Your best "real life" arcade accomplishments.

[paigeoliver]

Ok, not talking about Mame now, or the dedicated machines that you might have in your basement. I am talking about real games that you were actually putting your money in.

My best are really pretty weak I must admit.

Beating Star Wars Trilogy without dying, without being hit the first 3 levels, and having 70 something life left at the end of the last one (unsure of my score on that one though, somewhere around 2.5 million, I still can't manage to get a high enough score to knock off any of the factory high scores on the scoreboard (every score on both machines I play is TRL).

Pump it Up. Probably the time I did a round of 4 level 6 songs on hard mode at double speed without a miss. (Come Back, Pom Pom Pom, and I forget the titles of the other ones). I can beat Beethoven's Virus on hard, but I only get a C, so that doesn't count.

Tempest - Filled all ten positions in the high score table. The only thing that really makes this special was that it was only a couple of months ago. (When was the last time you saw a TEMPEST on location?) City Museum in St. Louis operates one.

Ms. Pac-Man - Set the high score on 3 different machines in one day. That also occurred this year.

Oh yeah, getting a "Best Time" on Moon Patrol. that was back in '84, and I was only 7, so I was pretty excited about it.

[mkdevo]

pretty weak for me as well, but when i was 14, i was on vacation in new hampshire... went to FunSpot, and had 37 wins in a row against other people at the original Mortal Kombat....

i'll never forget what this one kid said - "dude... you're like a god to me!"  

[hyiu]

accomplishments ??..... hmmm..... I think this is too weak to count as one.... but.... would like to share....

Yearsssssss ago, I used to play Guantlet in school.... (and we're basically killing each other while going thru levels... stealing foods... shooting other's potions... etc.. btw, that is a fun way to play....)

anyway... I went to a pizza place after school one day... and saw a guantlet machine....

I keep on going with the same 1 quarter...... lasted over 100 stages... (I was standing there for I think 4+ hrs.... maybe more.... don't remember....)  and finally that pizza place owner "accidentally" unplugged the machine while "brooming the floor"...... (yeah right....   )

That was the longest lasting quarter I have EVER played on ANY arcade.....

I would have lasted FOREVER if they don't unplug the machine.... haaa haaa haa haaa....  

[RandyT]

No real gaming accomplishments other than I almost always have to walk away from pinball machines with credits left on them.

After a couple of games to figure out the scheme, it's rare that I don't get free game after free game.  

And I don't need eye, ear or mouth plugs to do it  (you have to be an old timer to understand that one )

RandyT

[saint]

You have to be WHO?

And I don't need eye, ear or mouth plugs to do it  (you have to be an old timer to understand that one )

RandyT

[RandyT]

You have to be WHO?

Exactly


RandyT

[abrannan]

I'm the same way on pinball.  Usually it only takes me three games before I start racking up too many free games to play.  Other than that, I can still play a full game of Police Trainer on one credit while looking bored out of my mind the whole time.  (I know, its a relatively new game, but it's all I've got)

[CM]

Definitely the ability to finish Dragon's Lair and Space Ace on 1 life.   That was the biggest ego trip back in the arcade since they were some of the first 50-cent machines .. and the owners usually put the extra spectator monitor on top.

Side note .. the brain is a VERY scary thing .. many many many years of not playing Dragon's Lair, I fired up Daphne and completed about 70% of the screens right off the bat.  Why the hell does my brain store THAT info, but not other useful information like where I parked my car at the mall?  

[menace]

maybe you can tell me how to play that damn game (dragon's lair) I never made it past the first part where you have to jump off the falling platform--I'm getting frustrated now just thinking about that damn thing grrrrr.

Sadly, I have no accomplishments ( I was too poor as a kid to pump in enough quarter's to get real good at a game)

[RandyT]

Sadly, I have no accomplishments ( I was too poor as a kid to pump in enough quarter's to get real good at a game)

Heh, you must not have perfected the "pitiful little kid with no cash at the arcade" act

RandyT

*edit*

Hey, maybe that's an arcade accomplishment in itself !

[Krynos]

Finishing Afterburner on one credit was pretty cool.

The cheesy black and white photos from the end of top gun as an end sequence was a total let down.

