# Mortal Kombat II & Smash TV - Two Amazing Games - Project Update!

**Source:** RetroRalph  
**Type:** video  
**Published:** 2021-12-09  
**Duration:** 8m 9s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lig9UGdgkiQ

---

## Analysis

RetroRalph provides a garage project update featuring restoration work on two arcade cabinets: a Smash TV restoration in progress with preserved original artwork and a Mortal Kombat II conversion from a multi-cade that is nearly complete. The MK2 has been fully recapped, powered on, diagnostics confirmed working, and will run MK2 Plus ROMs; the control panel is custom-built and ready for installation. Both projects are in advanced stages with estimated completion timelines in the near term.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Smash TV original artwork has been preserved under existing paint and does not require reproduction artwork — _RetroRalph, speaking directly about Smash TV restoration findings_
- [HIGH] Mortal Kombat II arcade boards are functioning properly with all test switches working and diagnostics accessible — _RetroRalph, demonstrated live power-on and diagnostic menu access in video_
- [HIGH] The original T-molding color on the MK2 cabinet was 'Midway Blood Red' and the replacement is noticeably brighter — _RetroRalph, displaying side-by-side comparison of old and new T-molding_
- [HIGH] MK2 Plus ROMs have arrived and will be installed in the Mortal Kombat II arcade — _RetroRalph, showing MK2 Plus ROM chips on camera_
- [HIGH] The Mortal Kombat cabinet conversion required swapping from a MK3 control panel (which has an extra run button) to a dedicated MK2 control panel — _RetroRalph, explaining why the MK3 panel was not suitable for MK2_

### Notable Quotes

> "The artwork has really been preserved under the Shane Black paint. So I'm really happy with that and the fact that I don't have to go get reproduction artwork"
> — **RetroRalph**, ~1:30
> _Indicates a fortunate discovery that will save time and money on the Smash TV restoration_

> "I prefer this brighter colored red. I got this from T-Molding. I'll have links to that, but it looks, as you can see, it looks really nice."
> — **RetroRalph**, ~4:00
> _Discusses cosmetic upgrade choices and sourcing for T-molding replacement_

> "So we're gonna run MK2 Plus I think on here so that should be fun"
> — **RetroRalph**, ~6:30
> _Confirms planned ROM upgrade for enhanced gameplay experience_

> "I want this to be a dedicated MK2, so this Mortal Kombat 3, you know, with the extra run button isn't gonna work for me"
> — **RetroRalph**, ~11:00
> _Explains control panel design constraints between different MK versions_

> "I'm planning on wrapping up this MK2 here pretty soon. So I should have that really wrapped up. I just have to put the control panel in, wire it up."
> — **RetroRalph**, ~13:30
> _Indicates near-term completion of MK2 project with clear remaining tasks_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| RetroRalph | person | Content creator documenting arcade cabinet restoration projects; primary speaker in video |
| Scarlet Sprites | person | YouTube content creator credited for providing tip about arcade cabinet serial number identification; mentioned as resource for arcade knowledge |
| Jeff Graham West | person | Associated with Arcade XL or XL Arcade; credited for assistance with arcade cabinet project details |
| Smash TV | game | Classic 1990s arcade game cabinet being restored; project in mid-stage with original artwork preservation, new marquee and bezel acquired |
| Mortal Kombat II | game | Arcade cabinet being converted from multi-cade; boards tested and working; will run MK2 Plus ROMs; near completion stage |
| Mortal Kombat III | game | Original game in the multi-cade cabinet; control panel being replaced due to incompatibility (extra run button) with MK2 |
| MK2 Plus | product | ROM modification/enhancement for Mortal Kombat II; just arrived and planned for installation in RetroRalph's MK2 arcade |
| T-Molding | company | Supplier of replacement T-molding for arcade cabinets; provided brighter red replacement for Mortal Kombat II cabinet |
| Escape Pod | company | Supplier of arcade cabinet marquees; provided marquee for Mortal Kombat II restoration |
| Donkey Kong | game | Arcade cabinet project in collection; noted as needing only side art for completion |
| DIY Retro Arcades | company | Mentioned as resource for arcade cabinet components and restoration materials (referenced in KB context) |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Arcade cabinet restoration and customization, Control panel design and compatibility between arcade game versions, ROM modifications and gameplay enhancements, Original artwork preservation versus reproduction in restoration projects
- **Secondary:** Arcade cabinet sourcing and supplier relationships, Multi-cade cabinet conversion challenges

