"Trashed" Tron Arcade Restoration!
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- Опубликовано: 2 июн 2024
- ** Music too aggressive for your liking? Try the softer, quieter version at: • "Trashed" Tron Arcade ... **
This one is perhaps his most epic restoration yet!
Join Tod as he tackles his latest (and maybe greatest?) arcade restoration challenge -- TRON!
He starts his journey with a road trip to pick up a Tron arcade cabinet that nearly ended up in a burn pile (and rightfully so!). Missing nearly all of its major parts, Tod has to gather the required components and figure out how to put them back together into a working game. The nearly six-month-long restoration process includes woodworking, wiring, circuit board repair, arcade monitor rebuilding, polishing, painting, and so much more!
By the end of the video Tron is up and running and ready to take its spot in the 1980s-style arcade. Hopefully you will enjoy the ride and gain some helpful knowledge about arcade games and the movie itself. As always, Tod approaches his work with a sense of humor and keeps the video light and upbeat.
** If you enjoy the video, please help me out by liking and subscribing. And comments are much appreciated! **
Be sure to check out my other videos, including an epic Nintendo Red Tent restoration and a walkthrough of my extensive video game collection. Thanks!
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:55 - The Purchase
06:44 - Finding the Pieces
11:03 - Cabinet Restoration
20:30 - Cabinet Finishing
30:30 - Painting and Prepping
39:11 - Electronics Rehab
56:30 - Monitor Rebuild
01:09:39 - Piecing It Together
01:18:22 - Bringing It In
01:25:30 - Controls
01:34:55 - Final Details
01:45:20 - Results
Music Credits (channel licensed through Uppbeat):
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!)
Afro Cat (Infraction)
uppbeat.io/t/infraction/afro-cat
Begin (Swoop)
uppbeat.io/t/swoop/begin
Break The Mold (Soundroll)
uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/break-...
Brooklyn (Infraction)
uppbeat.io/t/infraction/brooklyn
Cyborg Ninja (Kevin Macleod)
uppbeat.io/t/kevin-macleod/cy...
Dream Land (ATM)
uppbeat.io/t/atm/dream-land
Extreme (Oakvale of Albion)
uppbeat.io/t/oakvale-of-albio...
Forever And Always (Infraction)
uppbeat.io/t/infraction/forev...
Fractal (Moire)
uppbeat.io/t/moire/fractal
Future (Matrika)
uppbeat.io/t/matrika/future
Hackers (Infraction)
uppbeat.io/t/infraction/hackers
Intervention (IMG)
uppbeat.io/t/img/intervention
Interplanetary Walk (Paul Yudin)
uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/inter...
Kawaii Game (Pecan Pie)
uppbeat.io/t/pecan-pie/kawaii...
Lazer Beam (Matrika)
uppbeat.io/t/matrika/lazer-beam
Live It (Infraction)
uppbeat.io/t/infraction/live-it
Midnight Cruiser (Capturez)
uppbeat.io/t/capturez/midnigh...
Neurovibe (Hartzmann)
uppbeat.io/t/hartzmann/neurovibe
Polarity (Prigida)
uppbeat.io/t/prigida/polarity
Refresh (Mountaineer)
uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/refresh
Reproduce (IMG)
uppbeat.io/t/img/reproduce
Runaway (Oakvale Of Albion)
uppbeat.io/t/oakvale-of-albio...
Sequence (Moire)
uppbeat.io/t/moire/sequence
Shadow Runner (Mountaineer)
uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/shad...
Space Ranger (Moire)
uppbeat.io/t/moire/space-ranger
Summer Strut (Infraction)
uppbeat.io/t/infraction/summe...
Ultraviolet (Infraction)
uppbeat.io/t/infraction/ultra...
Vacation Collective (FE77A)
uppbeat.io/t/fe77a/vacation-c...
Wazzup (Mountaineer)
uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/wazzup
Video Credits:
RUclips clips:
VIDEO FEVER - Games People Play from ABC news LA
9th Key Pattern
• VIDEO FEVER - Games Pe...
Tron--Enter the Game Grid (1982) Iamthe80sguy2 (Scanned into computer)
• Tron - Enter the Game ...
Tron--Light Cycle (1982) Same..
• Tron - Light Cycle (1982)
Tron meets the tower guardian , tronfanboy
• Tron meets the tower g...
