Your Best Arcade Memories

[DeliveryGodNoah_v1legacy]

The tragic death of arcades is still slow and ongoing. The only one near to me has since been rebranded twice, moved to a dinky corner of the mall, and is a shallow shadow of it's former glory. I wouldn't be surprised if it just completely vanishes within the next year or two.

But I have some amazing memories of going to arcades.
In the same arcade, I won my first claw game prize
I grew a love of the Time Crisis series
I became obsessed with racing cockpit games
Pinball machines still make me giddy

Probably the most nostalgic of my memories comes from this theme here:

Spoiler: DAYTONAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

The lined up machines were always towards the entrance of the arcade, and the sounds of this theme and revving engines would echo throughout the entire building. It was also one of my father's favorite games, as every time he took us, I could bet I'd always find him sitting in the seat.

It was also where I confronted my first "bully" in defense of my younger brother. My brother only had about $2 worth of tokens, and he spent his last one on some kind of Whack-a-mole type game. As he was playing, this larger kid comes up and starts slapping the alligators with his bare hands, almost pushing my brother out of the way.
My brother didn't cry or anything, but he looked quite disappointed, so I found the kid about two minutes later playing a racing game and doing quite well. So I took control of the steering wheel and careened him straight into a wall "Do you like it when I waste your tokens? Then don't do it to my brother."


What were your arcade memories? Do you look back on them fondly, or were they never an interest to you?

 

[gorfias]

The tragic death of arcades is still slow and ongoing.

I'm lucky. There are 2 good ones within 20 minutes of me and a 3rd great one about an hour away. Funny, Escapist published a think piece a few years ago that today's consoles are tomorrow's arcades and it is coming true to some extent. A buddy got a PS3 and a ton of games, but his kids prefer to play on their phones.

Evolution does take a bite out any entertainment form: movies from live theater, tv from movies, games from TV. Progress.

Best memories: going to a small ball bowling alley 20 minute walk from my house in greater Boston. 10 cents allowed you to play Sea Wolf (white boats crossing blue ocean while you try to torpedo them).

Zaragosa Spain: stationed there and played "Time Pilot" to death with a buddy. Spent a fortune just to see the next level, from bi-planes to outer space.

Taking my small children (now in college) to a huge arcade that is still near where I live. Shaped like a castle. One time, a friend and his wife and kids joined us. At first they all acted like this is stupid. Then his wife started getting more into the win tickets type games than the rest of us combined.

Best game ever? In that castle was something like a theater room where you played a laser shooter from a comfy chair. Spectacular.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

I still remember the time I beat Dragon's Lair 2 on a single life. I'd drawn a fairly decent crowd by the end.

I grew a love of the Time Crisis series

Remember Crisis Zone? Man, that game was awesome. At one point you took on a TANK while armed with only a SUBMACHINE GUN.

 

[Marik2]

I remember beating Ocean Hunter at Gattis and it is my favorite arcade rail shooter for its sea monsters and atmosphere. I really need to find a place to play the big Star Wars pod racer and another one that had you in a rebel ship.

And I want to beat the Jurassic Park shooting game.

 

[CaitSeith]

I still remember the time I beat Dragon's Lair 2 on a single life. I'd drawn a fairly decent crowd by the end.

And deservingly so. Mastering that game cost 4 years college savings... well, not really, but it still required lots of trial and error. Also it's one of those games that are as fun to watch than they are to play.

Spoiler: As explained here...

 

[Scarim Coral]

Remember Crisis Zone? Man, that game was awesome. At one point you took on a TANK while armed with only a SUBMACHINE GUN.

Thank you for reminding me of that game.

I lived in a costal town meaning there are a few arcade around here (sadly they are nowhere near great as they were in the past) and the main one I go to had that game!

Anyway my best memories of arcade was me beating that outdoor level with the helicopter boss. The other two levels I can never beat...

Shame that as time went one, the machine gun became busted so when you put a coin in, it too late to found out that the gun doesn't work anymore and you wasted a pound coin.

 

[Barbas]

House Of The Dead!

Spoiler: NSFW-ish.

Great gunplay, godawful voice acting.

I also loved Time Crisis and all the other co-op shooters. Those were great. DDR was fine too, but it was no TC.

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

Arcades were a major contributor to my becoming a gamer in the first place, particularly fighters. No console could compare with how flashy and loud some of the games in those cabinets were, and at the time that impressed me.

My first ones were Rampage and a simple beat 'em up called P.O.W. (complete with soldiers screaming when defeated) at the beach club, and that was also my first taste of Street Fighter II. I would generally gravitate towards multiplayer cooperative games like X-Men, Final Fight, Time Crisis and TMNT IV since I was usually there with my brothers or friends and consoles were still developing good multiplayer. X-Men was the only one with a 6 player option, but most of them were capable of 3 or 4 players such as Golden Axe and The Simpsons.

One odd beat 'em up I only ever saw at one place was Die Hard Arcade. It has absolutely nothing to do with the movie except it takes place entirely in a giant office building and the bad guys are trying to steal a vault full of money, probably the game that introduced me to quick time events.

Even now I might visit that beach club arcade if some dick hadn't burned it down.

 

[gorfias]

My first ones were Rampage .

Is that the one they made an N64 port for where you controlled giant Japanese type monsters destroying a city? If so, I could start a whole new thread about best arcade to console ports. That one was terrific.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Galaga, Mortal Kombat 1 and 2, Time Crisis (pretty much all of 'em), Silent Scope 2, T2 Judgement Day Arcade, TMNT Arcade, X-Men and Simpsons are the major arcade titles I loved.
Also mentions to pinball. Tales from the Crypt is one of my all-time favorites.

