Hey there, flashback members!
Who remembers the old-school video arcades, where we used to spend practically all of the day on Saturday, before it was off to the drive-in movies and night clubs?

I'm talking Malibu, the Tilt Room, Stargate's, the big ones that held over 500 games, and there was ALWAYS that line for the one game you REALLY wanted to play!

The arcade era will never happen again. Sure, there are still places that have games, but they do not have appeal and the coolness that those old arcade hangouts had. I remember the arcade that my local mall had in the 80's called the Tilt. It was THE hangout. Great games, alot of kids, teens, and a few adults. All games only a quarter. It was great. I have fond memories of those days. I was living in missouri for part of the 90's, and when I moved back to California, one of the first things I did when I came back was go to that mall. To my surprise, the tilt was still there, but there was only a couple people in there, and they were going out of business because each arcade game had a For Sale sign on it. It brought me on the verge of tears. Just knowing that something that so many people had fond memories of could just be erased like that was unbelievable. The Tilt was gone the next time I went to that mall. Now it is some food place I never heard of.

Another great arcade place then was this bowling alley about 10 miles from that mall. It had a HUGE arcade. It was really cool. On one side of the building, was a wall that had about 40 or 50 pinball machines lined up. On the other side, was all the arcade games. In the middle, was the actual bowling lanes. That place was packed every night. But it had another sad ending. It went out of business in the late 80's, and the building has sat there empty and rotting for 20 years. Strange, because the building is in a prime spot, yet no one ever buys it out and builds something else there. Its like the city wants to have a constant reminder of how great that place really was.

Like I said, it will never be like that again. We live in the XBOX, Playstation, Nintendo, and internet era. To add even more insult to injury, the young generation cares too much about sex and other adult things to ever be able to enjoy anything resembling arcade life in the 70's and 80's.

This is true, my friend.

Also, the games they have out now are all about killing, being rap artists, and finding crack ho's to bang.
QUEL HORREUR! (Maybe Whitney Houston has a possible revival in her career here??)

I remember this place, when i was living in Utah- also called "The Tilt". It had some of the most primo games there- and I was always a big pinball buff!

-Remember 'Hercules'? That was the pinball game that was so huge, they usually used an 8 Ball, for the playball?

I remember this place, when i was living in Utah- also called "The Tilt". It had some of the most primo games there- and I was always a big pinball buff!


...which makes sense in that regard, since "Tilt" is what happens if you bump the pinball table too much.

...which makes sense in that regard, since "Tilt" is what happens if you bump the pinball table too much.


Very true! http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/15/thumbsup.gif

Hey there, flashback members!
Who remembers the old-school video arcades, where we used to spend practically all of the day on Saturday, before it was off to the drive-in movies and night clubs?

I'm talking Malibu, the Tilt Room, Stargate's, the big ones that held over 500 games, and there was ALWAYS that line for the one game you REALLY wanted to play!


Friday nights - my boyfriend and I and some friends would go to the arcade at Golfland - there were hundreds of games, all costing a quarter and you could play for hours.  I ALWAYS played Centipeded and he played Donkey Kong.  We both had the highest scores - what a claim to fame huh?  What an inexpensive date?  I miss those old arcades.  But every once in awhile I will find a Centipede game somewhere and I JUST have to play.  :)

in the heyday there were like eight arcades within probably four blocks of my house. they were EVERYWHERE. this was in the mid-80s. they always had defender and stargate and some variety of pac man.

Ahhh, the games!

Pac-Man, donkey Kong, Centipede, Crazy Climber, Tron...where have they all gone?

elevator action! that game was kickin'.

Arcades still exist, but good luck finding games that still cost a quarter  ;D

Even Pac-Man is 50 cents to play now  :\'(

There's a place in Chico, that has the following five '80s games, & I have to stop & play each one, whenever I'm there....

-Dig Dug
-Donkey Kong (YES, the original)
-Galaga
-Bagman (remember this one? You're a thief in a mineshaft, w/a Keystone Kop chasing you.)
-Joust (Long live the Ostrich Knights!!!!!!)

I remember when I was little and growing up in the early-mid '90s, there was a video arcade at the dead Carolina Circle Mall called Electronics America. I rarely went in there so I don't remember what all it had, but I've heard it was awesome.

At Del Amo Mall, where part of Fast Times at Ridgemont High was filmed, there was an arcade called Le Mans Speedway.This was back in the mid 1970s. The "Speedway" was bumper cars. It was so modern! All along the outer walls of the arcade were pinball machines.

On the main street of our city was a "head shop" in the 1970s with a couple of pinball machines inside. Also, there was a liquor store near our high school that had Space Invaders in the early early 1980s.

So exciting!

:o :o :o

Someone revived this thread?!?!?

I thought there was no further interest in this!
-COOOOLLLL!

I loved arcades! Nothing better than taking about $30 just to blow at the local mall arcade, on a Saturday afternoon!

Ah, yes.  I miss those places.  Back in '82 there was a small arcade in my neighborhood (about 40 or so games) where I spent most weekends pumping quarters into Pac-Man, Galaga, Tempest, Centipede, etc.  The big arcade I remember having her in addition to someplace like Starcade or Stargate at the mall was a Bally's arcade in some shopping center that was huge.  When Dragon's Lair came out they had the huge monitor above the game so others could watch people play.  Pizza places like Chuck E. Cheese and Showbiz had dozens of great games.  The Golf n' Stuff miniature golf complex had two stories of arcade games with the latest and greatest on the lower level in "the pit".

Last time I went to an arcade was around '89 or '90.  It was a smaller neighborhood one.  Good times.

I sooooooooo miss those days!

The last time I was in an arcade was in '94.
"Scandia" in Scaramento, CA.

In addition to the arcade, they had go-karts, bumper boats w/water cannons, batting cages and they were talking about adding a "Laser Tag"-style game.

Where did those fun times go???

Maybe someone knows the real reason they are gone, but I am assuming it is because people have their own game consoles these days? All of the current thrills seem to be available on a home computer/console. Everything seems to be about sitting at home these days. Home theater, home game consoles, etc... Sad.

Maybe someone knows the real reason they are gone, but I am assuming it is because people have their own game consoles these days? All of the current thrills seem to be available on a home computer/console. Everything seems to be about sitting at home these days. Home theater, home game consoles, etc... Sad.


Indeed.

In addition, there are so many classic games unavailable to these home systems.

The last time I was in an arcade was in '94.
"Scandia" in Scaramento, CA.

Where did those fun times go???


http://www.caextreme.org

If you're in Sactown, it may be a 9-month wait, but it's only a 3-hour drive.  Get a room at a hotel within a 5-minute walk, play video games until midnight, then wake up the next morning and do it all over again.