In the US (and probably Canada too), the Arcade is almost dead. Back in the day, you not only had the dedicated arcades, but most convenience stores, and even supermarkets usually had an arcade cabinet or two.
But enough mourning. Let's talk about the good times. What were your best remembered Arcades, and the games you have the fondest memories of?
The arcade I probably remember most was the old Gold Mine/Tilt that used to be at Northwest Mall (Houston). After that came the old Fame City indoor amusement park.
Games I remember the best are:
Aliens vs. Predator -- A Beat-em-up by Capcom. You could play as one of either a pair of Predators or a pair of Human cyborgs to fight your way through hordes of Xenomorphs. Much more has been said about this game than I can say.
Dungeons and Dragons: Tower of Doom and Shadow of Mystara -- Another Capcom Beat-Em-Up with a license. You could pick from four (six in SoM) Character Classes, and used spells and items as well as your fighting skills to save the land. Branching pathways and a healthy attention to many of your enemies (ex, Trolls need to be burned to keep them down) keep the game interesting for some time.
Strike Force -- In three words: Defender on Steroids. You are the titular force tasked with stopping an invasion by the evil Saurians. In addition to a wide array of weapons, you also had the ability to transform into a turret (in a 2-player game, the turret could attach to the other player), and could carry a complement of Space Marines to help you fight, gather weapons, and rescue colonists.
Gunblade NY and L.A. Machineguns - Two heavy-duty Light Gun shoot-em-ups from Sega. Riding on a helicopter (or a pair of futuristic sky bikes), you blast enemy robots by the dozens with little regard for collateral damage. The game is a blast to play, but that huge gun will actually give your arms a good workout on an extending playing session.
But enough mourning. Let's talk about the good times. What were your best remembered Arcades, and the games you have the fondest memories of?
The arcade I probably remember most was the old Gold Mine/Tilt that used to be at Northwest Mall (Houston). After that came the old Fame City indoor amusement park.
Games I remember the best are:
Aliens vs. Predator -- A Beat-em-up by Capcom. You could play as one of either a pair of Predators or a pair of Human cyborgs to fight your way through hordes of Xenomorphs. Much more has been said about this game than I can say.
Dungeons and Dragons: Tower of Doom and Shadow of Mystara -- Another Capcom Beat-Em-Up with a license. You could pick from four (six in SoM) Character Classes, and used spells and items as well as your fighting skills to save the land. Branching pathways and a healthy attention to many of your enemies (ex, Trolls need to be burned to keep them down) keep the game interesting for some time.
Strike Force -- In three words: Defender on Steroids. You are the titular force tasked with stopping an invasion by the evil Saurians. In addition to a wide array of weapons, you also had the ability to transform into a turret (in a 2-player game, the turret could attach to the other player), and could carry a complement of Space Marines to help you fight, gather weapons, and rescue colonists.
Gunblade NY and L.A. Machineguns - Two heavy-duty Light Gun shoot-em-ups from Sega. Riding on a helicopter (or a pair of futuristic sky bikes), you blast enemy robots by the dozens with little regard for collateral damage. The game is a blast to play, but that huge gun will actually give your arms a good workout on an extending playing session.
