who have sent me e-mail. It means a lot to me. If I haven't responded to your e-mail, please send it again, I have been very busy and may have missed it or haven't had time to get to it. The restoration guide has been updated and formatted to fit the new look of the site. Got my Metrocross PCB wired up and running! Just like I remember! Have no clue what Metrocross is? Visit http://joystick.virtualave.net/metrocross.html Ran into a new site called Retrocade, check it out at www.retroarcade.com

May 9, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 09 May 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Another week of harness making :-) This week I made my Bubble Bobble to JAMMA conversion Harness. That was a chore! Can we say "OVERKILL"? 6 pins of +5, 3 pins of +12, 8 pins of Ground... sheesh! After that was done, I swapped out the TMNT for Bubble Bobble. TMNT is now up for sale (see the For Sale Page) Got my 40pin adapter back from Andromeda Research. Excellent tech support! I would highly recommend them if you are in the market for an excellent EPROM Burner. I can't say enough about these guys. Sanded down the front (or should I say, what I could reach of the front) so now its ready to paint. Probably wont get painted until I get my Air Compressor and Paint Gun (a month or two off). When I have more time, I'll put pictures up of the front of the Metrocross and the Bubble Bobble -> JAMMA converter.

May 1, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 01 May 1999 00:00:00 GMT

This week has been a good weekend so far! I completed my Stargate Wiring harness (see the Stargate restoration page), I got my Donkey Kong Jr. board set! I got the new Front Glass for Thief which is now for sale. If you are interested, let me know, otherwise I might have to eBay it, and I would rather not do that if someone else wants to give it a new home. Work has progressed on my Metrocross cabinet (but its slowed down), I now have the top of the cabinet stripped and sanded as well as 95% of the back. I will probably finish stripping it next weekend and hopefully start painting it then too. I had planned on plotting the Left side of the Stargate side art out this weekend, but the places I took it to couldn't read the AutoCAD format, so I will have to create a "Plot File" (once I figure out how to ) The Mr Do PCB has some sound problems that I will have to work on. I plan on converting the VS System into Donkey Kong Jr, I have a Marquee on the way for that. My Test Rig is shaping up! I now have more parts for it so I can easily hook up other games other than JAMMA games. Right now it works for JAMMA only, but that will be changing probably in the next few weeks. I haven't heard from anyone out there concerning their test rigs... I know someone has to have one too... The Popeye Parts have been sold, this will help fund the restoration of my other games. I ordered a BOAT LOAD of parts from Bob Roberts, those should be here this week. I don't think enough can be said about Bob. He is one helluva guy. Always willing to help out and has all the cool parts! I added a link direct to his web page on the home page. If you are looking for something, you can't go wrong with him! The only bad thing about this last couple of weeks is that my Smash TV PCB comes up with a BAD Custom CPU (U99). I'm a little annoyed at this since it was supposed to be working when I bought it. Hopefully I can get it fixed for a minimal cost. I am going to be updating the Arcade Game Tracker soon (Don't know when, been busy doing other things ). I'll let you know when its available. I added a new Link as well, its for Wolf's Classic Arcade Gameroom. Another Excellent site for restorations! The site looks great and is packed with tons information. Be sure to visit!

April 18, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 18 Apr 1999 00:00:00 GMT

This weekend was shot for doing much restoration work as I had to go to a Wedding (Congratulations Jay and Amy!!) on Saturday and Today I've been playing with my new EPROM burner. If you need EPROMS made please send me an email at bking@primenet.com and we can make arrangements. I can do EPROMS from 24pin to 40pin, pretty much ALL types. I plotted the Stargate Side Art out at work and its pretty damn close, I am going though and measuring EVERYTHING and then comparing that to the plot. I am making adjustments where needed. Once that is done I will take the output of AutoCAD to a Sign Maker and have stencils made. If you are interested in getting a set of Stencils, please email me at bking@primenet.com. I have NO idea what the cost will be at this time. Metrocross conversion has been updated. Work has begun on my Test Rig. I am building a test rig that will help me test Boards, Power Supplies, and Monitors! If anyone out there has a Test rig, I would love to see a picture of it, or atleast hear how you have it set up.

April 10, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 10 Apr 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Ok, I've added another Photo Tutorial on Stripping Cabinets with pictures from my Metrocross conversion. I received another award! Many thanks to the people who run the Totally Awesome site for giving me this award! I decided to use the converted Moon Patrol cabinet for my Metrocross, read about it on the Metrocross Conversion page. During the conversion I decided to hose down a monitor and two power supplies. I'll let you know if they still work once they are dry and I can test them :-) I'll have pictures up when I get the end results finalized. They were FILTHY! I should have more information up tonight as I continue work on my Metrocross cabinet.

