Author Topic: :: Je suis Circus Charlie :: RoadTrip to Paris!  (Read 64158 times)

DarthNuno

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:: Je suis Circus Charlie :: RoadTrip to Paris!
« on: March 18, 2016, 09:59:42 PM »


Back in middle of 2015.

Got the opportunity to buy a game I used to love a play like a crazy back in the days.
What a great game! What great memories... I remember playing it with my old friends, like if it was yesterday!
I discovered that game in a local pub in my native village, where there was only one arcade cabinet and one pinball.
They regularly changed the games... I discovered many games for the very first time at that place (I can remember Mag Max, Crazy Kong, Bionic Commando, Tutankham, Space Panic,...)
...and that game : Circus Charlie!  :-*
Of course,  I played it on a generic cabinet, because the dedicated cabinet was never imported in Europe back then...like all the games I played at that specific pub!

Sooo... when I saw this game for sale at COW, I had to jump on that opportunity.
As usual when buying games from COW, you must react fast and so, no time for questions unfortunately, otherwise someone else take it in less than hours(even minutes!) :ghost:.
So I had to make a quick decision, based on the two only pictures available :





I have already purchased games from COW, I didn't have any bad surprise so far...and ordering game over Valentin's container is so easy (thanks Valentin to make this possible), and so... yeah, that game doesn't look too bad on the pictures... so let's take it!

OK that game was supposed to be shipped from USA into container #8 in september 2015, but it's eventually inside the container #9 that this one came in Europe, and more precisely at Paris!

January 2016.

Container #9 just arrived, and games must be collected in Paris a precise day in January... but due to snow/horrible waiter condition, impossible for me to drive to Paris that day! And all the cabinet MUST be removed from the warehouse that day! :ghost:


A nice view of the Nuno's Lair during these snowing days...

Thanks to Olisan/Zamoth from COL but also Spectroman (and his 'wingman' that day?), the Circus Charlie will be moved & stored in the most famous Arcade in Paris : Coin-Op Legacy!  :-* You all rulez, guys!  :-*

February 2016.

Friday 6:32pm...

It's time for me to bring back the Circus Charlie from Paris to Belgium!



...and this time, that road trip to come will be an opportunity to bring wife & daughter with me, for a small trip to Paris!

First stop on the road... one of our favorite location on the way to Paris.... " Chez Michel' ...Belgium's favorite!  :-*  :arrow:





...late arrival...



Saturday, late in the morning... got an appointment...



...at the COIN-OP LEGACY headquarters!  :)



A nice welcome from Olisan himself :-*



And the Circus Charlie, standing among so many beautiful cabinets, inside this awesome place!  :-*



So, for the first time I can see for real the Circus Charlie, purchased more than 7 months earlier.... and well... worst condition than expected  :-\  :arrow:
This side is 'pretty' ok...it's the side I've seen on the initial pictures ...



... but the other one is not nice at all  :-\  :arrow:



...sure, it is repairable but I didn't expect so much work (mostly water damage on the bottom).

Pictures I got from COW showed only one 1 side! OK lesson learned... no more 'blind' purchase like this...

Something is writing on the bezel?



JE SUIS CHARLIE

Of course, it's a Circus Charlie, we are in Paris... it matches!

Let's load the cabinet :



...and enjoy that beautiful city  :-*



L'Aquarium de Paris :

(picture courtesy of my daughter  ;D)

By night...but for kids  ;D  :arrow:





Sunday, on the 'way back' road, a short break at Disney Village to eat in a jungle, among the elephants  :D  :arrow:



Got the opportunity to see & try this 'low budget' Star Wars "battle Pod" version... which is not great to play outside the real 'pod' IMHO  :roll:  :arrow:



Family picture  8)  :arrow:



...and as you can see, there's enough space in the car for me, my wife, my daughter...and a full size cabinet!  8) I love this car!  :)

Finally at home, what a nice week end!



Belgium -> France ->  Belgium
831 km driven / 48 hours on  ‘road trip / trip city’ time

Next step ...close examination of the cabinet... and first power on!
« Last Edit: March 18, 2016, 11:35:25 PM by DarthNuno »

Q*ris

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Re: :: Je suis Circus Charlie :: RoadTrip to Paris!
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2016, 12:28:00 AM »
A good ol' Nuno's road trip story, just like I like them. :wink:
A pretty nice way to start the weekend!

Cool cab, I think I have some untested Circus Charlie PCBs (probably bootlegs though), if it can help your restoration at some point.

