Does anyone remember...

[JustMichael]

Does anyone remember an arcade story I read a few years ago (I think)?

It was a story of this person happening upon an estate sale with a Galaga machine for sale.  The storyteller and another person both wanted to buy the game.  This elderly lady asked them both why they wanted the game.  The other person said he grew up playing Galaga and that it was his favorite game.  The storyteller tells the elderly lady how playing Galaga reminds him of when he was a small boy.  When he was a small child his father had to work a lot so he didn't have much time with his father but each Sunday his father used to take him down to this fish and chips shop.  They would have fish and chips and the owner would bring out this old beatup milk crate for him to stand on so he could play the Galaga machine.  At this point in time the elderly lady burst into tears and ran into the house.  A few minutes later her daughter came outside and the storyteller started apologizing for upsetting the elderly lady.  The daughter interrupts him and explains that her mom and dad owned that fish and chips shop and her dad ran it alone on Sundays.  She also explained that this Galaga machine was from their shop and her father had recently died and her mother had always wondered why he wouldn't let her throw out that old beatup milk crate he kept under the front counter.  The daughter said the game was his.

I probably have some of the details wrong but I would really like to find the story again.  Anyone else remember reading it and know where to find it?

[jimmy2x2x]

I don't know the story, but is sounds great!

Would love to read it if anyone has a reference.

[Rick]

Does anyone remember an arcade story I read a few years ago (I think)?

Holy heck, what a story.  I've been scouring the tubes, but I cannot find it, even with generic search terms like "elderly", "fish", "chips", "arcade", etc.

[Ginsu Victim]

When I was little, my dad used to take me out for breakfast every morning before dropping me off at kindergarten. At the little cafe we went to, there was a waitress who would always give me a big piece of pie, then play me head-to-head on the Donkey Kong cocktail they had. She always paid and would tend to let me do better than her (I probably never passed the first or second screen...I was six.).

No neat story to go with it, but that story reminded me of one of my earliest video game stories.

[gaffner]

When I was little, my older brother (11 years older) used to take me off the mountain we lived on (Signal Mountain, TN) down to this arcade place 30 minutes away.  I thought I was so cool because he took me to the cool part of town (near Chuck E. Cheese was the cool place for me) and he was always a little late bringing me back home.  He was the best Crystal Castles player ever; I played Popeye because I could play it for so long on one quarter (i.e. 5 minutes rather than the normal 1).

My brother passed away two years ago.  He taught me how to really live life, and he did a lot of his teaching through games (that's how we connected).  Playing old arcade games reminds me of how great it was to have an older brother like him, which is part of what inspired me to build my own arcade machine.

It's amazing how emotional one can get over old arcade machines... 

[Mikezilla]

Wow guys, those are great stories. Im envious that you guys have those kind of stories. I have some like that, but no where near as emotional. Just fun memories... 

But that story about the fish n chips shop was awesome. You just dont hear about things like that. How awesome.

Hopefully it isnt made up. I heard a story that I thought was unbelieveable about a WW2 vet, and it turned out it was just made up... Tugged my heart strings and everything... 

[eds1275]

Unfortunately, the arcades I was near were full of drug dealers, drunks, and rowdies. I was never allowed to go. There were a few "arcades" in malls, usually just a bunch of NES Playchoice machines and a bunch of "skill" games. I would go to this one videogame/movie store and play whatever they had, and the local 7-11 had a few. But never a full blown arcade.

I now make my way out to Castle Fun Park as often as I can, it's a bit of a pain since I moved to Vancouver Island, but I get out there once every 2 months or so.

www.castlefunpark.com

[Rick]

There were a few "arcades" in malls, usually just a bunch of NES Playchoice machines and a bunch of "skill" games.

Ha.  You just reminded me of a story - not heart-touching, by any stretch, but funny.

When I was in my early twenties, I went to our local mall that still had a 'real' arcade inside.  I walked around, remembering when I used to spend hours playing, when I noticed a lot of whispering and pointing in my general direction... ...and then, teenage heads snapping back to stare (or pretend to stare) at their machines, and finally, one group speedily walking out altogether.  I'm thinking, "what the heck is going on here?" when I finally overheard one of the guys whisper, "Cop!"

I smiled, laughed a bit to myself, and decided to walk out and get a snack... ...lest I cause the owner of the arcade any more losses that day.

 

[Mikezilla]

Lol color me retarded, but what were they stealing, or attempting to steal?

[mmb]

Lol color me retarded, but what were they stealing, or attempting to steal?

Less desirable elements of society might just scamper instead of hanging around with a "cop."

[garnerb350]

Years ago, me and a friend used to work at a grocery store that had SF2 when it first came out...We used to play it during breaks...Well my friend played it so much, he figured out how to play it one handed. He would always pick Chung-li and would do that bounce medium kick move...(one thats hard to counter). Well one weekend we went to a mall and found an arcade and low and behold, there was a SF2 with people (local gang youth) gathered around playing... My friend steps up, places the quarter on the monitor and waits... loser leaves he steps in... Well anyway, the winner was talkin smack to him as he was playing...So my friend decides to go one handed... BAM first round...friend intentionaly loses...2nd round...friend wins perfect...3rd round...my friend goes one handed/with his eyes closed...wins... The Loser immeditealy starts ranting and raving...'I'm going to shoot yo ass!!!" We busted out the door and the loser and gang runs after us...luckliy there was a cop riding by....He stops the kids and we left seeing them getting placed in a cop car...As i was flipping them off...I learned 2 valuable lessons... 1) its not worth fighting over a video game...2) Never go with my particular friend to an unchartered arcade...We still laugh when we think about it...

[Mikezilla]

That sucks, sounds ghetto.

I suppose youre right mmb. Who knows, probably had drugs on em.

[Smeghead]

Does anyone remember an arcade story I read a few years ago (I think)?

It was a story of this person happening upon an estate sale with a Galaga machine for sale.  The storyteller and another person both wanted to buy the game.  This elderly lady asked them both why they wanted the game.  The other person said he grew up playing Galaga and that it was his favorite game.  The storyteller tells the elderly lady how playing Galaga reminds him of when he was a small boy.  When he was a small child his father had to work a lot so he didn't have much time with his father but each Sunday his father used to take him down to this fish and chips shop.  They would have fish and chips and the owner would bring out this old beatup milk crate for him to stand on so he could play the Galaga machine.  At this point in time the elderly lady burst into tears and ran into the house.  A few minutes later her daughter came outside and the storyteller started apologizing for upsetting the elderly lady.  The daughter interrupts him and explains that her mom and dad owned that fish and chips shop and her dad ran it alone on Sundays.  She also explained that this Galaga machine was from their shop and her father had recently died and her mother had always wondered why he wouldn't let her throw out that old beatup milk crate he kept under the front counter.  The daughter said the game was his.

I probably have some of the details wrong but I would really like to find the story again.  Anyone else remember reading it and know where to find it?

has anyone seen that movie "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels"

[Rick]

has anyone seen that movie "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels"

I've seen parts of the movie.  So, I guess my question is, what's your point?

[Ginsu Victim]

has anyone seen that movie "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels"

A long time ago. I don't remember much from it, though.

[jennifer]

   That kinda thing does happen, [it"s A small world]. I came across Bucky the horse that way.
used to ride him as a kid!!

[Smeghead]

Thats me being a skeptic, like maybe it was all a scam/rouse to get the cab from the ol lady

[Mikezilla]

That would suck. How would he know that particualry lady owned a fish and chips shop? This sounds totally girly and full of estrogen, but I hope that story is true.