19 replies to this topic

[LunarEdge]

Anyone else remember the time of coin-operated games, pinball machines, claw games and etc. A time when the Arcade was highly known and frequented quite a bit?

I personally love video arcades, it's a shame they are so scarce now. Closest one to me is "8 on the Break," in Dunellen, NJ and since I live in Lakewood, NJ, it's about an hour drive away. I actually talk with the owner quite a bit, he's a really cool guy who even knows how to fix the machines as well, very resourceful. If anyone here watches the "Break weekly" where they hold weekly UMvC3, SSFIV:AE, sometimes SCV and SG tournaments, 8 on the Break is the place they all go (some well-known players such as NYChrisG and Marlin Pie frequent the place).

(this place is much bigger btw, there's a whole other side)

Anyway, Video arcades are not all about fighting games, so I'll move on XD I just love arcades, I try to visit them whenever I can if I'm in the area where one is present. The atmosphere, the people, even the food

Spoiler

are all good and well in my book. Not to mention the sense of belonging at times. At the Break, the arcade I go too, has a pretty good FGC crowd as well as rhythm game crowd (those DDR'ers and Technika guys go hard). Oddly enough the arcade I go to is pretty popular and there's always a decent crowd.

It's nice to play a game competitively with someone whom you don't really know and it isn't online. You get a sense of respect, especially since trolling can be bad in real life XD.

Anyone else have any good memories of the Video Arcade? Any arcades you still visit till this day or are they dwindling down in your area as well?

discuss....

Edited by LunarEdge, 10 May 2012 - 12:14 AM.

[JonoD]

Arcades. YES!

Unfortunately for me, there's a lack of good arcades near me unless I really want to look in the middle of town (and I'm not referring to those 18+ gambling/slot machine only establishments).

Myself, I'm a huge, HUGE fan of pinball, to the degree that I HAVE to play one if I ever come across it. It's not a case of where am I heading to next or can I squeeze a game in, I'm playing a game. As many as I can get away with. (I actually made a topic on pinball a little while back: http://board.sonicst...__fromsearch__1 )

Aside from pinball though, no other arcade games really did much for me If I see some true classics out and about I'll have a go (most recent example was puzzle bobble. But even then that was a few years ago now).

Proper arcades need to come back. Time Crisis, DDR and claw machines can only take an arcade goer so far. It's just a shame it seem that those machines are all you tend to find in arcades nowadays .

[King Sombrero]

I remember this Cici's pizza I went to when I was like 5 that had an arcade. I went back to that place a few months ago and the arcade is now an employee lounge you assholes.

[LunarEdge]

I remember this Cici's pizza I went to when I was like 5 that had an arcade. I went back to that place a few months ago and the arcade is now an employee lounge you assholes.

Oddly enough the Cici's that opened by me has an arcade now, but it's like 1 racing cabinet, a rail shooter and the Deal or no Deal machine... not my ideal arcade personally

Edited by LunarEdge, 10 May 2012 - 12:12 AM.

[Cola]

I don't really have any arcades near me, unless Funtime America counts.

Speaking of which, thanks for mentioning 8 on the Break, Lunar. It's pretty far, but I should check it out some time. It's only a half-hour away on the Garden State Parkway? Huh.

[y cant solkia crawl]

I wish we had an arcade. Though it probably wouldn't do very well around here.

I love arcades. Nothing beats playing a 2-player game with some stranger and kicking his/her ass.

Edited by Solkia the Typo Wizard, 10 May 2012 - 02:08 AM.

[Polar Vec]

Most arcades are where I go on summer vacation. And there I have friends which like (as me) to play Pump It Up. But I also play shooters very well, and one of them is also great playing them, so when we unite, we cause a massacre

[LunarEdge]

I don't really have any arcades near me, unless Funtime America counts.

Speaking of which, thanks for mentioning 8 on the Break, Lunar. It's pretty far, but I should check it out some time. It's only a half-hour away on the Garden State Parkway? Huh.

I would count it, seeing how I count Dave and Busters as well XD oh and no problem, you should definitely make the trip out. Surprisingly enough, about 60% of those who go are either locals or from NY

[Ash Crimson]

I'm pretty sure I've spent hundreds of dollars of Quarters on Marvel vs. Capcom 2 back in the day. That game was my life, but I still sucked at it since I was like 8-10ish. Also, I remember the days of playing DDR back when it was prominent, and kicking butt at Tekken and Soul Calibur. Good times...Goooooooood tiiiiiiiiiimes....

[LunarEdge]

I'm pretty sure I've spent hundreds of dollars of Quarters on Marvel vs. Capcom 2 back in the day. That game was my life, but I still sucked at it since I was like 8-10ish. Also, I remember the days of playing DDR back when it was prominent, and kicking butt at Tekken and Soul Calibur. Good times...Goooooooood tiiiiiiiiiimes....

That pretty much sums up my history with arcades back in the day, only Sonic the Fighters was amongst that list XD

I wish we had an arcade. Though it probably wouldn't do very well around here.

