Popular arcade games everyone likes....except you.

[vwalbridge]

Here are some games that I don't really like, but it seems like everyone else does:

- Space Invaders (moves too slow for me)
- Tapper (love the cabinet, artwork, and concept...but it's just too difficult for me...in fact, I don't think I've ever passed the 2nd stage)
- Paperboy (the overall gameplay seems clumsy to me)
- Zaxxon (The isometric view combined with that flight joystick just ties my brain in a knot)

Honorable mention but stating to shift to the " like it" list:

- Robotron (Don't hurt me! However, I'm starting to come around on this one after playing the real thing for some time a few days ago. I've just always thought there was too much chaos on the screen all at once. It feels overwhelming. Again, really dig the concept but there is so much on the screen all at once.)

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all these games and how influential they were...I just don't like them much.

So what are some arcade games you don't care for, but everyone else seems to love?

[Malenko]

- Tapper (love the cabinet, artwork, and concept...but it's just too difficult for me...in fact, I don't think I've ever passed the 2nd stage)

try running DOWN THE BAR to grab the glasses instead of waiting for them to reach the end of the bar.

[harveybirdman]

Battle Garrega

[harveybirdman]

- Robotron (Don't hurt me! However, I'm starting to come around on this one after playing the real thing for some time a few days ago. I've just always thought there was too much chaos on the screen all at once. It feels overwhelming. Again, really dig the concept but there is so much on the screen all at once.)

Dude give it more chance, I didn't get what the hubub was about either until I spent a whole weekend playing that and Black Widow.  Now a dual stick project is on my to do list.

[vwalbridge]

- Robotron (Don't hurt me! However, I'm starting to come around on this one after playing the real thing for some time a few days ago. I've just always thought there was too much chaos on the screen all at once. It feels overwhelming. Again, really dig the concept but there is so much on the screen all at once.)

Dude give it more chance, I didn't get what the hubub was about either until I spent a whole weekend playing that and Black Widow.  Now a dual stick project is on my to do list.

Yea, I know now that I just need to get a better feel for it. I'm hoping that a Black Widow is at Zapcon because that looks very cool as well.

[yotsuya]

- Robotron (Don't hurt me! However, I'm starting to come around on this one after playing the real thing for some time a few days ago. I've just always thought there was too much chaos on the screen all at once. It feels overwhelming. Again, really dig the concept but there is so much on the screen all at once.)

Dude give it more chance, I didn't get what the hubub was about either until I spent a whole weekend playing that and Black Widow.  Now a dual stick project is on my to do list.

Yea, I know now that I just need to get a better feel for it. I'm hoping that a Black Widow is at Zapcon because that looks very cool as well.

If not ZapCon, there's one at StarFighters.

And I kick ass at BW.

[yotsuya]

Oh, and to answer this question... any SF or MK fighting game.

[smass]

For me its Street Fighter and generally any of those fighting type games.

[vwalbridge]

Oh, and to answer this question... any SF or MK fighting game.

Whoa...and that's exactly why I asked the question. I'm fascinated with the paradox of something that can be loved by so many, yet not by others.

Now that you mention it, I played the snot out of MKII and SF as a kid, but haven't touch them since then. Interesting how preferences change as one gets older.

[yotsuya]

I played those games on the SNES, so when I think of them, I think of them as console games, not so much arcade games.

But honestly, I cut my teeth during the early years of the arcades, when it was just you against the machine. The PvP aspect of SF added a level of assholery to the arcade experience, and, quite frankly, I had outgrown it by then. While dudes were lining up quarters to fight and talk ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, I was playing 720 and Off-Road.

[Ginsu Victim]

I've never been the biggest fan of MK, but found MKII to be decent. MK3/UMK3 I have NEVER liked.

[keilmillerjr]

Anything with ---smurfing--- tickets. Also cruisin usa plus all the millions of clones/derivatives.

[keilmillerjr]

I've never been the biggest fan of MK, but found MKII to be decent. MK3/UMK3 I have NEVER liked.

I have to agree. I preferred other fighters, but MK was most popular being multiplatform and "cool".

[monkeybomb]

While dudes were lining up quarters to fight and talk ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, I was playing 720 and Off-Road.

I don't remember every seeing a 720 together with a SFII.   Regardless, what year did you first start yelling, "Hey Kids! Get off my Lawn!"

[yotsuya]

While dudes were lining up quarters to fight and talk ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, I was playing 720 and Off-Road.

I don't remember every seeing a 720 together with a SFII.   Regardless, what year did you first start yelling, "Hey Kids! Get off my Lawn!"

Never. I have a fence so kids stay off the grass.

For some reason, a fair share of ---Deutsche Frankfurters--- seemed to gravitate towards games where it wasn't you against the machine, but rather you against someone else. By that age, I was more interested in getting laid, so I didn't spend as much time around games, but when I did, it was 720 time.

I did play a lot of SF with my brother on the SNES, so I fondly look back on that series as a console game, even though it's an arcade port.

[Le Chuck]

Yots taught me to play 720.  Good times!

[lamprey]

Q-bert.

[johnrt]

For me its Street Fighter and generally any of those fighting type games.

+1
I never liked those games.

[Osirus23]

Street Fighter

[jerryjanis]

Definitely agree with zaxxon and space invaders. Also:
Galaga and Galaxians
Moon Patrol
Pole Position
Xevious
Ikari warriors, Commando
Spy Hunter
Choplifter
Gauntlet (huge appeal, but after wasting lots of quarters unrewarding)
Rampage (when will this quarter end?)
Hang-On/Super Hang-On
The Simpsons

[pbj]

First post covered most of my list but I'd like to extend it to all the Atari System 1 & 2 games.  I want to like them, I wanted to like them as a kid, but they're duds.  NOBODY played them in the arcades when they were new.  I'll give marble madness and road blasters a pass.

I'm mystified as to why collectors have such a boner over these.

[yotsuya]

First post covered most of my list but I'd like to extend it to all the Atari System 1 & 2 games.  I want to like them, I wanted to like them as a kid, but they're duds.  NOBODY played them in the arcades when they were new.  I'll give marble madness and road blasters a pass.

I'm mystified as to why collectors have such a boner over these.

Peter Pack-Rat is a fun game. But I'm with you on the rest. Indiana Jones could have been better.

[yotsuya]

I like Spy Hunter. I wish I was better at it, though.

[Haze]

It's a tough one.

While I admire the creativity of a lot of the American produced games, I enjoyed them more as home titles than arcades, especially the Atari stuff.  I grew up with ports of things like Paperboy, which are, compared to the arcade, arguably not as impressive as the arcade games if compared directly, but compared to other games on their respective home platforms were gems.  Something about the arcade versions just feels unpolished, for lack of a better word, clunky.

