Time seems to have stopped?

[Aswald]

It should be mentioned that I haven't even seen an arcade in a decade now. So I have no idea what the arcade scene is any longer.


When I first got up here in 1993, you could still find arcade machines that were relatively recent, along with older ones.

In front of a long-gone department store were two machines: Pole Position and Rolling Thunder. In various other places you could find those Bust-A-Move games, and when it came out the local P&C supermarket (long gone) had games like Mortal Kombat2, 3, and House of the Dead.

Now, it's normal for older games to be around for a while, eventually to be replaced by newer games. In poorer areas it may take longer.

Even so, around here, it happened. Although there are no arcades right around here, scattered about were recent games, especially those Neo-Geo arcade machines.

The previous decade, though- along with many other things- seems to have stopped time as far as arcade machines go.

If you check the games in the places that do still have them- and it's a pale fraction of what it was back even in the 1990s- it's as if it's still the late 1990s or possibly the early 2000s. The only games are games like Area 51, California Cruisin', that Police Training game, and other games with copyright dates like 1995 and 1996. Nothing from the 2000s. What's more, they aren't even games like Bust-A-Move, but the duller games. Even Prehistoric Island is gone.

Is this happening where you are, or just areas like this one?

[Griking]

It should be mentioned that I haven't even seen an arcade in a decade now. So I have no idea what the arcade scene is any longer.


When I first got up here in 1993, you could still find arcade machines that were relatively recent, along with older ones.

In front of a long-gone department store were two machines: Pole Position and Rolling Thunder. In various other places you could find those Bust-A-Move games, and when it came out the local P&C supermarket (long gone) had games like Mortal Kombat2, 3, and House of the Dead.

Now, it's normal for older games to be around for a while, eventually to be replaced by newer games. In poorer areas it may take longer.

Even so, around here, it happened. Although there are no arcades right around here, scattered about were recent games, especially those Neo-Geo arcade machines.

The previous decade, though- along with many other things- seems to have stopped time as far as arcade machines go.

If you check the games in the places that do still have them- and it's a pale fraction of what it was back even in the 1990s- it's as if it's still the late 1990s or possibly the early 2000s. The only games are games like Area 51, California Cruisin', that Police Training game, and other games with copyright dates like 1995 and 1996. Nothing from the 2000s. What's more, they aren't even games like Bust-A-Move, but the duller games. Even Prehistoric Island is gone.

Is this happening where you are, or just areas like this one?

Unfortunately in my area arcades tend to be a small room with a few crane machines where you try to win crappy stuffed animals, a few toddler rides that shake and make annoying sounds and may be 2-3 actual arcade games that they ask a buck a pop to play.

[mobiusclimber]

Hit up a Chuck E. Cheese if you want to see newer arcade games. In downtown Seattle, we have Gameworks which has all the new arcade games (as well as retro ones that some genius put into wood cabinets).

[Aswald]

[QUOTE=mobiusclimber;1906277]Hit up a Chuck E. Cheese if you want to see newer arcade games. In downtown Seattle, we have Gameworks which has all the new arcade games (as well as retro ones that some genius put into wood cabinets).[/QUOTE

Well, even if there was a CEC around here, I'm a bit old for that place?

It's just that everything has ground to a halt around here. Games used to be at least fairly recent, but no longer. That's what this post is about; is it everywhere?

And we do have those crane games too. Yawn.

[Rob2600]

Aswald, you want to know what the arcade scene is like now? It's non-existant. All the traditional arcades in northern NJ closed several years ago.

At the Red Robin Burger place around here, there are two arcade cabinets by the entrance: NickToons Racing and San Francisco Rush 2049.

There are two places called Barcade: one in Jersey City and one in Brooklyn. They each have around 30 classic arcade cabinets and each game is only a quarter. It's fantastic, but again, current arcades are dead.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Most arcades down here are either hacked up MAME cabinets or modded PS2s with timers.

[Gamevet]

Hit up a Chuck E. Cheese if you want to see newer arcade games. In downtown Seattle, we have Gameworks which has all the new arcade games (as well as retro ones that some genius put into wood cabinets).

We used to have a Gameworks at the Grapevine Mills mall, just outside of Dallas. It's no longer there, so I've been told.

We also have Nickelrama. You pay like $2 at the door and play classic arcade games for a nickel a play and newer machines for around 6 nickels.

[Buyatari]

Chuck E Cheese !

[SpaceHarrier]

A lot of MAME cabs taking over here too but with the occasional House of the Dead 4 or Mario Kart GP 2. There is a relatively high-end movie theater near me with a decent-sized arcade in it, which has a new(ish) game that looks like a spiritual successor to Hydro Thunder called H2Overdrive (not to be confused with a different PS2 game of the same name), and looks to be the newest arcade game I've seen in my area. H2Overdrive dates to around 2009..

[retroman]

we have this place called Crab Town in Maryland in AA county..it has good food and a huge arcade of classic games from the 80s and 90s..At least 50 games

[Bazoo]

Hit up a Chuck E. Cheese if you want to see newer arcade games. In downtown Seattle, we have Gameworks which has all the new arcade games (as well as retro ones that some genius put into wood cabinets).

I would advise you not to go into Chuck E Cheese alone though