John gets a Robotron: 2084 Arcade Game

[@delsarcade]

Jay is nuts! I would not have traded that Robotron. LOL. But congrats on adding it to your collection John! I've always wanted one myself!

[@Helvetica_Scenario]

No arcade is complete without a Robotron.

[@MrZ281980]

Looking forward to seeing you complete your Journey machine . I recently just built my first Mame stand up cab. Due to living in an apartment space only permits me to have one. I'm am envious of your arcade and really enjoy watching your videos that really show the real nitty gritty details it takes to breath life back into these classic machines . Keep up the great work!! Matt Green

[@Johnsarcade]

Thanks!! Congrats on the MAME cab!

[@lechiffre5078]

After all these years, Robotron is still my favourite game by far. Thank-You Eugene Jarvis for the endless fun!

[@deeredude]

Thanks for shooting and showing as much footage as you do Your vids help me alot.

[@arcadeimpossible]

There's so much win in this video. Can't wait to play it dude.

[@Mariowave94]

Awesome looking cabinet to have your collection. Robotron is definitely one my favorite arcade games of all time cause of its fast-paced addicting gameplay, challenge and control scheme

[@NaturalProgressGames]

[@whompmaster]

I picked up a Robotron myself last year so I'll be paying attention to what all you do with yours.

[@stevenwheat3621]

Update? And don't lie! 🤤

[@jayleone5142]

Great video John. Thanks for stopping by!

[@Johnsarcade]

Thanks for having me, pal! You rock! :D

[@game_whisperer1606]

Awesome video . Woohoo Robotron WOOT!, I'm stoked for you bro!. Great to see Adam, and how the hell did I miss that podcast with him on. Will check out, especially as I asked for it in the first place.

[@eddieortega101]

Another great video John. I can't believe you got a Robotron. It looks really good next to Burgertime.

[@biokemical]

Well done mate! Robotron would be my first pick if I could choose any arcade game in the world!

[@Bunker27Goose]

Oh my gosh! Congrats on the Robotron!

[@JesseH76]

When can we start ordering our t-shirts with your image on the front and the caption, "Hey, Guyzzz!" 720 is a cool looking cabinet, but the game is pretty tough! "SKATE OR DIE!" those bees that chase you, it doesn't give you a lot of time to collect money to buy gear, but I was playing it on mame, the arcade stick is really unique on the 720 cabinet, which I'm sure is a reason I could pull off the spins and gain points like I wanted to. Those Atari games like 720, Paper Boy, Indiana Jones are always pretty tough to me, I don't get far in them. They all seem to have the same digitized voice, and same style of graphics. Anyway, really neat seeing the networking fellow collectors have going. Thanks once again, John, love your channel and I'm always impressed how much content you have after every Sunday!

[@Digitalforward]

Holy..... how does some get so many arcade cabinets... mind blowingly awesome!

[@Fortuna1]

I'm waiting (and crossing the fingers) for a full restoration of this great arcade

[@mattmanning4934]

I freakin' love Qix! Can't wait for the 720 to show up. Thanks again for the vid!

[@DavidKyle]

Lolz'd hard at 12:17 Glad you got what you wanted. Robotron and Star Wars are both great games, but 720 holds the most sentimental value for me. I think it was the first video game I can remember that let you go where you wanted to. Can't wait to see it get a spot in your basement.

[@Martys2DGaming]

That was a pretty epic video man.

[@TheRadChannel]

Whoa! Adam skates too!!!!

[@realFanAngryBirds]

You should check out the Pinball Wizard Arcade in Pelham, NH on Sunday. It's got a whole bunch of arcade and pinball machines, and even includes a Pac-Man cabaret, the Hercules pinball and a the Fix-It Felix Jr. from the PAX East 2014. Oh, and I might be there!

[@cosmicgold5250]

That 720 is sick!

[@iamyohan]

im glad I watched this, i had to replace my lithium battery today.game wouldn't retain memory of free play or high score. replaced battery with energizer 2032 lithium battery and everything is fine.thanks for the troubleshoot.

