Decide the fate of Shootout Pool Prize

[Parris]

I bought a Shootout Pool Prize cabinet a while ago and over the last few months, every few weeks I have tinkered with it, cleaned it up, replaced parts etc.

When I bought it, it had been used in a really greasy cafe and it was also very yellow, covered in gunk and looked... well, put it this way my garage smelt because of it!

It's now at the stage where it is clean, looks pretty good, but has a really dull monitor - which I spotted when I picked it up and groaned about as the listing never mentioned it.

So, the thing is - anyone who likes Naomi games, knows the 'Prize' versions are limited. They are a bit like demo discs on the front of magazines!

Andy (Geezer) and I have talked about converting it to a Shootout Pool unit, which makes sense, but I am not sure whether more money should be thrown at it. New monitor and Shootout Pool cart (plus a few changes). Probably talking £300.00 in the end!

Or, just stick some 'Shootout Pool' artwork onto the cabinet, sell it as is or just keep it?

It doesn't really look like many people are interested in the Pool version of the Naomi, but to be fair to Sega they did a superb job - the games physics are excellent and I wouldn't mind actually keeping it if I did convert it to Shootout Pool.

Finally, the last idea is to rip out ALL of the Pool parts and convert it into a standard Universal or cut it down to make a sit down cabinet.

My lack of decision comes down to the fact that, it actually looks a damn sight better than it did when I bought it and it's taken a bit of effort to get this far. Part of me thinks it would be a shame to undo the work thus far, but the other side of me thinks, what am I going to do with such a limited Universal? I can play 1 title on it lol.

What would you do?

[Hellfromabove]

The panel looks about right for a Typing of the Dead. Maybe you should convert it to that. I have only seen one machine my whole life.

-Tha Hindu

[Parris]

The panel looks about right for a Typing of the Dead. Maybe you should convert it to that. I have only seen one machine my whole life.

-Tha Hindu

Hmmm, maybe I should convert the top of that CP so that it looks like an X Arcade panel lol - I'm bound to end up in the thread detailing awful conversions! That thing could take atleast 40 buttons, has a track ball already, can take 1 analogue joystick (has the wiring and PCB for it already built in as the pool cue rest is actually an AJ!), perhaps even enough room for 3 player! Could a gun be fitted too? The CP possibilities are somewhat endless given it's dimensions! A really awful looking Naomi could be produced lol.

I've never tried 'Typing of the dead', however that in itself would again leave me using a cabinet that plays only one title.

[Hellfromabove]

Hmmm, maybe I should convert the top of that CP so that it looks like an X Arcade panel lol - I'm bound to end up in the thread detailing awful conversions! That thing could take atleast 40 buttons, has a track ball already, can take 1 analogue joystick (has the wiring and PCB for it already built in as the pool cue rest is actually an AJ!), perhaps even enough room for 3 player! Could a gun be fitted too? The CP possibilities are somewhat endless given it's dimensions! A really awful looking Naomi could be produced lol.

I've never tried 'Typing of the dead', however that in itself would again leave me using a cabinet that plays only one title.

Man, if you've never played Typing of the Dead, you don't know what you're missing. I had endless hours of fun playing with my friends back when DC was at it's prime. If that doesn't suit you what about making it a 4p panel, just have the setup for each player one right next to the other forming a U shape along the edge of the already made panel. Also, you could still, infact, place a trackball and a set of 2 light guns in the middle to get a truly sensational mame cabinet.

-Tha Hindu

[cools]

Keep it as is. There's not much benefit converting it to the normal game, other than losing the ugly hopper box is there?

A normal Naomi ain't expensive if you're after something to MAME. You won't end up in the gallery of **** then either

[Parris]

Yeah, I think I am slowly coming to that conclusion, which if I do might mean I sell it off... Would rather someone that REALLY loved Pool had it. I'll get the correct artwork from Andy first though, get it completely finished off. Couple of CamLocks need replacing too.

Plus, I am going to have to figure out how to fix this:


The previous owner had never heard of drilling out the lock, so simply took a blunt instrument to the CP under and smashed it out. Great! Trying to figure out the best way to repair it. I'm no ship builder, never worked with fiberglass before.

[cools]

Ouch!

P40 + fine mesh will fill it, spot of paint and some elbow grease and it'd look ok. How strong it'd be afterwards I don't know - it might be good enough to drill for a new lock, and be strong enough for the locking mechanism to work - then again it might now.

[capcomguru]

So wants the difference between shootout pool and shootout pool prize. You mentioned it's kind of like a demo disk... In what regards? Shame that game never made it to the USA it looks really fun!

[andygeezer]

pool prize is a really cut-down version of shootout pool.

The difference is quite a lot, for a start on shootout pool you can have 2 player mode, which mades the game 100% better IMO. it is the closest thing to the real thing, but half the space.

To convert these to regular invovles a new control panel bottom and upper, and then control panel, glass sheet, brackets etc.

You could just bung it on eBay and hope to get £150 for it. The Prize machines don't sell, trade scrap them, JNC have a shed load of Club Kart Prize machines doing nothing.

[Parris]

pool prize is a really cut-down version of shootout pool.

The difference is quite a lot, for a start on shootout pool you can have 2 player mode, which mades the game 100% better IMO. it is the closest thing to the real thing, but half the space.

To convert these to regular invovles a new control panel bottom and upper, and then control panel, glass sheet, brackets etc.

