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Post by gliptitude on Sept 15, 2012 0:37:21 GMT -5
Anybody know locations accessible to me where I can play some vector cabinets?
I live in Cincinnati, Ohio. The only place around here that I know of having older arcade games is Arcade Legends, in the old Forest Fair Mall. They have one vector game (Asteroids Deluxe).
I'd be interested to hear about any places in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Chicago, Detroit and possibly Tennessee and West Virginia.
Mainly interested in vector games. Would also like to play Defender and a couple other classics.
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Post by VectorX on Sept 15, 2012 7:27:55 GMT -5
There's a classic game arcade locator but the guy's pretty slow to update. I'll dig around and see if I can find it today.
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Post by VectorX on Sept 15, 2012 8:00:06 GMT -5
Hah, that didn't take long  www.arcadelocations.net/I see my contribution's still there! Wonder what all games are left; I hadn't been to Windchimes in years now... |
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Post by gamezone on Sept 15, 2012 13:28:14 GMT -5
I would have thought King's Island Amusement Park would have some older arcade games. Maybe I missed it on the list.
I really do not know of any places that have arcade games anymore setup for play.
Thanks for posting that VectorX!
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Post by gliptitude on Sept 15, 2012 13:43:58 GMT -5
Thanks. This looks like a good place to start.
The one arcade that I mentioned is potentially a great local resource, but unfortunately they seem to have much different taste than me. Collection is highly skewed towards 1990's and later, gun games and fighting games etc. Also it seems like their classic cabinets tend to get sold and taken away before long. (They used to have Tron.)
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Post by xefned on Nov 22, 2013 14:27:56 GMT -5
Oh yeah! I played Tron when I visited Arcade Legends in Cincinnati. For those who don't know, it's located in an abandoned mall which makes it kinda spooky. It felt like a zombie movie where the town had to be evacuated. It also felt like a sad commentary on legacy of the golden age of coin-op video, since my teenage arcade (Bally Aladdin's Castle) was also located in a mall except one bustling and without vacancy. (I'm in Indy BTW.) It was nice to revisit some old classics. I discovered Tron was not as fun as I'd remembered. But wow, Robotron 2084 was a blast. I can't believe I'd never played it before. BTW, Gliptitude, I saw your WOTW overlay on YouTube earlier today. Nicely done! Let me know if you have a batch of overlays made. I assume you've seen the color version of WOTW? I can't assume since the color version is rare, but your overlay makes it very similar: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBzPo38iQ7o |
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Post by xefned on Nov 22, 2013 14:30:36 GMT -5
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Post by VectorX on Nov 22, 2013 14:40:20 GMT -5
I discovered Tron was not as fun as I'd remembered. Sometimes that happens. My problem nowadays with Tron is forgetting the patterns until after it's too late (i. e. "oh, you go RIGHT on the Light Cycles on that level!"), as I literally got nearly one million points back in the day on the game (999,959 to be exact). Nowadays I can't even get 100,000. But wow, Robotron 2084 was a blast. I can't believe I'd never played it before. Are you serious?! Wow. I usually won't play Stargate or Joust because I have them on my Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits compilation for the Genesis, but I'll play Robotron since it's easier to use two joysticks rather than D-pads (you can't get good diagonals on those). |
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Post by xefned on Nov 22, 2013 14:49:14 GMT -5
And wow, Cedar Point in Sandusky (a much farther drive than columbus) has a great collection, 2 each from Atari, Vectorbeam, and Cinematronics.
Battlezone
Lunar Lander
Speed Freak
Star Castle
Starhawk
Tail Gunner
Quite an inspired collection. Obviously not a random accident.
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Post by VectorX on Nov 22, 2013 16:07:34 GMT -5
(double) Wow, SPEED FREAK? Man, that's monstrously rare, as it wasn't even a big hit back in the day, even. I've never seen one. Would love to play the original Starhawk again too (Vectrex version is too easy in my opinion, due to the smaller screen).
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Post by gliptitude on Nov 22, 2013 22:54:04 GMT -5
Hey, cool that you have been to Arcade Legends, xefned! .. That mall is easily the largest in the region and, at its peak, (when I was 12 years old) it was quite awesome. You are certainly right though, that the massive vacancy there these days is haunting, and a large part of what makes that arcade a fun destination. .. I guess it was a different thread where I described the place. There is actually still an anchor store there that is one of the easiest places in the greater Cincinnati area TO BUY A GUN. .. Only adds to the zombie mystique of the place.
