London Casino Crew meets (RIP the Arcade)

[neue]

I was really sad to see the state of it yesterday, just a few weeks ago it was probably the best it's ever been with several Cave games and Darius.

[spadgy]

Quite a sad change isn't it?

Who's down this Thursday then?

I'm also around town Wednesday afternoon if anybody is about...

[spadgy]

Where are you punks? I'm in town all day tomorrow, so will be at the arcade pretty early. Anyone going?

[hzt]

I'll be there really early, I finish class (actually test) around 16:30 tomorrow

[CHI]

I'll be down tomorrow after work around sixpm with some chinese nuts

[spadgy]

Loads of us bring our nuts CHI; we just choose to keep them in our trousers.

BOOM BOOM!

I'll be there about 5.30pm.

Will

[Skykid]

Don't worry chaps, Darius Burst lives on in one of the 5 major arcades ten minutes from my front door.
Currently struggling to dodge staff to try and take photos/video. Will make a thread once I have compiled enough footage.
Meanwhile, L to R: Raiden Fighters 2, Dodonpachi DOJ (PGM2 ver), Battle Bakraid, Garegga (boot) and Varth (out of shot.)

[Eaglet]

Garegga in Lawndawn?
Looks like i've got someplace to go and write down some letters.

[R79]

Great picture, would like to see more. Don't often get down to the big smoke these days.

[MX7]

Skykid's teasing us with pictures from China. Nowhere that cool exists in London any more

[Frenetic]

Hey Skykid,

Did you happen to catch what make/model of cabinets the vertical shmups are on?

Thanks,
F

[Dave_K.]

Stretch-o-vision for vertical shmups hurts my eyes, but glad to see this lineup in an arcade today!

Please get some pics of the title screen on the bootleg garegga (and any pics of the PCB if possible).

[Dave_K.]

Hey Skykid,

Did you happen to catch what make/model of cabinets the vertical shmups are on?

Thanks,
F

Details about these cabs in this thread.

Hey guys, I went googling and came across some more info on that 16:9 cabinet. The cabinet is made by Tong Li Animation. Their website is really cute... they call shmups "Flight Fire" games.


http://www.tl300.net/goods.php?id=19

It's hard to tell exactly how legitimate they are. On the one hand, they have a splash screen visible in those Moscow arcade photos, and they claim to have relations with IGS, Konami, SNK, Sanwa, and more. And their assembly line photos really show that they mean serious business.


http://www.tl300.net/article.php?id=15

On the other hand, they are claiming to offer high res versions of DDP DOJ Tamashi/Hun, Gigawing 2, and some 3D verts ranging from Ikaruga to Zero Gunner 2 to Shikigami II. I can see simple sloppy 16:9 stretching ports of the 3D games, but did they really get Cave and Takumi to redo old 2D games in high res 16:9? So much about their product line makes you scratch your head. Really, was there a reason to re-release Varth in 2011?

At the bare minimum, whoever is in charge of their website has no access to official game art and is using pictures that are some combination of google image search and photoshop. The Ikaruga photo has the word unofficial on it if you zoom in. Shikigami II has a Shikigami III picture. And I swear the Raiden IV toresetsu on the cab mockup is a random fighter plane unrelated to Raiden.

Incidentally, they refer to this DDP DOJ as a 'Hun' version. I think that's Chinese for Soul, and since the game is for Chinese-language markets, possibly instead of calling it the Tamashi version it should be the Hun version.

[Skykid]

Stretch-o-vision for vertical shmups hurts my eyes, but glad to see this lineup in an arcade today!

Please get some pics of the title screen on the bootleg garegga (and any pics of the PCB if possible).

I'll do my best! The PCB pic is a veritable impossibility. The staff in game centers here are even more anti photography than in Japan, and there are loads of staff. Getting footage is like Metal Gear Solid in an arcade environment.

The Tong Li LCD's took some adjustment, but since I've almost 1-alled DOJ WL here, I'm comfortable with them now. Beggars can't be choosers and all that.

