I won these 4 bar top games made in 1982. (update w/ pics)

[ngt]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ME:B:EOAB:US:6






the auction said that were from 1982 and made by a company called Computer Kinetics Corp in Westlake Village CA.

there are two pool games, and two games said to be like galaga and dig dug or something. Two are said to not work and I want to make a project out of these.

anyone played one of these? or seen one even?

any ideas on a possible project?

are the monitors vertical?



thanks

[digitalpress]

Wow, those are retro COOL.

I've never seen them before but in 1982 I also wasn't going to bars. Well, not often.

Have fun with the project! Looks like it will be worth it because you've got something pretty uncommon there.

[ngt]

I wasn't really either, since I was 4, lol.

I was hoping someone had messed with these before or even fixed something similar up so I could get some advice.

I have worked on cabs and monitors etc....but nothing this small. I guess I am hoping it's just a cab in a little box and will be set up somewhat the same.

Not sure which direction the monitors will go. With only one button, I was thinking atari tetris might fit in there.

[Videogamerdaryll]

Sweet!!!!!..........My Friend.... .........

[Kid Ice]

Those don't look like they're from 1982 to me. From the graphics in the pool game to just the way they are generally laid out, they're looking very 1985-ish to me.

Still a good find though, don't get me wrong.

[christianscott27]

they look really cool, i hope you can get them all working. those are unlike any bartop games i've ever seen. most are of the "sexy trivia challenger" cased in wood and metal, not the custom plastic on those. i'm really curious to see what he means by "like dig dug".

i'd bet somebody over at the arcade newsgroup could give you more background on them

[ngt]

lol, yeah...I wonder what "like galaga and like dig dug" means as well....

as for the date they were made....I am just going by the auction, but I am sure I will find some type of date and serial # or something on the machine. Maybe that company was started in 1982? who knows. not me,lol

oh, and thanks Daryll! Hopefully one will be coming your way once I get a chance to look them over and see what I can do about the one with the missing stick.


Edit: arcade newsgroup huh? never heard of it....but I will check it out! THANKS!

[o2william]

Hmmm... according to this site, a Computer Kinetics game called "Americana" appeared in the '80s videogame movie "Joysticks." Also according this that page, KLOV identifies this game as Streaking by Shoei.

It's not very clear in the eBay photos, but doesn't one of the pool games have the name "Americana" written on it?

I'd guess Computer Kinetics just ported certain arcade games into tabletop machines for the bar market. Wouldn't be surprised if those pool games turned out to be listed on KLOV under different titles. Of course, I'm only guessing. But if I'm right, I wonder if the games were licensed or just pirated?

Neat machines in any case!

[Goodwill Hunter]

Those don't look like they're from 1982 to me. From the graphics in the pool game to just the way they are generally laid out, they're looking very 1985-ish to me.

Did a Google search on the company name and came up with a newsgroup post about movies that have arcade machines in them. It mentions an "Americana" machine in "Joysticks", and the movie release date would seem to back up the early 80's date for the units...


Jaws - 1975
Killer Shark, Computer Space

JoySticks - 1983
Pole Position, Moon Patrol, Galaxian, Centipede ,Pac-Man, Defender,
Millipede, Pooyan, Solar Fox, Scramble, Jr Pac Man, Pinball, Jungle
Hunt, Asteroids, Front Line, BattleZone, Space Invaders, Americana
(strip machine, credits says Computer Kinetics Corp. designed it), Space
Dungeon, Ms. Pac Man, Gorf, Joust, Sega Driving Sitdown?, Super Pac Man,
Qix, Satan's Hollow, Tempest, Berzerk, Carnival, Star Castle, Hustler

Last Starfighter, The - 1984
Last Starfighter machine

here's the link to the newsgroup post:

http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...546cac61df3f5e

Gotta figure out how to turn a URL into a tiny word!
Rich

[jgenotte]

Gotta figure out how to turn a URL into a tiny word!
Rich

Below, replace # with <, % with >, URL with the URL, and Name with the tiny worD that you want to use. Also, leave all quotes in.