Like I said, it's awesome that that place exists here. But it generally falls short for me. Most recently, I was trying to go back there to play Space Harrier, which I remembered being there, but it had since been sold off. Also Asteroids Deluxe broke down, so zero vector games now.
As I read through this thread again I see that I claimed Tron was sold off, and that is actually not the case. .. I think it's a fun game personally.
.. It seems like there are several reasons for a video game enthusiast to travel to Columbus, and I might do it. But I really hate that city!
"Gaming Grid" is a private party room, not accessible to an individual. I've looked into it before and it looks like you have to rent the whole space to get access.
.. Cedar Point is an amusement park near Cleveland right? I'll have to get a direct report of what is there currently, and I assume they are not open this time of year. In the past I had read that they had a classic arcade there, but it was not well maintained. .. Indeed a dynamic lineup of vector games that you named though.
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Post by xefned on Nov 23, 2013 14:43:24 GMT -5
(double) Wow, SPEED FREAK? Man, that's monstrously rare, as it wasn't even a big hit back in the day, even. I've never seen one. Would love to play the original Starhawk again too (Vectrex version is too easy in my opinion, due to the smaller screen). I know right? The sheer double-wow of that many vintage vector machines in one place is outrageous. My first thought: we should have a VectorGaming meetup in Sandusky OH! Then I noticed the listing was last updated July 2005. www.arcadelocations.net/PlaceSearch.php?code=ohsancedSo all those games could be broken now from being abused by rough amusement park goers. Definitely worth a call to find out the story when they're open for summer. Their raster games tickle my retro bone too. They have/had a working Super Bug?? - black and white driving game from 1977. Haven't seen one of those forever. (Unless you count the last time I watched Van Nuys Blvd.) Wizard of Wor (woo!) and a cockpit version of Space Tactics (Sega 1980), which I've never seen in real life, and must be a nightmare to maintain with it's rotating mirror assembly. (Example video: atariage.com/forums/topic/216689-sega-space-tactics/)The operator is clearly one of us, double plus plus. |
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Post by xefned on Nov 23, 2013 14:51:45 GMT -5
This guy shows the entire main arcade over the course of 2 videos and 23 minutes. www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEel49yYfQYwww.youtube.com/watch?v=a80tWIZzAr4Verdict: a lot has changed since the first review on that page in 2000. Someone with business sense had to chuck the repair liabilities for machines that bring in the $$. Six vector machines in one place will probably never happen again except in the home of a private collector. Hopefully he will find this thread and invite us all over!  |
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Post by VectorX on Nov 23, 2013 14:55:10 GMT -5
My first thought: we should have a VectorGaming meetup in Sandusky OH! It'd probably be just you and glip there, but at least you could take photos and make videos! Or long gone... Their raster games tickle my retro bone too. And why not? They have/had a working Super Bug?? - black and white driving game from 1977. Haven't seen one of those forever. Never played Super Bug; might've seen it when I was real young though... and a cockpit version of Space Tactics (Sega 1980), which I've never seen in real life, Saw it, but never played it. It looked killer though! Until I tried it out on MAME several years ago; yeech. Boring! |
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Post by gliptitude on Nov 24, 2013 22:55:31 GMT -5
BTW, Gliptitude, I saw your WOTW overlay on YouTube earlier today. Nicely done! Let me know if you have a batch of overlays made. I have made very little progress on that project and I do not have any made. There was a thread about it in the Vectrex section here. If I ever achieve my goal, (quality edition of screen printed and die cut plastic overlays), I will either update that thread or start a new one. ... The one you see on youtube is a low quality design concept transparency that I made. Yes I have seen video of the color version, and I may have also tested it on MAME, (can't remember). I'm glad to hear you compare the effect of mine to that color version, because it is a MUCH better model than than the BW/overlay version, in my opinion. I really didn't want to copy the red and yellow cabinet overlay because I think it's horrible. ... I did mess around a bit actually with these overlays recently, experimenting with some glass paint from a crafts store. Nothing worth reporting yet though. Best for you not to expect anything in any kind of timely manner in this matter. I have almost no idea what I'm doing. |
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