Are arcades dead to you?

[Jingus 0]

DD2 was closer to the arcade... kinda... by the time it came out, the programmers knew how to stretch the hardware & cartridge limitations a lot farther than they did back when the first one was made.

[AndrewTS 0]

DD2 was nothing like the arcade game. And it was 50 times better for that reason.

 

Which is my point. It was like an apology for DD NES and DD2 arcade.

[Anya 0]

The appeal of DDR should not be that difficult to understand. You're jumping around acting silly!

 

As for the 2 or 3 "real" games that could take it's place....DDR would probably make more then those 3 games combined. DDR helps keep arcades in business.

[Anya 0]

The appeal of DDR should not be that difficult to understand. You're jumping around acting silly!

 

As for the 2 or 3 "real" games that could take it's place....DDR would probably make more then those 3 games combined. DDR helps keep arcades in business.

[Jingus 0]

I don't wanna jump around while playing games. If the kids do, go play a game of hopscotch while clutching a gameboy. The entire point of video games is that it's an intense activity you can play while still remaining as lazy as humanly possible.

[World's Worst Man 0]

I like playing DDR with my hands. So, BeatMania or StepMania ftw.

[Red Baron 0]

There's a Midway Arcade on Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls. Isn't bad, but its not the greatest.

[Anya 0]

I don't wanna jump around while playing games. If the kids do, go play a game of hopscotch while clutching a gameboy. The entire point of video games is that it's an intense activity you can play while still remaining as lazy as humanly possible.

 

 

You sound like a bitter old man.

[Jingus 0]

I am, in video game years. But I felt the same back when I was in elementary school. I'll get off my ass when I feel like it, don't try to condescendingly appeal to me with exercise which is badly disguised as "fun".

[AndrewTS 0]

Arcades today are desperately missing hand-to-hand violence. I can't believe my arcade doesn't have *one* game where you can punch somebody in the face. That's like, criminal.

 

[Rendclaw 0]

Aww man, the arcade was my favorite thing in the world when I was a kid. There was this one gigantic arcade called Milford Amusement Center, which was 2 hours away from my home in CT. It was 2 floors filled with games, billiards, bumper cars, lazer tag, etc. That place was heaven. I remember seeing Street Fighter 1 there, X-Men vs Street Fighter, Street Fighter 2 on a HUGE screen; I swear Blanka must've been my size.

 

They had every fighting game you can imagine and that's just like 5% of what the whole place consisted of. There was Nathans Hot Dogs attached to it which changed to a McDonalds. The place was basically a Chuckie Cheese for bigger kids and teenagers. I wonder what happened to that place, the last time I've been there was when Flubber just came out to theaters and McD's was giving out special green straws.

 

A second place that I've been to once when I was about 7 was a place I can't remember the name of or the location, but it was basically a aircraft hangar turned into a big ass arcade filled with bumper cars, playground equipment, and tons of games. That place was cool.

 

One more was my friend's 12th birthday, it was basically a giant room with a huge miniature golf course, big inflated bouncy things, and yes GAMES!

 

Arcades were good fun, they really need to think of something that would rake in cash and revive the arcades.

 

Dude, I used to go to Milford Rec when it was the SHIT back in the mid 80s. I loved that place so much that I would take trains and buses on saturdays to get there from Bridgeport. I would go and hang out with friends there. Back when it had two levels of video games... they had games in a perimeter around the pool tables, a connecting room with more games, and a third room with MORE fucking games.... I think they had over 100 machines at one point.....

 

I went there in 2005 when I went back to move my stuff back to Michigan... it still was okay, but it lost a lot of its luster

[Guest George's Box]

In those halcyon early '90s, I used to go to this little hole-in-the-wall arcade in Arlington Heights called Just For Fun in the dumpy old Town & Country Mall, where I played Skee-Ball, pinball, basketball toss, and Bozo's Grand Prize Game, ticket games which according to spman are tantamount to insufficient Beatle knowledge when it comes to the downfall of society. There was some other arcade I went to a couple of times that had Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 but I can't remember what it was called. It was somewhere in Mount Prospect, I think, and I'm sure it's long gone. Was it Time Out? That's what the old token I saved has on it. It'll come to me eventually, I think. I went to Gameworks in Schaumburg once in 1999. It was like a nightclub for 14-year-olds. The house band was Lucky Boys Confusion.

