Dragon's Lair Fans - Arcade Lifestyle

General Chat => All the rest => Topic started by: piero.a on June 20, 2013, 11:15:26 PM

Title: I introduce myself
Post by: piero.a on June 20, 2013, 11:15:26 PM: I am an Italian (Touscany) fan of electronics since childhood. I'm a computers engineering since 1986 and one of my hobbies is collecting old computers and video games.
Initially I had only one universal cab, then I had the luck to find a cheap DigDug and a Mad Planet made by SIDAM, and since then I am fond of videogames restoration.
A few months ago I was lucky enough to find a game produced in Italy which seems to be the last one left in circulation and have contributed to its emulation of the latest version of MAME though for now there is no sound because it does not have schematic inside and I still to do the reverse engineering of the audio portion.
The game is named Attack Force produced by ECS in 1979. Here are some photos:

(http://imageshack.us/a/img407/6397/1dq5.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img6/9876/o1kk.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img818/6388/a3l0.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img824/9599/ayru.jpg)
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: anunaki on June 20, 2013, 11:18:15 PM: Hi there :)

That's one great looking cab you have there.

Welcome :spaceace:
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: piero.a on June 20, 2013, 11:20:27 PM: Thanks ;D I still need to restore the Coin Door
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: anunaki on June 20, 2013, 11:27:19 PM: I've been to Italy when I was 11 years old, in 1987 at Lake Garda

there was this huge arcade and all bars had cabs

Was a great holiday, I never had seen something like that before. And it was cheap, or at least I think it was.

Played games like Psychic 5, Commando, Green Beret for the 1st time... loved it

Actually I think it was 1986 and I was 10, but Psychic 5 is from 1987..... strange
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: piero.a on June 20, 2013, 11:31:16 PM: Oh yes! On '80 years there where a lot! What a beautiful age... today only slot >:( >:(
You where in Gardaland Park?
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: anunaki on June 20, 2013, 11:34:43 PM: I really can't remember any rollercoasters, but I know we went to some themepark or something like that
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: ckong on June 21, 2013, 12:02:56 AM: Hi, welcome here, enjoy your stay.
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: Belike on June 21, 2013, 07:20:45 AM: Welcome here. ;)
Tuscany is a beautiful place, will spend a week there this summer. ;)
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: DarthNuno on June 21, 2013, 07:49:30 AM: Welcome to this board, Count of Tuscany (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-XdGW6A1Do)! :)

Very interesting cabinet, this 'Attack Force'.
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: Etienne MacGyver on June 21, 2013, 07:50:01 AM: Enjoy your stay 8)
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: Luigi on June 21, 2013, 08:05:32 AM: Welcome aboard! :)

You will feel comfortable here, lots of Zaccaria-lovers :spaceace:

Tuscanny is indeed a great place to be. We will be there next year for a week (+ due notte a Firenze) and another week on la isola d'Elba :)
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: Muerto on June 21, 2013, 08:15:19 AM: Welcome here! Great looking cab you have.
I just checked KLOV, and they dont have any info on the game, so perhaps you could take some great pictures, and add it to the database? :spaceace:
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: Luigi on June 21, 2013, 08:37:54 AM: Ah, I forgot to comment the cab. Never seen it before. You can provide picture and info to Laschek here in the forum, he's "working" at KLOV :)
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: anunaki on June 21, 2013, 08:41:21 AM: I see you already contributed the roms to MAME, or someone with a similar name like you did :)
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: slowcade on June 21, 2013, 09:07:23 AM: Welcome! That's a very beautiful and rare cabinet you have there! :spaceace:

I spent a summer in the arcade of Union Lido Camping in Cavallino, Italy. Great memories! :'(
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: Laszo on June 21, 2013, 09:57:08 AM: Hi there, welcome. Beautiful cab. Love the artwork...... Chopper and german ww2 panzer iv tank, great combo ;)

Tuscany.... Love it, will be there for two weeks this summer.
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: Q*ris on June 21, 2013, 10:37:00 AM: Welcome here and E_N_J_O_Y !
Your cab is a great find and even better: it's safe now.

Looks like everybody is going to Tuscany this summer, maybe we should move the Eurocade location there? ;)
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: level42 on June 21, 2013, 11:08:39 AM: Benvenuto !

Really like that cab, the side art reminds me a bit of the Western Gun side-art somehow...
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: piero.a on June 21, 2013, 04:02:19 PM: Thanks everybody!
Yes, for sure I'll publish some photos on KLOV on next days.
Everybody is welcome on my house to play with it :)
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: piero.a on June 21, 2013, 04:10:13 PM: Quote from: anunaki on June 21, 2013, 08:41:21 AM
I see you already contributed the roms to MAME, or someone with a similar name like you did :)

Yes, it's me :)
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: scr33n on June 21, 2013, 10:09:56 PM: Welcome Piero!!! Finalmente un altro italiano in questo magnifico forum :spaceace:

Great cab this Attack Force!!! ... hey post some pics of Dig Dug and Mad Planet by Sidam please ...

Enjoy your stay!!!
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: piero.a on June 22, 2013, 12:40:36 AM: Ciao scr33n!

Here are Mad Planet and DigDug just arrived at home...

(http://imageshack.us/a/img833/983/img0786fl.jpg)

DigDug is work in progress...

(http://imageshack.us/a/img14/2544/oax2.jpg)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img42/7704/4e5k.jpg)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img196/3103/1ys0.jpg)

I found a company that faithfully reproduces the original SIDAM t-molding used in many cabinet products in Italy but will need to buy 2000 meters at the price of 75 cents / meter. If there were at least 30 people interested in buying, with only 50 € + VAT you would buy less than 66 meters each. Not bad considering that it is impossible to find ...

Mad Planets still untuched :(

(http://imageshack.us/a/img23/2302/0dl4.jpg)

(http://imageshack.us/a/img824/3816/51d9.jpg)

Another interesting game is here but unluckily without pcb >:(

(http://imageshack.us/a/img195/4605/673n.jpg)
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: ataritoobin on June 22, 2013, 03:48:29 AM: Just fantastic! :spaceace: Welcome!
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: Tyrem on June 22, 2013, 09:15:53 AM: Welcome to the board! You will love it here. :)
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: level42 on June 22, 2013, 09:17:56 AM: AAAAAAHHHHHHHH, MAD PLANETS MAD PLANETS MAD PLANETS !!!!

Looks like a converted cab though....
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: Q*ris on June 22, 2013, 09:20:39 AM: Never saw the Sidam versions so far. Thanks for the pics!
I dig the Dig Dug, much nicer than our woodgrain version (even though I like 80's woodgrain, but that's another debate ;)).
Title: Re: I introduce myself
Post by: piero.a on June 22, 2013, 11:54:35 AM: Quote from: Level42 on June 22, 2013, 09:17:56 AM
AAAAAAHHHHHHHH, MAD PLANETS MAD PLANETS MAD PLANETS !!!!

Looks like a converted cab though....

On those years most of the cabs where assembled in here in Italy (cheaper than import from USA) even under license. SIDAM or SIPEM produced many games on same cab, changing just marquee and bezel ( like Zaccaria do).
If you see, even joystick is totally different from the Gottlieb one, but all is absolutely original and not converted.
DigDug in one of the exceptions with the dedicated graphics but totally different from the USA version.
Even motherboard is produced by Sidam under license, is totally different but use all the Namco custom Chips.
Same story for the Mad Planets pcb