[@uniroyalbarrie]

John's such a cool cat!

[@etienneodk]

Cool cabinet John ! You should do more crossover tech vid's with Adam. Your and adam's video's are my favorite tech vids !

[@Johnsarcade]

Perhaps! Thanks. :)

[@d36williams]

where do you live such that you have forests like that? Driving between homes in Texas, all we see are blasted deserts and the waste lands of 2084

[@Fortuna1]

Nice catch, Robotron machines are great for get

[@PantherUK]

Great bit of trading John, but Star Wars, really... Is an arcade still an arcade without it... ;) Keep 'em coming John, this is by far one of my favourite YT channels, being a nostalgic 42 year old with only enough room for a mame cabinet... If I ever get over to the States I'm gonna come a knocking.. lol

[@Johnsarcade]

Thanks! Yes, an arcade is still an arcade without Star Wars. :)

[@TheEverythingMan62]

Can you still but the JROK Williams board anywhere?

[@JackKirkpatrickVideos]

DUDE AWESOME! I haven't even watched the video yet, but I know it will be awesome. Wish I could find a robotron :|

[@Jimmy83-i3g]

Hay did Adam ever Finnish the pole position bored

[@onecircuit]

4 way joystick! That explains why I was having such a hard time playing that game. ;)

[@ORIGINALGAMESONLY]

the leaf style joysticks from grooveygamegear are excellent for robotron

[@Four_X]

Hi John The restrictor plate on the joystick is a 4-way right. Can't you just get a dremel sanding drum or similar to make it round then you will have a 8-way, it look like its made from plastic in the video and dremel sanding drum or similar will do that no problem and save you some money also.

[@Johnsarcade]

Yeah, I suppose you could. However, I already replaced both joysticks. I have two 8-way joysticks on the game now!

[@petenamlook18]

10 years later, did Adam ever finish the Pole Position FPGA?

[@commandtheline]

Nice... also love the mini Neo-Geo, IIRC I read somewhere that they were made for McDonnalds fun-land? Anyway... do any work on Journey this weekend? Later!

[@DJThinK707]

Taito's Space Dungeon was first dual stick game I believe....

[@RalonsoF1]

John, I NEVER would have given Star Wars away, Man!

[@WRKFLO]

how much does jay want for that mini neo? does he plan to post it on klov or ebay?

[@Rahsaanwizzle]

My Robotron 2084 has squiggly lines on the screen. How can I fix it?

[@TNT_Mancave]

John you make me nervous when you film and drive !

[@Johnsarcade]

Eek! :)

[@jamesrbrindle]

You WILL regret letting a Star Wars go, believe me.

[@stevenwheat3621]

He won't admit, but I bet he's kicking himself!

[@Johnsarcade]

@@stevenwheat3621 nope

[@stevenwheat3621]

@@Johnsarcade 🤣 That 720 is pretty sexy.. Cheers brudder!

[@muhabmetwalli5718]

For a dedicated Robotron? No way he'll regret that.

[@cwzone2967]

you and jay should open up 2 arcades 1 in his basement 1 in yours to make a johns arcade chain open to the public

[@chriscapaccio4342]

Barry Oursler and Dwight Sullivan did Who Dunnit. Very cool game.

[@jefferysdyer]

So happy for you John. I know you love Robotron. I just love the Williams cabinets. Congrats! Hey, is the 3 battery pack you ordered specific to this particular arcade fix or is a general thing you can get. I need one for my original Joust as the whole thing is nasty and doesn't work. Thanks and can't wait to see an official game review with 8-way joysticks. :)

[@darkinertia2]

have we been to jays house before? looks familar...but damn id love to have that nfl blitz! i hate sportsball but blitz was one of the games i played nonstop on the ps1, and i played mostly the demo haha you should get a few mid-late 90s games in your arcade just to round things out! maybe at least a lightgun games like area 51 or time crisis, though im assuming time crisis is expensive, considering all the parts and how i still see time crisis 2 in every arcade

[@ethanspencer1482]

OMG WHEN IS YOUR NEXT VIDEO!! IT'S BEEN A WHILE!! I'VE BEEN WAITING & WAITING & WAITING FOR PART # 9 OF JOURNEY!!!!

