Arcade owner/enthusiast thread

NickTheNewbie

I never really see much arcade cab discussion on these boards, but I'm sure there's gotta be a few of you out there. What do you guys own, or at the very least, like to play whenever you go to your local arcade?


I have two machines that you can count on me bringing to MAGFest in January:

Silent Scope

X-Men 6 player

I'M SO SAD BECAUSE I HAVE NO FRIENDS TO PLAY WITH

Biosys

man i wish i was old enough/had enough money/had enough space to get an arcade cabinet

i am envious of anyone who either owns one or lives anywhere near a arcade that still has a scene

mxmarks

Congrats on LIVING MY LIFE, SIR.

You literally own the ONLY TWO ARCADE CABS that I have EVER had any desire to own. I eBay and Craigslist both those pretty frequently.

Keep living my dream for me.

CorriganX

mxmarks wrote:

Congrats on LIVING MY LIFE, SIR.

You literally own the ONLY TWO ARCADE CABS that I have EVER had any desire to own. I eBay and Craigslist both those pretty frequently.

Keep living my dream for me.

If he had a Simpsons arcade machine i'd be forced to kill him and wear his skin to inherit his life.

Skull2185

SILENT SCOPE!

Oh my god, that game bonded me with my brother better than anything in the world ever could. We'd go to the arcade, and he'd be the sniper and I'd be his spotter, then we'd switch. Then he joined the army, and when he got home from Iraq, he was a really good shot in that game... so I just permanently took over the spotter job.

Ah the memories... im getting misty eyed!

GoodKingJayIII

The GiantBomb guys talk about this stuff regularly. I simply don't have the money or space right now to invest in this kind of purchase, but I have to admit the idea is intriguing. Like the rest of you I'm sure, I have extremely fond memories of going to the arcade with friends as a young kid. Mom would drop us off at the local strip mall and we'd spend hours bouncing back and forth between the arcade and the card shop across the way that sold MTG stuff. Good times.

UnbreakableVow

My dream is to one day own a Ms. Pac-Man cocktail machine, or one of those Ms. Pac-Man/Galaga machines you see everywhere

Skull2185

I remember this place called "Mr. Arcade", you payed a flat rate, and all the games were set to freeplay.

House of the Dead with akimbo pistols? AWWWW YEEEEAHHHH!

Muriden

I too am in the too poor and confined to have a full cabinet but would love one group.
My favorite game to play in the arcade was Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo. I can get it on the 360 now but it's not the same as pulling up a stool and dropping 30 blocks on your friend sitting adjacent to you.

cloudeagle

UnbreakableVow wrote:

My dream is to one day own a Ms. Pac-Man cocktail machine, or one of those Ms. Pac-Man/Galaga machines you see everywhere

Give me a Ms. Pac-Man/Galaga combo, as well as a Donkey Kong/Donkey Kong Jr./Mario Bros. combo, and I'd be set.

Romero Zombie

Although I cannot take credit for it - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K56SljNu478&feature=youtu.be This belongs to one of my friends. It's about 5:00 long or so but the first two minutes are absolutely worth it. I feel like a little kid whenever I go over to his house

Lindsay Lohan

My son and I were actually playing the Xmen arcade game on XBLA the other night and he found that he could spam the special attack over and over again and just continue and repeat the process until we beat the game. I told him that was cheating and when he asked why all I could spit out was "cause you'd run out of quarters".

My dream machine is Popeye. If I could setup a room with 5 machines it would be Popeye, Donkey Kong Jr, Ms Pacman, Tempest and Mortal Kombat II or Mat Mania.

I still need to plan a trip to the arcade in New Hampshire that comes to PAXEast - I've heard their collection is really amazing.

Fleck0

Yeah I love the GB guys talking about cabinets (and I REALLY love the premium stuff with Vinny's Joust cocktail). I really need to make a trip to California Extreme this time around.

Arcade cabinets are surprisingly inexpensive (by which I mean the initial investment...). The only thing that has kept me from buying a Neo-Geo 4-slot Cabinet and going absolutely insane/broke buying roms for it are the logistics of moving the thing and finding space for it.

NickTheNewbie

Look in your area for arcade auctions, because those things usually have a ton of stuff for sale, and mostly on the mega cheap.

Brym

Do we count pinball machines? Those are my particular favorites. When my family moved into a new house when I was in high school my Dad bought a Banzai Run machine for the basement. So many good times.

