Arcade machines -- original or homebrew. Keep emulation topics in the emulation category
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Mad_Hatter
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Do you guys still have Arcades around you?

by Mad_Hatter Sat Feb 08, 2014 3:58 am

I literally have no more arcades around me. Sometimes at a bowling alley or a sports bar I will find a Pac-Man or Space Invaders cabinet, but that is it.

In the US:

Back in 2008-09 there was still this one Arcade at my nearest mall that was pretty good. It had the MKs and Street Fighters. Then around 2010, everyone I knew thought they went out of business, but they just really moved next door in this almost camouflaged space. It was actually bigger and better with more cabinets (ironic because I never thought an Arcade at that time would actually move to a bigger and better place as it was known that Arcades were a dying business). So for a few months, I thought that last Arcade died. Then finally realized they just moved next door. Then finally about a year later they closed. :(

It sucks because I only was able to go to the arcades as a child when my family went to the mall or something. I never had an arcade in walking distance like some kids. And when I did go to the Arcades I got butterflies in my stomach and was scared shitless when I would go against someone who was 2-3 times my age in a game like MK or SF. I would refrain from playing and just watch my older cousins play lol.

When I was finally old enough to drive I probably had access to that arcade only for 1 1/2 - 2 years. Lame.

I wish I could go back in time. I wouldn't be scared to play those old dudes. And that one year I had my own car and could drive, I would go to the Arcades at least every once every week.

The closest Arcade I have now is inside a movie theater, but there are NO GOOD GAMES.

Europe:

I have some family in Europe and used to go there more often when I was younger. It was a small village, so they were more behind in times. In the early-mid 2000s, Arcades were still popping there. There were a good 3-4 dedicated Arcade places in a small village. Used to play Cadillacs and Dinosaurs all the time. The currency exchange rate was awesome too. One dollar equaled 8 tokens over there.

Now even they don't have any more arcades. They all transitioned to Playstations and Xboxs.
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Nyukki
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Re: Do you guys still have Arcades around you?

by Nyukki Sat Feb 08, 2014 5:07 am

I'm lucky to live in an apartment building above a shopping mall in which there is a pretty decent arcade. My favourite machine there is the twin OutRun 2 cab. They have lots of racing cabs and lightgun cabs, including House of the Dead 3 and 4 and Time Crisis 2 and 3.

For fighters they have those two player cabs that are like two 1 player cabs back to back. I prefer the normal style where you sit/stand next to your opponent. The games are emulated versions of KOF95 and 98, Tekken 6 and Virtua Fighter 5.

Then there are lots of dancing/rhythm games, slot machines, basketball machines and claw machines with stuffed toys. No shmups, but the guy behind the counter said they will be getting new machines soon, including apparently an Ikaruga cab (just in time for Together Retro!).
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Re: Do you guys still have Arcades around you?

by Mad_Hatter Sat Feb 08, 2014 10:27 am

Man.... U lucky sob!
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noiseredux
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Re: Do you guys still have Arcades around you?

by noiseredux Sat Feb 08, 2014 10:33 am

there is a small arcade in the mall near me. When I was younger, it was a large arcade. But eventually they put a food court in and moved the arcade to a smaller storefront. Once in a while I'll still stop in there and spend a buck or so if my wife is trying on clothes in another store. They have a handful of cool games - MVC2 being one of them.
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mas
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Re: Do you guys still have Arcades around you?

by mas Sat Feb 08, 2014 12:09 pm

You guys are lucky. There is nothing in my area. The only time I get to go to an arcade is at Hampton beach during the summer. It sucks too because playoff arcade was the last of the arcades in Worcester. If they just somehow stuck around for two more years before the retro scene became big again then they would have made a big comeback I believe. It's the old saying don't know what you got till its gone.
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Re: Do you guys still have Arcades around you?

by Fragems Sat Feb 08, 2014 12:24 pm

The only real arcade we have around here is Gino's pub which is getting to be a disgrace :P. They never repair their machines plus they have a gambling den in the front which draws in a bad crowd. About the only nights it's really packed is whenever there is a pay per view wrestling event and then it just get's mobbed by jerks :P. After the last time we went in there I pretty much decided I wasn't going back :P. There was some WWE event on and the eating area was nearly mobbed. Thing was nobody was buying food they were just there to watch. Hell some people were even laying down in the booths passed out. So we got our order in and hoped a table would open up :roll: one never did so we ended up eating in the arcade on the prize cabinets with no chairs :P.

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http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/167/967156/ ... Huntington

I would highly agree with this review.
Of all the years that I have been going to Gino's pub it went from a family place to a big disgusting dump hole. The entertainment has been sold and the food is nothing above mediocore.


There is another one up at the Huntington mall but I've only been in there once or twice because the machines were highly over priced like $0.50-$1 per play and the selection wasn't to great.

Aside from that there are some small game rooms in every movie theater but thats pretty much it.

Edit: Forgot about Billy Bobs it's been forever since I've been in there though :P. More of a kid's attraction but they have some decent games.
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Re: Do you guys still have Arcades around you?

by BogusMeatFactory Sat Feb 08, 2014 2:25 pm

Pinball Pete's, one of the biggest arcade's around me recently was flooded and may never recover, so that is a huge bummer for me. Luckily, there is Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum that is filled with arcade games, pinball games and various automatons for your personal enjoyment. The only thing it was lacking was proper fighting games, but they recently installed essentially a MAME cabinet stockpiled with great fighters that I play to this day.

It is sad to see many arcade's go the way of the dodo, but it is still good to know people do want them and still hang out at them. I tend to use Marvin's for my Together Retro arcade games to get the full experience (and to track how many coins I use). Only problem with that place is that it is cramped and, certain days, it is filled with small children running around screaming like lunatics. That is what saddens me the most. Marvin's has vintage arcade machines, fortune telling machines and coin operated sideshows that are abused or ignored by kids in favor of that stupid fruit ninja machine......oh fruit ninja....bane of my existence! Don't you kids want to see the fetal siamese twin?! Or watch your hand get chopped off!?
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Re: Do you guys still have Arcades around you?

by Valkyrie-Favor Sat Feb 08, 2014 2:30 pm

There are some movie theaters, restaurants, and kids' party dungeons (think Chuck E. Cheese) near me but all of the games are terrible.
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Jagosaurus
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Re: Do you guys still have Arcades around you?

by Jagosaurus Sat Feb 08, 2014 6:43 pm

Dave & Busters in Houston.

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oxymoron
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Re: Do you guys still have Arcades around you?

by oxymoron Sat Feb 08, 2014 7:20 pm

I'm lucky enough to have a arcade across the street from my high school. It's one of the few arcades still around from the 80's. They have loads of shumps and fighters and most are only 25 cents a play. This is the only real arcade around here. The other ones are all closer LA.
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