Metal Slug 2 value [Archive] - Retrogaming Roundtable

MF_Luder

07-13-2007, 10:58 AM

I'm a console collector who's been coming to Digital Press for quite some time, mostly to read the articles and use the price guide. Not into message boards much, but I know NOTHING about arcade stuff so I could you some help. I've come across a Metal Slug 2 arcade cabinet and I was wondering what I should offer for it? Anything would be helpful. Thanks.

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa170/mf_luder/metalslug2.jpg

mailman187666

07-13-2007, 01:04 PM

Flack

07-13-2007, 02:33 PM

well I payed $400 for my 4 slot Neo Geo arcade cab, and then I payed like $22 for a copy of Metal Slug 2 to put inside it. So I don't know if that helps at all. This will probably get locked because we use the antiques roadshow thread to ask for pricing.

We're actually pretty lenient about that in this area (the Arcade Alley) simply because it doesn't get a lot of traffic and we like talking about arcade games. For any home videogame system or game I would say you are right.

As for the cabinet ... well, it's not an authentic Neo Geo cabinet so that's going to drop the value considerably to collectors (it's a generic Dynamo cab). If it were any other game I'd say you're looking at $150 or so, but considering that it's a Neo Geo board with Metal Slug in there that probably adds a hundred bucks or so. My guess is it's worth roughly $200-$250. Personally I wouldn't give more than $200 for a converted Neo Geo, maybe only $150. That's just me though.

MF_Luder

07-13-2007, 05:19 PM

We're actually pretty lenient about that in this area (the Arcade Alley) simply because it doesn't get a lot of traffic and we like talking about arcade games. For any home videogame system or game I would say you are right.

As for the cabinet ... well, it's not an authentic Neo Geo cabinet so that's going to drop the value considerably to collectors (it's a generic Dynamo cab). If it were any other game I'd say you're looking at $150 or so, but considering that it's a Neo Geo board with Metal Slug in there that probably adds a hundred bucks or so. My guess is it's worth roughly $200-$250. Personally I wouldn't give more than $200 for a converted Neo Geo, maybe only $150. That's just me though.

Sorry, I didn't realize that there was a specific forum for price checks. I'm not too familiar with the forum set up here. But thank you for not closing the thread. And thank you for the info on the cabinet Flack. So is this copy of MS2 likely on an MVS and can it be switched out to play other Neo Geo MVS games? Or is it in some other form?

Flack

07-13-2007, 05:36 PM

MF_Luder

07-13-2007, 09:47 PM

Metal Slug 2 is definitely an MVS game. The selling point of that cabinet is that MVS carts can be picked up fairly inexpensively and changed out in seconds. If you've not seen one they look like a cartridge the size of a VHS tape. To change games all one has to do is turn the power to the cabinet off, switch out carts, and turn it back on. Games are available lots of places (including eBay). So the biggest advantage is with one single cabinet you have the ability to play lots of authentic games.

Thanks again for the quick reply. Well the fact that it should take MVS carts is very good news. But I'm slightly confused-- if it's using the normal hardware of Neo Geo cabinets than why is it in a generic cabinet and why does it have Metal Slug 2 artwork on it? And do you think the guy put it together like this himself, or did they actually sell like this?

Flack

07-14-2007, 10:12 AM

Yeah, Neo Geo cabinets aren't shaped like that. They're shaped like this:

http://www.udc.co.uk/video/uprights/neo_geo_red_ur.jpg
http://4colorrebellion.net/media/pics/06/08/CheatingGeo/cNeo_Geo_MVS.jpg

Someone took "the guts" out of a Neo Geo cabinet and put it in that cabinet you're looking at. Why? Could be a million reasons. Maybe the old cabinet was damaged beyond repair. Maybe that red/blue cabinet you're looking at was another game and the owner really wanted Metal Slug 2 so he swapped em out. Either way, they definitely did not sell that game in that cabinet. As for the artwork, that cabinet doesn't have a Neo Geo control panel, bezel, or side art. All it has is the marquee at the top, which can be swapped out in about two minutes.