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.85) — RetroRalph expresses enthusiasm and satisfaction with project progress; positive about preserved artwork, new cosmetic improvements, and functional arcade boards; optimistic about near-term completion timelines

### Signals

- **[community_signal]** Content creator actively documenting restoration process for audience; planning live control panel installation stream for channel (confidence: high) — RetroRalph states 'Hopefully the next update will have Mortal Kombat wired up and maybe I'll do it live for the channel'
- **[technology_signal]** Use of MK2 Plus ROM modification for enhanced arcade gameplay; demonstrates aftermarket innovation in classic arcade restoration community (confidence: high) — RetroRalph received and plans to install MK2 Plus ROMs for custom gameplay experience

---

## Transcript

 All right guys, we are in the arcade right now, but this video is going to be a vlog style update of what's going on in the garage. Because I've got several projects that we're working on. One of them is a Mortal Kombat 2 that I haven't talked to you guys about yet. And the other one is actually the Smash TV, which is coming along pretty good, but it could make a little bit more progress. So here, I'm going to show you first off the Smash TV. So you can see behind me, the Smash TV is looking pretty good. I did get, this is the other side of the cabinet here. If you look below, I can tilt the camera really quick. And there we go. So you can see the bottom of the cabinet. So I have the other side done. That side's not finished yet, but we're gonna get that side completed really quick here and we should be good to go on that. I was working on the other side. If you missed the last video, go check it out. I'll have a link right here. But I hadn't finished the other side yet. So I got most of the other side, about half of it, but it's looking really good as you can see. The artwork has really been preserved under the black paint. So I'm really happy with that and the fact that I don't have to go get reproduction artwork and you guys have already seen The other side so I just got to finish this side and that's going pretty good I did get a marquee. So the marquee is here. So we got that the screen is actually, you know I found a bezel for it. So we look good there. I have the smash TV bezel I have to clean up some various things there the control panel still work in progress I'll get to that soon and I'm gonna clean up the front of this cabinet probably take the coin door off sanded paint it so the front looks nice. Right here is the Mortal Kombat. So I got the marquee here from Escape Pod. Looks really nice. This one came as a multi-cade, so it actually had a Mortal Kombat 3 control panel on it. So I'll take you into my guest room. This is turned into arcade overflow, but you'll see the side art on this guy looks nice. I just put new T-molding. You can see all the old T on the ground So the new T really makes this machine pop It is a slightly different color So the original T for this is actually this sort of it kind of tough to tell on the camera but it it was called Midway Blood Red And you can see it just doesn't pop as much. It's more of like a dingy red. It's tough to tell. I prefer this brighter colored red. I got this from T-Molding.com. I'll have links to that, but it looks, as you can see, it looks really nice. I painted the front of the cabinet too, so it looks basically brand new in the front. I should have probably plugged that hole. there but maybe I'll go back and do that but it looks really nice in the front and that control panel I actually have it almost all configured we'll go inside the house really quick so I can show you that but I'm loving the way that's coming out so Mortal Kombat 2 project it does power on I'll power it on for you really quick okay so it's all powered up I wanted to see it's this glare from the Sun is actually tough but you can see the monitor looks really good the colors are nice and everything it's just really tough to tell in the Sun but yeah so it's all running so my mk2 boards are good it's running let's see if I back up a little bit maybe you can see it better but yeah so this thing is sounds good all the test switches work so everything in here inside the arcade this all working I got that all mapped and working so if I hit like the test so you'll see this is actually the test button if I hit that I can get to the diagnostic menu now keep in mind that I don't have any controls so I can't really navigate the menu but at least you know that works and see the board is mounted great right there so that was good this is actually one of the other earlier revisions of the board I believe where the ROM chips I think are on there but we're gonna do something fun with this we're gonna run mk2 plus