An arcade that has heavy respect for Shumps!

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Mushihimesama Futari (this is legendarily known online as the "hardest boss ever" video. Advertise it as such and folks will play it just to say they played it. Its also REALLY good)

Actually, if Youtube's comments are anything to judge, most of the reaction consists of "IMPOSSIBIRU" or "2hus r better". I'm not sure how many people actually get interested in Futari by that video alone, and I'm sure a lot of people get a negative view of the game considering the Original and Maniac modes are much more reasonable. In an arcade, advertising it as the 'hardest game ever' might just make people steer clear of it and see it as a credit feeder, which would be sad considering how satisfying the easier difficulties are.

[IseeThings]

The Arcadecontrols forum has quite a damning report on this place...
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.p ... 569.0.html

*shrug*

[Master O]

The Arcadecontrols forum has quite a damning report on this place...
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.p ... 569.0.html

*shrug*

I suppose Ghostlord will have to respond to the above thread.

We just got in the CPS2 for MARS MATRIX (US) today, and I just ordered the original DARIUS PCB (can't wait to put that one in the 3 screen cabinet)!!! Plus I'm watching Raystorm & Progear PCBs. Lots more SHUMPs will be going up soon here at the GALLOPING GHOST ARCADE.

Oh man I hope Darius is there when I get a chance to go again. Would love to play it on a legit multiscreen setup

Just make sure you don't eat any bad fish beforehand.

[Zerst]

It's a tough battle for the GGA guys. They're going all out quantity on a ridiculous scale and at least putting effort into keeping everything powering on. They fix up the games they know their regulars want to play, but a lot of the other stuff needs work, I agree. It just seems that at some point they're going to hit saturation with their incredible collection and be able to funnel a lot of those funds into new control switches and monitor repairs. That's when things will start to really shine.

In the meantime, call me selfish but I'd take being able to play Segasonic the Hedgehog on a real arcade setup over fixing five common early 80s arcade games with a half working joystick any day of the week. It's about the best we're going to get in the states these days unless one of us wins the lottery. It's a real arcade, not a museum.

[Muchi Muchi Spork]

"Three of the six of us were physically shoved or intentionally bumped into by staff while we were playing games."

I call bullshit.

[drunkninja24]

"Three of the six of us were physically shoved or intentionally bumped into by staff while we were playing games."

I call bullshit.

Yeahhhhhhh

I've been there a couple times, and it can get crowded. So while I don't necessarily doubt that that may have happened, I severely doubt it was intentional.

[DJ Incompetent]

The Arcadecontrols forum has quite a damning report on this place...
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.p ... 569.0.html

*shrug*

Good lord. This motherfucker went to the apple orchard asking for pristine grapes.

90% of the cabs there aren't original or have the artwork because they have toggle switchers with two PCBs inside. All the marquees are quick custom photoshop jobs showcasing the two games side-by-side. There's no way at all to represent the original representation with the two-in-one cabs being conversion jobs. The people focused on putting as many games in there as they can. For a flat rate of entry, they succeed. I ran into like, eight games that were broken, and a light share of distorted monitors (they fucked up G-Darius booooo!), but I was also in there four hours and still didn't get to play everything I wanted to play. They put a few modern console FTGs like UMvC3 and MK9 in legit fighting cabs. They rigged up an awesomesauce Segasonic The Hedgehog, with the trackball madness.

They have """WR""" scores posted above each title. They were neat to go after. I brought down the Gradius 2 record still in loop 1, which was adorable.

Homeboy was talkin' as a collector. Fuck dat guy. This place is high heat, packed tight, and the staff aren't the most welcoming yet not at all malicious. It is a great time worth visiting once by all the players. DDPDOJ difficulty was set back to normal like OP said he would.

Also, not one machine dispenses tickets. This is significant.

[IseeThings]

Well don't take my forwarding of the link as it being representative of my opinion, the place is on the other side of the pond to me, so I can't possibly judge.

I forwarded it here as this thread is presumably watched the the owners, and posts like that on popular forums can do massive harm to the reputation of such places, and it sounds like more than just the original poster have been put off the place for various reasons.

Some of the views expressed might be worth taking on board (staff behaviour around families?) others might be impossible to deal with, I do think some people turned up expecting it to be an all year round California Extreme or something, which obviously it was never going to be!

[NTSC-J]

All the marquees are quick custom photoshop jobs showcasing the two games side-by-side.

Well, as long as they didn't spend too much time on them.

I ran into like, eight games that were broken, and a light share of distorted monitors

At least it was less than a dozen!

the staff aren't the most welcoming yet not at all malicious.

Oh good, so they didn't cuss you out or assault you after coming in the front door?

Man, I gotta say, this sounds pathetic. To me, that reviewer went in there expecting games in good condition that worked and a courteous staff. These are not tall demands. I understand that as far as arcades in the US goes it's any port in a storm, but it's not a charity. They're running a business and need to at least attempt some form of professionalism.

[brentsg]

All it would take is to get the feel that folks were proud of what they were trying to do there. That doesn't sound like the case.

[beatsgo]

My biggest problem with GGA is non-working monitor and controls. For crying out loud, I can't play Puzzle Bobble where the difference between blue and blue bubbles are blue. From the link, I agree that they need a repair guy or 2.

