A philosophical (style) ramble on arcades, past, present and future?️

[Deleted member 2175]

I believe the first cabinet I ever played was Super Street Fighter II. Next to it were The King of Fighters '94 and Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors Dreams.
I attended many arcades, huge vibrant ones with 50-inch Megalo cabinets, 8 player manx tt superbike etc, but this small place was my favourite, a Mediterranean Cafe, serving espresso, pistachio ice cream and rose sorbet glinting frostily in the ice cream cabinet, warm baklava and other pastry desserts. When I entered there, the wave of the combined smell of cigarettes, strong coffee and buttery, syrupy pastries intoxicated me and made a lasting impression on my 8-year-old self.

At the back near the machines, there was the usual crowd, guys older than me, 18-20 or so. They played pool, smoked and played with their Nokias, they were the only people I noticed with phones at that time besides businessmen. Looking back I consider the possibility that the pool guys WERE in fact "BUSINESS men!" of sorts ;).
Whilst these are happy memories and this is a retro game forum, I must say that personally, I never delve into nostalgia so to speak, I enjoy my memories but keep my focus on what's in front of me in the present and future.

This is purely my own opinion and mindset.

For example, If I choose to play KOF '94 or street fighter alpha, I don't approach playing them by dint of them being "retro" I play them because I perceive them to be games that stand on their own merit and playability to this day. No-one refers to Chess as a "retro" game, despite being 1400 years old or Olympic/Greco Roman/freestyle wrestling as a "retro" sport that is "old hat". Nostalgia is a powerful emotion, even a suggestion of a hint of it it can be used to sell classic shoes/sneakers, games, even motorcycles which now have editions with white, pink and blue stripes just like the 90's. I don't hold the term "retro" in contempt in any regard, but I note it's usage in modern life.

Now whilst that cafe wasn't a fully-fledged arcade, at that time (Circa '96) arcade's on the whole were in decline from their peak.
There are many contributing factors to all of this, online gaming, the rise of consoles, etc. Whilst arcades are diminished, which is entirely understandable and simply a matter of fact, they have not been wiped from existence completely and I find this interesting. Is this because they are "retro" and an oddity today? Or is it because the younger generation who didn't grow up with arcades are attracted to the CONCEPT of an arcade type space and the fact is I do NOT know; I can only hypothesise.

Whether it's an "e-sports centre" or a place with modern and new arcade machines, I believe that there will always be a place for them in a certain context and I believe that is of being a "special place" and uncommon. Games and their technology increase relentlessly and before I sound like some foolish, idealistic n00b standing on a soapbox, dressed like a tech geek using the word "communities" ten thousand times, I wonder at what point face to face human interaction is considered IF AT ALL in the current gaming industry and its future.

Looking at the future and some of the challenges young people face in a highly technological world where some people are simultaneously more hyperconnected and yet with others, disconnected I consider what "modern gaming hubs" (to term whatever may or may not be the successor to "arcades") could be like, perhaps providing great gaming experiences and social interaction for people. I also consider the fact that I could be entirely off the mark and that an insufficient amount of people would want to play games with others or even god forbid "strangers”(every person we have ever met was a stranger before we first spoke to them) on a scale to even make such venues profitable or viable.

I don't believe anyone out there genuinely want all of us to be on a trajectory towards vr pods, playing games with our minds, online like something out of a dystopian future like "Observer" by Team Bloober, however likely or unlikely it may come to be.

I welcome any thoughts on these topics.

 

[ATenderLad]

My main thought is that I'd love to visit that Mediterranean Cafe, you painted a picture.

It would be nice, for people to have "somewhere". I can only speak for America, but the growing lack of arcades/malls/skate parks makes socializing tougher, kids and young adults deserve more places to just meet and have a good time that doesn't charge you at the door.

Something something atomization under capitalism, probably. I don't know, I'd love to operate an arcade for exactly that reason. Also to hear that outrageous grunt as someone spams Colossus's special on the X-Men 6-player cabinet, that man needs fiber.

 

[Gorse]

I also consider the fact that I could be entirely off the mark and that an insufficient amount of people would want to play games with others or even god forbid "strangers”(every person we have ever met was a stranger before we first spoke to them) on a scale to even make such venues profitable or viable.

As a young person with disposable income – which I imagine would be this hypothetical venue's target demo – I think you've hit the nail on the head, here. I have precisely zero interest in playing video games IRL with anyone other than my closest friends. The world and the people in it aren't the same as they were in the '80s and '90s when in-person arcades reigned supreme, and physical game centres have even died off in the far-Eastern mecca of social cohesion and cultural trust (or so I've been told). At least online, if you're playing with a kooky rando, you can just leave the server.

