Lord Thag Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 I just recently scored a very nice Make Trax cab for $50. One cap kit later, a bit of fiddling, a few cleaned connectors, and I have a fully functional, damn near mint condition cab. I'd post pictures, but the digital camera is out of batteries. This is one fun pac man knock off. For starters, this is probably the hardest maze game I've played in a long time. It's very fun, and after a few good sessions, I think I've decided that I like it better than pac man. Anyone else ever play this game? I don't think it gets much respect. I seem to have luck finding really hard coin op games, as Defender and Moon Cresa are my other two. I'm calling that side of the game room my 'wall of emasculation' Anyway, I really dig this game. It's definately an unsung classic. Anyone else a fan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supercat Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Anyway, I really dig this game. It's definately an unsung classic. Anyone else a fan? It didn't seem very popular at the arcade near me when I was growing up. Too difficult, I think. People are far more apt to appreciate difficult games when they don't have to pump quarters into them constantly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggs130 Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Anyway, I really dig this game. It's definately an unsung classic. Anyone else a fan? It didn't seem very popular at the arcade near me when I was growing up. Too difficult, I think. People are far more apt to appreciate difficult games when they don't have to pump quarters into them constantly. Huge fan here,wish there was a decent console version.Ive got a cheapy handheld with a game pretty close but the graphics/ colors are ugly as sin and plays for crap! Took many a quarter from me back in the day Nice score btw~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE146 Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 It was called Crush Roller where I come from.. and I hated that game I found it very frustrating as a kid because even when you got good enough to finish a stage, there was always one little tiny corner piece or two that I'd miss (and of course if you just look quickly, everything looked painted in fine) and my kid eyes were no good in spotting where the heck was the spot I had to paint over. It wasnt only me since I remember spectators having to help out others where they needed to go by pointing at the screen. Also the enemies got smart too fast.. you run over them twice, and that's it. I couldn't run over them any more. And the music! The intro tune still sticks in my mind like an icepick.. ok I'm exagerating.. time actually has been kind on the game in my eyes and it's one I like to take for a whirl in Mame now and then. I've definitely gotten a lot better and I can see those missed little corners with no problem now p.s. If you find Moon Cresta hard then you need to hit the controls a little more. I was always able to get a free game on that with zero problem when I was in junior high. But then again it seemed everybody could... or at least get to the point where the stabbing olives all came down on you at once Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prodos8 Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 I didn't really play it too much back in the day, maybe due to the difficulty. But, I remember in middle school I had friends that would pump quarters into it while I was playing something else, although I don't remember them lasting very long. I do like playing it in mame though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djpubba Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Here, this will help: http://www.arcadecollecting.com/hacks/maketrax/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bakasama Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 I remember seeing that hack. You either had to burn it into ROMs or trick MAME to read to play that hack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midnight magicman Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Crush Roller is the same game? Really? I loved CR when I was a kid. Peace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dav Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 It was called Crush Roller where I come from.. and I hated that game I found it very frustrating as a kid because even when you got good enough to finish a stage, there was always one little tiny corner piece or two that I'd miss (and of course if you just look quickly, everything looked painted in fine) and my kid eyes were no good in spotting where the heck was the spot I had to paint over. It wasnt only me since I remember spectators having to help out others where they needed to go by pointing at the screen. Also the enemies got smart too fast.. you run over them twice, and that's it. I couldn't run over them any more. And the music! The intro tune still sticks in my mind like an icepick.. ok I'm exagerating.. time actually has been kind on the game in my eyes and it's one I like to take for a whirl in Mame now and then. I've definitely gotten a lot better and I can see those missed little corners with no problem now That's funny, one of the few differences between CR and MT is the intro song is like 30% shorter, I guess for obvious reasons. The other weird thing is the screen is inverted. e.g if you plug a CR board into a make trax machine it will display upside down. The other differences i can remember where on the board, MT had a sync inverter circuit to output negative sync on one of the unused pins, and MT has a williams sticker to cover up the screen printed "crush roller" and stickers to go over the eprom labels. It's also called Pac & Paint in some places. There are a bunch of other names for it too on bootleg boards. It's hard to believe such an obscure game would have 10 different bootlegs but I guess since it runs on basically a bootleg pacman board it was just easy to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telengard Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 I enjoy this game and very fondly remember it from my youth. It was in a convienence store near my house. Fun take on the Pac-Man/Dig Dug gameplay. ~telengard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Thag Posted February 20, 2008 Author Share Posted February 20, 2008 Thanks for the response. The speedup chip is interesting, I may have to pick one up. Make Trax is pretty fun, even if a mite frustrating. One of the things I like about it that no-one made a home version, with the exception of an exceedingly rare VFD tabletop game. The fish are really nasty. Once they get faster than you the game gets pretty difficult fast. I googled a link to some tips last night: Make Trax tips, for anyone interested. I'm gonna try them out today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.I.X.L. Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 One of my all time faves! I have the turbo Make Trax hack on mine Its awesome! I think its diffuculty (thems some smart fish) and painting the maze is why I like it. I heard there was an unreleased version for Colecovision. It would make a great 2600 game! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic George 2K3 Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Make Trax (a.k.a. Crush Roller/Brush Roller) isn't one of my favorites, but I do try my hand at it on occasion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 I remember playing this once or twice in the arcades. I found it rather difficult but fun. Then again, I was only six or so at the time. Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D. Deuel Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 I remember playing this once or twice in the arcades. I found it rather difficult but fun. Then again, I was only six or so at the time. Tempest Fun game, but wasn't my cup of tea, really. The only place I ever saw it was Crazy Cone in Grand Rapids, MI. I was too busy trying to save the last of the human race in Robotron to pay much attention to Make Trax. It's good for a whirl once in a while now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory DG Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 I've always kinda liked it. I like how the maze overlaps itself and how you can keep using the roller thing over and over to kill the monsters. Neat game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggs130 Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 WoW Thanks! until today I could'nt even find this game on mame! Happy Happy Joy Joy!!!!! Thanks a jillion I'm saying this for real......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Thag Posted February 24, 2008 Author Share Posted February 24, 2008 You're welcome I had a friend stop by today and showed him the Make Trax cab, which he'd never played. Four hours later, and about a hundred games each, we both decided that this is just about the best maze game either of us has played. There is so much to it, and a ton of strategy. The fourth board is the best I can do, but I'm almost at that point where my scores are gonna start taking off. I can feel it Make Trax is officially one of my favorite games now. I am soooo glad I picked it up. That was $50 very well spent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flack Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I remember playing Make Trax as a kid. I ran across one on eBay a few years ago and picked it up for $75 (Link). Problem is, the game wasn't nearly as much fun as I remember it being, at least to me. I still have it but it rarely gets any play these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuzzed Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I always sucked at that game.... But, for some reason, i always played it. You are right, it is fun for some reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Either title, both were annoying when you died, you had to wait through that half hour musical crap till your next roller could continue.. Plus, when you used the roller to try and crush the critters that were chasing you, they could turn around and double back and turn back on you at the end of the track that you were trapped on as soon as you tried to use the roller to crush them. You were guaranteed 100% to die, as you were trapped to go the whole length of the track. They could turn back, you might as well have taken your hands off the game, as you were helpless till the roller reached the end of the track. When you used it the first time, you'd win and get them, but after that you were trapped, they'd turn back on you trapped to completing the whole wiping experience. Then you had to listen to that annoying 3 hour musical interlude till your next brush could move. This could have been a fun game, but again, like all Williams Titles, let's not make it fun, let's make it completely unfair and frustrating in easily correctible ways, ie, having Bubbles coast beyond way beyond what you pressed your character to move. Or Joust requiring you to press the "flap" button a zillion times to correct bouncing off the top of the screen, usually resulting in your death, as by the time you pressed flap, or whatever it was called, a zillion times. trying to stabilize your Joust character, you then bounced off the top again and one of the enemies killed you as you were trying to just get control of your character again. Or the delay between pressing the "Jump" botton on Moon Patrol, and something actually happening. I remember nearly breaking my foot kicking that game, as I became so pissed off with that delay when you would plummet into a hole because you didn't press Jump three miles in advance. To give them some credit, Robotron 2084 was quite good, though the things that weren't worth any points, yet killed you...were they really necessary? I mean, the game was f*%&*%ng near impossible to stay alive anyway, did we really need deadly object that didn't contribute towards your next free man? I guess greed is to blame once again as designers wished to get the next quarter inserted as quick as possible. Moon Patrol was still fun, just hard to get used to having to press jump at least an inch before each hole as it took that long for the game to jump instead of crashing into the hole, despite pressing the jump button in plenty of time. Well off Make Trax territory, but all Williams stuff. Anybody know why Williams games played using MAME don't respond to the settings? You can't change the difficulty level, # of men, etc. The screen just blinks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 The little neighborhood store near where I lived in Lynchburg, VA had this game. I played it once in a while. It wasn't my favorite, but it was kind of fun. I liked rolling over the bad guys with those rollers or brushes or whatever they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE146 Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 (edited) like all Williams Titles, let's not make it fun, let's make it completely unfair and frustrating in easily correctible ways This wasn't really a "Williams" game... it's some early 80's jap company game (and it feels like it). Williams just licensed it like they did with Moon Patrol. Why? I have no idea.... Joust requiring you to press the "flap" button a zillion times to correct bouncing off the top of the screen, usually resulting in your death, as by the time you pressed flap, or whatever it was called, a zillion times. trying to stabilize your Joust character, you then bounced off the top again and one of the enemies killed you as you were trying to just get control of your character again. I dunno.. the good players at Joust could score in the multiple millions. I don't think they had a problem with the controls I do agree with you about Bubbles though.. Williams was already going downhill from there. Or the delay between pressing the "Jump" botton on Moon Patrol, and something actually happening. Again, Moon Patrol isn't really a Williams game. But yeah you have to get used to the jump button. It gets easy though once you do To give them some credit, Robotron 2084 was quite good, though the things that weren't worth any points, yet killed you...were they really necessary? I mean, the game was f*%&*%ng near impossible to stay alive anyway, did we really need deadly object that didn't contribute towards your next free man? I guess greed is to blame once again as designers wished to get the next quarter inserted as quick as possible. I wouldn't say it's impossible. There are tons of good Robotron players who can score in the multiples of millions I've scored a million points once in my life although my score tends to hover around the 500-600k mark. Anybody know why Williams games played using MAME don't respond to the settings? You can't change the difficulty level, # of men, etc. The screen just blinks. Any game in particular? I know I've changed the settings in Defender (using it's obscure interface) without a problem. Edited April 8, 2008 by NE146 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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