My Crystal Castles game doesn't work anymore

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

SON OF A BITCH. It's always something. There's always a new expense like every goddamn month.

I have no idea where to begin looking for someone who can fix it, either. I guess I throw out a message in rec.games.video.collecting and hope I find something...

Yeah, I love these things but I'm better off creating a MAME cabinet. At least I'd be able to fix that when needed.

[Jethro Q. Walrustitty]

There's this new invention called "the yellow pages" - check it out. Probably under "amusement" or similar. You might even find that it's pretty cheap to repair. (I was really impressed at what it cost to get my Baby Pac working 100%.)

What's the problem?

I just spent some time working one of my MAME cabinets tonight, doing software work (OS install, etc) on the vertical-monitor one. It'll run 98lite and AdvanceMenu/AdvanceMAME on a P3/700 with 192 megs and a 1.6g drive. (Enough to hold all vertical ROMs!) Hopefully that'll be fast enough to play the newer stuff. If it's really slow actually loading the games, maybe I'll put in a spare 9g drive and leave all the ROMs unzipped, to speed up disk access.

The horizontal-monitor one will have an Athlon 1100+, WinXP, and a gazillion emulators. Gonna see if I can get Duke 3D to natively display on the arcade monitor, too.

[pinback]

SON OF A BITCH. It's always something. There's always a new expense like every goddamn month.

I have no idea where to begin looking for someone who can fix it, either. I guess I throw out a message in rec.games.video.collecting and hope I find something...

Yeah, I love these things but I'm better off creating a MAME cabinet. At least I'd be able to fix that when needed.

I thought you played that game like zero times per year, except years when I come over to your apartment.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

There's this new invention called "the yellow pages" - check it out. Probably under "amusement" or similar. You might even find that it's pretty cheap to repair. (I was really impressed at what it cost to get my Baby Pac working 100%.)

Well, a guy two towns over contacted me. He wants $50 an hour. He says he does work "on-site." But the thing just doesn't boot... it ... OK, how do I put this. You know how your car sounds when it starts up? Or your PC? Or, hell, I don't know, your child? Well, I know the sounds it makes when it starts up. And it begins to make the startup sounds, but falls short of actually making the ascending FWRREEEEEE-EEEEEEEE!!!! sound it makes when it begins and goes into attract mode.

Anyway, the coin lights are on, but that's it. It doesn't make any noise in attract mode except for that sound, so I presume sound is busted. Graphics are not displaying.

So, so sad.

I just spent some time working one of my MAME cabinets tonight, doing software work (OS install, etc) on the vertical-monitor one. It'll run 98lite and AdvanceMenu/AdvanceMAME on a P3/700 with 192 megs and a 1.6g drive. (Enough to hold all vertical ROMs!) Hopefully that'll be fast enough to play the newer stuff. If it's really slow actually loading the games, maybe I'll put in a spare 9g drive and leave all the ROMs unzipped, to speed up disk access.

MAME? On a P3? Jethro, Jethro, Jethro... I wish you had let me known. I had a 1.8 GHZ Athlon XP processor around here before. I would have given it to you. GIVEN it to you, man!!!

I might still have it. I could check. If you wanted it.

[Jethro Q. Walrustitty]

$50 an hour might be worth it, seeing as you don't really have any way of lugging that thing around. Bringing it somewhere would be better, of course. I got charged two hours at $55/hour, and that included replacing the flyback on the monitor ($25 used), putting in 16 bulbs (for the pinball playfield), replacing a couple sockets, diodes, the battery ($12.95), cleaning up a bunch of battery-acid corrosion, etc. A pretty fair amount of work. The guy was saying that it was a real nightmare to get it all fixed, so I suspect that time spend was a good chunk more than two hours - if you count in time letting it sit and run, which he can use to do other work if he's at his shop or just sit around and eat Cheet-Os and run up the bill if he's at your place.

Anyway, if your game was working, and now it's not - it's probably nothing too serious. Your description is a bit vague - you think the sound is out, but you have no video, either? Chances are that it's something on the circuit board. Worst-case, you need a new board - but with the repair work at was done on mine, I would think that the guy should be able to fix it.

FWIW, mine's gotten a fair amount of use since bringing it home, and the worst problem is that once or twice, the speakers are a little scratchy, probably I just need to spray the volume control (in the coin door) with a little contact spray. Otherwise, the thing works like a fucking CHAMP, especially after putting on new rubbers and new pinballs. It was definitely worth the $160 + tax.

You can try searching usenet a little for info, as well. Like this. Or, even more info (2.640 results) here.

I'm all about an Athlon XP if you need like donating to the cause. Hell, poor Mrs W gets by with a mere 1600+.