April 4, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 04 Apr 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Work is progressing quite well on the Metrocross cabinet. Check out the Metrocross Conversion page for pictures and details. I bought some shelves and now my workshop looks a lot better! I ordered a Manual for my Space Shuttle, so I should be able to start fixing that some time soon too. I picked up another Williams cab today. Its a Converted Moon Patrol. I have to decide if I want to restore it to Moon Patrol or use the Cab for another game like my Smash TV. The cabinet is in excellent shape but like all the rest, its been painted totally black. I think what I am going to do is use it for the Metrocross since its the Style of cabinet I wanted Metrocross in anyway. I went through all my pictures on this site and shrunk all the ones over 100K down, so that should give me more room to put up more pictures and other information! Found the new URL and Fixed the Galaga link.

March 28, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 28 Mar 1999 00:00:00 GMT

The Shuttle has landed! Yes, thanks to John Butler, I now have my first Pin, Space Shuttle. Its a Fixer-Uper, but it still plays pretty well! The backglass is in excellent shape as is the side art. The playfield and some targets need some work, but I'm happy. I also picked up a Mr Do from him (Trade). If you have any information on working on Pins please drop me an email as I have never really done any work on them.... Time to start another obsession :-) The Bosconian was traded for a Zaxxon board set, those will be here some time in the future (no rush as I don't have the time anyway right now ). I've started stripping the side of the Metrocross cabinet (Read: Old converted Stargate Cab). So far its taken me about 4 hours and 3 coats of stripper to do the one side. I think for the other side I'm going to put it down extra thick to speed up the process. Pictures will be coming shortly when I put up the Metrocross page. I'm close to completing the repairs on Thief and then it will be moved into the Game Room. I will have pictures of that available as well. Running low on disk space, so we'll see how soon the pictures show up, I have about 30 pictures that I want to put up.

March 27, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 27 Mar 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Did my first Cap Kit today and it worked the first time! It took me about 2.5 hours total as it was my first one and I had to figure out a lot of things for the first time. I will have a Photo Tutorial up probably in a week as I need to take some more pictures and do the write up. In the mean time, you should check out Al's Bizzaro World as he has Excellent information on doing Cap Kits (its the first place I went). I now have a working Vs. Unisystem (currently have Super Mario Brothers installed). The machine has been moved out of the garage and into the arcade. One thing I noticed on the MDS board are 6 pots, 2 green, 2 blue, and 2 red. Does anyone know what they are for? Any technical information on this system would be highly appreciated. Right Now I have 2 boards that are not working and need information on them. Specifically, I need to know what Chips go in which side. I have made some minor fixes and changes to the Arcade Game Tracker software, if you have downloaded this already, just download the update (490K) from the Arcade Game Tracker Page and install that. If you haven't downloaded it yet, you wont need the update as the full install is up to date. If you have any requests for enhancements or if you find any bugs please send me an Email at bking@primenet.com and I'll see what I can do. I ran across an excellent site this week, if you have ANY interest in video games, this site is a MUST. The name of the site is The DOT Eaters and it contains a very thourghal history of Video games (Arcade and Console). Its not something you want to miss! If you are looking for Donkey Kong parts, then send an email to Chris Silvestri ( CSilvest@metricse.com ). Chris provided me with a Scan of the Donkey Kong instruction sheet that goes above the control panel (the 2x10 sticker). I also have scans of the Instruction Sheet for Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., and Coin Payment sticker that goes below the control panel. If you need any of these, please let me know. XYVids has given his site a new face lift and it looks really cool! Check his site out! I should be getting a Mr Do and a Space Shuttle Pinball tomorrow. My first Pinball machine! Whoo Hoo! Now I have something else to obsess over and spend lots of money on :-) Tomorrow I will start working on my Metrocross cabinet! I have to strip it down and repair the water damage to the top. Then I need to decide if I want to modify the shape of the cabinet.... (Its currently an Empty Stargate Cabinet painted all black.. My Second one of these) I want it to look more like the Moon Patrol style cab as this is how I remember Metrocross looking when I played it as a Kid. One final thing. I noticed that my site has had about 130 hits in the past two days. Thanks! Keep coming back as this site is updated frequently. All comments are welcome.

March 23, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 23 Mar 1999 00:00:00 GMT

The Arcade Game Tracker has been released! Please let me know if you run into any problems or have ideas on how to improve it. Visit the Arcade Game Tracker Page to download a copy of it. My friend James came over the other night and helped me install the Monitor in Gorf (Definitely a two person job ). Powered it up, and it played great! I have to do a Cap Kit though as the monitor shakes a bit (hard to notice during game play). Got my Smash TV boards yesterday! Now I have to get a Cabinet and put it in there. Hmmmm... Do I get a 25" cab or .... :-) We'll see. I am reaching my Max Disk space on my ISP so I may hold off on more pictures for awhile, or until I have a chance to remove some of the older pictures up here (Archive them). I want to do a Cap Kit on my Vs. Unisystem this weekend to see if I can get that up and running as well. Once Gorf and the Vs. System are working like I want them, they will be moved into the Game Room.

