Donkey Kong Cabinet Serial numbers listings

[Lonnie]

Good morning -

First let me congratulate you all in your amazing accomplishments.

My question is , do you have a list tracking known Donkey Kong cabinets and thier serial number?

We just finished the restoration on an original Red Donkey Kong number 01374 still sporting its Nintendo limited tag- it was shot with automotive paint and clearcoated.

We have had the Converted Radar Scope 4 board set sent out and professionally restored. It was verified by Eldorado Games as a converted Radar Scope Board set.

We also purchased a 2 board set.

Our goal is to make it compliant for record play or people could play it to qualify for Kong Off. We do have streaming available.

[WCopeland]

Hello Lonnie,

No such database exists.

You may find the list submission rules here: https://donkeykongforum.net/index.php?topic=365.0

For compliance, set the dips to 3 men start, bonus at 7k. The joystick must have a 4 way restrictor plate. After that, you should be good to go.

[Lonnie]

Thank you for replying Wes.

I will get the machine in compliance so if anyone in the Kansas City area wants to play for a record they may.

On the registry of machines , that might be a good task for someone to take on.

I did a study on Joust machines left in 2013.
After scouring the country -I projected 4% of the 26,000 Jousts made are left. 5 years later I’ve found nothing to think there might be more.

I believe this probably extends to Donkey Long and other arcade machines too.

Conservation
Preservation
And Restoration is a must to save these pieces of culture.

[JoshtheGamer]

Nice cab Lonnie! Welcome to DKF

[BillyGaines]

Does it have a TKG2 or TKG3 serial tag? 

[Lonnie]

TKG-2

[Lonnie]

I was just thinking - our Joustmaster website has a system to record serial - cabinet numbers and inspected dates - we could create a page for everyone to list DK serial numbers

Just a thought as I already own the software

[ijmorgan]

Here you go lots of serials on here.

https://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=64571

[Lonnie]

That’s amazing 😎
Looks like the hard work is done, no need to repeat it.
I’ve added ours.

Hopefully they post a spreadsheet.
That would be cool to see.

[ijmorgan]

If you look through the thread there is a spread sheet that has been compiled i'll try a dig out the latest. If you are a member the link is available.

Ian

[YesAffinity]

Welcome to DKF!  Nice pickup, and great work restoring that bad boy.

My cabs are on the list too (one TKG-2 red, one TKG-4 blue).  Note, the original (first 3000 factory RS conversions) had serial numbers in the 10xxx range.  TKG-3 cabs started at 01xxx, the first of which were red, and then transitioned to blue for the remainder of TKG-3, and all of TKG-4.  I would be interested to see more pics of your cab.  I'm sorry to be the bearer of potentially bad news, but it seems TKG-2 and TKG-3 parts have been pieced together for that guy.  That said, the TKG-2 parts are highly desirable, and the TKG-3 red cabs are highly collectable.  Would you mind posting a picture of the serial tag on the back of the cab and of the power supply, etc.?

I'm somewhat in the same boat with my TKG-2 cab - apparently all original parts except for the bezel and game board.  The game board is a TKG-3-6...but, with original "ladder cheat code".  Pretty close to original, but I'm still holding out that some day I will reunite the cab with a TRS-2->TKG-2 4-board stack.

As for score submission, I think you're already on track with this, but your 4-boards stack, if it has original code (and I hope it does) - what is known as US SET 2 in MAME, a.k.a. "ladder cheat" code - is not acceptable for score submissions.  That's where the 2-board stack comes in, and I'm guessing that's your intent anyways.  Just thought it worth mentioning, to avoid a submission that can't be accepted.   

Lastly, there is plenty of evidence that the TKG-2 cabs did not have art.  Mine doesn't and has no signs that it ever did.  Others in the same serial range with apparently original paint have no side art and no signs it was ever there.  I've seen pictures online from the period, with a red DK and no side art.  So, I'm just trying to say you don't have to feel obligated to put side art on it. 

[Lonnie]

Interesting

It has the 3 Cab Serial
And the 2s 4 board stack.

We confirmed that the board set was a Radar Scope

[BillyGaines]

Welcome to DKF!  Nice pickup, and great work restoring that bad boy.