I got all the ROMs on that 700mHz machine (and were it not for the old man donating his old 1100+, it'd be one of those Celeron 300-o/ced-to-450mHz CPUs), but I haven't had a chance to mess with it since then to see how it plays some of those recent Eighting and Raizing shoot-em-ups. Those are probably the newest that vertical games are going to get.

Oh, and I spent some time over the weekend getting MAME ROMs current again - I'm now 100% current with the latest version, 99u6 (unless it just changed again!)

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

$50 an hour might be worth it, seeing as you don't really have any way of lugging that thing around.

Exactly. When I moved into our place (it's on the second floor) I had the physical talents of Mike, Bundy and myself. The way it worked out, Bundy and Mike got the Wega up (nobody is happier than me to see the Plasma Flat Screen era begin... those fucking 32" Sony televisions are unbelievably awkward to move around) and then Mike and I immediately had to get the CC game up. My brother, noted asshole, came through pretty well all the times I had to move that thing around. But with him out of "move me" range I wasn't sure how I was going to get the thing down and back up again without hiring movers.

Bringing it somewhere would be better, of course. I got charged two hours at $55/hour, and that included replacing the flyback on the monitor ($25 used), putting in 16 bulbs (for the pinball playfield), replacing a couple sockets, diodes, the battery ($12.95), cleaning up a bunch of battery-acid corrosion, etc.

Whoa, he included the parts? Or it was $55/hour plus parts? It's disturbing to me how inept I am at these things when I can piece out a PC bit by bit. In my research I also learned that I do not have the official table art for the CC game, so that's gotta change. I have to find the correct art and get that printed. But that's a job for the future.

At any rate, I got ahold of the guy and asked him if we could schedule something. He's only a couple towns over, so I'm confident I won't get charged his rate for driving. Coincidentally, he's got a stand-up Crystal Castles game on eBay right now. $500 to "buy it now!"

Anyway, if your game was working, and now it's not - it's probably nothing too serious. Your description is a bit vague - you think the sound is out, but you have no video, either? Chances are that it's something on the circuit board. Worst-case, you need a new board - but with the repair work at was done on mine, I would think that the guy should be able to fix it.

Yeah, it was working pretty well beforehand. The high score table went out pretty regularly, though. I should mention that. CC keeps the top three in memory, but those were getting flushed.

FWIW, mine's gotten a fair amount of use since bringing it home, and the worst problem is that once or twice, the speakers are a little scratchy, probably I just need to spray the volume control (in the coin door) with a little contact spray. Otherwise, the thing works like a fucking CHAMP, especially after putting on new rubbers and new pinballs. It was definitely worth the $160 + tax.

Awesome. I'm glad. Can't wait to play it when I fly back home for Christmas.

I'm all about an Athlon XP if you need like donating to the cause. Hell, poor Mrs W gets by with a mere 1600+.

Let me see if it's still there, I'm pretty sure it is. I've also got some miscellaneous equipment, any of which is yours if you want it. Stuff like video cards, joysticks, etc. I tried unloading it on Craig's List but nobody wanted it. I'd be happy to give it to you, if you wanted any of it -- after all, you've been very generous with the Model M keyboards and so forth over the years.

Oh, and I spent some time over the weekend getting MAME ROMs current again - I'm now 100% current with the latest version, 99u6 (unless it just changed again!)

Fucking A. You should setup a torrent! Minus all the hard drive games. (Did you get the ROMs from a torrent yourself? I, for the life of me, can't find the latest batch on Usenet. I tried for a good half-hour on Monday.)

[Jethro Q. Walrustitty]

But with him out of "move me" range I wasn't sure how I was going to get the thing down and back up again without hiring movers.

Yeah, these things are a real pain. I can see the appeal of the "tabletop" MAME machines some people build, or the "candy" ones that you can convert from the little Japanese games. Were I living like you and planning on a MAME machine, I'd almost have to do a tabletop, and build a little box to house a 13" (or 19" if I wanted to go big) arcade monitor and a pair of arcade joysticks. And a PC. Or, just build a box with arcade controls, like the one I detailed building over on groucho. (And which my controls are still all in, I haven't gotten yet to the point of trying to set them up on the full-size MAME machines yet.)

Even with some recruitable help, it's still a bitch to move these things around. The two MAMEs were easy as they were nearly completely empty, and I could carry the monitors down separate. The Baby Pac, with its monitor plus pinball stuff, weighs a ton. I'm not sure when I'll get that down to the basement.

Whoa, he included the parts? Or it was $55/hour plus parts?

