While we're on the topic of video games. Let's talk about Arcade games
 

Air Combat 22 by Namco 1995 http://www.arcade-history.com/?n=air...e=detail&id=45

I have to say, this may have been the most mind blowing experience I ever had at the arcade as a kid. Even more so than Virtuality Dactyl Nightmare.

Unfortunately, no actual footage of it exists on the internet. It was a 32 bit 3D dogfight game but it was extreme HD (640 x 480), The screen was enormous, It was the highest processing at the time so the graphics were ultra smooth, and the sound was like in your face, blow your eardrums out loud. I think the seat rumbled as well.

Anyways, what arcade games blew you away as a kid?

There was this one game where there was a driver and two guns. It was called Lucky and Wild or somethin' It was awesome. Played alot of that as a child.

There was never an arcade near me... and even when I got older it wasn't my thing.. Plus, I never really got pocket money to spend. Now... I just play time crisis.

Actually you just reminded me. Time Crisis is the best arcade. I love it oh so much. I beat the 3rd one in Vegas....talk about a vacation!

My shit was that old 6-player X-Men game. "WELCOME TO DIE!"

I used to own an arcade game, when I was a lot younger. Some game called Vigilante. We got it at an auction for $20, I sold it for $100 after a few months. It was awesome. If you turned it on, you could hear it outside of our house... the neighbors could hear it and probably THEIR neighbors could hear it. There was no way that I knew of to turn the volume down.
So, it was loud as fuck all the time unless you unplugged the chord.

I'd LOVE to own a bunch of arcade games. I saw an original Marvel vs. Capcom 2 arcade machine on sell recently for $400!

The X-men 4 screen game was excellent. I have a friend who actually once hooked it up to 4 separate computer monitors using Mame.

Here's some unusual games you may remember. My friends used to call me a liar and say I was making this one up



If you can see there, the screen is a horizontal black surface for projecting holograms. Yes, this was a " holographic " fighting game. 2d holograms would actually rise out of the black tabletop into the air much like the chess game from Star Wars. They seemed to actually be projected onto the air. I actually just recently found out that this was an elaborate optical illusion created with mirrors and not an actual hologram, but I did not know this as a kid so when I told my friends I had just played a real hologram game, no one believed me. That was the only memorable thing about it. It was actually a really sucky game

Also, anyone ever play this one?



I'm so glad I was fortunate enough to have the chance to play this as a kid. My local arcade had it for 5 or 6 months and it was the highlight of my year. It was in color by the way, not b&w. Basically, you put a helmet on, put some sensors on, and held a joystick in your hand and bam, you were inside an M.C. Escher painting being chased by a huge green Pterodactyl. It was up to 4 players, Full 3D world, Your arms actually moved in real time with you. Same thing when you turned your head. You could duck down behind obstacles to avoid people's shots. It was insane. There was even an external screen so your friends could see what was going on. I remember my dad and my friend yelling out " It's RIGHT BEHIND YOU!! ". So fuckin cool. Seeing how amazing this thing was for 1992, it makes me wonder why no game companies have designed anymore virtual reality games. Seems with today's technology they could make something even more amazing. Oh well.

I second the love for X-Men. Damn did that game rock from the few times I played it. Ditto for the Simpsons game.

Marvel VS Capcom 2 was SOOOO great in the arcade. A video game store here in Las Vegas has a machine of it. Whenever I go in there I always envy the owner.

Pretty much any famous arcade game that has been ported a thousand times, ala Galaga, (Mrs.) Pac-Man, Mappy, etc are a billion times more fun in the arcade.

~Jeremy~

The Konami arcade games were badass. Like the Ninja Turtles one or The Simpsons, etc.

My top three arcade video games: Pole Position, Cruisin' and Mrs. Pacman (particularaly the rollerball table).

