by Atari, 1981
STATUS: No Longer In the Collection
Post from old site last updated 4/5/2000
How I got it:
I got this game from Brian Penzone through a trade for my Galaga cocktail. And for all of you who wonder why I would trade a Galaga away, I hate to tell you but I’m not a huge Galaga fan. I love Tempest, and they are just as hard to separate from their owners!
Recent Repairs:
Needed a monitor, so Brian put in a monitor from a Space Duel.
Installed a set of the Bronze bearings that used to be available online. I know there are replacement bearings available on the net, but I’ve only seen plastic ones. The bronze bearings are incredibly fast. It’s really taking time to get used to the speed.
Also installed one of Clay’s multigame kits. It’s pretty cool. Not nearly as cool as a Multipac or MultiWilliams, but adds some unique options to the game and is a great collectors’ item.
I had a problem with the monitor making a snapping sound and dropping all of the lines from time-to-time. Ended up putting in a cap kit, and noticed that one of the wires to the HV PCB had a broken connection that was arcing. Soldered it back into place, and it works GREAT!!!!!!!!
The game then played for a few months, then started showing a corrupted screen. The vectors would not line up properly and it became unplayable. Sent it out for repair. I decided I had enough of the headaches this game would give, so I decided to sell it.
Personal High Score:
203,744 (4/16/2000)
What it still needed when I sold it:
This game really needs a new marquee and control panel overlay. There is some slight water damage to all edges of the cabinet by the t-molding that will need repaired.
Final Thoughts:
The upright Tempest is one of the coolest and most distinctive cabs I’ve seen. They are so recognizable that I get upset when I see a Street Fighter that was converted from a Tempest! However, they are a pain to move with a hand truck from the front. I had to strap the truck to the game and pull with all the weight suspended by the strap. Always wanted one of these, but decided that it wasn’t one of my overall favorites. Definitely not work the maintenance headaches when I had space limitations to begin with.
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