#229

[@tonytonys1561]

Tempest is my all time favorite arcade. After years of looking i finally settled for an Arcade 1up legacy unit. But I still long for the real thing

[@Xzanos177]

For so many same-y arcade themes and tropes this game really stands out as something unique. A knob instead of a joystick, a shooter that doesn’t scroll up but scrolls around and level design that carries itself way out into the 80s just crazy

[@TheRetroShed]

Easily one of the most beautiful arcade machines ever made. The game itself is such a wonderful concept and coupled with that colour vector monitor - this is one of my favourites. I remember seeing it for the first time in a pub my dad took me to in 1981, I would have been 10 years old. I was disappointed because Scramble was there before and now this Tempest thing! I didn't have a clue what you were supposed to do, but once I'd figured it out, its remained on my top 10 list of all time. I've been playing Tempest 4000 on the PS4 for weeks now and love that too. Great video, thanks for showing off your gorgeous cabinet!

[@xoomvids]

In the 80's I had the craziest experience on this machine. I was never any good at any video game and never played more than a few dollars a week, but on this one particular day I could not die. Everything was so predictable, I could move with little effort and I had all my lives. Soon there was a crowd of people around me, then the pizzeria was packed out the door. I could not understand why it was so easy and I was sure the machine was broken but everyone else was cheering. After awhile I became uncomfortable with all the attention and I wanted to prove it was broken so I asked the best player in the crowd to take over and I turned around and started to step away when I heard the sound that meant he died, and then two more times and game over. I looked in a mirror that was behind the machine and my ears were really red and my pupils were gigantic, I had never seen them like that before. I had the strangest feeling that I just understood everything and everyone in a way I had never experienced. The following day it was gone, whatever it was, never to happen ever again. So, I am buying one of these in a few months to put into my home. My own theory is something along the lines of the game affecting my brain in a very unusual way, like a deep meditation maybe. I may never really know for sure what happened that day but I look forward to playing again.

[@tntamusements]

Absolutely fascinating story...the kind you have when dreaming....but you were sure you were awake!!

[@Dan-di9jd]

okay

[@PersianImm0rtal]

Thank you for restoring these gaming relics and getting them to good homes!

[@tntamusements]

+PersianImm0rtal Thank you for commenting!!

[@ChadQuick270W]

Gotta agree. It's my favorite arcade game of all time even though it took a lot of my quarters and I was not able to get past level 15.

[@jondstewart]

Tempest was a game many never really mastered. So many people got to the yellow levels, but did it just staying in one place and firing away on the red levels due to the pulsars. But they put 2-3 quarters in the game to get there! And despite all the people bragging about the game, I never once saw anybody get past the yellow levels. You could get to the green levels to start if you knew how to manipulate the game. I once saw a man do it in the early 1980’s.

[@Maik.iptoux]

This is because of the build in anti pirate checks of tempest, they prevent you from reaching the red levels.

[@ion-shivs]

I was 5 when this game came out, and I never even heard of it until a couple years ago. I just play it on mame, but I have a spinner - and it plays great. It really is a beautiful vintage game.

[@PersianImm0rtal]

Absolutely gorgeous... I just wish I had a classic arcade near me!.

[@tntamusements]

+PersianImm0rtal Thank you!! And you never know...these classic arcades are now springing up....

[@quint3570]

PersianImm0rtal ditto

[@JulianOwens]

Played this one at "Free Play" Arcade in Arlington Texas. Played it for hours. My hand still hurts. One day I would love to own my very own in my home as it is a treasure from my youth.

[@tntamusements]

The quality is STILL present...even 37 years later!!

[@American_Made]

I was 10 when it came out. I remember the commercial I think. I loved that game. I was pretty good at it.

[@tntamusements]

Steve loves his work!

[@Darth_Chicken]

Although I was crap at this I really loved this game.