My cabs are on the list too (one TKG-2 red, one TKG-4 blue).  Note, the original (first 3000 factory RS conversions) had serial numbers in the 10xxx range.  TKG-3 cabs started at 01xxx, the first of which were red, and then transitioned to blue for the remainder of TKG-3, and all of TKG-4.  I would be interested to see more pics of your cab.  I'm sorry to be the bearer of potentially bad news, but it seems TKG-2 and TKG-3 parts have been pieced together for that guy.  That said, the TKG-2 parts are highly desirable, and the TKG-3 red cabs are highly collectable.  Would you mind posting a picture of the serial tag on the back of the cab and of the power supply, etc.?

I'm somewhat in the same boat with my TKG-2 cab - apparently all original parts except for the bezel and game board.  The game board is a TKG-3-6...but, with original "ladder cheat code".  Pretty close to original, but I'm still holding out that some day I will reunite the cab with a TRS-2->TKG-2 4-board stack.

As for score submission, I think you're already on track with this, but your 4-boards stack, if it has original code (and I hope it does) - what is known as US SET 2 in MAME, a.k.a. "ladder cheat" code - is not acceptable for score submissions.  That's where the 2-board stack comes in, and I'm guessing that's your intent anyways.  Just thought it worth mentioning, to avoid a submission that can't be accepted.   

Lastly, there is plenty of evidence that the TKG-2 cabs did not have art.  Mine doesn't and has no signs that it ever did.  Others in the same serial range with apparently original paint have no side art and no signs it was ever there.  I've seen pictures online from the period, with a red DK and no side art.  So, I'm just trying to say you don't have to feel obligated to put side art on it. 

Is it possible that he has a factory TKG2 PCB (Radar Scope convert) with and early TKG3 tag and vice versa for you?  There seems to be a bit of gray in Nintendo's process at the time.  My blue TKG3-UP-US #04236 has a marquee without the copyright info but the bezel and CP have it.  It has  a TKG3 4 board stack with the "ladder cheat" (I think it's a TKG-3-6 but I'll check later). This stuff is fascinating. My machine also has red cuttings inside the cap that were clearly cannibalized Radar Scope/Red DK cabs.  I have seen another blue TKG3 machine on KLOV with the same.  I would take a TKG2 board in a red TKG3 DK cab all day long and twice on Sunday.  I am jealous of anyone with a red DK.  Very nice machine! 

[YesAffinity]

It is more likely that the boards are not original to the cabs.  If you look at the history of DK's release, the TKG-2's were a mad scramble to rebadge RS cabs/components and get them to market.  The game's name wasn't even supposed to be Donkey Kong. 

From what *I think* can be gleaned from the available information, is things started to settle down by the end of the TKG-2 run, and TKG-3 had a bit more planning to it.  That said, I think it is safe to say that TKG-3 boards did not exist prior to the end of the TKG-2 run, and there was only enough re-labeled TKG-2 boards to get fitted into TKG-2 cabs.  I mean, it's certainly possible that there was one or two re-labeled TKG-2 boards kicking around in a corner of the factory, and they made their way into a TKG-3 cab, but again, based on all the information available, it seems more likely the boards have been swapped ex post facto.

My red's marquee is no copyright, bezel is not original, and CP has the copyright - cab #498 off the production line (serial number 10498), and with 7 slot speaker grill.  Some TKG-3's were still getting 5-slot speaker grills and no copyright pieces.

There is certainly some higher probability that Lonnie's TKG-3 cab could've gotten a re-labeled TKG-2 board at the factory, whereas less likely (because I don't TKG-3 boards existed yet) that my TKG-2 cab would've gotten a TKG-3 board at the factory.

But, agreed, it is all very fascinating and maybe some day some detailed documentation, build sheets, etc. will surface from Nintendo or some other repository where those documents have ended up after all these years, and we can all gaze in wonderment at the true story, timeline and process. 

[the windmill]

I'm new to this gaming thing picked up this supposedly all original donkey Kong red cabinet no side art in fairly good shape has a serial tag number of tdkg2-us-up trying to find a value may be wanting to sell had a few offers as soon as people found out I had  it any help would be greatly appreciated  will try add some pics if not u can text me for them at 3042153758 Dan