Arcades - A tribute

Anything from run & guns to modern RPGs, what else do you play?
Post Reply
User avatar
rancor
Posts: 2802
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2010 12:33 pm
Location: Tokyo
Contact:

Arcades - A tribute

Post by rancor »

I want to dedicate this thread to those out there keeping the flame alive. Independent arcades that are still doing the right thing either out of love, community, or even because it's still financially viable in 2012. I'm not talking about the polished sheen of Sega Game Centers, Gameworks, HEY!, or Mikado. I'm wanting this to be a photographic tribute to those mom & pop establishments that never empty the ashtrays, always seem to have an unflushed turd in the toilet, and hold host to some of the grimiest, most unwashed masses known to populate this earth. I think I speak for us all when I say there aren't many other place on earth I'd rather be:

Game Land Fantasy - Absolutely filthy inside, and permeated by the smell of old cigarette smoke and urine. There's usually a lone highschool boy behind the counter either browsing the internet on a laptop, or playing his PSP. About 1km from my house, so if I have a few hours free I'll ride my bike out there and throw a few 50 yen coins into a few games. Shmups inside include: Strikers 1945 II, Akai Katana, Raiden Fighters JET.

edit: January 29th, 2016 - Game Land Fantasy is closed for good. :|

Image



Game Center Popeye - This one is run by an old lady who I think occupies the second floor. Very clean inside as it just opened at the beginning of this summer. Not exactly an arcade game lovers haven as it's 50% pachinko machines, 30% UFO Catchers, and 20% arcade games. Of the arcade games she has, 4-5 of them are mahjong titles. However, she does hold host to an impressive array of cabs including an Egret III, AC's, NAC's, BC's, a Windy, and a Neo-Candy 29". Only 2 proper shmups are here running on a Neo-Geo 4-slot (Blazing Star and Last Resort). There is a multi-ROM PCB thrown into a Blast City. The monitor is set to yoko, but it runs tate games like Battle Garegga with black bars on the sides making for an absolutely tiny play area. The emulation on this board is terrible, so I don't play it anymore. Literally 200m from my house, but I find it hard to built up the ambition to go here anymore.

edit: Game Center Popeye is now closed. While I was sad to see it go, I did manage to get a free Egret 2 cab from the old woman along with monitors, chassis', PCBs, and plenty of stools. As I was grabbing everything I could, and loading it up into my truck I was told that the arcade had been there for more than 30 years! Incredible! Sad to see you go Popeye, but you weren't exactly a destination these last few years.

Image



Nakano TRF - The last of the arcades in the infamous Nakano Broadway mall. Nakano Broadway mall is one of the nastiest, geekiest, most interesting places in Tokyo. Akihabara is for tourists - Nakano is where the real otaku congregate! There used to be a total of 3 game centers in this mall, but I snapped this photo last weekend (Sept 15th) and this is the last one standing. All fighting games, so nothing of interest for me there, but still - MUCH RESPECT!

Image



Shinagawa ???? - This place must be 100 years old. See that faded sign? I can't even read what this place is called. This is actually a candy shop that's across the street from a park. The kids go over there to get drinks and chocolate after a hard afternoon on the monkey bars. I never would have gone in here had my son not led me in by hand to look for gummy worms. No STGs here, but there are two cabs inside holding Metal Slug 6 and Final Fight.

Image



Matsuzawa Stationery - This place can't decide what it wants to be. The sign says stationery. In the widow you can see hundreds of Famicom, Super Famicom, and Mega Drive titles so sun-faded that there isn't a speck of color left on plastic, cardboard, or paper. Inside is a collection of junky toys, old sewing machines, and cartons of cigarettes for sale. A lone, immobile old man who must be 90 years old sits behind the counter chain smoking and wondering WTF this gaijin is doing in his store. If you can make your way through the garbage stacked ceiling-high, you'll find THREE Konami Domy Jr. cabs running 19XX, Mr. Driller, and Puzzle Bobble.

