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Topics - DarthNuno

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1
Arcade Lifestyle / :: ROAD TRIP :: PacMania by Elettronolo!
« on: May 14, 2026, 02:06:22 PM »


After all these years collecting arcade cabinets, digging through every corner of the web, and visiting countless operators and collectors across Europe, I still manage to stumble upon a few surprises.
And the surprise was even greater when I realized that this little curiosity I had just spotted on a sales website was only a few kilometers from my place... in my hometown  8)

At first, it was more out of curiosity than genuine interest that I decided to contact the seller, just to figure out what this somewhat “Frankenstein” arcade cabinet really was, judging from the photos. An appointment is set...

Thursday, May 7th, 2026, after my workday

Almost no preparation needed, just emptying the trunk and grabbing a couple of big cardboard sheets, in case I ended up bringing the cabinet back home.



The seller is less than 8 km from my place  8)



Today clearly isn’t the day I’m going to boost my stats!  ;D



...a small glimpse of my countryside for the road...  :)



…and here I am already arriving in the seller’s village - which happens to be the very village where I was born…



…the village where I spent my kindergarten and primary school years… and look at that, I’m driving right past it now  :arrow:



…and here it is, this small village square.
Funny how everything looks smaller than I remember, yet somehow larger inside my memory.
This is the place where it all began - where my love for arcade machines first woke up.



Every year, the travelling Luna Park would set up right here, unfolding its lights and sounds like a little miracle on the cobblestones.
I can still picture the first electromechanical machines, heavy and mysterious… then the games of the ’80s and ’90s, glowing like fragments of another world.
This is where my fate was sealed, discovering Galaxian, Pac‑Man, Xevious, Star Wars… and.. Dragon’s Lair that struck me straight in the heart!  :-*
I could name dozens, hundreds even!
I was unbelievably lucky: the Luna Park renewed its games every single year. And luckier still that I followed it from village to village ;D

Well, this square isn’t what it used to be. New buildings have appeared, and the village fair -the one I grew up with- is gone from here  :'(

Staying in this nostalgic mood, I’m now driving past the old Mathelin Castle.
Only the two towers remain today. The castle burned down exactly 47 years ago, on Saturday, May 19th, 1979.



I remember it as if it were yesterday: It was early afternoon. I came to see the tragic scene with my father.
The whole village had gathered, watching the firefighters struggle to save the castle from the flames… and slowly realizing they wouldn’t succeed.  :?

Alright… and now here I am, pulling up to the seller’s place.



The seller is a few minutes late.
So I’m waiting for him in my car. And I start thinking again about all the memories I have from the 23 years I spent in this village… damn, getting older sucks!  :'(



Wake up Nuno!
Here it is. Do you see this? In the photos it could’ve passed for a joke, or some kind of Frankenstein cabinet… but... no!



I’m standing right in front of what appears to be a genuine Pac‑Mania, officially licensed by Namco… built by Elettronolo!  :shock:



After a careful look and a bit of negotiation, I load this little curiosity into the car.
And I do it rather quickly, the seller’s house is home to what feels like fifteen cats, maybe more  :shock:
(my nose reminds me of my allergy the moment I stepped inside, that familiar sting rising like an old warning)



The cabinet is loaded. I’m heading back to base and with a lovely little curiosity in the trunk  :P



What? Not even an hour has passed since the start of this roadtrip… and it’s already over.  ::)
For once, things didn’t drag on. :pac: :pac: :pac:



Trip : South Belgium <> South Belgium 
Total length :  54 min - 17 km on road

 ;D

Alright, here it is, unloaded at last. And after removing the worst of the cat hair… I’m going to leave it outside for a bit to let the smell fade as well  :ghost:



As for the sides, they really are the original ones!
It’s not a hand‑painted black coat but a kind of laminate -similar to the one used on Nintendo DK cabinets- but super smooth and ultra glossy.
The Namco logo isn’t a sticker either, but a proper high‑quality paint job. That is a very good surprise!  :)  :arrow:



The control panel has been hacked, since the cabinet now runs on a 49‑in‑1 board, but the original CPO still carries the Elettronolo stamp  :arrow:



The marquee is also signed by Elettronolo  :pac: :arrow:



Here’s the other side of the cabinet, and the back. There’s no identification plate here anymore, or it’s long gone?  :arrow:



The seller told me he had received it like this about 16 or 18 years ago.
This cabinet really is a mystery!
The side panels look original - or at least exactly as they would have been when the machine was first built. The black laminate and the Namco logo are far too clean and precise to be the result of a later conversion or homemade work...

The marquee and the control panel both carry the Elettronolo signature, and even the envelope inside the cabinet -the one that must have held the original documentation- is stamped Elettronolo as well.
The speaker grille section is almost identical to the one on my Dragon’s Lair II, also built by Elettronolo.

But the bezel… that one doesn’t feel original. It doesn’t match the vertical monitor currently installed.
I’ve dug around online and couldn’t find a single photo of a Pac‑Mania cabinet made by Elettronolo.
And if this is a dedicated Pac‑Mania by them, why on earth would they have chosen such a massive cabinet — the kind usually meant for two‑player games?

