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[gimmmick]

Having grown up in the late 80ths are 90ths, and both my parents always in and out of a bowling alley, I have had my fair share of arcades. My dad used to bowl in leagues so every Friday and Saturday would be day we would be able to go play video games (didn't have consoles till my 7th bday). I don't exactly remember which game was my first, but I know the one game that left a lasting impression on me as a toddler... and that is street fighter. Played the first one, and though it was fun... it wasn't until street fighter 2 were I didn't get into the whole fighting game genre. Just something about it that made everyone really competitive and learning how to link up combos while the game went through slowdown (who would have though a con like slowdown during a game would be able to make it more interesting).

From that moment on, I started playing mk2 (which I liked just as much, but 3 was my favorite) and killer instinct and many SHMUP shooters and beat up type of games. X-men and the simpsons were my favorite, no matter how many times I would beat them they were always fun to play though.

Cruisin' USA was probably my favorite racer during the arcade scene. It's a damn shame this generation will never experience the true joy of being surprised and enjoyment that arcades brought to many kids during our era.

 

[juanpablo]

In my youth in my local arcade the machines that soaked up my coins and time after school was, in no particular order;Teenage mutant ninja turtles, VF 2, Sega Rally, a racing game i can't remember but was like cruisin' USA (that was there as well) and of course Virtua Striker 2.

Also the local amusement park which open's in the summer had all the 80's games such as UN squadron(i think), still does afaik haven't been there in ages.

Sadly the arcade got rid of all their games machines around the turn of the millennium in favour of putting in more slot machines for the gambling addicts.

 

[Kandinsky]

How could i forget you Jungle King!, I used to play that with my cousins every summer at the beach so many memories.

Also this one..

...was a pretty epic/awesome game.

Edit: games keep poping in my head as i type lol, Gyruss!.

 

[SpinningBirdKick]

So many great games...

I, Robot
For the time (1983!), this game was incredible. 3D technology like this wasn't seen on home computers / consoles for many years.

Gauntlet
Fantastic four play fun. "Green Elf shot the food". Doh!

Nemesis / Gradius & Salamander
I've always liked shoot 'em ups and these are my favourites. Great graphics, pixel perfect collision detection and power ups that really changed how you played the games.

Astro Blaster
A difficult but fun shoot 'em up. Each wave had a different attack pattern which you had to learn coupled with a fuel level that was rapidly reducing and a laser that overheats.

Green Beret (Rush N' Attack)
Sideways scrolling slash/shooter. Hard as nails with 1 hit death game play. I've made it to the final stage many many times but just not quite managed to complete it. One day, one day...

Virtua Fighter 1
At the time of release this was the first real 3d fighting game. The animation was just jaw dropping. Each character felt very different and there was a huge amount of moves and techniques to master.

After Burner
Fly a F15 jet through the level shooting planes and enemy installations. This was the type of game that SEGA did best. A simple gameplay mechanic with great technology where both elements had been polished to perfection to make a fun and challenging game.

Sega Rally
Even after all these years, it's still my favourite driving game of all time. The vehicle dynamics model just felt right immediately, it didn't matter how many times you played it, each game felt unique and you never stopped learning. Incredible.

Ace Driver
Namco's 3D F1 arcade game. Often overshadowed by Sega's more well know Virtua Racing due to Ace Driver's limited numbers. This game just got everything right. If only today's F1 game were half as much fun...

And then there's the real old school stuff that's also worth a mention... Space Panic, Tempest, Carnival, Star Castle, Mr Do, Mr Do's Castle, Berzerk and of course, Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros!

Good times.

 

[LeMaximilian]

There's way too many to list. Props to Capcom, but I think something really important needs to be established here...

AM2

Spoiler

Sega Amusement Machine Research and Development Department 2 mothafuckaz!

 

[Tomasooie]

AM2

Spoiler

Sega Amusement Machine Research and Development Department 2 mothafuckaz!

No coffee like Virtua™ Coffee!

Spoiler

AM R&DDEPT.# 2

Spoiler

The blue buses in Crazy Taxi have AM R&D DEPT.#3 (or something like that) on the sides.

I don't have many specific memories of the arcades -- I was pretty young back when I went to them. I just remember being let loose into a gigantic place with my brother and a few friends, and we would each head in separate directions. Occasionally two of us would bump into each other and we'd get on a co-op game and then split up again. I also remember playing Metal Slug at some bowling alley. I'd really love to go to an arcade these days though. I swear the business could be made huge again, but I doubt anyone's willing to really invest in it.

