Anyone live in Ohio?

[Davey]

Are there really any exciting drives around here?

No, but Western Ohio is full of nothin' stacked upon nothin'. Here's Google street view of an arbirtrary point on I-75:

Link

Toledo to Cincinnati has like 3 hours of that, but it feels a lot longer.

[doctorx0079]

Bring your favorite CD's if you go. Count the number of ponds people have set up next to the farm fields.

[crithit5000]

Oh for fuck's sake, those fake ponds are that damn prevalent in this state? There's like a million in this dumpy area alone =/

[doctorx0079]

with little boats and rafts and park benches

[crithit5000]

Just made it to our motel in Sharonville, look for the dork with the fluffy blonde hair and black Adidas visor. And TF2 spah t-shirt.

[croikle]

Sweet. I'll probably get there sometime in the early afternoon (they open at noon, right?). Identification: glasses + pointy chinbeard.

Looking forward to it!

[doctorx0079]

That was pretty awesome. Croikle Crithit and I were battling for the top spot in Blazing Star throughout the night. It helps to be able to sit right in front of the screen like that with the bullets and lasers right in your face. When I left I had hi score with 1,603,350 but Croikle was working on beating it. Also played some Progear, Puzzle Fighter and SSFIV on the big screen. Just as I was leaving I saw Progear got swapped out for Mars Matrix. I didn't even know they had it! Also picked up a Gunbird 2 for Dreamcast, in beautiful condition and 3 dollars less than the competition. Highly recommended. We have to do that again some time.

[croikle]

Yeah, lots of fun. The best I got after you left was 1.59M, not quite beating the 3rd boss. Heartbreaking. I kept trying, but didn't beat that, and eventually had to leave.

Of course, now that I've read a little more about how to score, I know that I shouldn't ignore the little blue BONERS. I wasn't clear on how their value increased, and 300 points each seemed not worth it, so I'd been focusing on multipliers. My second credit at home got me 2.9M

[doctorx0079]

Ah yes. I didn't mention that. But note however that the lowest score on the high score board here is 5,586,300.

[Davey]

Hey doctor, do you remember how Video Game Underground used to have that deal that if you got the high score on the store's Blazing Star machine, you got a free used game? Well, I got it within one or two tries... for once, STGT pays off. I think the high score was like 9 million, but the machine didn't have default settings (5 lives instead of 3, IIRC). They didn't really have anything interesting (except a couple imports, but those were new), so I ended up grabbing some NES game.

I might head down that way if y'all meet up there again. I was in Cleveland this Saturday, so I couldn't have gone anyway.

[doctorx0079]

Hey doctor, do you remember how Video Game Underground used to have that deal that if you got the high score on the store's Blazing Star machine, you got a free used game? Well, I got it within one or two tries... for once, STGT pays off. I think the high score was like 9 million, but the machine didn't have default settings (5 lives instead of 3, IIRC). They didn't really have anything interesting (except a couple imports, but those were new), so I ended up grabbing some NES game.

Yes, I used to play it there, never came close. Congratulations! Why aren't they doing that any more?? All they have to do is say one per person. What did the owner think when you got it?

I might head down that way if y'all meet up there again. I was in Cleveland this Saturday, so I couldn't have gone anyway.

Great, but I won't be down there again for a while. I'm getting ready to move to a new apartment.

[Davey]

Yes, I used to play it there, never came close. Congratulations! Why aren't they doing that any more?? All they have to do is say one per person. What did the owner think when you got it?

If it wasn't a STGT game I probably wouldn't have come close. It was a while after STGT '06, but enough of it must have been burned in my memory to pull it off. The owner must not look at this place, though... a sub 10,000,000 score wouldn't have gotten you far in STGT, let alone be free prize material:
http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... 19&start=0

He was pretty surprised, no big fanfare or anything though. I think he was confused that I chose such a crappy prize. That contest could still be going on for all I know, but it seems like the Neo Geo cab isn't always there. I haven't been there in years (and they moved again), but back when I used to go there once or twice a year, I'm sure there were some visits where there was no cab.

