Fixed
The boardset came back repaired. We have a working Space Encounters. This unit had a working monitor and strobe unit. It also has the hard to find color gel.
This is a monochrome game with color provided by a multi-colored overlay that hangs in front of the screen. It is held in place by a plastic bezel with some printed space portal artwork. The overlay has deep blue for the “sky” above the tunnel. The sides of the tunnel are red and the bottom is yellow. There is a yellow Notch in the blue sky for the score.
The bezel art is complemented by folded card board art that shrouds the space between the bezel and a second glass bezel mounted in a plastic surround. This is very similar to its contemporary Atari Destroyer design.
The nice thing about the upright version is the lighting effects. In that shroud space between the space portal bezel and the clear glass a full on light show is installed. There is a blinking red panel at the bottom that resembles the red dot displays of Star Trek Original Series design. Placed in the “random” red dots is a clearly spelled out MIDWAY. This panel just blinks to produce that “battle stations” red alert feeling.
The marquee is also a blinking red light in attract mode. The black marquee seems to require a huge light source. The manual calls for a 200W bulb. The bulb is red. I could not find a 200W bulb, especially not one already painted red. I also had a fear it would just melt the surrounding plastic like a shrinky dink.
The best lighting effect happens during game play. They installed a strobe light under the marquee. When you hit an alien ship the strobe flashes and the red marquee light flashes to produce a fire and explosion look. The 6 x 9 speaker cranks enough bass to add the right bang to the lights for a great experience.
This is a monochrome game with color provided by a multi-colored overlay that hangs in front of the screen. It is held in place by a plastic bezel with some printed space portal artwork. The overlay has deep blue for the “sky” above the tunnel. The sides of the tunnel are red and the bottom is yellow. There is a yellow Notch in the blue sky for the score.
The bezel art is complemented by folded card board art that shrouds the space between the bezel and a second glass bezel mounted in a plastic surround. This is very similar to its contemporary Atari Destroyer design.
The nice thing about the upright version is the lighting effects. In that shroud space between the space portal bezel and the clear glass a full on light show is installed. There is a blinking red panel at the bottom that resembles the red dot displays of Star Trek Original Series design. Placed in the “random” red dots is a clearly spelled out MIDWAY. This panel just blinks to produce that “battle stations” red alert feeling.
The marquee is also a blinking red light in attract mode. The black marquee seems to require a huge light source. The manual calls for a 200W bulb. The bulb is red. I could not find a 200W bulb, especially not one already painted red. I also had a fear it would just melt the surrounding plastic like a shrinky dink.
The best lighting effect happens during game play. They installed a strobe light under the marquee. When you hit an alien ship the strobe flashes and the red marquee light flashes to produce a fire and explosion look. The 6 x 9 speaker cranks enough bass to add the right bang to the lights for a great experience.