[@jeffreyokun2355]

I love the enthusiasm you guys have! :)

[@tntamusements]

We sell clean [icture tubes for Tempest (used) for $250...with a slight Tempest burn in, it is $175...JUST the tube and yoke, with the convergence rings still on. We will test before shipping. Typically, its $45 to ship a tube. Todd

[@davy_K]

This would be my dream cabinet...only worries about the display have made me think it wouldn't be sensible to get - but now I believe it's possible with what you say. You might have another UK delivery request! I'm 50 next year!

[@tntamusements]

davy K Currently, none in stock..but our inventory changes daily!

[@atomipi]

3:51 funny.. :) awesome.. loved this game.. thx for the retro re run...

[@tntamusements]

Glad we made you laugh!

[@MrOrange-1995]

I used to have my own machine. Truly excellent game

[@tntamusements]

We have been shipping to other countries for several years now with no complaints. I cannot of course control customs fees, but we can pack the game well and convert the game to your voltage and so far, every overseas delivery has been fine!

[@retrodavide]

Steven is an artist! Always a great work,go Steven goooooo!

[@jtveg]

Thanks for sharing. 😉👌🏼

[@drecrego8632]

This was my favorite game in the ‘80s! I used to play it after school at the arcade! It was always such a tough decision, do I spend my lunch money on weed or Tempest??? 😩

[@tntamusements]

SO many people have fond memories of it!

[@exodia9817]

+TNT Amusements Inc Atari released the incredible Tempest in October of 1981. I say incredible because it still impresses me and anyone else who plays or watches it.

[@tntamusements]

+Justin Blystone Yes...with 99 different screens!

[@exodia9817]

TNT Amusements Inc Almost 100 different screens.

[@timmadone8930]

+Justin Blystone I have to agree. It is still incredible to watch. And just as much fun to play now as in 1981. :)

[@ferndog1461]

Thank you for exhibiting my old childhood friend. I subscribed !

[@jasonaabstone7593]

Ah yes, my favorite of all the arcade games of the 1980s. Riding the spikes as one calls it to kill the flippers by rapid machine gun fire does work and is essential on the upper levels past level 33 ( yellow waves ). After yellow comes light blue then invisible and finally light green (level 81). Bonus for completing level 81 awards 898,000 points. There are many back door secrets to the game programmers put in to help test all levels. A publication called "joystick" published in the mid 80s listed all the backdoor secrets. Once it got out and arcade owners started losing $$$ Atari made a chip to be inserted that blocked the backdoor secrets from working. This chip was placed in some 1981 models and all 1983 models (BTW, i don't know why Atari didn't make a 1982 model). This chip was never put into the 1980 model because the 1980 model machines were designed differently to not allow such chip. IF you want the info on backdoor secrets drop me a line ( I know them all by memory). I can give you one hint but it will only work if you change the machine settings off "Free Play". This will also tell you if you have the prevention chip on your machine or not. So in "pay" mode it will cost you at least 50 cents (2 quarters). You must get up passed level 24 (the red "V") and your score must be higher than 186,000. Now if you are an expert you can work your way past level 24 and get your score above 186,000 on just 25 cents, but for most it will be 2 tries. on the second attempt you will start at level 24 the red "V". competing that wave gives you 183,000 bonus points then on the next level (Level 25 staircase) you need to ride the spikes and get a score ending in 06,11, or 12. Example: 186,011. Once you do that you stop and let the enemies kill you. Now, after the game is over and it goes to demo mode you should see 40 credits accumulate in the credit spot. If it does work, then you don't have the hack chip installed, and can perform all the other backdoor secrets. This can be done forever, but if you get your score to end in 00 (186,000) then that will freeze the game up forcing you to manually unplug the game or toggle the on/off switch in the back thus erasing all accumulated credits. Good luck out there and thanks for showing this awesome classic.

[@vitaminpaul-1337]

Wow, thanks for this comment I never knew any of this.