March 14, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 14 Mar 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Got the monitor and front glass for Gorf today from John Butler. Turns out that putting the monitor in Gorf is going to be a two person job. Argh! I cleaned the inside of the Gorf out and I should have pictures of the work I am doing up this week. (Too Tired to do it right now ). I went down to Radio Shack and bought a bunch of different cleaners for electronics so we'll see how they work and I'll probably have something on the Tricks and Tips section about it.

March 13, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 13 Mar 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Well, I decided to modify the look of the home page a little, other pages will follow over time. Please feel free to let me know if you like the new look! Can we say "Hectic"? Ok, the week before last was a 72hour week at work, so I didn't get anything done that week. Last weekend I wrote an application to track my Arcade games. I will be releasing it as freeware for those who would like to use it. If you would like a copy, please Email me. You can see some screen shots on the Arcade Game Tracker page. Comments are welcomed and encouraged. The software will be the basis for generating some of my web pages in the future. Chris Nelson, who has been extremely helpful and provided me with my Metrocross stuff has started a web site (commercial) so be sure to check it out at www.nelsonsgallery.com/arcade. He might have something you've been looking for, for a long time. I've also been working on a JAMMA cab for a friend of mine while I wait on parts and other people to help with the art work. The art work is by far the hardest part of the restoration. I found more parts for my Metrocross game (Hard to find Molex connector) and I am going to be stripping the cabinet to re-paint it. I haven't decided on what color yet. Its either going to be All black, or All White. I kind of like the All White cabinets, however, once I decide, I have to live with it since the Side Art will NOT be coming off once applied. Tax time is here, and its been nice to me this year :-) I will be buying a EPROM burner and more power tools! More Power! (Insert Tim Allen impression here) The bad news is that SpeedChoice has pushed the date of Bi-Directional service off another month or two. Something about if the Antenna is slightly off and interference with other people's TV... Come on, its only Microwave :-) What this means is that I wont be hosting my web site from home for another 2 months or so....

February 25, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 25 Feb 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Today was a good day! I received my Metrocross stuff. I got the PCB, CP, Manual, Side Art and Wiring Harness! Kick Ass! Now I can build my game! A BIG thanks to Chris Nelson for making this possible. I would have NO problem dealing with this guy in the future. The Galaga Link is broken, if anyone knows where it went, please let me know and I will update the Link. Kevin Umbach's link was broken in the Restoration Guide Section 2, so I fixed that. The Reactor link has been updated as well. I bought the Thief for cheap and was told that it probably had monitor problems. Well, as it turns out it was only missing two fuses. Put two new fuses in, and presto! The game works like a champ. I had to rewire the control panel and replace a leaf switch. The power cord also needs to be replaced which uses a Molex connector so I will need to obtain a Pin Extractor and some new pins. The cabinet is also starting to come apart at the bottom of the cabinet in the back, I will have to fix that. I'll have pictures of the process of fixing this when I do it. The Gorf page is up now. Super Mario Brothers, Thief, Metrocross and TMNT will have to wait until I get screen shots. TMNT is the only one right now emulated in MAME so I may have to take pictures with my Digital Camera for the other games. (Not Really what I want to do) Bob Roberts adds yet another Tip & Trick! Thanks Bob! This one is how to use Rock Hard Wood Putty Effectively. Check it out! I removed the Guest book as no one was signing it and it was taking up space. I have re-arranged things on the sides slightly and have removed things that no longer are valid. I am always looking for useful information to add to this site, links, etc... please feel free to drop me a note a bking@primenet.com if you have something that you think others would find useful.

February 18, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 18 Feb 1999 00:00:00 GMT