When I eventually move out of the city and get a house in the 'burbs, a pinball machine or two will definitely be among the first furnishings I buy.

anoffday

double post.

anoffday

Silent Scope was so badass. There use to be an arcade on the beach where my friend and I went on vacation in high school. It had Silent Scope and I think I probably spent around 30 dollars that week playing that game. Damn, I wonder if it's still there.

Graduating from college soon, so hopefully in the near future I'll be making enough money to invest some in a couple arcade machines.

brynstar

I'd love to own a laserdisc arcade machine some day, either a Dragon's Lair II or an American Laser Games cabinet, but they're pretty hard to find and maintain.

Bartholamue

I have a Pop'n Music 14 cabinet, but I'm selling it. Maybe someday I'll pick up another one, but I have to think of my future.

Local H Jay

there was a pizza place that went under nearby my work, and for like 2 days they had a metal slug cabinet outside with a sign that said 'FREE'
i had no place for it and no way to take it but i stared long and hard at it knowing i was missing a once in a life time chance.

Zombiemambo

If I could own one cabinet, I'd probably just put DoDonPachi on it. Goodness gracious I love that game more than I should.

UnbreakableVow

Local H Jay wrote:

there was a pizza place that went under nearby my work, and for like 2 days they had a metal slug cabinet outside with a sign that said 'FREE'
i had no place for it and no way to take it but i stared long and hard at it knowing i was missing a once in a life time chance.

Something similar happened here, but with a Donkey Kong machine and a Centipede machine

But I was only like 13 years old and lived in a really small apartment

If I had that opportunity today, I would absolutely take it.

Shadowfire

I would punch a baby for a D&D cab. Either game, really... I love them both.

My wife made a deal with me, at least. When we buy a house in the next 1-2 years, whatever room we have set aside for our gaming stuffs will get a shiny Neo-Geo cabinet. She is an awesome woman.

anoffday

Those are crazy stories. I live in an apartment right now, and I don't have space for one of those either. But I would beg to keep it at my parent's place.

Shadowfire wrote:

My wife made a deal with me, at least. When we buy a house in the next 1-2 years, whatever room we have set aside for our gaming stuffs will get a shiny Neo-Geo cabinet. She is an awesome woman.

Ha. I made a similar deal with my wife. In the next couple years, when we also buy a house I get a room dedicated to my games and various nerdy posters and standees. It will be glorious.

milk ducks

CorriganX wrote:

mxmarks wrote:

Congrats on LIVING MY LIFE, SIR.

You literally own the ONLY TWO ARCADE CABS that I have EVER had any desire to own. I eBay and Craigslist both those pretty frequently.

Keep living my dream for me.

If he had a Simpsons arcade machine i'd be forced to kill him and wear his skin to inherit his life.

Pretty much this, 100%.

Shadowfire

anoffday wrote:

Those are crazy stories. I live in an apartment right now, and I don't have space for one of those either. But I would beg to keep it at my parent's place.

Shadowfire wrote:

My wife made a deal with me, at least. When we buy a house in the next 1-2 years, whatever room we have set aside for our gaming stuffs will get a shiny Neo-Geo cabinet. She is an awesome woman.

Ha. I made a similar deal with my wife. In the next couple years, when we also buy a house I get a room dedicated to my games and various nerdy posters and standees. It will be glorious.

Oh the "nerdy posters and standees" belong to both of us. She just wasn't sure she wanted an arcade cabinet. When I pointed out that it's like a big console that we can swap games in and out of, she was sold.

acidlacedpenguin

I wish I had a cabinet for DJ Max so hard that I'm highly considering buying another PSP, an amp, speakers, and a 16:9 LCD; padhacking the buttons; and building a mini-cab just for DJ Max portable.

yalborap

acidlacedpenguin wrote:

I wish I had a cabinet for DJ Max so hard that I'm highly considering buying another PSP, an amp, speakers, and a 16:9 LCD; padhacking the buttons; and building a mini-cab just for DJ Max portable.

I've seen several of these done. How big are you thinking? Like a 1.5' little bartop, or down to a 1' or less micro-cab, or even like a 3' half-sized full cabinet?

Mulletude

Local H Jay wrote:

there was a pizza place that went under nearby my work, and for like 2 days they had a metal slug cabinet outside with a sign that said 'FREE'
i had no place for it and no way to take it but i stared long and hard at it knowing i was missing a once in a life time chance.

Oh dear...How could they just leave that beauty outside...Unloved...Bastards

NickTheNewbie

Local H Jay wrote:

there was a pizza place that went under nearby my work, and for like 2 days they had a metal slug cabinet outside with a sign that said 'FREE'
i had no place for it and no way to take it but i stared long and hard at it knowing i was missing a once in a life time chance.