I think the Incredible Technologies stuff is stupidly overrated, at least in the context of them being arcade games.  Things like Golden Tee Golf don't reward you for being a good player because regardless of your skill level you get a fixed number of holes per coin, and to me things like that are anti-arcade in every way.  The games aren't *terrible* although the idea of only being able to take your shot from fixed angles rather than a free rotation system feels archaic compared to other arcade golf titles, yet persists even in more recent versions.  The hunting games are IMHO abysmal, yet popular.

Hard Drivin' / Race Drivin' is another, it's a game I struggle to really enjoy, although as a kid I did enjoy it, so maybe I shouldn't include it.  As a kid the fantasy world physics were kinda fun, doing loops etc. and ridiculous jumps, there was nothing else quite like it, but looking back it's such a mechanical game, and such a pretentious one too, claiming all that 'real physics' BS' forcing you to use a clutch and key as close to novelty gimmicks etc.   I'm actually surprised that HD Airbourne never saw a release, but maybe at that point Atari did realise they were taking the ridiculous aspect of it a little too far.

[pbj]

^ confirmed weeaboo

[Xiaou2]

- Space Invaders (moves too slow for me)

 I kinda feel the same.   Though, I see that the real challenge in SI is Patience.

 There are a lot of similar games that move slow, such as Donkey Kong...  and again, you are tested with being patient.
The machine earns its keep, almost everytime you lose it... and try to do something risky to make faster progress.

 As such I add "Donkey Kong"  to my list of  "Meh".   I can enjoy it for what its worth... but its not a game I really enjoy playing much.
There always is some nostalgia about playing it though.

- Tapper (love the cabinet, artwork, and concept...but it's just too difficult for me...in fact, I don't think I've ever passed the 2nd stage)

 Tapper is one that can grow on you, as your skills grow in time.   Difficulty should not really be the reason why you like or dislike something.
Challenge is what gives a game meaning and value... and when you defeat something difficult... you feel that much more rewarded.

 Even I find Tapper to be quite difficult in the higher rounds...   And heck, Satans Hollow seems Impossible after a certain point... but I love it regardless.   

 Sinistar is even more unfair,  and is probably the most unbalanced / unfair classic arcade game...   But,  I simply ove the experience of it.  Im hoping one day.. someone will release the alternate easier Roms... or hack the game to find the variables... so that alternate roms of the game can be produced.

 In case anyone didnt know... Sinistar's programmers spend a lot of time getting the difficulty ramp and balance perfected...  However, the management wanted the players to die out much faster... and forced them completely change the difficulty ramp, at the last minute.

 All that said, Tapper isnt one of my top Favs.   But I still enjoy it once in a while.  Much more so that DK.

 (***  PS: Try Tapper with the Simpsons rom Hack,  Its pretty cool!    )

- Paperboy (the overall gameplay seems clumsy to me)

 I agree.  Paperboy is clumsy, but I think the controller may have been the real problem.. as it was heavy, and its pivoting mechanism didnt really feel or work good.   It was hard to steer accurately.. when you were trying to also push up or pull down... to control the speeds.  Had they used a throttle or real pedal control...  I think it could have been so much better.

 All that said...  its fun as hell to toss papers around the houses, mail boxes, at people, ... into windows.. etc.   ^_-

 One day, Id like to try to use a twist throttle controller for speed control,  or a real bike pedal set... and see if it makes a difference in the experience.

- Zaxxon (The isometric view combined with that flight joystick just ties my brain in a knot)

 Eh... I kinda liked Zaxxon and Super Zaxxon.   Though, they can be quite brutal.    The trigger stick felt a bit sloppy,  but I think really... its the fact that your ship moves so slow, that causes most of that feeling.    This game is more about memorization than anything else.

 Tip:  Watch your bullets smack into the walls, to get a feel for the position of your ship... when going through the gates.

 The look of these games is really cool... but they seriously needs a Stereoscopic 3d hack to really make them pop... as well as make them more playable (now that you would see 3d depth... rather than try to estimate it)

- Robotron (Don't hurt me! However, I'm starting to come around on this one after playing the real thing for some time a few days ago. I've just always thought there was too much chaos on the screen all at once. It feels overwhelming. Again, really dig the concept but there is so much on the screen all at once.)

 I utterly used to HATE Robotron.. especially as a little kid... because:

 1)  The graphics looked so simple and not very appealing   
 2)   The difficulty was so far beyond me... that it ate all of my lives in a matter of seconds.

 When Smash TV came out... I loved the way it played... and the humor to it.    I initially thought Smash was the better game,  especially because of the graphical look of it.    But... one day someone argued with me.. saying Robotron was a far superior game.   I was shocked.. and I had to find out, if I had missed something.

 I found a real machine, with the Real wico 8way leaf sticks... and played it.   It took some serious non-stop play before I could figure it out.. and get anywhere with it.   Level 5 to 9  was about all I could get at first.   But as I started to understand the game,  I started to figure out strategies to keep alive longer.   The adrenaline started flowing... and I started to giggle like a little kid in a candy store.

 I think I played about 5 hours non stop that night... and the fever took over me.   I would go back to that place every weekend and spend several hours between me and another friend.. taking turns against the Robo-Armada's.    Eventually,  I got to like stage 32.  I think he had the game set on a much easier level than default however...  and there was like 5 guys at the start, rather than 3.

 I recommend trying it in mame with the real sticks.. and setting it on 5 guys,  with an easier level...   to get your feet wet without getting overwhelmed.

 While there is a lot going on..  you will learn to use soft focus.. to be able to see it all at once.   Start off by picking off the baddies nearest you... then immediately go for the flying enemies, before they spawn more.  Make a path out of the center... and try to move in a farily continuous circular pathway... as moving back and forth often causes enemies to catch up, and you walk into enemy fire.

 The real way to stay alive in this game.. is the Brain stage.  You need to collect as many humans as possible on this stage.  After 5 humans?.. the successive point values change, and they add up really fast.   You can earn several extra men on that stage alone.   Every few levels.. there is another brain stage,  to allow you to replenish your lives.   Make sure not to kill all the enemies, until you get the humans... most especially on the brain stages.


 So.. I think the real issue here is for you to spend some dedicated time and effort getting better at some of these games, rather than a few casual 5 min plays.   It can take at least 2 to 5 hours of solid playing... to really start to master some of the foundational skills needed.

 Also, the fun should be in playing.  While getting better does help in the enjoyment...  some people cant seem to feel good unless they Always are winning... and only when winning is easy for them.    You have to learn to enjoy the journey, the moments... rather than the end results.   And if and when you start crushing it...  you are going to enjoy the rewards of your hard efforts that much more.   