I love arcades. Nothing beats playing a 2-player game with some stranger and kicking his/her ass.

and they're standing right.... next... to... you. It's so satisfying XD Although at the Break, the owner has ridged some of the fighters like SSFIV:AE and SF3:TS to be back to back machines

Edited by LunarEdge, 10 May 2012 - 02:33 AM.

[Chibi]

We have a couple of arcades where I live - a small one in my local shopping centre and a giant one located in a casino complex in the city. The small one (part of a chain called Timezone) has what you would expect - DDR, Daytona, Time Crisis, a couple of pinball tables and various ticket games. The big one (called Galactic Circus) is pretty much the same, only about 3 times as big with some VR rides too. You usually get a rechargeable card and use that to pay for the games. It's expensive though - cheaper games like Point Blank are $1, with DDR being usually $2 a game.
I'm kinda sad that I'm not old enough to have experienced the classic arcade in the 80s. Luckily, we have a exhibit coming up at the ACMI that will feature classic arcade cabinets and various other games, called Game Masters. I'm plan to go there as much as I can to play some old-skool games like Pac-Man, Space Invaders and Donkey Kong. Shall be much fun!

[Tylky]

Aw, how I miss the arcade. There used to be one like, 10 minutes down the road from me. Megabowl. They knocked it down four years ago and replaced it with a storage facility! The nearest one now is Hollywood Bowl which is at the Bayside, and to be honest, it's not all that.

It has the usual DDR, shoot 'em ups and racing games, nothing of stand out quality.

Other than that, it's a 30 minute drive to the nearest beach, of which the arcades are being highly neglected, and are due to be knocked down by the end of the year for more houses. It's a crying shame, really.

[Generations (Chaos Warp)]

I have a few surviving arcades near to me. I have two Chuck. E. Cheese's fairly close to me, but not that close, as in thy are both about half hour drives away). Got some good games there. And then I have Playdium about an hour from my place, now this is a big, huge arcade with tons of games, some pretty good ones too! Oh, and some VR stuff. It also has batting cages and go karts. I only go there on special occasions because of the cost and distance, but boy is it awesome.

I think with losing Arcade games, we lose something that they do very well. While home games are meant to last a little longer, I feel that there still is something to the quick blast arcade games provide (to make up for it, you have a bunch of games in the arcade). It's a nice change of pace from console games and I'd be sad to see them all go. Long Live Arcades!

[Slash]

We have quite a few arcades here in Vegas. There's Gameworks, The Pinball Hall of Fame, and Circus Circus which I can name off the top of my head. I like going to Circus Circus and PHoF every once in a while when I have money.

[LunarEdge]

I have a few surviving arcades near to me. I have two Chuck. E. Cheese's fairly close to me, but not that close, as in thy are both about half hour drives away). Got some good games there.

The Chuck. E. Cheese's by my place use to have pretty decent games but not anymore. They even had an KOF machine but they got rid of it. Also, the VR "games" there suck

The Pinball Hall of Fame

Lucky XD Pinball isn't my favorite but it's still enjoyable from time to time

Edited by LunarEdge, 10 May 2012 - 06:33 PM.

[Scott]

For me, Arcade = Light Gun Mayhem. Now, I live in Scotland, round the Falkirk area, so there is like no arcades here. For me, the only places that had arcade machines were Cineworld and Megazone in which case for both, I'd always be playing House Of the Dead!

Cineworld currently has House of the Dead 4 But man oh man, do I miss that Aliens game they had £2 but you got a shit-tonne of lifes.

[LunarEdge]

For me, Arcade = Light Gun Mayhem. Now, I live in Scotland, round the Falkirk area, so there is like no arcades here. For me, the only places that had arcade machines were Cineworld and Megazone in which case for both, I'd always be playing House Of the Dead!

Cineworld currently has House of the Dead 4 But man oh man, do I miss that Aliens game they had £2 but you got a shit-tonne of lifes.

House of the Dead and Area 51 were always my choice of rail shooters. I like Time Splitters too, but they were always expensive

[Cola]

I have a Chuck E. Cheese close to me. They used to have the best stuff, like the TMNT arcade game! Good times!

They got rid of a lot of the stuff though. However, they recently added Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, so that's cool.


My local movie theater also used to have a pretty cool arcade section. But, it got cut down significantly when the new owners came in...

[Scott]

House of the Dead and Area 51 were always my choice of rail shooters.

I think I've played Area 51, also played a rail shooter where you went through a museum and shit comes alive as well as one where you play as army men taking on enemy soldiers and undead fuckers, both fun lil games.

also, I got some joy from Time Crisis 4....which reminds me, the Ten Pin Bowling in Falkirk also has Arcade Machines....and do an excellent fry-up

[LunarEdge]

you know what shooter wasn't bad as well... Virtua Cop. Rank up dem extra points by juggling your enemies with the bullets... Fun times.