[@Johnsarcade]

I'm uploading a video now. But, it's not part #9 of Journey. Journey video will be up mid next week.

[@ethanspencer1482]

let me guess 2084

[@Johnsarcade]

matt elmes Nope

[@ethanspencer1482]

don't you need to replace the joysticks?

[@Johnsarcade]

I already did. :)

[@MaxxLegend]

HEY JOHN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why do you removed your two "John's arcade impossible" videos? I didn't watched them in time! Please re-upload them!

[@Johnsarcade]

They were only meant to be seen live! I didn't want to litter up my channel. Not much happened in them! You'll see some of the footage in my next video.

[@MaxxLegend]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech Ok John, thank you!

[@hirthirthirt1693]

Its the end of 2019 and the board is still not out....correct?

[@Cue2See]

Great vid. John... could you tell me the best place where you think I should purchase coin-ops like this? - a place you would trust. More to the point, somewhere I could possibly get my hands on a Robotron? I'm excited for you that you got one, and it is making want one even more. Love this classic!

[@Johnsarcade]

Brian Lydell Brian, there is no one place to by one. I suggest hitting up the collector's on KLOV.COM. Post in the WTB forum. I think that's your safest bet.

[@wildernessgames]

Im surprised Jay didnt tell you Robotron wasnt holding settings, maybe he never played it; weird because you asked what he could tell you about it and you had to tell yourself by figuring out the joysticks and buttons and board mod, and 4 way stick? Crazy man.

[@UnwoundS3GA]

I have the same 3V battery mod and it works great! I'm trying to figure out why yours isn't working.

[@Johnsarcade]

Yeah, it's REALLY odd. It's not working at all. :(

[@Ajaxaxxess]

Robotron is a perfect game in my opinion.

[@perfectionbox]

whoever installed the four-way sticks, you could probably sentence him to prison time on general principles

[@TheArcadeguy]

i have a robotron comming to me it needs me to burn a rom on it think its rom 5 is bad question how can i get one of the pole position test boards i have a pole position that is dead and would love to test it out and help any way i can with testing

[@alicyjinx8923]

My favorite Williams game is Joust :)

[@dward99ar]

That's odd. My Stargate has the exact same battery mod and it works fine.

[@delsarcade]

Hey, are you going to have it restored in time for the BBQ?

[@anthonytheappguy4426]

R.I.P. Multi-Williams JROK board ;(

[@TheRadChannel]

John skates!!! YES!!

[@BoingotheClown]

I have an old Robotron cabinet, but it was converted over to Street Fighter II long before I got it. Such a shame.

[@commandtheline]

Lol, I have a Sinistar converted to SF II

[@Canuckster1169]

need to find gorgar pinball machine

[@TBONE_2004]

Raw Thrills also made the TRUE sequel to Hydro Thunder, H2-Overdrive! =D

[@pinballdan]

You FINALLY got a Robotron!!!! Awesome!!!!! Robotrons a KEEPER!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Johnsarcade]

Yes, Robotron IS a keeper!

[@pinballdan]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech Yep...I mainly have pinballs but I have T2 & REVX gun games..Pacman cocktail and ROBOTRON! & since listening to the podcasts.I had to get a Pole Position 2!!! again!!! I wish you would answer your e-mails but since listening to the podcast I know better :-)

[@Fuzy2K]

You're getting an R-Type? :D Sweeeeet!

[@yorgle]

I'd definitely put in the AA holder. all lithiums are 3v, after the voltage drop from the diode, it's even less. (-1.2v?). I'd put in the 3 AA holder, so you get 4.5v, which will drop to a bit more than 3v, which should work fine. (You need the diode there so that the power supply doesn't try to back-power the battery, which would get messy. hehe.)

[@Johnsarcade]

I ordered a 3-AA battery holder on eBay. It's going on ASAP!

