Most surprising thing you've seen at the arcades

[DDNI]

Originally Posted by moijk

I am still in awe for the sphere-afterburner arcade machine I once tried in germany. looked out of it during the game and the world was upside down. I was doing loops and corkscrews instead of shooting down other planes just for the entertainment factor.

R360?

[CoCan]

Originally Posted by Baboon

I've uploaded the ridgeracer cab mages to imageshack seeing as it was dropping....





Plus on my bro's facebook he had some early pics of both us on holiday while at the blackpool arcade in 93 actualy playing on the game...



Thats got to be the biggest arcade machine ever in an arcade? lol

Never seen anything like it, that's pretty awesome now even. As a kid I would've jizzed my pants.

[Photon]

Awesome experience #1: Night Driver (lol) at local beach
#2: Gyruss at another bathing resort (the version with the crap-steering IIRC)
#3: 'Z'-like shooter with like 3 layers of 8-way parallax, craters, glowing 'intelligent' enemies (let me know if you know this one)
#4: Super Sprint (3-player marathon, armpit sweat, broad smiles)
#5: Marble Madness at Liseberg amusement park. Wow! A thing to love.
#6: Starblade at the Trocadero in London in 1991. So many polygons...
#7: Quality, exciting metallic voice in Gradius

Awesome things that spring to mind in no particular order.

Most surprising... I dunno, that swinging G-Loc 360 or what it was maybe? The sit-in Star Wars 3D shooter (with big screen?) was pretty cool too.

[DDNI]

Originally Posted by Baboon

I've uploaded the ridgeracer cab mages to imageshack seeing as it was dropping....





Plus on my bro's facebook he had some early pics of both us on holiday while at the blackpool arcade in 93 actualy playing on the game...



Thats got to be the biggest arcade machine ever in an arcade? lol

There was one of these at the Trocadero Leceister Square in 1994.

[jimbob005]

Originally Posted by Baboon

I've uploaded the ridgeracer cab mages to imageshack seeing as it was dropping....





Plus on my bro's facebook he had some early pics of both us on holiday while at the blackpool arcade in 93 actualy playing on the game...



Thats got to be the biggest arcade machine ever in an arcade? lol

see the one in blackpool dosn't have the alloy wheels

[Baboon]

Originally Posted by jimbob005

see the one in blackpool dosn't have the alloy wheels

I can't remember the car being propped up on bricks... but maybe they got nicked? lol

[seuden]

Originally Posted by Baboon

I can't remember the car being propped up on bricks... but maybe they got nicked? lol

He said Blackpool, not Liverpool

[Hewitson]

I once saw a guy take a HUGE run up to one of those games where you have to punch as hard as you can. When he threw his punch he fell flat on his ass, the whole arcade was laughing at him.

[seuden]

Originally Posted by Hewitson

I once saw a guy take a HUGE run up to one of those games where you have to punch as hard as you can. When he threw his punch he fell flat on his ass, the whole arcade was laughing at him.

Haha!!! I've seen that before but in a nightclub. They're quite popular in the clubs these days and for some god damn reason, I always end up playing 'em!!

I remember watching a guy complete Splatter House once when I was about 10, I was so amazed.

[Qun Mang]

Originally Posted by Baboon

I've uploaded the ridgeracer cab mages to imageshack seeing as it was dropping....



...

Thats got to be the biggest arcade machine ever in an arcade? lol

I was going to challenge you with Galaxian 3: Project Dragoon, but according to system16.com, it is actually slightly smaller at only 5m x 4.9m x 2.4m versus 6m x 5m x 2.5m for the Ridge Racer game.

However, on that system16.com page is a Galaxian 3 version that takes up a large room (16 X 120" screens), so there you go! unfortunately, while I have seen and played the Project Dragoon version I have never seen this 360 degree wraparound version.

[paul2010]

I was at Hunstanton in Norfolk for a week this month and I came across The Simpsons and Operation Thunderbolt video games, which I last played on some 12 years ago.

I was really surprised that there were hardly any video games anymore - mostly just fruit machines.

I was also surprised to see a jet-ski type game (can't remember the name).

[Graham Humphrey]

That's interesting! I may have to pop over there to take a look at some point. Thanks for sharing

[ricky500]

Originally Posted by Jgames

I have very good moments and memories of the arcades, and would like to share some of it's more unreal ones;
When i was about 13, a new game was brought by my local arcade owner, it was Operation Wolf.
We were a lot of teenagers playing at it, spending a lot of days and coins. And no one finished it, even with lots of continues. All i could do is see a glympse of level 3

I haven't made it past the second level myself.

One day, an unknown man came (we used to know pretty much everyone coming to this arcade), put one coin, and destroyed everything from start to finish. Everyone was amazed. (we were like 20 people around him). I've never saw him again.

That is something that I would have liked to seen.

[Jgames]

I had a lot of friends back at the time, mostly sharing the passion of gaming and arcade games, some were great players, they could master any good game, and play with skill.
The thing is, they are not just good at one game, they tend to be good at all the games, unlike myself, i admit, i played a lot, but was average. (or I really mastered one game only, after crazy amount of time)
This is something, i am sure, you are born with, either you are born good at playing games, and have good reflexes, or your are bad to average.

[s2325]

That game: [ Show youtube player ] What a fantastic design & atmosphere.

[Zetr0]

Mame and Lasers - clearly a gift from the gods!

[dirkies]

I remember how speechless I was seeing Outrun the first time in action back in 1986...!

[Predseda]

My schoolmate was able to complete Dragon Ninja with one coin, without loosing a life and he was holding a cigarette in one hand during the playing. I remember him standing in a front of the cabinet, while he had a pint of beer standing on its top

[gimbal]

Originally Posted by dirkies

I remember how speechless I was seeing Outrun the first time in action back in 1986...!

So true, although for me it was a few years later The bright colors, the speed, the sound, the girlfriend giving you a kiss before you blast off... Epic game.

[moriez]

Originally Posted by Predseda

My schoolmate was able to complete Dragon Ninja with one coin, without loosing a life and he was holding a cigarette in one hand during the playing. I remember him standing in a front of the cabinet, while he had a pint of beer standing on its top

Haha, awesome. I can imagine that scene vividly.

Originally Posted by gimbal

So true, although for me it was a few years later The bright colors, the speed, the sound, the girlfriend giving you a kiss before you blast off... Epic game.

Oh yea, it was so California and breezy.

I was in for a surprise as a 10 year old when a friend threw a birthday party. We were invited to his parents house, gave some presents, ate some cake and probably after an hour all the buddies were given 25 guilders to go play at the arcade. We all couldn't believe this dream coming true. That was a looot of money at the time so the world was ours. Double Dragon with my best friend for about 20 times and the rest on others. Super Hang-On was on a actual bike and probably After Burner (with Top Gun being a hit) was the coolest I had ever experienced. It was really difficult