Retro modder transforms arcade cabinet with “awesome” conversion

To keep old tech preserved, one modder has turned a generic arcade cabinet into an “awesome” Lethal Enforcers cabinet.

Fans of retro gaming technology are only too aware of how fragile the hardware is becoming, as components fail and wooden and plastic cases start to degrade and break. One modder and Redditor is taking the task of preserving retro hardware seriously and has painstakingly restored a version of the classic arcade light gun game Lethal Enforcers by converting a generic arcade cabinet.

Arcade machine collector and modder Klein-Tobi decided to take on the task of converting a generic stand-up arcade cabinet – sometimes known as a unicab or universal cabinet – into a version of Lethal Enforcers, a lightgun game first released in 1993.

Search for a retro CRT

Due to the way that light gun games work, they are incompatible with modern flatscreen televisions. They can only work with an old-school CRT screen. This presented the largest challenge for Klein-Tobi, as they needed to locate, purchase, and install a CRT screen that was the right size and refresh rate. There were a range of other compatibility concerns, including the pin-out arrangement for the connectors, and resistance and inductance of the deflection unit.

Reddit

Klein-Tobi scoured his home country of Switzerland for a suitable CRT TV or monitor, eventually locating a Grundig ST 70-2003 which met his very precise requirements. He installed the CRT into the arcade cabinet, and after some initial hiccups with the color not displaying correctly, managed to get it working.

The next task was more cosmetic, as Klein-Tobi used his own plotter to print out authentic artwork to adorn the cabinet, giving it the perfect look and feel.

Klein-Tobi posted of his achievement to r/Arcade Subreddit, receiving praise for the modification work. Reddit user Pretieteste was particularly impressed, saying: “This is the kind of conversion I’m here for!”

The Lethal Enforcers arcade cabinet will now be made available for the use of visitors to Klein-Tobi’s arcade bar, located in Vilters-Wangs, Switzerland.