In arcades I also enjoy: Skee-Ball, Air Hockey, that wack-a-whatever (mole, alligator, whatever it may be) game, pinball (even though I royally suck at it)

i used to love arcade games, still do but with video games the way they are nowadays you can play similar things in your own home. you miss the hands on thrill of them though, plus the knowledge that your spending money on them etc. i used to love going to the seaside not because i love the sea or the beach but because i got to go on arcade machines all afternoon. i used to adore the old school star wars, space invaders and sunset riders. terminator 2 also was very rad.

Ah, arcades. While I missed most of the golden era (70s/80s) aside from a few ancient cabs that were still kicking around if you knew where to look, I must have spent almost every Saturday afternoon between roughly '92-'96 at The Point in Newcastle, which gloriously fulfilled every single cliché of arcades being dimly-lit, smoky dens of ill-repute.
SFII and it's myriad sequels, spin-offs & rip-offs were of course the #1 attraction (somehow the owner managed to get the new releases within a month or so of their Japanese launch), but the Mortal Kombats, Metal Slug, Virtua Fighter & Racer all saw heavy play-time, aswell as the rest of SNK's classic MVS titles. Good times. And I bet I'd still take most of you at SFII ;)

my parents forbid me to go anywhere near 'the dome' which was my local arcade hang out and as stated above was everything my parents imagined, dark and scary and no place for kids but man it was so much fun. i was there all the time.

I was lucky enough to grow up in the 80's and see the golden age of arcades.

As a kid I was really hypnotized by the vector games like Tempest, Battlezone, and Star Wars

May I also add on this topic....Show-Biz Pizza kicks Cuck-E-Cheese's ass.

what does all that mean though? you crazy americans you.

Narc always had an unmatched charm because of how taboo it was. It's a shame to hear Midway filed for Bankruptcy in February




Ooooh, I almost forgot about Smash TV. Definately one of the greatest arcade game ever. I consider the 90's to be part of the " Golden Age " as well

they are pizza places with animatronic performances, video games and playrooms for little kids.

although her statement about Showbiz > Chuck E. used to be true, they are both owned by the same people now.

if you ever plan to go to either, bring yr hand sanitizer. there's kid-snot on EVERYTHING.

My dad took me to Showbiz when I was 3 years old. I loved the games but the animatronic band scared the living piss out of me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur8AwQHusZw

that is pretty amazing though

I don't think there are even Showbiz Pizza places anymore...after Chuck-E bought them out YEARS ago. I had my 3rd b-day at Show Biz and my 8th at Chuck. E.. Those bears at Show-Biz sang Happy Birthday to ME (as in they said my name), Chuck-E cheese didn't even come close.

I haven't been to either place probably since I was 10 or so.

But I DO want to go to a Dave and Busters...they look awesome!

That is hands down, one of the most awesome things I have seen, ever.

The only two I was ever any good at were Tempest and Mach III (fighter mode, not the stupid useless "bomber" mode).

Eh, has it's charms, but it's just Robotron(*) in fancy pants ;)

(*) the genuine Greatest Arcade Game Ever

No way dude. Smash TV is gold. The concept, the controls, enemies, the bosses. The fact you could actually see the camera crews filming it. Totally beats down robotron

smash tv was good, i liked golden axe, g lock, sunset riders, operation wolf was good but way too hard, i liked them all for various reasons.

Sunset Riders!

Dave and Busters is alright...it gets really crowded and many of the games aren't really that fun.

OMG I had an rom of this....that fucking game rocks!

Most of the games aren't even games. They're like hunting and bowling simulations

You're right...still pretty boring in there.

That's kinda balls (about Dave and Buster's that is....I want a for real, no shits, arcade where I can drink and smoke and stuff. :)

Well I guess you can go....Just really not my type...ja know?

Well I want one that has cool games, not a limited sucky kind. Hmm...Maybe I just need to visit Coney Island again.

Last time I was there was for the Phish run at Coney Island stadium. Great shows. Lol, that was when Jay-Z came out and did 99 Problems with them.

Good times, good times.