I think on here so that should be fun but anyways this thing's looking good obviously I still need to do the control panel but we're gonna go inside before we do that I can show you some things I organized which is really cool I actually organize this area sort of organized this areas with my CRT's those are mostly all recapped and ready to go although some have burn-in and yeah Donkey Kong is basically just needs side art but that projects done so I gonna go inside I want to show you really quickly the control panel and what was going on with that system Actually before we do that this was the multi that was in that It was this box and it by a company called Paperware or something like that This has a very spotty pass to it. We'll talk about this on another episode, but let's go inside and we will see what happened with the control panel on this guy. That's the artwork for Smash TV. Okay, so here's the control panel. This is a brand new control panel. I put it all together. It looks really nice. The sticks are great on this. The buttons, it's got all HAP buttons, Cherry Micro switches. It does have HAP joysticks. I'm considering switching them to ILs, and I put, obviously, new T-molding on the front. This looks great. So this is the control panel that's going into the Mortal Kombat. But what was in it? So that was the control panel that was in it. Now, many of you may not know, I hear this a lot, they're like, how does, why are the dust covers where are your dust caps well the dust caps in this mortal combat several other games they sort of float inside here why that's kind of a pain in the ass is some people go how is that how does that even work so there's like a little space in between the control panel and normally you'd have a piece of plexi on top i just took it off so you'd have your plexi take the plexi off people don't realize this is actually stock it's metal so this metal piece lifts up i'm gonna try to lift it up with holding the camera, oh, it's gonna be really hard to do, okay, come on, you can get this, come on, all right, so there is where you would actually put your dust cap, you'd put your dust cap right there, and then the joysticks mount from the bottom, so kind of interesting, I want this to be a dedicated MK2, so this Mortal Kombat 3, you know, with the extra run button isn't gonna work for me, so anyway, yeah, a lot of people don't realize that, that the actual button floats here, But I got one other surprise. So like I said, I think we're gonna run MK2 Plus. And MK2 Plus just came in the mail. What the heck is going on over here? What the heck is this dude? Why is it playing Terminator? That's weird. So just came in the mail is the Mortal Kombat 2 Plus ROMs So you can find more information on MortalKombatPlus but the ROMs are right here So they all labeled So I planning on definitely installing these inside that MK2 because that's going to be cool to play with. So yeah, so lots of stuff going on. I appreciate you guys kind of coming along for the ride with me. But yeah, this is everything that's going on right now. I'm definitely, I got a lot of work cut out for me. The Smash TV control panel is right there. And I got the one with the serial numbers next to the name. So thank you, Scarlet Sprites, for that tip. I didn't realize. And that's Arcade XL or XL Arcade that gave me that. So Jeff West, thank you for that. So we'll go back into the garage for a second. But yeah, so lots of stuff going on in here. Lots of stuff we're working on. I'm planning on wrapping up this MK2 here pretty soon. So I should have that. I should have that really wrapped up. I just have to put the control panel in, wire it up. I labeled everything. Everything is labeled here. and ready to go. I do have the kick harness labeled and everything. So really there's not much more that has to happen there. So I'm feeling pretty good that that project is, you know, pretty close to complete. Smash TV is going to take a little bit longer, but yeah, that's the actual update of what's happening here in the garage. And thanks so much for joining. If you have any questions on any of these projects, let me know. Hopefully the next update will have Mortal Kombat wired up and maybe I'll do it live for the channel. We'll wire up the control panel get it all up and running but I'm feeling really good about where these projects are at the Carl Weathers's getting cooler so I can you know work in the garage really anytime I want so I'm excited anyway if you enjoyed this video give me a thumbs up consider subscribing to the channel put your comments below I want to hear from you and that's it for now we will see you on the next one you

_(Acquisition: youtube_groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

---

*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 2e301b74-51b8-4bd5-8f73-967892cddf67*