I don't believe anyone out there genuinely want all of us to be on a trajectory towards vr pods, playing games with our minds, online like something out of a dystopian future like "Observer" by Team Bloober, however likely or unlikely it may come to be.

You're gonna hate me for saying this, but I really love this idea – you'll be able to go into the game world from the comfort of your temperature-controlled sustenance pod! And then, with AI, you can create anything you want, including living creatures (say, of your worst enemy's mother), and have your sensory receptors directly wired into the Matrix, so the slop you'll be eating IRL tastes like a beautiful homemade dinner prepared by your virtual love-slave (provided on a month-to-month subscription by the Tesla-McDonald's™ Corporation). IT'LL BE JUST LIKE THE FUTURE!!!!

OK, OK, I'm joking, but I really do think that, for a lot of people – maybe even for most people – full-scale virtual immersion has now become preferable to real-world interaction. If you've ever lived somewhere where the people are a little rough (I have), you'll know what I mean. Right now, I don't think society at large is really equipped – culturally, economically, or architecturally – for big, modern video arcades like it was thirty to forty years ago.

Maybe in the future, but, honestly, if you're a kid who has the option of A) going to the mall, which requires a ride there and back, a non-insignificant amount of money, you to look presentable on the weekend or after-school, a reasonable degree of good health, and a generally-trustworthy community to make worthwhile, or B) sitting in your room playing Fortnite, which would you choose? Arcades were big (and of course they still exist, but not to the level they used to) when there wasn't an alternative. Now there is, soooooooo... ?

 

[Yousef]

As a young person with disposable income – which I imagine would be this hypothetical venue's target demo – I think you've hit the nail on the head, here. I have precisely zero interest in playing video games IRL with anyone other than my closest friends. The world and the people in it aren't the same as they were in the '80s and '90s when in-person arcades reigned supreme, and physical game centres have even died off in the far-Eastern mecca of social cohesion and cultural trust (or so I've been told). At least online, if you're playing with a kooky rando, you can just leave the server.


You're gonna hate me for saying this, but I really love this idea – you'll be able to go into the game world from the comfort of your temperature-controlled sustenance pod! And then, with AI, you can create anything you want, including living creatures (say, of your worst enemy's mother), and have your sensory receptors directly wired into the Matrix, so the slop you'll be eating IRL tastes like a beautiful homemade dinner prepared by your virtual love-slave (provided on a month-to-month subscription by the Tesla-McDonald's™ Corporation). IT'LL BE JUST LIKE THE FUTURE!!!!

OK, OK, I'm joking, but I really do think that, for a lot of people – maybe even for most people – full-scale virtual immersion has now become preferable to real-world interaction. If you've ever lived somewhere where the people are a little rough (I have), you'll know what I mean. Right now, I don't think society at large is really equipped – culturally, economically, or architecturally – for big, modern video arcades like it was thirty to forty years ago.

Maybe in the future, but, honestly, if you're a kid who has the option of A) going to the mall, which requires a ride there and back, a non-insignificant amount of money, you to look presentable on the weekend or after-school, a reasonable degree of good health, and a generally-trustworthy community to make worthwhile, or B) sitting in your room playing Fortnite, which would you choose? Arcades were big (and of course they still exist, but not to the level they used to) when there wasn't an alternative. Now there is, soooooooo... ?

I’m ok with playing games with people irl if it can further my interests of world domination.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

I also consider the fact that I could be entirely off the mark and that an insufficient amount of people would want to play games with others or even god forbid "strangers”(every person we have ever met was a stranger before we first spoke to them) on a scale to even make such venues profitable or viable.

I don't mind playing with strangers (and it can even be a good way of breaking the ice, albeit indirectly) but it's a bit of a risk... you never know how pleasant or unpleasant the other person is gonna be while also competing with you, nor how much that competition truly means to them. I'm not sure that many people would be willing to risk that.

 

[Karnik]

I hope I'm not off topic.
Since we are talking about arcades, the very first games I played at the bar (or in real arcades), excluding the latest pinballs available, in the eighties were Space Invaders, Pac Man, Command Missile, Athena, Flicky, Mario Bros, Track & Field etc. But the most fun to play with friends in the late eighties were Double Dragon, Golden Axe, Final Fight, Cadillacs & Dinosaurs. Ohhh... what times!