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

SNIP

Is that the one they made an N64 port for where you controlled giant Japanese type monsters destroying a city? If so, I could start a whole new thread about best arcade to console ports. That one was terrific.

No, it's the original one they made a NES port for, which was pretty much the same as Rampage: World Tour on N64, just graphics weren't as good:

Spoiler: That woman seems remarkably calm about being in George's hand

 

[gorfias]

SNIP

Is that the one they made an N64 port for where you controlled giant Japanese type monsters destroying a city? If so, I could start a whole new thread about best arcade to console ports. That one was terrific.

No, it's the original one they made a NES port for, which was pretty much the same as Rampage: World Tour on N64, just graphics weren't as good:

Spoiler: That woman seems remarkably calm about being in George's hand

Wow, those are amazing for an 8 bit era game! Gotta see footage from the NES system ASAP. I just recall the N64 system being that much fun. I got to play Mortal Kombat at the arcade too. Consoles did a great job porting that stuff as well

 

[FalloutJack]

My best arcade moments would probably be the case of playing around, winning tickets, buying something, and then handing all the rest of my winnings to a pair of kids. Waste not, want not!

 

[Tanis]

While many a game came to console from the arcade there is ONE that I can't name but loved to play.

The game was played with a huge sphere that you could move around 360.

Plus either you pressed the ball or another button to jump.

Crazy 3D game that was almost like Monkey Ball, but with action.

Lots, and lots, of tokens lost.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

I grew up in Greece and there we didn't have many arcades but durin summer vacation we would use a ferry boat (basically a huge cruise ship) to go to the destination and those ships would have the awesomest arcades. I looked forward to the trip to and fro than the actual vacation itself and would spend the entire sail time there. One year, the guy who sold tokens of the return trip was away for most of the trek so most kids were so frustrated but I had leftover tokens from the first trip so I monopolized the entire ship for about 4 hours, best ship ride ever. Sadly, during the early 2000s, arcades got banned cause they were apparently illegally using them for gambling somehow, so that was the end of that.


Skip forward a few years and now I am into competitive fighters so I often visit arcades for tourneys, though the actual gaming is done on consoles since the cabinets for the modern games tend to not leave Japan any more, especially the more niche ones.

 

[FPLOON]

Chuck E. Cheese's and Dave & Buster are the shit!!

OT: How else did I find out about Soulcalibur II, Time Crisis 3, Artic Thunder, After Burner, that first Jurassic Park arcade game, The Simpsons arcade game, that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game, that Star Wars Trilogy arcade game, and FUCKING DDR, yo? At the Arcade formally near the AMC theater closest to where I live, that's how! Too bad it's now a Hot Topic, though...

Other than that, I can still kick so much ass playing as Talim, Bart Simpson, and Donatello... Also, I still complete Stage 1's Area 1 with the Grenade Launcher...

 

[JaKandDaxter]

My most foundest moments in the arcades is playing Jurassic park rail shooters with my little brother. Also had a good experience in a racing game (was kinda like burnout) on a class trip to Altanta that I beat everyone. There was one arcade called Boomers in Florida I visited that had go karts. But they closed down years ago. The arcade I frequently visited as a kid in Nathans Famous has been torn down. And replace with multiple stores including a smaller Nathans.

I do have an arcade like 25 minutes away. But while there's a selection of games. They're all older games and no HD avaliable. Its like they brought their arcades from a fire sale of closed down arcades. Unlike in Japan where Tekken 6 first came out in the arcade. So after two trips there, I don't think I'll be going back.

There is a wonderful option out there for those who love arcades and pinball machines. There are manufacturers of custom arcade and pinball units wher you can purchase a custom machine for a couple thousand dollars. And it comes with over 30,000 games. Plan on buying one for two players when I have my own space and lots of cash to spare. Bring the arcade experience right to your house. And there's the option of buying a used one off someone who got bored of it.

Spoiler: One such arcade machine

Chuck E. Cheese's and Dave & Buster are the shit!!

...

Unfortunately the Chucky Cheese that I visited as a kid. And loved for their one token per game policy, now sucks big time. They got rid of practically all the good arcade machines they had. My sister and I had more fun playing this spinning metal game where the circle thing your holding can't make contact with the moving metal (some theme park prize stands have it). Than the other stuff they have there.

Can't believe they're still in business last time I went there.

 

[Oinodaemon]

Last time I was in an arcade was at the boardwalk in Santa Cruz. I dropped some acid and decided it would be fun to play some games. I don't remember much, but I do remember playing House of the Dead for a while...I was practically falling over with giggle fits, covering my eyes and screaming at the zombies to go away, etc...I'm honestly surprised I didn't get thrown out, but hey, that's Santa Cruz for ya. Good times.

 

[JohnnyDelRay]

The games I started playing in Arcades were mainly Street Fighters. Then I moved onto driving games. I dabbled a little bit with a friend of mine on some Neo Geo classics, like Last Blade, and Samurai Showdown. They were tough, but pretty rewarding when you get it all coming together nicely.

Soon after, I started getting into driving games, Daytona of course being the staple. I think I also played Virtual Racing for a bit, which was pretty cool. Outside of Daytona, I didn't play much other than the occasional Sega Rally. And I kinda missed the whole Midnight Tune era, but then jumped straight back into it when the Initial D Stages came out. Man, those were fun. I had a good couple of rides on the various cards you could use, played that after night shift at work, up until I started building chassis (chasses?) sims at home to play on console/PC. Then I stopped going altogether.

The setup I have at home now easily overtakes any arcade game, unless the damn thing simulates G-forces and motion with a massive triple monitor setup.