[@jamesanderson9287]

In 1982 Atari released Tempest Tubes, that waa the sequel and it had 16 different, tougher shapes, including the rough tin, octagon, teardrop, slanted level 11 (bowling alley) and a triple-tube version of level 16. Only found out about that on KZbin very recently, never saw it in the arcades.

[@frankhuizar9171]

I love this game!

[@thewkovacs316]

this was the only game i was semi good at i learned some tricks early on but never got past level 50

[@oblivionmyth]

,y favorite game, and I am a proud owner. Good video!.-Keith

[@tntamusements]

Thanks Keith!

[@intexpainting70]

Tempest is on my top 10 of favorites

[@tntamusements]

WARRIOR4CHRIST70 KZ4LIFE It is probably on many people's list!

[@Outdoors5060]

This arcade cabinet with vector display must be worth over a 100k now.

[@Msvikk001]

Tempest was my father's favor game... He always talks about the random levels in the green.

[@tntamusements]

Victoria Archie Well thought out machine!

[@southport97]

Another highlight of Tempest is that it has the honor of having THE TOUGHEST back-glass of any arcade game.

[@seancvictor]

Late to the party here, but Sega/Gremlin's color vector game Space Fury was released about four months before Tempest.

[@33superali]

does atari silkscreen the artwork on the sides of their cabinets?

[@rentslave]

There was an arcade in NJ that had this as a table top game as well.

[@tntamusements]

+Tom Dockery Yes...there were limited numbers made

[@SoIoCreep]

After school I would ride the bus to the mall and go to the arcade called the Jolly Joker. If I really needed quarters, I would go hungry and use my lunch money. It was my favorite game back then, even the name was cool. Dragon's Lair was also extremely popular "and spendy to play", and one of my favorite. It was a very different type of game for its time.

[@tntamusements]

+SoIoCreep Did the Jolly Joker close in the mid 80's?

[@SoIoCreep]

TNT Amusements Inc Yeah it sure did. The one here in Yakima Wa was located in the Yakima Mall. They also sold BMX bikes and parts. It was always full of people hanging out and playing games so I never understood why it closed.

[@quint3570]

Awesome memories! Christ I was 6years old when this originally came out! I feel so damn old lol!

[@tntamusements]

Hard to believe its almost 40 years old!

[@quint3570]

TNT Amusements Inc Its scary lol

[@Supersaiyan79]

Hey. You seem to have some early 2000's pachinko game in Sankyo Tatsumake frame and another older one. Maybe from 70's? How much they are? :)

[@Sauron191]

WOW!!! How much would you at for one of these??

[@jamesanderson9287]

Went all over Tucson with a guy that got it past 999k, it goes back to zero. But you have to start at 81 and go all the way thriugh, 97 and 98 repeat 81 and 82, but 99 guves you a random level, even if you lose a life you do not get the same screen.

[@timmadone8930]

My third favorite Vector game of all time. My highest score ( so far ) is 203,800. I don't know if that is considered a really high score by Tempest fans. But it was not easy getting it. LOL

[@tntamusements]

+Tim Madone I stink at Tempest...but I rejoice in its visual beauty!

[@astateato]

+TNT Amusements Inc Im terrible at it also but it is indeed a very beautiful game.

[@timmadone8930]

There are some games I am terrible at too. Like "Asteroids" "Pac-Man" "Centipede" "Galaxian" "Congo Bongo" "Breakout"....the list goes on. But for some reason I always excelled at "Tempest" "Zektor" "Tac/Scan" "Eliminator" "Spiders". I guess I'm good at a few other games as well. But those would be my top five games that I was good at right away with almost no practice. If only your confidence could control the electronics inside the machine. LOL

[@exodia9817]

+TNT Amusements Inc Todd, You my friend are a true Funnyman. I say Funnyman because your comedy is golden.

[@tntamusements]

+Justin Blystone Thank you Justin!

