Doorways

I had been planning to add some LED features to the arcade and finally had a chance to do so earlier this month. Both doorways in Tranquility Base Arcade now feature custom lighting. I designed a custom cross section consisting of Plexiglas, white masonite, standard case molding and drop ceiling trim strips to make plain looking door jambs during the day turn into a spectacular light show when the arcade gets fired up. All components were custom fit including the LED strips. The lights are controlled via a wall mounted keypad. This allows for custom color mixtures, strobe lights, fades and more!

New Joust World Record!!!

Tranquility Base Arcade extends enthusiastic congratulations to John McAllister of Portland, Oregon who set the world record on Joust. McAllister, who played the game for over 53 hours straight, finished with a final score of 107,301,150. The mark eclipsed the previous record of 107,216,700, which was set by James Vollandt in 1985. In a great display of sportsmanship Vollandt joined a live streaming of the event to urge on and later congratulate McAllister on the new record.

1981 Atari Asteroids Deluxe

An Asteroids Deluxe has been added to Tranquility Base Arcade! This is the sixth and final game of the "time capsule games" I purchased a little over two years ago. The game was in storage since 1983 and the condition is simply amazing! Even though Asteroids Deluxe is considered to be a disappointing sequel to the smash hit Asteroids, it is a very fun and fast paced game...and most importantly...I am a HUGE fan of it! Asteroids Deluxe has been sent to the Repair Station for diagnosis.

Tank Undergoing Restoration

The Atari/Kee Tank I recently acquired is being thoroughly gone through before it is subjected to the rigorous environment of the many arcade enthusiasts who frequent the Tranquility Base Arcade. Board repairs, monitor rejuvenation, cap kit, cleaning, tweaking have all been completed .Nothing is being left to chance. Here she is just after I installed the rebuilt Motorola XM 701 monitor. Tank is almost ready for battle!

Houston...We Are Fixing Problems Here...

The Tranquility Base Arcade has recently completed another upgrade to the onsite Repair Station. As the collection grows and the arcade draws more visitors the amount of repairs necessary to keep the games running grows as well. All board repairs, monitor rebuilds, restorations, etc. are performed by yours truly. Thus, whenever I have the opportunity to purchase a piece of equipment to help me with these repairs I jump at the chance. Recently, I picked up a vintage B&K 467 Analyzer/Rejuvenator and an HP 10529A Logic Comparator. Both pieces of equipment were immediately put to use. If you have a vintage arcade collection these two items are a must have!

Go For Landing!

What in the world is going on at Tranquility Base Arcade? Houston, are extra games landing? Some people say the original lineup is always the best but in the case of Tranquility Base Arcade the lineup keeps getting better and better! A home use only Sprint 2 along with an excellent condition Asteroids Deluxe and a Kee Tank have been unable to stay in orbit and have been pulled in. How is extra room being created? I have no idea but I hope the patrons of Tranquility Base Arcade like the new additions!

1976 Atari Sprint 2

I recently acquired a HUO 1976 Atari Sprint 2. Sprint 2 was my favorite game as a kid so when I began collecting arcade games I started to search for one. Over the years I found several of them but they usually were in poor condition so I was extremely pleased to find such a nice example. This particular game was purchased new along with several others by a wealthy businessman for his home game room. Due to the current poor economic conditions, the gentlemen liquidated some of his assets, which included the contents of his now vintage game room. The game appears to
have seen very little use and is in near mint condition. Sprint 2
is historically important, as it is the first driving game to use a microprocessor. The game does not work and has been sent to
the Repair Station for diagnosis.

1974 Atari Tank

In a great act of “Arcade Friendship” Steve MacDonald drove this Tank game all the way from Denver, Colorado to Detroit, Michigan which is believed to be around 8,000,000 miles one way! Tank is historically important as it is the first arcade game to use ROM. This particular example, which appears to have been last incensed in Texas in 1978, is in outstanding condition thus making it a true collector’s gem. The Tranquility Base Arcade will be purposely rearranged to make a special spot for this very special game.
“Tanks” again Steve!!!

Happy Birthday Pac-Man!

Pac-Man, the most successful video game ever, turns 30 years old this week. The game, which was designed by Namco in Japan and liscensed in the United States by Midway, sold over 100,00 units and generated over one billion dollars - all in quarters! The game became so popular it spawned everything from a breakfast cereal to a Saturday morning cartoon to a hit song. The Tranquility Base Arcade is proud to have a Pac-Man game in its collection. The game, acquired from the daughter of the original owner has just over 8,000 plays and after 30 years remains in mint condition.

