Coin Op Capers!

[RetroRobot]

LEEDS

[madhair60]

I'd go to a leeds one

[pepperweasel]

One thing about the modern arcades is a bit like old cars on new films... they're all pristine.

That's not a bad thing but I was always fascinated wandering through arcades (especially seaside ones) and seeing knackered glitching machines. Messed up sprites/sound, wobbly screens etc. Some dying Kung Fu Master bootleg in a dark corner, unloved, playing the same attract sequence for thousands of hours burnt into the CRT. I didn't play them but it was part of the experience for me. I wonder how much money those ones actually made or if it was actually costing money to keep them on. I kind of wish some of those quirks could be replicated in the emulators just so I can relive a shit early 90s caravan holiday in Rhyl.

[Pink Gregory]

I, too, would make a valiant effort and probably not go at the last minute for a Leeds arcade meet

[Moj]

Bridgwater has Timewarp Arcade, which is £8 entry with games on free play. It has, among other things, a proper sit down Star Wars cab, a SNK Vs Capcom on an Astro City cab, and a bunch of belt scrollers including last time I was there Ninja Baseball Bat Man.

Exeter has Boneyard Arcade. Free entry, a fiver gets you 20 credits loaded on a smart card that's refillable whenever. They've got a few good pinball machines, something called MaiMai which is a rhythm music tapping game of some kind, and a rotating selection of shmups, fighters and Neo Geo stuff, some quality racers, and a few gun games, including Point Blank. Most of the games are set to Japanese, so you'll be playing SF Zero rather than Alpha, for example. The Point Blank cab is a UK machine but it'll probably be GunBullet when you credit it. I played a bunch of DonDonPachi there last time I went, which was cool. It always seems to be well attended, and they run tourneys and such every so often. I like this one.

[Proactive]

Wow, I had no idea about Exeter had one of these, will be checking it out for sure.

[Pink Gregory]

Noticed an NQ64 in Cardiff last week but didn't like the look of it, can't scope the place out before buying in like.

[Blue Jam]

'member Namco?




I 'member Namco :'(

[Mecha Rodney]

'member Namco?




I 'member Namco :'(

Now BANDAI NAMCO aka BAMCO

But yes I do, happy times.

[Blue Jam]

Now BANDAI NAMCO aka BAMCO

But yes I do, happy times.

Nah, I meant Namco on the South Bank of the Thames. Was absolutely gutted to discover it had closed down a few years ago.

[Mecha Rodney]

Nah, I meant Namco on the South Bank of the Thames. Was absolutely gutted to discover it had closed down a few years ago.

In which case, no I don't but I always heard stories about Trocadero and the like. My Trocadero was Rhyl and a chippy in Benllech.

[Blue Jam]

I think the Trocadero is now one of those expensive but bleak hotels where most of the rooms have no windows.

[Moj]

Wow, I had no idea about Exeter had one of these, will be checking it out for sure.

It's on Red Lion Lane, just off Sidwell Street, by Yonk Asian Foods. They're really only open Friday to Sunday although they'll usually extend their hours on school holidays, bank holidays etc.

[Moj]

Noticed an NQ64 in Cardiff last week but didn't like the look of it, can't scope the place out before buying in like.

I popped in, didn't hate it, as well as coin-ops they've got retro consoles, all gimmicked up to have multiple games to switch between. If you've got an hour to kill in tow you were going to pop somewhere for a pint you may as well do.it while playing a GameCube.

[Pink Gregory]

I popped in, didn't hate it, as well as coin-ops they've got retro consoles, all gimmicked up to have multiple games to switch between. If you've got an hour to kill in tow you were going to pop somewhere for a pint you may as well do.it while playing a GameCube.

Would have checked it out in all honesty but I was starting a migraine at the time, as it turns out, so that's probably the reason why I declined...

[Proactive]

It's on Red Lion Lane, just off Sidwell Street, by Yonk Asian Foods. They're really only open Friday to Sunday although they'll usually extend their hours on school holidays, bank holidays etc.

Was going to go today, but forgot!

[Huxleys Babkins]

I think the Trocadero is now one of those expensive but bleak hotels where most of the rooms have no windows.