Personally, I adore those oversized Namco logos, but they do feel a bit “too much” for a game like Pac‑Mania.
I’d expect them on something like a Tekken cabinet instead.



And yet the evidence is right there: Elettronolo’s fingerprints are all over this cabinet. Truly strange...
And you… have you ever come across this cabinet?

2


There are things that just stay in your mind… the kind of things you’d love to have someday. Nothing urgent, nothing that needs to happen right now… :roll:  but still, one day, I’d really like to get my hands on it.

And every time I look at that movie poster hanging in my game room, it reminds me that this cool object exists… even if it’s not directly tied to one of my childhood cult films, namely The Last Starfighter!  :-* :arrow:



I remember perfectly the first time I saw this pinball machine.
It was exactly 19 years ago (gulp… all that time, my god), back in 2007, during the roadtrip I made to pick up STUN RUNNER / FATHOM / 8 BALL CHAMP...



Don’t bother looking for a picture of the Saturn 2 pinball in that roadtrip story - there isn’t one!
I barely noticed it at the time…  :roll: ...I just remember being genuinely surprised that a pinball machine based on The Last Starfighter even existed?
The backglass went all‑in, too - right there, front and center, was the iconic ship from the film: the GUNSTAR  8)
I did manage to dig up one old photo from that trip where you can just make it out in the background.  :arrow:



Well, I completely forget about this pinball machine (I’m an arcade guy, not a pinball guy to begin with v :P)… and anyway this “Saturn 2” pinball isn’t officially tied to the movie at all, despite the big close‑up of the GUNSTAR on the backglass… :ghost:

Except I love that film — I rewatch it every three or four years — and I do remember this pinball.

And what if it was actually fun to play? Well, whatever, it would still be a cool piece even just as decoration? And when you start thinking like that, it’s already too late… ;D I need this pinball machine. But no rush... I’ll grab one when the opportunity comes along!  8)

And the day of that opportunity has finally arrived!

It’s Monday, September 8th, 2025. I’m at work. The seller tells me it’s available this afternoon. I have to move fast — good deals don’t stay on the table for long.
So I need to improvise a half‑day off.

Funny… just like I did 19 years ago for the Stun Runner road trip. Back then, the first time I ever saw this Saturn 2, the starting point of the adventure was also my workplace.  :)
So here we go again, the road trip begins in the company parking lot…



No need for my work clothes for this story anymore. I just toss everything into the car.  ;D :arrow:



It isn't some epic road trip or anything like that, just a small run for me  :pac:



I had barely pulled out of the parking lot when my mind drifted away...



Suddenly I wasn’t in my car anymore. I was standing in the GUNSTAR hangar, engines humming, ready for launch  ;D



I was already reaching the Belgian border - that’s the perk of living at the crossroads of four countries: Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and Germany.
So much hunting ground packed into such a small radius, my friends.  ;D



Speaking of toys… here’s a pretty sweet one right in front of me.  :P



Damn, I didn’t see that coming… eleven kilometers of roadworks.  :ghost:



I might’ve found it funny if I were on a road trip to pick up a Road Show pinball... but no, today it’s just bad timing  :ghost:



I settle in and try to be patient, letting the minutes crawl by while I watch all those machines around me…



I finally made it out of the traffic jam… and look at that, something right back on theme: the Euro Space Center  8)  :arrow:



I’ll spare you my usual landmarks  :pac:

Here’s the Arc Majeur…



And the AC restaurant in Wanlin.



I feel like I’ve seen all of this dozens of times… Wait! that’s because I have...  ::)

Alright, let’s pull into the next rest area.
It’s already the afternoon, and I haven’t eaten a thing all day…



Cinnamon roll and carrot cake?
What more could anyone ask for...  :P :-*  :arrow:



I stock up a bit, the kids will be happy with this tonight. :)
Everyone gets their own little treat.  ;D



And if you ever feel like making me happy, just remember this: cinnamon rolls are my guilty pleasure  :P  :arrow:



Funny how wolfing down a cake in the car instantly reminds me of someone  ::) ;D



Alright, enough messing around! One country later, and here we are. Welcome to France.



And here I am, finally at the seller’s place.



I finally get to see the pinball machine.
It’s in pretty good cosmetic shape… but unfortunately, it’s not working.







As expected, aside from the Gunstar artwork, there’s no real reference to The Last Starfighter...
But honestly, that’s fine. I love this kind of pinball machine: simple, clean, and dripping with that unmistakable 80s sci‑fi vibe.  :-*

Alright, time to load the beast  :arrow:





And another stop ... a small break that always feels good. I love doing road trips ;D



I’ll spare you the details of the trip back.  8)
Nothing exciting to see or tell… just plenty of traffic jams, and an arrival in the dark.



It’s late, and I’m in no shape to unload a pinball machine on my own.  :-\
So it’ll spend the night in the car… and it’s even coming with me to work tomorrow, since no one can help before tomorrow evening.  :pac: :ghost: :ghost: :ghost:



RT statistics :
Trip : Luxembourg > Belgium > France> Belgium
Total length : 7h21min - 521 km on road

Here it is today (Sunday, 22/02/26).
The pinball machine is exactly as I brought it back… I haven’t had time yet to look into what’s wrong with it.  :-\



Coming up: more details about this pinball machine, an attempt to understand how such a blatant rip‑off of the Gunstar image could happen without a license, a restoration attempt, ...

