London Casino Crew meets (RIP the Arcade)

[Xeno]

Hi, a foreigner here...
I am planning a trip to London In June and would like to visit arcades in there but Casino arcade is no more, right?
How is this HoG place and do they have website/what is the location?

[CHI]

Hi, a foreigner here...
I am planning a trip to London In June and would like to visit arcades in there but Casino arcade is no more, right?
How is this HoG place and do they have website/what is the location?

Right, Casino is gone

The Heart of Gaming
10 Cullen Way, London, NW10 6JZ
Google map: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?oe=utf-8 ... CDIQ8gEwAA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHeartOfGaming?fref=ts

Enjoy

[CHI]

Looking forward to checking out Hog during the Summer

The Usual Suspects will be there... and maybe Plasmo too

[Skykid]

The Heart of Gaming
10 Cullen Way, London, NW10 6JZ
Google map: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?oe=utf-8 ... CDIQ8gEwAA

So it's actually in an industrial park?

Also Chi, that tee is wicked.

[JDE]

JDE is in Manchester.

Not for much longer! Sorry about the sudden disappearance guys, my team of software testers at work were told on a Friday that we needed to be in Manchester to help save a failing project, starting the next Monday. Because 48 hours is plenty of time to relocate to the other end of the country.

Since then we've been staying in a scenic Travel Bodge overlooking a motorway and working ridiculous hours, but the project will be finishing soon, so I'll be back in London before long. Also, this weekend I'm returning briefly for a mental health break and am planning on visiting The HOG, which looks amazing.

I really do miss Casino, shabby though it was, but it looks like we've got a great alternative now and I'm totally up for a monthly or even fortnightly meet there. Anyone want to give me a tour of the place this Saturday?

[DEL]

For CHI and anyone who's interested:
New replay:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nisk30s ... sg&index=1
Seeing as things can rarely be done in a social setting these days...

[futurematt5]

Hi, a foreigner here...

The Heart of Gaming
10 Cullen Way, London, NW10 6JZ
Google map: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?oe=utf-8 ... CDIQ8gEwAA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHeartOfGaming?fref=ts

Enjoy

Wow, just been to HOG and was blown away. Mark and co have done an amazing job. Gonna be there on 31st May with some friends after the pub.

It's dead easy to get to, hop on the central line and off at North Acton. Walk down past the demolished NEC building and just past the cemetery, it's even off the main road over this Tokyo-esque floating walkway. Wicked place. Hope it gets the support it deserves. Played a load of fighters, first time in ages I've enjoyed them!!

Definitely going to make a proper video about the place soon.

[jugemscloud]

what shmups are hog running at the minute? going to be in london for the next week or so and will probably be there at some point

[CHI]

[Rupert H]

The SDOJ triple set-up.

I can die happy now.

What this picture didn't convey was the hot sunshine outside that was being blissfully ignored.

[Skykid]

^ Crystal Casino?

Try as I might, all I can make out from staring at that picture is Rupert's vaseline like visage and Spadgy's Adrian Edmonson shaped head. But what's the venue?

[Rupert H]

First pic is the travesty that is the all-new new Casino. Gambling all the way and not a video game in sight.

The second pic is my house, rocking more SDOJ than HEY!

[Skykid]

First pic is the travesty that is the all-new new Casino. Gambling all the way and not a video game in sight.

The second pic is my house, rocking more SDOJ than HEY!

Wahey, glad to hear the meets are still a thing. Casino thread has been so lifeless recently.

Quick SDOJ verdict then? Got my SLE today but no console.

[Rupert H]

The quick verdict is... hard. Balls hard. The hardest "normal" loop of any Cave game. Even the first boss has claimed lives. By stage three it's out of control.

Aesthetically I'm still unsure. There's a lot of visual over-load and it does look quite garish. Running it through the SGL3000 I think we all managed to appreciate the art a lot more though.

360 mode is innovative and exceedingly fun to boot. Challenge mode is superb.

On the downside none of the characters will shut their screaming pie-holes for more than two seconds and there are a bunch of well documented (but soon to be patched) bugs.

Overall it's a fitting finale for Cave. A feature-heavy port of an extremely challenging game that will take plenty of time to best.

[CHI]

The quick verdict is... hard. Balls hard. The hardest "normal" loop of any Cave game. Even the first boss has claimed lives. By stage three it's out of control.

Aesthetically I'm still unsure. There's a lot of visual over-load and it does look quite garish. Running it through the SGL3000 I think we all managed to appreciate the art a lot more though.

360 mode is innovative and exceedingly fun to boot. Challenge mode is superb.

On the downside none of the characters will shut their screaming pie-holes for more than two seconds and there are a bunch of well documented (but soon to be patched) bugs.

Overall it's a fitting finale for Cave. A feature-heavy port of an extremely challenging game that will take plenty of time to best.

+1

Quick SDOJ verdict then?

Arrange Mode is a lot of fun

Also Chi, that tee is wicked.

