Main Restorations Software Audio/Jukebox/MP3 Everything Else Buy/Sell/Trade
Project Announcements Monitor/Video GroovyMAME Merit/JVL Touchscreen Meet Up Retail Vendors
Driving & Racing Woodworking Software Support Forums Consoles Project Arcade Reviews
Automated Projects Artwork Frontend Support Forums Pinball Forum Discussion Old Boards
Raspberry Pi & Dev Board controls.dat Linux Miscellaneous Arcade Wiki Discussion Old Archives
Lightguns Arcade1Up Try the site in https mode Site News

Unread posts | New Replies | Recent posts | Rules | Chatroom | Wiki | File Repository | RSS | Submit news

  

Author Topic: Tricks you used to use in arcades...  (Read 8851 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Magnet_Eye

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1011
  • Last login:May 11, 2020, 09:26:19 pm
  • Feel the heat?
    • Web Hosting deals for BYOAC Users!
Tricks you used to use in arcades...
« on: March 07, 2003, 07:14:56 pm »
I was thinking about old tricks/cheats....like drilling a hole in a quarter and tying a piece of fishing string to it to get unlimited credits (before they changed the coin mechs to prevent this).  ;D

Other tricks:

-->Using a pencil between fingers to run really fast in Track & Field (until they put gaurds around the buttons to stop us)

-->Take apart a liter with "electric" igniter, then "zap" the joystick stem of certain games to get credits. (yeah it worked!)

-->Bend a paperclip into a certain shape to put into the coin mechs and get credits.

Post any old tricks/cheats you used to use in the arcade as a kid... ;)
« Last Edit: March 07, 2003, 07:36:28 pm by Magnet_Eye »
I offer discounted WEB HOSTING to BYOAC members! Only $2.49 a month for a FULL FEATURED account! www.cloud9media.com

TazMan

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 174
  • Last login:May 08, 2020, 12:24:38 pm
  • It's no easy being green.
    • What is the MAMEtrix?
Re:Tricks you used to use in arcades...
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2003, 07:39:43 pm »
I was thinking about old tricks/cheats....like drilling a hole in a quarter and tying a piece of fishing string to it to get unlimited credits (before they changed the coin mechs to prevent this).  

Yeah, I found out this was frowned upon the hard way - got busted in the hotel gameroom in Orlando snaggin' credits on Gun Fight back in the early 80s.

Quote
Other tricks:
-->Using a pencil between fingers to run really fast in Track & Field (until they put gaurds around the buttons to stop us)

Stole my fire there - Actually,  I almost bought the button guards for my cab to remove the temptation  ;)

There was always  befriending the arcade attendant (no matter how bad the body odor) to weasel free credits that way - kind of like cheatin'  * shrug *

rampy

  • *shrug*
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2910
  • Last login:March 02, 2007, 11:32:16 am
  • ...as useless as a JPG is to Helen Keller
    • Build Your Own PVR
Re:Tricks you used to use in arcades...
« Reply #2 on: March 07, 2003, 10:06:02 pm »
I can't visualize the pencil trick - could you guys explain further (maybe some bad ascii art?)

I've heard the electric lighter trick but never did it...

I know I had a trick or two... but damn if I can remember any ATM.

rampy

SNAAAKE

  • -Banned-
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3147
  • Last login:July 21, 2004, 03:44:18 am
  • Banned for abusive postings.
Re:Tricks you used to use in arcades...
« Reply #3 on: March 07, 2003, 10:39:02 pm »
in my country they didnt have coin doors..you had to pay the guy so he gives you credit..so there was like a wire from the arcade machine to the booth and there was like a button that the owner pressed to give credit.

Now what i used to do is cut the wire and splices then constanty so i could get free credit :P..

Eventually the guy found out and i had to pay to play..but whatever.. ;D

Magnet_Eye

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1011
  • Last login:May 11, 2020, 09:26:19 pm
  • Feel the heat?
    • Web Hosting deals for BYOAC Users!
Re:Tricks you used to use in arcades...
« Reply #4 on: March 07, 2003, 11:05:32 pm »
I can't visualize the pencil trick - could you guys explain further (maybe some bad ascii art?)

a funky attempt to show how it was done:



You apply pressure with the two outer fingers, then tap the right side with your right hand, the other side of the pencil hits the other button for you. you could get great speed doing this.

haha.

