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.
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!
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!
The ship is ready, the crew is complete, we can set off.
A road trip with a dog… that’s a first for me.
On the way, my new landmark every time I take a road trip in this direction, the
Arc Majeur 
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!
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!
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.
So I’ll let Olivier patch it up — he’s much more handy than I am.
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.
After three hours on the road, we finally arrive at the seller’s place… face to face with the Starblade
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.
I don’t even think that once taken apart, everything would fit in the trailer and the car.
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.
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?
On the way back, I convince Olivier that it was the right thing to do. I’m also trying to convince myself
… and yet I keep seeing spaceships everywhere (we’re driving past the Euro Space Center)
Well, despite everything, I’m still happy. I spent a nice afternoon talking with Olivier. We’re keeping the smile, folks.
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!
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.
