Ever had a crowd of people around you while playing and arcade game?

sneckburger · 16 January 2020, 16:33

This used to happen when a couple of friends were determined to finish a Co-Op platform or shooter, Or were in intense beat-em-up battles like Mortal kombat in the arcade back in the late 80’s to mid-90’s.
For me and my mate it was Astyanax. We’d have a stack of 10ps on our last day in Butlins determined to get to the end of the game… We never did but when we turned around we were surprised to see we had an audience LOL.

I can only ever recall such an audience before playing Turttles (or Simpsons) but they were 4 player and I think I was been carried a little by the random people who’d happily join in to see how far you’d get.. Happy days, don’t see that anymore in arcades do you..
It’s all carnival crap these days.

ross · 16 January 2020, 17:01

Yes, for more than one game (Bomb Jack, Xevious, Mr.Do, Hyper Olympic, ..)

The arcade manager had given me a time limit to play and then he would have turned off the machine, threatening that otherwise it would have increased the difficulty via the dip-switches, making the game too difficult for others.
So it was a good deal for me (for the little money I had available..): a bit easy levels to train me better

Sometimes he would let me play longer to attract people.

In any case, even at the most difficult level, in some I managed to last for very long times (and create big audience)

(but I think this is even difficult to imagine for a today young boy)

mcgeezer · 16 January 2020, 17:04

I got barred from one of the arcades I used to go to for spending all day in Defender with one credit.

I used to get a few people around me playing Robotron, Bomb Jack, Hyper Sports and Side Arms.

mcgeezer

ross · 16 January 2020, 17:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgeezer

I got barred from one of the arcades..

I got barred for Bomb Jack

mcgeezer · 16 January 2020, 17:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by ross

I got barred for Bomb Jack

yeah - what were the dip settings though.

DamienD · 16 January 2020, 17:51

Yup, loads for me too. Games that I could finish in one credit such as:

... Double Dragon
... Shinobi
... Shock Troopers
... Shock Troopers 2nd squad
... Street Fighter II: The World Warrior
... UN Squadron
... Willow
... others I've forgotten ATM.

d4rk3lf · 16 January 2020, 17:51

I was part of the crowd.

Never been that good in any of the arcade games. Never finished any of the game.

I had a friend that could finish Cadillacs and Dinosaurs with one credit.
It was amazing watching his play-through.

jotd · 16 January 2020, 17:51

A lot of people enjoyed watching a friend and me complete Pang in 2 player mode

saimon69 · 16 January 2020, 17:59

Had some crowd around me when was doing with a friend challenges at Xevious

saimon69 · 16 January 2020, 18:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by ross

I got barred for Bomb Jack

What arcade was? In Rimini or Riccione?

In the 90s used to do "pilgrimage" in the main arcades there at least once at month to see new stuff - Central Park, Galassia, Sala 2000 in Riccione...

ross · 16 January 2020, 18:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by saimon69

What arcade was? In Rimini or Riccione?

In the 90s used to do "pilgrimage" in the main arcades there at least once at month to see new stuff - Central Park, Galassia, Sala 2000 in Riccione...

Bellaria (it seems to me it was called Kursaal).

saimon69 · 16 January 2020, 18:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by ross

Bellaria (it seems to me it was called Kursaal).

Guess what, i think i have been there in 1987, when it hosted a Giro d'Italia leg goal - i remember they had Eschs'n'Aurunmilla there

(and Cipollini won that leg)

DrBong · 16 January 2020, 19:09

Arcade games here in Oz in the 80s were on the pricey side (at least for a schoolboy like me of meagre pocket money!), but I do remember having a growing crowd of people around me one time when I was playing Speedball at a mate's place in high school. Speedball was one of a handful of original games I was able to afford on the C64. I thought it was the best thing since sliced cheese when I got it and played the crap out of it.

Anyway, I copied it quick smart for my best mate Tony at school up the road and he had a load of people over the arvo I delivered it to him. I ended up playing doubles against one of my other school mates (Gavin!?!), but I was given the shit joystick that only half-worked since I'd already played the crap out it after getting the game in the mail a few days earlier from the UK. To cut a long story short, I crushed it and took all the opposition to the cleaners with the shit joystick....only realising towards the end that the crowd had grown from only a few guys to over a dozen in my mate's matchbox-sized bedroom!

ross · 16 January 2020, 19:38

I want a time machine.. Does anyone have it for sale?
I've a 1.21 gigawatts power supply ready for use.

malko · 16 January 2020, 19:53

It happened several times that 5+ people were watching me playing games (enough for a "crowd" ?

) : "Out Run", "Shinobi", "Robocop".
Only 2+ people for games like "Karate Champ", "Vulcan Venture", "Wonderboy", "Dragon's Lair", "Golden Axe" or "Altered Beast". The arcade manager was a nice old guy.
On another arcade hall "Street Fighter" and "Mortal Kombat" were often crowded (10-15 people waiting to play/watching). Not my favorites games so I was most often part of the crowd.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ross

I want a time machine.. Does anyone have it for sale?
I've a 1.21 gigawatts power supply ready for use.

What about a Dolorean ?

ross · 16 January 2020, 20:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by malko

What about a Dolorean ?