 A game that is too easy... well,  eventually even the gamer type mentioned above... will Bore of them quickly...  and move onto something else.    Yet a good kick butt challenge... will keep bringing you back for more.   This is why Robotron has become a timeless classic.  Not because of the Era... but because of the Intense Adrenalin packed gameplay.


 Adding to my list:

 Centipede:  I like trackball games... but Centipedes gameplay is a bit wonky to me,  and not all that fun, imo.

 Gauntlet:  As a kid, playing multiplayer... It was sort of fun.  But after playing it years later... you realize the game is so very limited and repetitious. Theres not much real skill involved.  Its slow. Shallow. Poor control.  And there is no real goal to it.  Its basically a continue quarter muncher.   The narrow paths dont help it, as that means that when playing in groups... only one person tends to get hit and or be able to shoot stuff.

 Pac-Man (Original):   I find Pacman too slow to my liking.   However, I do enjoy a good Speed-up version of MS Pacman.   Super Pacman is also somewhat fun (before it gets way too cheap),  as well as once in a while playing the Plus version for its interesting qualities.

 Bullet-Hell shumps:   I like a good shooter... but games that place 300 unbearably slow bullets on the screen at once... is not fun at all to me.

 R-Type:  I love the look of this game, and the mechanics of the ship.   But the game is not forgiving at all.  Most of the time, the game does not let you have realtime reactivity.  To pass many of the levels.. you need to follow a specific memorized pattern, and do it perfectly without any mistakes.  Get killed on a higher level without any powerups.... and you are pretty much boned... and forced to give up.

 Kiddie-Racers:  After a certain year... the driving games were stripped of all difficulty and challenge.  They essentially became Kiddie Rides... often without the motion.   Can the car hop a curb and crash?  Can the car crash at all?  Ugg.

 Battlezone:   I love vector games... but I really dont get Battlezone.   Maybe Im missing something?    It seems like the game just places enemies at completely random places... often right in a place where they can hit you before you can even have a change to move... which isnt realistic nor fair.    I understand there are huge limitations on such hardware... but I felt the cheap gameplay of this... coupled with slow tank movement.. ruins it for me.


 Defender / Stargate   I put this here to say that I Used to hate this game... for similar reasons to Robotron.   However, as I aged, it grew on me.   Not as much as Robotron...  but I do really like and play it now.   The difficulty is quite insane on this game,  and the odd control was initially an issue...

 For example...One might ask why you would need or want a reverse button?   But when you think about reversing a real plane / ship...  you would need to slow down and make a u-turn.   It makes more logical sense,  than a ship that could instantly turn left to right without any momentum and delay effect.   

 The 2-way controller it uses, has leaf switches.. and a fairly low travel distance needed to activate the leafs. This makes for very quick and precise changes..  which is critical in such an intense game.

 While it takes a little bit of time and effort to master the control scheme.. it quickly becomes natural, and totally worth it.  After spending some time with a real machine... my opinions drastically changed.. and I now get why it became to popular so quickly, and remains popular to this day.

[yotsuya]

Here's what a learned about Paparboy....


BITD, I would go balls-to-the-walls fast on the controller.... but playing it at StarFighters, I learned to take my time. Just use the controller to steer, but don't push forward or back unless absolutely necessary. There's no need to go fast in the game except to avoid getting run over. Take your time, steer carefully, aim your newspapers, and you can go far.

[Xiaou2]

Something about the arcade versions just feels unpolished, for lack of a better word, clunky.

 Cite a handful of examples.

 Pretty much Any classic games on Any console.. was even a fraction of its original iteration.

 I think what you mean to say... is that the Console versions were EASIER..   and as such, you enjoyed them more, because you are not that good of a player.   Possibly due to coordination issues.. but honestly, its generally fixable, if you have to drive to put in the efforts.

I think the Incredible Technologies stuff is stupidly overrated

 Id agree in many ways... but who is rating them high?   They are put in bars because they are easy casual gamer money makers.    If other better games were available.. people may in fact play them.   And do people play these at home?  How often?   How many people are we talking about?   There is no such data.

to take your shot from fixed angles rather than a free rotation system feels archaic compared to other arcade golf titles, yet persists even in more recent versions.

 

 The problem is multi-faceted:

 1)  Its mostly believed that people whom pop a coin in a bar / casual place..  want a "Simple"  and easy experience.   Trying to manipulate a camera around, can cause more frustration, and take up more time per shot... causing slower multiplayer, slower tournaments, and slower income flow.

 2) 3D engines require a lot more money and development time.  Licensing.  And beefier hardware.   The 3d engines tend to get outdated quickly.. and the graphics start to become laughable after a while, so bad that nobody will play them.   Where as pixel art has its charms... and even decently pre-rendered or purely photographic images.. can have a much greater appeal.   (for one,  real images can look better than 3d rendered images.. and for another... realtime 3d rendering cant hold a candle to pre-rendered,  as pre-rendered 3d tends to use far more light-rays and required far more rendereing time per frame)

 3) Cost.  Added cost would have to be passed on to the Ops, and possibly the players.   Also, adding the changes, might not increase sales... despite the personal desires for certain betterment.   In fact... a very simple game could come along,  and far exceed sales of a more complex and expensive game.   Well actually, there is plenty of proof in that already.

 4) Kits.   The remaining Ops and places of business..  can easily swap out an old board, for a new kit.  The kits are cheap... rather than having to buy a full new cabinet.. with a new "high-resolution" monitor display.   Without looking, it appears they still use standard resolution displays.  Probably for kit compatibility with the remaining cheaply found jamma cabinets.

The hunting games are IMHO abysmal, yet popular.

 Never played them.  All I can say.. is that Gun games in general, are money makers.   It doesnt matter what kind of gun game it is.. it will earn.   Its a fun mechanic,  a game of skill,  and often is multiplayer... meaning twice the earnings.

 There are very few arcade mfg. out there that are producing anything of value... and so its easy for a generica company to produce low quality games and get them placed / sold.   This is why Stern went back into Pinball.  At the time they decided to return, there was no competition at all...  which meant that they could institute their very basic, corner cutting, machines.   Over time however... other companies decided to step into the ring... and Stern was forced to up their quality and complexity levels.

Hard Drivin' / Race Drivin' is another, it's a game I struggle to really enjoy, although as a kid I did enjoy it, so maybe I shouldn't include it.  As a kid the fantasy world physics were kinda fun, doing loops etc. and ridiculous jumps, there was nothing else quite like it, but looking back it's such a mechanical game, and such a pretentious one too, claiming all that 'real physics' BS' forcing you to use a clutch and key as close to novelty gimmicks etc.   I'm actually surprised that HD Airbourne never saw a release, but maybe at that point Atari did realise they were taking the ridiculous aspect of it a little too far.