#a href="URL" target="popup"%Name#/a%

That oughta do it.

-james

[Ed Oscuro]

The Forums use [] instead of <>, though. Easy way to see what you need to do: Hover your cursor over the URL button when you're making a post; look right above your text editing window. The right example is what you want.

I'm pretty interested to find out what these games are...this format sounds pretty obscure. Americana is some sort of strip game, though? I didn't understand that (especially as this is 1982 we're talking about).

[DJ_DEEM]

i was always at the bars in 82, i was -4 : P

[ngt]

hey, cool! Thanks for all of the info guys! I am surprised that these are so unknown and the bidding didn't go higher. I will be sure to post some better pictures and maybe serial label pics etc...


one thing though....one is missing a stick. Any clue on where to even start looking for a stick that will fit? Doesn't have to be original, although it would be nice. Not sure where to look for a mini stick...

[Arcade Antics]

one thing though....one is missing a stick. Any clue on where to even start looking for a stick that will fit? Doesn't have to be original, although it would be nice. Not sure where to look for a mini stick...

http://www.therealbobroberts.com

[Arcade Antics]

I'd guess Computer Kinetics just ported certain arcade games into tabletop machines for the bar market. Wouldn't be surprised if those pool games turned out to be listed on KLOV under different titles. Of course, I'm only guessing. But if I'm right, I wonder if the games were licensed or just pirated?

Neat machines in any case!

Probably pirated. Shoei was a tiny (and lame) company in Japan that specialized in two things: crap, and ripoffs.

In keeping consistent with their specialties (crap and ripoffs) they managed to position Streaking, one of the worst games ever created, in Joy Sticks.

[ngt]

one thing though....one is missing a stick. Any clue on where to even start looking for a stick that will fit? Doesn't have to be original, although it would be nice. Not sure where to look for a mini stick...

http://www.therealbobroberts.com

oh sweet! that guy's great! I pick small items up from him all the time but didn't know he had the mini sticks. I got the parts to make my daraku tenshi game 4 button jamma ready. He's a really nice guy. Always ships out my parts before the check/cash gets to him, which still amazes me.

thanks for the heads up!

[ngt]

well, I have 3 of the 4. Still waiting on the fully working one with the coin box. One of them works great!!! and one of them needs a cap kit for the monitor....

the 3rd one was SMASHED TO CRAP!!! on the inside....everything was jacked up!!! monitor, psu, everything....

I know it would be broken, but not this broken. I think the psu totally busted loose during shipping and banged around during the whole trip. Anyways, I gutted it and am trying to get a 9" monitor to put in it and make it horizontal. Yeah, there will be gaps at the top and bottom, but it's going to be a tile game for my girl anyways and IMO, it will look just fine.

heres the pictures I have if anyone is interested:

here's the one with the busted game and cap problem:


so I ran the game into it via a supergun to see the monitor




the monitor needs a cap kit....which I am kinda lost on.Here's the screen:




Here's the one that works It's a little dirty in the pics





Here's the one I gutted and am waiting on a monitor:

smashed


semi gutted



mostly gutted





and now with the new stick, new button, start button, and you can see the game running via jrok on the tv in the background. (I will take the jrok out when I get the monitor in there....I was going to get a tv)




(where it bubbles on the top part of the front, it will be screwed down)




IMO, it's coming along pretty damn nicely. If only I could get a new cap kit put into the other one, I would be set. Kinda scared to do that monitor work.....as all I have done with monitors is a yoke flip.






Edit: I will try and get a pic of the nice side panel and guts tonight.

[Saabmeister]

Man, those things look awesome

[ngt]

thanks I got the 4th one in the mail today and it works perfectly and comes with the coin door.

I worked late today...pics tomarrow.