TRON (ARCADE - FULL GAME) Zeusdaz - The Unemulated Retro Game Channel
• TRON (ARCADE - FULL GAME) 
Игры
I think enough time has passed that I can reveal a secret. At the time of the Movie's release, I worked in a mall across the hall from an arcade. Whenever their machines would malfunction, I would fix them. they always opened the machine doors for me and clicked off lots of credits. When the Tron machine arrived, the instructions said that they were to put it in the back room and not to put it out on the floor until the movie's opening day. they invited me over to play the game in the back room every night after closing. We played for hours every night for the next week. On opening day, everyone around me watching me play the game was amazed at how good I was on the first day!!
I think you are probably safe! That is really cool, for sure!
I'M TELLING!!!!!!!!!!
Report to the MCP game grid.
Expect a letter from Disney's lawyers.
You were basically a sandpit tester, excellent.
I know I'm late to this video... But I must say, you are an arcade hero! You rescued one of my favorite arcade games and did a beautiful job giving Tron some well deserved TLC. 🤗 These games deserve to be taken care of and appreciated. Thank you for posting this !
You’re not late-none of my videos gained any traction until recently. I was almost at the point of not making any more. But seeing the great response over the last month or two has been really rewarding. I’m in deep on several projects right now so more to come :) Thanks!
Wow! That wasn't just a restoration, it was a resurrection! Excellent work!
Thanks! And I kind of agree- it was something!
I owned a coin-op route business from 1993 to 1999 with many locations from fun centers to convenience stores and any place that would let us put a machine in. That's where I first cut my teeth learning electronics diagnostics and repair and all kinds of other things. I purchased Randy Fromm's Arcade School on VHS, watched those and spent a good deal of time in the back of the Colorado Game Exchange with the repair techs learning from them. I moved on to other ventures, but I'll always have a deep love for arcades and arcade machines.
You did a top notch job restoring this Tron! I really appreciate that you did everything properly and didn't do any hack jobs like I see a few other arcade (and automotive) channels do consistently. You earned a sub!
The hack that really grates on me is when they encourage sanding on point contacts/switches which will make them work temporarily but removes the thin high quality contact alloy metal exposing the cheap metal underneath that degrades quickly. The guy I purchased my first few machines from told me to sand those contacts with a nail file to clean them, and I completely ruined an antique electro-mechanical pinball machine doing that not long after.
It was one of the techs at the CGE that taught me that contacts need cleaning, not sanding, and that the proper way is any chemical or non-abrasive that will remove gunk and polish but not damage the contact finish, one of his common tools was a simple pink eraser, sometimes with some contact cleaner; a pink eraser and D5 is my go to now. Some people laugh in my face when I try to teach them this eraser trick, but it works quick and easy without any damage. This works on any metal contact, points, edge connectors, pins, etc.
Thanks! I try to do what's best in the long run as much as possible by listening to the pros but always learning new things as I go. I've used a pink eraser forever cleaning contacts--I still do it from time to time, but once I got used to using a fiberglass brush and deoxit I've just stuck with it. Much appreciated and I am in the middle of some interesting projects right now that I can hopefully detail before long.
@@tcurtis49 I may have to try one of those fiberglass brushes, it looks like they work great.
Everything I've watched you do from cabinet repair on that old dodgy fiber board to your ability to diagnose and decipher a schematic to get those crazy wonky old boards running if I was still running a coin-op route I would hire you immediately. I do think you've moved beyond just a hobbyist, you do a lot better job than several arcade channels that tout themselves as professional.
If I didn't have so much going on right now I would be doing a cap kit on my stand up Double Dragon, you've kinda given me the bug again.
That's very kind and I've picked up a lot from doing it for so long. I started buying arcade games at auctions in the mid 1990s while in dental school in Indianapolis. I've always been a technology nerd and a computer programmer so that helped me understand the technical side of things. The rest has been trial and error, seeing what other people are doing, and having some artistic and hand coordination skills from being an orthodontist. But it really comes down to patience and taking things one step at a time. I appreciate the thought and hope you have fun when you get to the cap kit--I have 2 G07s to rebuild as part of my ongoing projects this weekend myself that I've been putting off.
@@tcurtis49 I'm looking forward to your future videos!
I guess I'm having a bit of the Mandela Effect. I always thought the joystick cover glowed under black light. I probably pumped several hundred dollars in quarters in this game over my lifetime. Great restoration and great memories. Thank you for preserving a little bit of gaming history.
I kind of thought so as well but could never prove it, and the original I got definitely either never glowed or lost that ability. Glad you enjoyed the video!
