Today Arcades

[ZXSpectrum]

Well I just had a bit of a day out to Skeggness for the first time in over 12 years. I do understand that I come from a time where stand up arcade machines were all the rage in arcades throughout the country. It used to be the highlight of my year to go to the seaside so I could play the games I loved in big arcades rather than the local chippy (yes, you young uns there used to be video games and fruit machines in chippys). I am actually pretty depressed to not have found a single old school video game in the 7/8 arcades I went in Skegg and Ingoldmells. Not a single one. It was all 2p machines, ticket machines a few low payout fruit machines with a few big driving/shooting games. I can understand from a business perspective that having a cab on using electric all day that someone might play a few times a day at best but it was sad to see.

I wondered why some people that came to my house to do work were impressed by my arcade cab and now I know why. It’s sad to think that those hundreds or thousands of machines have been destroyed. Out run, Street Fighter, Chase HQ, Mortal Kombat, Time Crisis to name a few will be forever in my memories. It actually makes me want to clear out my garage and built my old old school arcade.

I guess times have changed and I am glad there enthusiasts out there that are building collections of cabs for real old school arcades but it honestly breaks my heart to think where all those machines have ended up.

 

[ZXSpectrum]

I remember all of them as well. I grew up going to arcades playing from the original Space Invaders, Galaga, Moon Cresta(I can still remember the attract sounds) so it sounds like we are from the same era (I turned 50 this year).

I actually thought when I went last, which was about 13 years ago, I wondered how they were going to survive with home consoles being better to play than 98% of their arcade counterparts and could be played without all the noise and lights of the arcades but the death of the upright cabs has saddened me really. Oh well yet another part of my childhood laid to rest.

 

[ZXSpectrum]

If you are ever in any of these cities you should check out NQ64 Arcade Bar

Manchester
Birmingham
Liverpool
Newcastle
London
Cardiff
Edinburgh
Glasgow

I’ve been in a couple of them, but I understand it’s not everyone’s scene; UV lights, Craft beer and old/new arcade cabs and consoles…

Locations

Welcome to NQ64 Arcade Bars, where retro gaming and arcade machines meet top shelf cocktails and pints. View all locations.

nq64.co.uk

Ps I’m from Derby too, small world!

Haha I live in Sinfin and work on the Wyvern.

I think Birmingham would be the closest. One of my work colleagues has been talking about going to one of these or there are some collectors about that have their own arcade that they repair and refurbish to peak condition and charge a fee to play for the evening. Might have to look into doing a bit of a tour of those.

I have a home built cab that I never did get built/finished so this is finally going to give me a kick up the ass to get sorted. I am thinking about ordering one of the flat pack cabs as well as I have an abundance of computer and raspberry pi gear that will work well and maybe down the line a Mister FPGA setup.

 

[ZXSpectrum]

Just found this place in Bury.

Arcade Club - Europe's Largest Free Play Video & Pinball Arcade in Bury, Leeds & Blackpool. More than 1000 modern and classic arcades.

Arcade Club is Europe’s largest free play video and pinball arcade. More than 1000 well maintained classic arcade machines in our ever expanding library. Three exciting locations: Bury in Manchester, Leeds and Blackpool, all with modern and classic games to explore. Once inside all games are...

www.arcadeclub.co.uk

https://youtu.be/6PmRNlqIdFY?si=642Nq9olg4WHpLru

It looks Fanastic! Might have to have a drive up.

 

[ZXSpectrum]

Ive been to Leeds and Bury and they are both fantastic!

I also agree with all thats been said on here, the state of arcades now days is sad. I am 39 and used to love a trip o the seaside resorts playing Street Fighter II, WWF Wrestlefest, TMNT Turtles in time and countless more. The last time i went to Southend and saw all my favourite arcades filled up with ticket machines and £1 for 2 seconds of play on some rubbish new version of space invaders made me want to cry!

Yup it was exactly like that yesterday. I love wrestlefest but I have a real love for superstars. I remember playing that in a local chippy.

Looks like I have got a posse of 3 so far going to Bury. I was watching a video with the owner and he said he has over 500 more cabs in storage ready to be restored. £17 for a day playing old school arcades. Hell yeah.

Cheers for the link to the thread will have a good look through it.

 

[ZXSpectrum]

Yes, you are correct. I cant be doing with the heat and energy use of a CRT when i build my new cab but i am considering one of the retro boxes that authentically recreates the look of a CRT with Scanlines etc on a LCD. That said i really love my arcade stuff however i really am not that anal about a perfect recreation. If i was i would find a high end CRT and go with a MisterFPGA. Honestly, with my older eyes Raspberry PI with a few hundred of my fav games on a 27" IPS LCD with a nice attract mode will sort me. I have found a fantastic looking Pi image with amazing attract mode done by Dynamic Duo, think i will go with that.

 

[ZXSpectrum]

i am just looking at building one of the flat pack cabs which can house a 27" LCD so that will be good enough for what i need.

 

[ZXSpectrum]

I already have an nec one in my other cab that is 4:3 but it’s really old and I wanted something nice and vibrant.

 

[ZXSpectrum]

just looked at it and there doesnt seem to be a great deal of older games. Most look like they are the newer bigger ones like the Transformers, Halo and Mario Kart ones according to the Game Vault area.

 

[ZXSpectrum]

I used to live in Sunnyhill, spent many many hours in the arcades in Normanton and Harry's (people used to wait for me to finish college to play Xmen Vs Streetfighter) in town.. when I was growing up there was so many fish and chips shops or video retail shops that had arcade games.

HAHA Same here, unofrtunately for a while i used to live just off Browning Circle and that was a horrible place but mostly grown up on Stenson Road(Went to Derby School before it was Derby Moor).. Used to frequent Shipleys and Harrys every now and again but mainly the chippys such as the one that used to be across the road from the Blue pool, chippy on the corner of Wordsworth Ave in Sinfin, Grampian chippy as well as the ones in Normanton (one near the plumbers just off the bottom of Normanton Rd) to play the arcades. Where ever there were machines me and my brother probably went..

I now live in manchester, got a trip with some friends from coming up from mansfield to go to the arcade club in Bury next weekend, thou there are some arcarde machines in the most random of places in MCR. There's some in the urban outfitters and Arkwrights and a few of the yuppy pubs.

I enjoyed it, however as it was a weekend there were loads of kids about and a lot of them were not treating the machines with care and seemed to be running about unhindered even though there are signs that say they should be accompanied. It was a good day out and cheered me up since the depressing trip to skeggy.

I was in blackpool this summer and was quite disappointed with the games, ended up just playing the 2p/10p pushers, I've almost brought SFA2 but then next day I decided to move house/jobs so I've been thinking of getting one for the house now (10 years later), but tbh I don't think my wrist can take it like they used to as playing a few rounds on SFV with the arcarde stick makes me feel it for days after lol

I have a cab that i build from scratch but didnt finish and i am looking at buying a flat pack from Arcade world, you have just reminded me, i have been meaning to email them to see if they have any pics of videos of fully built cabs.

 

[ZXSpectrum]

Did anyone ever remember seeing or playing the Firefox (Based on the Clint Eastwood Movie not the browser) In arcades? I think i only ever saw it once in a service station on the way up to Scotland on holiday when i was pretty young. It was laserdisk based if i remember. Sortof played like a crappier version of Afterburner or G-Loc.

 

[ZXSpectrum]

Haha just found it!