Let's find the world's greatest Arcades!

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:39 pm

I feel like being random right now, so I made this topic, but I have to know 'cuz I might go to one of them someday.

Factors to consider:

--Number of Arcade Machines
I've heard of places having 3 floors worth of cabinets, and I'd love to see those, but look at factor 2.

--Game Variety
Something to consider with any arcade, do they have shmups, do they have fighters, do they have only crane games or air hockey? Are they all games from the same company?

--Game Rotation
How often does the proprieter upgrade/update the library or swap out the chips? How is the arcade maintenance? Do they cheat and use Mame and some miscellaneous arcade cabinet or is it authentic for the game?

--Player Turnout
Do a lot of people show up or only fans of some game genre? Do little kids show up or mostly teens/nostalgia seekers? Is it a popular place or a hideaway spot?

--Other Factors
Does the place serve Food (i.e. Pizza)?
Are all the games authentic?
Is it a collector's collection or someone trying to make a profit?
Tokens or Change?
Other things? (i.e. Minigolf, Go-karts, Roller Coasters)
Is it a good location to be at?

Stuff like that. I'm always curious about arcades and which ones are good. Pics would be nice too.

Brian · Post by **Brian** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:45 pm

The best arcade in my area is in my house. 45 cabinets (41 of which are dedicated, factory originals), 1 pinball, and the mother of all arcade coolness, black lighting.

Lordstar · Post by **Lordstar** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:57 pm

Brian wrote: the mother of all arcade coolness, black lighting.

A man of my own heart

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:59 pm

So how many people show up at your place regularly? Or is it one of those secret passageways?

TKGB_Mental_Gear · Post by **TKGB_Mental_Gear** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 10:51 pm

Brian wrote:The best arcade in my area is in my house. 45 cabinets (41 of which are dedicated, factory originals), 1 pinball, and the mother of all arcade coolness, black lighting.

Someday I'm gonna best you. But for now I say I wish I was you.

Post by **Icarus** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 1:14 am

Hi. Get a plane ticket and carry lots of spare change.

Sonic R · Post by **Sonic R** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 1:22 am

Icarus wrote:Hi. Get a plane ticket and carry lots of spare change.

Is that your house, Icarus?
That is pretty cool

Post by **Icarus** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 1:27 am

Sonic R wrote:Is that your house, Icarus?
That is pretty cool

I wish. It's an arcade in Japan.
This is my arcade. Compact.

Post by **Dave_K.** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 2:09 am

I can't match Brian's arcade, but can get pretty - close.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 3:28 am

Icarus wrote: I wish. It's an arcade in Japan.

Hey is great if you want to go over to the boring part of town. All in all, I think Mikado is a better one. It may not have as many shooters, but it definitely has some obscure retro stuff. They've got Afterburner (the stand up one), dual screen Darius & Darius II, DOJ Black Label, Dual screen Warrior Blade, etc. Apparently they had a fully hydraulic Space Harrier until recently. I wonder if they have them on rotation? It's also in Shinjuku so you can go do all sorts of shady shit when you're done.

Macaw · Post by **Macaw** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 3:49 am

GaijinPunch wrote:It's also in Shinjuku so you can go do all sorts of shady shit when you're done.

You mean like play pachinko for 12 hours straight then use your winnings to buy some shoddy clothes from a seedy shop full of african-american dudes?

That would be awesome.

Brian · Post by **Brian** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 3:53 am

Dave_K. wrote:I can't match Brian's arcade, but can get pretty - close.

I am mighty jealous of that Planet Harriers! I have a dedicated Space Harrier, but it's the upright not the hydraulic. Lucky man you are.

sven666 · Post by **sven666** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 7:00 am

sugai game centre in sapporo is the best, most cabs (proboably in the hundreds) most game variety (a few games in every possible genre, even porn), daily tournaments, lots of extra fluff around games like artwork etc on display, lots of variety in games, rotation of games upon request, no kids.