I really didn't expect myself to sit here and watch the entire hour and 50 minutes, but it was so well put together. Awesome job - and game at that. LOVE the movies. Awesome stuff.
That’s great! I’m glad you enjoyed it :)
I thought the same thing. And then did the exact same thing. Then I ended up watching the Movie Tron in the afternoon 🤣
I was of the same thought speaking from 12 June 24
Same here. I took some breaks, but the video was strangely meditative.
4:23 😳 My lord.. 😥
Hell of a project! And I can appreciate the gent taking the challenge..
(I wish I had a wood shop with all the fixens.. 🥺 )
I’m glad I married into a woodworking family :) Thanks!
I had no idea you could fix particle board! You're workmanship is amazing Tod, great stuff! The dubstep and retrowave also slaps 😎
oh and i see you have the SMB3 Pinball! You are a lucky man!! that's my dream unit 😍
Thanks! Yes, you can, but if you have a big workshop with plenty of tools it’s often easier to just cut new pieces. But I like the challenge and the preservation aspect :)
When I saw the condition of that cab I thought there's no way you're saving that thing, might as well just rebuild the cab. Boy was I wrong, you did a great job!
It would have been easier in the end but I’m glad to keep it as original as I can. Thanks!
@@tcurtis49 I'm 40 minutes in and loving it! But, when you started replacing the art, I immediately wondered why you didn't do it all from scratch. You clearly have the skills! Maybe I'll find out later in the video?
Actually, the answer is obvious. This made a great video!
@@halloweenengineer6283yeah there's just so much rot, fresh cab makes a lot more sense
You are not wrong he should have use used the old box for the dimensions and went with new wood. There's a time it's not worth saving
Absolutely incredible resto! If I hadn't seen it, then I don't think I'd believe it! Great work!
It is a little hard to believe looking back at the original condition, but it definitely came out great. Thanks!
Congrats on getting this Tron machine rebuilt! Thanks for sharing! :)
Thanks!
Most worthy! Excellent work bringing that arcade classic back to life.
What a gorgeous cabinet. You did a bang up job bringing it back to life!
Thank you!
I think this arcade is the most beautiful one in your whole collection thus far! 😍
It may very well be. I love it :)
That is a thing of beauty! Great job! Also, thank you so much for doing all of this in one video. I'm down for a Space Invaders restoration.
You sir are doing God's work!
The real Tron arcade you sat inside and got the experience of the disc hitting the wall behind you. THAT was fabulous.
That was Discs of Tron and a rare game these days, but well regarded for sure. I think I only played the standup version of it.
I loved Discs of Tron!!
We had that one here in Australia and that's the one I remember playing back in 1986. ( that makes me feel old 😊)
Wow! Amazing! --- Tron the movie was a master piece for its day that I watched back when it came out in the theaters.
I agree-awesome movie!
Back in those days my favorite was Robotron.
I did a full Robotron restoration a few years ago. I may end up doing a retrospective video on it someday. Great game!
The fact that you re-cut the back air slots because they weren't perfectly straight tells me everything I need to know. Nicely done.
Yeah, that’s a pretty good indicator of me in general. Can’t stand to have something not right :) Thanks!
Looks brand new now, great job
Thank you for saving these games!❤️
My pleasure!
This brings back a flood of memories. I remember watching my cousin playing the TRON arcade game at the theater and then seeing the movie. My nine year old mind was blown. I know the arcade game came out in August of 1980 (a full month after the film release) so it would have probably been September when we saw the movie. Thanks for bringing back this great piece of 80’s culture. Now, if I had just held on to all those Battlestar Gallactica toys ………
I have the same kind of memories and it looks like Tron has a special place in many hearts :)
This is the content I come for - what a fantastic restoration. Criminal that this only has 5.k likes. Top work, sir. 👍
Thanks! The channel is growing steadily now…consider that for the 1st 6 months the Tron video only had 1000 total views. So I’m happy people are watching now at all! Thanks!
amazing news story about the game in its original release. would have loved to visit that factory.
Me, too! It just seems crazy. The factory footage from the Pole Position restoration is also amazing.
Tron was one of my favorite games!
I was really excited to play it again after so many years :)
I am 25 years old. I love you videos. What you do for the retro community is invaluable to us, whether most people my age know it not. The same goes for the 8-bit guy, adrian black, and all the other retro hobbyists out there. Your knowledge is invaluable. I know these are just video games, but they are a key part of history, so thank you.
Glad you like them! Thanks!