$55/hour plus parts. But most were cheap - the $13 battery and a used $25 flyback were the big-ticket items, the bulbs were 35c each, the sockets were 95c, there was a 65c diode, and an "MC 4050" was $1.45. In other words, most of the parts are pretty cheap.

It's disturbing to me how inept I am at these things when I can piece out a PC bit by bit. In my research I also learned that I do not have the official table art for the CC game, so that's gotta change. I have to find the correct art and get that printed. But that's a job for the future.

I wouldn't feel too bad. Keeping one of these running is a far cry from keeping a modern PC running.

If you're looking for art, check arcadeart.com (I think that's the URL - arcade art museum or something like that), or check ebay - tons of arcade stuff goes through there. Or the usenet groups, which still seem pretty busy. rec.games.video.arcade.*.

Yeah, it was working pretty well beforehand. The high score table went out pretty regularly, though. I should mention that. CC keeps the top three in memory, but those were getting flushed.

It probably just needs a new battery... probably about the same $13 battery that Baby Pac takes. Only 3 high scores? Mine saved EIGHT. I win!

I need to make sure my MAME cabinets have the hiscore.dat file there so that they can save as many high scores as possible. Gotta exert my dominance right off the bat, before any guests get ideas about beating me.

Let me see if it's still there, I'm pretty sure it is. I've also got some miscellaneous equipment, any of which is yours if you want it. Stuff like video cards, joysticks, etc. I tried unloading it on Craig's List but nobody wanted it. I'd be happy to give it to you, if you wanted any of it -- after all, you've been very generous with the Model M keyboards and so forth over the years.

Well, I try. Let me know what you've got. I have a fair amount of junky old stuff and some medium-age stuff, but I'm always on the lookout for things of certain eras. (Like SB Live cards, if anyone has any they'd like to donate to the cause. Those are great for Dukematching time.)

Fucking A. You should setup a torrent! Minus all the hard drive games. (Did you get the ROMs from a torrent yourself? I, for the life of me, can't find the latest batch on Usenet. I tried for a good half-hour on Monday.)

I used usenet to update my existing collection, which was 96-something, and which I had with me in CA (as I had MAME on my laptop and wanted to make sure I'd have any ROM I might feel the urge for while waiting in an airport.) There hasn't been a flood in a little while, but I'm sure one'll come along. NewsHosting is claiming that they're now building up to a 45-day retention (up from the current 20-something.) Incredible. Usenet is definitely the way to go for most anything you're after. For MAME, alt.binaries.emulators.mame. (Or is it .arcade.mame? One of those.)

[AArdvark]

Dammit! Now I want my brother's pinball machine. He NEEDS to give it to me. He has a Bally Bon Voyage (1974) that he has tucked away in a corner of his basement. It needs work but it's all electro-mechanical stuff, no circuit boards.

He removed the backglass and the playfield glass because his kids are all in hockey programs and they practice shooting in the basement. It is a repository for old hockey sticks now and has some side dents from pucks. He says he will get around to fixing it up and replacing the odd bits of plastic that have broken off due to sports equipment being piled on it. I think it will stay there until something really bad happens to it and then he will throw it out. I don't have room for a pinball machine but I could easily MAKE room to save the thing from slow destruction.


THE
SHAME OF IT
AARDVARK

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Were I living like you and planning on a MAME machine, I'd almost have to do a tabletop, and build a little box to house a 13" (or 19" if I wanted to go big) arcade monitor and a pair of arcade joysticks. And a PC. Or, just build a box with arcade controls, like the one I detailed building over on groucho.

Do you have a pic of the "candy" box you're talking about? I THINK I know what you mean... but not 100% sure.

If you're looking for art, check arcadeart.com (I think that's the URL - arcade art museum or something like that), or check ebay - tons of arcade stuff goes through there. Or the usenet groups, which still seem pretty busy. rec.games.video.arcade.*.

As it turns out, nobody had anything for Xenophone. It actually looks really, really sharp except the sections on the side that are black are scuffed. I could get some painter's masking tape and tape off the orange lines on it and put a nice coat of glossy black paint there and I think it would be about as mint as one of these things could get that wasn't in a crate for 20 years.

Does that negatively affect the game? Putting black paint over the parts that are black, I mean. It really shouldn't... but geez, who knows.

It probably just needs a new battery... probably about the same $13 battery that Baby Pac takes. Only 3 high scores? Mine saved EIGHT. I win!

But Crystal Castles is a better game than Baby Pac-Man. ^__^

Well, I try. Let me know what you've got.

I can't find the AMD chips, which actually kind of pisses me off now. I'll keep looking.

