New toy: Cherry Master Video Slot Machine

I went to an arcade auction this weekend and scored this upright video slot machine for cheap.

I think it’s hilarious that it screams “FOR AMUSEMENT ONLY” on the top of the bezel. After doing some googling, it seems that this unit *could* actually be setup to payout so bring your quarters next time you come over.

It wasn’t powered on during the auction but figured it was a very clean cabinet and the insides looked pristine so it was worth the risk. I figured if there was something wrong, I could easily fix it myself as I’ve done in the past. Many times games at auction need very little work to get running (aside from cosmetic work). Previously I bought a $400 game for $30 and the only thing wrong with it was a disconnected speaker wire so it had no sound. It was an easy fix.

When I got it home (it fit into my car barely – at not quite 5 feet tall, it’s much smaller than a regular videogame cabinet), I plugged it in and was happy to find that it worked perfectly. The only issue was that the screen looked a little blurry…fortunately it wasn’t an issue with the monitor, but actually just a build up of dust inside the cabinet on the plexiglass bezel. After cleaning it, it looks brand new now. It even has a bill acceptor that works although it doesn’t like my Canadian bills. Not sure if that’s broken or it’s expecting US$.

Not too bad for $25.

Update (June 2011): I’ve removed the crt monitor and put in an LCD and wired it up to play MAME which now also emulates all the video poker/slot games very nicely. The original Cherry Master board, control panel, monitor, etc are all in tact. Contact me if you are interested in buying any of it.