The Arcade Restoration Workshop wins an award! Whoo Hoo! My Many thanks to Donald A. Thomas, Jr for giving me this award. Be sure to visit his site. (Click on the Award) The TMNT monitor is back and better than ever. The Master Bedroom is now the Master Game Room :-) If you know of anyone in the Phoenix area that needs a Queen Sized waterbed, let me know. Its FREE to a good home. You really never know how small a room is until you go stuffing games into it :-) I went into a place here in town called "Apache Reclamation" and all I can say is "WOW!" These guys deal in JUNK and SURPLUS. They have every obscure part that you can imagine. Hundreds of bins of nuts, bolts, washers, springs, capacitors, resistors, connectors, edge connectors of every size, you name it. If you don't know what you are buying, don't buy it. Everything is sold "AS IS". Looking for Car rewinders? They have about a thousand of them :-) I found the clips used in the Williams games for routing wires (I had to dig through a bin for about 15 mins looking for the sizes I wanted). Need old medical equipment? They probably have it. They have things that will probably never be sold, but they also have lots of cool stuff. Anyone need an Oscilloscope for $300? They have about 10 of them (different types like HP, Tektronix, etc...) not sure if they have Probes or not. Don't even know if they work, but they look brand new. The 16 boards I won in an auction never showed up, so the Insurance claim should be under way... Really sucks. Still working on getting info put together for the other pages I'm working on. MAME isn't working very well under Windows 98 (Windows version of MAME), I'll have to try the DOS version and see if thats any better. I'll keep working on them... just haven't had a lot of time lately.

February 9, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 09 Feb 1999 00:00:00 GMT

(This all happened on last Sunday) Ok, things are starting to shape up and few things are starting to break :-) The TMNT monitor broke, I moved into into my house, turned it on and *POOF* the fuse blows. Two fuses later I determined that it was the monitor that was problem. I start poking around the monitor (very carefully, mind you!) and I find that a ground wire came loose and was touching the boards in the monitor. Not a good thing. So I discharge the monitor and go to hook the wire back up and find that its too short to reach where its SUPPOSED to go. While putting the board back on the end of the Tube, I hear a *CRACK!*. I wasn't forcing it or applying that much pressure, but it didn't take much. The board cracked across a couple of traces. Upon closer inspection of the board, it appears that this is not the first time its happened as it looks like someone had jumpered across the traces in the past. So rather than mess with it, I dropped the monitor off at Al's and his Tech is either going to fix the board or replace it. I would prefer that it gets replaced, but thats a pain in the ass because of the Fly Back. So... I decided to move on to the Super Mario Brothers. I opened it up, cleaned it out (A LOT of Dust!) and started looking around. I found a wire that was soldered onto the board. This wire was hooked up to a SLAM switch on the coin door. This is not something you normally see on a Nintendo machine. Why they thought they needed a SLAM switch on Super Mario Brothers is beyond me. I proceeded to remove the wire from the board as I didn't need nor, want the switch. When I got the game, it was marked as having "No Video", well it did have video, it was just scrambled. Needs a CAP KIT most likely. After re-assembling the game, it now has "No Video" :-( I don't know if its because of that switch (The switch looked like it was modified to be always closed or something along those lines) or if I just screwed something up on re-assembling it. Either way, I was not a happy camper and decided that I had enough for the day. On Monday, I started working on the pages for Gorf, TMNT, Thief, and Super Mario Brothers. I hope to have them done this week. I will also have a lot more pictures to put up concerning the work I am doing on the TMNT and SMB. I received my Metrocross Marquee last week. Looks really good, now all I have to do is find the boards :-)

January 31, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 31 Jan 1999 00:00:00 GMT

I survived my first Real Auction yesterday. It was a lot of fun and I got some smoking deals. I picked up a Super Mario Brothers for $50 and I got a TMNT (converted Defender) for $50. I also picked up 10 15" (one was like a 9") PC Monitors for $40 which all but 1 worked, which works out to about $4.50 per monitor :-) I also picked up an HP ScanJet 3c for $75. I also picked up a few other misc items. All in all, I think I did very well for my first auction. I've put up a list of the other games that were auctioned off on my Auction Results page. A lot of good deals. The Super Mario Brothers was marked "No Power" and "No Monitor". Well, when I got home I plugged it in and it does have power, and it does have a picture, the picture just looks like it doesn't have Sync. Nothing major (atleast at this point). The cabinet needs some new trim, but other than that its in great shape. The TMNT is a Defender conversion and it also said "No Power", well apparently the person checking the games didn't know about the power switch in the front of the Defender Cabinet. I plugged it in, flipped the switch and Wha-la! The game comes up. The picture looks a little blurry and the wiring job inside looks like a rats nest, but the game works and plays well. As an added bonus I get a coin box for my Defender, and I get the Front Plexi (I only had a plain tinted Plexi before). I will have pages and pictures up this week of Super Mario Brothers, Thief and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I added a new link for XYVids Restoration of his Reactor. The site is new so you should check it out as it will be getting more and more information on an on-going basis.