Hope they kept the Sonic the Hedgehog carpet.

[JaDanketies]

Arcade Club in Bury and Leeds is fucking brilliant. Arcades are fucking brilliant. A lot of the arcade bars they have these days are running MAME and shit with default settings and shit cabs and sticks. Awful. AC has original boards, cabs and sticks. Always a brilliant day out.

Yep Arcade Club in Bury is the best around. There are ones in the city centre like NQ64 but they've totally fucked the concept up imo by playing really loud music inside like a nightclub. You can't hear the arcade games, nor can you hold a conversation.  Arcade Club is just like a massive arcade. Don't mix an arcade with a nightclub, nightclubs are shit.

Haven holiday park had a good arcade. Sometimes we go to the arcade in the cinema or bowling etc but it's nowhere near as good value as Arcade Club

[El Unicornio, mang]

Have been to NQ64 in Newcastle a couple of times, not bad. There's a good couple in Chicago called Emporium and Logan Arcade also. Always surprised at how young the patrons are at these places, considering how old the games are. I keep saying "Oh I remember this one" and then having to remind myself that the person I'm telling this to wasn't even born then. But then the satisfaction of 0wning a 20-something person at Street Fighter 2 is delicious.

[Blinder Data]

Super Bario on King Street in Glasgow is small but has decent beer, 2-3 pinball machines and classic arcade games. a fun time can be had

was about to mention some other place i'd heard of in glasgow the name of which is a pun on arcade but their website says they don't have any traditional arcade or pinball machines!! i should sue them under the Trades Descriptions Act

[Blinder Data]

dp

[Gurke and Hare]

The North West Computer Museum in Leigh of all places is good too. They've got a ton of computers and consoles going back to 8-bit days and a big cabinet of games that you can ask to play, together with a small room of coin-ops borrowed from Arcade Club.

[Blue Jam]

Super Bario on King Street in Glasgow is small but has decent beer, 2-3 pinball machines and classic arcade games. a fun time can be had

was about to mention some other place i'd heard of in glasgow the name of which is a pun on arcade but their website says they don't have any traditional arcade or pinball machines!! i should sue them under the Trades Descriptions Act

Aye Super Bario is good.

Embra has Secret Arcade Vodka Bar on (fnar) Cockburn Street and that doesn't have any arcade games either!

[Vodkafone]

No mention yet of the National Videogame Museum in Sheffield yet? They have a mix of arcade games, old PC and console games and newer or unusual stuff. I've spent too long playing Phoenix in there, I can tell you. It's interesting to experience gameplay that was built around trying to persuade you to put all your 10ps in.

Fucking 'Leeds', I ask you...

[boki]

My Trocadero was Rhyl and a chippy in Benllech.

Rhyl will always feel a little exotic to me because the first time I encountered a wave pool was at the Sun Centre.

[seepage]

An arcade at the top of Pier Hill in Southend had a version of Galaxy Game (Spacewar!) with screens set into the wall instead of cabinets, but Wikipedia says there was only ever a prototype at Stanford University?!?!

I also remember a v.good electro-mechanical sit-in helicopter simulator with scrolling cardboard scenery but it's not on the page above. Also electro-mechanical Battleships, like a big version of the toy.

[Blue Jam]

No mention yet of the National Videogame Museum in Sheffield yet?

Aye:

Arcade Club is a better national videogame museum than the actual National Videogame Museum in Sheffield.

Never been even though I keep meaning to whenever I'm down for the snooker. I bet Steve Davis loves it.

The Computerspielmuseum in Berlin is good value. Got a t-shirt there and wore it at Sam Campbell's 2021 Embra Fringe show and had him picking on me and going "Hey! Computer Girl!" throughout his set. I didn't mind though, it was a great show and I'm rather fond of t-shirt as well.

[oggyraiding]

Going to Arcade Club in Leeds this week, any gems I should definitely check out?

[madhair60]

Going to Arcade Club in Leeds this week, any gems I should definitely check out?

Robotron
Mercs
Hatsune Miku

[bgmnts]

Going to Arcade Club in Leeds this week, any gems I should definitely check out?

Breaking first rule of Arcade Club there...