 I dont even know where to start on this one.

 The physics were modeled by the lead engineer behind the automotive industry.   
 Jumps and loops are possible with vehicles... provided the ramps are correct and you are traveling at the right speeds.

 

it's such a mechanical game

 Huh?!    Umm,  its controls are a huge part of what makes the game so special.  They are modeled to feel and react like real parts.

 Not many people race Sim racing games well..without a force feedback steering wheel.  If you cant feel the roads reactions... tires slip...etc...  you have no sense of speed, position, and have no feedback that would alert you to a still correctable issue.. keeping you from crashing.

 Race Drivins FFB motor weights something like 50lbs.   At full power, it can probably spin a small child mounted to it, in circles, with ease.
Its also direct-drive...using the shaft... rather than having gearing (sitdown version) , making its steering control smooth and effortless.

 The brake is an actual pressure sensor..  not an analog pot.   It can register far more values,  and its control is enhanced because of the difference in the mechanism.   As far as I know, Sim racers only recently started using load-sensors on some of their more expensive pedal sets.   And most sim modders were doing everything they could.. to make their crappy brake pedals feel like a typical brake.. by using thing like rubber tubes as stronger compressible resistance.

 

forcing you to use a clutch and key

 Uhh... Its not a Racing game.   Its a Simulator.    So they didnt auto-start your car on the starting line?  Big deal.   Can something cause a car to stall out?   If it did,  would you then not need a key to restart it?   The key added to the realism of the machines simulation.

 As for the Clutch being NEEDED to start the car...  Nope. 

  You can play the "easy" automatic car..and start the car without the clutch.


 What was great, is that its advanced cars and its strict accurate controls... allowed me to learn and practice, how to operate manual shifting cars...without destroying someones clutch / gears.      The faster cars were an incentive to learn it...  and it was a challenge, that upon success / mastery,  provided real world benefits.  How is that Pretentious, or a Gimmick?    IMO, you have some really distorted perspectives to think like this.

 

I'm actually surprised that HD Airbourne never saw a release, but maybe at that point Atari did realise they were taking the ridiculous aspect of it a little too far.

 Getting an understanding and possibly skills in flight.. is actually somewhat interesting.   However, what is lacking for a flight sim to really work well in an Arcade, is actual feel / feedback.   Not just the wheel.. but the cockpit would have needed to move.   It appears they had fans to simulate some kind of sensation... but IMO, it would not have been enough.

 Namco had a flight sim much later,  and it was a real dud.  Nobody ever played it,  except possibly that One time.. and realized it was just way too boring.

 
 Being that Hard and Race Drivin were such a widespread machine.. especially given the massive size of the cockpits, and higher costing than most games of its day... Id say that they did it right.    Not only that.. but the game continued to get played in the arcade I used to manage.. all the time.  Unlike some other games... like Cruisn Usa..  which died off in popularity very quickly.

[epetti]

Paperboy and Spy Hunter.

[EssexMame]

I think it comes down to what you played/liked when they were new (and therefore morel likely to be "wow") and the good memories that triggers. We are mostly all here for the nostalgia.

Like plenty of others it seems, I've never liked Street Fighter et al. (I tried, I even have a thread here trying to determine the best so I could try and love some!). Like Yotsuya, I was of the generation before them (Before SNES) and though I got Playstations later, my prime years had gone. I have returned on that mid-life crisis/nostalgia trip we all go through (and often remain in). 

So, everyone going mad for SF on the consoles/arcades at the time were the next generation to me and returning to the play these games when their time has gone, with no emotional links, makes them look old and play old. The arcade games I like don't appeal to my children at all. They don't have the same connection of seeing Out Run or Operation Wolf blinking in a dark arcade that I have - they are just outdated games that only oldies could like.

I DO like older fighters/beat 'em ups I played so it isn't the gameplay of fighters as such. I loved Way of the Exploding Fist and Yie Ar Kung Fu for example (Acorn Electron) and IK+ (Amiga) which have exactly the same (if simpler) gameplay to Street Fighter. I did get into Tekken 3 too on the Playstation but to a lesser extent and I never really grasped it, just had some success bashing buttons randomly.

There are older games too that everyone goes mad for that I don't like. In the same way, I didn't play them in their time, either because our arcade didn't have them or they didn't appeal at the time perhaps, and I don't like them now. Bubble Bobble & Rainbow Islands are two that spring to mind.

Who knows, perhaps one day I'll fire these up and play for a few minutes and start "getting" it, but it's not happened yet.

[reptileink]

Pretty much every fighting game except Killer Instinct. I played the meadow muffin out of that game with my buddy. I enjoyed the MK series on console, but not so much on arcade. You would think it would be the other way around. We had the SNES comp sticks for KI and played that for hours during sleepovers at my buddy's house.

There are a LOT of classic games that I don't like, but I don't want to offend anyone. I was born in 76, so I didn't hit the arcades till at least 86-88.

[pbj]

Killer Instinct was the one that turned me off fighting games, although X-men Vs Streetfighter roped me back in for awhile.

There's a few 'firsts' I suppose we all remember.  I can distinctly remember when and where I saw certain games for the first time.  SF2 and MK2 are both on that list.  (oddly enough, so is Pang)

[vwalbridge]

I can distinctly remember when and where I saw certain games for the first time.  SF2 and MK2 are both on that list.

Yup...I'll never forget coming out of the movie theater in my local mall and seeing a line out the door of the arcade around the corner. MK2 just hit the floor and guys were loosing their minds over it.


I'm genuinely surprised by the number of people that don't like the iconic MK and SF games. I really thought everyone loved those games no questions asked.

[burn_654]

Galaxian honestly kind of bores me when Galaga is the more fun game. Everyone asks to play Galaga on the cabinet. Sorry Galaxian!

Mortal Kombat...going to get flack for this one. I had to learn to play this one to have a better time with my friends at a local arcade and when they crowd around my cabinet. I don't truly dislike it, it's fun. But I've always been a better Street Fighter player, which may factor into just why I enjoy it more.

Centipede is okay but I'll concede...it tends to get passed over by me. Maybe I need to put some more serious play into it.

[harveybirdman]

Too much effort to learn the stupid moves, then inevitably I can't execute them because of BS like not the right distance away from the target etc.

And someone is ALWAYS better.


Turning the blood on in MK with the Sega Genesis was a memorable gaming moment in my history, but beyond that Fighters are just but a blip on my gaming Radar, and pale in comparison to the much more cooperative stylings of their Beat em up cousins.

[vwalbridge]

There are a LOT of classic games that I don't like, but I don't want to offend anyone.