Image



Game Omoron - At Game Omoron the 80's never really died. The interior is decorated in pink neon lights, black walls, plenty of mirrors, and the employees all wear tuxedos! It's an interesting place, and much like the larger arcades from Sega and Taito, each floor has a theme. On the first floor you'll find young girls and lovers participating in either the photo booths or claw machines. The second floor is all senior citizens sitting in front of slot machines and video poker. The third floor is most likely what we're all interested in. It's completely filled with Sega cabs (AC's and NAC's) sporting what may be the oddest selection of games in Tokyo. Titles include Dynamite Deka 2, Lode Runner, Strikers 1945 II, Ketsui, a 300-in-1 multi cab, Metal Slug 5, several vs. fighting games and a selection of pornographic mahjong titles. Oh, and the first floor also has a claw game where you can grab live lobsters. (pic here).

edit: Aug 4th, 2015 - Game Omoron is now totally gone. The building has been demolished, and it's now an empty lot.

Image



Game Gao - In Japan not only do the people speak an odd impenetrable moon language, but the animals say different words as well. Pigs say "boo-boo", dogs say "wan-wan", frogs say "kero-kero", and lions say "Gao!". I can only assume that's where the name Game Gao comes from, but oddly enough their mascot is a flying super-pig (See pic). Game Gao has to be one of the most happening arcades outside of downtown Tokyo. Every time I've been there, it's absolutely bursting with high school students playing and watching their friends play. I really don't have anything snarky or funny to say about this place. It's not dirty, it doesn't smell bad, all of the cabs are in tip-top condition, and the games are priced at only 50 yen per play! This is the place to go if you're into vs. fighting games as they seem to have most every current title made. There's not much else aside from some music/rhythm games, a few driving titles, Metal Slug 6, Tetris GM, and Futari BL.

Image



Game - This is seemingly where old cabs go to die. I've made posts about this place before because it has to be the saddest arcade in Tokyo. Just look at it. Did you see the hidden CPS2 board? The garbage strewn about? Game packaging and spare parts occupy every nook and cranny of this tiny, dilapidated game center. Did you see the filthy PCBs stacked on shelves like body parts in a madmans shed? Boxes, pieces, CPs, most anything is for the taking here if one has the courage to do so. However, the owner is the scariest Japanese man I've seen in a while. A stout, unshaven being covered in the sheen of tobacco smoke and perspiration. More troll/goblin than human. I dare not attempt such foolishness while under his constant watchful gaze. I feel I've taken enough risk by simply taking photos and reporting this place to you. Enter at your own risk, for theres only one STG here - DDP DOJ BL.

edit: January 29th, 2016 - Game has closed up shop. Empty building now.

Image



Game Inn First - A tiny arcade located under the tracks of the Yamanote line between Ueno and Akihabara. It's dark, it's grimy, and it smells like decades of cigarette smoke. There are some glass cases inside filled with old anime DVDs such as Patlabor, Gundam F-91, and Bubblegum crisis but alas it doesn't have much to offer me game-wise. Of the 15 or so Sega cabs, all titles are either fighting games, mahjong, or puzzles (Tetris and Columns). There is a 300-in-1 PCB here in one of the Blast City cabs with dozens of STGs, but I don't mess with that junk. A nice facade, but there's really no reason to waste your time here.

Image



Amusement Adventure - Another arcade located in one of Tokyo's red light districts. This game center is surrounded by Philippine hostess clubs, massage parlors, and high school girls in loose socks smoking cigarettes. For the part of town that it's in (Takenotsuka) it was surprisingly clean and an older lady just happened to be cleaning the cabs as I walked through and snapped a few pics. Packed to the rafters with fighting games, this place held host to only one lonely shmup - Raiden Fighters JET. The ashtrays were clean, the floors were pristine, and the cabs sparkled. Nothing unsavory about this place at all despite the fact that it was across the street from a club offering "oral service".

edit: Aug 4th, 2015 - Amusement Adventure is now closed, and there is a sign in the window looking for new tenants. No news on the oral service bar.