Just wait until you see all the Blast City's though...

All housing KOF 97 and 98 mainly. Chinese people have impeccable taste in games.

[emphatic]

Looks cozy.

[dan76]

That last pic is the dream. Nice!

[Skykid]

That last pic is the dream. Nice!

These arcades are the dream in general. People don't play consoles here, so the business keeps going up and up. They're enormous too (this one is a two floor) and filled with amenities like chill-out areas, refreshments, karaoke rooms and all the big cabs, like Deadstorm Pirates, Initial D, Rambo etc. and most offer memberships which get you a load of free goes each time you visit. Then again, games only cost between 5 and 10p a go for regular cabs (DOJ is 5p, for example) and up to 30p for the massive ones, so membership is optional.

My biggest issue right now is capturing footage. Getting there little by little, but still a lot of ground to cover.

[R79]

Damn, a room full of KOF98 cabs, like, now? Heaven

[Skykid]

Damn, a room full of KOF98 cabs, like, now? Heaven

Absolutely. In fact, every arcade here has a dedicated section of at least 12 - 15 '97 and '98 cabs. Makes perfect sense to me: why play new stuff when the old stuff plays better?

[Frenetic]

Dave_K. you are the MAN! Thanks for answering my question.

Cheers,
F

Hey Skykid,

Did you happen to catch what make/model of cabinets the vertical shmups are on?

Thanks,
F

Details about these cabs in this thread.

[MX7]

Boo hoo, I can't make it to the arcade/drinks tomorrow due to crippling financial problems and that, but I wish everyone a merry Xmas! I'll be back in the new year with a fat wad of back payments...

[spadgy]

What a shame! I'm still on for tonight.

And Mrs spadgy should make it later. Speaking of my wife, she now sings the Cheers theme at me whenever I mention going down the arcade. Basically, she reckons she's pretty funny. And shes seems to have it in her head that we should make a five minute episode. I'll obviously play the postman. CHI can be the main guy and MX7 the woman behind the bar with the dark hair (as he likes the odd dress wearing moment). Dan can probably be Seinfield. He was in Cheers, right?

[JDE]

That arcade looks amazing Skykid! Nice job on the stealth photography too.
Also since the world ends tomorrow, I should probably see the Casino Crew one last time: I'll be down later this evening from 5:30 onwards.

[spadgy]

I'll be there about 6pm I reckon.

Oh, and now I can see you picks Skykid (didn't load up earlier when I was here). When are we paying you a visit then mate? I've always wanted to go to china, and now I see you live near those arcades!

[Skykid]

Dan can probably be Seinfield. He was in Cheers, right?

No?

Dan can be Frasier Crane.

That arcade looks amazing Skykid! Nice job on the stealth photography too.

More to come!

[spadgy]

Dan can probably be Seinfield. He was in Cheers, right?

No?

Dan can be Frasier Crane.

That's who I meant! I crap with both TV, and facial recognition, and names!

[x91]

Makes perfect sense to me: why play new stuff when the old stuff plays better?

You got it.

And it's all alike in China. 979897989798... No, shmups don't make any profit. This is no better than anywhere else.

Like I said before, if you're looking for some (serious) shmups in China, heads for Beijing or Shanghai. Preferably Shanghai.

[x91]

And those 16:9 cabs are horrible to play on. I tried a few times only to find out they are pain in the NECK. The PGM2 DOJ even has some nasty bugs that would ruin the fun in scoring.

[dan76]

Dan can probably be Seinfield. He was in Cheers, right?

No?

Dan can be Frasier Crane.

Good, I always had a crush on Bebe Neuwirth... still do.

Have a good end of the world party tonight - I can't make it.

[Illyrian]

Hey all.

I'm heading down to Devon tomorrow for 6 days to see family.

So a very happy christmas to everyone here. I hope you all have a great time and I'll see you all soon after xmas.