You must share.   Don't feel threatened. You are in a safe place here.   

[vwalbridge]

Too much effort to learn the stupid moves, then inevitably I can't execute them because of BS like not the right distance away from the target etc.

And someone is ALWAYS better.


Turning the blood on in MK with the Sega Genesis was a memorable gaming moment in my history, but beyond that Fighters are just but a blip on my gaming Radar, and pale in comparison to the much more cooperative stylings of their Beat em up cousins.

Dude...I swear we grew up on the same street.

[dezmond]

One my fun ones to play

[pbj]

I'll play MK1 occasionally, get raped in the doubles matches, and shut it off.  There wasn't a game where you could actually kill your opponent until that one, and there was a great deal of satisfaction in pulling off fatalities in public.  Hell, even ripping out the CPU's heart is fun.  That game was done as soon as everyone figured out Sub-Zero and the freeze -> uppercut -> jump kick -> slide combo.

Now when I play them I have to shake my head at how damned nerdy those games are.  This is what programmers in the 90s thought was awesome. 

[DeLuSioNal29]

- Robotron (Don't hurt me! However, I'm starting to come around on this one after playing the real thing for some time a few days ago. I've just always thought there was too much chaos on the screen all at once. It feels overwhelming. Again, really dig the concept but there is so much on the screen all at once.)

That's the last straw.  I need a NEW roomie for Zapcon.  LOL.  Just kidding.   

Truth be told, I didn't get it at first either.  I found it too hard and complex and as a kid, I wanted to stretch my quarter as far as possible.  So I avoided it.  In college, I saw Smash TV.  Thought it was cool as hell and the sounds and game were fun.  Once I got used to the two joystick setup I was hooked.  To this day I love that game.

Then I went to a friend's party and played Robotron.  Since I was familiar with Smash TV it was easy to jump in.  Then, it clicked!  All of a sudden I understood the game and what needed to be done to clear levels.  I remember actually sweating when playing since it was so intense.

My advice.  Keep playing it and you will see the light.

Here are some games that I don't really like, but it seems like everyone else does:
- Space Invaders (moves too slow for me)

I agree.  I never did like it much.  However, the 2600 version is another story.  I used to play for hours with my cousin.  The 2 player co-op was fun as heck.

As for Zaxxon, I LOVED the Colecovision version.  It was easier and fun.  The arcade version, hard as hell.

- Tapper (love the cabinet, artwork, and concept...but it's just too difficult for me...in fact, I don't think I've ever passed the 2nd stage)

try running DOWN THE BAR to grab the glasses instead of waiting for them to reach the end of the bar.

Yes.  Once I learned that you can run and grab the glass AND press up or down in the middle of running.  It became WAY easier.  Great game.

If not ZapCon, there's one at StarFighters.

And I kick ass at BW.

Good.  I've been looking to learn a new twin shooter game and I have questions on how everything works in Black Widow.

For me its Street Fighter and generally any of those fighting type games.

For me, I never got into the SFII craze.  I kinda hated it actually and I think I know why.  I worked in a store where the stupid attract mode was on ALL DAY as a kid.  I could not stand that elephant sound on the circus level.  Drove me nuts.

However, I did learn to appreciate the Street Fighter III, IV (and now V) series as an adult.  I can hold my own in those games.

Prior to that, my, "Holy Crap I love this game" came with Mortal Kombat II.  I thought it was brilliant that someone  made a button block instead of holding away.  Pure genius at the time.  Never really got into (or noticed) MK1 though.

Honorable mention:  Killer Instinct.  Very cool game.  (I think KI2 sucks though).

And X2:  I totally agree with you with your Robotron experience.  Pretty much the same for me as described above.

DeL

[vwalbridge]

- Robotron (Don't hurt me! However, I'm starting to come around on this one after playing the real thing for some time a few days ago. I've just always thought there was too much chaos on the screen all at once. It feels overwhelming. Again, really dig the concept but there is so much on the screen all at once.)

That's the last straw.  I need a NEW roomie for Zapcon.  LOL.  Just kidding.   

Truth be told, I didn't get it at first either.  I found it too hard and complex and as a kid, I wanted to stretch my quarter as far as possible.  So I avoided it.  In college, I saw Smash TV.  Thought it was cool as hell and the sounds and game were fun.  Once I got used to the two joystick setup I was hooked.  To this day I love that game.

Then I went to a friend's party and played Robotron.  Since I was familiar with Smash TV it was easy to jump in.  Then, it clicked!  All of a sudden I understood the game and what needed to be done to clear levels.  I remember actually sweating when playing since it was so intense.

My advice.  Keep playing it and you will see the light.

Funny thing is, I loved Smash TV as a kid. So it would make sense that I like Robotron right? This is kinda why I asked the question. I really like to see why others like games I normally don't. It's probalby because I never had anyone actually explain the proper way to play. It makes a game SO much more fun to have someone show you how to play...rather than simply guessing. I'll need some help at ZapCon Mr. Del. 

For example...I thought for the longest time that you had to kill all the enemies to clear a stage in Mr. Do. Totally changed the game for me when I realized you can also collect all the fruit to clear the stage as well.

I know sounds dumb right? But if you always played it like Did Dug, then you would play Mr. Do like Dig Dug.

[mrclean]

Donkey Kong. 

[reptileink]

There are a LOT of classic games that I don't like, but I don't want to offend anyone.

You must share.   Don't feel threatened. You are in a safe place here.   

It's more that I don't have a "list" of games I don't like, but I am 40 years old, and I feel like a lot of the games talked about here I never saw in the arcade (or I just passed over them). It's not that I don't appreciate them, heck, I still play some on my list, but if I had to make a list:

Defender
Asteroids
Centipede (not that I hate it, just doesn't do anything for me)
Ms Pac Man
Dig Dug
Mr. Do
Super Mario Bros (original)

Just to name a few

My favorites growing up were more the side-scrolling games: Simpsons, TMNT, X-Men, Golden Axe, etc. Road Blasters was the one driving game I am addicted to and hope to have a cabinet of one day. Also the WWF games. I never really played fighters in the arcade, more on console so I probably missed out on that experience. I remember going to the arcade on my day's off when it was in it's final years to play MK or KI when nobody else was there. I was never one for competition.....lol.

[Token]

I have tried again and again to like Spy Hunter. I can't get into it.

The first time I saw MK I thought it looked ridiculous. Still hate it.

And I have never played Robotron. 

 

[yotsuya]

I have tried again and again to like Spy Hunter. I can't get into it.

The first time I saw MK I thought it looked ridiculous. Still hate it.

And I have never played Robotron. 

Wait to play it on a dedicated cab.