3
Galaxian Theater / ### Starblade3 ... a failed roadtrip? ###
« on: December 31, 2025, 08:38:14 AM »


I don’t understand why I sold my Starblade cabinet a few years ago.   >:(
That machine had blown me away visually: I felt like I was inside The Last Starfighter movie.  :-*
I was lucky enough to discover it as soon as it came out, in 1991 or 1992, at the Luna Park of my village’s annual fair, then again in other funfairs in the following years, until I finally played it one last time… in an arcade on the Belgian coast, in the very same room where there was also… a Galaxian Theater — which would eventually become mine! Full circle.

I had explained all my love for this cabinet in the great Sean Newton's book "Grails. The Cool, the Rare, and the Obscure of Arcade Games"



I went to pick it up in Germany exactly 20 years ago, in April 2005, and it was actually my very first road trip with a truck because of the size of the beast. Amazing memories.

Nowadays it’s become quite rare to find for sale… so imagine my surprise when I saw a listing for a Starblade cabinet… in Belgium!
Its condition isn’t exactly great, and even though it’s not that far away, there’s going to be logistics, disassembly, back‑breaking lifting… in short… I’m hesitating.

Alright, let’s go check it out in person. I’ve got my trailer, and if it doesn’t work out, so be it. The seller is 2 hours and 19 minutes from my place...



 ...worst case, I lose an afternoon and a tank of gas… but above all, I would’ve kicked myself if I hadn’t gone!

So here we are, May 28th, 2025 — I’m ready!  8)



Or rather, should I say WE are ready!
Because if I end up buying the cabinet, there’s absolutely no way I could dismantle, load, or transport anything on my own.
So here are my TWO partners for the day.



There’s my former colleague — who’s become a friend — Olivier, and Zola, his loyal American Akita, eight years old.

As usual, this is all improvised… I called Olivier the day before to ask if he’d come along, and he agreed on one condition: that he could bring his dog with him.
To be honest, I’m mostly counting on the seller to help me dismantle and load the cabinet if the deal goes through.
Olivier is seriously ill, and I mainly invited him to take his mind off things.  :-\
I hadn’t seen him in a while, and we’d have plenty of time to talk during the drive.
I’ve often told him about my road trips, and I’d promised we’d do one together someday.
And today is that day!  8)

The ship is ready, the crew is complete, we can set off.



A road trip with a dog… that’s a first for me.  ;D  :arrow:




On the way, my new landmark every time I take a road trip in this direction, the Arc Majeur  :arrow:



Arc Majeur is 60 metres high, 75 metres wide and weighs 200 tonnes. It's the world's largest public work of art made of Corten steel, a material often also used in architecture which combines corrosion resistance, tensile strength and a pleasingly warm appearance. The red-brown patina that develops on its surface is waterproof and does not seep through materials, unlike standard rust. Both parts of the arc are made of 20-metre-long steel segments (three on the larger side, two on the smaller side) that have been fused together with surgical precision. The construction process took into account both the condition of the soil at its final location, vibration caused by heavy traffic and the potential for extreme climatic changes, for example, 200 km/h winds. The base of the sculpture extends to a depth of three metres into the soil. Thus Arc Majeur embodies both a brilliant artistic idea and the highest level of 21st-century technological and scientific know-how (source)

There’s a lot of wind… with my crew and the weight of the trailer, we’re not moving very fast… Suddenly, we hear a loud bang!  :shock:
Flat tire? Car trouble? Impossible to tell. I pull over immediately onto a rest area that just happened to be right next to us when it happened…



Phew, it’s none of that!  :P
It’s just the lower part of the trailer’s rear tarp that ended up tearing.



When that part tore, the rear section of the tarp started hitting the top of the trailer cover, and with the speed, it created a loud slapping sound — exactly the noise we heard while driving.



This trailer is a bit old, but I have to admit I’ve never really taken good care of it.  :oops:  So I’ll let Olivier patch it up — he’s much more handy than I am.  ;) :arrow:



Well, this forced stop at least gave the dog a chance for a little pee break… the fine team can get back on the road.  ;D



After three hours on the road, we finally arrive at the seller’s place… face to face with the Starblade  :arrow:









I had planned to negotiate the price, because quite a few things didn’t justify what the seller was asking (no PCB, damaged stickers, unknown screen condition, some broken parts, etc.).
I like the cabinet — and it’s even a different version from my previous Starblade — but the idea of dismantling it here scares me. :shock:
I don’t even think that once taken apart, everything would fit in the trailer and the car.  :ghost:
And judging by the state of some of the screws, I’m not even sure we could dismantle it easily… basically, it would take hours. I don’t want to put Olivier through that, or myself for that matter.

So I try a bargain-basement negotiation. The seller is nice and understanding, and he lowers the price, but not enough to justify putting ourselves through the ordeal of dismantling it here, at this hour, and without the proper tools.