 

[Deleted member 2175]

I hope I'm not off topic.
Since we are talking about arcades, the very first games I played at the bar (or in real arcades), excluding the latest pinballs available, in the eighties were Space Invaders, Pac Man, Command Missile, Athena, Flicky, Mario Bros, Track & Field etc. But the most fun to play with friends in the late eighties were Double Dragon, Golden Axe, Final Fight, Cadillacs & Dinosaurs. Ohhh... what times!

Late 80's has some of the most memorable for sure!

Post automatically merged: Dec 4, 2024

I don't mind playing with strangers (and it can even be a good way of breaking the ice, albeit indirectly) but it's a bit of a risk... you never know how pleasant or unpleasant the other person is gonna be while also competing with you, nor how much that competition truly means to them. I'm not sure that many people would be willing to risk that.

I have to say, if we are in a world where (in this hypothetical scenario of an arcade, a purpose made games place for entertainment) most people wouldn't consider playing with a stranger at all because there's a 50/50 chance that they MAY be unpleasant then I find that an awful shame, life is far too short.

 

[Skeetos]

I never grew up during the golden age of Arcade gaming. But I've always had a part of me that if I ever had the money to blow on a machine it'd be Metal Slug X or KOF2000. SNK is one of my favorites of that era. They have really good sprite art and sound design.

 

[ATenderLad]

I never grew up during the golden age of Arcade gaming. But I've always had a part of me that if I ever had the money to blow on a machine it'd be Metal Slug X or KOF2000. SNK is one of my favorites of that era. They have really good sprite art and sound design.

I have an old friend who nabbed a machine from a bowling alley years back, SamSho2/Metal Slug X/KOF 97/Aero Fighters 2 I think it was originally. He's tracked down and swapped out other games over the years, I'm trying to ensure it's being left to me in his will.

 

[Skeetos]

I have an old friend who nabbed a machine from a bowling alley years back, SamSho2/Metal Slug X/KOF 97/Aero Fighters 2 I think it was originally. He's tracked down and swapped out other games over the years, I'm trying to ensure it's being left to me in his will.

That's neat. Hopefully that works out well for you guys. That would be a badass cab to own.

 

[Deleted member 2175]

I never grew up during the golden age of Arcade gaming. But I've always had a part of me that if I ever had the money to blow on a machine it'd be Metal Slug X or KOF2000. SNK is one of my favorites of that era. They have really good sprite art and sound design.

That sounds like a great idea, go for it and see what's possible ?
Perhaps a super neo 29?

 

[RetroLaw]

I have precisely zero interest in playing video games IRL with anyone other than my closest friends.

I love beating the shit out of strangers in fighting games IRL.

Even though I do love the salty dms.

They're both different experience, both worthy.

 

[Deleted member 2175]

I love beating the shit out of strangers in fighting games IRL.

Even though I do love the salty dms.

They're both different experience, both worthy.

But have you ever been challenged to an "Honor Duel"? lol.

There was an arcade I used to play Third Strike and sfiv at and there was an attractive woman who played there, always as Chun-li. We were acquaintances who would play here and there etc, cool person.

One day I came in and she was being "tutored" in sfiv by a guy who seemed grumpy and had an anti-social vibe.

In the middle of her "tutoring" She turned round on her stool stopped playing and started talking to me as I walked by, very pleasant and smiley. Tutor man apparently did not like this at all.

He got up and said "We are playing a game NOW" and he waddled off to the Third Strike Megalo with a 50 inch screen. Her and I looked at each other like "oookay, someone feels threatened!??"

We played Third Strike for this honor duel that I never asked for hahaha.

Akuma mirror match, he won the first, I won the second, third was on a knife edge and he got it. He was dripping with sweat, but satisfied and proud, I had come from martial arts class so I was chilled.

To him this was intense, to me it was nothing as I had just been engaging in actual fighting with guys doing jiu-jitsu and MMA sparring.

Rambling again, not sure where I'm going with this but, take risks in life, do difficult things have fun and be excellent to each other.

"Brave or Grave!"-Street Fighter Alpha 3 intro.

 

[RetroLaw]

But have you ever been challenged to an "Honor Duel"? lol.

There was an arcade I used to play Third Strike and sfiv at and there was an attractive woman who played there, always as Chun-li. We were acquaintances who would play here and there etc, cool person.

One day I came in and she was being "tutored" in sfiv by a guy who seemed grumpy and had an anti-social vibe.

In the middle of her "tutoring" She turned round on her stool stopped playing and started talking to me as I walked by, very pleasant and smiley. Tutor man apparently did not like this at all.