You did miss a once in a lifetime chance, and you should regret it forever.

Skull2185

Yeah, in that situation, you just throw away your couch or something... that would make enough room.

acidlacedpenguin

yalborap wrote:

acidlacedpenguin wrote:

I wish I had a cabinet for DJ Max so hard that I'm highly considering buying another PSP, an amp, speakers, and a 16:9 LCD; padhacking the buttons; and building a mini-cab just for DJ Max portable.

I've seen several of these done. How big are you thinking? Like a 1.5' little bartop, or down to a 1' or less micro-cab, or even like a 3' half-sized full cabinet?

As much as I'd love to do a 3'er I think a bartop would likely be my best bet. The more I think about it, the more I want to do it. . . If I do I'll be sure to make a thread with lots of pictures.

NickTheNewbie

I need to get the monitor on this silent scope recapped. Christ I hate CRTs.

Athenor

My goal in life is to own a Pinball table. As a kid, I used to dream about what it would take to make one from scratch, having no clue how complex they are.

Stern just announced that their Transformers pinball table will retail for $4,700. Given that the one I really want is the TRON: Legacy table, that really, REALLY bums me. That total is more expensive than 2 of my student aid loans! (Each, I mean.)

El Fantastico

I want only two or three arcade cabinets. A Neo-Geo 4-game cabinet, and the Addams Family and Jurassic Park pinball machines. I'd never get rid of them, noise level be DAMNED (especially Jurassic Park)

cj iwakura

UnbreakableVow wrote:

My dream is to one day own a Ms. Pac-Man cocktail machine,

I owned one once. Nice to have.


My dream cabinet is a Beatmania setup, because you simply can't recreate that experience.


Also, a bowling arcade near here has a Simpsons arcade cabinet. I've considered making an offer.
(If you want to find arcades, check bowling alleys. Seriously.)

yalborap

acidlacedpenguin wrote:

yalborap wrote:

acidlacedpenguin wrote:

I wish I had a cabinet for DJ Max so hard that I'm highly considering buying another PSP, an amp, speakers, and a 16:9 LCD; padhacking the buttons; and building a mini-cab just for DJ Max portable.

I've seen several of these done. How big are you thinking? Like a 1.5' little bartop, or down to a 1' or less micro-cab, or even like a 3' half-sized full cabinet?

As much as I'd love to do a 3'er I think a bartop would likely be my best bet. The more I think about it, the more I want to do it. . . If I do I'll be sure to make a thread with lots of pictures.

It wouldn't be difficult. I've had similar thoughts in my head, and honestly, you could do one for under $200 and no wiring with a PSP Go. Get a wireless PS3 arcade stick, grab an old TV or something, slap together a little case out of some decent budget material, done. It helps that Gos run like $75-100 on Ebay.

However you do it, be sure to post details. I've been toying with the idea of building an SNES mini-cab, but I've got to admit, the idea of "upscaling" a handheld is sticking in my head hard.

Gigazombie Cybermage

Oh man, where do I start? What do I want? Probably good ol' fashioned Double Dragon. The Willow arcade game was a good platformer. Of course TMNT and the Simpsons are a given. The Star Wars Trilogy. Um, I have to think about this...

Athenor

I kept going back to Chuck E. Cheese in my teens because they had the old Star Wars vector game in working order. Or.. well.. that, and my younger brothers. But the arcade cabinet was the highlight! Back when they were Showbiz they had rows of arcade games. I wasn't allowed in the mall arcade, I don't think. I still have mental images of games from that era that I would love to see if I remember. All I'd need is a couple screenshots...

I miss arcades. I know, as an adult, that they are designed to eat quarters. But back in the day they seemed this holy grail of gaming.

Barrakketh

Zombiemambo wrote: »

If I could own one cabinet, I'd probably just put DoDonPachi on it. Goodness gracious I love that game more than I should.

If I could only pick one, I think I'd be unable to choose anything other than Ketsui.

But between many of CAVE's and Raizing's releases, my ass would be broke and have no damned room for all of those cabs. The last time I was browsing around for cabs it looked like it would be around $2300 for one (including an EGRET III) sans PCB.

It doesn't help that the genre isn't/wasn't popular in the States, and your average person dislikes getting their ass kicked that hard

MetroidZoid

I've always and will always want a pair of these:


That was an excellent racing game. And the subwoofer in the seat was fantastic. I've played the arcade cabinet of the 'sequel', and it just doesn't have the same feel. Hell, it feels slow.