Capcom only made 14 Big Bang Bar pinball machines. The game never entered production as Capcom decided to shut down its pinball division.

In the years since, the game has developed a cult following due to it unusual theme, playfield toys, and design.

Many years later Illinois Pinball released a reproduction version and those often are found for sale.

But the original Capcom games you rarely see.

Well now is your chance.

One is up on eBay.

The auction has a reserve price, but the owner has not revealed what that figure is.

So who wants to guess what the baby will end up at? I am thinking north of $25,000 but below $30,000.

You can see and bid on this machine at: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1996-Capcom-BIG-BANG-BAR-pinball-machine-/280883477760

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Simply an amazing way to radically make your game room your own.

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Well one game that trumps it in the collectors market is Empire Strikes Back.

The Empire Strikes Back, while it is the second Star Wars movie, for whatever reason is actually the third Star Wars arcade machine.

Atari released Return of the Jedi in arcades in 1984 — a year before they released Empire Strikes Back. Now Empire Strikes Back, unlike the Return of the Jedi arcade game, is a direct sequel to the original Star Wars game.

Empire Strikes Back features the same amazing vector graphics that the original Star Wars arcade game had — except this time they are just more polished and have a higher quality look to them.

Everything just looks a little more detailed, which for a Star Wars fan makes it all that much more special.

Now like the Star Wars arcade game before it, this game features three levels based on scenes from the movie. But there is one really cool game play addition and that is the Jedi bonus.

Throughout the game you can collect letters to spell Jedi. Once you do this, you will be rewarded by enemies not being able to shoot at you for a short time. But more importantly, if you get on the high score board and have gotten all the Jedi letters then you will have a mark next to your initials on the score board like a badge of honour.

So not only did you get on the high score board but you also got the Jedi rank as well!

For the first level, you play as Luke Skywalker where you fly one of the snow speeders on the ice planet Hoth. You have to shoot down the robots that are trying to find the rebel base.

Once you have destroyed a good amount of these, you will advance to the next level. But if you want to get the Jedi ranking, you must shoot down a specific amount before the end of the level.

For the second level you again pilot the snow speeder on Hoth, but this is really where this game shines. For this part in the game you take on the AT-ST and AT-At walkers and this really is cool. Words do not do it justice.

Just like in the movie, you have to take down the AT-AT’s by tying their legs up and making them fall down. Like the previous letter in order to get the Jedi ranking, you must destroy a certain number of the walkers.

For the final level you get to play as Han Solo and fly the Millennium Falcon up in outer space. This is a nice change of pace letting you play as a different character.

The game play style here at first is similar to the first level on the original Star Wars arcade. You have to destroy TIE Fighters if you destroy a certain amount again like before you will earn a Jedi ranking.

Once you complete this, there is an extra stage where you flying an asteroid field. Your aim here is to survive until the end of the level, if you do this the game starts over but on a higher difficulty.

The Empire Strikes Back is a great game — perhaps even better than its predecessor.

But what makes this such a collectable arcade machine is that Atari only sold it as a conversion kit to the existing Star Wars arcade machine.

So arcades would get the game board and some new arcade cabinet artwork to put on the arcade cabinet. It was not uncommon for many arcades of the time to just leave the original Star Wars artwork in place.

This can make tracking down an arcade machine with the real artwork very tricky. However there are some great custom artwork designs out there for this game that you can use instead.

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Do you have a nearly $45,000 to spare?

Roughly $45,000 could get you a new Porsche Boxter, Chevy Corvette, Ford Mustang and many other fast and fun cars.

But it could also get you the TL1 Professional Simulator.

This thing is just insane. It features the world’s first 180 degree, spherical projector screen. It uses 3 projectors, has some serious CPU power, and is just all around badass.

So what is it like behind the wheel of this thing? Pretty much like being in a real (fast) car. The TL1 uses seriously realistic pedals, steering wheel, and the works.

Can someone loan me $45K? I promise you can come over and play any time you want.

For more information visit about the TL1 go to http://www.motionsimulation.com.

Or can you?

Check out the new Star Wars Mini cabinet. This is simply amazing.

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Everyone knows all about the upcoming Wizard of Oz pinball machine by now, but another new pinball vendor has a hot new title in the works as well.

Skit-B Pinball is working on bringing you Predator pinball — based on the 1987 film of the same name.

Kevin Kulek from Skit-B was kind enough to spend some time with The GameRoom Blog to give us the skinny.

I take it that you spent some time deciding what kind of custom pinball machine to make. What are some of the other themes that you considered? Why did Predator eventually win out?

