Night Stocker

Night Stocker is a classic arcade game released by Bally Sente in 1986. It is a scrolling shooter game that challenges players to navigate through a series of maze-like warehouses while fending off various robotic enemies. Players control a small vehicle armed with a turret, tasked with destroying enemy robots and collecting power-ups to progress through increasingly challenging levels.

Night Stocker was developed by Bally Sente, a division of Bally Midway, and released during the golden age of arcade gaming in the mid-1980s. The game was designed to capitalize on the popularity of scrolling shooter games like Defender and Robotron: 2084. Night Stocker’s development aimed to provide players with fast-paced action and intense gameplay, leveraging advanced graphics and sound capabilities for the time.

Upon its release, Night Stocker received generally positive reviews from arcade enthusiasts and critics alike. Players praised its engaging gameplay, responsive controls, and challenging levels. The game’s innovative use of scrolling mechanics and diverse enemy types contributed to its appeal among arcade-goers.

Night Stocker did not see any official variants or sequels. However, its gameplay mechanics and style have influenced various other arcade and video games in the years following its release. Games like Smash TV and Geometry Wars drew inspiration from Night Stocker’s fast-paced action and maze-like level design.

Night Stocker arcade cabinets are relatively rare due to the game’s limited production run and the passage of time. It is estimated that only a few hundred cabinets were manufactured, making it a sought-after collector’s item among arcade enthusiasts. Depending on condition and demand, a fully functional Night Stocker cabinet can fetch prices ranging from a few thousand to several thousand dollars on the collector’s market.

Night Stocker arcade cabinets were built on standard arcade hardware of the era. The following is a list of key components typically found in a Night Stocker cabinet for potential repair purposes:

Monitor: Typically a CRT monitor, such as a Wells Gardner K4900 series.
Cabinet: Standard arcade cabinet construction with artwork specific to Night Stocker.
Control Panel: Joystick and buttons for player input.
Power Supply: Standard arcade power supply unit.
PCB (Printed Circuit Board): Contains the game’s hardware and software components.
For repairs and maintenance, enthusiasts can often find replacement parts through specialized arcade parts suppliers or by salvaging components from decommissioned arcade cabinets. Additionally, online communities and forums dedicated to arcade gaming often provide valuable resources and support for troubleshooting and repairing classic arcade machines like Night Stocker.