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

[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.