 

Arcades with an open bar? I guess it was the logical progression.

[Red Baron 0]

Thats what Midway Arcade is like in the falls. Two thirds are ticket games, while the rest are just regular arcade games.

 

No pinball machines.

[Pegasus Kid 0]

The arcade scene has taken major hits due to console conversions being as good or better (extra options, characters) than their arcade ports. The advent of smooth online play has killed the community aspect that arcades used to uniquely represent as well. That being said, there are still major arcade scenes throughout North America. I'm a competitive Street Fighter player and have more than enough competition around the Greater Toronto Area because the player sought each other out (thus the banner in my sig) and organized themselves. We stay in constant contact with ownership of the major arcades in the area so we get proper maintenance of equipment. Monthly tournaments keep everyone's competitive spirits up.

 

If you live in the Greater Toronto Area I suggest:

- ORBIT Entertainment in Pacific Mall at the corner of Steeles Avenue & Kennedy Road East

- Downtown Funland at the corner of Yonge Street & Bloor Street

- York Cove in York Lanes within York University at Steeles Avenue & Keele

- Fun Game in Shoppers World at the corner of Steeles Avenue & Hurontario Road

 

If anyone has an interest in fighting games, I suggest making an account at Shoryuken.com's forums. It has the best strategies for fighting games related to Street Fighter anywhere in the world and is partnered with Tekken Zaibatsu (for Tekken & Soul Calibur) along with Dustloop (for Guilt Gear players). It also has the best general discussion forum anywhere on the Internet IMHO.

[Thoth 0]

I guess I'm lucky. I live in Orange County, about a half hour drive from Arcade Infinity. The place is always super packed, and the plaza it's situated in... well, it has tremendous parking issues. It takes me about 20-40 minutes to find a parking spot.

 

As far as the quality of the arcade, all the fighting games are in candy cabs, as it is an Asian style arcade. They were the first arcade in the country to get King of Fighters XI, which makes me happy. They have Melty Blood Act Cadenza, Fist of the North Star, Rumble Fish 2, THREE Third Strike cabinets, DDR Extreme and DDR Supernova, Guitar Freaks and Drummania, Beatmania IIDX, 2 player Initial D, 4 player Wangan Midnight, Virtua Cop 3, Pop n' Music, and more. There's some really random shit there, too.

[EricMM 0]

Yeah, as far as I'm concerned, the whole arcade thing these days is based around fighters and DDR machines.

 

Fighters because it is a central location for people to meet and play, against people they don't know that well,

 

DDR because DDR hard pads cost too much.

 

Games like Gauntlet and the Simpsons arcade and etc. will be easily replaced by the home experience, but fighters will always be hurt by lag. There seems to be connection perfect enough for fighters like Tekken, SF3, VF, and Soul Calibur.

[Black Lushus 0]

DDR because DDR hard pads cost too much.

 

my first taste of DDR was on the Playstation, USA mix, on shitty plastic pads that slid around everywhere...went to the arcade and hopped on the big metal pads and never looked back.

[Black Lushus 0]

Fighters because it is a central location for people to meet and play, against people they don't know that well,

 

I think once Internet gaming REALLY takes off...because it could certainly take off more than it has...this won't be a factor anymore.

[spman 0]

Aww man, the arcade was my favorite thing in the world when I was a kid. There was this one gigantic arcade called Milford Amusement Center, which was 2 hours away from my home in CT. It was 2 floors filled with games, billiards, bumper cars, lazer tag, etc. That place was heaven. I remember seeing Street Fighter 1 there, X-Men vs Street Fighter, Street Fighter 2 on a HUGE screen; I swear Blanka must've been my size.

 

They had every fighting game you can imagine and that's just like 5% of what the whole place consisted of. There was Nathans Hot Dogs attached to it which changed to a McDonalds. The place was basically a Chuckie Cheese for bigger kids and teenagers. I wonder what happened to that place, the last time I've been there was when Flubber just came out to theaters and McD's was giving out special green straws.