 

[sf2fanatic]

I own a "Race Drivin" machine, after becoming obsessed with it at the arcades. I worked at Kay-Bee toys when i was 14, and i used to score battle my friend every day when i'd go on break.

i'll never forget the first time i saw daytona. the graphics were simply amazing. once i got the hang of it i was totally in love with it.

I remember playing that game even with the extra tracks. Playing stick shift mode was hilarious...My buddy thought it would help him learn how to drive stick because of the time and shifting...LOL fun times...


As far as pinball machines I got hit up the musuem in vegas to play some of the classics..
I even pop in some quarters on Dragon's Lair and Punch Out... I still and arcade fanatic

 

[djtiesto]

I have several arcade memories...

The earliest one is... Going to an arcade in Melbourne, FL with my older cousin. I think I was about 7 or so at the time? There, I remember playing the arcade Punch Out (was pretty hyped at the digitized voices... "BODY BLOW!". And then, setting my eyes on TMNT the arcade the first time. I was a huge TMNT fanboy when I was a little kid (who wasn't?), and seeing the large, animated sprites, digitized voices, and beat em up action was just jawdropping. I used to spend so much $$ credit-feeding my way through this game as a kid.

Next big one is going to Lake George for the summer (Grandfather had a country house up near there). Not sure if you guys are familiar with Lake George, but it's a small resort village with lots of kid-friendly stuff... arcades, gokarting, minigolf. I first played SF2 (Champion Edition) at an arcade there. Was so hyped to play that game, since EGM (amazing magazine in those times... oh how the mighty have fallen) would feature SF2 on every single cover practically. Anyways, I went back there last year on a vacation with my girlfriend and saw the same arcade. Went inside and sadly, it was mostly redemption games and a few lightgun games... no SF4

Also I remember this one place out by me (Smithtown, NY) called Spaceplex. Not sure if any of the other LIers remember it... but it was fucking EPIC. It was a generic brick building on the outside, but you walked inside... down a narrow, runway-esque path lit up with lights, with a smoke machine billowing out at you. Past the path you would come across a huge amusement center, with minigolf, carnival rides, a giant slide, a "spider web" type structure that went to the ceiling (for climbing on), and tons and tons of arcades. The games ranged in age from the old (Pac Man, Galaga), to what was then state-of-the art (my first time playing MK2, Killer Instinct, Virtua Fighter, Mercs and even more obscure games like Martial Champion and APB, were all in this arcade). We'd frequently have birthday parties there. Unfortunately, a few years after it opened, a girl was supposedly kidnapped from there... but it was really her neighbor who she went with that kidnapped her... and the lack of business after that caused the place to close down.

Then, they opened another place nearby called Sports Plus, which featured less games but bowling and an ice rink... the game selection wasn't nearly as great but that was a real popular place for us in HS. Go ice skating and then play Marvel vs. Capcom 1, Power Stone, and later DDR. Of course, that place fell under hard times... the machines weren't being maintained, and business was dwindling, til the place eventually was torn down to make room for a gym and a Whole Foods.

 

[KittyKittyBangBang]

Two games immediately come to mind:

played at Games People Play and Wunderland in Gresham, Oregon

 

[ghibli99]

Back in the 80s, it was always pretty damn magical being dropped off at Circus Circus' Midway in Vegas. There was nothing else like it at the time.

Seeing/playing Star Wars and Dragon's Lair for the first time in the early 80s (Showbiz Pizza in Spring, TX) was amazing.

Playing the sitdown version After Burner II (Westminster Mall in SoCal) blew me away... so did the $1-per-play cost!

DDR/IIDX in the late 90s/early 00s are my most recent arcade highlight. Playing them nonstop anywhere we could find them (Pak Mann, Ultrazone/AI, Japan Arcade, Disneyland, SHGL, etc.), and actually making a trip to Nagoya/Ogaki Gifu to meet the Japanese DDR legends (Koshiru, Jiro, ZTT, Banakazu, etc.) and experiencing Japanese arcades for the first time will be something I'll never forget.

 

[DoubleTap]

Forgot the arcade names but...
Arcade on Market Street SF - beating Contra with my brother.
Fashion Island in Foster City - Seeing SFII for the first time.
Bowling Alley in Daly City - first sighting of SFII CE machine.

 

[olore]

Golden Axe, finished once without dying once, once.

Heavy Barrel

Double Dragon 2

Out Run

TNMT