[pbj]

Yeah, Spy Hunter is probably in the "you had to be there" category.  I actually quite enjoyed the pinball machine, too....

[Cynicaster]

I think it comes down to what you played/liked when they were new (and therefore morel likely to be "wow") and the good memories that triggers. We are mostly all here for the nostalgia.

I know lots of people feel this way, but it's not the case for me at all.  If my current preferences were driven (or even heavily influenced) by nostalgia, then by all rights my favorite games right now would be TMNT, Final Fight, Rampage, and X-Men because those are the types of games I played non-stop when I was in my prime arcade-dwelling years.  But I have almost no use whatsoever for those games now; I'm much more into the golden-age stuff because--primitive audiovisuals notwithstanding--the games are just deeper and better designed, IMO.  No continues allowed, strategies, techniques, risk/reward mechanics, interesting scoring systems, etc.  make for so much more replay value in 2016 than mashing buttons in TMNT with unlimited continues and 1-point-per-enemy scoring regardless of whether it's a boss or a little robot that takes 3 hits. 

So yeah, TMNT is on my list, even though I loved it when I was 12.    The Simpsons is even worse, because at least the Ninja Turtles IP makes sense as a beat-em-up. 
 
I think Space Invaders is excruciatingly boring.  Yes, it's a landmark influential game, but the "pioneers" of things aren't always the best at what they do.  IMO, Galaxian exemplifies this style of game the best... even better than Galaga.   

Wizard of Wor -- I played this game in a tourney once and I forced myself to stick with it and really try to get a good score.  The experience was so unpleasant that it brought about a (thankfully temporary) loathing for video games as a whole--my brother said the same thing, independently.  So weird.  But, the game seems to be pretty popular. 

Venture -- Same as Wizard of War, played in a competition once, and gave it a real try.  Some of the worst, most infuriating controls I've ever played.  I remember wondering if it was an emulation issue because surely a real game that charges money cannot control this poorly.  But, the emulation didn't seem off in any way, i.e., there was no glitchy audio/video or whatever (I run v122). 

Star Wars -- I have a bad feeling about this.  I loved this game as a kid, and to this day I'm a big fan of Star Wars, but when I play it today and try to be honest with myself, I realize it's just not a very good game.  The shroud of nostalgia has fallen.  Not aged well.  This game.  Has. 

     
 

 

   

[monkeybomb]

I have tried again and again to like Spy Hunter. I can't get into it.

The first time I saw MK I thought it looked ridiculous. Still hate it.

And I have never played Robotron. 

Wait to play it on a dedicated cab.

I'd still be waiting if I had done that. 

[yotsuya]

I have tried again and again to like Spy Hunter. I can't get into it.

The first time I saw MK I thought it looked ridiculous. Still hate it.

And I have never played Robotron. 

Wait to play it on a dedicated cab.

I'd still be waiting if I had done that.

Some things are worth the wait.

[harveybirdman]

I just love the noises Robotron makes.... especially the level change....

[brihyn]

Galaga/Galaxian. Totally boring to me. That say, my go to game always was, is, and always will be Gyruss. Something about that game has always pulled me in, and I play it more than any other.

Tron. I actually am not sure I've ever played it  for more than a couple quarters worth, but never got why people liked it.

SF/MK games. Other than the karate champ games fighters never did it for me. Bus seriously loved me some Karate Champ.

[vwalbridge]

Tron. I actually am not sure I've ever played it  for more than a couple quarters worth, but never got why people liked it.

I mostly agree with you on TRON. It's one of those "Paradox" games for me...The cabinet itself is beautiful and screams "play me!"...but the game itself is just "meh" for me. I could take it or leave it.

I sometimes wonder if the game would be as popular as it was, if it wasn't for that iconic cabinet design. What baffles me even more is how much people are paying for TRON machines. 

[Le Chuck]

I enjoy TRON.  I like the different levels, I think its a fun concept.  I also like Journey and honestly belief it is a terrible game but like it nevertheless. 

More and more I find that I just can't play vs fighters anymore.  I think its an age thing.  Dunno.  I will still pump money into a go right and fight like nobody's business but even my favs like MvsC doesn't really do anything for me anymore.  On the other hand I find DigDug to totally a good time and when I was a kid you wouldn't catch me dead playing that in the arcade. 

I don't like 1942.  Or anything with a fighter plane character.  Love Shmups but don't like the ones with any sort of quasi realism.  Odd I know. 

[harveybirdman]

There was a Tron in the foyer of my Local Wal-Mart BITD before supercenters.  One night my parents promised me I could play, on the way in the old greasy guy and what I assumed was his kid were Bogarting the thing.  My Parents assured me I could play when we left, same jerkwads were still on it an hour later.... They made me leave without playing.... It crushed me....

It is equally popular in arcade design, inspiring fugly frankenpanels and horrible artwork choices (often on cabinets that don't even have the controls needed to play it  )

So yeah.... I'm 37 years old and now and I'm comfortable saying it.... I HATE mother ---smurfing--- TRON!

[yotsuya]

There was a Tron in the foyer of my Local Wal-Mart BITD before supercenters.  One night my parents promised me I could play, on the way in the old greasy guy and what I assumed was his kid were Bogarting the thing.  My Parents assured me I could play when we left, same jerkwads were still on it an hour later.... They made me leave without playing.... It crushed me....

It is equally popular in arcade design, inspiring fugly frankenpanels and horrible artwork choices (often on cabinets that don't even have the controls needed to play it  )

So yeah.... I'm 37 years old and now and I'm comfortable saying it.... I HATE mother ---smurfing--- TRON!

You're playing the one at StarFighters, motherscratcher...

[harveybirdman]

all right... time to put some 29 year old demons to bed I suppose.

[Xiaou2]

Star Wars -- I have a bad feeling about this.  I loved this game as a kid, and to this day I'm a big fan of Star Wars, but when I play it today and try to be honest with myself, I realize it's just not a very good game.  The shroud of nostalgia has fallen.

 Huh?!  You have got to be kidding me right?   Starwars arcade is superior in control and feel to many later variants of the game.

 The music and effects, still give that warm fuzzy feeling.   The control is precise.  The action is intense, and challenging.

 If you trying to play it with a mouse or a joystick... then maybe that is your real problem.

Spyhunter

 Similarly,  I have to wonder if the people whom say they hate this game.. are trying to play it using non standard controls.    Dont bother, because you NEED the original controls to stand a chance.

 SH is one of the most difficult and challenging games ever created.   The artificial intelligence in the game is absolutely genius.   There are tons of enemy "set-ups".  and possible ways that they can create a Rube Goldberg chain of events, that cause you to die... or laugh like crazy, on how you managed to barely survive by the skin of your tailpipe.