 

This place still exists, although the changed the name to "Smiles" about 7 or 8 years ago. I haven't been there in a few years, although I always keep meaning to stop in. Last time I was there, the arcade selection was smaller, but still pretty decent comparatively.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

When I was a kid, our summer visits to Sauble Beach, Ontario were always highlighted (outside of the beach itself, of course) by the huge arcade on Main Street. Apparently it's three different clothing stores now.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

There is a Dave & Buster's and Gameworks in a mall near me. I used to like Gameworks but it's so crowded and it most of the same games every time I go there. D&B is a lot quieter and less crowded so I go there a lot.

When I was younger, I used to go to two arcades. There was an arcade that was in a Family Fun Center. I remember waiting online to play Super Street Fighter when it came out. I was disappointed when they didn't have the Turbo edition so my dad took me to a closer arcade which had it. They had it and I fell in love with the place. It's a hole in the wall but there a few fighting games, retro, and DDR games. I still love that place.

[Anya 0]

So many arcade operators ignore the hardcore fighting game crowd and it's stupid. They seem to think it's still like 1993 where you can set up a SF II cabinet and it will automatically make money. If they would take care of the machines and use the settings the players want they could make a lot of money. Like with Tekken 5, if your machine isn't set to 3/5 rounds the players will just go somewhere else.

[Cavi 0]

Proper arcades are completely dead here. There is an uber small arcade "room" located on the local university campus. Visiting it these days is depressing, as it used to be part of a booming, full on arcade. They have like MvC2, VF4, one of the older DDRs, and Police Trainer. I wish they would get a Beatmania or Para Para Paradise.

 

The cool thing is that they still have the same exact Bubble Bobble machine they have had since I started going there as a child in the 80s! The game's music still rules.

[AndrewTS 0]

Proper arcades are completely dead here. There is an uber small arcade "room" located on the local university campus. Visiting it these days is depressing, as it used to be part of a booming, full on arcade. They have like MvC2, VF4, one of the older DDRs, and Police Trainer. I wish they would get a Beatmania or Para Para Paradise.

 

The cool thing is that they still have the same exact Bubble Bobble machine they have had since I started going there as a child in the 80s! The game's music still rules.

 

 

POLICE TRAINER--I see that game all the time. It seems so dull and generic.

 

Bubble Bobble rules. I actually picked up both Taito Legends collections, incidentally. The 2nd one has Darius Gaiden, G-Darius, Elevator Action 2, and VIOLENCE FIGHT, among others.

[Guest]

When I was younger, I used to go to two arcades. There was an arcade that was in a Family Fun Center. I remember waiting online to play Super Street Fighter when it came out. I was disappointed when they didn't have the Turbo edition so my dad took me to a closer arcade which had it. They had it and I fell in love with the place. It's a hole in the wall but there a few fighting games, retro, and DDR games. I still love that place.

That Family Fun Center was my favorite place to go when I was a kid. The miniature golf inside was the best.

 

I think it's a shithole now, but back then, I loved it.

[EricMM 0]

I think once Internet gaming REALLY takes off...because it could certainly take off more than it has...this won't be a factor anymore.

Like I said, Black, that may be true for all sorts of games, but it can never be really true about fighting games.

 

They're the ultimate twitch games. Especially Street Fighter 3 and the like. As I'm sure has been said before, you can combo a low short kick or whatever into a 30% supercombo, easily. That short kick has, what, three, six frames? That's sheer tenths of a second. Until online technology gets to the point where there will be no lag, at all, the games would be, at best, guessing games, and at worst pure frustration.

[Black Lushus 0]

right...when it really takes off...

 

isn't that what I said?

[EricMM 0]

I thought you meant popularity.

[Rendclaw 0]

Yeah I agree... I tried gametap just for the hell of it once, and the lag was very frustrating for playing the classic fighting games.

[Jer 0]

When I went to Penn State for college, it had the best arcade ever, which is now closed.

 

When I moved to Hagerstown for my job, we had two decent arcades within 10 miles of me. Both are now closed.

 

There's still a movie theater that has a DDR SuperNova machine, which is nice, but there's no real arcades or places to play fighters anywhere near me.

 

It sucks, I've always loved the arcade scene and there's no way to replace it. Online isn't even close.