Best Arcade in the Midlands region (or thereabouts)

[ShadowDancer]

My brother just had a little holiday in the Lancashire region, he found a modern arcade with sega rally 3, mostly driving games and shooting games (as pretty much same as seaside resorts these days)

He got some nice pictures and we've decided we're going to have an 'arcade holiday'

Anyone recommend anywhere...we're located in Coventry, we don't mind travelling (via train) but if there is something in the Midlands area, even better.

I was lucky enough to be playing games in arcades in the 80's...but..i accept what it is today,...

be nice if somewhere had a few fighting games too....

Thank you :-)

[QualityChimp]

I think Star City in Birmingham is pretty decent.

It turns out I answered the same question in 2007!

http://www.bordersdown.net/threads/74480-Arcades-in-Birmingham

Along with the bowling alley, cinema and restaurants there's an couple of arcades. I posted about it in the Arcades thread:

I went to Star City in Birmingham at the weekend and they some arcade games in both the bowling alley and a dedicated arcade, so I took some snaps as I know you guys love seeing a good cabinet!

First up was the amazing Star Wars Battle Pod. You sit in a chair with a projector above you that puts an image onto a domed screen in front of you to fill your vision and it's epic! I only did the easy mission, which is the Deathstar run, but there's several missions including an Endor Speeder Bike one.





They also had the new Time Crisis 5 cab which now has two foot pedals, that allows the player to strafe left or right around your targets.



Dead Heat (cars).



Dead Heat Riders (motorbikes).



Super Cars, offering "Raw Thrills".



Dark Escape 4D, which is a shooter that uses 3D, blast of air, a heart sensor and vibration to try to scare the living daylights out of you.


Deadstorm Pirates: Special Edition, which has some extra sections, including a monorail section where you're harassed by a giant eagle. All the sections look great fun and I could imagine it eating a lot of your cash wanting to see all of them.


Lost Land Adventure is a similar setup to Star Wars Battle Pod with the dome screen, but you get lightguns.


Animal Kaiser is a little kiddy cab where you pit your animals against each other using a scanner to read cards that it vends. It's like those pub arguments - could a dolphin beat a monkey in a fight?


Razing Storm sees you blasting everything in sight with a machine gun.


Super Alpine Racer is an update of the old game where you stand on a platform and slalom down a virtual ski slope.


Jurassic Park Arcade is another dino blaster with updated graphics.


Aliens Armageddon misses a trick by having an M-16 as the gun you use, but if they'd used a Pulse Rifle, I'd have thrown money at the screen!

[ShadowDancer]

Magnificent QC - Thank You Sir!

[speedlolita]

I wouldn't walk up to any of those machines...

[ShadowDancer]

I wouldn't walk up to any of those machines...

Sadly getting to Japan isn't that easy and cheap. I did go to the insert coin convention a few years back...that was brilliant!

[ShadowDancer]

Japan is just the best right!!!! *sigh* one day

[wakka]

I wouldn't walk up to any of those machines...

You'd miss out, Time Crisis 5 is dope!

Nice pictures QC.

[speedlolita]

I have a black GunCon and a 20" PVM, I'm good for light gun games!

[Colin]

I have a black GunCon and a 20" PVM, I'm good for light gun games!

Youre such a grouch, I'm going to refer to you as Oscar from now on.

[speedlolita]

Haha!

Well, perhaps it is just my aversion to LCD games? I'd happily pump money into Point Blank. Used to be one in some game shop in Brum - now that game is aces.

[wakka]

I have a black GunCon and a 20" PVM, I'm good for light gun games!

Sick with envy at that. Lol. Must get a CRT soon.

[Gradius]

I think I have one of the best arcades in Brum

I could tell you where all the best places were 25 years ago!

[QualityChimp]

I agree, Gradius! You've got guitars and stuff too, IIRC?

Did you follow my link in my post from 2007 with all the arcades from "the good old days"?

http://www.jammajup.co.uk/birmingham.htm

Daville's in New Street Station looked amazing!

http://www.jammajup.co.uk/daviles-amusements.html

[Gradius]

I agree, Gradius! You've got guitars and stuff too, IIRC?

I used to have a permanent rock band/guitar hero setup with its own Xbox and plasma! All packed away now though.



Davilles was where I spent all my free time in the late 80's, awesome place. I have the pcb's of most of my fave games of that era now.

[monel]

I agree, Gradius! You've got guitars and stuff too, IIRC? Did you follow my link in my post from 2007 with all the arcades from "the good old days"? http://www.jammajup.co.uk/birmingham.htm Daville's in New Street Station looked amazing! http://www.jammajup.co.uk/daviles-amusements.html

I used to travel through different arcades in the Midlands as a kid, Daville's was quite cramped and sometimes attracted trouble (only on a really bad day). There's quite a few places I think that aren't listed on that site above but it was good to see, thanks. One of the best places in that region which hardly anybody mentions was called Gameworks / Gamesworks it was by the old MGM / Arcadian cinema. It opened in the early 90s and closed a year or two later. It was very modern for it's time, with a large floor space and modern cabs with seating. They had laser tag and also the virtual reality games of that time. They served food and it was well lit, with families sometimes going there, being young myself it was one of the few gaming places that wasn't 100% male. Sadly the place closed after someone got mugged or shot with some kind of bb gun in the entrance by the stair case. As far as I know anyway, could be a lie. They had 8 player linked racing games and other attractions. When I see images of foreign arcades it was quite like that. I went past the Sega World 100s of times but never ventured inside as I had gone off gaming pretty much by then.