 Once you get how the game works,  spend some hours burning in some skills... it becomes an Adrenalin addiction.

 I do not believe I know,  any other game that is as fast, intense,  ... nor as satisfying.

MrDo

 As a child, my father tried to get me to play it...  and it just didnt look that pleasing visually to me.   However, I caved in...  and started to learn the ins and outs of the game...   and found it to quickly becomes one of my favorites.

 The interesting thing about Mrdo,  is how deep the gameplay is... in a seemingly simple looking single-screen game.

 1)  Mrdo can win four different ways:

   a) eat all the fruit
   b) kill all the baddies
   c) spell "Extra"  to win a free guy + go to next level.
   d) collect a diamond

 2) Three different types of baddies:

   a)  Typical monsters
   b)  Blue munchers
   c)  Letter munchers

 3) Kill Methods

   a)  Use your Magic Ball
   b)  Use fruit as a falling trap to squash baddies
   c)  Push fruit to fall onto enemies
   d)  kill muncher when it pauses to eat an apple
   e)  kill all blue munchers, by killing the lettered muncher

 4) Eating Food Icon

   If you choose to eat the Desert/Food Icon ..  you Freeze all Monsters, and set loose the munchers.   You can now:

   a)  shoot as many frozen monsters as possible, possibly winning the level.
   b)  try to kill all munchers + the letter-muncher  (very difficult)
   c)   trick the munchers, using a circular path, and sneak up behind the lettered muncher to snipe him.

  5)  Angry Monsters

  a) If monsters have been chasing for a while.. they might start to get angry,  and will start hacking the maze down to get to you.
  b) If you have ate the Food icon.. and survived the Munchers...  the Monsters get super angry,  hack and run with far greater speed

   This is a risk / reward strategy... as getting another letter towards an extra man,  is good..  but you may want to
first make sure there are not many monsters left onscreen... else you may get over-ran with fast angry hacking monsters afterwards.

  6)  Lettered Muncher

  The letter monsters letter position cycles every so much time passing.  I believe a monster come out every 5000 pts..   so you could hold off on pts. until it cycles to the letter you still need.    I believe you can also do a similar thing... eating the food icon when its at the letter position you need.

 7)  Diamonds

  Seem to be a random and rare event.  They break out of an apple that has fallen more than 2 blocks.  They give you 8000 pts, and send you to the next level.

8 )   Scoring

Eating a cherry: 50 points.
Eating a series of 8 cherries in a row: 500 points bonus.
Killing a monster with your snowball: 500 points.
Killing one monster with one apple: 1,000 points.
Killing two monsters with one apple: 2,000 points.
Killing three monsters with one apple: 4,000 points.
Killing four monsters with one apple: 6,000 points.
Killing five or more monsters with one apple: 8,000 points.
Colecting special (free credit) diamond: 8,000 points.
Collecting bonus treat from empty monster home: 500 points on level one, increasing by 500 points per level up to a maximum of 8,000 points on level 15 onwards.


 more tips here:

http://tips.retrogames.com/gamepage/mrdo.html

[Ian]

I never liked Killer Instinct and Tekken

And i could never stand Altered Beast.

[aldub516]

the pacman series.. all of them

i appreciate the stature.. just not the game

[WindDrake]

I hate Pacman. Maze games in general are not fun for me.

[EssexMame]

I'm much more into the golden-age stuff because--primitive audiovisuals notwithstanding--the games are just deeper and better designed, IMO.  No continues allowed, strategies, techniques, risk/reward mechanics, interesting scoring systems, etc.  make for so much more replay value in 2016 than mashing buttons in TMNT with unlimited continues and 1-point-per-enemy scoring regardless of whether it's a boss or a little robot that takes 3 hits. 

Interesting. After replying on this post, I thought some more and started a thread based around "continue" games not working on free play (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,149733.0.html). It seems TMNT has lost appeal for you based on this (partly?) despite being the game you'd be returning to for nostalgia. I wonder how much of it is the continue aspect and how much TMNT appealed to your child self over your adult self.

[markc74]

The clear standouts for me are donkey kong and any of the mortal combats.

Donkey kong just seems A dull game that rewards patience and repetition more than reflexes. I guess that applies to a lot of games but to me dk more than most.

And mortal kombat seemed to me at the time like a digitised sf clone aimed at kids who thought pixel blood was cool. It isn't helped by the fact you could put the first 3 in a row and i couldn't tell you the difference between them. Fast forward 20 years and i have a little more respect for them but every time i play it, i just think 'meh'.

[RxBrad]

Not a fan of fighting games at all.  I'm cool doing some mindless button mashing against the computer -- that's fun.  But trying to play against someone who has pages of ridiculous 10-button move lists memorized isn't fun at all (i.e. any game of Street Fighter against an online opponent).

I want to like Robotron, but my square-restrictor joysticks make it really hard to play.  It's damn near impossible for me to easily hit the up/down/left/right directions.

(P.S.  Is anyone else having problems with the forum shrinking the font on their posts down to microscopic-size?)

[brihyn]

I was at one of the nostalgic arcades in Austin in January and they had a Star Wars cab there. Put a quarter in immediately and turned out the machine wasn't working...I just kept getting more and more free credits. Probably played for 20ish minutes before leaving. I still sucked, but man I still get lost imagining that I really am flying an X-Wing.
And SpyHunter was another game that I was horrible at, yet continued to drop coin into...the soundtrack alone sucked you into the game.

[monkeybomb]

Tron. I actually am not sure I've ever played it  for more than a couple quarters worth, but never got why people liked it.

I mostly agree with you on TRON. It's one of those "Paradox" games for me...The cabinet itself is beautiful and screams "play me!"...but the game itself is just "meh" for me. I could take it or leave it.

I sometimes wonder if the game would be as popular as it was, if it wasn't for that iconic cabinet design. What baffles me even more is how much people are paying for TRON machines. 

You've got the tail wagging the dog.  The game was awesome to many of us, so the cabinet is classic.  That cabinet wouldn't be anything without a great game.  I'm also not sure if having artwork tied to a flop movie helps in general.  Environmental DOT might be another story, but that's not the game being discussed.

I don't follow the market for cabinets, but I'd be surprised if the cabinet weren't a factor. I also think the unique controls would play a part.  I'm very satisfied with my experiencce of most games on my generic SFIICE cabinet.  But not tron.  No way.  Few MAME set-ups can play it and if I ever want to play for real, then I'll need to find a real cabinet.

[yotsuya]

Tron. I actually am not sure I've ever played it  for more than a couple quarters worth, but never got why people liked it.

I mostly agree with you on TRON. It's one of those "Paradox" games for me...The cabinet itself is beautiful and screams "play me!"...but the game itself is just "meh" for me. I could take it or leave it.

