Cassidy Nolen

?? You think thats too much? A few years ago that was a grand, all day. I pieced mine together and paid that. Unless the market has collapsed I think that is pretty darn fair. Amazed somebody doesn't jump on that one. Good price and an honest seller....not one of the smashed ones out of Mexico. C

I already know you all are FAR smarter than I'll ever be....with that said...HELP! I wanted to go voting today on my Wii and sure enough no internet connection (other than my neighbor's unlocked setup). My registration tool on the PC could see the Wii but it would not go online. So I turned off the firewall for Norton Internet Security 2008 and still no luck. I had been using my Wii plenty online before the upgrade from 2007 but had not tried to go online with the Wii since I upgraded. At a loss as to what to do. Any suggestions would be MOST appreciated. Searched on google but did not find anything that was relevant. I used the Nintendo "testing your connection with Active X" on their website and they said things are ok for me to connect. I suppose it could be something other than Norton causing it but don't know where to begin. Thanks in advance, Cassidy

Very cool Lee I remember seeing at least one of those some time back and saying how cool it is the legends of our community are still involved. I met Joe at CGE a number of years back and he was as personable a guy as you could ever meet (as was Al Alcorn). Very smart people, you can just see it in their eyes. They have forgotten more than most of us will ever know.... BTW, I am going to be in Gig Harbor for a week in late July. Maybe you and Rick and I could get together for dinner? I don't make it out west often, and I think I'll be pretty close to you guys...? Cassidy

That is exactly what to do. IIRC, that game will play with a ROM actually removed from the board. In other words, take one of them out, with the game off of course, and then turn it back on. See what graphics are crap (going to be a blank space I think) and then you'll isolate which one is bad. They are all 2764 EPROMS, easy enough to source (email me if you are desparate and I can probably dig one out of a board for you). Somebody here can burn a rom for you (haven't had my burner up in a few years). Does the manual tell you associated video RAM as well? I remember the Turbo book being very helpful in a diagnostic repair. C

Use your manual (download for free) and find what rom/ram are associated with those graphics. Swap the ram for that section with another one of the same kind and see if the problem moves to some other section. In my Turbos (I have had/worked on about 20) all had VERY loose seated chips, bad contacts or corroded sockets. With some contact cleaner, a pencil eraser and a very steady hand I have managed to get them all going over the years and stay running (as far as I knew anyway). I would also suggest pulling the pedal and cleaning the 28 years of crap out of it. C

I am assuming you are looking for complete Odyssey games in boxes? I have a few I would consider parting with. Its a great little system for collecting, with a limited game number its acheiveable. I also have a Magnavox shipping container that would go with the games. Its designed to ship 6 of the same title games to a store. I have it in great shape...was huge into collecting for this system a few years ago (even wrote the first price guide section for it in the DPG). Let me look tonight. C

I shipped a Discs of Tron to a guy in the UK. I used an old gym door as a pallate and built my own skid under it. The game was picked up at my house in DC and taken to a shipping center in Philly. It was then shipped overseas but I don't know what company did the international component. I do know there was VERY heavy traffic going both ways a few years back. When pinballs took off again in the US, European ones were coming out of Germany by the (literal) boatload. They were restored and in good shape, but selling for half the US prices. Worked on quite a few of them over the years, there are some differences. My suggestion would be post this either on KLOV or RGVAC and see what the European folks suggest. We have some decent country-wide shippers here but I don't know who to say for international. Good luck man, Cassidy

Seaquest was the first one I probably mastered as a kid. Kaboom is great for hand-eye coordination development. I have had many students over the years master that one when I bring my Atari to school. Cassidy

I have a nice complete working 1040 in the original box that I don't have much in....no monitor though. Can't you use a TV on that one? Anyway, I can get some pics. I am talking cheap here Let me know if you are interested. I can get it out tonight and get pics.... may even have some floppys for it I will include. C

I have to say, you stumped me....I have never seen nor even heard of Grand Champion. Looks very Monaco/Turbo in layout and I love the cabinet. Assuming its standard Taito weirdness, lots of connector and power supply giggling will keep one running. Very cool. Will keep that one in mind! Thats what I love about classic gaming, there is always something new to find, 30 years later. C

Good ole Ivan Stewart!! I made a good chunk on that game in a laundromat...had 2 of them. I think I gave the game away when I sold the stop. If you do ever get one of these, get the track pack and turn on the bikini trophy gal outfits I had it pretty tame and easy for kids. Game was a consistent earner. I think I gave 175 for the first one I had, and like 120 for the second. Great fun. You know, I think I am leaning towards a Night Driver. Bo (nrvous008) has my second cockpit one (the CGE folks have my first) and I miss that breakneck speed. I see in some pics that someone found a red Highway cabinet in the Northwest recently (can't recall what warehouse buy it was) but that would be a longshot. That cabinet is such a pain to fit in a standard door (not heavy just akward). Would love a Speed Freak, but don't think I am willing to keep one running.... Thanks for the suggestions, all. Keep em coming. C

quarterarcade.com is not far away from you. They are the premium level games but you can negotiate on restoration work to get the piece at a reasonable price. tntamusements.com is also not far for you. There are TONS of games in his warehouse so you will most likely find what you are looking for between the two. As far as what you don't know, what you do need to know is what matters to you. Do you care if its a bootleg board, original sideart or converted from another game, the width of your doorway, etc. From there, its just selection. Set a budget (nothings fun if you can't afford it) and go shopping. In my opinion, going there always nets better results than a phone call. I am a negotiator (think Shatner in that awful commercial) so I enjoy that aspect of buying. You are not far from Jersey, and there are a few auctions in Pennsauken over the year, too. Just some ideas. For a first game, I would not ebay. If you go person to person, the seller can show you some tips. Just my .25. C