[@yorgle]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech Huzzah! Beauty of a machine! :D

[@JohnE-vp6ff]

Robotron is a stone-cold classic, good call John! Did Jay know about the 4-way stick I wonder? Poor form if he did.

[@Johnsarcade]

Jay got the game in on a trade. He really didn't know much about the intimate details of the game. It was in storage.

[@DeviatingVapors]

the wrong stick would baffle anyone that wasn’t familiar with it (the title), and .. why it got flipped. tweaking the leafs to make both sticks match takes a lot of fiddling, so .. I would recommend swapping them both out at the same time + use the self test mode A LOT to ensure that dual leafs get selected as you throw diagonals. + unless you keep them powered up all the time, keeping the games off then chews the battery .. maybe half a year or a full year tops. still love playing it since day one, but it took me about nine months of playing in 2006 to achieve similar settings to 1982. stock settings def were not what any boards were set to back then.

[@uhfnutbar1]

Hay John lol are you share your friend didn’t hose you on them sticks, by swap out them 8 way 4 inch sticks for that crap in there? (the game is unplayable with out them) Them Wico stickers they are getting hard to find at a decent price, there your motive.:)

[@Johnsarcade]

No, Jay didn't hose me. :) He got the game in a trade and it was in his garage. He never really played it. I picked up some proper 8-way Wicos yesterday and Jay already has a second 4" stick for me. It's all good!

[@uhfnutbar1]

oh then he got hose and inadvertently pass it on to you, you became the lucky guy :) it dos-int mater anyhow you got a good score. i fk love that game!!!! use to have a cab with two wico sticks to play on mame its the only to play it with them sticks :)

[@Johnsarcade]

uhfnutbar1 Yeah, I guess you could look at it that way. :)

[@oldiesmusic76]

Now add the soundtrack of 1983 music and you're set!

[@iconoclast518]

the 3v battery should work perfectly fine, i'm running that setup on mine.

[@Johnsarcade]

It SHOULD, but it's not. :(

[@midnightsarcade4784]

hay john can you do a pinball restore?

[@Johnsarcade]

Yeah, if I ever get a pinball project I will for sure do one!

[@midnightsarcade4784]

ok thank you man

[@rubicon-oh9km]

I just want your damn Tron!

[@otarcade9944]

Sweet, grats! Gregs gonna be jealous. :D

[@zborgerd]

That's exactly what I was going to say.

[@jayn8392]

do you reload ammunition John?

[@Johnsarcade]

ha. no. why? when I was a kid my Dad did. :)

[@jayn8392]

Weird question I know haha. Looked like there was a media tumbler on the floor for cleaning brass. Love the channel man! Going to pick up my first dedicated cab this weekend

[@lordbemylight]

That had to have been one LONG road trip you took. Did you go by yourself, or did you have a partner with you?

[@Johnsarcade]

My friend Adam was with me. :)

[@Fuzy2K]

"I'm trading some mulch for a Blitz..." That's a new one. :P "How mulch do you want for it?" "That's waaay too mulch." :P

[@sheephead007]

johns arcade t-shirts?

[@Johnsarcade]

Yes, I need to make some!

[@FlintG]

man I am so jealous wish I had my own arcade :(

[@juntistik]

I have yet to see an unrestored robotron WITHOUT cigarette burns. Mine came with cigarette burns.

[@blackbird1234100]

I'm getting one for free :P

[@Bobaflott]

I never understood why there is a thing like a four-way joystick. All consoles and home computers had 8-way sticks and can play all games anyway. You can always make it four-way in software.

[@Johnsarcade]

Try playing Pac-Man with an 8 way stick. It's MUCH harder.

[@Bobaflott]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech Why? Does pacman stop if you pull the joystick diagonally? Then it's just programmed "wrong". Works fine on any computer version.

[@Johnsarcade]

Bobaflott No, it's too easy to do diagonal and have Pac-Man sent the wrong way. If you meant to go down but did diagonal instead and he goes left instead. Trust me. It's not right.