Tod, awesome video man! Hoping to collect and restore arcades in the future after I get out of the military. I can't justify getting into the hobby when I move every three years, but I can learn and live vicariously through you and the other arcade RUclipsrs. Looking forward to the Pole Position restore, definitely on my grail list, love that game!
Thanks for the nice comments! Hopefully you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy this kind of stuff when you get settled. Pole Position has been rough wrapping up but I’m getting there :)
This was a great video. I spent endless quarters on this game. To see your process of restoration and hear you simple and highly effective explanations was amazing. I could watch you restore machines all day. New subscriber.
Thanks! Hopefully I can keep finding fun projects to work on. I have a few going on right now :)
I have fond memories of playing TRON at the local bowling alley on a Saturday morning. Watching your restoration brought back plenty of memories.
Great! Seems like this game brings back a lot of memories for everyone else as well. Glad you enjoyed it!
User! . You are the ultimate Game Warrior. End of Line -MCP
I ask my self if it’s worth all the time and effort you put into restoring it, when starting from scratch seems the best option. But I guess you like the challenge and having a bit of history in your hands. Either way I admire the patience and dedication you have.
It’s all for fun. I enjoy the challenge. If I didn’t, I certainly wouldn’t do these kind of restorations as they certainly wouldn’t be financially worth all those labor hours :)
I like to think your expression at 1h19 is you contemplating "what have i done"😂
That happens often :)
TOTALLY RAD 👍🏻😎
Kevin Flynn once said, “There’s No Problems, Only Solutions”
This was a fun watch. I'm glad folks like you keep that history alive!
Thanks!
Thank you, Tod. This video popped up in my feed. I am a sucker for nostalgia video games in cabinets. Tron is top shelf. Sit down Star Wars is the Holy Grail!
There was a sit-down Star Wars at our local donut shop growing up, Was awesome!
Being born in 92, I missed the giant arcade scene and never got to experience it. This restoration was absolutely amazing!
I had a smile on my face the entire time!
It’s really hard to describe how exciting it was to walk into an arcade with some dollar bills, put them into the changer and get quarters, then decide how you wanted to spend them. I remember when Pac-Man came out they had a gated line you had to wait in until it was your turn. So you really tried to get good quickly so you could stay on the machine for as long as possible. I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
Fellow born in 92 here. Feel like we caught the end of it. Always remember malls having arcades and other popular spots having an arcade. Would love to see a true resurgence of arcades (not the prize winning spots, but just true to life arcades)
I applaud you for going to so much effort and expense to save an arcade cabinet game that looked hopeless. You are the MAN! I also loved that game. I still go to a retro arcade and play it every chance I get. Along with Galaga. One of these days I’ll have to take one of these projects on when I have a place in the house for it.
Thanks! I hope you find something awesome to fix up!
One of my father's childhood friends owned a coin operated machine business. Pinball machines, jukeboxes, arcade games, vending machines, pool tables, you name it, if you could drop a quarter into it, he would rent it to you. He was like my uncle. So he would let us keep arcade consoles for as long as we wanted them. I was in high school with 6 arcade consoles in my basement. We had Dig Dug, Frogger, Tempest, Galaga, Ms. Pac Man and my all time favorite, Joust. Of course they were all switched over to free. For a while we had Dragon's Lair. That was very expensive and we only had it for a few months, but I played the shit out of it. In the arcade it was usually 3 lives for a dollar, which is not happening when others were just a quarter. I made it about 3/4 the way thru the game. It's just memorization. Remembering the sequence of when to hit what direction and when to hit the sword. We also had several pinball machines. My brother had the talent for those, he rang up some top scores that would boggle your mind. Great memories all the way!
That would be the coolest. It would have been really fun being an amusement operator (or family member) back in the day!
@@tcurtis49 Isn't Dragon's Lair playing video from a Laserdisc? I think that would be its biggest weakness, unless you use a modern replacement inside...
Great restoration! And despite the length of the video I never felt the need to fast forward because your editing and pacing is spot on. I know this was a lot of work. Great job!
Thanks! Yes, a lot of work…but worth it if people get enjoyment out of watching. I appreciate the compliment!
Impressive restoration. I really appreciated the inclusion of all of the fails and troubleshooting. Too many restoration videos skip the "warts." Well done.
I feel the same way. You learn from your own mistakes and shortcomings and from watching others. I don’t mind sharing my missteps :)
My god, talk about going above and beyond! I played the Tron arcade game in an arcade in Detroit, MI on Vernor Ave. near Central back in the 80s. It was and still is one of my favorite arcade games.