This is one of my favorite questions. We get this one a lot, and the answer is much simpler than expected. One would expect that we thought on the theme for a long time before deciding on what to go with, but that is not the case, at all.

As the story goes, we were discussing the idea of making a new pinball machine in something of a ‘daydreaming’ manner, obviously before we decided to take the project full-scale. It was really as simple as the short conversation between myself and my partner, which went something to the tune of “Well, what theme would we want to use?,” to which the reply I received was a very powerful “F%#&ing Predator!”

With a little bit of thought, I was left only to say, “Oh, yeah!”

To this day I can’t believe how out-of-the-blue the theme choice was, and how well it has worked out. It’s not like we sit around and watch Predator all the time; I honestly hadn’t seen the show in something like 8 years or so — so it somewhat blind-sided me when it came up — but it’s not like the age of Predator even matters.

It’s an awesome, timeless movie to me and hopefully others feel the same way.

That being said, we talk about other pin designs all the time, and potential license ideas and things like that, and we do have some sincere misfires that could never make the cut that might be fun to share in the context of this question.

We talked about a World War II machine, but we decided pretty quickly that the idea might not be so great when you figure on how the modes would have to tie in with real-life events and real-life carnage and violence, so we stopped right there.

Another one we really wanted to work with was Blazing Saddles, but we aren’t exactly comfortable with using so many racial comments, even in good humor, in a pinball machine, and the license would fall on its face without it.

My favorite one that was just blatantly shot-down at the moment it was brought up was “The Internet: The Pinball.”  It was fun to talk about, but speaking candidly, the idea itself is just really silly.

Predator Pinball Cabinet Art

Well it seems like a fine choice to me. Is it strictly based on the original movie or do you have some Alien vs. Predator stuff or things from other sequels in there?

We toyed with the idea of having some stuff from following Predator movies, but after digging our nails in we found that there was more than enough going on in the first movie alone to easily fill a machine without having to stretch it at all.

The only thing we came up with that we really loved that had to be left out because of the decision to only use the original movie was one feature that would chase the ball with blue light around the outer loops, simulating the blue streak behind those Predator discs from the later installments in the series (I think they came up in Predator 2, but I’m not 100% on that).

Could That be the Predator Playing His Own Machine?

Let’s talk about the playfield mechanics.

Are you doing anything unique or unusual with the mechanical aspects of the game? Are you planning on using unique flipper parts or Williams parts like Jersey Jack is doing?

There isn’t too much wild new machinery on the playfield, so to speak, but there are some new concepts applied to some simpler stuff.

We use a diverter post at the top of the loops that you control with the flippers, giving you the control to choose a full orbit or to let the ball drop into the multiplier lanes, instead.

We have another diverter on the left ramp which steals the ball off the ramp itself and drops it into the left side eject, which points outward away from the flippers and into the pop bumpers, as opposed to the more conventional way scoops and ejects like to fire the ball back to the flippers more “safely.”

The right eject is an extremely low shot which also fires out directly into the pops, as well. We are also using an extra string of general illumination in a very unconventional way on this machine. It’s used as part of what we call the “hunt” mode, which we have gotten an incredible amount of positive feedback.

We’re not really trying to reinvent the means; we’re just re-imagining the ends.

Using existing hardware would make our lives a lot easier, but we haven’t solidified any deals with anyone yet as to if we will be able to use them or not. We have briefly talked with a few vendors/manufacturers, and we plan to continue working on a deal until something comes of it, or else we are going to have to manufacture our own. We have local companies lined up that have offered to tackle the project for us if it comes to that. I guess the best answer to this question is, “we’ll see.”

I have seen the “hunt” mode and like what I see there.

What can you tell us about the operating system? Are you using a P-ROC or do you have a custom solution?

The game is driven by a P-ROC and driver boards which were also made by the creator of the P-ROC. We originally thought it would be a necessary part of the process, but after researching what the P-ROC could do, we couldn’t even come close to the functionality of the P-ROC with our custom solutions while maintaining affordability.

While we have yet to receive our driver boards, I’ve seen their schematics and have talked with the P-ROC creator about their uses and functionality. They should prove to be a godsend to us both developmentally and to the end users.

The power supply is not attached to the driver board; it is another board altogether, saving technicians the trouble of worrying about changing rectifiers and capacitors on the driver board. If a power supply goes bad, repairing it should be similar to that of a more conventional high-power region of a driver board, but a replacement power supply is available for a much more reasonable price than said conventional driver boards.