Image



Game Fuji - First of all I want to apologize for the odd perspective of the shot below. I literally had my back against the wall to take that picture because the street in front of Game Fuji is about 2 meters wide. No cars could fit on this road - It's like a Japanese version of Kowloon city. Game Fuji is a short 5 minute walk east from Funabashi station in Chiba, and is a mandatory stopover if you're in the area. I have no doubts that this is the largest independent arcade in Chiba, and it has a fantastic selection of both old and new titles. While the first floor is home to dozens of rhythm games, crane games, and photo booths, the second floor is where the real action is. Row upon row of Sega Blast City cabinets are here and these cabs hold host to some of the best games to be seen outside of Tokyo. In honest estimation, I would guess that there are no less than 55 or 60 cabs here. Everything from Super Mario Bros. to Virtua Tennis to Akai Katana to Final Fight can be played for only 50 yen! I've been here probably 10 times in my years living in Japan, and it's never NOT crowded. Even though the arcade is clean and the cabs are well kept, it is ridiculously smokey inside so bring some eye drops if you decide to visit. Shmups housed here include Raiden Fighters 2, Akai Katana, Deathsmiles II, Battle Garegga, Strikers 1999, Mad Shark, Ibara, Raystorm, and Batsugun.

edit: January 29th, 2016 - Game Fuji is closed!! :?

Image



Game Lucky - Ok, I have to apologize - It seems I overestimated the size of the above "Game Fuji" when I described it as "no doubt the largest arcade in Chiba". A few days after posting that, a forum member PM'd me saying that the actual "largest game center" in Chiba title goes to an arcade outside of Chiba Station called "Game Lucky". Holy shit, were they right. This arcade is ridiculously huge! The only larger one I've ever been to is the old Neo Geo world arcade out on Odaiba island - The one that has it's own Ferris wheel. Lucky is two floors and features something for seemingly everyone's tastes - pool tables, UFO catchers, rhythm games, RPGs, retro games, sports games, full-sized driving games, gun games, pachinko, slots, and weird shit like this. The shot below doesn't really convey the overall size, because as you can see here, the building goes back about 40m, and then it takes an "L" bend going behind that white building on the right for another ~60m - and there's two floors like this! Interior shots are here and here. Not a dirty place by any means, this is a fantastic fun and safe place to take the entire family for a few hours of arcade gaming action. Lucky has an excellent STG collection featuring Ibara, Raiden II, MMP, Futari BL, Pink Sweets, DDP SDOJ, Triggerheart Exelica, Zero Gunner 2, Ikaruga, Trouble Witches AC, Akai Katana, and Raystorm.

Image



JAL - There are several arcades here in Tokyo that I spent significant amounts of time in that are no longer with us. Most of these places today give no clue as to what the previous tenants were, but it appears that this time is an exception. This is the first one that I "just missed". JAL was everything that this project is about. Located in the red light district of Koiwa in Tokyo, JAL was surrounded by transvestite bars, hostess clubs, Russian hookers, and Nigerian-owned shot bars. When I had the idea to collect photos of arcades that were absolutely filthy, I really had this place in mind. I called this neighborhood home from 2005 to 2008, and I spent a lot of my down time in JAL. Home to about a dozen arcade cabs, this is the place that introduced me to the Raiden Fighters series. I threw dozens of coins into each of the Blast City cabs holding these PCBs. Part pachinko joint, part arcade, and part hangout for the neighborhood oldtimers playing shogi in the corner, JAL brought a sense of honest and clean legitimacy to an area saturated with the pleasures of alcohol and the flesh. RIP to this fallen soldier. More pics here, here, and here.

Image



Sonic - I have to thank forum member PlanetHarriers for letting me know about this arcade. Well, not this arcade in particular - I still haven't found the one he told me about, but I did stumble upon this one in my search. This is another extremely large arcade located in Chiba (about 5 mins east of Matsudo station). Very well kept with an amazing variety of games in a sea of Blast City cabs. You can see a partial pic. here. I didn't stay here long enough to get a real feel for this place - I came in at about 11:00am on a Thursday and after taking a glance around left 10 minutes later. Their STG selection is nothing to shrug off, and there is this funny note attached to the DFK cab. It pretty much translates to "This is the pinnacle of shmup games - you will enter a hyper-bullet heaven that will make you squeal in ecstacy." STGs here include: DFK BL, Futari BL, Raiden III, Raiden IV, Shmups Skill Test, Progear, Gradius, Guwange, and Akai Katana. All games are Y50.