[Muchi Muchi Spork]

Sorry but this thread is really stupid. If the family really did get shoved on purpose etc. that's one thing, but if you are expecting Japan-like arcade treatment you are a frigging newbie at best. I've been to as many arcades in the US through my life than anyone here. Finding all games working 100%, especially if you have 400 games, which is a totally unheard of amount, or getting treated like you do in Japanese arcades never happens. You guys have apparently had some pampered bullshit fantasy arcade existence and bought your own candy cab that you polished and you watched 100 Yen and think arcades in the US are like that. I haven't seen an arcade with a significant number of games with everything 100% since the 90s. I can't believe they can afford to have 400 games period. You should just up and go to your other arcade with 400 games. Oh wait, there isn't one, anywhere.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Yeah, it seems to me like it's a bit of an unsolvable issue - maintenance and upkeep on arcade cabinets is expensive, but arcades in North America are dying out if not already pretty much dead, and aren't making as much money nowadays, so they can't afford to keep their cabs in as good shape.

Plus I imagine kids and such don't respect the cabs and they get damaged more than in asian countries where arcades are much more of a popular, social thing still (though I'm sure you'll find arcades that aren't well maintained there).

[BPzeBanshee]

So, basically, all the complaining is about some place in Murica where it's pretty much every "arcade" (ie. a place with arcade cabinets) I've ever seen in Australia but with quantity x100. LOL.

Putting out arcade cabinets in any public area, or going to such a place, and expecting it to go like how it was in the 80s, or how some parts of Japan (a completely different location btw, not just geographically different) is nostalgia pulling wool over your eyes. Customers aren't nice, operators aren't nice, ancient hardware isn't as easy to repair or get replacement parts for as it used to be, not in the Western world. It's sad, but it's reality.

The operators, if they even have any arcade cabinet know-how (and it seems some folks at this center don't), are going to be looking at you more as a threat that will break their cabinets, or an annoyance to their workshift, than a valued customer. Why? Because nine times out of ten their 'valued customers' have been careless and broken the stuff themselves. I've seen my hometown's only arcade operator die, reincarnate under new management and location, and then die again for this exact reason: customers break shit, operators repair it, customers keep breaking shit, operators get fed up with repairs taking over their time and money, operators get narky at the customers, customers get spooked and never go to store, business runs out of money and has to close.

[Miher]

I've never been to Galloping Ghost, but I'd love to go...it sounds awesome from what I've heard. I mean, 400 games, none of which are redemption...and they regularly import PCBs? So everything isn't pristine--big deal. Aren't they the ones who made that custom aquarium-like display for In The Hunt? That's pretty cool. They obviously do care about the arcade culture, even if some of the machines could use some work (which isn't exactly surprising, for reasons already stated here).

[DJ Incompetent]

Sorry but this thread is really stupid. If the family really did get shoved on purpose etc. that's one thing, but if you are expecting Japan-like arcade treatment you are a frigging newbie at best. I've been to as many arcades in the US through my life than anyone here. Finding all games working 100%, especially if you have 400 games, which is a totally unheard of amount, or getting treated like you do in Japanese arcades never happens. You guys have apparently had some pampered bullshit fantasy arcade existence and bought your own candy cab that you polished and you watched 100 Yen and think arcades in the US are like that. I haven't seen an arcade with a significant number of games with everything 100% since the 90s. I can't believe they can afford to have 400 games period. You should just up and go to your other arcade with 400 games. Oh wait, there isn't one, anywhere.

Exactly! This guy gets it.

There is a very slight focus on fighting games; there are entire rows of MK and SF cabinets.

:SNEER: I went to Chicago's Apple Store and was thoroughly appalled by its lack of representation of macbooks; the west wall proudly displayed the entire line of macbooks. :SNEER: :SNEER: :SNEER: :SNEER:

Aren't they the ones who made that custom aquarium-like display for In The Hunt?

Yes. Yes they are. It was neat!

[louisg]

Putting out arcade cabinets in any public area, or going to such a place, and expecting it to go like how it was in the 80s, or how some parts of Japan (a completely different location btw, not just geographically different) is nostalgia pulling wool over your eyes. Customers aren't nice, operators aren't nice, ancient hardware isn't as easy to repair or get replacement parts for as it used to be, not in the Western world. It's sad, but it's reality.

I have clear memories of arcades back in the 80s, and games were often broken back then too at the places that had a lot of machines and a lot of people. I don't think it's an era thing, it's just how bigger arcades are much of the time.

... plus they always had their shit set on extra extra hard

[eNon]

I can't believe I just found this thread because I just so happen to be moving to Chicago in a couple weeks. I'm definitely going to get out to this place on a regular basis.

[Ghostlord]

I would like to get this thread back on track. We always appreciate all of you that come and play here. Those that have been here know we try our best and honestly with 400+ games its tough to keep EVERYTHING up and running. We encourage people to let us know if things aren't working right so we can fix them, which we are happy to do on the spot usually... other than that, there isn't much to say about this. I appreciate those of you that forwarded me the thread and all of you that stood up for us.
NOW for the more important stuff...We now have NEMESIS! It took me quite a while to track a board down but it is now here!

[Ghostlord]

We just added RAIDEN FIGHTERS to the GALLOPING GHOST ARACDE floor! What an awesome game! We will be streaming it a lot starting next week!