The driver boards we will be using are a sequence of small boards that control the elements within the game based on voltages, so if all of the coils of a similar voltage stop working, you can easily figure out where the problem is and react accordingly.

The driver boards are very straightforward in their design, so finding a blown transistor or something is also a pretty simple process. If all else fails, these boards are also replaceable for a much more reasonable cost than conventional driver boards.

While we’re talking about hardware, I should also mention that all of our games use LED displays, so there is no need for a display controller board to regulate high voltages to a plasma display. This also removes the worry of “credit dots” and fading displays altogether.

Predator Backglass Art

That all sounds like a solid foundation.

What about the playfield printing and clear coating. Are you doing that in house or outsourcing that somehow?

All of the graphics for the game, both playfield and cabinet, will be done by local contractors here in Mid-Michigan.

The application of the playfield artwork on this game is very unique, so it will most likely be going through a multiple clear-coat process to protect many layers of color. The Hunt mode initiates UV lights along the edges of the playfield, so we are planning on adding a layer paint that can only be seen under black light to further the feeling of being the Predator himself.

In order for this to work and hold up to years upon years of use and abuse, we will need to silk-screen the artwork, then add a layer of clear-coat to protect it. After that, the UV paint layer will be applied, then yet another clear-coat to protect that, as well. The layer of clear-coat in the middle is necessary so the two different kinds of paint don’t bleed together.

Do you have a set price in place? How many units are you going to sell?

We have a good general idea of what the price will be, but we can’t quite say it’s set in stone yet until we get all of our suppliers in order first. Target price per unit is $4750 US, but as I said, that may have to change a bit. We’re doing everything we can to keep it under the $5000 mark, and so far we’ve been doing pretty well with that rule.

We’ve managed to get quite a few big names on board with the project, like Marco Specialties to supply parts and Back Alley Creations to create some playfield eye-candy, and the price point hasn’t needed to move yet.

We are making no more than 250 units of the game. We have been taking private pre-orders for a few weeks now, and the response has been overwhelming. We have only technically opened up the pre-order list to a single website user base and our own local pinball league here in Michigan, and we have already filled about half of the orders.

We will take any pre-orders that come in directly through my email listed on the website (www.skitbpinball.com) at this time, and we are planning on taking the updated prototype machine to the Pinfest show in Allentown, PA May 4th and 5th and allowing orders there, as well. We expect the list to be all but filled at that point, so we aren’t really seeing much of a reason to open a public order as we had originally planned.

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I am not sure how many classic pinball machines from the 90′s are still out there, but I expect the numbers are amazingly low.

Gerry purchased this from an amusement company who had saved them for a future pinball museum. But those plans did not come through, so they sold a the games that they had saved.

Did everything work? Any issues with the old batteries leaking you may wonder. Gerry said, “I knew before I even turned it on I would have the adjust those two pot switches for the dozer blade and Red’s mouth. And of course I did.”

“The batteries look brand new with no signs of leaking. They were dead of course. I tried them in my camera and they had no juice. What is really crazy is the 3 left lines of the DMD are flaky. You think it is still under warranty?”

I asked Gerry about the game play and he said “best way I can describe it is tight. Nothing moving or shaking or rattling. Just really smooth.”

Anyhow, enough of my yapping. Check out these pictures and relish in the joy (click on an image below to view in larger size).

Disney’s 1982 sci-fi classic Tron is certainly one of those movies, and today we are going to look at the second arcade game based on this movie Discs of Tron made by Midway. Specifically we will be looking at the environmental game cabinet.

Discs of Tron was released in 1983 just one short year after the movie. It is rumored that this was supposed to be part of the very first Tron arcade game — but for what ever reason, it was left out.

Instead it was further developed into its own full game. Discs of Tron was released as a standard stand up cabinet, but it was also released in a really cool environmental cabinet as well.

As far as the game play goes, Discs of Tron is really not all that complex. Yet it offers quite an exciting game play experience at the same time.

You play the role of Tron and must shoot discs at Sark — with you goal being to knock him from his platform. When you knock him down the level will change and there will be more platforms for you to jump between and the difficulty.

While the movie Tron did have a number of set pieces that were tailor made to be turned into a video game — the sequence that this game is based on actually was a very quick one in the film.

Now for what makes this game so awesome and really sought after by collectors is the environmental cabinet.

The aim of the environmental cabinet is to make the player feel like they are in the environment of the game.

Discs of Tron was one of the most elaborate arcade cabinets of the time and it still looks amazing today. When inside the cabinet you do not sit down like in the Star Wars arcade games. Instead you stand up on a disc just like your character on the screen.