So many great memories of playing Tron coming out-so awesome!
@@tcurtis49 Now you need to follow this up by finding a Discs of Tron arcade cabinet. It is even rarer. Only 200 were ever made, and they weighed 700lbs each. They big sit down cabinets, like Star Wars arcade, but twice as wide. I've only ever seen and played one at aw Chuck E. Cheese a long, long time ago.
Takes me back to being at the grocery store and thinking I was playing the game when the demo screen was running (I was 3 or 4 at the time). It looks just like I remember it!
It’s almost more fun that way. And cheaper!
Awesome video Tod! I was nervous when I saw the cabinet, but you worked magic.
I was also nervous when I saw the cabinet. It’s one thing to see some damage in auction pictures, another to see big chunks missing in person :)
Lol thats not an amateur effort, thats a labour of professional multidisciplinary love, kudos👍😄
Editing, flow, information, presentation and clarity were top notch, another kudos.
Looks like the algorithm of fate has chosen you after 6 months of baking😂 well deserved.
Final kudos goes for surname and age demographic signed p curtis, bloody old, uk 😂
Glad you liked it and it has certainly been weird watching the channel get somewhat popular out of nowhere, but I keep making the kind of content I like to watch. Cheers to another Curtis- I’m about 50/50 Irish/English with a dash of German mixed in :)
@@tcurtis49 sweet, I'm onboard for that, 50/50 English, trini with a dash of Belgium, makes me the slightly more exotic, infinitely less skilled and capable branch of the Curtis dendrology 😄
Good luck with the channel hopefully it might put you back in the black🤣👍
That water damage was beyond what I would have considered saveable. Kudos to you for brining it back from it's watery grave!
Yeah, I felt the same way for sure. I was close to cutting new sides but wanted to see what was possible. It certainly worked out in the end.
@@tcurtis49 The results are amazing! Very satisfying to see you repair the bottom like that.
I'd have taken off a larger chunk just to save time. I love restoring things, but actually recompressing the chipboard to its original form ...a bit too much for me. But it's nice to see someone be so meticulous.
I plan not to restore a cabinet, but to create a copy of the millepede cabaret, with modern replacement CPU (Pi or PC) but with a CRT.
Fellow Hoosier here....Really enjoyed this.....My Dad was an electrical engineer for Westinghouse for nearly 50 years.....he always joked that "Electronics will stop working if you let the Blue Smoke get out"
Thanks! And yes, keep that blue smoke contained!
Man I loved that game back when it came out. But then came the ultimate. DISKS OF TRON! The booth version with the speakers in front and behind you. Listening to those disks bounce off the wall behind you was a whole new level. I think it used the same hardware as Tron's stick and spinner and I believe I saw some Tron cabinets retrofitted but without the booth it just wasn't the same.
I think I played the basic upright back in the day and it was a lot of fun. There’s one for sale on FB Marketplace right now. The bigger immersive version is super cool and also rare. Someone found one on a curb near Chicago last year and restored it..amazing find!
@@tcurtis49 Watched a few of those vids. Oh the horror. Tearing apart the Environmental booths to make cabinets. I also see that the spinner was different with the push pull function.
Wow, awesome restoration. I never thought you can "repair" that swollen particle board that good. Well done!!
It seems like I get a lot of that with my projects and you can definitely fix it, but it takes quite a bit of time and effort. Glad you liked the video!
Sigh....I wanna go to Tod's house. He's got what we all wanted back in the day. I can practically smell that room. Anyone else remember that smell? That crisp smell of ozone. There was no greater feeling than walking into an arcade with 3 bucks in my hand.
That smell definitely exists…the sweet scent of nostalgia :)
Amazing job , nice to have saved another arcade game 😊
Thanks!
Hey Tod! Your restoration of the Tron video game arcade is absolutely stunning. I was captivated by the transformation you achieved, and I want to thank you for sharing it with us. Your work is truly inspiring.
It's incredible to hear that one of these units made it all the way to Zimbabwe Bulawayo in the early 1990s. It's a testament to the lasting impact and allure of these classic arcade games. The fact that they reached places like Zimbabwe truly showcases the power of imagination and the universal appeal of gaming.
I'm in awe of the value you placed on preserving this piece of history. It's not just about the monetary costs, but the intrinsic value that these games hold for so many people. You've done an amazing job in saving precious memories and preserving the history of gaming.
