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!