Ok we can make a deal.
Does the car reach 88 miles per hour?

malko · 16 January 2020, 22:05

^ of course

jotd · 16 January 2020, 23:06

Okay to go back to the eighties, but I'll take my PC laptop with WinUAE and MAME on it, just in case. And an external 3.5"" USB floppy to be able to transfer the data

DamienD · 16 January 2020, 23:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by jotd

Okay to go back to the eighties, but I'll take my PC laptop with WinUAE and MAME on it, just in case.

That's really all I need also

rothers · 17 January 2020, 14:18

I used to be able to complete Wardner, ended up with a crowd in an arcade I'd not been to before, I told them all I could complete it, pressure of them watching made me play bizarrely badly and I died on level 3. Super cringe.

16 January 2020, 16:33	#1
sneckburger Registered User Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Wakefield Posts: 203	Ever had a crowd of people around you while playing and arcade game? This used to happen when a couple of friends were determined to finish a Co-Op platform or shooter, Or were in intense beat-em-up battles like Mortal kombat in the arcade back in the late 80’s to mid-90’s. For me and my mate it was Astyanax. We’d have a stack of 10ps on our last day in Butlins determined to get to the end of the game… We never did but when we turned around we were surprised to see we had an audience LOL. I can only ever recall such an audience before playing Turttles (or Simpsons) but they were 4 player and I think I was been carried a little by the random people who’d happily join in to see how far you’d get.. Happy days, don’t see that anymore in arcades do you.. It’s all carnival crap these days.

16 January 2020, 17:51	#6
DamienD Banned Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: London / Sydney Age: 47 Posts: 20,420	Yup, loads for me too. Games that I could finish in one credit such as: ... Double Dragon ... Shinobi ... Shock Troopers ... Shock Troopers 2nd squad ... Street Fighter II: The World Warrior ... UN Squadron ... Willow ... others I've forgotten ATM. Last edited by DamienD; 16 January 2020 at 19:57.

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16 January 2020, 17:01	#2
ross Defendit numerus Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Crossing the Rubicon Age: 53 Posts: 4,468	Yes, for more than one game (Bomb Jack, Xevious, Mr.Do, Hyper Olympic, ..) The arcade manager had given me a time limit to play and then he would have turned off the machine, threatening that otherwise it would have increased the difficulty via the dip-switches, making the game too difficult for others. So it was a good deal for me (for the little money I had available..): a bit easy levels to train me better Sometimes he would let me play longer to attract people. In any case, even at the most difficult level, in some I managed to last for very long times (and create big audience) (but I think this is even difficult to imagine for a today young boy)

16 January 2020, 17:04	#3
mcgeezer Registered User Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: Sunderland, England Posts: 2,702	I got barred from one of the arcades I used to go to for spending all day in Defender with one credit. I used to get a few people around me playing Robotron, Bomb Jack, Hyper Sports and Side Arms. mcgeezer

16 January 2020, 17:51	#7
d4rk3lf Registered User Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Novi Sad, Serbia Posts: 1,645	I was part of the crowd. Never been that good in any of the arcade games. Never finished any of the game. I had a friend that could finish Cadillacs and Dinosaurs with one credit. It was amazing watching his play-through.

16 January 2020, 17:51	#8
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,164	A lot of people enjoyed watching a friend and me complete Pang in 2 player mode

16 January 2020, 17:59	#9
saimon69 J.M.D - Bedroom Musician Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: los angeles,ca Posts: 3,519	Had some crowd around me when was doing with a friend challenges at Xevious

16 January 2020, 19:09	#13
DrBong HOL / AMR Team Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Australia Posts: 2,632	Arcade games here in Oz in the 80s were on the pricey side (at least for a schoolboy like me of meagre pocket money!), but I do remember having a growing crowd of people around me one time when I was playing Speedball at a mate's place in high school. Speedball was one of a handful of original games I was able to afford on the C64. I thought it was the best thing since sliced cheese when I got it and played the crap out of it. Anyway, I copied it quick smart for my best mate Tony at school up the road and he had a load of people over the arvo I delivered it to him. I ended up playing doubles against one of my other school mates (Gavin!?!), but I was given the shit joystick that only half-worked since I'd already played the crap out it after getting the game in the mail a few days earlier from the UK. To cut a long story short, I crushed it and took all the opposition to the cleaners with the shit joystick....only realising towards the end that the crowd had grown from only a few guys to over a dozen in my mate's matchbox-sized bedroom!

16 January 2020, 19:38	#14
ross Defendit numerus Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Crossing the Rubicon Age: 53 Posts: 4,468	I want a time machine.. Does anyone have it for sale? I've a 1.21 gigawatts power supply ready for use.

16 January 2020, 22:05	#17
malko Ex nihilo nihil Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: CH Posts: 4,856	^ of course

16 January 2020, 23:06	#18
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,164	Okay to go back to the eighties, but I'll take my PC laptop with WinUAE and MAME on it, just in case. And an external 3.5"" USB floppy to be able to transfer the data

17 January 2020, 14:18	#20
rothers Registered User Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: UK Posts: 487	I used to be able to complete Wardner, ended up with a crowd in an arcade I'd not been to before, I told them all I could complete it, pressure of them watching made me play bizarrely badly and I died on level 3. Super cringe.

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