I sometimes wonder if the game would be as popular as it was, if it wasn't for that iconic cabinet design. What baffles me even more is how much people are paying for TRON machines. 

You've got the tail wagging the dog.  The game was awesome to many of us, so the cabinet is classic.  That cabinet wouldn't be anything without a great game.  I'm also not sure if having artwork tied to a flop movie helps in general.  Environmental DOT might be another story, but that's not the game being discussed.

I don't follow the market for cabinets, but I'd be surprised if the cabinet weren't a factor. I also think the unique controls would play a part.  I'm very satisfied with my experiencce of most games on my generic SFIICE cabinet.  But not tron.  No way.  Few MAME set-ups can play it and if I ever want to play for real, then I'll need to find a real cabinet.

Agreed. I enjoy playing Tron, but I'm torn on if I would ever own one. For the right price, sure... but that price has skyrocked.

[Le Chuck]

I would love to own a Tron, but I would also love to own an TRog, a Popeye, and a TMNT. All of which I can get together for the price of a beat up Tron.

[jtslade]

This thread has the longest replies ever..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Xiaou2]

I like Tron.

  It is a somewhat flawed game... in that for instance, the light cycles are pretty much merciless.  (you need to memorize a pattern set..else your probably dead on level 2 or above)

 The sounds and attitude, really capture the spirit of the movie... which IMO, is great.

 I actually like Tron more than Discs of Tron... however,  DOTs cabinet is hands down the winner of the jaw droppiningly awesome, category.

 I was able to get maybe 3 to 4 levels deep in Tron, on a real machine... which was really something for me.  As a kid I barely could get to the 2nd level.

 The MCP on the 2nd and later stages.. is insanely fast.  You need to have a trigger-finger from hell.. to get through it without issue.

 Journey was similar to Tron, and I really liked that game too.   It was much harder than Tron though... and Id never gotten to the concert stage until years later with mame.

 Journey felt a lot more generic and unpolished than Tron.   No special / dual controls either.

 I loved Journeys cabinet artwork too ...  maybe more so than trons.

[ark_ader]

Everyone like Qbert.

I don't like that !#*$% game at all.

[Xiaou2]

Everyone like Qbert.

I don't like that !#*$% game at all.

lol

 ne meither

[yotsuya]

Everyone like Qbert.

I don't like that !#*$% game at all.

lol

 ne meither

I like Tron and Q*Bert and I agree with every X2 said about Tron.

[vwalbridge]

Ok, so obviously I like Q*bert. I like it for the same reason I like like Pac-Man. If you think about it, they are actually very similar.

[Aceldamor]

- Robotron (Don't hurt me! However, I'm starting to come around on this one after playing the real thing for some time a few days ago. I've just always thought there was too much chaos on the screen all at once. It feels overwhelming. Again, really dig the concept but there is so much on the screen all at once.)

Dude give it more chance, I didn't get what the hubub was about either until I spent a whole weekend playing that and Black Widow.  Now a dual stick project is on my to do list.

Yea, I know now that I just need to get a better feel for it. I'm hoping that a Black Widow is at Zapcon because that looks very cool as well.

If not ZapCon, there's one at StarFighters.

And I kick ass at BW.

I hereby challenge you to BW dude....

[yotsuya]

- Robotron (Don't hurt me! However, I'm starting to come around on this one after playing the real thing for some time a few days ago. I've just always thought there was too much chaos on the screen all at once. It feels overwhelming. Again, really dig the concept but there is so much on the screen all at once.)

Dude give it more chance, I didn't get what the hubub was about either until I spent a whole weekend playing that and Black Widow.  Now a dual stick project is on my to do list.

Yea, I know now that I just need to get a better feel for it. I'm hoping that a Black Widow is at Zapcon because that looks very cool as well.

If not ZapCon, there's one at StarFighters.

And I kick ass at BW.

I hereby challenge you to BW dude....

You're on. Anyone else want to play for second place with Phil, behind me? :-)

[Aceldamor]

- Robotron (Don't hurt me! However, I'm starting to come around on this one after playing the real thing for some time a few days ago. I've just always thought there was too much chaos on the screen all at once. It feels overwhelming. Again, really dig the concept but there is so much on the screen all at once.)

Dude give it more chance, I didn't get what the hubub was about either until I spent a whole weekend playing that and Black Widow.  Now a dual stick project is on my to do list.

Yea, I know now that I just need to get a better feel for it. I'm hoping that a Black Widow is at Zapcon because that looks very cool as well.

If not ZapCon, there's one at StarFighters.

And I kick ass at BW.

I hereby challenge you to BW dude....

You're on. Anyone else want to play for second place with Phil, behind me? :-)

lol - it's on mothertrucker

[Automark]

Fighting games .

[Jamesbeat]

For me, it's fighting games (SF, MK) and Simpsons/TMNT type games.

I have never really liked the fighters, though I will play them from time to time with family and friends.

Simpsons/TMNT are just mind numbingly tedious to me.
Once you have played the first level, you've pretty much seen the whole game.

Unfortunately, these games are perfect for my five year old daughter (because of the continues) so I end up playing them quite a lot. I have completed The Simpsons several times, and I like it a little less each time I play.

[haynor666]

Pac-man - I really don't understand it's popularity

[voltz]

I've always had this sort of love/hate thing going when it comes to FMV shooters, most particularly "Us vs Them!"  I just can't stand the fact that you can be shooting an enemy with everything you got and half the time you're lucky enough to kill it, that is if you're not getting blown to bits half the time.  I gave better credit to a certain PS1 title some years back for addressing this, but I can't even remember the name of it now.

[Malenko]

I've always had this sort of love/hate thing going when it comes to FMV shooters, most particularly "Us vs Them!"  I just can't stand the fact that you can be shooting an enemy with everything you got and half the time you're lucky enough to kill it, that is if you're not getting blown to bits half the time.  I gave better credit to a certain PS1 title some years back for addressing this, but I can't even remember the name of it now.

Non arcade related, but I hated FMV shooters though I have 2 exceptions. Tomcat Alley and Ground Zero Texas ; both on Sega CD. Admittedly ground Ground Zero gets mega ---fudgesicle--- hard at the end and Ive never been able to finish it. Just play Highway to the Danger Zone on a loop and put some time into Tomcat Alley 

[voltz]

oops, got the name mixed up.  I was thinking of Astron Belt.

I like your suggestions, but I feel like I'd rather be playing Philosoma instead, since these games are both multi-perspective and all.

[bandontherun]

I never realized how much most of my arcade love is for pre-1984 games. I have a full Mame and console emulator setup but the ArcadeSD gets the most play.



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