[crithit5000]

Awesome place to kill a day and totally worth the 10+ hours we spent on the road driving there and back. Highlights include:

• I was the first one there, and after talking to the owner (I believe) he was on a mad quest to toss in every shooter board he had available that didn't require a vertically aligned screen (dude said it was out for repairs which meant no Strikers). "Hey I've got Blazing Star and Last Resort for the 4 slot!" "Hey dude, I just swapped in Giga Wing" "Oh crap, I forgot I have Progear!"
• The aforementioned Blazing Star battles, even though I totally forgot how to even score decently at that one. I broke a million but looking back at the old STGT scores that's kind of really pitiful. But it was fun, and I forgot I actually like that game when I'm not grinding it for an STGT.
• Epic two player games of Puzzle Fighter with doctorx0079. Haven't really played against any hardcore PF players before, so the first few rounds were me getting destroyed but it didn't take long to get into the swing of things. We ended up having a couple rounds that went on for quite some time...
• Seeing some kid who was like ten playing a Virtual Boy for the first time.
• Taking turns with croikle playing Giga Wing COME ON! And actually getting a few people watching (there was one dude who tried it, and credit fed through like a stage). Most amusing was when I was playing the ball came off the stick during play, and somehow I managed to get it back on without losing a life (but I accidentally hit bomb instead of shoot when I put my other hand back on the panel after fixing it). Fun stuff.

Lowlights:

• When Progear got swapped in, the monitor was kind of blargh. It felt like it had a weird refresh rate and it looked kind of washed out.
• I missed Mars Matrix? At around 8 we left to get some quick eats and do a little exploring but came back at like 9-ish and now I'm sad ;____;

Fun place, btw

[doctorx0079]

Can we make this the Arcade Legacy/Ohio meetup thread? I plan on heading down there to show the guys Fast Striker once I have it. I can't wait to see the reactions when people see the "(c) 2010" on it.

[Veran]

Yup. Really close to Cleveland.

[crithit5000]

Can we make this the Arcade Legacy/Ohio meetup thread?

I might be convinced to go again if given enough of a heads-up (month or so, I'd say).

Also, Ohayocon in Columbus is approaching (end of January) and I may possibly go. Anyone else here been there before/going?

[doctorx0079]

I went once and thought it was a mad house. Good dealer's room though. Not planning on going in 2011. Hopefully they can keep everything in the same part of the convention center going forward.

[doctorx0079]

I am possibly going to Arcade Legacy tomorrow.

[`Throwdown]

<--- Cleveland... on the westside near Brooklyn. Theres a few of us who get together to play SHMUPS together weekly. Add me on XBL = Throwdowwn

Guwange
Ikaruga
Deathsmiles
Aegis Wing
1942
Raiden Fighter Aces
Raiden 4
Omega 5
Raystorm HD
Shoot 1Up
Score Rush
Decimation x3

[`Throwdown]

Bump.

[crithit5000]

Hola sir, and welcome to the Ohio thread. I was up in Cleveland back in June-ish, I believe, just tooling around and was hanging out for a bit at Jame's Games which was a nice little surprise to find. Mayhaps next time we head up that way I'll post about it here first (last time was totally tourism/improv quick vacation).

[doctorx0079]

Everyone in this thread please check out this other thread if you haven't already:

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=34525

[Davey]

<--- Cleveland... on the westside near Brooklyn. Theres a few of us who get together to play SHMUPS together weekly.

Weekly? Probably doable for me at some point then; I visit my family in North Royalton a few times a year. Being that I was just there, I'm not sure the next time I'll be around though.

[BeyondNecroDome]

Northwest ohio. near Toledo. heh thats why im a video game junkie.

[doctorx0079]

I'm from Toledo! Now I'm in Dayton which is like Toledo minus.

[Davey]

Toledo minus

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Obligatory:

[doctorx0079]

Now that I have Fast Striker I'm getting ready to reschedule the Cincinnati Shmeet ever.

[doctorx0079]

The Fast Striker Shmeet is now April 2nd at 6.

[steveovig]

Just trying to resurrect this thread. I'm from Youngstown and I'd love to find some folks to play shit with.

[trap15]

I have a fair chance at moving to Columbus soon... for whatever that's worth