He got up and said "We are playing a game NOW" and he waddled off to the Third Strike Megalo with a 50 inch screen. Her and I looked at each other like "oookay, someone feels threatened!??"

We played Third Strike for this honor duel that I never asked for hahaha.

Akuma mirror match, he won the first, I won the second, third was on a knife edge and he got it. He was dripping with sweat, but satisfied and proud, I had come from martial arts class so I was chilled.

To him this was intense, to me it was nothing as I had just been engaging in actual fighting with guys doing jiu-jitsu and MMA sparring.

Rambling again, not sure where I'm going with this but, take risks in life, do difficult things have fun and be excellent to each other.

"Brave or Grave!"-Street Fighter Alpha 3 intro.

Jeez, I wonder which one of you got the girl

 

[Boo Man]

years ago i brought an arcade machine and its basically just a PC running MAME with arcade controls
i was intrigued at how it worked and thats how i learned about ROMS & Emulators XD

 

[Deleted member 2175]

years ago i brought an arcade machine and its basically just a PC running MAME with arcade controls
i was intrigued at how it worked and thats how i learned about ROMS & Emulators XD

Cool! What's it like? Stand up style made of MDF?

 

[Gambrinus]

I love beating the shit out of strangers in fighting games IRL.

Even though I do love the salty dms.

They're both different experience, both worthy.

This anecdote is from when I was about 15 years old. Near my house, there was a club with an entire floor of arcade machines, with the classic atmosphere of the time: cigarette smoke, the sounds of various pinballs, and laughter or shouting. There, along with many others, was a Killer Instinct 1 machine, which was almost always empty since King of Fighters '98 and Marvel vs. Capcom were right next to it. I loved that game, to the point where I’d spend just one coin for a arcade ladder whenever I used Sabrewulf. One night, a tall guy interrupted my match against Eyedol by putting in a coin. It put me in a bad mood, so I played using all the dirty and annoying combos I could, finishing with an Ultra Combo (I’m not sure if it’s true, but there was a rumor that even if the game’s volume was low, the Ultra Combo scream couldn’t be adjusted). I remember hearing "ultraaaa combooo" and, at that moment, a punch turned off the lights. I never played KI in the arcade again, hahaha. From then on, until the place closed, I stuck to KOF and SF3.

 

[Boo Man]

Cool! What's it like? Stand up style made of MDF?

Yeah :P just some MDF + screws + budget PC + LCD TV = Arcade machine lol
this one is a bit of a Frankenstein version i made from two broken ones mwahaha
it just had no decal so i just sticker bombed it XD

 

[Deleted member 2175]

Yeah :P just some MDF + screws + budget PC + LCD TV = Arcade machine lol
this one is a bit of a Frankenstein version i made from two broken ones mwahaha
it just had no decal so i just sticker bombed it XD

View attachment 3353

I really like that! Something unique with a story behind it.

Post automatically merged: Dec 9, 2024

This anecdote is from when I was about 15 years old. Near my house, there was a club with an entire floor of arcade machines, with the classic atmosphere of the time: cigarette smoke, the sounds of various pinballs, and laughter or shouting. There, along with many others, was a Killer Instinct 1 machine, which was almost always empty since King of Fighters '98 and Marvel vs. Capcom were right next to it. I loved that game, to the point where I’d spend just one coin for a arcade ladder whenever I used Sabrewulf. One night, a tall guy interrupted my match against Eyedol by putting in a coin. It put me in a bad mood, so I played using all the dirty and annoying combos I could, finishing with an Ultra Combo (I’m not sure if it’s true, but there was a rumor that even if the game’s volume was low, the Ultra Combo scream couldn’t be adjusted). I remember hearing "ultraaaa combooo" and, at that moment, a punch turned off the lights. I never played KI in the arcade again, hahaha. From then on, until the place closed, I stuck to KOF and SF3.

Arcade "haters", bitter in defeat, at a video game about fighting.

These are the kind of people that once they are old enough to drink at a bar, "try it on" with people, like an old guy minding his own business who was a boxer for 20 years, and get a nasty surprise.

 

[Jeanfranc]

There are many contributing factors to all of this, online gaming, the rise of consoles, etc. Whilst arcades are diminished, which is entirely understandable and simply a matter of fact, they have not been wiped from existence completely and I find this interesting. Is this because they are "retro" and an oddity today? Or is it because the younger generation who didn't grow up with arcades are attracted to the CONCEPT of an arcade type space and the fact is I do NOT know; I can only hypothesise.

Yet arcades ARE dead, design-wise I mean.

