A few small Easter Raids in Wales - Part 2: The Last Joystick

Back in the eighties and nineties, Electrocoin made some of the most iconic arcade machines in the UK.  I vividly remember rows of Electrocoin jamma cabs in the arcades down the seafront.  They also made some of the most memorable dedicated cabs, including Chase H.Q., Darius, Operation Wolf, Street Fighter and Neo Geo MVS multi-slot machines.   Today I’m the proud owner of some of their machines, including Chase H.Q. and Chase H.Q.2, a Midi and a licensed Rampage cab.

Street Fighter II’ Championship Edition on test in Casino arcade, Tottenham Court Road, London.

I got in touch with Electrocoin After Sales and Service Ltd.  By the sound of it, I was about five years too late, and I was told all they had left were two eight way joysticks!  I was hoping to find some NOS marquees and the elusive English Chase H.Q.2 topper I’ve seen pictures of at trade shows, but it wasn’t to be.  Undeterred, we ventured down to their warehouse in Cardiff to collect them.

We had no trouble finding the premises.  The fruit machine graveyard outside was a giveaway sign!

Inside it became immediately apparent what Electrocoin have been up to since they stopped making video games – building an army of fruit machines intent on world domination.  Possibly.

Fresh off the production line.

It was cool seeing some new models which haven’t yet been released.

The testing rig.

I enjoyed having a look round the factory floor, taking in the arcade history and thinking to myself how awesome the place must have been when they still made video games.  One of the employees mentioned that it’s been about ten years since they stopped making games.  Chase H.Q.2 was Electrocoin’s last video game, released in 2009, so that would be about right.

I was in for a nice surprise.  As well as the joysticks, they had also found two brand new gear shifters.  It’s incredible to think that these are Electrocoin’s last NOS video game parts, especially given their massive presence in the arcades back in the day.