 ;D ;D ;D

I offer discounted WEB HOSTING to BYOAC members! Only $2.49 a month for a FULL FEATURED account! www.cloud9media.com

SNAAAKE

  • -Banned-
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3147
  • Last login:July 21, 2004, 03:44:18 am
  • Banned for abusive postings.
Re:Tricks you used to use in arcades...
« Reply #5 on: March 07, 2003, 11:35:49 pm »
I just remembered another newer one..I used straws too..you know..bend the straw then stick it in the coin door and it works..it even works today.. :P

Although i really dont give much crap about playin for free in the arcades now a day..have the damn machine at home you see.. ;D

RoadhawK

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 31
  • Last login:May 29, 2023, 02:15:28 pm
  • Arcade Junkie :)
Re:Tricks you used to use in arcades...
« Reply #6 on: March 08, 2003, 04:43:17 am »
God the lighter trick. I got arrested for using that in the UK. Me and my bro originally used to rub balloons on our heads to build up a static charge. Got some strange looks walking into arcade with a balloon each :)

Then i remember our mum got this cool new electric lighter with the piezo ignition. We *cough, borrowed* it off her and extracted the sparky bit. We had great fun for months before being caught.

Magnet_Eye

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1011
  • Last login:May 11, 2020, 09:26:19 pm
  • Feel the heat?
    • Web Hosting deals for BYOAC Users!
Re:Tricks you used to use in arcades...
« Reply #7 on: March 08, 2003, 06:10:04 am »
OMG, YOU USED BALLOONS TO MAKE STATIC CHARGE TO GET FREE GAMES? LOL YOU ARE A GENIUS! I CANT BELIEVE THAT WORKED!

HAHA

I offer discounted WEB HOSTING to BYOAC members! Only $2.49 a month for a FULL FEATURED account! www.cloud9media.com

DeathMonk

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 362
  • Last login:April 03, 2015, 02:01:12 pm
    • MameStation.3
Re:Tricks you used to use in arcades...
« Reply #8 on: March 10, 2003, 10:18:01 am »
Search every machine by pulling up on the joysticks to see which ones were left open (there was always quite a few that were)..  Then just manually hit the coin mech.


Now with cup beer holders!

Brax

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1427
  • Last login:January 06, 2009, 09:03:48 am
  • Bring on the power tools!
Re:Tricks you used to use in arcades...
« Reply #9 on: March 10, 2003, 10:26:35 am »
Ummm....... *hangs head in shame*
Use your cousin to distract the change kid and extract the bills you just gave him out of the nail pouch he was using to dispense change.
I think we used the same 10 dollar bill 6 or 7 times!

Geez, and I think arcades were a good thing? I don't think I've been as "bad" anywhere else.




If you build a frankenpanel, chances are I don't care for you as a person.

gajaman

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 137
  • Last login:July 19, 2011, 02:50:33 pm
  • The GajaCab is here......
    • The Gaja Project
Re:Tricks you used to use in arcades...
« Reply #10 on: March 10, 2003, 02:59:44 pm »
If you hold a 10p coin with the index finger of your left hand so that it is being held by the pressure of your finger in the 50p slot of Defender then hit said index finger about at the knuckle joint "karate chop" style with you right hand the coin spins backwards into the slot and gives five credits.

Used to work about 1 in 5 times.

Problems experienced:

The coin spins but instead of in the slot it comes backwards straight towards the floor and inevitably flys across the floor of the arcade either out of reach or into a bigger kids reach.

You catch the nail of you left finger on the bottom of the coin slot mid chop - owww

You catch the big old reject button with your right hand during your chop.

I once convinced another kid to let me "borrow" his finger so I could concentrate on a very hard chop... this worked about 2 or 3 times out of five, but you run out of volunteers real quick...

Happy days!!

Chris

  • Trade Count: (+2)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4574
  • Last login:September 21, 2019, 04:59:49 pm
    • Chris's MAME Cabinet
Re:Tricks you used to use in arcades...
« Reply #11 on: March 10, 2003, 03:48:24 pm »
I seem to recall jiggling the plug on Space Wars, which would give you free time... usually only a few seconds or so, but I remember once getting 8 minutes on the clock that way!