- Krynos

[Dartful Dodger]

When I was 10 my family and I were staying at a Holiday Inn (it was a Holidome).  It had an arcade room and there was this guy playing Pac-Man, he had the pattern down and he was getting real far, people were even gathering around to watch him play.  
This arcade room had only one outlet that was near the door, and a bunch of extension cords going to all the games.
With my foot I pulled out the extension cord going to the Pac-Man game.

[NY_in_TX]

I am afraid to admit this.  

I beat a game on it's first day at the arcade.  Newly delivered, and brand spankin new.......unfortunately it was  Moonwalker.

If I knew then what I knew now.......geesh


One I'm proud of is winning my arcades Air Hockey tournament every week for a month.  I was zen with air hockey then, probably couldn't keep the goalie in my hand now.

Police Trainer Rules (I gotta get my act labs gun) I haven't had enough practice on the hgher levels, but I make the wife watch me play every now and then at GameWorks.  I can whup anyone's ass at the counting stage.  Makes me feel like a real man

ny

[Apollo]

Probably the ultimate for me was the first time I clocked "Black Night", the greatest pinball game ever made. I probably clocked it about 10 times all up but I'll never forget that first time. There were probably a dozen people watching, unfortunately "Black Night" turned out to be one of the main reasons I never finished my degree, now that's real dedication, lol.

[Tailgunner]

Wasn't at an arcade, mine happened at a 7-11 near my house. They had a Flash pinball machine, and I went there everyday after school to play it. One day I show up and the route technician was there servicing the machine. I hung around and chatted with him while he went through it, and he gave me a free game to test it when he was finished. I won 4 games on the first ball,  3 on the second, and 3 more on the third. The tech was impressed.

[hooded_paladin]

Pump it Up. Probably the time I did a round of 4 level 6 songs on hard mode at double speed without a miss. (Come Back, Pom Pom Pom, and I forget the titles of the other ones). I can beat Beethoven's Virus on hard, but I only get a C, so that doesn't count.

grr a pump player...  haha
 I can do most 9-footers and the cheapest 10-footer on DDR, with reasonable grades.
I'm fairly good at Tetris.  I can pass like 4-star beatmania songs.

I can get highscores at Tetris, but not REALLY high scores.  Nothing else, because everything else at my local arcade is played by really hardcore people.  (All the good fighter and bemani players in the area go to SVGolfland...)

[CitznFish]

I can get through Black Tiger with one guy. Only did that twice in teh arcade

at "Tilt" I played Joust on one quarter for 8 hours. Had my name on the machine for monthly record holder.

those were back when I was a teeen....

[Snarbald]

I beat the simpsons arcade game once. Took like $10 in quarters. Does that count?

[hooded_paladin]

I beat the simpsons arcade game once. Took like $10 in quarters. Does that count?

I watched my friends waste their money on the final boss of Time Crisis III... that counts right?
haha ... sorry, that's not an insult, just a joke, although it really did happen

[paigeoliver]

I beat the simpsons arcade game once. Took like $10 in quarters. Does that count?

Come now, a 9 year old girl could beat the Simpsons given $10 in quarters.  

[kspiff]

I recall that I can beat Time Crisis 1/2 on 1 credit.. I made it to 'War Master' ranking in War: FA (damn you for not making a port, Atari!@)..

All other accomplishments were likely stored in brain cells which have since been destroyed (cause I don't remember 'em :/)..

I'm a bad-ass at those Wacky Gators and Cosmo Gang redemps, does *that* count?

[paigeoliver]

I have to add another one to the list.

Last night I accidently played an insanely tough level 8 song on Pump it Up ("She Likes Pizza", it is like 240 beats per minute, and I had the arrows set at double speed). I was playing with this girl and she was looking through the songs when the time ran out. Somehow I got a C on the song (20 misses, was probably almost a B). Of course Little Miss "Oops the time ran out" got an A on the song, which made me look pretty stupid.

[hyiu]

maybe you can tell me how to play that damn game (dragon's lair) I never made it past the first part where you have to jump off the falling platform--I'm getting frustrated now just thinking about that damn thing grrrrr.

