The Megatouch Encyclopedia
A Megatouch is a multi-game touchscreen machine, and the flagship product of Merit Industries. Since Merit unveiled the first Megatouch in the mid 1990's, the Megatouch has become a worldwide phenomenon in bars, restaurants and other commercial locations throughout the country. Millions of players have been captivated by its innovative and addictive gameplay, and millions upon millions of dollars have been emptied out of these machines by their operators. But we, Jesters Amusements, aren't going to explain why the Megatouch is so popular and how Merit Industries made it that way (see their website for that). On this page, we are going to share some our expertise and knowledge by explaining the differences between all Megatouch machines, inside and out, from the first to the latest. (Actually, we're going to skip the first few years/models, because those are so obsolete that they aren't worth discussing.)
Hardware Platforms
If you were to place the history of the Megatouch on a timeline, you would see multiple "generations" of similar machines. These generations are what we call hardware platforms. To date, the Megatouch has had four different hardware platforms: XL, MAXX, FORCE, and ION. These platforms, introduced in 1997, 2000, 2002 and 2006 respectively, can be identified by a unique composition of hardware. The table below briefly summarizes the hardware that makes up each platform:
| Platform Name | Hardware Composition (Brief Summary) |
| XL | DeAmertek or Telco 486 motherboard, CRT-500 "Zeus" I/O board, AT power supply, CDROM or 3.5" hard drive media, ELO or SMT-2 touchscreen controller |
| MAXX | Mitsubishi, Itox or Unicorn 586 motherboard, MAXX-specific I/O board, AT or ATX power supply, 3.5" hard drive media, SMT-3 touchscreen controller |
| FORCE | ECS Pentium III motherboard, FORCE-specific I/O board, Enhance ATX power supply, 3.5" hard drive media, SMT-4 touchscreen controller |
| ION | ECS, ASUS or Intel motherboard, "Titan" I/O board, 2.5" hard drive media, USB touchscreen controller |
Software Versions
Each hardware platform has its own series of software versions. The software versions used to be named after metals (later XL versions) or gemstones (most MAXX versions), but more recently have been named simply by the year in which they were released (all FORCE and ION). A full list of all of the software versions can be found below. But first, here are the important facts to know about the different software versions:
- Each software version is designed for a specific hardware platform. Trying to run a software version on a hardware platform that it was not designed for, even if it was released in the same year (example: trying to run Emerald software on an XL machine), will not work.
- Two or more software versions that were released in the same year but for different hardware platforms may have a similar interface and content, but the software version(s) on the newer platform(s) will always have more games (example: an ION 2006 has more games than a FORCE 2006, which has more games than a MAXX Crown). The claim is that the additional games on the newer platforms require the additional hardware capability of those platforms to run and play properly. Of course, Merit wants their customers (the operators) to upgrade to the newer platform machines, so this also encourages that.
- The games that are included in each software version are bundled as a "package" and appear in every instance of that software version. For example, every MAXX Sapphire machine will have the same number of games on it as another MAXX Sapphire*. The quantity and the titles of games available on a software version cannot be changed. To get more games, you must install a newer software version. If you have the final software version for that platform and want more games, you need to get or convert to** another hardware platform with software that is from the same year or newer.
- Perhaps most importantly, each software version comes with a security key when purchased. The security key is actually a piece of hardware (looks like a watch battery with a plastic spoon/tab attached to it) that is installed in the machine and is required for the software version to run. In essence, the security key IS the software version and is what retains the value of that software. Merit is no dummy...they know the computer savvy people out there would try to copy the software onto multiple hard drives and avoid buying the software, so they implemented this copyright device system and as a result they continue to sell new software versions for $450. So when comparing a FORCE EVO 2007.5 to a FORCE EVO 2008.5, keep in mind that most of the difference in cost is attributed to the different in value of the security keys.
- Some software versions have a "2" or a ".5" at the end of their names. This implies that it is an updated version of that software release. Usually, this means that "software bugs" have been removed or some slight enhancements have been made. Sometimes, it means that a game or two has been added or some other content has been refreshed. Merit typically refers to these as "Spring Updates", because they are released in the Spring -- or the middle of the year -- in which the software was released.
* Some software versions can have their content limited by specific security keys (for law restricting states/regions). We never sell these.
** Converting a machine with an older hardware platform to a newer one is possible but expensive with "conversion kits", which we sell.