Floored

The floor installation is complete! I selected a pattern similar to "diamond plate" in order to give the room an industrial look. The dark color will also hide dust and dirt and make cleaning a snap! Since most bars have a TV and/or arcades games, I hung a 25" flat screen TV in the corner and added a Chexx hockey.

Sand The Floor

I received the tile and it is ready to be installed but first I had to sand the floor. Over the years the floor had been painted several times. I didn't want to strip the paint chemically so I rented a square buff sander. They sure made some tough paint in the past as I went through four sheets of 20 grit paper! Once I finished sanding, the floor was washed with TSP - a commercial heavy duty cleaner/degreaser. I will let the floor dry a few days before I start to lay the tile.

New Asteroids World Record!!!

Tranquility Base Arcade extends enthusiastic congratulations to John McAllister of Portland, Oregon who set the world record in Asteroids. McAllister, who played the game for over 57 hours straight, finished with a final score of 41,338,740. The mark narrowly eclipsed the previous record of 41,336,440 which was set by the late Scott Safran in 1982. The former record, one of the most venerable in video gaming history, had stood for 27 years!

Look Up!

I installed the ceiling this past week. I used the same ceiling as I did in the other two rooms in order to give everything a uniform look. The ceiling took just a few hours to complete. I remembered all the time savers from the earlier ceiling installations and they proved to be a big help. I ordered the floor and hope to receive it next week!

Trimmed

I have completed the chair rail molding as well as the trim around the doorway, closet and electrical panel. All nails have been patched and painted over. The ceiling will be installed next.

Paintin' The Blues

Two coats of paint have been applied and the room is starting to take shape. I used the same color blue that was used in the other two rooms. The addition of chair rail molding along with trim work around the doorways and electrical panel is next.

Primed And Ready

Ready for paint that is! The mud and tape has been completed. The walls were sanded to make everything smooth and then the primer was applied. The next step is to get some color on the walls.

Drywall

I finished the wiring and put up the drywall. I am doing 1/2 sheets due to the difficulty of carrying a full sheet of drywall down my tight stairway. I'll cover the seam with chair rail molding just like in the other rooms. Mud and tape is next then on to the primer!

We've Been Framed!

Well not really but the walls have been! All the studs are up and the insulation is in place on the exterior wall. Some of the wiring has also been installed. Once the wiring is complete, the drywall will be put up next.

Pardon Our Dust!

The former downstairs laundry room is no longer needed which opens up this small but interesting space to Tranquility Base Arcade. We are pleased to announce that ground has been broken for the new lounge! Plans are to have a wet bar, Chexx "Bubble" Hockey game, flat screen TV as well as some top secret LED lighting effects. Demolition is complete, wiring is in place and we are in the process of framing and drywall. Please stay tuned as the transformation continues!

1980 Midway Rally-X

I pulled Rally-X out of storage and sent it to the Repair Station. Rally-X was displayed at the 1980 Amusement Machine Operators of America show alongside Defender, Pac-Man and Battlezone. As unbelievable as it seems now, Rally-X was thought to be the hit among the four games! Unfortunately, Rally-X became a little more than a footnote in arcade history and is best remembered for the game’s distinctive soundtrack. To make room for Rally-X, Kangaroo was taken out of the current rotation moved to the Annex. The game has not been turned on in about 25 years so a thorough inspection is required.

The First And The Best

After a difficult and lengthy repair job, I have finally fixed Defender. Defender is Williams best selling arcade game and is widely regarded as one of the most popular video games ever. In stark contrast is Williams first video game, a long forgotten Pong clone named Paddle-Ball. Harry Williams, the founder of the Williams Manufacturing Company was best known for inventing the “tilt” mechanism for pinball machines. I thought it would be an interesting tribute to Harry to stand The First next to The Best.

Custom Arcade Stools

I had thought about picking up some stools for quite some time but was never able to find the right ones so I decided to make some! I purchased some cheap stools, painted the tops and poured a two-part epoxy finish over my arcade graphic. I was careful to choose paper for the logo that 'glowed' under the blacks lights. My young daughters were so excited over the stools that I had to make a mini stool for each of them!

1980 Williams Defender

I brought Defender out of storage and sent it to the Repair Station. Defender is generally regarded as the first video game to feature horizontal scrolling. It is also thought of as one of the most difficult games to play. Despite that criticism, Defender sold over 60,000 units and is considered an all-time classic. The game is completely dead so I will have to go through it thoroughly in order to find the exact problem.