You could just bung it on eBay and hope to get £150 for it. The Prize machines don't sell, trade scrap them, JNC have a shed load of Club Kart Prize machines doing nothing.

Yeah I agree, if the physics are anything to go by, then an actual Pool game rather than the Prize version would be amazing! I've played real pool for decades and my wife is a bit of a champion actually - sign of a misspent youth - and we both really recommend trying to have a shot of the regular system. You'll be surprised at how close to playing pool it really is.

It's sad to hear it is worth what I paid for it lol - especially as I have put so much effort into it. However, at least I've not lost anything other than perhaps a few £ here and there.

It looks like a LOT needs to be changed to convert it to the regular version Andy. How much are you talking about to do it?

I've seen Club Kart Prize units on eBay for £500 and never sell and because I knew the Shootout Pool Prize units were so stripped down in terms of game playability I have never been all that interested, but surely the CKP units are worth the effort if you can obtain a cheap CK cart? I mean you don't have to change so much on the unit do you?

[Parris]

Ouch!

P40 + fine mesh will fill it, spot of paint and some elbow grease and it'd look ok. How strong it'd be afterwards I don't know - it might be good enough to drill for a new lock, and be strong enough for the locking mechanism to work - then again it might now.

I was thinking of putting a metal plate in at the back, that would take the bulk of future strain on the locking mech. Will hunt down P40 - which I have never even heard of. Learning loads on this forum in the last few weeks.

[cools]

Not hard to find, any Halfords will have it.

Google P40 filler.

[Parris]

Not hard to find, any Halfords will have it.

Google P40 filler.

I am assuming it is the same sort of stuff they use to repair the body work of cars etc? Thanks!

[Parris]

So wants the difference between shootout pool and shootout pool prize. You mentioned it's kind of like a demo disk... In what regards? Shame that game never made it to the USA it looks really fun!

The other thing is that it is time limited. I have tampered with the settings to give a bit more time, but whomever had set this up for their business was being really harsh with their clientele. It's £1 per shot and you firstly get to select whether you wish to have a game of pool in a pub environment, so more intimate lighting and a green felt table, or pool hall, where it is more sombre and the felt is blue. In settings you can determine the size of the holes, which again the previous owner had set to impossibly small.

Once you have established where you'd like to play, you are offered a tutorial, which you can skip past if you are familiar with it.

The aim with Prize is to pot a ball on EVERY shot! But the moment you are ready, the clock starts ticking. You have 30 seconds to pot, plus unlike the real thing, you need to use the track ball to line up the shot, so if the shot you want to take is behind you, that can take half your time to line up! Yep, something that is hellishly difficult on a real table! If you miss, then you lose and you have to plonk in another £1 and start the process all over again, such as select which table to play on, skip past the tutorial etc. It gets a bit frustrating.

However, whilst actually playing, it's great! Years ago I had Codemasters Snooker on the Amstrad CPC 6128. I played that thing to death and when I compare the two side by side, then there is a million light years between them. When I compare real pool to the Sega Pool, there is very, very little that is actually different other than you don't have a table and you can't accidentally rip the felt whilst attempting a trick shot into your mates pint!

[cools]

Yup, glass fibre filler. Fantastic stuff.

[Parris]

Just found the actual CP for standard Pool



Why did it have to be SO different? Okay, Andy, my guess is that I am looking at the best part of £100 for an upper CP for Pool?

What a waste of an excellent control board on my current CP. It's spot on as well. Much more robust looking than the standard.

[andygeezer]

Just found the actual CP for standard Pool



Why did it have to be SO different? Okay, Andy, my guess is that I am looking at the best part of £100 for an upper CP for Pool?

What a waste of an excellent control board on my current CP. It's spot on as well. Much more robust looking than the standard.

Actually that photo is an ATEI photo, the actual shootout pool cabs have the same panel as prize, except where the blank metal plate is, it has a plate with 3 buttons, zoom in, zoom out and something else, as feedback from the initial design was not good, i.e impossible to play. Shame I'd keep a shootout pool if it had that panel!

[Parris]

Just found the actual CP for standard Pool



Why did it have to be SO different? Okay, Andy, my guess is that I am looking at the best part of £100 for an upper CP for Pool?

What a waste of an excellent control board on my current CP. It's spot on as well. Much more robust looking than the standard.

Actually that photo is an ATEI photo, the actual shootout pool cabs have the same panel as prize, except where the blank metal plate is, it has a plate with 3 buttons, zoom in, zoom out and something else, as feedback from the initial design was not good, i.e impossible to play. Shame I'd keep a shootout pool if it had that panel!

Right, I wondered about that blank metal plate on the board, so is that pretty much the only additional 'hardware' I'd need to purchase then? Can you PM me a price?

Actually, I agree with the customer feedback. A standard size would have been way too small.

[Hellfromabove]

That panel looks very interesting. If possible, do you think when you obtain the control panel that you could remove everything and possibly do a high res scan. Just for archival purposes in case anyone here ever runs into a Shoot Out Pool and we could just make a custom panel or refurbish it with the new scan. Just a request.

-Tha Hindu

[Parris]

Fate intervened - it went faulty last night and I spent 3 hour checking everything over. Turns out one of the unique PCB had developed a fault, therefore I immediately decided to strip the unit of it's hopper, second Naomi hopper controller PCB and gut the cabinet. It's now going to be converted. Already spent most of this morning preparing the unit and finding all the necessary parts...

Looks like I'll be buying a few more basic parts from Andy lol