In the end, the deal doesn’t happen… proof that I’ve aged! Back in the day, I would’ve spent the whole night on it if needed — but not anymore, not under these conditions.  :ghost:

So that’s that. With a little pang in my heart, I get back into the car, empty‑handed… my god, have I become reasonable?  :roll:



On the way back, I convince Olivier that it was the right thing to do. I’m also trying to convince myself  :roll: … and yet I keep seeing spaceships everywhere (we’re driving past the Euro Space Center)  :arrow:



Well, despite everything, I’m still happy. I spent a nice afternoon talking with Olivier. We’re keeping the smile, folks.  8) :arrow:



Ah, but why am I holding up two fingers here?
I really thought I’d be able to proudly show the number three… but no, I only ever had two Starblade.

The first one in 2005, sold in 2019 — the road trip is visible here ->



I bought a second one in 2012 just for parts, so I don’t have any photos of it fully assembled, only a few shots from when it was delivered to me in pieces


(RIP Jean‑Pierre   :-(((  )

A few numbers, though:
434 km traveled / 7 hours and 08 minutes on the road

But even if the atmosphere and the fun were there, from a strictly “recovering a Starblade” point of view, it was definitely a failure!



...


Except that…


...


…I’m thinking that the chances of finding another Starblade are getting smaller and smaller, and only God knows how far away the next one might be?  ???

I stayed in touch with the seller. Seeing that the cabinet was still available, I suggested an alternative: that he could dismantle it and deliver it to me…
Because yes, the logistics were the main reason I didn’t bring it back.

We reached an agreement and…10 days later, a van pulls up!  8)  :arrow:





As agreed, the seller shows up with two big guys, bringing back my favorite toy.
With all these strong arms around, unloading it is going to be a piece of cake.



There we go, the mistake is fixed… Starblade is back in the game room.



Whether I want it or not, my heart is tied to UGSF, to Namco, to the greatest classic arcade shooters: Galaxian, Galaxian³, Galaga, Xevious, and of course Starblade!
My darlings, sorry for having abandoned some of you, but ...I’m back!  :-*



Well, that’s all fine and good, but now I’ve got a mountain of work ahead of me on this machine before I can play it again… WIP coming soon.  ;)


4


Time to finally clear out some of the arcade road trips I still haven’t shared.
Let’s jump back a little over three years, to September 2022.

At that moment, I was going through a slightly odd phase. I had drifted away from the arcade world for a while, drawn back toward another long‑standing passion of mine: music, and more specifically, the guitar.
For anyone curious, my YouTube channel with my guitar covers was my main creative outlet back then. Check this out (and feel free to like) -> My Guitar YT Channel

So yes - I wasn’t really looking for anything arcade‑related anymore. My “must‑have” list felt complete, and the hunt had pretty much gone quiet.
But after so many years of checking what’s for sale around me, the habit stayed. And during one of those casual scans, I stumbled upon a listing… just 44 km from home.

Not much preparation, the seller didn’t live far, so no schedule stress. I had no idea what I was going to buy, or even if I would buy anything at all.
I didn’t negotiate anything; I simply told the seller I’d stop by, just ‘to have a look’… 8)

So here we are, September 27th, 2022.



Like I said, it was practically next door…



...and that was for the best, because at that point I wouldn’t have driven much farther for anything arcade‑related. :oops: (around that same period I did go on a looong road trip for ...a guitar.  ;) But that’s another story)

Living in Belgium, right at the ‘three borders,’ is pretty convenient… A few kilometers in any direction and I’m either in Luxembourg, France, or Germany.
For this story, though, we’ll be crossing into France...



With such a short drive, there really wasn’t anything epic to report… At best, I could show you a French roundabout?  ;D



...or perhaps I should show you a picturesque little French village while I’m at it?



Alright, enough chatter...we’ve arrived at the seller’s place.



I step into the seller’s warehouse or rather, the place of the person handling the sale (he's not the owner).
I’m not alone; a few other potential buyers are already there. And it makes sense, there’s quite a lot of interesting old stuff lying around  :P
For example, this Atari Sprint  :)  or this Super Bug (which has less impact on me, since I already owned that cabinet once and eventually sold it).



Not bad, not bad… but these aren’t the cabinets I came for. Let’s see what else is around.
Hmm… some generic Sidam machines, a few old Super Breakout… and quite a lot of jukeboxes...
Turns out I’m the only guy here actually interested in these old arcade cabinets — which works out just fine for me.  :)



Ah, there it is... the cabinet that actually got me off my butt and driving out here… an ultra‑rare Polaris cabaret by Taito  :-* (and behind it, two more Super Breakouts… Good lord, that’s five already!  :o).  :arrow:



She’s in rough shape: at first glance, the back door is missing, the monitor tube is broken, the base has water damage, and the original control panel is gone… Honestly, that’s fine by me, definitely a lot of work ahead, but also plenty of arguments for not paying too much in the end... and I’m not about to get picky when it comes to a cabinet this rare!



With the negotiation done, I kept walking around before loading the Polaris — just in case I stumbled upon another gem.
A whole row of cocktail tables, though I’d say they were all generic models.  :arrow:



Another generic cabinet — though this one is interesting because it comes from the old French arcade ‘J.R.’.  :arrow:





@Old School : could this be one of the machines from your legendary ‘JR’ Arcade?  ???

