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    Repair log: Checkpoint (Data East, 1991)

    1991 Checkpoint Data East Repair log
    Image description


    This callout was initially to fix a non-booting issue. Simple enough; no 5 volts getting to the CPU. A connector on the power supply was dodgy. However in assessing this I noticed that the CPU board batteries had been moved to a remote battery holder. The batteries had leaked, so the holder had to go. But the CPU board was also covered in battery corrosion. It was still working, for now, but needed repair before it got much worse.


    Took the CPU board, stripped the components off (⚰️ RIP to another CPU), treated the alkali, recoated the board, and repopulated with new components and a button cell battery. Working well now.


    With the game now booting and working properly I could focus on the issues on the playfield. Switch in the upkicker was not responding. The actuator wire had broken off. These early Data East VUKs use very thin actuators on the switches which break all the time. Replaced with a thicker wire one.


    Right flipper switch was also being weird. High resistance even when closed. Internal switch contacts had given up the ghost. New switch installed.


    Replaced a few lamps, checked all switches and coils, and cleaned the playfield down to finish off. A fast, fun game to play. Love the speed check ramp feature! 🏎️


  • Published on

    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 (Prototype Conversion!)

    1991 Data East Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
    Picture

    We've been here before! Last time I wrote about repairs to a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT, Data East, 1991), I was discussing a restoration I performed for a customer. This machine was a little different. I bought it after doing some repairs for its previous owner. They decided to move and didn't want to move the game with them, so they sold it to me instead. ​It's a weird experience to start repairing a game for somebody and then finish repairing it for yourself. Suddenly you're not constrained by time frames or repair budgets, and you can really take the time to make sure the game is playing as well as it can be. You can also take the time to make any improvements or modifications that you want. And with all of the extra features I planned to install, I needed a lot more time than most people can justify in a regular service call. But what "extra features" am I referring to?
  • Published on

    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

    1991 Data East Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
    Picture

    This restoration was for a customer who had just come into possession of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Data East, 1991) pinball machine from a family member who originally wanted to sell it. Luckily, he convinced them not to sell it and instead get it restored. Of course, I was happy to help, and was keen to get some more experience with Data East machines. Early 90s Data East machines are generally not known for their fantastic gameplay, but the games are simple and fun, which is all that was really needed in an arcade in the 1990s.