January 24, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 24 Jan 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Went and Visited Al again and got a new Front Plexi for my Defender (the one on my defender what just a plain black plexi), some manuals (Stargate, Gorf, Side Arms, and the MCR/MCRII manuals for the Bally Games). I also took some more pictures of the stuff he is selling. I now have pictures up for Tournament Cyberball, a Crystal Castles Control Panel and a Dragons Lair Control Panel. Check out the Al Gross Page for pictures and other information. If you're looking for a manual, you should also give him a call as he has 3 boxes full. Added another picture to the restoration page of Stargate. Added another link to an excellent site for restorations called Big Den's Gameroom, be sure to check this one out! (The link is on the left under "Links to Other Restoration Sites")

January 23, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 23 Jan 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Things are starting to go better now! I finally recovered (On the 13th). Boy did that suck. I have a new Digital Camera, its a Kodak DC210. I am not 100% happy with the camera as it has a few design flaws. First off, it doesn't have a lens cover which means the lens can get dirty and scratched easily. Second, the view finder is in the middle of the camera so when you go to take a picture, your nose presses against the LCD screen which is somewhat uncomfortable, and its getting it dirty. If you can live with those two problems, its a great camera. I am getting used to the view finder and I'll see how the lens holds up. Since I have a camera again, start looking for more Photo Tutorials. If you have any suggestions on what to do a tutorial on it, then feel free to drop me a note a bking@primenet.com A friend of mine is going to help on the Stargate side art so hopefully I'll make some progress on that in the next month or two. The Blast From the Past web site has been totally revamped and now requires a JAVA enabled browser to visit. to get to that site, click on the Donkey Kong link under the "Restorations of Specific Games" on the left side. I now have SpeedChoice ( www.speedchoice.com ) as my Internet provider (The web site will remain on Primenet until SpeedChoice is bi-directional). Its a 10mbit Download, 33.6K upload. It uses Line-of-Site Microwave for the transmission of the data. They are hoping to have Bi-Directional next month (I really really hope so!). When that happens I will be setting up my own Web Server and getting a Domain name for the Arcade Restoration Workshop. This will also allow me to make the site totally dynamic and may change the appearance of the site. Theoretically, I should be able to download at up to 1220KPS (1.19MPS), however, thats not what happens in the real world :-(. I average about 130KPS and have seen it as high as 500KPS. However, since I was normally getting 3KPS, I think I can live with this for now :-) The problem lies with the Up channel which goes at 33.6K (3.3KPS). If I was to connect at 33.6K that is, most of the time its at 28.8K or less. Each time you receive a packet, you must send a ACK (Acknowledgement) packet and the most packets you can respond to is dependent on the speed in which you can send them. When the modem has to wait to send another ACK the download stops. ACK's are small and get sent quick (with compression and everything) and thats why I can get up to 500KPS or so. If the line is noisy, my rate drops.

January 9, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 09 Jan 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Well, this year isn't starting out so hot.... I've been sick since the 26th of December (The longest I've ever been sick), and I hope that I will be over it this weekend. Yuck. Haven't received my 16 boards yet. My site was deleted from the Web Ring on accident, so I had to go and modify 57 pages to update it with the new ID #. Hope I didn't miss anything. Since I've been sick, I haven't been able to do anything on my games. Other than that, this years going great :-) On the positive side, I've added a link to another restoration site (Russ's Arcade Collecting Page) that is taking shape and has some good information on it. Look on the left side for the site.

January 2, 1999

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 02 Jan 1999 00:00:00 GMT

Happy New Year! Well, I'm back from vacation and I got a lot of new toys to play with :-) A new Cordless Drill, a new Multi-Meter and various other tools. Then I decided to go get some more tools for my self. I went and got a Skill Saw, a Vice and a Sander (not the belt one that I wanted). I am going to attempt to build a new control panel for my Robotron since the old one is too far gone. I might need to get a hand router in order to do it right. 1998 was a good year. The Arcade Restoration Workshop was born, I found the parts for my Favorite game (Donkey Kong). I found parts for Stargate and Robotron as well so the restorations continue. 1999 should be an exciting year as my restorations progress! To start with, I replaced the CPO on my Defender. It looks SWEET! The only problem I found was that it was slightly off as far as positioning, the holes were slightly off and I had a little extra hanging off the top. I trimmed the top (not very well though :-( but its hidden so its not a problem). I really need a sharper knife to trim things like this. If you don't have a cordless screwdriver or drill you should invest in one as it saves a tremendous amount of time and keeps you from getting RMS (Repetitive Motion Syndrome). In the next couple of months I will be looking to get a new Digital Camera so I can start adding more pictures to the site again. If you have a used Kodak (DC40, DC50, etc..) that you would like to trade or sell for a reasonable price then drop me a letter. My 16 new PCBs should be here some time next week, as I go through them I should have a list of what I will be willing to trade. Keep an eye on the "For Sale/Trade" section in a week or so. I'm looking for more links to Restoration Sites so if you have a site, please send me the URL so I can check it out and add a link here. I would also like links to other useful sites that deal with restoration information, repairing, and parts. These links will be added to the Guide to Restorations on their appropriate pages. Thanks to all those who have visited here and to those who have given me feedback. Here's to a great 1999! I'm have been having problems with my ISP not updating my home page correctly (When you refresh it shows the older page instead of my new up-to-date one). Hopefully this will not be an on-going problem. If it is, you may want to book mark http://www.arcaderestoration.com/index.html as it will always take you to the current page. Updated the Links page. Added a couple of notes to the "Checking Florescent Lights" tip.