1971 Midway Wild Kingdom

I have been looking for an electromechanicanal gun game for some time as they are among the first arcade games that I remember playing. Recently, I was lucky enough to acquire a Midway Wild Kingdom gun game. The owner claimed the game had been in his family for almost 40 years and believed his father purchased from a local arcade along with two other games for their home game room. The game needs several minor repairs and a good cleaning so it has been sent to the Repair Station.

Good Move Space Cadet

Finally! After a lengthy repair job, I have fixed Gorf and put it in the arcade. The game was purchased from the daughter of the original owner’s and is in excellent condition. I would like to say thank you to fellow collector Scott Z. for allowing me to use his Gorf boardset in order to help narrow down various problems. Bad RAM and bad chips on the pattern board were among the culprits that kept the game from working. Long Live Gorf!

Tranquility Base Arcade Annex

Tranquility Base Arcade here....we have a problem! No, not that kind of problem but a problem of too many games and not enough room. Thus, the Tranquility Base Arcade Annex was born. The Annex will hold games that can be moved in and out of the arcade's main rotation either to replace a malfunctioning game or one that is getting few plays. The current lineup is Breakout, Tank Battalion and Space Invaders Deluxe. The Asteroids does not work but once restored, will replace the one currently in the arcade.

Goin' Berzerk

I finally had a chance to add my Berzerk PCB Repair Log to the site. You can find it here. To my knowledge, it is one of the very few Berzerk Repair Logs on the entire Internet! Hopefully, it will help someone fix or maintain their game. Watch out for Evil Otto!

Breaking Out Breakout

I acquired Breakout last November and finally had a chance to send it to the Repair Station. Early indications are that it has a PCB problem. Once the game is repaired, the Tranquility Base Arcade may have to be rearranged to make room for this arcade classic!

July 20, 1969

"We Came in Peace for All Mankind."

Blast Off!

Forty years ago today, July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 left for the moon. Four days later the Lunar Module “Eagle” carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, Jr. landed. It was and continues to be the crowning achievement for all mankind. We are all familiar with the landing but how many of us have ever seen the actual launch? Click below!

Wall Art Going Up!

I have an extensive collection of hard to find items from the original 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing. What would be a better place to show them off than Tranquility Base Arcade? The moon landing was front page news on all the newspapers around the world however; one rarely seen newspaper documenting the event is my local county newspaper The Macomb Daily. I scanned the original paper and then printed it out full size. I had the image laminated in 3 mil gloss and mounted it to black foam core board with spray adhesive. The result is a unique piece of local history for the Tranquility Base Arcade!

Another Tranquility Base Arcade Logo

The first sign I made looked so good I decided I needed one in the other room as well. This time I had the logo professionally done. I sent the artwork to Rich at This Old Game who vectored the art, printed it, mounted it on plywood, routed the edge and installed arcade T-molding around the entire perimeter giving it a great finished look! Rich did a fantastic job and the sign was completed very quickly. It looks like it came right from a conference room at NASA...the NASA Arcade Conference room that is! I love it! And yes..."The Eagle has landed!"

1981 Midway Gorf

I pulled Gorf out of storage and sent it to the Repair Station.
Gorf, which stands for Galactic Orbiting Robot Force, is generally regarded as the first videogame to feature multiple levels. The game is also among the first to feature synthesized speech. The former owner told me the game may have a joystick problem so I
will pay close attention to that area during the restoration process. Long live Gorf!

Sound System Added!

You can now listen to some great 70's and 80's tunes or hear the Apollo 11 moon landing without leaving the arcade! I recently updated the arcade by adding a sound system, which consists of two ceiling mounted speakers in each room. A remote volume control allows you to set the exact level of sound for both rooms! Hi-Fi Works sells a great all-inclusive kit which makes the installation very quick and trouble free. Rock on and blast off!

There Is Another.....

Last fall I acquired a Paddle-Ball game. The game is a simple Pong clone but it represents Williams first venture into the video game market. Since the game was made by Williams, I figured everything from the manual to the schematic to various parts would be in ready supply. I was wrong – I could find only one other example in existence! Recently, another Paddle-Ball came to light. The game was owned by Gary Hecht of Springfield, New Jersey. Gary sold his Paddle-Ball earlier this month but was kind enough
to send me a few pictures of the game before it was picked up by
the new owner. Thanks Gary! If anyone else has a Paddle-Ball or any information about Paddle-Ball, please contact me!

Reunited

Last summer I acquired six games from the daughter of the original owners. You can read the story of the games here. Among the games were Pac-Man and Berzerk. After I finished restoring Berzerk, I placed it next to Pac-Man. It was the first time in almost 25 years that both games worked! The original owners numbered the games one through six. Pac-Man is number one while Berzerk is number six. Four games to go before the row is complete!