Image



Tokyo Leisure Land - Another arcade located in the city of Koiwa, Tokyo Leisure land is one of the last men standing in a city that held well over 10 game centers in the mid-2000s. At last count there were only 3 left, and luckily Leisure Land remains with us today as it has always been one of the standouts. Pic below shows the front entrance, but you can see the rear entry here. Just as in many other instances when you try to enter through the rear, you may end up encountering something stinky. (I'm talking of course about night clubs and restaurants, you pervs.) The backdoor of Tokyo Leisure Land dumps you into an alley full of restaurant refuse bins and back-alley clubs where you gotta know the password to get in. Rows and rows of Blast City and New Versus City cabs populate this joint along with specialty cabs such as Gundam, Halflife, and a few slot machines as well. Tokyo Leisure land is located directly under the tracks of the Sobu line, approximately 1 min. walk north of Koiwa station. Interior shots are here and here. STGs here include: Raiden DX, DS MBL, Akai Katana, DDP, DOJ, DFK 1.5, SDOJ, Strikers 1945 II, Salamander, Gradius II, and The Great Ragtime Show (Boogie Wings). All games are Y50.

Image



Natsuge Museum - Located in Akihabara far away from the hustle and bustle of the main drag, Natsuge Museum looks to be more of a hobby for it's owner than a money making venture and houses some of the oldest games and cabs to be found in Japan. Not only that, but everything is in fantastic condition! While the actual cabs inside only number about a dozen they actually have a large amount of PCBs that they will switch out for you if you ask nicely. Interior shot here, and website here. Also is a small store inside where you can buy superplay DVDs, candy, game soundtracks, and other odd game-related knick-knacks. They're open at really odd hours, so be sure to check the homepage before you head out there. STGs include: Moon Cresta, Dragon Spirits, Flak Attack, Final Star Force, Vs. Gradius, Scramble Formation, Gigandes, Eight Forces, and Salamander 2.

Image



Ace Amusement - Finding this one was a total surprise. I was actually looking for somewhere to get a quick bite to eat while between meetings. I had found myself for the first time at Tsudanuma station in Chiba when I spotted a McDonalds across the street.. (I know, I know.. typical American - but they really can't be beat when you're in a hurry - time was not something I had a lot of.) Anyhow on my way to cross the street I happened to look down an alley and saw some familiar signage. If you ever do make it to Japan, and you see the word "ゲーム", you may have struck some gold. I walked down the alley at a quick pace, and completely forgot about my hunger pangs due to the potential of this discovery. I was greeted with the glorious site you see below. The first floor was a complete disappointment - medal games, rhythm games, crane games, pachinko, and some slot machines. I made my way to the second floor where I found retro and shooting game heaven! You can't see it in my pics, but the second floor is half-assedly done in an Incan theme, and is completely filled with various late-model Sega cabs. You can see some interior shots here, here and here. The most shocking part was seeing a dedicated STG corner! Aside from the typical NESICA titles (Raiden IV, Crimzon Clover, Akai Katana) this place had several cabs dedicated to just one game. Titles include: DDP DOJ, DDP SDOJ, DDP DFK 1.5, DDP DFK BL, Futari BL, Futari 1.5, DS MBL, Trouble Witches, RayForce, Darius Gaiden, G-Darius, Raiden, Raiden DX, Sonic Wings 2, Strikers 1945+, Radiant Silvergun, Darius Burst, and one of the Parodius titles. If you're in the area, check it out!

Image



Nichigo Land - Every weekend I'm responsible for taking my son to his swimming class at Konami sports gym. During the time that he's there, I usually have about an hour to kill - and more than a few of those have been spent at Nichigo land which is directly across from the pool. While most of the games here seem to be geared towards the younger set, they still have some more complex games to keep us older kids entertained. One of my favorites to play is the rarely-seen Golgo 13 gun game by Raizing. I also sometimes put coins in Gunbullet as well as Densha de Go 2. If you get tired of playing games, they have plenty of toy dispensing machines you can try your luck on. For the super-oldschool players among us, there are even a few electromechanical games to test your luck on. These games are only Y30 per play, and usually dispense tickets that you can redeem for prizes. There are even a few titles to introduce the little ones to horse-racing and other forms of gambling.
Overall, Nichigoland is a great place to kill some time with the family. I wouldn't at all recommend taking a special trip out there unless you're wanting to play Golgo 13, or looking to teach your kids how to play roulette. Nichigoland is located in Tokyo at Nishiarai station on the 4th floor.