When your character on the screen dies you are surrounded by lights just like on the screen. Also the game boasted incredible sound, using state of the art surround sound when a disc flies past Tron on the screen you will hear it in the cabinet.

The cabinet itself is perhaps just as important as the game. Playing this game on a emulator you probably would not be that impressed.

I would perhaps even go as far to say if you were playing the standard stand up cabinet, you would not be that blown away either.

But if you get the full experience that this game has to offer inside the environmental cabinet then it really is something special.

The price of Discs of Tron is probably not that over the top for the kind of game that it is. The problem you will have is the size of the cabinet and the weight This mother is huge, and many collectors have lamented on what a pain in the butt it is to transport.

In some cases people have been forced to saw the cabinet in two pieces in order to move it.

While it may be a monster and take up a whole heap of space — there is no doubt that this is one of those arcade games that is a true stand out piece in any game room.

If you can find one and have the space — Environmental Discs of Tron is a true game room gem.

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Well Sean has a new book coming out soon and wanted to give us the exclusive scoop on it. So here goes…

Sean thanks for talking with me today. I take it the new book is related to arcade games somehow? Do you have a title already in place?

You got it, Kevin. Another book about arcade games. However this time around I focus on the most prized, highly sought after, and fan-cherished rarities found in the hobby.

Fifty identifiable classics with another 30 or so more games mentioned throughout this book. Some people call them jewels. I call them grails. In fact, the title of this book is Grails. The Cool, the Rare, and the Obscure of Arcade Games.

I like it. Great idea. This is something I have not seen before. Do you want to share a few of the games that we might be seeing in the book?

Expect games that have been lost through time. These titles may not have sold thousands of units like Pac-Man, Asteroids, or Defender, but they nevertheless have become a staple in most mainstream collector’s hearts.

Readers will be able to get a light-hearted look at such beloved classics like Burgertime, Computer Space, Cosmic Chasm, and Tapper.

Like the last book, I have a mission to fulfill to the reader: to give them a look into our hobby without all the overly indulgent mumbo-jumbo of an encyclopedia. I give it to the reader hard and fast.

A perfect balance between what you need to know about these icons to what you need to see for a proper presentation befitting a good coffee-table book.

Burgertime is one of my all time favorites — even though it still to this day totally murders me. I still have trouble just getting past the second level. Those classics were so darned tough!

Since you are focusing on obscure and rare games –  I take it that it may have been tough to get information or pictures for some of them. Was there one game that stood out as being particularly tough for you to include in the book for one reason or another?

Most everybody in the community has been real generous with supplying photos and information on some of these titles.

Like the first book, I wanted to have the collectors themselves show the reader their games and add their own two cents on what made them so sought-after.

A few of the titles have become quite troublesome to isolate for decent pictures. War of the Worlds, Sundance, and Aztarac were all note worthy for their unreachable photos. Luckily, I was able to find a few collectors who would at least offer up standard photos of their cabinets standing solo for the page.

What did you learn from creating and marketing your first book that changed your approach to this second title?

Creatively, I learned that there are several tricks to take advantage of available layering templates. By maximizing the total number of photo layers, I’ve definitely been able to give some sporadic page layouts a much more filled-in appearance.

Probably the number one tool I am utilizing this time around for marketing the book is…well…marketing the book.

The first go around, I didn’t let the cat out of the bag until the week it was released. Then, only after it came out did I agree to appear on podcasts, web shows, and interviews for the book.

For the second book, I tried to alert the community far in advance for the new project.

So what is your favorite game room gem?

If we’re strictly talking about the games listed in this book, then I’d have to lean toward the EDOT. (That’s an Environmental Discs of Tron).

It’s probably the biggest, most flamboyant use of all things awesome to attack a player’s senses both before and during game play. Looks too cool to own. Seems like something a gamer can only dream about.

That’s a great pick. Mine would have to be House of the Dead 4 Special or maybe Galaxian 3.

Fans of the Galaxian Theater will be happy to know that at least Starblade made the cut of fan-favorites. It has a rather huge cult following.

I know you are still working on it. Do you have any rough ideas of pricing or a when it might be available?

Still looking to be ready by the end of May. It’ll be released thru Blurb again, so the price is fixed at around $36 for the soft cover.

Thanks Sean for talking with us and giving us the exclusive preview. The book sounds great.

If you want to learn more about Sean and his previous book check out our last interview.

For more information about this film visit Project Yellow Sphere.

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