Here’s another very interesting cabinet. It’s an Atari Coupe Davis, the European version of Atari’s Pong Doubles in the US.





I hesitated to take that one too. But I didn’t have the space to bring it back right away, since I was about to load the Polaris into the car.
So I figured I could always come back later. I’m not far from home anyway…

There were a few more generic cabinets that I didn’t even bother taking pictures of, but trust me — nothing interesting.
Alright, time to load the Polaris



On the short road back, I had to take the official ‘catch of the day’ photo :



Except… yeah, I look a bit grumpy or sad there. :-\  We all go through rough patches, and I was definitely in one of those phases. Arcade stuff wasn’t really what I needed at that moment.

Another thing: in that warehouse, there was clearly stuff for other collectors. After picking up the Polaris, I could have shared the location. But as I said, I wasn’t really in the arcade mood anymore. I feel a bit guilty about it, especially since I’m usually the one advocating for sharing :oops:
A few months after this road trip, I contacted the seller again to see if anything was left, but I never got a reply. I also regret letting the Sprint and the Monte Carlo slip away...  :?

Alright, back in Belgium — short distance or not, it still qualifies as an international road trip  ;D  :arrow:



And here are my stats as a "professional road‑tripper"  ;D (who doesn’t earn a single cent doing all this — quite the opposite, actually… ::):arrow:



BELGIUM -> FRANCE -> BELGIUM
ROADTRIP TIME ELAPSED 2H32
DISTANCE 88 KM

The cabinet is out of the car and ready to enter the Nuno’s Lair.



Stay tuned for its restoration.

5
Galaxian Theater / StarBlade available for sale in UK
« on: July 13, 2025, 11:23:46 AM »
Rare enough to be worth mentioning here... and keeping track of it: a Starblade arcade cabinet is for sale in UK, listed onto our friends UKVAC forum.
These are becoming very difficult to find these days 8) That one took quite a bit of work, but it was totally worth it!  :spaceace:

Link on UKVAC

6
Dragon's Lair / Space Ace / Dragon's Lair 2, the second one... WIP!
« on: April 18, 2025, 10:51:46 PM »
Following this road trip  :arrow:



What an epic one, huh?  ;D

So why "Dragon's Lair 2, the second one" in the title?
As I explained in the road trip report, I once owned a Dragon's Lair 2 arcade cabinet 20 years ago. I sold it a few years ago...I thought I wouldn't regret it, but that wasn't the case.  :? Fortunately, I've found another cabinet, still in England, but this time it requires a lot of work!"  :pac: :ghost: :ghost: :ghost: :ghost:

So, let's continue this story. Unloading the cabinet  :arrow:



First examination ...









It's the same versoin than my first one: an Italian version made by Elettronolo :



Serial is -as far as I can read- 000655 or 000656? The last two digits are hardly visible.  :ghost: I will need to take more photos with different lighting conditions to confirm these two digits.
Anyway, we're not far from my first DL2 cabinet, which had the serial number 000683

Alright, we'll take a look at everything after an initial rough cleaning  ;D  :arrow:


7
Galaxian Theater / Galaxian 3: Project Revival ... PhilWIP
« on: April 14, 2025, 08:26:55 PM »
Excellent work and very well documented, here's the WIP from the resurrection of the Galaxian3 Theater6 located in at FUNWORD in Nashua (New Hampshire)  :spaceace: :spaceace: :spaceace:



I had almost given up hope of finally seeing someone put in the necessary effort to study this beast. I am glad to finally see some interest in this machine.  :-* :-* :-*

Follow the LINK  :spaceace: :spaceace: :spaceace:

8
'Business' Area : Buy/Sell/Trade / [WTB] Bezel for 25" monitor
« on: March 31, 2025, 10:24:20 PM »
I'm looking for a 25" arcade bezel monitor. Anyone has one, or can point me where to find one?

9
After all these years of collecting arcade games (+25 years), finding the ones I absolutely wanted to own but also getting many from the what I call the "nice to have" list, I didn't think I'll once again get the road to drive so far for getting an additional cabinet!
So what cabinet is still missing in my 'collection' (although I do not collect arcade games anymore strictly speaking)? And what do I mean by driving so far?
Well, this time -and for the very first time- I'm going to take my car and leave the European Union, to go outside the Schengen area...I'm going to United Kingdom!


[click picture]

Sure, this is not the first time I'm doing a road trip to UK, but this gonna be the first one I'll do after the Brexit, so technically I'll the first time outside European Union!  ;) but the fact is... it's gonna be my...

20th UK Road Trip Anniversary

It's time to remind myself of all these trips to England over the past 20 years...

1. Dragon's Lair 2, Star Wars cockpit (2005)
2. Space Ace (2006)
3. Rolling Thunder (2007)
4. Space Harrier (2007)
5. Daytona USA (2007)
6. Computer Space (2007)
7. Guitar Freaks (2007)
8. APB (2007)
9. Battlezone (2007)
10. Galaga, Spy Hunter, Radarscope, Zaxxon, Super Bug (2007)
11. Return of the Jedi (2008)
12. Pac Man Jr, Gyruss (2008)
13. Ms Pac Man (2008)
14. Burger Time (2009)
15. Ghosts'n'Goblins, Moon Patrol (2009)
16. Darth Maul and Han Solo life size (2010)
17. Wacko (2011)
18. Starhawk, Condor [DUKE OF LANCASTER raid!) (2012)
19. Firefox cockpit (2014)

What can I say by looking at this list?