Image



"game" - No name for this entry, and I'm not sure that this place has one. I had to drive out pretty far into the countryside today for a photoshoot, and on the way back driving slow on wet streets I caught a glimpse of what I thought to be cabs inside a shop. I parked the car in the nearest free parking I could find, and doubled back to check my suspicions. I was right! There were 3 Aero City cabs inside along with 2 other cabs I didn't recognize. You can see pics here. Before this place was an arcade / candy store, it apparently sold ice. Before that it sold boxed lunches. Before that it sold fabric. I guess that when each business failed they just crossed it off the sign, and wrote something new in. You can see "game" at the very bottom in white. Interesting place, and will no doubt be gone soon. The owner looked to be about 80 years old, and was thrilled that I stopped by to play some games and buy some candy. He didnt care too much that I was playing the arcade games, but he wanted to tell me everything he knew about the electro-mechanical games that he had in store. There were about 5-6, and they all looked to be at least 30 years old and in good working order. He kept saying "懐かし", which means "it brings back good memories.." I'm guessing he doesn't see much business these days, and is happy to talk to anyone that may stop by. :cry: Partial interior shot here.

Image



Tokyo Gulliver - A fantastic (huge!) arcade housing about a dozen shmups just outside of Matsudo station in Chiba. Up until 2005, this was the Chiba Bandai Museum, and judging from the interior they left a lot of the interior intact. This one is about 10 minutes from where I currently work, so it's mandatory that I stop in a few times a week. And since this is Chiba, the games are all Y50 each! This is a 3-story arcade, and the candy cabs are all on level B2. Many shmups here including SDOJ, Gunbird 2, Battle Garegga, Ibara, Futari BL, etc. Just take a while to marvel a these interior shots:

Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior

Image



Otopara Ageo - Name translates to "Boys Paradise". You'll see why soon enough. I stumbled upon this place in the deepest, darkest region of Saitama. It's either closing soon, or they only switch on the cabs at night. I was there in the morning, and the place was completely dead. There is a lounge area with vending machines, so I had a seat and read some reviews. Oddly enough, every reviewer sang the praises of the Ham and cheese toasted sandwiches that one of the machines dispensed. The machine was straight out of the 70s, and I wondered if the bread was too. Anyhow, the sandwich was nice as it had a dash of horseradish or wasabi to spice things up. I had a bottled Coca-Cola to wash it down, and continued exploring. Thats when I stumbled upon the panty machine. Used? New? Anyones guess. This looks like it would be a really great arcade to hang out in if anyone went, or the actual machines were turned on. I saw some nice cabs, as well as a lot of art for games that were apparently in the powered off cabs. Enjoy the pics below:

Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior
Interior

Image
Last edited by rancor on Fri Apr 22, 2016 2:59 am, edited 34 times in total.
User avatar
trap15
Posts: 7835
Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:13 am
Location: 東京都杉並区
Contact:

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by trap15 »

This is a great thread. I'll have to take some snaps of the local arcade soon and post them up here. More posts please! :D
@trap0xf | daifukkat.su/blog | scores | FIRE LANCER
<S.Yagawa> I like the challenge of "doing the impossible" with older hardware, and pushing it as far as it can go.
User avatar
moh
Posts: 1617
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2011 9:26 pm
Location: Canada

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by moh »

(insert picture of jonny5's house)

Unfortunately here in toronto, there are no arcades left... Well, there is Lovegetty in markham, but that place is going down for sure. not to mention, the owner doesn't really give a shit about anything..

here, its all about the guys like us, who own our own cabs, keeping the spirit alive.

traditional arcades are long gone for us =[
GaijinPunch wrote:Ketsui with suction cup.
User avatar
Leandro
Posts: 825
Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2005 9:55 pm
Location: Green Hell

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by Leandro »

Fascinating thread, I could read these experiences all day long... The cleanest local arcade around here probably was 10 times dirtier than the dirtiest one in Japan, I have so many shady memories :)... I will remember to take a pic if I ever see some of our pirated arcade machines again
User avatar
rancor
Posts: 2802
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2010 12:33 pm
Location: Tokyo
Contact:

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by rancor »