I have a fair amount of junky old stuff and some medium-age stuff, but I'm always on the lookout for things of certain eras. (Like SB Live cards, if anyone has any they'd like to donate to the cause. Those are great for Dukematching time.)

Whoa! I do have those. Can you use ISA Sound Cards, or just PCI ones? I will ship the ones I have to you, pronto. Actually, PM me your mailing address. Actually, do that and send me the best e-mail address to reach you as well if you don't mind.

NewsHosting is claiming that they're now building up to a 45-day retention (up from the current 20-something.) Incredible. Usenet is definitely the way to go for most anything you're after.

Yeah, I switched for that and installed an unused 40GB drive I had laying around. Gonna update my MAME games right now.

The PSP also apparently plays Doom. Actually... OK, I gotta start a new thread on the PSP.

[Jethro Q. Walrustitty]

I'll even log in this this message.

Do you have a pic of the "candy" box you're talking about? I THINK I know what you mean... but not 100% sure.

http://www.hardmvs.com/html/candyCabs.htm

As it turns out, nobody had anything for Xenophone.

AH HA HE WROTE XENOPHONE

Does that negatively affect the game? Putting black paint over the parts that are black, I mean. It really shouldn't... but geez, who knows.

I don't think so, that's a pretty standard thing to do. I don't think arcade collecting is at a point where people are THAT concerned about pure originality, and probably never will be.

But Crystal Castles is a better game than Baby Pac-Man. ^__^

But your CC is a cocktail. I always disliked cocktails, and always will. They're not designed for the PLAYER, they're designed to give you somewhere to put your drink, and to not break when you spill it. I continue to believe that you got your current game because 1) it was an arcade game and 2) it was one of your favorites, and that you got it in SPITE of it being a cocktail.

Now, if you also bought Xenophobe in a cocktail (tricky since it wasn't made that way), then we'd need to have a little talk.

Whoa! I do have those. Can you use ISA Sound Cards, or just PCI ones? I will ship the ones I have to you, pronto. Actually, PM me your mailing address. Actually, do that and send me the best e-mail address to reach you as well if you don't mind.

I'm good on ISA - but PCI Sound Blaster Live cards are always nice to have. Not SB 128s, not Turtle Beach, SBLive. Or Audigy, but those are unlikely to be in the left-over pile.

I did score a few more old machines last week and will try to get them built up so we can do another Dukematch this year. I am also pursuing leads on obtaining an Atari 400 or 800 to do true four-player MULE at Christmas. No promises, but I'm working on it.

We also have the PS2 in the basement now. The wife & sister-in-law were playing DDR. Nothing like DDR on a 102" screen. I will say that with s-video out and DScaler, the PS2 put out a very respectable image. Probably DScaler deserves much of the credit, but it really looked very good.

Oh, and my address (and many others) is easily obtainable via people.yahoo.com.

The PSP also apparently plays Doom. Actually... OK, I gotta start a new thread on the PSP.

I can't get behind that. FPSs on anything but PCs are always bad. Now MAME on the PSP, I'm all for that.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

AH HA HE WROTE XENOPHONE

It finally got me.

But your CC is a cocktail. I always disliked cocktails, and always will. They're not designed for the PLAYER, they're designed to give you somewhere to put your drink, and to not break when you spill it. I continue to believe that you got your current game because 1) it was an arcade game and 2) it was one of your favorites, and that you got it in SPITE of it being a cocktail.

On the other hand, I can move the cocktail unit.

I'm good on ISA - but PCI Sound Blaster Live cards are always nice to have. Not SB 128s, not Turtle Beach, SBLive. Or Audigy, but those are unlikely to be in the left-over pile.

Shit, now I'm wondering if they are to your exacting specifications, you nancy queen. I'll check tonight.

I did score a few more old machines last week and will try to get them built up so we can do another Dukematch this year. I am also pursuing leads on obtaining an Atari 400 or 800 to do true four-player MULE at Christmas. No promises, but I'm working on it.

Hey, *I* have an 800! That would be great. It took 7 years for my parents/brother to bring it out here and when they finally do I realize it would be better served to be in Rochester.

The PSP also apparently plays Doom. Actually... OK, I gotta start a new thread on the PSP.

I can't get behind that. FPSs on anything but PCs are always bad. Now MAME on the PSP, I'm all for that.

I wouldn't play a new FPS that way, or one from the old days that I was really interested in, but for dorking around I think having Doom at your fingertips is pretty keen.

[Jack Straw]

[Jethro Q. Walrustitty]

On the other hand, I can move the cocktail unit.

Yeah, but you can't play it properly without half-standing, hunched over a screen that is ideally positioned for Spiderman hanging on the ceiling, and NO ONE ELSE.

