So when he decided to build an arcade machine as an exact replica of the original from some 30 years ago, he had some confidence going into the project. His roster of cabs include Tron, Front Line, Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Track & Field, Tutankan, Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Robotron, Space Duel, Gravitar, Star Wars and Space Invaders. He has now amassed 34 machines, ranging from color raster, color vector and black and white games. Johnny has been collecting arcade games for about 17 years. Out of all the collectible games, this has always been my “grail” game. I love the play of the game and the unique shape of the cab. I have always wanted to add Major Havoc to my color vector collection. Here’s a gameplay video which gives a good outline of the game’s objectives: The game itself is a combination of a shoot-em-up and maze style, where the player takes on the role of Major Rex Havoc himself, travelling around a galaxy sabotaging reactors hidden deep inside space stations. Soon after its release, conversion kits were created, that allowed operators to convert other Atari Vector titles, using the native hardware and controls (it’s not unusual to see a Tempest converted to Major Havoc). Released in very limited numbers as a dedicated cabinet in 1983, this complex game created by Owen Rubin is regarded as being for the hardcore gamer and collector. Atari’s elusive Major Havoc is the cabinet he always wanted. There’s no doubt that the thrill of the chase is a large part of what we do in pursuit of owning the perfect collection of arcade machines.īut if the urge to own one of these elusive cabinets is just too much, what do you do? Faced with climbing prices and collectors holding onto these gems, some enthusiasts have taken matters into their own hands.Ī fellow collector from the USA, Johnny Gallegos, did just that. Would that kill some of the mystique and adventure of this hobby? Maybe. If I suddenly owned all of the aforementioned cabs, I’d likely struggle to identify another grail. I think there’s a bit of reverse psychology here too. Most of us would love to own those cabinets, but the reality is that they so rarely turn up, either waiting to be found or out there for sale, that we will most likely never own one, let alone be able to afford the asking price. Thinking off the top of my head here: Environmental Discs of Tron, Sundance and Quantum would all fall into that category for the majority of collectors. There are also some arcade games that are generally regarded as “Unobtainium” for most arcade enthusiasts.
It might be the one you played as a kid, or just a very rare machine that always seems just out of reach either in terms of its scarcity, or cost (usually both in my case). In arcade collecting circles, the “holy grail” is that one cab.
0 kommentar(er)