Tyrem

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Re: :: Je suis Circus Charlie :: RoadTrip to Paris!
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2016, 09:19:33 AM »
We should make a savekit for this game!!!
Looking for Dragons Lair 1 or 2, Space Ace, Double Dragon, Robotron and yeah... a Shinobi would be cool, too!

muddymusic

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Re: :: Je suis Circus Charlie :: RoadTrip to Paris!
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2016, 09:43:04 AM »
It's an awesome game, and a beautiful cabinet. I think you've now got the second one in the whole of Europe  ;)
repro artwork supplier, visit www.arcadeartshop.com

Muerto

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Re: :: Je suis Circus Charlie :: RoadTrip to Paris!
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2016, 02:25:22 PM »
Great story Bruno, as all ways.
Never played the game, but it sure looks fun, to bad with the water damaged right side of the cab, but I'm sure you will be able to do something about that.
Was the game intact? Everything there?

muddymusic

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Re: :: Je suis Circus Charlie :: RoadTrip to Paris!
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2016, 03:10:38 PM »
Let me know if you have any luck finding side art for it. This Old Game made it but don't seem to stock it now. I sent them a message but never got a reply.
repro artwork supplier, visit www.arcadeartshop.com

Superully

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Re: :: Je suis Circus Charlie :: RoadTrip to Paris!
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2016, 05:32:07 PM »
good catch, bruno, you never know FOR SURE what you get when you buy a game from COW - always a little suspense and surprise included! :P
all i need is ... PONG - and a select few others: TOUCH ME, DRAGON'S LAIR, JOUST, ROBOTRON, MR DO, SAN FRANCISCO RUSH THE ROCK!!!

Belike

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Re: :: Je suis Circus Charlie :: RoadTrip to Paris!
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2016, 12:17:15 PM »
Well done, this game is fun, but quite challenging for me, never passed level 1. ;D

DarthNuno

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Re: :: Je suis Circus Charlie :: RoadTrip to Paris!
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2016, 10:01:23 AM »
OK, first inspection... everything is there, including an original Konami board :



First power on, marquee light is OK, screen is on too, but black screen.
Voltages are a little bit low, but should be ok.
I bought months ago a Circus Charlie boot pcb, just in case... let's plug it to test it  :arrow:



That pcb works, cool! :)



...but it looks like I have a monitor issue... I got vertical 'waves' in the picture ???  :arrow:



...but the game is fully playable (played a couple of games  :-*)

So I had to figure out what's wrong with the original Konami board, but also try to figure out what could be wrong on the monitor? These waves could be the result of a ground problem maybe?

gyruss

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Re: :: Je suis Circus Charlie :: RoadTrip to Paris!
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2016, 11:38:31 AM »
Very cool Bruno! I'm also a fan of the game and really like the shape of the cabinet..

Good luck with the restoration! :)

Olisan

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Re: :: Je suis Circus Charlie :: RoadTrip to Paris!
« Reply #10 on: March 23, 2016, 11:46:39 AM »
It was a pleasure to see you again.
And happy to see that it works

muddymusic

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Re: :: Je suis Circus Charlie :: RoadTrip to Paris!
« Reply #11 on: March 23, 2016, 12:19:00 PM »
I can help taking any pictures of mine Bruno if you need them, mine is all original inside.
repro artwork supplier, visit www.arcadeartshop.com

biasini

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Re: :: Je suis Circus Charlie :: RoadTrip to Paris!
« Reply #12 on: March 23, 2016, 03:10:56 PM »
Nice game, nice cab...Congratulations!  :)

Frame

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Re: :: Je suis Circus Charlie :: RoadTrip to Paris!
« Reply #13 on: March 24, 2016, 07:35:01 AM »

...and as you can see, there's enough space in the car for me, my wife, my daughter...and a full size cabinet!  8) I love this car!  :)


It's a good start point for tips about "my next car: arcade + family all in one "

...but I think I'm out of the game, cause from a few I had my second baby..

..anyway Bruno: good Cab! I played this game in the '80, I remember..

Wonderful the FBI sticker!
Searching for Astro Wars glass

DarthNuno

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Re: :: Je suis Circus Charlie :: RoadTrip to Paris!
« Reply #14 on: March 24, 2016, 03:27:00 PM »
Let me know if you have any luck finding side art for it. This Old Game made it but don't seem to stock it now. I sent them a message but never got a reply.

Got a set few months ago for TOG  :arrow:



Yeah, this set is no more listed since ages on TOG website, but he still can make it...  8)