I had an idea that if I could get a good photographer and find out enough information about each of these places, it might make for a good coffee table / photography book about the era of disappearing and dilapidated indie arcades we're living in. I've noticed that the majority of owners that are still running these smaller arcades look to be in their late 60's, early 70s. I doubt their families have an interest in keeping these places open once the old person retires or dies. Especially with the price of real estate in Tokyo - selling a shitty old arcade for some fast cash probably looks like the reasonable thing to do. I dunno... May be a good kikstarter project for someone. (not me) 8)
Randorama
Posts: 3503
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 10:25 pm

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by Randorama »

I would like to post pictures of my uncle's arcade, at some point. It was located in a forgotten city of Italy, rather than Tokyo, but it was a lovely place, with tons of great arcade games, a great crowd (I mean, even the usual junkies were nice!), and tons of old cabs. It was modeled after Flynn's Arcade, to give an idea. I am authorized to do so...when I go back home and be able to scan the pictures? ;)
Chomsky, Buckminster Fuller, Yunus and Glass would have played Battle Garegga, for sure.
User avatar
Eaglet
Posts: 1326
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:38 pm
Location: Sweeedeeeen.

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by Eaglet »

You been to Good Day 21?
Would love to see a little piece on that one. :mrgreen:
moozooh wrote:I think that approach won't get you far in Garegga.
Image Image
User avatar
rancor
Posts: 2802
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2010 12:33 pm
Location: Tokyo
Contact:

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by rancor »

Randorama: Yes! Please! That would be fantastic! This thread isn't only for me or arcades in Japan - I'd love to hear some stories and see some pics of indie arcades around the world. For starters, how about a pic of "The Casino" in England, or Super Momotaros (sp?) in Sweden. Anything to describe the clientele, owners, or ambience would be welcome as well.

Eaglet: No - I've never heard of that one. Can you tell me where it is?
User avatar
Skykid
Posts: 17646
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2007 2:16 pm
Location: Planet Dust Asia

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by Skykid »

Here's the last one left in Brighton UK, right on the sunny beachfront. Not counting the newer stuff on the pier (mainly gun games, Razing Storm, Rambo, HOTD etc) this is all that's left for retro.

3 enormous cabs housing (L2R) SFII' Rainbow Ed., Cadillacs & Dinosaurs and Puzzle Bobble. Once dubbed the pedo cave by Sven666 :mrgreen:

good advert for ipod camera quality

Image
Always outnumbered, never outgunned - No zuo no die

User avatar
Skykid
Posts: 17646
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2007 2:16 pm
Location: Planet Dust Asia

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by Skykid »

And here's London's Casino, leeched images from various meets.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

London Trocadero (What's left of it):

Image

Image

Miscellaneous London

Image
Always outnumbered, never outgunned - No zuo no die

Randorama
Posts: 3503
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 10:25 pm

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by Randorama »

Hm, I know that Motaro/Momotaro, in Stockholm, closed a while ago. There is a pub in its place, I think. I am not 100% sure, as I passed by the supposed location by chance (I am in Stockholm, now).

I should ask my in-laws to send us our pictures of Seoul's arcades. There are a few good ones in Yoeng San and Techno Mart which usually look run down, have mostly Psikyo and Raiden shmups (with Shikigamis here and there), and other "retro" sections.
Chomsky, Buckminster Fuller, Yunus and Glass would have played Battle Garegga, for sure.
User avatar
BIL
Posts: 18989
Joined: Thu May 10, 2007 12:39 pm
Location: COLONY

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by BIL »

There's a bar in the town I study at with deluxe Rave Racer and Time Crisis 2 cabs. That's all though. :[ Having said that Rave Racer is awesome, unported, and the cab is in great shape, so can't complain.
User avatar
SuperPang
Posts: 945
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2005 12:20 pm
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by SuperPang »

Image
User avatar
SuperPang
Posts: 945
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2005 12:20 pm
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by SuperPang »

rancor wrote:Absolutely filthy inside, and permeated by the smell of old cigarette smoke and urine. Shmups inside include: Akai Katana,
:lol:
That really didn't do well did it.
User avatar
rancor
Posts: 2802
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2010 12:33 pm
Location: Tokyo
Contact:

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by rancor »

Superpang: Hahaha! Oh, man.. I honestly considered posting this over on AO, but.. well.. I'll just leave this here:


Shmups:
Image


AO:
Image


.. And no.. I don't think Akai Katana did particularly well anywhere.. But Strikers 1945 II gets a lot of action!
Last edited by rancor on Sat Sep 22, 2012 2:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
shmuppyLove
Posts: 3707
Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2011 1:44 pm
Location: Toronto

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by shmuppyLove »

The (new!) mrs. and I are saving up for a honeymoon in London, and Casino is absolutely 100% on my itinerary. It looks awesome and it would be crazy to meet some peeps over there.