[@genogeno6643]

I remember this machine being down a lot at different arcades back in the day. Was it problematic?

[@Tehrasha]

I am pretty sure that I have put enough quarters in Tempest machines to have bought one when they were new.

[@vodkatonic814]

I wanted to look for you in the Yellow Pages but I couldn't find the Yellow Pages. LOL Thanks for the video. =)

[@tntamusements]

At one time we were in 26 yellow page boks...spending $2500 a month! Now, thats GONE!

[@Terry68Firebird]

Thank you Todd! A quick question, I have recently gotten a Tempest (with the monitor ' TV' in it), but alas the tube neck was snapped a long time ago. Can you advise any certain TV? that I could try and find for a tube swap? any advice is greatly appreciated- keep up the great work- Terry

[@mannym777]

I bought a used one and it has issues. I always look at your videos for pointers. Thank you sir

[@tntamusements]

hope the video helped!

[@mannym777]

Yes it does. keep the videos coming, too bad you guys are not in California.

[@tntamusements]

They will as long as people keep buying them!

[@tntamusements]

Hi...I would think you could go on newsgroups and find someone that you can ship the monitor to for repair/overhaul! Todd

[@ferndog1461]

PSA: The Tempest Monitors are getting rare. Your well kept Tempest machine may be an investment strategy.

[@davidsonshine9678]

Ready Player One brought me here

[@tntamusements]

I am looking forward to this movie!

[@davidsonshine9678]

I got the book at my public library. I'm 46 looking forward to it.

[@zudemaster]

My childhood brought me here, I went through my high school years playing this back in the 80s.

[@blackmantis35]

Is this the one you tossed of the roof ?

[@ZEUSDAZ]

Would i be able to get a Tempest machine from you shipped to me in the UK?!

[@tntamusements]

Yes! SHipping overseas to a local seaport (and you pick up) is just $600. This includes the overseas heat treated pallet and power conversion to your voltage! Todd

[@ZEUSDAZ]

So, with the shipping costs, what am i looking at for the machine it'self with the "bullet proof" re-wiring you include to stop the game overheating?! and when would you likely have one ready in the kind of condition as this video shows?! One last thing, will it come with our standard 3-pin plug (not the U.S 2-pin)? Thanks bud.

[@ZEUSDAZ]

Hi, after reading my reply to your message above, maybe it would be a good idea if you could private message me as more detailed personal information maybe exchanged between us and i don't want viewers nosing in, thanks bud. Here it is again in case you didn't get it last time: *So, with the shipping costs, what am i looking at for the machine it'self with the "bullet proof" re-wiring you include to stop the game overheating?! and when would you likely have one ready in the kind of condition as this video shows?! Also, i have been told there is a switch inside that switches it over from 120v to 240volts?! One last thing, will it come with our standard 3-pin plug (not the U.S 2-pin)? Please private message me, all the best.

[@Maik.iptoux]

Why there is running an copy or emulated version of tempest on the machine? Tempest had 4 different anti pirate checks and the first will be displayd on screen: MCMLXXX Atari

[@joemchugh3986]

looking for a Atari cocktail table XY vector monitor my tube is cracked board good any help thanks

[@KlodFather]

Many TV tubes are compatible. Read the data sheets and swap the plastic key on the end of the tube neck at the pins... Your In... The big difference between TV tubes and some monitor tubes is the beam angle. The yokes can be doctored up to work or hand wound.

[@michaelsher6871]

there's a guy on KZbin that you should probably look into and contact who is having issues with a Star Wars arcade machine and I wonder if you guys could do a video on how to repair the issue where the voice portion of the soundboard does not function or it gets static he and cuts in an out and I wonder if there's a permanent fix for that

[@Dmhlcmb]

Man, I wish I could find one of these.

[@tntamusements]

There are certainly more out there...our supply is gone right now!