Sending warm greetings and best wishes from Cape Town, South Africa. Keep up the fantastic work, Tod!
Thanks so much and that is crazy. It’s definitely a special part of arcade history. Glad to have a viewer from so far away-amazing how video games help tie the world together :)
This is so impressive. Not much phases me anymore these days, having been on the internet for so long now, but this craftsmanship and level of bravery to take this daunting project on in the first place, truly amazed me in the realest sense of the word.
I’m glad to help redeem the internet, at least for today :) Thanks for the nice compliment. Daunting is probably the best word to describe what I thought when I first saw it in person.
Just wanted to say thanks for saving a part of gaming history and keeping this gem out of the landfill.
Thanks!
Tons and tons and tons and tons of quarters spent on that game at Command Center Arcarde in Renton Wa. in the 80's. Great restoration! nice to bring back soooo many memories.
Thanks! Glad it brought back happy memories!
Tron had some of the strongest 'vibes' of any arcade cabinet! Nice work Tod!
Thanks! It sure did!
It was very atmospheric.
I was completely lost during the electronics section but watched the whole thing anyway. Incredible work!
When I was putting this together I just assumed most people would skip around to whatever parts they found interesting and ignore the rest. I didn’t realize that most watch the (what can be) boring electronics section anyway. So I think it’s cool that it keeps attention anyway. Glad you liked it!
Not boring! I’ve just got a whole new world to learn about
One of the iconic arcade machines of my day, I'm insanely jealous of your abilities to get this from a messed up carcass to a cabinet that wouldn't look out of place in the mid 80's when I played them to death. Much respect man.
I'm always on the lookout for games that had some meaning for me. Getting them back to where I can feel those same feelings from walking around in an arcade in the 80s is really rewarding. I appreciate the kind words :)
Great job! I remember the day it was dropped off at our pool hall. It was so much different than anything else we played. Tha KS for the trip down memory lane :)
You’re welcome! So many people with fond memories of this game :)
Disneyland had a bunch of Tron games at the Starcade back in the day. Loved playing them.
I have some very fond memories of playing this game.
Sadly it has never been included in any official, licensed arcade compilations, and it is unplayable on MAME because of the required spinner control.
ETA: I would have thought that deterioated particleboard was beyond salvage. I am very impressed with the results!
Thanks! It is tough on an emulator to get the experience. It’s one reason I try to look for games to keep that are unique with their controls. But I’ll take anything in need of love :)
Beautiful! It's so cool that people keep these important pieces of game history alive.
Thanks!
I really enjoyed your video. I absolutely loved the Tron arcade game when I was kid, so this brought me back to my childhood. Thank you.
Glad it could rekindle memories for you. It certainly did for me!
Unreal amazing work. A triumph!
Fascinating video! Maaan, Tron was easily the most bad-ass looking arcade game with the black lighting, glowing joystick and the trippy electronic sounds.
I know, it’s awesome!
Clicked on this thinking it'd be a short 5 minutes or so. Stayed glued to the tube watching this to the end and enjoyed it thoroughly. Thanks for taking the time and effort documenting your restoration adventure for us all. Absolutely amazing! I wish you luck in future restorations and banana production.
Thanks! I knew I was doing something risky making them so long but it’s hard to feel like you’ve been a part of the journey on a short recap. I’m glad there are others like me that want to experience the whole process.
Same here. The video was almost finished before I realized the length of the video. Great work on both the machine and keeping the video interesting 🙂
I loved Tron back in the 80s, the arcade I used to go to had a stand-up one that you walk into and you play it standing up but it's a cabinet that you're fully inside of, the speakers were like a surround sound inside of it, was super cool!
That was probably the sequel, Environmental Discs of Tron. It had a really unique cabinet like you are describing. Unless maybe they made a version of that for the original Tron. I’m not sure.
@@tcurtis49 Yeah, I'm not sure I was a teenager Back then. I just remember the tron game.
Hello from the UK , came across this and found it mesmerising , brings back fond memories of the game and film , loved it , your attention to detail is awesome and enthusiasm high just like when i'm dong model kits i really get into the moment so to speak . keep up the great work
Thanks! Lots of UK viewers this weekend. That’s great! And I’m having fun working on some new projects right now :)
OH MY GOD! I wanted to watch a Tron arcade build while I put together my Arcade1Up Tron at home and suddenly I see the mystery seller from the end of Nintendo Quest! Very happy to find your channel! What a killer collection! Funny if tragic story: I once drove up to help my buddy Callan with his arcade repairs at his warehouse maaaaaaany years ago, and I drove up to his loading dock just in time to see a full size environmental Discs of Tron wobble off the ramp and take a header straight onto the concrete. It was a high loading dock and the machine didn't stand a chance. Exploded like it was made of Legos. Talk about traumatizing. I'm glad to see this classic Tron get some TLC! Cheers!