Lot 2 is now sold as well. Anybody want to make an offer on the other 3 lots together? C

Where are you located? I can suggest a few great sellers in the country. C

These are some strong runners, guys. I had not thought about exploring 70's ones but thats an option. A friend just got a set of Ferrari F360's linked in his basement and I would love to go that route, I just think it would stand out terribly in a line of classics. The TX-1 is probably the most advanced of them. I suppose Hard Drivin' but man that thing is a monster to move. 25 inch monitor upside down...that is the only game I have ever had fall on me....that sucked. C

All, Aside from the Atari drivers of the 70's, what driving games were decent other than Pole Position before the Outrun/Power Drift era? I really can't think of any. My gameroom needs a driver, and I am leaning towards an upright Night Driver (I know its 70's but its fun) for lack of a better choice. I would consider a Speed Freak, but I don't recall the play value being that great, the steering wheel is gigantic and who exactly has a spare vector driver board lying around for anything Vectorbeam did, if you get my point? Any suggestions? C

If you do go now, go during the day...its sketchy now to say the least. Gangs have taken it over. My wife will not go there alone...its that bad. I wish it wasn't because it still holds a lot of appeal to me as memories. The old Montgomery Wards where I got all my Transformers is now a Target. The movie theaters I sat outside and waited to see Empire Strikes Back and Jedi are still there but I don't think I'd go at night... Time Out is still there, not a bad lineup either. I bought their old Ms. Pac. Would have done Galaga too but they beat that control panel up retrofitting some crappy controls in it, I passed on it with a bad graphic rom and burned monitor for 400. C

Home for me was two places growing up: Within a bike ride, I had a Scoops Ice Cream parlor that had an arcade in the back. Its a seafood bar now. Strange how I can remember where everything used to be. The Chuck E Cheese is still there, although the stores on either side have changed hands a million times. I would pay good money to have an actual lineup of what machines were there. I remember some, but not all. Funny how the mind plays tricks. Mind you, this was Alexandria, VA in the 82-86 era. Also had the Time Out at Springfield Mall, but I don't recall going in there until probably middle school (86 and up) so it was sort of lost on me as far as classics go. In the summers, I would go to see my Dad in Texas. There was a skating rink in Euless that had a Smokey Joe I loved to play. Along Airport freeway (towards Ft. Worth) over by the Honda dealer, there was a Putt Putt arcade. I would say that was the grandest one I ever went to in its heyday. We went to the original Dave and Busters in Dallas one year, I would say it was 85 based on my memory of the games. I can remember a wall of Pac Mans and Galagas. If I could revisit one from Texas, it would have to be the arcade at Six Flags over Texas. They had a Pole Position cockpit, Discs of Tron and the only Speed Freak I ever saw (who doesn't love a vector cow?). I've been back to D&B and the arcade in Six Flags. Sadly neither has the same appeal today. C

Do you remember that weird game where you take little pink plastic pigs and throw them, then score based on how they land? For some reason I think I saw a homebrew at one of the conventions with that game. I could also be hallucinating. C

Wow, and its a color label Freeway with cars in different colors, not the regular old grey one. Interesting. Sure looks like a factory flub up. I bought a cassette tape once that was the wrong tape inside. Swapped it out for the correct one, that was crazy though...started played soft jazz or something on a GNR tape...ah the 80's quality control Neat find. C

Theres one on ebay and its black. So is the one on KLOV.com, but I swear I have seen a blue one installed. The cabinet is so close to Centipede it would not be a big deal if the wrong one ended up in there. Probably easier to keep the black one looking fresh compared to the blue one. I'd say there is not a purist out there who would fault you either way HTH, C

You mean to tell me you sold a boxed G1 for $65? Sorry man, you got robbed. I've been selling some of my G1 stuff for about 7 years. I have done QUITE well on the big boxed items, sorry your experience is not the same. I sold a loose Soundwave for almost what you sold your boxed one for. Man, sorry to hear your experiences. They are worth more than that. I suppose condition is part of it but still.... C

I remember saying this was a good idea in 2001. Seriously, I think we worry too much about the impact on the community. I love the standardization of things like this. We have all bought games "minty" on ebay only to get some moldy, mottled finished box that looks like crap in person but good in a photoshop image. This eliminates the variables for those willing to pay. I have a Jetfire G1 Transformer complete in his box. If I sell him on ebay, he is worth 700, tops. If I get him graded for 65 bucks, and then sell him as an AFA official graded 85 or 90 M/NM example, this can triple, even quadruple value for him. It is not that he is rare, its his condition. Again, same for games. Brianstoys.com is now selling sealed NES games, not a big suprise. I will be very interested to see how business goes for him. Few purists will try to collect all premium sealed games I am sure, but for those willing to pay there will be a few places to shop. I personally am for it. I will support them, and have a few games I want to grade in mind. Its worth it to me to have a graded example to compare my future purchases to (in other words, what is a 90 and how does it differ from an 85 or 95). I will actually be amazed if there is a SINGLE 100 out there in the Atari world. Considering AFA's system, not even brand new out of the box uncirculated action figures all grade at a 100 due to assembly flaws. I don't think haphazard quality control and 25+ years of aging have increased condition for our hobby My .25 on things. Cassidy

I have owned 3 and cheaply sold all three. I think CPUWIZ ended up with a crapload of games and systems from me for dirt cheap a few years back.... I would love to see one play. I have never actually seen one turn on, do more than sizzle or make pops on the screen. Is it a good system? Whats it worth? C

http://elektronforge.com/parts.htm Should solve your board problems. With a good Radio Shack meter, you can test the harness. A small amount of electronic experience goes a long way to diagnosing a game. For what its worth, read up all you can. Elektron is not cheap, but their stuff is good. C