- 2007 was a crazy year! (8 UK road trips)
- my last UK road trip was done 10 years ago
- 19 is not a good number

So what could be the game that would deserve another 'massive' road trip?  ::)  Well...

A few years ago, for various reasons I went through a phase of disinterest of this hobby. I think a lot of old collectors have gone through this phase. I have favoured other activities and decided to slow down everything arcade related. I had the opportunity to sell some of my games. I don't regret selling these games, apart from two or three titles.. and Dragon's Lair 2 is one of them. On a positive note, my Dragon's Lair 2 went to a very good person/well know collector.

So when I see the ad from Darren 'Dazza' for the sale of a Dragon's Lair 2, I said to myself :

- Here's an opportunity to get back a Dragon's Lair 2 cabinet, and so having back in my game room the full "Bluth Trilogy" cabinets (Dragon's Lair + Dragon's Lair 2 + Space Ace)


(picture of my "Bluth Trilogy" row of cabs before selling my DL2...)

- I'll hit the 20th UK road trip in my counter
- I'll have a nice project to work on (as you'll see, there'll be a lot of work!)
- I'll meet Darren again (and possibly Jason 'FinnyUK'), 18 years after the legendary Dragon's Lair Euro Fans Meeting


(click on picture for the meeting report)

In no time I immediately get in touch with Darren, asking him more details. Unfortunately, as the cabinet is not located at his place, I had to figure out its condition with only these pictures :







For sure a non working one, damaged and missing parts... but I'm totally fine with that, deal done!  8)
And to be fair, I'm more buying my 20th UK road trip than buying a cabinet (just kidding... or not?)  :P ;D

The number "20"... how crazy is that? ->

- I'll do this 20th UK road trip 20 years (or so) later after my first UK road trip
- For this 20th UK road trip, I'll pick up the same game I got during my first UK road trip : a Dragon's Lair 2  :arrow: the circle is complete!

...when the stars align!  8) 8)

Sunday 7th of July 2024... one day before departure

Going to UK since the Brexit happened is not as easy...
A visa is required to travel to UK. Mine is still available, thanks for my last trip to Las Vegas a couple of months ago.
I expect to have problems at customs if I bring back some merchandises... especially with such items like a vintage arcade cabinet, sometime quite difficult to describe to a customs officer.
So I got with me a bill of sale that describes the 'item' (non working, incomplete, for parts,...), with the price, and also a bank account statement that shows the same amount. This should satisfy customs officiers in the event of in-depth investigations.
Finally, I also got a Dragon's Lair 2 arcade flyer to picture the game if the Customs officers really do not know what I'm talking about!  :P I also *may have*  a special plan with that flyer...  ::)
Oh, a part of the deal with Darren was also to bring him a couple of Belgian beers  :)



This is the Italy/Elettronolo version of the cabinet. The same model I sold years ago.
This cabinet version of Dragon's Lair 2 seems slightly different in term of shape/size than the others cabinets versions (US or UK).
I use to check the cabinet dimensions on the flyer of the game, but obviously no flyer was released for the Italy/Elettronolo version? Can someone confirm?
But it should fits. I'm getting some tools in case of disassembling :



Monday 8th of July 2024... the D day

It's very early ... 5h00am ... it's summer, and the sun is already starting to rise
 


First leg of this tour is the travel from my home (in South Belgium) to Le Shuttle (euro tunnel terminal) at Calais (France)  :arrow:



For my road tripper' statistic  8)  :arrow:



Official departure time -> 5h16am (4h16am UK time)

For this Journey, I'm accompanied by a new mascot, created by my son  :-*



Do you smell that? Road Trip, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of road trip in the morning.



The Arc Majeur  :arrow:



Arc Majeur is 60 metres high, 75 metres wide and weighs 200 tonnes. It's the world's largest public work of art made of Corten steel, a material often also used in architecture which combines corrosion resistance, tensile strength and a pleasingly warm appearance. The red-brown patina that develops on its surface is waterproof and does not seep through materials, unlike standard rust. Both parts of the arc are made of 20-metre-long steel segments (three on the larger side, two on the smaller side) that have been fused together with surgical precision. The construction process took into account both the condition of the soil at its final location, vibration caused by heavy traffic and the potential for extreme climatic changes, for example, 200 km/h winds. The base of the sculpture extends to a depth of three metres into the soil. Thus Arc Majeur embodies both a brilliant artistic idea and the highest level of 21st-century technological and scientific know-how (source)

Oh... something really cool will happens in few seconds...  ;D



Ready?



Yeaaaah!!!  :arrow:



OK, it was more fun to watch in the days of mechanical meters  :P ...



And what about this Wanlin AC Restaurant located on the E411 motorway, that has witnessed many of my adventures... oh wait, they removed the "AC Restaurant" giant logo on it? All that remains is the frame...everything is disappearing nowadays!  ???



