:: UK Road Trip #17 :: Midway WACKO ! (featuring guest stars)

[DarthNuno]

Saturday 17th of December 2011, 5h28am.



Usual stuff for my seventeenth UK Roadtrip   Yes, only three to go before the 20th UK special anniversary  
But wait... no Dr Pepper this time? Arghh!  

Hum, I know today is not a good day for a long trip, the weather forecast is not good : snow    But everything was organized for today, so no choice!
As expected this morning  



...mhhh, finally it looks not too bad... only frost on the windows.

Ok, for my usual statistics  



The clock is not correct... it's really 5:44am

This gonna be a looong road trip, so let's prepare some good music CDs...



OK, for the first stage, let's aim the ChrisChris house  



Hell yeah! I won't be alone on this trip! I'm really happy to share this story with ChrisChris... and by the way, my wife is really happy too, she don't like to see me driving so far all alone  

Let's go... so far so good...



Snow   Ok, it's not too bad ...melting snow so far!



Almost arrived at the ChrisChris house ... but this time... snow  I really hate driving on snow
Fortunately, I drive with snow tires (It is mandatory since 2011 in Luxembourg)



Fortunately, these stones are not frozen  



...few meters from the ChrisChris's house...



OK, ChrisChris is on my side now! He's a part of this Bulk Buy deal. Serious things can start... let's set the hyperspace data to a very special location in UK    



...just at the exit of the Chris town...nice view... full of lights ... I think it's a factory?  



On the way to the Eurotunnel ... weather's getting better...



...and better    



Arriving at the EuroTunnel on schedule, but for some reason, we are stuck now  



It is the first time I'm stuck *before* the check in!

Breakfast for Chris  



OK, finally I can check in ... of course, we have now a slight delay    



Men! Why so many people here & now? Come on dudes, we are on road trip... priority access please!  



After more delay... we are almost in ...



The Sun shines... even inside 'Le Shuttle'    



Welcome to UK ... it's 12:44am - 1 hour because my car clock is not correctly set - 1 hour  (UK time), so it's 10:44am  



The most famous motorway for us, European roadtrippers' ... the M20 !  



Arriving at the Dartford Crossing...



Awesome super structure, I am impressed every time I see it. We will drive on it on the way back...

[DarthNuno]

And it's time for eat... but hey... it's a UK road trip, isn't it? So no other choice than...THIS  



Yes, we are happy : We have chosen to stop here by chance (there was no BK sign, just 'services'), and this is exactly the place I was looking for : a food court  





Here we are    



It's up to Chris to order... not easy to pickup the right one, huh?    



OK Chris, I know you're hungry but ...



...before you start to eat, let me explain you the story of the Whopper... All started in 1953, at Jacksonville where...



...too late!  



OK no more blabla! Let's eat  

Before leaving the place, I suggest Chris to pick up the last RetroGamer issue    



Right, back on the road, with at least one picture that prove where are in UK and driving on the left    



According my Nav car system, we are on location... Damn! THREE trucks here? Yes we are on location  



I'm here for this ... WACKO 



Wacko is a 1983 arcade game by Bally Midway. It debuted during the "Golden Age of Arcade Games". It featured a unique angled, or "sloped" cabinet design and a combination of trackball and joystick controls.

This is the craziest shape ever done for an arcade cabinet. Impossible to miss it in a row of games. Except once in USA (In Houston), I've never seen it elsewhere. Impossible not having it for my kind of 'arcade-museum-concept' to come 
In addition, the condition of that cabinet is very good.

Too add more value to this game, the current owner of this baby is ... the famous British video game programmer Archer MacLean (Dropzone, International Karate, Jimmy White's Whirlwind Snooker... see his biography on wiki). See   



Of course, I got with me a copy of International Karate to sign   



Now my biggest fear of the day... will this oversize cabinet will enter my car?  Pictures don't show the thing, but I can tell you it's a real monster!



Ok Chris, let's try to load it?





Here's the "cross story" with CKONG & GYRUSS... see their report right here. 



So, will it fit?





HELL YEAH! I love this car 



Yes, it fits, but let's hope Chris will have enough space here   



And here's the famous JUNO FIRST 



...unfortunately not for me, but for ChrisChris. At least that one won't be to far from my place... in the case of.... 

That one will be loaded in the Ckong/Gyruss truck.



Before leaving the place... The 'improbable' group picture   



Rav', DathNuno, AtariMania ,Hi, Alpha1,Archer, Ckong, Gyruss & ChrisChris.

Wow... what a community! 

Damn! It's late... and we are very far from home... time to quit. Ckong & Gyruss are faster than us ...



I quickly have to refuel...

[DarthNuno]

Oh no! Traffic jam  



It must be serious... 7 or 8 firetrucks...



Engine stop... we are both tired...





Almost one hour later, the road is clear... Damw!  



Back on the Dartford crossing...



...but this time, on the bridge. Nice view



Finally arriving at the Eurotunnel at 21:00 uk time, later than expected  



Fortunately, no waiting time, no custom control... perfect... almost in...



Nothing can stop us to bring back that Wacko 'out of UK' now   :







Bye bye UK, welcome France...