It's like watching a movie while lying on the popcorn and Milk Dud-encrusted carpet just below the screen. Everything's all distorted and shit.

Hey, *I* have an 800! That would be great. It took 7 years for my parents/brother to bring it out here and when they finally do I realize it would be better served to be in Rochester.

Why, you magnificent bastard! I didn't realize that an 800 was your Atari of choice. I actually emailed the guy who did all the work on mine in the old days - at one point, I traded him my original 400 for some work, it would be really cool to get that back after 25+ years. But an 800 would be ideal, too. Just gotta make sure that I can scare up four working controllers.

I wouldn't play a new FPS that way, or one from the old days that I was really interested in, but for dorking around I think having Doom at your fingertips is pretty keen.

Realistically - you probably have to fiddle for a couple hours to get it to work, and once you do, you'll play it for five minutes (if that), then yawn and go back to another game. I'm not sure that Doom can stand up any more. Oh, sure, for a couple levels, but that's it.

I read through the Wikipedia article on "Blood" the other day and it has me all jazzed to play through the original game again. Err, except that I have no time to play. One sorta-good bit of news is that since the PS2 went into the basement, that means that I can leave the TurboDuo connected to the PC permanently instead of fiddling with the connectors in the back of the TV every time I want to use it. Hopefully that'll encourage more use of that great system.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

On the other hand, I can move the cocktail unit.

Yeah, but you can't play it properly without half-standing, hunched over a screen that is ideally positioned for Spiderman hanging on the ceiling, and NO ONE ELSE.

You can sit on a stool, you know.

Why, you magnificent bastard! I didn't realize that an 800 was your Atari of choice.

Well, it used to belong to Diamond Dave the LoooOOOoOOoooOOove Slave!!! Speaking of which, have you seen him recently? I always felt bad that we lost contact with him.

Realistically - you probably have to fiddle for a couple hours to get it to work, and once you do, you'll play it for five minutes (if that), then yawn and go back to another game. I'm not sure that Doom can stand up any more. Oh, sure, for a couple levels, but that's it.

Getting games to work on the PSP does not take that much time. I don't know where you are going with this. In fact, I have so much room on my flash memory I'm going to put it there and NEVER PLAY IT.

Though I did scare up a bunch of new Nes ROMS. Going to give Tecmo Super Bowl a whirl because it, unlike the previous version, has the Saints in it. Perfect for taking a crap at work!

And regarding the permanent Turbo Duo -- excellent. Everyone loves Bomberman.

[AArdvark]

I always felt bad that we lost contact with him.

because he's a cartoon character?



Dint he have the first digital 486 around? I remember him giving everyone crap about analog computers...



THE
EVERYONE'S
ON THE
SAME PAGE
AARDVARK


you wouldnt believe the typo's im making tonight

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

I always felt bad that we lost contact with him.

because he's a cartoon character?

By the end, he was the best JC Comic character. I agree. Sort of wish I stayed in (that) school so I could have seen how it all panned out.

On the other hand, the student loans would have been thousands and thousands of dollars, and all the education I would have received would have been in comic making. You win some, lose some, "draw" some, RIBBLES!

[Jethro Q. Walrustitty]

On the other hand, I can move the cocktail unit.

Yeah, but you can't play it properly without half-standing, hunched over a screen that is ideally positioned for Spiderman hanging on the ceiling, and NO ONE ELSE.

You can sit on a stool, you know.

You're still left hunched over like you spent your spare time swinging from bells at Notre Dame, and you're still stuck with a monitor that faces the ceiling instead of you. In a stool, you're lucky if you can get a 45' angle.

Well, it used to belong to Diamond Dave the LoooOOOoOOoooOOove Slave!!! Speaking of which, have you seen him recently? I always felt bad that we lost contact with him.

Haven't heard or seen from him in about eight years or more. Last I saw, he was playing Warcraft or something at the execrable "Hub" internet cafe; before that, Tammy was relentlessly trashing him at some party or another. I haven't seen any sign of him online.

And regarding the permanent Turbo Duo -- excellent. Everyone loves Bomberman.

Well, except that it's now failing to read CDs. The cards are working fine. I think I'm going to ship it to oldschoolgamer.ca for repair - turns out the things are worth big bucks, as I mentioned somewhere - like over $200 for the TurboDuo. And over $50 for that little adapter I use to play Japanese cards like Bomberman 94. I would assume that it could get turned around in plenty of time for Christmas - worst case scenario, I still have the trusty TurboGrafx/16 upstairs that'll play Bomberman 93 and 94. (The first game is on a CD along with Gate of Thunder and the first two Bonk games.)