Haha yes I am the mystery seller from Nintendo Quest :) And that is traumatizing about the EDOT! Thanks for the cool comment!
I always enjoy these types of videos. Great work done here. I just started exploring my interest in arcades and seeing all the work done here is amazing. Theres so much that goes on here from understanding pcbs, woodworking, soldering, etc. Id be proud to do a quarter of it
Thanks so much! Pretty much everything I know how to do comes from being forced to do it, so jump in and start having some fun with old machines. I’m just a few days away from releasing the Pole Position restoration that was also pretty intense. So much fun bringing these back to life :)
Thats what i need to do and get myself in a situation and get myself a machine. Although my girlfriend would probably not appreciate seeing a full sized cabinet in the middle of the living room. Looking forward to your polar position restore coming up. Started learning the basics of pcbs and practicing more on soldering. May take a look at some other material from sources like Randy Fromm i just find this fascinating.
This game brings back so many memories for me. It's obvious this is a labor-of-love for you, and I appreciate your efforts to keep such amazing machines alive!
Thanks!
That's an absolutely stunning restoration, congrats on turning an empty broken shell into a beautiful survivor!
Thanks!
As TRON was a formative part of my childhood, I want to thank you for saving and restoring this machine. You did a FANTASTIC JOB on it and it looks and sounds soooooooooooo good!
End of line.
Thanks!
My extended family ran a bunch of arcades beck in the day and I still remember helping to unpack a brand new Tron machine and being the first to play it.
Wow! That’s amazing…I had no connections to any arcade operators growing up but wish I did!
2.30am here in the UK, just watched it all in complete awe. Very impressive work! Congratulations on a superb job, Tod!
Thanks! Ton of UK viewers lately. That’s great!
@@tcurtis49 Another UK viewer here - great job man! :) Liked and Subscribed.
Bruh! Your channel deserves so much more attention. Your entire setup and talent are my life goals. I love the arcade room, the carpet, the cabinets, the attention to detail and dedication to doing things properly, everything!
Fantastic vid. Watched the entire thing top to bottom.
Thanks for the kind words. Traffic has picked up a ton on my channel over the last week so hopefully more people can see it. It’s sort of my life goal as well and I’m lucky to have been working on it for so long now :)
I had COMPLETELY forgotten about Satan's Hollow. Thanks for the awesome memory bomb!!
I need to start playing it. I tested it out and haven’t gotten to it again. It does look like fun :)
Fantastic job!! Defender next please👍👍
I’m so-so on Defender. Like it, but not sure how much I desire it. I can sort of play it in my Robotron that has a JROK Multi-Williams system in it but missing quite a few buttons. I do like the cabinet and it is definitely a classic, so it does catch my attention when I see one for sale :)
Two of my favorites side by side, with 3 of my favorite games inside! XD
Another Tron joins the world again... great job, nice detailing, was cool to watch! I remember seeing this game for the first time in our local library. With all the glowing lights it was iconic!
Thanks! It’s an awesome design for sure!
Excellent Work👌👊🍻
Really nice work. After restoring 3 Trons, I completely understand what you went through. I love your channel. Keep up the great work.
I went in pretty blindly on this one with no previous Tron experience. Was super lucky to pick up the bundle of parts and have a working board to begin with. Was a very fun and satisfying project. I still have to rely on the experts for advice and it’s always been a kind and gracious community, even going back to the old newsgroup days. Thanks for the compliment!
Always great to see a classic restored. I was all prepared to tell you to replace those caps on the amp bard, but you caught them. I have a collection of most of the revisions of that board and those caps are the usual culprit.
Good to know! I never found that in my search for answers but it definitely was the end solution. Thanks!
@@tcurtis49 yeah, nobody ever seems to post about things like amp boards.
Battle Zone was one if my favorites. When I went to the roller rink, I'd put my skates on and then roller on over to the arcade area, and then start battling in the green glow of monochromic glory happiness. 😊
I always liked Battlezone. We had a Space Invaders Deluxe at our roller rink. Good times!
