Favourite retro arcade game(s)?

[PotatoFur]

Just to be clear, I'm not referring to the arcade games on this site. I'm referring to retro arcade games like Pac-Man or 1943.

Mine's probably Burgertime because I like burgers and the animations for the burger parts look pretty cool Plus it's actually kinda hard and I like a good challenge every once and awhile. The game play is pretty fun and unique as well!

[ZaraRaEchidna]

Heavy emphasis on that (s) --

Flicky comes to mind initially. . . I absolutely adore Flicky! Hitting those mean old nasty cats with flower pots and the likes - what fun! 
GoldenAxe is also high up there - I've gotten really quite good at that one; I really like the multiplayer ones, as I always visit the arcade with my partner, and usually some of our friends. So really, it's a great time!

I finally had the chance the other month to play the Deluxe cabinet of OutRun - what a fantastic time! Those hydraulics - WOW! I already adore OutRun - but moving with the cabinet, what an absolute rush! 

Crazy Taxi is faaarrrrr too recent to count as 'retro' ... But deserves a mention, because of how much fun it is to play that cabbie!

I love, love, love arcade games. It's been a passion for a very long time; it used to be impossible to find places in the U.K to really sink your teeth into these things.. So for the past 15 years, I've been popping into every arcade I see, and putting the worthwhile ones on this list; https://puppyland.neocities.org/vgarcade
I just adore them!

[PotatoFur]

Flicky looks like a cute game.  I'll have to try it some time!

I remember playing GoldenAxe on the Wii when I was younger! That game was fun 

I don't think I've tried any of those driving games before, but they look pretty fun in all honesty! Haven't seen any near where I live though. Crazy Taxi especially looks fun, so at the very least I'll have to play the computer version of it.

Similar situation for me in all honesty. I really like arcade games, but where I live, It's easy to find fast food places that have a few analog arcade games inside, but actual dedicated retro arcade places are few and far between. 

At the very least I have emulators to play arcade games on, but it's just not the same, you know?

[ZaraRaEchidna]

Well, never say die! I had no clue there were all of these wonderful arcades around me, 15 years ago; Google was useless, and I was really not sure where to go from there... Until a Videogame Art curriculum I was on in College took us to a local Free-to-Play arcade, thus listed on my site as 'TimeWarp' -- I was mindblown! To think that such a great place could exist so close to my home, and right under my nose, too!

After that, I followed my nose wherever it took me - I asked people in the area at events and places like boardgame cafés and geek meet-ups to see if anybody had any suggestions - I ducked into buildings which had the telltale signs (pac man, usually!) - I've been to a lot of duds, WAY many bowling alleys with a single airhockey table and a Mario Kart console for £2 a pop, or places which nigh entirely had gambling machines - yet, every so often, there would be a gem of a place!

Keep looking! You'll find places where you never dreamed you might find them! 

Next time I go to our favourite, I'll make a list of must-play retro consoles 

[PotatoFur]

I'll certainly keep looking! It's nice to know that someone's actually had luck finding retro arcades in their area, it's honestly really inspiring.   

That's a good idea! If you do end up making it I'll probably have to take a look. Could be useful for finding retro arcade places if I can find locations online that have those consoles in them.   

[ZaraRaEchidna]

Yes~ oh! And there's a chain of Arcade Bars in the U.K called NQ64; I'm checking one of thier locations out soon - can't wait to put it on my page, and to see their selection! The London location has the SEGA Maimai, which is -not- a retro one, it's very brand-new -- but oh, it is GREAT! 


I've got a few more in the books to visit, at that.. Arcade Club has three locations, and I've only visited one!  And NQ64 has TWELVE, and I've been to NONE!  Kicking myself for not popping into the Edinburgh one last time I was there. Oh, well, I'll have to make another trip up 

So I've somehow gone from 'Aaargh, I don't know any arcades other than the bowling alley!' to 15 years later; 'crud, I've got 15 arcades to try out....' -laugh- funny how these things happen!

[PotatoFur]

The SEGA Maimai looks cute! I'll have to see if I can find one in some of the newer arcades around here. 

Yup, so don't beat yourself up over it, okay? 

