Currently Playing Arcade Edition

[segaste]

Seeing as this sub forum doesn't get more attention, I thought I create a currently playing thread for it so we can share what we've played at any arcade we've found. I will always pop into an arcade if I ever see one and have a go on some games if I like them.

So, today I played Scud Race/Super GT at an arcade on Santa Monica pier. PLayed the nighttime beginner course which funnily enough I've never played before. Shame the cabinet was knackered and the steering wheel was off; no sound either. But it was fun. Game over after 11 laps. Chose the Viper and it spun out on almost every corner!

Also gave DDR ago. I love the game and I'm quite good at it but failed on my two goes. Couldn't believe it! Chose two songs which I've beaten a tom of times at home.

There are a couple of good arcades in Vancouver which I pop into from time to time, so I'll probably post in here often.

[MattBlah]

This is a good idea. Unfortunately here in the UK we don't really have arcades with games anymore, they're all just full of fruit machines with a couple of old racing or light gun games tucked away in the corner if you're lucky. There are a few games at my local Bowlplex though.

[buckoa51]

There were still a few machines at Ingoldmells last time I went, including a Daytona 4 player. Most were in poor condition of course, few arcade operators seem to look after their machines, even fruit machines have bulbs out everywhere so you can't tell what square you're supposed to be on.

[MattBlah]

I had to google what Ingoldmells was, but yeah, there are still games to be found at seaside resorts down here in the south too.

I don't know if anyone else on here is located in the south west, but some guys in Bridgewater are planning on opening a gaming arcade soon, they have the premises and a lot of machines already. If anyone is interested you should add them on Facebook Timewarp Arcade.

[buckoa51]

Time warp arcade looks great, shame it would take the better part of a day for me to drive there. I wish them every success!

[segaste]

Back in the UK I found that Ten Pin was ok for some arcade games. An arcade in Rhyl, North Wales though is one of my favourites. Whilst it is mainly full of grabber machines and 2p machines, there is a section that hasn't changed since the 90s! It still has Daytona, STCC, Virtua Cop, Manx TT and loads others. I don't remember it getting anything else after the 90s though.

[MattBlah]

I actually went to the local bowling...place last night and had a go on some games. They had a brand new machine, After Burner Climax! I had a play and it was pretty damn fun. After Burner really hasn't changed much since the original but the graphics looked real nice and it is still fun to play. It was also one of those machines that moves from side to side while you play, so that was pretty amusing.

[segaste]

I've only seen Afterburner Climax once in an arcade in Llandudno. Didn't play it though as it was £1 ago and I'd not recently bought it from the PSN for £2.

[MIK]

I think for the most part when it comes to making new arcade machines that the scene is almost dead now. Sega & Namco are currently NOT doing anything on that front anyway. So indeed your have to put up with worn out machines sadly.

That's why it's best to have these classics at home so we can preserve for our self and play at any time.

Sort of related.
Currently playing Midway Arcade Origins on XBOX360, just grabbed the Smash TV achievement, and nabbed 20th place on Championship Sprint. This is the future of arcades or has been for a while now...

[segaste]

Yeh, it's a shame that some are left to fall apart. I saw a Scud Race cabinet (the large one with rear projection screen) almost unplayable as the screen had awful image burn.

Though, I've also seen a House of the Dead cabinet recently in excellent condition. The screen must have been replaced to make it look almost brand new.

[MIK]

Last time I was down Southsea, (Portsmouth UK) they had replaced all the rear projection screens on an 8 player larger TV camera version of Dayonta USA. Only thing was they replaced the screens with like 42" LCD Widescreen TV's and the picture was now stretched to 16:9 instead of 4:3. They filled the gaps top and bottom of the TV as they are not square obviously with black chipboard. Not a bad effort to keep the rear projection arcades alive anyway.

[mick_aka]

Last real arcade I played in was the Palace Arcade in Rhyl a few years back...

[MIK]

Nice to see 3 classics with wheels there!

I think Manx TT as a game is a bit under rated by users in general tho, not that the official Saturn mag was like that. On Saturn it's the WipeOut game Playstation owners never got to play, or I think of it like that as it runs on the Saturn WipeOut engine and all because it has the power to tilt the whole screen.
Why would I say this? See the Saturn Manx TT credits and your see the Saturn WipeOut team are behind the port. Even the extra bikes are very WipeOut almost as if you have Venom speed aka arcade type speed of bikes and then Rapier for the super fast bikes you later unlock in Saturn Mode. WipeOut all over!

A lot of fun is old Manx and yeah the AI is on rubber bands but I don't mind that as it makes for better and more enjoyable racing with slip streaming and you can get good laps without getting 1st place so never wasted either way.

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Jan 15, 2014 18:07:01 GMT mick_aka said:

Last real arcade I played in was the Palace Arcade in Rhyl a few years back...

Is that the one with the red dragon on the front of the building?

[mick_aka]

I honestly can't remember, it was a good while ago, last time I went to Rhyl after that they we're redeveloping and everything on the front was boarded up.