Save the Arcades 2 Contest Winner Announced

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Save the Arcades 2 Contest Winner Announced


Save the Arcades 2 contest [http://www.stridegum.com/], awarding $25,000 to one of three gamer-nominated classic arcades.

There was a time when the arcade experience was almost a mandatory part of growing up. Whether it was the clean-and-shiny place in the mall with no smoking or swearing allowed, or the half-dozen grimy machines in the back corner of the pool hall where the change guy doubled as a bouncer, those collections of noisy, flashing stand-ups, with maybe a couple of pinball machines thrown in to keep the old-timers happy, were places of absolute magic. They're pretty much gone now, supplanted by family-friendly operations with prizes for kids and, obviously, the advent of high-quality home gaming, but a few die-hards across the country are doing their best to keep the spirit alive and Stride Gum, if I can say so without sounding like a shameless shill, is doing its part to help out.

The Save the Arcades 2 contest pitted three old-time arcades - Robotron 2084 [http://www.groundkontrol.com/]. Once the game was over, players could donate their points to the arcade of their choice and the one with the highest total score at the end of the contest would take home the cash.

All three arcades look great but the big winner is Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade, with a score of almost 625 million points, well ahead of second-place finisher Arcade Infinity, which earned over 371 million points, and Rocky's Replay, which came in at nearly 110 million. Ground Kontrol was originally founded in 1999 and has since been purchased by five life-long arcade fans who say they'll use the money to add space to the second floor and bring in even more great games.

I can't speak about Stride as a gum because I don't think I've ever actually chewed the stuff, but as someone who spent way too much of his youth pumping quarters and pounding buttons, I think Save the Arcades is absolutely fantastic. Gaming at home is great and I would never give it up, but if I someday have the opportunity to take my own kids to a place like Ground Kontrol, I'll consider myself (and them) very lucky indeed.


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Dr. wonderful

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Dec 31, 2009
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That seems like a deathmatch. :D

I can't wait to see who wins. Anyway, who won the last one anyway?
 

Jared

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Jul 14, 2009
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Wow ;o Thats epic! I hope it goes well...I wish I could have had been to an arcade in my youth
 

Sabrestar

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Oh, how I miss arcades.

The knowledge that this champion arcade is literally down the street from probably the greatest bookstore in the world (Powell's) is, honestly, further proof that the entire world is conspiring to make me move to Portland.

Of course, so is the sweltering heat wave and the fact that my state prevents me from competing in Blizzard's fanfiction contest. *starts looking up Portland-area realtors*
 

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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I wish there was a place like this around here somewhere. Within an hour, say. I think I'd have to make it a monthly journey. I feel bad for kids today who think that "social gaming" means putting on a headset and talking to people in different countries.
 

Christemo

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i personally think Arcade Infinity wins, as they have a group of people posting some of the best gaming videos on Youtube.
 

Hashbrick

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Dr. wonderful said:
Hashbrick said:
Dr. wonderful said:
Andy Chalk said:
Dr. wonderful said:
I can't wait to see who wins.
What? I'm not sure what you're saying here. The contest is over.
huh?

Oh well.
There is this skill called reading...it helps.
Yes, yes.

and there is this skill called "Reading a situation" You do wise to actually...learn it.
I don't think "half ass reading" is a skill more like a disease.
 

Dr. wonderful

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Dec 31, 2009
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Hashbrick said:
Dr. wonderful said:
Hashbrick said:
Dr. wonderful said:
Andy Chalk said:
Dr. wonderful said:
I can't wait to see who wins.
What? I'm not sure what you're saying here. The contest is over.
huh?

Oh well.
There is this skill called reading...it helps.
Yes, yes.

and there is this skill called "Reading a situation" You do wise to actually...learn it.
I don't think "half ass reading" is a skill more like a disease.
Okay, I half-ass it, so what?

Don't anyone makes mistakes?
 

RowdyRodimus

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Apr 24, 2010
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The picture in the story is the story of my youth; Burgertime, Tron, Galaga and Q*bert. Lord knows how many quarters I sunk into those machines from the age of 6-18.
 

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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I absolutely sucked at Tron but I wasn't too bad at Galaga. My real talent was for Time Pilot, though, and I had a pretty good hand for Bosconian too.
 

Nova5

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Sep 5, 2009
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Sabrestar said:
Oh, how I miss arcades.

The knowledge that this champion arcade is literally down the street from probably the greatest bookstore in the world (Powell's) is, honestly, further proof that the entire world is conspiring to make me move to Portland.

Of course, so is the sweltering heat wave and the fact that my state prevents me from competing in Blizzard's fanfiction contest. *starts looking up Portland-area realtors*
No kidding. We used to have a bunch of awesome arcades out here in CA, then all the 'trendy' parents in the area forbade their children from (insert trendy 'news' phrase here, like "rotting out their minds") somewhere in the 90's, causing most arcades to shutter up for good.

Either that, or turn into Dave and Buster's. But that's not a real arcade, full of gimmicky claw machines and almost all light-gun titles. Ugh.
 

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Nova5 said:
full of gimmicky claw machines and almost all light-gun titles. Ugh.
The last "arcade" I was in was like that too. It was not the happiest moment of my life, and I didn't say long.