Father Time has stolen my Arcade Mojo

[Chris G]

So now that I have a semi-functional cabinet, I've been trying out some of the games I used to play as a kid.  I remember being pretty good at most of them!  Somehow over my nearly 20 year layoff, I seem to have lost all hand-eye coordination or something.  I mean,  I'm just awful!!!  I could barely get past the 1st level on Rastan last night.  Apparently I have a lot of work to do to get back in form.  Anyone else been through a similar ordeal or did you all just pick up right where you left off in the 80's?   

[Bobbler]

LOL, know that feeling mate. I have been playing Street Fighter 2 this morning and found I couldn't pull off Hadokens very easily at all.
I blame the joysticks I have being new and not covered in Cola/gunk/chewing gum enough

[TOK]

Its mixed for me... Some games I'm not sure I'll ever be as good at, like Robotron. Others, I've set new high scores, possibly just from the blessing of unlimited credits. In the last couple months, I've set personal high scores on Xevious an Time Pilot that I never got anywhere close to in the arcade. I have been a gamer the whole time though. I was always a console gamer in the arcade days, and still play lots of FPS and action games on the PC.

One thing that is funny is that I often can't remember what I had for dinner last night, but remember almost all of the hidden silos and free ship flags in Xevious. 

[QuixoteQuest]

With thousands of games on MAME it's hard to find the time after 20 years to get really good at many of them again. But it's worth plugging away to master a few. Meanwhile I love just finding an hour here or there to see the old bezels, the old game graphics and just soak in the nostalgia of what arcades were to me and our culture at large in the 80s. And the quarters never run out!! 

[FrizzleFried]

I was amazed the first time I played Dragons Lair in the last 15 years or so... I actually made it through about 15 scenes...not bad.   But then again,  I used to be able to play through to the end on a single quarter.

I can't anymore.

[scoddie007]

Its been a 10 or so year layoff for me , my highschool was right next to an arcade, it has since left but i spent most of my time there instead of class, and if i had 1 quarter it was street fighter i went for cause i could make it last the longest, could sometimes make it through the game in 1 quarter. lol when i got my cabinet up and running couldn't even come close, but wasn't long before i got my mojo back. after remembering all the patterns the fighters have.

Scott.

[Havok]

Yeah baby, just use my cologne...



Oh behave!

 

[unclet]

It is the total opposite for me ...... I am just as bad as I always was ......

[RayB]

Rastan is *ahem* a sucky game.  Maybe that's the problem. (Let's face it, it has lousy controls for a 2D side scroller).

[bamarquez226]

Just to add, trying playing Defender, and realize that you just suck at the controls.....total NOOB moment

[Chris G]

After further review, I can honestly blame the 15 year old JAMMA controls I'm currently using for much of my poor results.  I consider them a new type of joystick.  They are 6-ways, with the 6 of 8 functioning directions shifting randomly during gameplay.   

Can't wait for the new controls to arrive!!!

Some games I'm not sure I'll ever be as good at, like Robotron.

Now there's a depressing thought.   

Rastan is *ahem* a sucky game.  Maybe that's the problem. (Let's face it, it has lousy controls for a 2D side scroller).

That may be true, however, I still feel compelled to master every game I played in my youth now that I have finally have unlimited quarters.

Yeah baby, just use my cologne...



Oh behave!

 

Groovy baby, ya!

[Kaytrim]

My current high on Robotron is just over 100k and that is with t-sticks.  I can't wait for Randy to finish his new 49-way interface so I can hook up my midway 49-way joys.  Then I'll be able to kick some serious Robot Butt.  I'll even get a chance to get past level 2 on Sinistar.  The right control makes all the difference in the world.

TTFN 
Kaytrim

[Tiger-Heli]

My current high on Robotron is just over 100k and that is with t-sticks.  I can't wait for Randy to finish his new 49-way interface so I can hook up my midway 49-way joys. 

Errrrrm, Robotron just used normal 8-way joys, not 49-ways. 

[Texasmame]

So now that I have a semi-functional cabinet, I've been trying out some of the games I used to play as a kid.  I remember being pretty good at most of them!  Somehow over my nearly 20 year layoff, I seem to have lost all hand-eye coordination or something.  I mean,  I'm just awful!!!  I could barely get past the 1st level on Rastan last night.  Apparently I have a lot of work to do to get back in form.  Anyone else been through a similar ordeal or did you all just pick up right where you left off in the 80's?   

Defender/Stargate was my game back in the day.  I feel like an old man now when I play it.  After a few games, tho, I warm up to what I consider an "acceptable" level of play for me but nothing back like when I was 12. 

[TOK]

My current high on Robotron is just over 100k and that is with t-sticks.  I can't wait for Randy to finish his new 49-way interface so I can hook up my midway 49-way joys.

Errrrrm, Robotron just used normal 8-way joys, not 49-ways. 

Correct, but I think it should also be qualified that they were 8 way leaf switch sticks. "Normal" now seems to be microswitches.

[Tiger-Heli]

Correct, but I think it should also be qualified that they were 8 way leaf switch sticks. "Normal" now seems to be microswitches.

Quite correct, I forgot about that!!!!

[Chris G]

So I hooked up my shiny new U360's tonight and sat down for a little Robotron.  The new sticks were a definite improvement, but I still only managed a measly 290k.  I guess that's not too bad considering my 1/4" hardboard mock-up CP isn't even attached to the CP box...

Maybe I need to start a new post to find out all you hard-core Robotroners' best scores so I have a goal.   

 
Chris

[paigeoliver]

I have cracked a million on Robotron with microswitch joysticks using the old (more difficult) emulation. Although I can't get even close to just playing forever like some people can.