What's happening with the Casino arcade at Goodge Street

[kennyrh]

Paid a visit to the capital recently and I was hugely disappointed to find that the games - more to the point, the shmups - had not changed since I was there over a year ago.

The Casino was always good for a few new japanese coin-ops, particularly shooters, and i was worried that this might be the final sign that arcade games are all but relics of the past.

I know it must be difficult for arcades not to put in rows of slots these days, but the Casino was always a beacon in the arcade wilderness. A worrying development for me.

Still, at least the Play2Win in Oxford Street and the Troc had some nice new games (even if they weren't shooters). Mario Kart GP2 at the Troc was a particular surprise . . . .

[Ceph]

What's happening with the Casino arcade at Goodge Street

Yes, wouldn't we all like to know.

[PFG 9000]

Is this Washington D.C., or some state capitol, or a European capitol city? I have no idea what or where you're talking about.

[Balzac]

Well if you looked a little further on Winston Avenue you would have seen that the mini arcade at the Royale actually got an Espgaluda II machine!

But yeah, its a sad state the scene is in over here. Can't believe the Troc got rid of Gigawing Generations and replaced it with a footy game of all things.

[incognoscente]

PFG 9000: London.

[LUNardei]

Watch out for THIS:
http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?t=11437

[doctorx0079]

How come you guys have such a cool arcade? Are the owners shmup fans??

[DEL]

Its my local arcade and it used to be excellent for the simple reason that it is Electrocoin's 'test arcade'....or was until 2000.
Since then, the only shooters to go in have been player-owned PCBs from me, ill6 and ARC - Reason = The owner lost his focus on video games and concentrates more on the slot/fruit machines upstairs. The owner still appreciates 2D games though, which is nice to know .

Feb 23rd and 24th are the dates to visit this arcade:-



Games at London Meet IV will be;
Mush
A.P.Batrider
Dodonpachi
Dodonpachi II Beestorm
Progear
Strikers 1945
Strikers 1945 Plus
Raiden III
We have Esp2 and Ketsui but there are no more available cabs to house them.

Past International visitors to Casino Arcade in London have been; Randorama, Dave K, ptoing, Super Laydock, Herr Schatten.

This time; LUNardei, BR1, Fontaz, NEVerland, Hinatafan, Plasmo/Cowboy-NOA. Plus rjpageuk, Icarus & possibly the whole Namakoteam & London Locals.

[Dave_K.]

Del, I say you go into business with him, and just officially take over running the bottom half!

[sffan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0tG4KpFBKk

[mulletgeezer]

I've heard it said a few times that the Casino has a lot of tramps that hang around in it, I can't say I've spotted any myself but there's a weird nasty old chap that attends my local arcade in Nottingham, apparently several months ago somebody spotted him pissing behind one of the cabs (that massive Sega horse racing game, I forget the name of it.) I just went in a couple of hours ago to play some SF Alpha 3 and I noticed the Soul Caliber 2 machine had been moved. SC2 is the favourite game of the aforementioned fellow and it seems that for some time now he's been using the corner behind the cab as his personal lavatory so they had to move the cab and give the corner a scrub and disinfection. Nasty... they didn't reveal whether any solids had been found in the space where the cab used to be.

The arcade has been bought out by Noble Amusements so all the games will be replaced by fruit machines within the next couple of months - when it does I'll be sure to direct the filthy scum guy to the Casino, he'll fit right in there

[bay]

insert huge sense of jealousy here while erasing those senses about the urination party behind cabinets.

hope to make it to london in march/april... TOO LATE! *sigh*

[Mills]

Hey Kennyrh & Ceph, you guys are clearly not Old Skool enough to ask about london/Casino arcade, let alone the state of the coin-up industry. Move forward guys because nobody gives a damn.

[kennyrh]

Hey Kennyrh & Ceph, you guys are clearly not Old Skool enough to ask about london/Casino arcade, let alone the state of the coin-up industry. Move forward guys because nobody gives a damn.

Sorry mate . . .dont follow.

What are you trying to say exactly . . .

[Dave_K.]

The arcade has been bought out by Noble Amusements so all the games will be replaced by fruit machines within the next couple of months - when it does I'll be sure to direct the filthy scum guy to the Casino, he'll fit right in there

Wow, that sucks. Are there any other London arcades for future shmupmeets, or is this one coming up the last?

[mulletgeezer]

The arcade has been bought out by Noble Amusements so all the games will be replaced by fruit machines within the next couple of months - when it does I'll be sure to direct the filthy scum guy to the Casino, he'll fit right in there

Wow, that sucks. Are there any other London arcades for future shmupmeets, or is this one coming up the last?

It's the Nottingham arcade that's closing, not the casino. London still has a few arcades though only two of them are worth bothering with.

[Specineff]

Fruit Machines? Are they like UFO Catchers, or something? Can you explain, please?

[Kaede]

Fruit machines are what we call the old one-arm bandits:






You know spin the reel try and get the 777 across the middle for great justice. And cash.

[MovingTarget]

Takes me a long time just to figure out one of those machines, a friend of mine used to make a killing on them at the pub I used to work at. In summer all the tourists would pour their money into it, and he'd come along and get the jackpots.

[Stormwatch]

Ahhh, that reminds me of the least fun bits of Shenmue II.

[Mills]

Hey Kennyrh & Ceph, you guys are clearly not Old Skool enough to ask about london/Casino arcade, let alone the state of the coin-up industry. Move forward guys because nobody gives a damn.

Sorry mate . . .dont follow.

What are you trying to say exactly . . .

im saying casino has been a lame arcade site for shumps titles since the mid 1990, when the arcade operator stopped installing the very latest shumps/test games because of the decline of the industry. We gamers had to really stress with operator/owner John Stergides, to get anything done there ie; replacement monitors, joysticks, and new shumps titles. that is what i mean by Old Skool...history.

[kennyrh]

Hey Kennyrh & Ceph, you guys are clearly not Old Skool enough to ask about london/Casino arcade, let alone the state of the coin-up industry. Move forward guys because nobody gives a damn.

Sorry mate . . .dont follow.

What are you trying to say exactly . . .

im saying casino has been a lame arcade site for shumps titles since the mid 1990, when the arcade operator stopped installing the very latest shumps/test games because of the decline of the industry. We gamers had to really stress with operator/owner John Stergides, to get anything done there ie; replacement monitors, joysticks, and new shumps titles. that is what i mean by Old Skool...history.

Okay . . .thanks for the clarification. Obviously living 300 miles north of London, I'm not familiar with the day-to-day business of the arcade or its' owners.

It's just that up to a few years ago, I recall it being the ONLY arcade in London (or anywhere else for that matter) that you could rely on for a steady stream of new Jap games - especially shooters.

I appreciate that the downturn in arcade video game revenues has affected the Casino as much as Blackpool or any of those places that used to be great.

But, apparently, its' status as a test site hasn't been of much value lately . . .shame.