I had a friend who would hang out near Sprint 2 machines, w hich would play 1 or 2 players on a single quarter... when a single player put his quarter in, he would leap forward and hit the 2 player start button and help himself to a game...
--Chris
DOSCab/WinCab Jukebox: http://www.dwjukebox.com

Magnet_Eye

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1011
  • Last login:May 11, 2020, 09:26:19 pm
  • Feel the heat?
    • Web Hosting deals for BYOAC Users!
Re:Tricks you used to use in arcades...
« Reply #12 on: March 10, 2003, 04:42:13 pm »
Search every machine by pulling up on the joysticks to see which ones were left open (there was always quite a few that were)..  Then just manually hit the coin mech.

ah yes, i remember doing that...either find control panels that they didn't close properly, or sometimes the wood around a joystick would be so hammered that you could lift the actual stick and get in there.

hell, i remember kids that would grab hold of the joysticks and shake and pull them like crazy trying to get the control panel to break open. damn kids are crazy!!!  ;D

the things we would do... :-X

I offer discounted WEB HOSTING to BYOAC members! Only $2.49 a month for a FULL FEATURED account! www.cloud9media.com

SirPoonga

  • Puck'em Up
  • Global Moderator
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 8183
  • Last login:April 12, 2023, 09:22:35 pm
  • The Bears Still Suck!
Re:Tricks you used to use in arcades...
« Reply #13 on: March 10, 2003, 06:25:39 pm »
If oyu get atari arcade classic for the pc it is known that you could get free games of pong buy taking something about the size and density of a pool ball and hit a certain screw on the coin door to get free credits.

RetroBorg

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 818
  • Last login:July 06, 2022, 09:22:13 am
  • Your arcade games will be assimilated!
Re:Tricks you used to use in arcades...
« Reply #14 on: March 10, 2003, 07:04:10 pm »
We had a huge Arcade centre in Adelaide, South Australia called Downtown, they had carpet that was made out of nylon I think and kids noticed as they went to put a 20 cent coin in the coin slot that there would be a static discharge which gave them a free credit, next thing you know every kid was rubbing their feet on the carpet to create a static charge.
Downtown spent thousand of dollars ripping out their carpets and replacing them with one that didn't build up static. That's when the lighters came in.

marcoval

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 74
  • Last login:December 02, 2004, 02:40:59 pm
  • www.scottishninjas.com
Re:Tricks you used to use in arcades...
« Reply #15 on: March 11, 2003, 04:38:34 pm »
My only real evil one was on Popeye. This only seemed to work with popeye, but if you flicked a penny in correctly it would register. I got pretty good at it and would have people coming up to me in the arcade and giving lessons. Only thing was I got sick of Popeye really quick. Finally got busted at a water park's arcade. My Popeye stealing days were over.
Every millennium
A warrior emerges.
Trained in the deadly arts of the ninja.
Moving with the swiftness of the wind
Striking with deadly accuracy
They are proud
They are strong
They're Scottish

Jakobud

  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1940
  • Last login:March 11, 2024, 04:45:38 am
Re:Tricks you used to use in arcades...
« Reply #16 on: March 12, 2003, 01:06:32 pm »
I got the 'trick' to beat you all :)

I remember there was this one skating rink that my friends Grandparents owned and me and him would go hang out there and skate and play in the arcade and stuff.  

And I remember we figured out one day that if you skate around on the arcade floor it builds up static electricity!  So we would skate around for a minute or two and then we would skate up to this one machine (I think it was Joust maybe) and we would touch it someplace where it was metal, like the coin door or something and we would get shocked.  But at the same time the screen did something kinda wierd and glitchy.  The graphics started to get temporarily garbled when we would do this.  And then after doing that a couple times we realized that right when the screen starts to get garbled we could start pressing the control panel buttons as fast and furiously as possible and the screen would get more and more messed up and it would start making more noises until finally it would just 'take a dump' and the machine would reset!  It was so funny and such a wierd freaky thing.  I don't know how we ever figured out something so wierd :)
« Last Edit: March 12, 2003, 01:06:59 pm by Jakobud »

Random24

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 87
  • Last login:October 02, 2023, 06:31:16 pm
Re:Tricks you used to use in arcades...
« Reply #17 on: March 12, 2003, 01:58:31 pm »
Not exactly arcade related, but when I was in the Navy we found that specific Pepsi machines would "jackpot" if you pushed 2 specific pop selection buttons repeatedly after putting your money in.  You could almoost empty the machine with a couple of dolars.