December 15, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 15 Dec 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Ok, things have been happening again :-) I received my Robotron Control Panel Overlay (AWESOME!), check it out on the Robotron Restoration page along with shots of the control panel I received as well (different source). I have started to replace the old overlay on the Stargate overlay and pictures can be seen on the Stargate restoration page. I added two new Tips and Tricks (Thanks Mark Jenison!). Check out the Shipping Tip for a BONUS TIP from me! I won my first E-Bay auction and will be getting 16 new boards soon. Whoo Hoo! (some of which are being traded for a Metrocross PCB!) When I get them, look for them on the right side. I will mark the ones I will be willing to trade or sell. YIKES! Christmas is right around the corner! Well, this may be the last bit of news for this year unless I get my boards or I finish my control panel... keep checking back though, who knows. I don't have my "Loaner" Digital Camera anymore :-( So it might be some time before I get more pictures up on here unless I find one cheap somewhere (or I run up the CC again.. Yick!)

December 6, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 06 Dec 1998 00:00:00 GMT

My new Overlay just arrived (Stargate) and it looks totally awesome! Check out the restoration page for Stargate for pictures. I also got a Defender one (by mistake, but I'm keeping it ) and you can see the picture of it on my Defender page.

December 5, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 05 Dec 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Here we are, 3 months later! I hope this information has been useful to you. I expect this month to be a little slower than the rest due to the Holidays, if you want to send me presents feel free to A Metrocross PCB under the tree would look great! Ok, I am going to be converting my Side Arms back into Dig Dug since the cabinet is in pretty good shape and has the side art in tact. This decision is also because I picked up a Crystal Castles cabinet that has been painted COMPLETELY black. Since Crystal Castles has such elaborate art work, I figured this one would be better off as a JAMMA cabinet. I'm sure I can find a dedicated Crystal Castles for a descent price when the time comes. After Christmas, I'll probably be buying a lot of power tools (ones that I didn't get for Christmas ) and I'll let you know what I got and what they will be used for. I am working on another Video Tutorial on how to restore a Control Panel (in this case its my Robotron Control Panel). This may not get done until after Christmas as it may require the use of some power tools which I currently do not own. I have added a new tip and updated the Checking Florescent Lights tip. November's news has been archived and can be found on the lower left of this page. I would also like to thank all those who have signed my guest book!

November 29, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 29 Nov 1998 00:00:00 GMT

I updated the Guide to Restorations. Made several corrections and added some more information. I also picked up 4 Nintendo MDS boards (Vs. Unisystem boards) and I will be working on those in the future. If you have ANY information on these boards, please email me. Thanks.

November 29, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 29 Nov 1998 00:00:00 GMT

The First Tutorial is up! Check it out. The pictures turned out like crap, but oh well. Try not to get electrocuted when you use the Tutorial :-) If you find any errors, or need clarification or think I missed something, please let me know via email at bking@primenet.com. I also added another Tip (Tip #6 from Mark Jenison).

November 22, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 22 Nov 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Ok, it happened! I reached my Limit of Project games :-) I just picked up two empty cabinets and two games today. Thanks to John Butler for selling them to me. Or should I thank him? :-) I just converted my 2 car garage into a 1 car garage! Maybe I should go to an AA meeting (Arcade-aholics Anonymous) but I think its too late for that! I'd like to thank my friend Jerry for helping me (he has a Truck) get these games. The Thief is in pretty good shape but has monitor problems. I will have to work on fixing that. The cabinet is in decent shape, but I don't know if the game works or not yet. John says it does, so I'll go on his word at this time. The Gorf doesn't currently have a monitor since John didn't know I wanted the Gorf when I showed up. He was fixing it at the time so he will be dropping it off in the future. The cabinet is going to need a fresh coat of paint, but other than that its in pretty good shape. My first Cabaret! Ok, its just the cabinet, but the cabinet is in pretty good shape. It has Zaxxon art on one side, and Super Zaxxon on the other. Looks like I'm going to have to put both games in it! :-) Its also missing the control panel. The Crystal Castles is painted all Black, I'll have to see if it has Side Art under the paint. If it does, I'll see if I can recover it. If not, well maybe I can just make it a Vertical JAMMA cabinet. I could then recover the Dig Dug since the art work is showing on it and in fair condition. Decisions, Decision :-) I am currently looking for someone with Artistic talents in Phoenix who can help me do the Side Art on my Stargate, Robotron, etc... If you live in the Phoenix area (Glendale is where I live) and would like to help me, please send me an Email at bking@arcaderestoration.com. Thanks!