JoshF · Post by **JoshF** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 7:28 am

That's how it's done.

Still, do they have Nazo no Otoko?

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 8:09 am

Macaw wrote: You mean like play pachinko for 12 hours straight then use your winnings to buy some shoddy clothes from a seedy shop full of african-american dudes?

I meant more like going to pay for a hand doogy... or anything else you have the money for.

Macaw · Post by **Macaw** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:57 am

GaijinPunch wrote:I meant more like going to pay for a hand doogy...

I'm guessing for an area like Shinjuku something like that would only set you back about $2... heh

sven666 wrote:sugai game centre in sapporo is the best, most cabs (proboably in the hundreds) most game variety (a few games in every possible genre, even porn), daily tournaments, lots of extra fluff around games like artwork etc on display, lots of variety in games, rotation of games upon request, no kids.

Awesome

Lordstar · Post by **Lordstar** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 10:08 am

Macaw wrote:
GaijinPunch wrote:It's also in Shinjuku so you can go do all sorts of shady shit when you're done.
You mean like play pachinko for 12 hours straight then use your winnings to buy some shoddy clothes from a seedy shop full of african-american dudes?

That would be awesome.

thats cool black people love me!

Twiddle · Post by **Twiddle** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 12:59 pm

Macaw wrote:
GaijinPunch wrote:It's also in Shinjuku so you can go do all sorts of shady shit when you're done.
You mean like play pachinko for 12 hours straight then use your winnings to buy some shoddy clothes from a seedy shop full of african-american dudes?

That would be awesome.

can't sleep the black man will get me

1up · Post by **1up** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:46 pm

I think this is the only multi cabinet arcade left in my country

Sporup Arcade Museeum

--Number of Arcades
Its in a small town in the middle of nowhere. They have 52 active cabs

--Game Variety
The game selection is wide. They have Outrun and Virtua Racing sitdowns. Alleys with fighting games only, shooters only etc.
Some of the shmups currently active:
Raiden Fighters Jet
Armed Police Batrider
R-Type
and more

--Game Rotation
If you call ahead he can make a game available so its ready to play when you get there.

--Player Turnout
Only open one day a week and when I was there last there were like 10 - 15 people. On season openings/closings the place is packed.

--Other Factors
The place serves no food or drinks.
The guy that owns the place has a book with the high scores set in his arcade.
All the games are authentic, salvaged from closed pizza/burger places etc.
The guy is a collecter displaying the great games of the 80s - 90s that many youngsters these days missed out on.

sven666 · Post by **sven666** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:53 pm

^patriotic little place huh, JKs as far as the eye can see!

zinger · Post by **zinger** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 10:04 pm

The best one I've seen was a really small place (maybe 15-20 Astro City) outside the city centre of Tokyo. Wasn't crowded or loud as HEY and there was this guy walking around doing nothing, waiting for you to ask him to insert the PCB of your choice into a cabinet. A HUGE selection of shooters from a PCB menu on the wall. Wish I hadn't left my camera at home that night. I'll ask they guys I went with what it was called, I can't remember.

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 10:06 pm

zinger wrote:The best one I've seen was a really small place (maybe 15-20 Astro City) outside the city centre of Tokyo. Wasn't crowded or loud as HEY and there was this guy walking around doing nothing, waiting for you to ask him to insert the PCB of your choice into a cabinet. A HUGE selection of shooters from a PCB menu on the wall. Wish I hadn't left my camera at home that night. I'll ask they guys I went with what it was called, I can't remember.

