Twin Galaxies : Donkey Kong (Arcade) Recording Rules
The following outlines step-by-step instructions on how to properly record the arcade machine, internal components, and gameplay for submitting a Donkey Kong arcade recording. All aspects must be included on your recording; else your submission may be subject to disqualification.
These guidelines are based on using a full-sized upright version of the Nintendo arcade game Donkey Kong. If you intend to play on a cocktail machine or cabaret (or mini) style machine, please contact Twin Galaxies before you being recording your game.
IMPORTANT - The Donkey Kong arcade machine must remain in the frame of view of the camera recording it at all times. The camera must never be pointed elsewhere, it must be pointed at and recording the game machine at all times.
• Begin with the arcade game powered OFF. Introduce yourself to the camera and state the date and time. Record a walk-around of the game machine, showing all sides of the game, paying particular attention to showing that there are no external wires or cords anywhere going into or out of the arcade machine with the exception of the power cord.
• Bring the camera around to the back of the machine and open up the back door, revealing the interior of the machine.
• Focus your camera on the printed circuit board (PCB) installed and connected to the machine. Record a brief overview of the PCB, paying particular attention to showing the part number on the PCB (beginning with “TKG4”).
• Show the dipswitch bank, and that it corresponds to the correct settings: SW 1 – SW 7 OFF, SW 8 – ON.
• Close the back door of the game and secure it with the lock, or with screws (as are commonly used). The back door of the machine must now remain closed throughout the entire gameplay, until the game being recorded has finished, and further interior recording will then be required.
• Power on the game machine at this point, recording the flip of the switch and the resulting familiar start up sounds should be heard on camera.
• Bring the camera around to the front of the machine, and setup the camera on a tripod or stable platform, to record the game screen. Zoom in appropriately to ensure that the most amount of the gameplay on screen can be shown, including the score. The camera will now stay in this position for the duration of gameplay.
• The monitor should now be suitably warmed up to the point where the game can be seen running on the monitor. Also ensure that the game sounds can be heard and recorded.
• Once the monitor has properly warmed up… keep the camera in it’s position recording the game screen, and turn OFF the power to the game briefly and then back ON again fairly quickly. This will allow your camera to view and record the boot-up “garbage” screen as the game program starts and then shows the attract mode.
• Allow the attract mode to run so that the camera can record the title screen, which must show “Copyright 1981 Nintendo of America”, as well as the high score table which must show the default populated scores with 7650 in first place.
• At this point you have completed all necessary pre-verifications; you may add a credit and begin playing.
Only a 1-player game is allowed for submitting your score to Twin Galaxies. If you have a bad game and want to start over, you may do so at any time, however you must allow the game to end normally. You may not power-cycle the machine to obtain a quick reset. If you want to restart… kill off your men, let the game finish, enter your initials, allow the attract mode to display the title screen and high score table once more, and then you may add a credit, and begin playing another game.
You may play as many games as you want on the recording, or as many games as the recording can hold, however there may be NO break in recording and the game’s power must remain on at all times.
• Once you have finished playing entirely, enter in your initials and zoom in on your score allowing the camera to adequately show the score, ensuring that it is readable on the recording. Also show the high score table one last time.
• Adjust the camera to view a wide image of the game’s control panel. Open the coin door and unlatch the control panel.
• Flip the control panel upside down to record the underside of it. You may operate the camera manually, allowing you to zoom in on details of the control panel. Show the single bundle of wires going to the control panel. While moving the joystick in a SLOW circular motion, record the underside of the joystick showing the restrictor plate in action as well as the 4-direction actuators.
• The joystick itself MUST be an original stock 4-way Donkey Kong arcade joystick, or a replacement 4-way joystick of exact size and shape as the original Donkey Kong arcade game joystick.
• Reinstall and latch the control panel back into place.
• Return the camera to a view of the front of the game machine as a whole and add in two credits, and hit the 2-player start button. Show the start of the two-player game, and control the player to show that the control panel has been reinstalled correctly. Allow the first player to be killed and the show the start of the second player’s game, and control the player once more to ensure that the control panel is still connected and working properly.
• While leaving this 2-player game running, resume manual control of the camera and while ensuring that the game machine never leaves the camera’s view, go around to the back of the game machine and open up the back door.
• Without touching or handling anything inside the machine, record the PCB with the game’s power still on, and the two-player game running, allowing the game sounds to be heard. Once again focus your attention on the still connected PCB, showing the part number on the board.
• At this point, turn the game machine’s power off. You will now begin recording a further in-depth view of the game’s internal components.
• The power supply must be an original Donkey Kong arcade machine power supply; please record the power supply showing the wires going into and coming out of it.
• Disconnect the printed circuit boards (PCBs) from the machine so that you can properly show all the components on the board with appropriate lighting.
• Record the PCB set itself, showing that it is a 2-board set (one is the CPU board, one is the VIDEO board), which should be interfaced together with 2 ribbon cables.
• Show the part numbers on both boards. They should begin with “TKG4“. Please ensure that the part numbers on the boards are readable from the recording and that the part numbers match on both boards.
• Show the ROM chips on both boards. Each board has six (6) ROM chips. The ROM chips on the video board are located at : 7C, 7D, 7E, 7F, 3N, 3P. The ROM chips on the cpu board are located at : 5A, 5B, 5C, 5E, 3F, 3H. These ROM chips must be original Donkey Kong arcade game chips, which originally included label stickers on them indicating the TKG4 model, and the location of the chips’ installation socket. Please record on camera any and all information written on either the ROM chips themselves, or the label stickers on the ROM chips.
• Show the dipswitch bank, located approximately near C10. The switch bank must correspond to the correct settings : SW 1 – SW 7 OFF, SW 8 – ON.
• Show the Z80 processor located on the CPU board at 7C. It must be labeled “780c”, or “Z80”.
• No adjustments or additions to the PCB set may be used. High score save kits, or any other hardware attached to the Z80 processor or anywhere else on the board or game is strictly prohibited.
• You may now end recording and submit your score to Twin Galaxies.
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