[@MaximRecoil]

True 4-way arcade joysticks are mechanically restricted to only moving in the 4 cardinal directions. This is done with an internal diamond-shaped restrictor. There are no diagonals to accidentally hit. It allows you to slam the stick in any of the 4 directions and always hit your mark, which makes games with playable characters that only move in 4 directions a lot easier and more fun. Making a joystick 4-way in software is a half-assed way of doing it; it doesn't give you the feel of a mechanically restricted 4-way joystick.

[@arcadesurvival8469]

6 years later.......wtf is Adams pole position board lol!!

[@RWL2012]

ikr

[@cjallday1130plays]

i seriously need a bigger house to make an arcade :/

[@Chris-xl6pd]

everything was going great and the you tried to say the word solder. It aint sodaring lol.

[@Johnsarcade]

it is in the US

[@Fuzy2K]

Speaking of bad Arcade puns, if you put an Arkanoid on the Texas-Arkansas border, would it be a Texarkanoid? :P

[@TheRealJPhillips]

Combatribes is awesome bro.

[@Johnsarcade]

yeah, it was kind of fun. I played it a bunch when I got the cabinet. But, it's not a game you can play a lot.

[@chazzlucas6208]

Oh ... I thought Robotron had the 4117 ram and it was set up for the -5 and the 13... And by the way you can't the 5 volts on the right leg !!!!! Duh ...

[@Four_X]

WOW, That R-Type cab look fantastic, I'm not a violent man but I would kill for that R-Type Cab, maybe not kill someone but I would donate a kidney for it.

[@MrSickness6666]

***** WOW man that is hardcore much props and i am glad i found this channel good man good videos even thow i cant afford these arcade classics i like to learn about them :)

[@anthonytheappguy4426]

I would like Robotron in my basement.

[@stevenwheat3621]

Yes, old vid, but how DARE you get rid of Star Wars for a 720!! 😲 Robotron is an all time fav of mine! Now if you traded Star Wars for Robo, I'd understand.

[@Johnsarcade]

I never played it

[@stevenwheat3621]

@@Johnsarcade Hi! 😄 What haven't you played? Note, haven't finished the vid yet

[@stevenwheat3621]

@@Johnsarcade I sure wish you lived in Phoenix! I need help with my mame

[@lesliecollins8826]

HEY JOHN THIS IS LESLIE collins hopw i have a laser disc cobracomand and cliffhnager do you have any laser disc games

[@Johnsarcade]

I just got a Dragon's Lair!

[@deeredude]

Robotron is just mmMmmmMmmmMmmmm.....:)

[@Tacticalgopher]

Is adam paranoid about you crashing?

[@Johnsarcade]

I think so. :)

[@robhuanout5443]

I cringed when you touched the battery bare handed. Those watch batteries last much longer if your skin doesn't make contact with the battery

[@tyrem]

720 for Star Wars? Like Vader would say: "Nooooooooooooooooooo!".

[@Johnsarcade]

Yeah, I know.... :) But I like 720!

[@tyrem]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech come to the eurocade and we talk about it! ;)

[@Johnsarcade]

Stefan Kimmlingen Talk to Andre and tell him to get me there! :D

[@tyrem]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech I will, John. You would love it. I promise!

[@Darwinion]

Is that Todd Rogers cheating at Roadrunner?

[@MikeGervasi]

Jay, trade? Say it isn't so! ;) The Funhouse is back and I'm shopping the STTNG now. It looks killer with LED's.

[@Johnsarcade]

Yeah, a trade with Jay. :)

[@MikeGervasi]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech He seemed so camera shy. You gotta do that more ;)

[@TheRabidfox11]

Kool Jon,, Robotron, is an awesome arcade. Super hard to find for sale; Reasonable. At least around here anyway. Star Wars would be Very difficult for me to get rid of. But i'am sure you know what you got. A GEM ofcoarse! Trade for a 720 ?? AHhgg,,??Maybe that 720 is worth more than I think. Anyway its about what YOU want. Different Strokes to rule the world!! Peace out!!

[@cwzone2967]

you want the coke machine

[@dniga1]

I would've kept star wars and just paid cash for Robotron.