44% off (Sale price $97.50, Reg. Price $175.00) :: Two-Hour Party Reservation with 24-Pack of Soda or Water Or 12-pack of domestic 16oz Cans of BeerInside Arcade Machines: The Guts of GamingArcade cabinets pack a lot of features into their sleek wooden frames. Read on as Groupon uncovers the parts within a typical machine.Classic arcade games are synonymous with the iconic cabinet, that softly glowing box that entices gamers with promises of high scores and grateful princesses. Despite their size, cabinets are largely empty inside, designed to house just a handful of key components. Heres a rundown of the most-important parts:Circuit board: Typically strapped to the side of the interior, the circuit board is what allows an arcade machine to actually boot up and run a game. Early on, manufacturers built games directly into the circuitry of their arcade boards, which saved money on manufacturing costs but also made games more expensive, as arcade owners would have to purchase a complete unit to get a new game. Eventually, companies designed circuit boards separate from games, allowing owners to simply swap out the game data in a manner similar to home consoles.Coin mech: Different cabinets might use any variety of designs for the coin mechanism, but its purpose is always the same: verify if a coin is legitimate and, if so, turn it into a game credit. Whether its an arcade token or a US quarter, each coin has to pass two tests. First, a counterbalanced cradle tests the weight and shape against a presettable standard. After that, the coin then moves on to a small magnet, which makes sure its composed of the right metal. At either stage, any coin that doesnt meet the criterion simply passes through to the coin-return slot. If alls well, however, the coin falls through to the collection bin, triggering the credit counter on its way down.Monitor: Most vintage arcade machines contain CRT monitors, similar to standard picture-tube TVs. Since TVs are rectangles, not squares, the monitor may be aligned vertically or horizontally depending on the game. The endless ladders a
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