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    Repair log: Last Action Hero (Data East, 1993)

    Repair logs are quick summaries of workshop and on-site repairs. If your machine needs a service, 📬 Contact Us to discuss how we can help!


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    🐀 It's been a while since I've had to repair a insect and rodent sanctuary. The cabinet and backbox of this game were full of wasp nests and rat poop. So this game needed a pretty deep clean before I could tackle anything else! The primary issue was the game would not boot. A combination of destroyed fuse clips and leaking capacitors on the power supply were the culprits in this case.


    Once the game booted up, I could focus on the many other issues. Unfortunately the rat poop was not the only evidence they left behind; they also chewed through a bunch of wiring at the base of the cabinet as well as in the backbox. This resulted in a lot of game features not working including some lamps, flashers, the shaker motor, and a couple of switches. Those little teeth sure do a lot of damage!


    A few small issues to round out the repair. The balls were getting stuck in the trough. The trough was very rusty, and the balls were getting caught on the rust spots. Some rust converter and a clean made things nice and smooth again.


    Most of the insert lamps above the flippers were out. Bulbs, sockets and connectors were eliminated as the cause. Turns out, these lamps are all in the same column, driven by Q70 on the MPU board. Q70 had failed. Once replaced, the lamps were turning on again.


    A bunch of other parts needed replacing. New drop target. Couple of new switches. New balls. New rubber rings. New lamps.


    Machine is almost at 100% now bar a couple of minor issues, and is fully playable, which is much better than it was before I turned up. Ready for "action"! 🎬


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    Last Action Hero

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    Last Action Hero (Data East, 1993) came to me as a restoration project for a customer who had had the machine for some time but was moving it to a new location. He wanted it to be fully working so he could set it up in his factory. The machine was relatively functional, but had a few issues that required extensive repair. I have a soft spot for Data East machines, so I was keen to take this one on and see how a full restoration would make it pop like new again.