It's the Tits mate

[Skykid]

Thanks for the appraisal. So a rock hard, garish, slightly complicated-looking shmup full of kids who won't stop yapping during play, and laden with bugs. Sounds great! Least it came in a big box.

I'm going to go to the local game store and attempt to hijack their sofa and 360 for an afternoon (and a Qanba, if they'll be so kind.)

[Mills]

What shump titles have they got at HOG?

[jpj]

just ikaruga as far as i'm aware

[DEL]

landlord died last Friday of a massive heart attack.



Some of the Casino regulars may know him. He was known as 'landlord' because he was always in the arcade. He was the landlord.
A member of this forum and a damn fine shoot'em up player! His scores are to be found on the Pork PCB high score thread.
I knew him for about 15 or so years. Mills, KAC & CHI also. I'm sure he wasn't even 40.
A great guy who will be missed.

[Mills]

I'm pretty sure Richard aka The Landord was in his 30's but yeah he will be missed. Need to hook up with CHI and get final details of funeral arrangements.

[DEL]

Yes he must have been in his 30s. Waaay too young and a horrible loss.
I was talking to someone over here and their cousin died of a massive heart attack at age 42 two months ago, plus I turn up to a new job and learn that a 43 yr old Indian lady died there a few days beforehand - liver failure. She was fine two weeks before, then comes down with liver trouble and dies within 2 weeks.

Casino closes down and Casino's landlord dies a couple of months later.

[Skykid]

Really sorry to hear this. I'm not too familiar with names of the guys outside of the immediate Casino circle, but Richard wasn't Craig's counterpart who used to bang up Galaga all day long, was he?

[jpj]

i heard about this through neoempire. terrible news

RIP

[DEL]

Skykid wrote;

Really sorry to hear this. I'm not too familiar with names of the guys outside of the immediate Casino circle, but Richard wasn't Craig's counterpart who used to bang up Galaga all day long, was he?

No that's John and he's fine.
Landlord would always alternate his time between shoot'em ups and the fruit machines. He liked Ketsui and Pork a lot.

[Blinge]

What shump titles have they got at HOG?

A couple of weeks back it was Ikaruga, Gigawing 2, Psyvariar 2 and Dodonpachi

But they're willing to switch games over at a moment's notice if you ask.. somebody correct me if I'm wrong but the others available are Border Down, Strikers 1945 and Castle Shikigami II

[DEL]

Blinge wrote;

A couple of weeks back it was Ikaruga, Gigawing 2, Psyvariar 2 and Dodonpachi

But they're willing to switch games over at a moment's notice if you ask.. somebody correct me if I'm wrong but the others available are Border Down, Strikers 1945 and Castle Shikigami II

Yup, I'll be forcing Starkey to install Border Down for a couple of weeks next month.

[Astraea FGA Mk. I]

I never made it to the casino despite always meaning to. I missed out on Darius, I missed out on mocking scientologists and I missed out on meeting you guys. I just procrastinated my ass off.
University for ya.

Do you guys still meet up on a regular basis?

[Mills]

Blinge wrote;

A couple of weeks back it was Ikaruga, Gigawing 2, Psyvariar 2 and Dodonpachi

But they're willing to switch games over at a moment's notice if you ask.. somebody correct me if I'm wrong but the others available are Border Down, Strikers 1945 and Castle Shikigami II

Yup, I'll be forcing Starkey to install Border Down for a couple of weeks next month.

Is that when you hope to be down? Wish i had the funds to checkout HOG at least once, ah well.

[dan76]

I looked in Casino today. One of the guys who used to work there was all suited up, didn't recognise him. I think he said he was the only member of staff who stayed on.

Anyhow, there's nothing downstairs or upstairs in the pool room. Apparently they haven't renovated downstairs except for about a metre in - the old carpet is still there. There are no plans to do anything with the basement (or upstairs) so they could've kept the it the same! The old staff asked "Crystal Casino" if they could keep a few of the machines down there but they weren't having it. Bit of a waste.

It's just sitting there not being used. Maybe if HoG wants another location...

[DEL]

dan76 wrote;

I looked in Casino today. One of the guys who used to work there was all suited up, didn't recognise him. I think he said he was the only member of staff who stayed on.

Anyhow, there's nothing downstairs or upstairs in the pool room. Apparently they haven't renovated downstairs except for about a metre in - the old carpet is still there. There are no plans to do anything with the basement (or upstairs) so they could've kept the it the same! The old staff asked "Crystal Casino" if they could keep a few of the machines down there but they weren't having it. Bit of a waste.

It's just sitting there not being used. Maybe if HoG wants another location...

Thanks for the update.
Only one member of staff made the transition . Dammit.
I'll have a look myself from mid July onwards.

TheOldMills wrote;

Is that when you hope to be down? Wish i had the funds to checkout HOG at least once, ah well.

Yup, mid July to early August.
& Yikes! Are there no jobs at all?
PM on the way.