Assuming Gene had the resources and will, how much would you pay for a kit that would allow you to convert a PM or Airborne (or even a FF with some extra cabinet work) to a Kingpin? Assume the kit comes with -

1. Translite;
2. Cabinet Art;
3. ROM chips;
4. Fully populated and wired playfield (ie direct swap and drop in ready to go).

This would take the whole project away from worries about the problem chip, and indeed any board set issues at all.

Perhaps factor in the cost of the base game when you decide your figure.

Agree with PM, top game. Disagree BBB - won't be selling mine.

Cabinet is not really the issue though, it was more a thought on the avoidance of the board set.

Surprised at how little many people would be prepared to pay. Perhaps it was fortunate Gene didn't go ahead?

Same here, I have plenty of spares and if a kit was made would have no trouble making up the rest.

I just think this game is, from the accounts I have read, a very good one. It certainly seems like fun on pinmame. Add that Capcom playability to the mix and I can understand why some that have played it have mentioned they think it even better than BBB.

Only 25 votes, and most for $3k. I wonder if this is more due to

the lack of overall interest in this game,

The lack of interest in doing a conversion (even if a relatively simple 'drop in'),

Complacency given the marginally improved Stern offerings of late and the new manufacturers?

Something else?

Given the likely stratospheric price an original would command and the value on the repro BBBs, I would have thought more interest would exist.

Looks like I may as well change my avatar!!

You're probably right. Thought owners of other capcoms, especially the repro BBBs would have been interested though.

So Airborne + kit at say $5K = $7,000.00. Pretty cheap really I would have thought for either KP or BBB.

Its the boards, specifically the CPU, not the cabinet. The idea of a kit is to get around that.

Wow!! I'd love this game, but that is just crazy, no game is that much fun!! The rarity really makes this a special game though. Let's hope Gene (or some subsequent rights holder) gets something done, full game or drop in conversion kit, either way.

I wonder what a full repro game or a kit would sell for given the recent near $60K sale of one of the protos?

I guess my thoughts about a kit were that it removes the chip issue, and with 3,300 machines capable of being donors originally built (although unsure how many survive, but you'd think a high proportion), 200 or 300 kits would not devastate the remaining population of PM, FF and Airbornes. Add to that people like me with a full spare board set who would not even need to do a conversion.

They could even be done without boards, allowing a swap in or use of spares etc. It just seems to me that the suggested kit version could be done profitably, perhaps with as much profit as a full game given the desirability of the title.