November 21, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 21 Nov 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Lots of cool stuff happening :-) I am getting 2 empty cabinets, and 2 games in the morning from John Butler. I ordered the control panel overlays for Stargate, and Robotron from www.fabfan.com. I found someone who had a Robotron control panel with joysticks! The control panel should be here next week. Look for Pictures. I am working on ordering replacement power cords from Bob Roberts (10 of them), so those should be here sometime next week as well (or the week after, as I need to send him a check). If you don't know who Bob Roberts is, you need to. He is one of the best resources you'll find on the net when it comes to parts and information. I will be putting up a "Photo Tutorial" on how to replace an old bad power cord this week. I am going to try doing a few more "Photo Tutorials" on things like Joystick replacement/repair, etc... If you have any ideas on what types of Tutorials I should put up on here, then let me know. If you would like to do a Photo Tutorial and have me put it up on here, then please send it my way. Otherwise they will go up when I get around to doing them. I am working on the background colors for the center column here so that I can have links to information and still have it readable. If you have a good suggestion for a color, let me know. Al Still has a lot of games left for sale so be sure to check the list!

November 15, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 15 Nov 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Al Gross is having a sale! Check out the Al Gross For Sale List for more information and to see all the pictures (Lower Right Panel under Misc. Information). Starting this month I will be featuring one or two of his games that are for sale each. These games I consider in good to excellent shape (NOT MINT) and would be great to add to a collection without paying E-Bay prices. Each month I will have one or two different games up. Added another Tip on how to check your Florescent Lights so you don't blow fuses and have a heart attack as your game dies (Don't worry, replacing the fuse fixes it ).

November 12, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 12 Nov 1998 00:00:00 GMT

The upper coin door is done! YES! I also received my new Control Panel and its in awesome shape! Check it out. I added a link to Appolo's Arcade (Left bar) under Restoration Sites. He has done some great work! Check it out! More Tips have been added from Mark Jenison. Tip #2 (Fixing Control Panels) and #4 (Restoring Coin Doors). Mark has some great tips so don't miss out. I see the counter is approaching 1000! Thanks for visiting. As always, suggestions, and information is always welcome! Don't forget to sign the guest book (Lower Left). As for building a new cabinet for Pengo, I think I'm going to give it shot at repairing it first. I have nothing to lose, and if it works, I get to keep the side art (even though its not in that great of shape). Some is better than none. Pictures are now up at my friends site (Graveyard Productions) as well (Top Banner). Check them out. See if you can guess who I am :-) HINT: leather face.

November 8, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 08 Nov 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Added more Tips & Tricks and I broke the home page down into a monthly selection now for the older news. If you are looking for the older news, its now on the left side at the bottom. I finished painting the frame on the Stargate coin door today, and I might have pictures up later tonight once its had time to dry. Check back later.

November 7, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 07 Nov 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Added Tips & Tricks section. If you have one and would be willing to share it, email it to me. Another story has been added, check it out. I've also decided that I am going to have repair information on here for the electronics since that is technically part of the restoration. I have also added another story (a horror story this time) and another Restoration link for Space Invaders.

November 5, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 05 Nov 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Coin door is painted! Check it out.

November 3, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Tue, 03 Nov 1998 00:00:00 GMT

OK! I have some pictures of the coin door up. Its not 100% done yet, but its closer than before. I also split the Stargate pictures into the months they were taken to help reduce the load time as this site is very graphic oriented after leaving this page. I also added an Immediate Needs section on my home page so that you know what I am looking for right now. If you have it and want to part with it, then please let me know.

November 2, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Mon, 02 Nov 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Almost forgot to mention that the Bubble Bobble page is now up :-) Sorry, no coin door pictures tonight.

November 1, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 01 Nov 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Ok, I know, the pictures of the Coin door are not up yet. I've been really busy helping with the haunted house and work. Now that Halloween is here and gone, I can get back to the restorations. The haunted house was a big hit! I believe there were over 1,300 people who went through it (over the 5 days). Not bad for a haunted house that was built in a garage! Look on Graveyard's site for pictures (Not up as of this news, but should be up some time next week). I picked up a Pengo yesterday, and its going to be a MAJOR restoration project. Bigger than Stargate and Robotron. I will probably wind up building a new cabinet for it since the one I got is in real bad shape. The damn thing weighs a ton too! The cabinet is smaller than my Stargate and Robotron but weighs probably close to 200lbs. Pictures are up for Pengo, check them out on the Pengo restoration page. As for the coin door, well, I spray painted it without stripping to top paint and it looked like crap, so I'm in the process of stripping it completely down. Its getting close (should have that done in the next day or two). Once its stripped, I'll primer it and then paint it. It should turn out a lot better this way. The hits keep rolling in! I'm averaging about 30 hits a day. Thanks for visiting my site and I hope its been helpful. If you're looking for information on how to fix up your game and you can't find it here, drop me a note so I can add that information.

