I have a new favorite when it comes to cool-looking games:

Piranha is one of the games that I got in my recent warehouse buyout. It was also one of the few games that worked 100% upon initial powerup after sitting for over ten years! When I got her, she looked decent, but obviously needed someone to show her some attention to detail:

After looking on KLOV, it says this game is a chip conversion for Pac Man. While it has similar gameplay elements, it is unique in its own right. And after having a chance to look at the innards, I found a dedicated boardset, not a pac man. My initial thought was to sell this right out of the gate to try and recoup some of my purchase price for the warehouse since it was fully working. Since this game turned out to be in great shape too, I offered it for sale on KLOV and locally on craigslist for $300 to try and move her fast. I don’t know if it was fortunate or unfortunate that nobody had expressed any interest in this game. After sitting lonely for a short while, I tried a new approach – barter! I have had success in the past bartering games for services. I put her back on craigslist seeking a trade for someone to tile my bathroom. Several days went by with nothing, but on Sunday – bing! I got a reply.

I drug Piranha out from the warehouse to take home and clean her up. A little magic eraser, some windex, and a new marquee later – she’s gorgeous! The cabinet is a frogger-style gremlin cabinet. I think the best part of the cabinet is the artwork – it is just beautiful, bright, and vibrant. Check out how white the sides are. The monitor surround is my favorite part, and when the marquee light hits it, it looks like a fishtank.

When the tile guy got here to check out the game, he decided that he would rather have my Ms. Pac Man instead. Normally I’d say no, but since I haven’t been able to sell that one either, the last one I sold only went for $450, and the fact that David Countryman just unloaded his entire inventory of 16 Ms. Pacs to the ATL Craigslist for only $400 each, I figured I would seize the opportunity. Now I am pretty excited to still have this game. This is an uncommon game that is still in great original shape that is fun to play. Who can beat that?

Is she a keeper forever? I don’t know, but for right now, I’ll find a great spot in the arcade for this beautiful specimin.

Tags: Arcade, barter, craigslist, piranha