Not dirty at all (it's actually a very swanky place), but here's jonny5's (from a meet in March):

Image

That's brendz tearing it up on Outzone and jonny5 on the couch.

I wish I had some pics of brendz old place, that was pretty awesome with the purple walls, LED lighting and black & white checkerboard tiles. Actually looked like an arcade! Hopefully the new place is just as rad.
User avatar
SuperPang
Posts: 945
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2005 12:20 pm
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by SuperPang »

rancor wrote:Superpang: Hahaha! Oh, man.. I honestly considered posting this over on AO, but.. well.. I'll just leave this here:
Image
User avatar
Eaglet
Posts: 1326
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:38 pm
Location: Sweeedeeeen.

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by Eaglet »

rancor wrote: Eaglet: No - I've never heard of that one. Can you tell me where it is?
https://maps.google.co.jp/maps?hl=ja&q= ... d=0CA4Q_AU
You'll know it by the non-functioning door. ;)
Randorama wrote:Hm, I know that Motaro/Momotaro, in Stockholm, closed a while ago.
Yup, we unfortunately did.
Teh suxx0rz.
Randorama wrote:(I am in Stockholm, now).
You should spend a weekend in Gothenburg when we have a meetup at Sven's!
ガレファイトいくぞ! :mrgreen:
moozooh wrote:I think that approach won't get you far in Garegga.
Image Image
User avatar
GaijinPunch
Posts: 15646
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2005 11:22 pm
Location: San Fransicso

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by GaijinPunch »

I wouldn't call Mikado polished. Not in the least. It's a different beast compared to Sega's polished arcades. It's dingy, sports the usual ashtrays, and games that are really bad but have some type of history. I've only been once since it's move to Takadanobaba, but I still think it's the leader of mom and pop arcades rather than something in the same vein as Sega's franchise-like arcades.
RegalSin wrote:New PowerPuff Girls. They all have evil pornstart eyelashes.
User avatar
rancor
Posts: 2802
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2010 12:33 pm
Location: Tokyo
Contact:

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by rancor »

It may be a mom and pop place, but the employees all wear uniforms, the games are for the most part in awesome condition, and it doesn't stink. Not to mention that it's been blogged about by most anyone that's been in a Japanese arcade. I'm not disputing that it's an awesome place, but I guess it's just not the kind of establishment I wanted to focus on with this post. :wink: I've got nothing going on tomorrow, so I'm going to stop by a few more I have on my list and hopefully have some more pics and stories to tell here in about 24 hrs.

This place is gonna be awesome!:

http://www.tayainc.co.jp/sub16.html

GP: You ever go to Crystals Pizza in Irving back in the day?
User avatar
cj iwakura
Posts: 1729
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:28 am
Location: Coral Springs, FL

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by cj iwakura »

There's a neat arcade called Arcade Odyssey in Kendall(Miami), FL that has all kinds of awesome games.

Namely:
-Mushihimesama
-Baseball Ninja Batman!
-Double Dragon
-Fist of the North Star(the punching game)
-Pump It Up: Fiesta EX
-Guilty Gear X2 AC
-Melty Blood: Act Cadenza
-Dance Maniax 2nd (!?)

etc.
I'll try to get some pictures.
Image
heli wrote:Why is milestone director in prison ?, are his game to difficult ?
User avatar
gabe
Posts: 516
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:53 pm
Location: US

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by gabe »

I wish I could contribute to this thread on SO many different levels.

I look forward to seeing more pics and descriptions. Great idea, rancor.
KBZ
Posts: 1256
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2005 4:47 am

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by KBZ »

there's always FOONZO in MTL
=/
User avatar
shmuppyLove
Posts: 3707
Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2011 1:44 pm
Location: Toronto

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by shmuppyLove »

moh already mentioned it, but here's a pic I found of Lovegety Station in Richmond Hill:

Image

Image

It's funny because I worked about 5 mins from there for over a year and yet never made it.

