Neo-Geo (4-Slot)
Originally posted on the Arcade Crusade Website 01/12/12:
I'd sold my last 4-slot NEO-GEO system 5-6 months ago because I was given an offer that I couldn't refuse and could use the dough at the time. When I saw this 4-slotter pop up on craigslist, however, I didn't immediately respond because (1) I was pretty much out of room, and (2) I can play NEO-GEO titles on my MAME. After about 30 minutes of back and forth I decided to respond. The very least I could get more pics… right? Later that day the seller responded that I was the first to reply and asked if I wanted to drop by to take a look. The machine was about 50 minutes from my house. I, again, paused and had to think about it. The asking price was pretty damn attractive though and eventually I relented and agreed to meet the guy after work. When I got there I immediately realized the cab was in pretty damn spanky condition. Sure, there were some battle scars, but they were quite minor. He fired up the machine and… the monitor was jacked… I could tell it was going to need a CAPKIT and possibly more. In his ad he did have "or best offer" so I cut $50.00 off the already low price and made the offer. After a few seconds of consideration the seller agreed and I loaded her up.
Well, I was right… it needed a cap kit… plus it still does have a slight wave going on at the left of the monitor but it's something only the completely anal among us would even notice (IE: me). The cab had WICO 360 joysticks installed… I replaced them with good ole Happ Competitions.I also cleaned up and replaced a few buttons… re-painted the control panel, replaced the battery with a 3.6v cordless phone battery and relocated it off board… I recapped the monitor which fixed the jailbars and color issues and cleaned up the waviness about 90%. The cab was filthy inside so it was cleaned. The EL marquee lamps are actually functioning… but barely… the EL lamps need to be replaced. I've not decided if I am going to cough up the $80 to do so or if I am just going to drop a florescent in there. The cab came with 3 games (Bust a Move Again, Aero Fighters 2, and Metal Slug 5… all originals, not boots). To fill the 4th slot I picked up (and I am waiting to receive) Magical Drop 2 and Samurai Shodown 4…
UPDATE: As anyone who's familiar with Neo-Geo dedicated cabinets knows, it's a very rare thing to find the original EL lamps still operational as they wear out over time and they have traditionally been VERY VERY expensive to replace. Oftentimes people would simply cut out the wood behind the marquee and install a florescent lamp lighting all slots at the same time. I read about lamps available at www.glowhut.com that were similar in size to the original lamps and I decided to purchase a set of 4 to restore my 4-slot marquee. The size that similar is their "A6" size. As you can see, it is slightly taller and a hair thinner… but it works as you will see! Here is a nice comparison shot so you can see the width difference…but it still covers the whole window in the marquee so it works out great. These panels can be had at www.glowhut.com for about $20 each… I also ran a strip of aluminum tape across the top to prevent the 1/2" or so of extra EL from illuminating the red area above the mini marquee after I took the shots below.Total cost shipped… $85.20.