We have listed every software version from 1997 through 2010 in this table:
| XL | MAXX | FORCE | ION | |
| 1997 | XL | |||
| 1998 | XL 5000 | |||
| 1999 | XL 6000 | |||
| 2000 | Gold | 2K | ||
| 2001 | Platinum Double Platinum |
Diamond Diamond 2 |
||
| 2002 | Titanium Titanium 2* |
Emerald Emerald 2 |
2002 2002.5 |
|
| 2003 | Ruby Ruby 2 |
2003 2003.5 |
||
| 2004 | Sapphire Sapphire 2 |
2004 2004.5 |
||
| 2005 | Jade Jade 2 |
2005 2005.5 |
||
| 2006 | Crown* | 2006 2006.5 |
2006 2006.5 |
|
| 2007 | 2007 2007.5 |
2007 2007.5 |
||
| 2008 | 2008 2008.5 |
2008 2008.5 |
||
| 2009 | 2009 2009.5 |
2009 2009.5 |
||
| 2010 | 2010 2010.5 |
2010 2010.5 |
||
| 2011 | 2011* | 2011 | ||
| 2012 | 2012 | |||
| 2013 | 2013 | |||
| 2014 | 2014* |
* This is the final software version for this hardware platform. No new updates will be released.
Additional information for specific software versions, including a complete game list for that version, can be found in each machine listing in our sales section.
Cabinet Models
Each hardware platform also has its own cabinet models. All Megatouch cabinets are configured to house ONLY the hardware components of a specific platform; in most cases, you just can't fit a motherboard and/or I/O board of one hardware platform into a cabinet of another platform. The only exception to this is the box-like and thus spacious "Classic" cabinets, which can be converted via expensive "conversion kits" into a newer hardware platform. So if you see someone advertising a used machine as a "Megatouch ION Radion 2008", you're either looking at a seller who knows nothing about these machines or a machine that has really been "hacked up".
It is important to note that even though two different cabinet models may look completely different, if they are a part of the same hardware platform they will have internal components that are either exactly the same or very similar. Depending on the models being compared there may be more differences, like how a compact model with an LCD will have a different display and touchscreen than one with a rounded CRT tube-style monitor (it will also weigh significantly less). The trade off here is that the compact model will have less room for proper airflow for cooling, which typically results in a short life for the hardware components and other electronics inside. Merit has made some attempts to address these issues, and we have our own methods for our machines, but a Megatouch that has not been maintained and serviced properly simply will not last long -- this holds true for any platform or cabinet model.
Another thing you should know is that, like most commercial products, all Megatouch models are manufactured and assembled in a production run. This means that every machine of a specific cabinet model was made within the same time frame -- all Classic cabinets were made at least 10 years ago, all Radion cabinets were made between 2001 and 2003, all Vibe cabinets were made between 2003 and 2004, etc. There is some overlap here and there (i.e. they have produced multiple cabinet models simultaneously), but generally Merit has followed a consistent pattern of "design cabinet, manufacture cabinet parts and assemble, cease production and move on to the next cabinet." They DO continue to make replacement parts for a few years after the production run, but most machines out there are parted out or likely sold used and "as-is" before expensive parts are replaced, since the original operators have hopefully already made a return on their investment and just want to turn over their inventory. What this means to the used game buyer is that the FORCE Radion 2010 you saw has been upgraded to new software, but the the cabinet and all hardware inside is actually over 6 years old! Since this page is only meant to be informational, we'll stop here and let you read more about how we refurbish and sell OUR machines elsewhere on this website.
This section wouldn't be complete without a table, so here is one more listing all of the cabinet models for each hardware platform, and in the order in which they were produced and released:
| XL | MAXX | FORCE | ION |
| Classic (Green Sides) | Classic (Blue Sides) | Classic (Silver Sides) | EVO (Silver) |
| Upright | Classic (Silver Sides) | Upright | Elite Edge (Silver) |
| Upright | Radion | Fusion (w/ Joystick) | |
| Full (Green or Red) | Elite | Entertainer / Wallette | |
| Slim (Green or Red) | Vibe | Aurora | |
| Select | Money Shoot | Rx | |
| EZ | Champ | ML-1 (Live)** | |
| Elite | EVO (Black) | ||
| Elite Edge (Black) | |||
| Wallette (Black) | |||
| Fusion |
** Designed for commercial and online use only.
Some of the models listed above were manufactured in very limited quantity, and some have multiple versions (FORCE EVO with DBA and coin, FORCE EVO with coin only, ION Elite Edge with 15" LCD, ION Elite Edge with 17" LCD, etc.). There are also other cabinet models that have been produced and have similar designs and/or internal hardware components to those listed above but are NOT considered to be a Megatouch. These include but are not limited to the Fun Zone, Fun Zone Jr., Mr. VIPS, Boardwalk, Prize Farm, etc.
Additional information for specific cabinet models can be found in our sales section, where we highlight the pros and cons of each model, as well as our efforts to address any cons to improve the machine and/or increase reliability.
Additional Information
We hope that the information on this page can be of use to you. If you have any questions pertaining to this information, what we do, or Megatouch games in general, please feel free to ask!
All information on this page is intellectual property of Jesters Amusements LLC and should not be reproduced, published, or transmitted in any physical or electronic forum either in part or in whole without the explicit written consent from the copyright owner. You are welcome to link to our webpages but please don't steal our hard work!