shawnbo42

07-14-2007, 05:57 PM

Well, time to throw in my two cents' worth here....Several things to consider.
1. That particular style cabinet is a Dynamo cabinet as Flack said, true enough, BUT, it's not generic. That is the old-school Street Fighter cab. Kind of a strange-looking thing, but if you put a machine on either side of it, it looks ok, I guess.
2. Problem with that style cabinet is that it has like zero access to the monitor board (the circuit board that makes the monitor display a picture). As long as your monitor works, you're ok, but when it needs service, it really is kind of a pain on that particular style cabinet. The same problem also applies to the power supply.
3.(OK, I guess now it's more than two cents' worth, lol). I would agree with Flack on the price for this thing. $250 TOPS. Really what you're paying for (mostly) is the Neo board inside. Metal Slug 2 is a rather cheap MVS cart to pick up. Also, I am assuming that this is a single slot PCB, that lowers value as well. If it was a 2,4, or 6 slot board, they tend to hold more value (even to an operator, because it's much easier on the road to swap 4 cartridges than 4 cabinets). I think (not positive) the Single-slot PCB's were sold as conversion kits way back when, so that's probably why you're looking at a Neo board in a different cab.
4. The bad news is that the owner of the cabinet took the lazy man's way out, and just tossed a Neo board in there w/o even bothering to do something with the two extra buttons (Neo Geo uses 4, not 6). To a die-hard Neo fan, this cabinet is an abomination. Not trying to pick on your machine, just giving you the I-love-Neo-Geo-it-rocks-everything-else-out-there-I-don't-care-what-you-say opinion. I have, and have seen Neo conversions in a LOT worse that this.
The good news is the cabinet looks fairly clean, and as Flack said, Neo games are easily swappable, so you have a machine there that potentially plays dozens of games. Also, more good news for you is that if you ever wanted to convert that machine BACK to Street Figther (whatever version, they're all 6 button), you can do that with a minimum of hassle (drilling holes, etc).
Last thing to consider is this. Look at the monitor carefully before buying. This is the most expensive part to repair/replace. Look at your colors. does everything look right? Is the picture sharp, and in focus? Is there any "bleeding" of colors? Does it look "washed out"? Some of these things are repairable, or adjustable. The thing to be careful of is the fact that a lot of these old machines have picture tubes that are aging, and considering most of them, back in the day, were on for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, that puts a LOT of abuse on a tube. (Different technology, but imagime leaving your LCD TV on for, oh, say 6 months or so....what would the picture look like?)
Another suggestion that might help also is to (if you can) take pictures of the monitor from the BACK (with the circuit board). Reason being is that those style cabinets used two different style monitors (assuming it wasn't swapped out over the last 15 years). One style is very servicable/repairable. The other is still serviceable, but a REAL pain to haul out of your style cab, and more often is a more expensive fix. Depending on what type of monitor board you have, that could also factor in to the price.
I would maybe ask the owner what they're looking for the machine. Problem is, a lot of operators use Ebay as a "price guide". Not really accurate, b/c a.You are there, live, RIGHT NOW with CASH.
b. There's no seven-day auction.
c. You are completely avoiding time/materials to pack and ship.
d. You are a smart comsumer, and not willing to win a bidding war "on principle".
e. You are in front of the machine, so you can nit-pick it, as opposed to me looking at a picture shot from 20 feet away.
Just be casual...."What are you looking to get for this thing?". If they say $500, just ask "Are you serious?". Tell them that for $500, you'll go to the "other guy" down the road, and buy his dedicated 4-slot for $350, see where it goes from there. You've got to remember, why is this person selling this thing? No space? Needs cash? Lost a location? Clearing junk? There's always a reason, and once you find it, you can play on it. (at least a little). Above all, don't worry about it. Don't just buy it because it's there....If you don't get it, who cares? There are plenty of Neos out there, trust me. You just buy another one at a later date is all.
Well, that concludes my term paper today. Hopefully somewhere in all this ruminating ramblescence (lol) there's a gem of knowledge that might help you in your quest for a machine. Good luck!

MF_Luder

07-15-2007, 09:38 AM

4. The bad news is that the owner of the cabinet took the lazy man's way out, and just tossed a Neo board in there w/o even bothering to do something with the two extra buttons (Neo Geo uses 4, not 6). To a die-hard Neo fan, this cabinet is an abomination. Not trying to pick on your machine, just giving you the I-love-Neo-Geo-it-rocks-everything-else-out-there-I-don't-care-what-you-say opinion.

Hey, no offense taken here. It's not "my machine" at this point so I would certainly like to know all the bad things about it before making a decision.

Last thing to consider is this. Look at the monitor carefully before buying. This is the most expensive part to repair/replace. Look at your colors. does everything look right? Is the picture sharp, and in focus? Is there any "bleeding" of colors? Does it look "washed out"? Some of these things are repairable, or adjustable.

Thanks for the tip. I have not seen it in person at this point, but the guy mentioned that the monitor is in excellent working condition and without picture quality deterioration.

I would maybe ask the owner what they're looking for the machine. Problem is, a lot of operators use Ebay as a "price guide".......... Don't just buy it because it's there....If you don't get it, who cares? There are plenty of Neos out there, trust me. You just buy another one at a later date is all.

His asking price was $350. Before getting the expert opinions here, I wasn't sure if $350 was a steal or not. Remember, I am a hardcore console collector, but know nothing about arcade stuff. So when I saw "Metal Slug"
for only $350 in a full cabinet, I figured it had to be a good deal. I just didn't realize that the MVS carts go for nowhere near as much as the AES carts. I was thinking in my head, "Well the AES version of MS2 is worth way more than that just on its own, so this thing has got to be a complete steal at only $350 for a full cab and game!" Of course, this is without the experience and knowledge of an arcade collector/enthusiaist. Hence, why I wanted to check out the forums here first.

And thanks to the help of you and Flack, I will probably pass on this machine, even if the guy took the price down to $200 or so. Just a lot of hassle with little benefit (after hearing how cheap the Neo Geo multi-slot cabinets go for, I would prefer to wait for one of those). This particular MS2 machine is over an hour drive from me and I would have to find someone with a truck to help me pick it up. Plus, I have no room at my current place for it, so I was going to have to find a friend to hang onto it for me until I had a bigger place (which could be years, who knows...). Now, if the cabinet was worth a bunch and the guy was selling it dirt cheap because A) he didn't realize it's worth, or B) he was just desperate to get it moved, than I would have made the sacrifice and gone for it. But even if I was getting a fair price at like $200, I'll pass and put that money towards console games. Because of the hassle of it, it just wouldn't be worth it at any less than a steal of a price. But thanks to both of you for giving me some perspective on the pricing, and arcade machines in general. Thanks for all the replies.