Sounds intriguing...please do get the name of this particular Japanese game center. ^_~

MX7 · Post by **MX7** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 3:42 pm

Casino Arcade, London. It's a bit shabby and sweaty, but that only makes it more perfect. Almost certainly my only chance to play Ketsui within the next 10 years. It's also within a stones throw of the best Vegetarian Chinese Restaurant evar. And of course, I don't have to traverse any oceans to get there.

zinger · Post by **zinger** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 10:14 am

PC Engine Fan X! wrote:
zinger wrote:The best one I've seen was a really small place (maybe 15-20 Astro City) outside the city centre of Tokyo. Wasn't crowded or loud as HEY and there was this guy walking around doing nothing, waiting for you to ask him to insert the PCB of your choice into a cabinet. A HUGE selection of shooters from a PCB menu on the wall. Wish I hadn't left my camera at home that night. I'll ask they guys I went with what it was called, I can't remember.
Sounds intriguing...please do get the name of this particular Japanese game center. ^_~

Okay it's called Ebisen, http://www.ebi-cen.com/.

Shooting games list, which seems to be incomplete (I played games that aren't on the list):

ESP Galuda II
Ketsui
Strikers 1945 II
Tatsujin Ou
Dodonpachi Dai Ou Jou
Armed Police Batrider
Battle Garegga
Progear no Arashi
Mushihime-sama Futari 1.5
Image Fight
Wolf Fang
Exed Exes
X-Multiply
Gun Smoke
Gun Bird 2
Kyuukyoku Tiger
Giga Wing
Gradius II
Grobda
Same! Same! Same!
Thunder Cross
Thunder Cross II
G-Darius
Star Force
Tatsujin
Darius Gaiden
Detana! Twinbee
Dodonpachi
Dragon Spirit
Dragon Saber
Donpachi
Vasara 2
Batsugun
Battle Bakraid
Flying Shark
Dangun Feveron
V. V
Macross II
Mushihime-sama
Metal Black
Thunderstorm
Rayforce

TLB · Post by **TLB** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 11:03 pm

W.O.W. No arcades 'round here anymore that I know of.

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 8:42 pm

m3tall1ca wrote:W.O.W. No arcades 'round here anymore that I know of.

Sorry to hear about that, m3tall1ca. Yep, some parts of the USA, arcades are closing their doors for good. Tis a shame though...I've seen many local arcades close down. It's always good news to hear of a indy arcade hangout opening up but if they're in Southern California, that won't do any good for the folks living up in Northern and Central part of California. ^_~

The best arcade to patronize is the one that you slowly build up...sure, it may take many years to get your favorite arcade PCBs that you played in your youth. In the end, it's truly your own personal arcade. You're the arcade owner, arcade manager and customer all rolled into one person. Never forget that. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Leandro · Post by **Leandro** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 11:35 pm

great thread guys, I can only dream about these places

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:05 am

Lordstar wrote:
Brian wrote: the mother of all arcade coolness, black lighting.
A man of my own heart :D

Shit ain't healthy...but it depends on how much time you spend in front of them, heh.

TLB · Post by **TLB** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:18 am

PC Engine Fan X! wrote:
m3tall1ca wrote:W.O.W. No arcades 'round here anymore that I know of.
Sorry to hear about that, m3tall1ca. Yep, some parts of the USA, arcades are closing their doors for good. Tis a shame though...I've seen many local arcades close down. It's always good news to hear of a indy arcade hangout opening up but if they're in Southern California, that won't do any good for the folks living up in Northern and Central part of California. ^_~

The best arcade to patronize is the one that you slowly build up...sure, it may take many years to get your favorite arcade PCBs that you played in your youth. In the end, it's truly your own personal arcade. You're the arcade owner, arcade manager and customer all rolled into one person. Never forget that. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Can't wait until I'm out of school and have some cash to throw around...I'm either going to get a cabinet or a supergun and...Well, I guess I'll have to see what ports I get before I decide on a PCB, but I'd be surprised if it didn't happen.

I wish someone cool would start a restaurant with a bunch of arcade machines in a back room. That'd be [fuckin'] cool.

Post by **Dave_K.** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 1:20 pm

m3tall1ca wrote:I wish someone cool would start a strip bar with a bunch of arcade machines in the front room. That'd be [fuckin'] cool.

Fixed.