Sadly, I have no accomplishments ( I was too poor as a kid to pump in enough quarter's to get real good at a game)

nope... I'm broke most of my childhood also... (in terms of $$ for arcade...) but then what you need to do is stand next to your favorite games for hours.... no blinking... no bathroom... and watch how everyone plays.... watch the screen... watch their movement...... (and drool.....)  

literally.... I really donno how much of my childhood was spent that way.... you can just keep watching.... (no food... no drink...) until suddenly... you hear a familiar LOUD voice.... in the background... YELLING out your name..... (in anger....) and you turn and realize that you sneaked out to the arcade.. and somehow... lost track of time.. and your mom came to grab you back..... (ok... this is the starting of a nightmare... maybe I shouldn't mention here....)  

[Nailz]

Played Pac Man one day for several hours on the same quarter, I lost track of how many key levels, the guys watching me play said I had 17.  

That was pretty cool, my dream as a kid was to be so good at a game that people would crown around while I was playing to cheer me on, Pac Man was the only one I was ever able to do that with.

[Brax]

Let's see, that would have to be the time I played Gauntlet all day long. My cousin would distract the change kid and I would swipe the same five dollar bill out of the carpenter belt he use'd to hold the change. What's with all these warm and fuzzy arcade memories? I remember when arcades were nasty, dirty, dangerous places! They were GREAT! ......and pretty much brought out the worst in me..........

[Magnet_Eye]

let me see...

could beat 720 on one quarter, all gold medals.

got to some crazy level in Star Wars, usually around 20 million points. i had all top scores in that arcade for a while. Oh, and to show off, I would play one handed and still kick ass! reason is cuz i broke my arm, and hand to play with one hand. then once i was healed i could still kick ass one handed!

got to some level on PacMan where the maze disappears! I dunno what level it was, but it was crazy! I was like 10/11 years old...1980/81 i think.

turned over Galaga (no fire cheat)  

Completed Arkanoid. Now that was a ---smurfette---! 50 levels of madness!  

Used to kick ass at TRON! Spent way too much money on that one!

As a kid i could rock so many games, i can't remember scores, but I was good. I practically lived in those damn arcades/bowling alleys/liquor stores! The benefit of being a latch key kid in los angeles i guess.  All my paper route money..GONE!  I miss those days.  

some of the games I rocked:

burgetime
crystal castles
joust
commando
hogans alley
tempest
crazy kong
pooyan
vangaurd
scramble
rip off
star castle
excitebike
moon patrol
spy hunter


ok, now i am just rambling on. the list would be too big!  

[Snarbald]

I beat the simpsons arcade game once. Took like $10 in quarters. Does that count?

Come now, a 9 year old girl could beat the Simpsons given $10 in quarters.  

Well, I was a little kid when I did it.

[Magnet_Eye]

I beat the simpsons arcade game once. Took like $10 in quarters. Does that count?

LOL!

But are you a "girl"?

Like all that mean ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---! Girls kick ass!

Come now, a 9 year old girl could beat the Simpsons given $10 in quarters.  

Well, I was a little kid when I did it.

[Lilwolf]

1) I went on a date in early highschool.  At the end we where waiting on a ride, went into an arcade to wait (yes young... no car) we played galaga together.  She kicked ---my bottom---!  So the next day, I got to the point where I could flip the game and play forever... I never got to play her again... (she found out and refused)

2 ) Games I could beat with one quarter (or play forever)

galaga
black tiger (great game)
720 (all golds)  (NAAR, nar, nar, NAR)
Captain America
Every streetfighter... but not much there..

Once the fighting games came around... it wasn't about winning... it was about beating others.

[Jakobud]

Beating the original Street Fighter 2 (using Guile) without loosing a single round.

[SNAAAKE]

hmm,lets see.

Too many to list !

- 67 wins on xmen vs sf(withtout loosing once..DAMN RIGHT)
- Beat Cadillacs and Dinosaurs with single credit(yes true)
- won 2 online tourny(sf2 C.E,sfa3)
- Won sfa 2 tourny local(5 years ago)

[jerryjanis]

Beating the original Street Fighter 2 (using Guile) without loosing a single round.

Hee hee, I used Mame's "save state" feature to horribly cheat and get through the whole game with all perfects on the most difficult setting.  To this day, I continue to search for the rumored battle with Sheng Long.

