UPDATE:720 @ CAX 2008 - I attended California Extreme 2008 and played quite a bit of 720. The game represented at the show had a rough joystick, but was otherwise in good shape and was for sale for $650. I managed to put the high score up with 398K. the show also had 720 shirts for sale. See my full show review HERE.
UPDATE:Twin Galaxies 720 Arcade Game World Record: Well, the top spot is still a long way off for me, but I’ve had a score accepted and have taken the number 2 spot with: 410,660.
UPDATE: I’ve finally added the Joystick Help Page. 720’s unique joystick was the source of its distinctive style of gameplay, but also a cause of many problems. Any 720 still in existence has had, or will need, joystick repair and maintenance. Hopefully this page can serve as a resource for 720 collectors looking to get their skater spinning smoothly.
UPDATE: I've uploaded a short video of my 720 opening and first ramp park. It's a good example of 11K before entering the first park and illustrates the ramp lip trick, further described on this page.
UPDATE: Added a page dedicated to my Star Wars arcade game. There are plenty of Star Wars resources on the internet already, so its just a small single page dedicated to my machine, as opposed to the comprehensive 720 page. Check it out here: My Star Wars Page.
UPDATE: My Collection Doubles! After more than 5 years with just the 720, I’ve finally picked up another game. I’ve wanted to own one of these for 2 decades, and am very fortunate to have picked up a very nice Star Wars. The cabinet and artwork are in great condition, its got a rebuilt Amplifone monitor, a brand new Wintron HV unit and plays great! I’m doing some knit-picky restoration items to get it as close to “mint” as I can, and will post more pics when done.
......but of course, my focus will never stray from 720. SKATE OR DIE!!!
UPDATE: I've finally discovered a long sought after glitch in the game, which could explain some otherwise impossible high scores. See the "Invisibility / No Bees" Glitch page.
UPDATE:720 Registry - Do you own a 720? Please contribute to the 720 Registry. Email me with your name, game serial number, location, and if possible any other comments or a website or picture link..
UPDATE:Atari 720 Degrees Operator’s Manual – I am adding a direct download of the full Operator’s Manual. Hopefully this will assist those who’ve emailed me with specific repair questions. There are detailed instruction and schematics for the always troublesome joystick assembly on pages 15, 16 and 23. There are also very detailed maintenance and repair procedures, and some game play instruction. This is my own scan, so please at least link to my site.
** This manual is copyright Atari Games Corporation. It is posted as a service to Atari classic arcade game collectors and will be removed upon request.
UPDATE:I was amazed I couldn't find any game-play videos of the coin-op 720 on You Tube, so I've uploaded a full run through on my machine. Unfortunately its simply the video camera over my shoulder while I played. The quality is not all that good, I'm way out of practice and have a lot of room for improvement, but hopefully this video at least takes you back to how it was to play 720 back in the day. Enjoy!
UPDATE: Coming Soon - Atari 720 Degrees Inspired Nike Shoes!!! - No, I'm not making this up....really.....I swear. Apparently Nike is coming out with several pairs of "tribute" shoes, one of which pays homage to the best arcade game of all time. Click the pic below for more info, or Google: "Nike 720 Shoes".
UPDATE(Feb-08): I wanted to thank all of those people who've emailed me with questions, comments on my restoration, game play advice, and especially their own 720 stories and memories. I very much appreciate all of the wonderful feedback. Special thanks to Michael Stanton for providing the original 720 distribution flyer, and www.arcadeflyers.com for the alternate flyer. Click the thumbnails for large, printable versions:
I've recently renewed my interest in 720 and decided to try playing a bit again. It's been several years since I played more than a few seconds of the game, so I'm way out of practice. I'll try to get back into the swing of things, and perhaps get some game play content up. In the meantime I've put up a few pictures of my 720's current home in my garage.Picture 1Picture 2.
Anyone interested in 720 who hasn't seen it should check out theTwin Galaxies Web Site; specifically the world record score on 720, andthis forum threadthat is packed with 720 information.
UPDATE(Nov-06):It's been forever since I revisited and updated this page. My email contact info is now up to date. I've moved into a new, larger home, and am hoping to begin my next restoration soon!
UPDATE(Mar-03): I've finally found reproductions of the boom box overlay and "ultimate experience" nameplate. These pieces were the only things I was previously unable to restore. They had been "yellowed" by years exposure to smokey restaurants and general grime. I can now consider my 720 complete. To see how it looked with the old boom box and name-plateclick hereor see theBefore & Aftersection of this site.
SITE LAUNCH(Feb-02):As you can see I've finally taken the plunge into arcade game collecting. I've started my collection with one of my all time favorite games: 720. In our early teens my buddies and I would ride our bikes to the local arcade and pump quarters into this machine like crazy. 720's unique control, innovative game play, great music, and awesome "boom-box" style cabinet makes it such an epic game. I always had it in the back of my mind that some day I'd like to own one. In college I looked into the collecting scene a bit, and actually went to a couple auctions. Unfortunately, due to the time and expense involved, and the fact that I was constantly relocating, getting a machine wasn't in the cards. Now I'm a bit more settled, so the time was right!
Locating the game was pretty painless. I began looking on ebay and watching the rec.games.video.arcade.collecting newsgroup for someone selling a 720. I eventually ran across a guy selling one about 90 miles from my home. When no one met the reserve on Ebay, I gave him a call and made an offer. The next Saturday, I drove up, slid it into the van, and brought it home. It was in perfect working order, but like so many of its 80's arcade brethren, was "cosmetically challenged." That's when the restoration began...