October 24, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 24 Oct 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Detailed pictures are up for the Inside of the Stargate cabinet. I will probably do the Coin Doors tomorrow.

October 22, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Thu, 22 Oct 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Added more links to other Restoration sites, if you know of any, drop me a note and I'll add it to the list. I would prefer sites that are updated more than twice a year :-) This weekend I will be adding pictures of the Inside of a Stargate so keep an eye out for them! I also picked up some semi-gloss black spray paint and will be painting the Coin doors, and the hinges for the control panel, and back door. Look for those this weekend as well. I might even do the Bubble Bobble page this weekend... who knows. About 120 visitors in 4 days, not too bad! Help spread the word, tell them about the Arcade Restoration Workshop.

October 21, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 21 Oct 1998 00:00:00 GMT

I decided to work on my Stargate a little more this evening, and I'm glad I did! Take a look at the restoration page for Stargate and you can see how the right side turned out!

October 18, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 18 Oct 1998 00:00:00 GMT

I start my new job tomorrow so things will slow down here a bit (weekly now instead of daily), however, I may update during the week if time permits. Most of the links now work (Bubble Bobble is not done yet), the Restoration Guide was updated, the Stargate Restoration continues to be updated and more links have been added. More pictures were added to the Popeye To Donkey Kong conversion as well. Check them out! I am going to start putting together a Restoration FAQ and would like contributions if you have any. I am still looking for more restoration stories as well. Any information you would be willing to contribute would be greatly appreciated. Counter was added to the main page.

October 14, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Wed, 14 Oct 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Graveyard Productions is a company that a friend of mine owns, he is putting on a Haunted House this year with all proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald House. Visit his site for details on when and where the Haunted House is. I will be volunteering with the house to help scare people ;-> Although, the news may only be updated every other day, new stuff is added to the web site everyday. When work picks up again, it will probably scaled down to weekly, but always check back for changes. The areas that change the most will be the current Restorations. Stargate is the primary restoration going on right now, so expect most of the changes to happen on that page.

October 11, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sun, 11 Oct 1998 00:00:00 GMT

October 11th, 1998 I've been fixing links, adding pages, and adding more content. This site uses four specific fonts and if you do not have them, then the pages may not look correct.

Fonts Currently Used:
Book Antiqua
Verdana
Haettenschweiler
Comic Sans MS

If you do not have all the fonts listed above, then let me know so I know which fonts to get rid of an which ones to keep. If I don't get any complaints, then I'll assume that the fonts are ok, or that the font substitutions are working well enough that it still looks ok.

October 10, 1998

support@classicsoft.com (Support) — Sat, 10 Oct 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Well I decided that I didn't like the way my web site looked and it didn't have the focus that I wanted. So I decided to change it, and this is the end result. I hope you like the new layout and hopefully all the information is easier to find. Please bare with me as I fix all broken links and complete the rest of the pages. This has taken a lot of work, and its going to take me a few more days to finish everything up. If you find a broken link, then keep checking back to see if its fixed. I want this site to be the leading site on restorations and some conversions of existing video games. The conversion of video games will be kept to a minimum as I want to keep the focus on restoration. I like dedicated games and want to help save those games that are in danger of being destroyed because of wear and tear and neglect. As a result, I have divided the restoration pages into several sections to make it easier to keep up to date. This should also allow people to find specific information quickly. Section 1 Getting started which covers what you need and what you should know to get started. It also covers what kind of tools and supplies you might need. Section 2 Selection and Identification of Games/Cabinets. Section 3 Techniques for dismantling cabinets Section 4 Cleaning of Cabinets, Parts, Monitors, etc.., repairing damage, and repainting of the cabinet. Section 5 Rewiring the Cabinet and put the guts back in. Section 6 Replacing parts, Reproducing Art work Section 7 The finishing touches Restoration Stories Stories from other Collectors on how they did restoration work on their video game. If you have a story, technique, or other information on restoring a specific game or games in general then feel free to drop me a note and I'll add it. I am always on the look out for good information to add to this site, and contributions are always welcome (Content, not $$$). If you send me something and I like it, I'll add it to my site and give you credit for the information. If you find any broken links, or errors please let me know as well. Thanks, Brien King Arcade Game Collector