While I understand you guys missing the social environment that naturally forms around arcades. The greatest loss here is that of the guiding principles behind arcade game design:

Arcade games are meant to be short, difficult and dense with content. In games like Metal Slug 1 there is no waiting, no time wasters between "action scenes" to stretch the game; in the Arcades devs want you off that cabinet ASAP, all the mechanics must be quick to explain in the HOW TO PLAY (which usually lasts 30 seconds and is always skippable), easy to learn but hard to master.
The difficulty progression of these games is also great: unlike modern games (this includes most "retro" indie games) where difficulty slowly ramps up as you progress through the whole game, usually, but not necessarily becoming actually challenging in the last 10% of the game, the ideal arcade game usually goes from easy to hard by the end of the first stage and only gets harder from there.

 

[Lee__Kanker]

Yet arcades ARE dead, design-wise I mean.

While I understand you guys missing the social environment that naturally forms around arcades. The greatest loss here is that of the guiding principles behind arcade game design:

Arcade games are meant to be short, difficult and dense with content. In games like Metal Slug 1 there is no waiting, no time wasters between "action scenes" to stretch the game; in the Arcades devs want you off that cabinet ASAP, all the mechanics must be quick to explain in the HOW TO PLAY (which usually lasts 30 seconds and is always skippable), easy to learn but hard to master.
The difficulty progression of these games is also great: unlike modern games (this includes most "retro" indie games) where difficulty slowly ramps up as you progress through the whole game, usually, but not necessarily becoming actually challenging in the last 10% of the game, the ideal arcade game usually goes from easy to hard by the end of the first stage and only gets harder from there.

Also you're supposed to look at it and think its impossibile until see someone do it or patiently wait for the next time you play thinking "What if I did this?"

 

[Jeanfranc]

Also you're supposed to look at it and think its impossibile until see someone do it or patiently wait for the next time you play thinking "What if I did this?"

Yeah, I did it when I was a kid looking at other guys playing Metal Slug 2 and I still do it today watching 1CCs of other games on Youtube.

 

[Lee__Kanker]

Yeah, I did it when I was a kid looking at other guys playing Metal Slug 2 and I still do it today watching 1CCs of other games on Youtube.

Devil may cry 1 gave me that feeling in a splendid way, Siren too

They seemed impossibile at first but now I can finish em in my sleep. Its so satisfying.

Shadow in dmc1 went from "oh fuck its him" to "oh fuck yeah its him", its my fav enemy of the series
Same for the first boss Phantom

Siren became one.of those games I use to relax

I have an hour of spare time? Why not finish Metal Slug 1 one cc I think I can still do it

 

[ciro64]

Yet arcades ARE dead, design-wise I mean.

While I understand you guys missing the social environment that naturally forms around arcades. The greatest loss here is that of the guiding principles behind arcade game design:

Arcade games are meant to be short, difficult and dense with content. In games like Metal Slug 1 there is no waiting, no time wasters between "action scenes" to stretch the game; in the Arcades devs want you off that cabinet ASAP, all the mechanics must be quick to explain in the HOW TO PLAY (which usually lasts 30 seconds and is always skippable), easy to learn but hard to master.
The difficulty progression of these games is also great: unlike modern games (this includes most "retro" indie games) where difficulty slowly ramps up as you progress through the whole game, usually, but not necessarily becoming actually challenging in the last 10% of the game, the ideal arcade game usually goes from easy to hard by the end of the first stage and only gets harder from there.

Those are my favorite types of games.

I wouldn't say 100% dead as this sort of game still exists inside a niche... Shredder's Revenge for example.

 

[ProcolKrautSprout73]

I remember some time ago, I forget when, I was playing this arcade machine at this one building. I don’t really remember where, it’s not important. The game I was playing was F-1 by Namco/Atari, it was a electro-mechanical Arcade game from 1976. It uses plastic race-cars and what appears to be a ring shaped translucent plastic race-track that is projected and distorted in order to show a 3D perspective with a lamp. There's only one other car that you have to dodge. It remembered it being pretty fun! There were other mechanical arcades there but I don't remember the names, I'll have to look into that. But I've always found them fascinating becuase of their limitations, before pixels would become the mainstay at the arcades in the mid 1970s. It's a dead art, but still an important and unique artifact of a bygone era of video games. Thought I'd share it.

Didn't play this one, thought I'd add it as a bonus because I thought it was neat and fit with the theme. (good channel too)

Just found the other game I was forgetting, I think it was Shoot Out, it's a rifle game from the same year. It takes place in this old neon saloon. Not very much information or footage of it sadly. I liked this one too.

I used arcade-museum.com as a resource.