Now that we have editable copies of the original art, we set to work adapting it and adding our own creations.
The control panel’s original background, a tiled pattern of tiny X-Men logos, is serviceable but leaves plenty of room for improvement. Deciding that the villains deserve some representation, Isaac drafts a Sentinel mounting a formidable attack on the players:
After searching for suitable artwork online and coming up empty, we decide to capture the artwork on our cabinet and digitally restore it ourselves. We start by trying the flatbed scanning technique outlined in excellent detail at Jeff Rothe’s blog.
The bulk of the original cabinet’s size comes from its display hardware: Two 25″ monitors, one facing forwards from the back of the cabinet and another facing upwards towards a mirror that superimposes its image alongside the other to create a single widescreen display.
If we somehow found a way to display the two original images (one reflected top-to-bottom) on a modern LCD panel, we could replace the original rear half of the cabinet with a “slimline” version… READ MORE >
The story begins with a phone call from the St. Johns neighborhood. “We have a video game in our living room. Would you like to buy it? I have to warn you: it’s pretty big.”
How big? 6-player X-Men big. That’s big enough to:
It’s been over a year in the making, but we’re just about ready to unveil our restoration of one of the greatest arcade cabinets ever made: The six-player version of Konami’s X-Men.
But first, we’ll tell the story of how it came together, in six daily installments (appropriately enough) starting on Monday, Dec. 14th and culminating on Saturday, Dec. 19th.
When you have more beat ‘em up games than the arcade can handle, there’s only one way to settle the score: Street Justice – The Old Town Beat Down, a new custom cabinet that packs the punch of four classic titles:
Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja (Data East, 1987)
“President Ronnie has been kidnapped by the ninjas. Are you a bad enough dude to rescue Ronnie?” Find out in this classic brawler.
Final Fight (Capcom, 1989)
This game was originally called Street Fighter ’89 and would have been the second game in that series. Its side-scrolling cooperative fighting was ultimately deemed too different from SF‘s competitive tournament style to inherit its title.
Even so, Cody, Guy, Mike Haggar, and many of their opponents appear in later games of the Street Fighter series. Play Final Fight to see how these memorable characters got their start!
Ninja Gaiden (Tecmo, 1988)
Players of the NES version will quickly realize that the original arcade game is different from the platformer they remember. Even so, it’s a great game in its own right. Bonus: The first person who finds the GK-themed easter egg hidden in the game wins a free GK coozie! UPDATE: We’re upping the ante – if you take a picture of the GK-themed easter egg, we’ll throw in a free GK t-shirt, too!
Two Crude (Nihon Bussan / AV Japan, 1990)
Genesis players may remember this obscure but worthy title as Two Crude Dudes. Brawl through post-apocalyptic New York City fighting mutants, punks, werewolves, and “psycho Santas.”
Two Crude enhances the beat-’em-up format by adding a “Grab” button to the standard Kick/Punch combo, enabling you to pick up almost anything in the environment– streetlights, garbage cans, enemies, even your partner(!)– and throw it as a weapon. Action-hero catchphrases and “crude” humor keep things lively. “Pump it up…stay cool!”
Big Buck Hunter (Incredible Technologies, 2000)
Explore the four corners of the USA meeting exotic, interesting wildlife and KILLING THEM ALL in the first installment of this popular hunting title.
Prove you’re a hunter for all seasons by shooting in night, early morning, fog and snow conditions. Bonus rounds like Turkey Hunt, Skeet, Windmill Mania, and Barnyard Bonus add a shooting gallery feel.
Mario Speedwagon rocking out on the Ground Kontrol stage.
On November 20, 2007, the original Rock Band was released and Ground Kontrol began Rock Band Tuesdays, a full-band karaoke experience where anyone can be a virtual rock star.
Two years, over 1,000 new songs, and many local and national news stories later, we’re celebrating the second anniversary of Rock Band Tuesdays with a reunion tribute for Mario Speedwagon, the “house band” that traveled cross-country this past summer as a semi-finalist in the Total Rock, Total Rewards competition.
Rock onstage tonight with original Mario Speedwagon members Debbie Day-Glo, SomeGuy, Joseph Hendrix and MC Destructo as they prepare for a live appearance on the Famous Mysterious Actor show!
Tonight (Tuesday, Dec. 1st)
What: Rock Band Tuesdays at Ground Kontrol
When: Tonight and every Tuesday, 8PM-1:30AM
Where: Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade, 511 NW Couch St. (map)
Tomorrow Night (Wednesday, Dec. 2nd)
What: The Famous Mysterious Actor Show feat. Mario Speedwagon
When: Wednesday Dec. 2nd, 9PM-11:30PM
Where: Curious Comedy Theater, 5225 NE MLK Blvd. (map)
Sega’s legendary 1996 light-gun shooter House Of The Dead has risen from the grave as Ground Kontrol’s latest addition to our fantastic line-up!
As agents Thomas Rogan and “G”, you’ll blast your way through several levels of zombies, ghouls, gargoyles and other terrifying creatures as you unravel the mystery at the Curien Mansion.
House Of The Dead’s combination of fast-paced action, polygonal gore, secret items and branching paths make it one of the best light-gun franchises ever. Grab a friend (or go guns akimbo) and remember… aim for the head!
Chip music – an avenue of audio and visual exploration for artists choosing to adopt vintage video games as a deliberate, aesthetic choices – has enjoyed enormous success for over a decade on the East Coast with world-class events the Blip Festival, Pulsewave and recent newcomer, 8static. For the first time ever, Data Beez is spreading those same addictive, low-tech sounds across the West Coast. This is a East meets West event: minusbaby represents New York City while Crashfaster represents California, Spamtron and Go Motion represent Oregon and Guybrush and Blackpawn represent Washington. It signals an evolving movement and sets a precedent for the future of chip music on the West Coast.
Presented in conjunction with Data Beez and 2 Player Productions.
WHAT: Live chiptune with minusbaby, Crashfaster, Spamtron, Go Motion
WHEN: Wednesday, November 18, 8pm
COVER: $5, 21+ only