Some people just have the talent to do this! I would have just found the plans and built a new cab from scratch to go with all the innards. I did this for a Star Wars Arcade cockpit, though ended up making it a MAME multicade... I just love the Star Wars cab and it's a unique look and machine to have. I have been eyeing the A1Up cab just to have the aesthetics in my game room of Tron. But back to you, phenomenal job in reconstruction, detail and explanation. You spent $2,600 to rebuild this beauty, but your time and effort are worth much more that you put into it. Glad to see what was left of this classic shell of a machine turned back into a work of art and playing again. The MCP thanks you!
Haha, thanks! I’m more intrigued by the challenge and learning new skills than having a finished product. But it is a bonus! People do make Trons from scratch and newer parts which is fine but not my style. I have a friend who always wants me to pick up Star Wars but they are really expensive. Maybe if I find one that’s been laying in a field…
@@tcurtis49 Oh, they're out there. I've seen some just as bad as your TRON looked! So sad to see the dilapidated carcasses of classic games. I mean, how do people let them get that way? Abandoned, alone... they need people like you to rescue them. :)
Man!!.. that's beautiful, I can still remember the spot where the machine was on my (then) local arcade, so many tokens but so many happy hours!!, I miss those arcade times. Excellent restoration btw! congrats!.
great iconic game and love the movies as well
Man, I love those oldies! It reminds me of the golden age of arcades. In the past, I did the electronic servicing of many of those. Maybe I could buy some of those old units and try to restore them, well, but teaming up with somebody better than me for the casing/graphics. Thanks for sharing your hobby, it was very nice to watch!
It’s still a thriving hobby and a lot of good people out there working on these. Maybe it’s time to dip your toes back in!
I love that you salvaged as much as possible. You definitely resurrected it ! Well done 👍
I was determined to try and it turned out better than I would have imagined. Although I’m not sure I would want to have to attack water damage like that too often :)
The electronic components are massive compared to today's electronics. Very nice video!
They sure are! And thanks!
Really, now all the electronics would be replaced with one raspberry pi.
The new joystick really made it !
Back in the 1980's, Tron and Satan's Hollow were the arcade games I played more than any other. Ms. PacMan came in third.
I never played Satan’s Hollow but certainly gave many quarters to Tron. Gorf was my favorite of that era, although I remember standing in line to play Pac-Man while it was popular.
Awesome job, Tod! I found a Tron out in Columbus, Ohio last year for $500, and it needs some love. It works, but has no sound. The joystick is off a Xenophobe (I might get away with just swapping the shell). The back doors aren't original, and need vent cutouts. And the side art needs touch-ups like yours. Its videos like yours that really help me stay motivated and hopeful. Tron is the one game, I'm not keeping, though. My brother always wanted a Tron since he saw the movie as a kid in the 80's. So after I finish fixing it up, its going to mysteriously show up in his living room. Just subscribed!
That’s awesome! Sounds like a great candidate for restoration. Glad to help motivate and I’m sure your brother will be thrilled with the surprise :)
If your tron restore doesn’t work out. I’m looking for parts.
A solder vacuum is a game changer. I don't even mind doing cap kits anymore. It's almost therapy at this poing.
I agree. It is kind of therapeutic to me as well!
One of my college buddies and I played this game every day after classes for probably a year. I absolutely loved it. Great job with the restoration. I just found your channel and I look forward to other restorations. thanks
That’s really cool. It’s a great game for sure. Glad it brought back memories for you like it did me :)
Mastering this game back in the day took MANY quarters.
It was a quarter-muncher for sure!
Well done. Thank you for using your gifts to restore these pieces of history. :)
Thanks!
I was SOOO happy when you didn't just replace the side art! Thank you for that decission!
I’m always trying to keep whatever I can on a cabinet that’s original. I don’t mind if there’s a bit of wear and tear. But things like control panels I do like to have looking like they did back in the day. I really wanted to use the original plastic pieces in the front but they were just too faded, unfortunately.
I was going to comment on how the schematics of the cabinet with some new plywood would have been cheaper starting over than the cost of this one plus repairs but I realized as I finished the video, that it's not always about the bottom line price. Sometimes its about the journey and the pride in craftsmanship because you sir, are fantastic!!! Your end result was immaculate and you should be very proud!
Thanks! Yes, I often don’t take the cheapest or easiest way, and there’s nothing wrong with doing that, but for me I want to connect with as much of the original history as I can. I appreciate the nice compliments!
I greatly enjoyed your labor of love restoration, thank you for sharing!
Thank you!