One day I was quarterless at the mall, and I was hanging out at the arcade waiting around for a free quarter opportunity to pass my way (coin returns, digging under machines for pennies, sneaking change from the wishing well, etc.)  I was watching a game of Street Fighter II and some kid stormed away from the machine.  His opponent had a full life-bar, and the kid's was at 0.  I lept onto the controls and made a dramatic comeback.

The great thing about Street Fighter II is that all you needed was that one chance and you could potentially play for the rest of the day.

[APFelon]

I used to hustle Mortal Kombat when I was in my early 20's (too much time on my hands then... Oh, how I miss those days). I used to go to the local malls and kick the crud out of the "regulars" at the location.

I got over 90 wins in a row at the Original Sports Bar arcade at the Mall of America. I was finally beaten by a guy who claimed he had the game at home. I played him again and I beat him sorely. Seven times in a row. Haw.

APf

[CitznFish]

Oh, and to show off, I would play one handed and still kick ass! reason is cuz i broke my arm, and hand to play with one hand.

Now that's dedication. you broke your own arm and hand to force you  to play one handed!

[Magnet_Eye]

Oh, and to show off, I would play one handed and still kick ass! reason is cuz i broke my arm, and hand to play with one hand.

Now that's dedication. you broke your own arm and hand to force you  to play one handed!

LMAO!!

Well, uh, I crashed my Schwinn Spitfire and destroyed my arm actually. Oh, and the one hand I could play with was my left. Did I mention I am RIGHT HANDED!  

[Edgedamage]

Being the first to figure out the Pterodactyl bug on joust. In the local arcade.

[DaveMMR]

I beat Revolution X using less that $5 in credits.  Got my name on the top (the one that has it's own screen with dancing ladies).  I pointed out the DMR to friends at the bowling alley, but cruely no one cared.

[Howard_Casto]

Getting to the end of Killer Instinct 2 on a single quarter the first time I ever played it.  Of course it could be that this simply shows how weak of a game it is.  

Ironically I hate the ki games and deem them to be a cheap imitation of the superior mortal kombat series.  But regarless getting to the end of any game on a single quarter is pretty dang cool.  

[1UP]

#1 Getting thru Space-Ace on one life.  It was easy to get an audience, as few people had ever seen the ending animation, let alone all the other dialogue scenes inbetween.  IMO, that's what really set it apart from Dragon's Lair, where the only dialogue was Dirk's Homer-esque shreiks.  DOH!  That game seemed like magic at 14...

#2 Getting really far on Dig-Dug one afternoon.  My sister and I went down to the local dollar theater every day for a week, just to play the Dig-Dug in the lobby (I think we discovered it after watching some cheap 3-D movie over there.)  We only had a few quarters every day, but I managed to figure out the patterns of the monsters well enough that I almost couldn't lose...

#3 Getting so good at Popeye that I rolled the thing over a few times!  Also met a cute girl and played a 2 player with her because of it...  The hormone rush was even better than the win!  

#4 Getting all the way thru Vanguard after many attempts.

#5 Getting really REALLY far on Discs Of Tron during a youth bus trip.  It was the environmental version that you stand inside of, and I got really good with the up/down spinner, banking shots off multiple walls so Sark didn't know what hit him.  I literally had a crowd of people around me at the end!  

#6 Getting all the way thru Terminator 2 with my wife-to-be.  That game was definitely easier with 2 guns, but still took a pocketful of tokens to do.  I think that's when I realized I had met the right woman!  That, and when she asked me for a Playstation as a wedding present...  

#7 Getting all the way thru Soul Calibur 2 on my second try.  This was on a machine we had in the lunch room at a studio where I worked this spring, and I had really gotten a solid ass-stomping rhythm down for Kilik.  Somehow, though, I still managed to get my butt kicked by my co-workers on a regular basis....  However, I've now got the game on my PS2, have learned how to guard impact, and I'm going back there next week...  

On that note, #8 would be any time I was able to whoopass repeatedly on someone after they jumped in on a fighting game when I was about to beat the machine!  Gawd I hated punks like that!    Shoryuken!  CYA punk!

Too many other memories to bother y'all with...those were all fun times....

[Jakobud]

Beating the original Street Fighter 2 (using Guile) without loosing a single round.

To this day, I continue to search for the rumored battle with Sheng Long.

Lol I forgot about that haha