lostmedia The hunt for "Dracula Hunter"

[ShadowMan44]

I'm brand new to this place, though I've browsed the forums before so I'm quite familiar with the site.

 

Dracula Hunter is a game I've been fascinated with for the past month or so, even written an article on the Lost Media Wiki about it.

Apparently the game got shipped out to the United States that saw practically no success, can anyone confirm this?

[Magmavision2000]

Welcome to Atariage!

 

I can't tell you I this was shipped outside of Japan, but I can tell you that somebody bought the PCB and control panel for a little over ¥2 million (about 25 grand in USD).

 

You could try to track down the buyer and see if he would dump the rom, but that might be impossible since it was most likely bought by an arcade operator (in the listing, the seller says he/she was only selling the PCB and control panel even though they had the cabinet. Most arcades in Japan use generic white cabinets, so the original cabinet would most likely get thrown out, unfortunately. ).

 

Here's a Japanese Wikipedia article with the auction: https://ja.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ドラキュラハンター

 

Good luck with finding this gem! I'm currently looking for Heavyweight Champ 1976 (also lost) so I can relate in this situation.

 

 

Edited October 11, 2019 by Magmavision2000

[ShadowMan44]

37 minutes ago, Magmavision2000 said:

Good luck with finding this gem! I'm currently looking for Heavyweight Champ 1976 (also lost) so I can relate in this situation.

Hey, now that you mention that, I actually wrote the article for that game on Lost Media Wiki!

I didn't link my articles to the thread because I felt like it would be blatant advertising. But yeah it's interesting that Japanese arcades just use plain white cabinets, wonder if they use them because boards get switched out all the time...

[Magmavision2000]

16 minutes ago, ShadowMan44 said:

it's interesting that Japanese arcades just use plain white cabinets, wonder if they use them because boards get switched out all the time...

It's probably that. In Japan, arcades are still businesses instead of passion jobs. If a game isn't profiting they just take the board out and replace it. Much easier than hauling out a bunch of cabinets.

 

I also frequent the lost media wiki from time to time (the only article I ever wrote was about the original version of the film Game Of Death). Your article actually got me interested in Heavyweight Champ!

Edited October 11, 2019 by Magmavision2000

[ShadowMan44]

From what I heard, Heavyweight Champ doesn't use a real rom so emulating it in MAME will be difficult. Dracula Hunter most definitely uses a rom and would be really easy to dump. What I wonder though is which version is more rare.

 

What I mean by this is that I've seen 2 different title screens, one that has red Katakana with the game's title, and the more recognized screen with the green castle.

[Gazbarraclough]

Hi Dracula hunter was my favourite game back in 1981 they had a full Dracula cabinet in a arcade on the prom where Lois Tussaud’s is now played it every weekend hot chocolate and doughnuts was in arcade for night I was 13 back then turning 14 so yes was here in Blackpool 

[CreeB]

MAY have seen this one in the arcades back in the day.. there are a few rare ones that stand out.. I ROBOT,,,, MAJOR HAVOC,,,, PAC-LAND,,,, ROBOT BOWL,,, and SPACE FURY.. I ROBOT was at an arcade in ohio when i went to kings island in '84,, and everything else was at my local arcade..

 

If we did have dracula hunter it must have been not well received.. could've been in an IL arcade because i went to marriott's great america in '81..

 

Was it by konami????