[@SleestaksRule]

I used to print the directions for Incredible Technologies to convert old arcade games into their new ones. 1991-ish. Was fun to try a game before it was in the arcades. Nice people too.

[@tntamusements]

+SleestaksRule Neat trivia!! Thanks for sharing!

[@SleestaksRule]

+TNT Amusements Inc Capcom bowling, Golden Tee Golf. Last I played there was Ninja Clowns. Thanks Scott if you remember me.

[@Supersaiyan79]

Thank you! :) Sounds tempting but shipping to my country plus customs and taxes are going to be horrible. Last time I had some difficulties in customs because Japanese games did not have European Union CE (Communauté Européenne) mark. Too risky :D

[@Ferruccio_Guicciardi]

Nostalgia.

[@tntamusements]

In a good way too!

[@hulk3077]

can you guys do that to a sega vector monitor

[@ghosthouse3667]

Eyah! I want one so bad

[@tntamusements]

we can put you ona waiting list!

[@Pitbull0669]

Man i want one

[@tntamusements]

I am doing a review of the new replicade Tempest soon...just got it in today!

[@DarkShroom]

what confuses me the most is how exactly he got colour out of this thing... i can only assume it has colour cells like a regular TV and the electron gun is basicly really precise i mean i have no frame of reference i never was even alive when this technology was in vougue

[@DanielWMcDonough]

I have this arcade in my basement. :)

[@tntamusements]

A god one!

[@tntamusements]

Sadly, no. Those Sega games with that awful vector monitor are VERY hard to fix and keep working.

[@rubyvolt]

I used to be able to play that through the green to the color after. My high score was over 900000. Anyone know the color after green?

[@tntamusements]

There is a switch on the logic board called "Demonstration". When flipped, you can use the spinner to start at ANY of the stages right up to 99 (last stage). When I get a Tempest back into the shop, I will see!

[@rubyvolt]

there is also a special score that you can get. If you play from the red triangle it is quickly achieved. Then watch the screen through two cycles and then it runs up 99 credits. Another special score allows you to start anywhere and high scores are recorded. I don't remember those scores. I used to play that game for uncountable hours.

[@tntamusements]

That may have been a software bug! I cannot imagine them giving out 99 free credits knowingly.

[@rubyvolt]

Yes, those were two that spread around by word of mouth. They were programmed into the code and leaked out.

[@tntamusements]

I heard that was true for another Midway game...I think MK2---where you could access the test menu with a different combination of pushes on control panel and then put it on free play. Midway had to send ROMS out to everyone who had that problem to fix that bug!

[@truhunk1]

I used to own the cocktail model. Sold it in 1995 for $400. One of my stupid mistakes.

[@tntamusements]

Back then, they had no value...many did.

[@kzbxvz]

The youth in 1981 had a hell of better happy times than nowadays smart phone slaves.

[@samurai1833]

Lol, not in public...good stuff!

[@tntamusements]

:-)

[@georheeras5397]

@27:22 If@ you @want@ a ultimate Tempest PC Game ,working version, get here: plus.google.com/101927900080611705636/posts/bHfzQLkdnHj

[@thebluemorpho6640]

I'd never heard of this game until I read "Ready Player One."

[@tntamusements]

Kids go NUTS for it!!

[@Crazd22]

Same. It was a pretty cool scene in the novel, an esports-style speedrun contest through Tempest for the grand prize. I somehow doubt that Spielberg is going to portray it faithfully.

[@tntamusements]

They were traded in to us...either one is $100 and includes 200 balls!

[@ScottParisi]

Tempest is a vector classic. Level 80 should be illegal.

[@YogSoth]

Wade Watts could get to level 81

[@tomatoperfecto]

i love your videos, and you got good personality. However, its 2013...get a tripod.

[@chad0x]

THere are more cheats on it. SOmething to do with the last 2 digits of your score being XY (lots of combos) then if you start during the demo you can get infinite lives and stuff.

[@tntamusements]

:-(