Who else spent hrs at the arcade as a kid?

[Wrath of Foamy]

Theres a place near me called Arcade Club, you pay £15 in then all the games are free play and they got everything you can think of from an original Pong Cabinet to Space Harrier, SF2, NBA Jam, Simpsons, TMNT, Mario Kart to the latest crazy units from Japan.

Plus they do beers, pizza and burgers, it's cool to go once I a while with a group, Friday nights are adults only.

I'd kill for a place like that near me.

Only one I know of was a little hole in the wall in Soho called Las Vegas. I went there only once, with my older brother and smashed him at Pool and GRID.

We didn't stay long. The coin machines didn't work, it was hot, air ventilation was terrible and the entire place stank of BO. I am in my late 30s as well and my older brother is in his early 40s, so smelling the musk of kids and young teens made things a little awkward for us.

My childhood memories of the arcades would be when my mother would take myself and my grandmother to the penny arcades in Southsea. I'd spend hours in there, playing Sega Rally, Crazy Taxi, House of the Dead, Virtual Fighter 2, Scud Race etc, as well as the coin machines.

Also, I used to live at Ryde on the Isle of Wight and there is a arcade right in the seafront that has classic games, such as Mortal Kombat and Fist of the North Star. Further down? A bowling alley, with Time Crisis 2, which I'd play often.

Then there is Brighton Pier, which has a variety of games. I'm really feeling my age when it comes to these places though, and the general lack of modern arcade games really stands out. Half of it is the kiddy ticket stuff. With that said, the nostalgia rush of hearing "Love Machine" playing from the penny arcades really pulls me on when I'm near these places...

 

[Sweater of AV]

 

[TeTe]

My dad was a pool hustler in the 90s. He used to take me into a lot of pool halls and arcades as a kid. Spent a lot of quarters and time on arcades back in the day

Some of my favs:

NBA Jam
WWF Wrestlefest
The Simpsons
Tekken
TMNT
Double Dragon

Visited my coworker in Phoenix last November and we went to an arcade and beat the Simpsons.

 

[Gutter Chris]

Sooooo many games come to mind.

Excitebike, Paperboy, Ghosts & Goblins, Gauntlet, Afterburner, Super Hang-On, Spy Hunter

I could go on and on, lmfao.

Oh God how did I forget about afterburner I loved that game. Sucked at it. But thought it was a blast

There was a helicopter one that was like a simulator too but I can't think of what that was called . It was a blast used to have it at Chuck e cheese and I'd blow all my coins playing it.

Was it airwolf?

 

[Gutter Chris]

Visited my coworker in Phoenix last November and we went to an arcade and beat the Simpsons.

Which Simpson were you ?

Marge had the vacuum
Bart had a skateboard
Homer used like drunken brawling
Lisa I can't remember what she did no one ever played as her.

That game was so awesome to play with your buds. Just keep dumping in quarters and mollywhop everyone.

 

[PG29 red0 Jr]

It was expensive. Maybe I would have like $3 on me at best, and that would last less than 20 minutes most of the time.

 

[Berserker13]

I was kept isolated from the public as much as possible because someone had a secret to hide

 

[PeterGriffin]

I'd kill for a place like that near me.

Only one I know of was a little hole in the wall in Soho called Las Vegas. I went there only once, with my older brother and smashed him at Pool and GRID.

We didn't stay long. The coin machines didn't work, it was hot, air ventilation was terrible and the entire place stank of BO. I am in my late 30s as well and my older brother is in his early 40s, so smelling the musk of kids and young teens made things a little awkward for us.

My childhood memories of the arcades would be when my mother would take myself and my grandmother to the penny arcades in Southsea. I'd spend hours in there, playing Sega Rally, Crazy Taxi, House of the Dead, Virtual Fighter 2, Scud Race etc, as well as the coin machines.

Also, I used to live at Ryde on the Isle of Wight and there is a arcade right in the seafront that has classic games, such as Mortal Kombat and Fist of the North Star. Further down? A bowling alley, with Time Crisis 2, which I'd play often.

Then there is Brighton Pier, which has a variety of games. I'm really feeling my age when it comes to these places though, and the general lack of modern arcade games really stands out. Half of it is the kiddy ticket stuff. With that said, the nostalgia rush of hearing "Love Machine" playing from the penny arcades really pulls me on when I'm near these places...

I was at the Isle of white back in '89 or '90 and they had a massive arcade there as well as bumper cars. Don't remember the name, but there can't have been that many. I seem to recall a driving range being there or close by too. The arcade was awesome, and it was huge. I think at the time it was the biggest arcade I had seen or visited.

That was a fun trip, except for the distinct lack of sun.

 

[AFanNotAFighter]

Hell, yeah. Space Invaders, Defender, Pac-Man, Kung-fu Master.

 

[tgv976]

Ran for the rail shooters all the time with the guns. Die Hard the arcade game was one of my favorites and NBA give and go. NFL blitz too.

 

[MTT]

Alien vs Predator
Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs
Night Slashers
Armed Police Batrider

And so many more shoot 'em ups and beat 'em ups...

 

[Takes Two To Tango]

I was not big arcade guy as much as my friends. I was more of a Commodore 64 nerd.

 

[Phlog]

In my college years I spent many lunchtimes down the arcade playing soul edge, the arcade release of soul blade. Siegfried was my main, taki or Mitsurugi my alt.

I had the top high score and the longest Vs winning streak. 16 challengers one day, they were one big group and they ran into me that day. They made it real fun. By the end I was choosing characters I never played like voldo or Cervantes and kicking arse in a flow state.

 

[badascan]

Golden... Fucking....Axe!

The next town over had an arcade so I could only go when we went shopping and as such my mother wouldn't let me stay in there long. Off road, TMNT, X-Men... And I vividly remember being very selective with what I put my one or two quarter into so one day after much deliberation I chose RoboCop (maybe RoboCop 2) and as I walked to the right I got shot by the first enemy who was up in a window aiming down at a 45° angle... There went my day at the arcade...

 

[ChickenBrother]

I was not big arcade guy as much as my friends. I was more of a Commodore 64 nerd.

My neighbor had one of those. He let me play sometimes but mostly I went over and watched him play Way of the Exploding Fist, BC's Quest for Tires and Flight Simulator.

 

[Meatspin]

Hell yeah, even worked at one for awhile. Recently hit up some pinball and damn I suck now

 

[J_C]

i did but mostly watching, would blow my $3 as a 10 year old pretty fast.

 

[stalehotdog]

Avengers was great as well.

Playing with all your buds afterschool at the local market was the best!

 

[stalehotdog]

I liked Marge best. Avengers and x men with all your buddies was awesome too.

I couldn’t sleep for weeks after I learned about Marge and Homer team attack.

 

[Wrath of Foamy]

I was at the Isle of white back in '89 or '90 and they had a massive arcade there as well as bumper cars. Don't remember the name, but there can't have been that many. I seem to recall a driving range being there or close by too. The arcade was awesome, and it was huge. I think at the time it was the biggest arcade I had seen or visited.

That was a fun trip, except for the distinct lack of sun.

You know what town you were in?

I only know of the two in Ryde...