Leaving Belgium to arrive in the north of France...



We are almost there.... Channel Tunnel sign in sight  8)



The first entrance :



Nothing to do... the terminal recognizes my license plate...I'm right on time... your recompense is ...no additional charge!  ;D  :arrow:



The first border control. Let's start with the French customs officers...no question or so....



... and then the UK customs officers, with the usual question : who are you? where you go? purpose of the visit? any special merchandises ? Alcohols ?
I explain to them that I'm visiting a friend, possibly visiting a tourist site...and probably will be come back with an arcade machine...
"An arcade machine" said the officer? Yes... I give him the flyer of the cabinet in order to help him to picture it.
The customs officer took the fllyer in his hand and passed it to one of his colleagues who was checking another car.
1 minute later, his colleagues come to me. He gives me back the flyer and says: "I played this game when I was a kid... have a safe trip"  ;)

A couple of minutes to wait before boarding...



During the wait, I'm still thinking about the entire 'scope' of this Journey  :roll: 8)  The famous flyer I showed the customs officers ...  :arrow:



Boarding time, head of to LE SHUTTLE...



Ths SHUTTLE that I know very well now, having already taken it ...19 times in nineteen years. 8) 



Le Shuttle trench ..."Stay on target"...



At this point, we are about 75 meters (246 feet) below sea level!  ???



Let there be light...



...and there was light! 8)



Welcome in UK  8)



And let me celebrate my triumphant arrival with an appropriate song played... by myself  8)



(and do not hesitate to have a look/subscribe to my YT guitar channel right here) ;)

10
Dragon's Lair / Space Ace / [COSPLAY] Kimberly & Daphne together?
« on: December 08, 2023, 09:13:23 PM »
Our two heroines reunited  :-*







 :spaceace: :-* :spaceace:

The girls are :

Madoka-swan as Princess Daphne
crispychickencosplay as Kimberly

source : deviantart

11
Dragon's Lair / Space Ace / Princess Daphne 1/10 Resin 3D Printed...
« on: December 05, 2023, 09:09:31 PM »
I'm in love  :-*









I need this... life size!

 :-* :-* :-*

12
Dragon's Lair / Space Ace / Dragon's Lair Trading Cards by Cardsmiths
« on: November 12, 2023, 02:16:35 PM »
"Look for first ever on-card autographs in our January release of Dragon?s Lair. Don Bluth is just one of the icons of the franchise lending his pen to add to the collecting experience!

From the alchemists at Cardsmiths??

Grab your sword and helmet and set forth on a collecting quest for the Dragon?s Lair Series 1 Trading Card Set.

Join Dirk on his harrowing journey to rescue the lovely Princess Daphne from the dark wizard Mordroc through a maze of dungeons, dangers, and enemies of all kinds, including the fire-breathing Singe and even Mordroc himself.

Each of the 60 Dragon?s Lair Series 1 collector cards features actual gameplay artwork from the beloved Don Bluth video game franchise.  And along the way, try to find the hidden treasures of holofoil parallel, serial-numbered, Gemstone Refractor? and case-hit Culture Shokz? Cards.

Singe has his treasures, now it?s your chance to amass your own horde of Dragon?s Lair cards. Hurry?your adventure is about to begin!
"
- CARDSMITHS 6th of November 2023 Facebook announcement











To be release around January 2024 according Cardsmiths website (source).

13
Arcade Lifestyle / Atari Gauntlet... a Cimmerian RoadTrip!
« on: November 08, 2023, 09:50:48 AM »


Back in September 2022.
I have the opportunity to get the legendary original gauntlet arcade machine. I picked up the 'modern' version 20 years ago (aka Gauntlet Legends, see here), but nothing can't beat the original version!
I love this game... I've had the opportunity to buy this game several times over the past 25 years, but I always thought that having it at home would kill its interest. Being by nature a multiplayer game, with a kind of 'pay to win' gameplay, with no possibility to 1CC. So as a solo player, I didn't really see the point of having it at home.
Bullshit! I love too much that game, I had so much great memories (on the arcade version, but also on the Amstrad CPC port).... cabinet is so gorgeous, and Gauntlet is definitively a title that belong to the arcade history. Now I've 2 kids (meaning more players). Oh and because, come one, everyone know the game "Gauntlet"! Finally, I'm such a fan of the CONAN movies... this game could have been called 'The Adventure of Conan the Barbarian'.

So after all theses arguments, I have the approval of the Barbarian and his Valkyrie to make this journey.



In order to 'size' this Adventure....


 
...but for once, it will be a road trip very close to home... only 111km to destination :



In order for the seller not to change his mind, I decided to go and get the game immediately. It was a kind of 'unexpected & improvised' road trip. So my first stop is the bank, where my favorite thief is waiting for me... warrior need money :



Soon enough, in the middle of the Cimmera land, the led "Warrior Needs Food Badly!" is on :



I should find something to eat in this tavern...



Problem solved :



Here I am at the French border, where I will continue under good escort from now...



...because this country looks very violent indeed and it seems very dangerous to want to cross it alone... (wind turbine spotted!)



