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What place was your favorite arcade from your past??
RandyT:
Just about any decent amusement park arcade. They never seem to retire the games, just add more. I was at Cedar Point a number of years ago, and the arcade was jaw dropping. Not because it was particularly great for atmosphere, but seeing everything from late 60's to current games in a massive room full, in good, playable condition was astounding. Arcade and museum wrapped up in one.
But the best one that was close to where I grew up was Aladin's Castle. I got to be inside the place when they were building it, as my dad is a sign painter and got the contract to do interior signage for the whole place. My job was to paint graffiti on the fake buildings they had inside as part of the decor. ;D
Le Chuck:
Wow, great stuff. I have a few places that have really contributed to getting me to the state of arcade addiction I am today.
Aladdin's Castle at the local mall: Skee-ball against the back wall, lines of kids waiting for a shot at Dragon's lair, STUN runner for what seemed like hours, playing through Simpsons with 3 other kids I've never seen before or since but was best friends with for about 45 minutes. Putting my token up on the marquee of Time Killers and KI.
Skateland: They had a Crystal Castles that I used to dominate and a SW cockpit in which I felt my first boob! She may have been introduced me to tongue kissing in that machine as well, can't remember.
Some hotel in Hawaii: I was 9, there was a Superman in a corner of the lobby by the guest laundry room. It rained one day and I dumped every quarter I could scrounge outta my mom into that machine.
Bowl-o-rama: Dad used to take my delinquent brother and I there every Sunday. There was a smokey Ninja Gaiden in one corner by the air hockey and I would play a few levels every time we went there. When I built my first MAME machine back forever ago the game it was built for was Ninja Gaiden. Everything else was gravy. In some form or fashion a lot of my happiest childhood memories seem to have an arcade machine in the background.
TJCOMBO:
I loved the seedy bars and gas stations that had a dusty Shinobi, Dig Dug or cocktail with galaga and ms pacman.
Slippyblade:
There was a place a block away from me that I spent WAY to much time in. Wunderland Nickel Palace. You'd pay an admission fee and get a wristband that was good for the day. All the machines were wired to run on nickels. They made their money on the overpriced snack-bar. The awesome thing was this arcade was next door to a $1 movie theater.
We hit the arcade in the morning and get our wristbands and then bounce between the arcade and the theater. You could spend an entire day, morning till night on $15. LOVED that place.
Dawgz Rule:
Contemporary Resort Hotel game room in Disney World. My God, a whole floor full of every arcade game and pinball machine known to mankind. I would save up allowance for weeks and weeks before vacation....all for that arcade.