I know right? Having too much of something usually isn't a good thing, but this admitting doesn't seem like a bad problem to have lol. 

[ZaraRaEchidna]

It's so exciting to think there are so many to explore! I've now even got a Konami E-Amusement pass, which you can use on all kinds of games to save your score - I love Jubeat the most, but it's also great for Pop'N Music, DDR, Dancing Stage, and one I can never remember the name of that is something like 'Star Festival' with a responsive light-up dancefoor...... Oh, the card skips the tutorials, and gives you a clear progress; it's awesome to finally have tracked one down!

So basically, I feel like a real arcade afficionado now 

Say, a lot of events and conventions usually have a selection of arcade games - would be worth asking around one of those! MAGfest, which is next year in the U.S.A, has a great arcade, I'm told!

[PotatoFur]

All those rythem arcade games seem super fun! Plus, I've never actually seen an arcade game that let's people save their progress before. I'll have to take a look around next time I get an excuse to go to an arcade or possibly even make myself go outside for once (anxiety's fun lol). 

Maybe one day, I'll be able to call myself an arcade devotee too...

That's a good idea, but I've never really been to any festivals/conventions before and transport might be problematic since I live across the boarder. Events like that might be a bit too far outside my comfort zone, at least for now. 

[ZaraRaEchidna]

I believe in you~ I get nervous going outside on my own; but then I think about how much fun I'll have! "Do it scared; do it bored; do it stupid; but for the love of god, make sure you do it!" -- a good mantra that's been helping me not feel so scared of the outside world 
It's terrifying the first time; it's scary the second! Then soon enough, it'll be as simple as tieing your shoes.

That's alright; they're usually annually, so there's always time 

The arcade will wait for you to be ready - and it has a wealth of cabinets to explore!

[PotatoFur]

I believe in you~ I get nervous going outside on my own; but then I think about how much fun I'll have! "Do it scared; do it bored; do it stupid; but for the love of god, make sure you do it!"

Thanks for the encouragement and advice! It really means a lot.    Perhaps I should find some friends who can hold me accountable on following through with that. 

That's alright; they're usually annually, so there's always time 

That's good to know. 

[Wuff-Wuff]

I believe in you~ I get nervous going outside on my own; but then I think about how much fun I'll have! "Do it scared; do it bored; do it stupid; but for the love of god, make sure you do it!" -- a good mantra that's been helping me not feel so scared of the outside world 
It's terrifying the first time; it's scary the second! Then soon enough, it'll be as simple as tieing your shoes.

;w; Oh gosh I love those words of encouragement! I sometimes have those fears too; more often than I used to, but man I should get on that and just go out more.

As for Arcade Games: I think I was a dumb impressionable kid and always went for those with the flashy way of playing them xD like racing games. Daytona USA comes to mind, but I'm a bit worried that it's not considered retro enough! (I respect you, purists!)

[ZaraRaEchidna]

DAAAYTONAAAA!!!! Daytona is great. I don't think there's a single racing cabinet that I don't enjoy~ though I certainly have my favourites 

Getting up and going out is the hardest part - I get out a lot these days, but I keep having to remind mysef that I -like- going and meeting my friends 

[PotatoFur]

Daytona USA looks fun, though I've never tried it myself. Maybe it's because I live in Canada?

Same lol. It's one thing to play a game on a computer and a whole other to actually go outside for a bit to go to an arcade.  And possibly even socialize as well.

Daytona USA comes to mind, but I'm a bit worried that it's not considered retro enough! (I respect you, purists!)

Haha, don't worry. I'm a Gen Z and Daytona came out in 1994, so it mine as well be retro in my book. 

[ZaraRaEchidna]

In that case.. I can probably list a whole lot more arcade games! 

Oh, there was that fully cel-animated one from the 80's, Dragon's Lair.. Which I have actually played the cabbie of.
...
I hate to say it, but they were kind of right when they said that this thing was way hard, and that it was designed to guzzle your coins - the partner and I keep trying to go back to it on a free-to-play machine, and we can barely get past the first scene! 
There's got to be some kind of trick I'm missing... It seems an impossible feat! Though it is still wonderful as the marvel of revolution that it was for videogames as a whole.