In the midst of all this violence outside, it is with all serenity that I present you the amulet of protection that my son made for me... clearly mandatory for this dangerous journey!



It's quieter now, we're getting closer to the goal...



Here we are, the beast was hiding in that garage :



The history of this cabinet by the seller : the game was operated in the small pub from this little village. About 20 years ago, the seller bought the game from that pub. When he bought it, it wasn't the Gauntlet board anymore. The cabinet was already 'jamma' hacked.
At the time, he wanted to restore the orignal game, but in the end he didn't do anything at all. So the cabinet remained in its original state for almost 20 years in that garage.
Having no longer a particular plan, he put this cabinet for sale, and here I am.
The deal with the seller was : as is, no question... so let be it!



I'm not talking about the way home, which went smoothly.



(for my stats : 246 km / 5h23 on road / Belgium<>France)

Here's the beast inside the Nuno's Lair, ready to be resurrected and start a new life  :)



Do you want to life forever ?



... so let's bring back this game to its full glory!

14
Technical Area / Zaccaria Joystick... from 4 ways to 8 ways ?
« on: July 27, 2023, 08:03:47 PM »
Got this joystick on my dedicated Scramble by Zaccaria, which looks legit from the top ?  :arrow:



...but from behind, it's a 4 ways !? (and scramble is an 8 ways joystick game)  ???  :arrow:



...as you can see the plastic guide with an 'almost' square shape doesn't allow diagonal moves  :arrow:



So as a workaround, I tried to use a small pinball plastic ring attached to the stick  :arrow:



I can do diagonal moves now, but the stick is simply to hard to move with that ring, so it's not the solution!  :ghost:

So my question, should I '"enlarge'' the square hole in ordre to make it as a big circle, or should I have to find a plastic plate with the correct shape, or the 8 ways joystick for Scramble is totally different ?

15

21 of June 2023
...
INITIATE ROADTRIP
...
...
...
SCANMODE 110373
ACQUIRE TRANSPORT PRIORITY
PRIORITY 920101
...

...
...
DISABLE CAMERA EYE
ACTIVE HUMAN EYE
...
...
CHECK MIRROR

...
...
STATUS OK
IDENTITY DARTH NUNO CONFIRMED
DISABLE HUMAN EYE
ACTIVE CAMERA EYE
...
...
...
LOCALIZE TARGET
COMPUTE ITINERARY
PRIORITY 102812
...

...
...
SCAN MODE LEVEL 42
ASSESS VEHICULE
...

...
...
...
SCANMODE 120917
ACQUIRE SUPPORT PRIORITY.
CRITERIA MORALE SUPPORT
...

..
..
VISUAL :
MALE HT0506
ECTOMORPH
NAME : SAM
ASSESSMENT COMPLETE
FIT PROBABILITY 0.92
...
...
...
EXAMINE BAG
BEVERAGE MATCH
COMPATIBILITY CONFIRMED
...

...
..
IMAGE ENHANCE
MODE 423-6503
SEQUENCERS 20
SPEED PARAMETERS
...

...
...
UPDATING DISTANCE TO TARGET
666 MODE LOOK UP
TRACKING MODE
FULL ISO LEVELS
...

...
...
...
LATERAL SPEED 573 3589
TRAJECTORY 600 2372
BASE CORRECT 113 3553
ACCELERATION 328 5893
...

...
...
...
PRIORITY TARGET ACTIVATED
ANALYZE CLASSIFICATION
PRIMARY TARGET CONFIRMED
DISABLE CAMERA EYE
ACTIVE HUMAN EYE TO INCREASE IRRATIONAL ANALYSIS HUMAN MODE
...

...
SYSTEM INTERRUPT
...
...
DIAGNOSTIC
ALL SYSTEMS OK
LESS MONEY AVAILABLE IN THE ACCOUNT
...
LOADING THE MACHINE
...

...
...
SEARCH FOOD MODE
PRIORITY 800618
BURGER KING LOCATED
...

...
CRITERIA
...
CALORIES 630
FAT 34 GR
SATURATED FAT 11 GR
SODIUM 1080 GR
CARBOHYDRATHES 58 GR
FIBER 4 GR
PROTEIN 25 GR
SUGAR 12 GR
....

...
...
LOCALIZE HOME
COMPUTE ITINERARY
PRIORITY 444719
SHUTDOWN AND REBOOT AT LOCATION
...
SYSTEM INTERRUPT
...

...
DIAGNOSTIC
ALL SYSTEMS OK
SAVING DATA
ROADTRIP TIME ELAPSED 9H04M
DISTANCE 496 KM...
...
UNLOADING THE MACHINE
HUMAN SAM ON GUNS
DEFENSE MODE 1678
...

...
ASSESSMENT WASTE OF AMMO
...
SCAN MODE LEVEL 22
NO DANGER
T2 SECURED IN GAME ROOM
MISSION SUCCESFULL
ALL SYSTEMS SHUTDOWN
...
SYSTEM INTERRUPT!

And this is it! T2 Arcade is now in the game room  8)



I think I have the best security guard here for this particular game  ::)



It's time to play this game... but for some reasons, my youngest child doesn't dare to come and try the game?  ::) ;)  :arrow:



 :spaceace:

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