I think we need to have one of the Toronto meets up there; I could take 3 or 4 people in my car, and it is accessible by transit.
User avatar
emphatic
Posts: 7917
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 3:47 pm
Location: Alingsås, Sweden
Contact:

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by emphatic »

Awesome thread!

I shot some videos at least at Super Motaro when I visited.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEoEo8oHfdI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcqNdNtwL20

And this is a sorta private, but awesome venue (they rent it out to closed events, like bachelor bashes and so on) in Boras (about an hour's drive away from Gothenburg) some of us go to once a year, mostly for pinball and racing games (they have a couple of MAME cabs as well) called Pinball's Eye:

Old footage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_dPshA7td8

Sorry for the lack of pictures.
Image | My games - http://www.emphatic.se | (Click) I have YEN stickers for sale
RegalSin wrote:Street Fighters. We need to aviod them when we activate time accellerator.
User avatar
MX7
Posts: 3223
Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2007 9:46 pm
Location: Cambridge
Contact:

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by MX7 »

shmuppyLove wrote:The (new!) mrs. and I are saving up for a honeymoon in London, and Casino is absolutely 100% on my itinerary. It looks awesome and it would be crazy to meet some peeps over there.
Do let us know when you're coming down: Casino is a little threadbare of lately, but would be awesome to meet you :D
User avatar
moh
Posts: 1617
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2011 9:26 pm
Location: Canada

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by moh »

shmuppyLove wrote:moh already mentioned it, but here's a pic I found of Lovegety Station in Richmond Hill:

Image

Image

It's funny because I worked about 5 mins from there for over a year and yet never made it.

I think we need to have one of the Toronto meets up there; I could take 3 or 4 people in my car, and it is accessible by transit.
lovegety definitely isnt that nice anymore..

a lot of the cabs are gone, there isnt a single vertical cab left there. (you could spot the vert right by the entrance in the pic)

last time I went was about 6 months ago. they had 4 street fighter 4 cabs, a guilty gear cab, blazblue, king of fighters, 3rd strike. and a bunch of the sit down racing machines.

pretty grimy now =[
GaijinPunch wrote:Ketsui with suction cup.
User avatar
emphatic
Posts: 7917
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 3:47 pm
Location: Alingsås, Sweden
Contact:

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by emphatic »

MX7 wrote:
shmuppyLove wrote:The (new!) mrs. and I are saving up for a honeymoon in London, and Casino is absolutely 100% on my itinerary. It looks awesome and it would be crazy to meet some peeps over there.
Do let us know when you're coming down: Casino is a little threadbare of lately, but would be awesome to meet you :D
Is there no other places to meet and hang should Casino close down? :(
Image | My games - http://www.emphatic.se | (Click) I have YEN stickers for sale
RegalSin wrote:Street Fighters. We need to aviod them when we activate time accellerator.
User avatar
Korszca
Posts: 152
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 3:08 pm
Location: Capital District, NY

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by Korszca »

Living in NJ, we've got no candy cabs outside of our homes but there is an cool indie arcade about half an hour from my house called YESTERcades. A lot of pinballs and American cabs. No pics, but here's the link:
http://yestercades.com/

There's also the famous 8-on-the-Break, about 45 minutes from me:
http://www.thebreak.net/
User avatar
Skykid
Posts: 17646
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2007 2:16 pm
Location: Planet Dust Asia

Re: Arcades - A tribute

Post by Skykid »

shmuppyLove wrote:The (new!) mrs. and I are saving up for a honeymoon in London, and Casino is absolutely 100% on my itinerary. It looks awesome and it would be crazy to meet some peeps over there.
First of all, congratulations! London is a cool and happening place, you guys should have a fun honeymoon. Secondly, it's a shame I'm probably going to miss you, since I'm planning my escape from the UK beginning of October or thereabouts. Keep in mind the pic with plasmo surrounded by a ton of viewers is yesteryear stuff, as MX7 said, it's not usually that busy unless you get a lucky night or a shmup meet (once yearly.) But the usual patrons are always about.

Enjoy Dariusburst, it's a thing of beauty. ;)
Always outnumbered, never outgunned - No zuo no die

Post Reply