Here is the question of the week... I have been offered an Atari Middle Earth for 100$. Perfect playfield and backglass... but of course, dead. In fact, the game did 6 months of route, was pulled off for technical problems, they tried to fix it over 2 years on and off, and finally parked it in storage in a basement for 27 years. I saw it recently and the guy said 100$ and take it.

W.S.S.D. (what should Sparky do...)

Let me hear your opinions... but I have an idea that most will say take it and part it...

FIX IT  

You can do it... you can do it...beat the Black Knight !

I've got a Superman (Atari) pin that I have just pulled the PF out of for my first shot at a restore and clear coat.  I'm sure I could use some parts if you end up going that route...

Subpacket has a Middle Earth. He'll tell you it's R@RE and boring as all get out.

Still, it's interesting and you really can't go wrong for the money. Just don't lose the lockdown bar. You'll never find another.

Speaking of Atari pins, I played Hercules at Rochester in April. Boooooooooring. And I was at the Guiness World Records museum at Niagara Falls this past weekend and they have a Hercules there as well. Guess what..... it's "out of order". Surprise, surprise.

Mark Ritchie gives some interesting tidbits of commentary regarding the engineering masters at Atari in his Topcast interview. It's worth a listen. No, it's not positive.

fix it and sell it to me for a very reasonable price.  you know me and my widebodies.  i have owned one before.  so i know what i am getting into.

Welcome to the world of Atari pins.  The first thing to do, is to go down to Petro Canada, and buy 5L of gas...

Ok.. I love my atari pin. Its a bastard child that makes all others look good.  You can part it out, but its uniqueness is worth keeping.

for $100 (I got mine at SB for $25) its a tad on the high side, but they are pretty simple to fix.  I will help anyway that I can. The best things will be to get your PCB, and displays tested, which I can do down here.  I have some spare parts for it as if one gets up on ebay I can't help but buy it to rip for parts.  The PF are always nice cause they never got played.  The gameplay is simple though, and you have to love the hi def sounds from them.

If the Backglass is in good shape, get it. My PF is perfect, my backglass.. ugh.  I got careless and its not in that good a shape anymore.  Its a fun machine to restore as it is uber rare.  If you don't get it, let me know where it is