...and welcome snow    



I drop ChrisChris at his house. He will have to wait the coming of Gyruss & Ckong (see the road trip for this side story)  



But before leaving me, he brings me a bag? Full of...



Dr Pepper ZERO   Thanks mate  

Too bad, I had to refuse him a last coffee... but I really have to back home... and the road can be long because of this snow    



It's 2:26am ... snow!



It's 3:04am ... more snow!





Jesus Christ! I'm really tired now... fortunately, I'm almost at home...



...and this is IT! Home sweet home    



Trip : Belgium > France > UK > France > Belgium
Total length : 22h01min - 1348 km on the road, 100km under water (EuroTunnel)

Thanks to Oliver for the organization of the day, and Archer for the welcome in his house.
ChrisChris, you are a great road trip 'companion' and I really hope to do it again with you. Once again, many thanks for your gifts  ...and take care of this Juno First 
It was really cool to see Ckong & Gyruss, Rav, but also Atarimania and Hi (we are now waiting for your report)  Too bad we missed some UK collectors, came early before us.

I'm ready for a new story like this 

OK, next step... unloading the cab 

[SeTTleR]

WOW a WACKO?!?! That's the coolest Cab I know of! Love it, since I saw it the first time! Thanks for sharing this great story. That must have been a long and exhausting trip, but the Wacko is well worth it!

The picture on the navigator says, you are located next to the Luxembourg border? I see Merzig there.. I'm located at Saarbruecken! That's really close. Nice

However: great report! Many thanks for that.

[Superully]

wow, totally cool report, bruno! my favourite are those burger eating pictures at burger crap eh king! congratulations on that wacko, definitely an eye catcher. never played the game though, i don't even have an idea what the game is about ...

[simplesi]

Wacko on Youtube...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_OHSQaeVgQ

[scr33n]

Wacko OMG  beautiful and also (I think) rare cab here in Europe

Impossible to guess ....  Hey Chrischris we expect some beautiful pics of Juno First 

Congrats Bruno and Chris ... awesome catch!!!

[zapposh]

Haha, amazing as usual! 

Great pics, great story, great find(s). But man, you must have been exhausted to the point of no return. And as if it wasn't enough, lots of snow too.

[level42]

Wacko OMG  beautiful and also (I think) rare cab here in Europe

You bet !

How about a repro, now there's a challenge with all those WACKO sizes, slopes and crazy angles !

@Bruno: Amazing roadtrip and great pics as always !!!!

Do I see a LL PCB in Chris's hand there ?
I badly need to see a pic of that beauty !!!

[Belike]

Almost 24 hours on the road without sleeping and to top it all in snow, OMG!
Great report, nice to see the roadtrip from your point of view.
That Wacko looks super cool, I never played it, but I hope I will have the chance soon.

[Etienne MacGyver]

Another monstertrip !

Cool cab bruno ! its a real rare cabinet here in europe, i only saw it on pictures, and also dont know the gameplay..

Congrats guys ! 

[DarthNuno]

WOW a WACKO?!?! That's the coolest Cab I know of! Love it, since I saw it the first time! Thanks for sharing this great story. That must have been a long and exhausting trip, but the Wacko is well worth it!
The picture on the navigator says, you are located next to the Luxembourg border? I see Merzig there.. I'm located at Saarbruecken! That's really close. Nice
However: great report! Many thanks for that.

I must admit I'm really happy with that one. It wasn't on my top priority list, but I felt I could not miss maybe that unique opportunity to have one.
It's not a mainstream game at all, but that cabinet is so important in the arcade history.
Saarbruecken? Yes, not very far from my place 

wow, totally cool report, bruno! my favourite are those burger eating pictures at burger crap eh king! congratulations on that wacko, definitely an eye catcher. never played the game though, i don't even have an idea what the game is about ...

I've never played that game before too. I only saw it in my arcade books, and once in this arcade in Houston with Barry : JOYSTIX. Game play looks like Robotron, but less frenetic 

Wacko OMG  beautiful and also (I think) rare cab here in Europe
Impossible to guess ....  Hey Chrischris we expect some beautiful pics of Juno First 

I don't know any collector in Europe having one. Maybe someone know someone who has one?
That one would be a nice challenge to reproduce 
Yes, I'm in love with Juno First too 

Do I see a LL PCB in Chris's hand there ?
I badly need to see a pic of that beauty !!!

Well spotted! Dawn the LL over there was absolutely brand new... amazing!

Almost 24 hours on the road without sleeping and to top it all in snow, OMG!

You're right... I was totally HS until today! Like having the jet lag... Dawn! I'm too old for that now... fortunately It's holiday time for me 

Thanks to all for your nice word 

[ckong]

Great report Bruno, it's nice to see your side of the story also. The snow was terrible indeed, but we all survived.

I'm glad that I saw the Wacko in real and I hope to play it one day.

[Muerto]

Great report bruno!!! That is a cool cab!!!

[baritonomarchetto]

[...] Impossible not having it for my kind of 'arcade-museum-concept' to come [...]

This phrase can not go unnoticed  

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