Arcades

[QualityChimp]

Got a family holiday coming up in Lincolnshire.
I'm sure some of the family want to visit Lincoln Cathedral or take coastal walks to National Trust properties.

Me? I can't wait to visit Skegness and hit the arcades and hopefully ride the roller coasters at Fantasy Island (Ze plane, boss).

I remember going to Skeggy as a kid. There was an arcade machine that had a full-size motocross bike on it and you had to follow the light on the screen.
The wheels were on rollers. It was more analogue than stuff like Hang-On or Enduro Racer.

I still keep investigating some home emulation, I like those ones that fold right down, either a Powkiddy or Pandora Box.

[Wools]

After visiting Heart of Gaming last year and adoring it, I realised how much I miss Arcades as it's been over a decade since I had visited one that had proper games in it. So after hearing the Sega Guys talk about it and my Brother hearing about it on The Computer Game Show, we decided next in line was the biggest Arcade in Europe.

So we booked off 3 days this week from work and made the 4 hour drive up to Arcade Club Bury to spend 3 days there and see what's it all about. After hearing all the praise, we decided to not research more than we already know about Arcade Club so it was more of a surprise. We were not disappointed.

Arcade Club Bury is housed in a beautiful old building that used to be a Mill and is split over 4 floors of machines. First floor is very much a welcome area, with modern machines, with the second floor introducing more machines we love like Outrun 2 and Gunblade NY. However, things really pick up on Floor 3 where you're greeted with a sight that felt like the vision that can only be described as religious; Around 40 Astro City cabinets all lined up filled to the brim of absolute classics. We could have spent days in just that little room but on the main floor was pinball tables, Radiant Silvergun, Soul Calibur just endless greats all crammed in but beautifully curated.

Floor 4 above is the final floor houses their on site bar and restaurant where we grabbed some nice burgers and drinks, but beyond that is another pinch yourself moment where you walk into the darkest room which contains lines after lines of classic cabinets; Asteroids with it's truly stunning vector monitor which burned your eyes (4K 260Hz Monitors have ****ing nothing on this monitor) Outrun with its hydraulic cabined and OG CRT Monitor, Rave Racer, Ridge Racer (Which plays so much nicer than PS1) Hot Rod in its 4 player perfection, Rampage, NBA Jam, the whole floor was a smorgasbord of retro gaming goodness.

Me and my Brother left so impressed and excited for gaming again. Words and images can't do justice to just how impressive a setup they have up there, in a beautiful old Mill, and the curation of games they have, while not complete, is so comprehensively exhaustive and well loved, you just can't help but be reminded why gaming is the best art form in the world. It's just, epic.

If you can visit Arcade Club Bury, please do!

[wakka]

Looks like an awesome trip. What did you sink the most time into?

[Wools]

Looks like an awesome trip. What did you sink the most time into?

Me and my Brother played a lot of Outrun 2 and Sega Rally together, but individually it was between Asteroids (That scene has to be seen to be believed) Alien vs. Predator and Ridge Racer. Also, a shout out to The Sopranos Pinball table, too.

[QualityChimp]

Went to Skegness today. It's a proper seaside town, with its highs and lows, but managed to go into an arcade. Mainly played 2p coin pushers with my daughter, but they had some other units, including the interesting Mission: Impossible cab with dual guns.

[Neon Ignition]

[Hirst]

Went to Skegness today. It's a proper seaside town, with its highs and lows, but managed to go into an arcade. Mainly played 2p coin pushers with my daughter, but they had some other units, including the interesting Mission: Impossible cab with dual guns.

I go there a few times a year, familiar with all those machines pictured. Skegness Pier used to be amazing for arcade games but has barely any nowadays - they do chop and change things still sometimes though. For some reason they had a sketchy Pandora's Box Mame cabinet full of roms (with absolutely no rhyme or reason to the choices - half of them were mahjong or things that clearly won't work with the button setup). I took advantage of it to play Data East's Pocket Gal (1988) to see some 8-bit topless nudity as a crude form of protest.

Old machines are almost extinct, though there seems to be a cottage industry maintaining/converting old Dancing Stage Euromix machines and a very hacked-about but still playable Daytona USA survives in Fantasy Island down the road. They also used to have Manx TT at Bottons over the road, but that quietly disappeared late last year I think. Play them while they still exist I guess.

[QualityChimp]

I've got an arcade opening near me with loads of great cabs.
It's taking forever to open and the owner says some of the cabs are playing up, but I'm really excited that an arcade with some great cabs is on my doorstep.

I'll be there as soon as it opens and take loads of pics of the cabs! Can't wait!

[wakka]

I go there a few times a year, familiar with all those machines pictured. Skegness Pier used to be amazing for arcade games but has barely any nowadays - they do chop and change things still sometimes though. For some reason they had a sketchy Pandora's Box Mame cabinet full of roms (with absolutely no rhyme or reason to the choices - half of them were mahjong or things that clearly won't work with the button setup). I took advantage of it to play Data East's Pocket Gal (1988) to see some 8-bit topless nudity as a crude form of protest.

Old machines are almost extinct, though there seems to be a cottage industry maintaining/converting old Dancing Stage Euromix machines and a very hacked-about but still playable Daytona USA survives in Fantasy Island down the road. They also used to have Manx TT at Bottons over the road, but that quietly disappeared late last year I think. Play them while they still exist I guess.

You're up north though, right? You can always head over to one of the Arcade Clubs for some well maintained retro cabs.

Retro cabs are easier to come by than newer ones in London to be honest. There are quite a few decent barcades with classic 90s/2000s games, but very little in the way of anywhere acquiring the latest stuff from Japan, etc, like Arcade Club does. The last remaining decent sized ones that specialised in newer machines was Namco Funscape but that went during COVID.

[Hirst]

You're up north though, right? You can always head over to one of the Arcade Clubs for some well maintained retro cabs.

Arcade Club Leeds is about 30 mins drive from me, been planning to go with the missus at some point but it's hard to find the time at the moment, especially as I'd prefer to avoid it being a weekend (meant to be packed then). We were on about it the other day in fact, was one of those things planned just before Covid and ended up getting lost in time. They've got a lot of different games in since I last checked too, seems to be thriving. Definitely on the cards when I get my annual leave renewed.

Conversely, Skegness is over 2 hours away but my folks own a static caravan down the road in Ingoldmells so we go down there almost any weekend they're not using it and stay a few days, get some fish and chips, look at the sea and have me going "So this building used to be Tickled Pink, over there was Beast Busters and over there was Line of Fire. Stand-up Afterburner was on the back row, 1942 was right next to the fire exit" like the world's least worthwhile history walk. Great place, but if you're looking for good old arcade gaming you're mostly out of luck.

[wakka]

Before COVID?! That was 5 years ago!!!

Get yrself down there tonight, it's only 30 mins away Actually I might pop to my local barcade tonight, this thread has put me in the mood.

[Hirst]

It's not open until Thursday sadly, we tried to poke our heads in on the way back from an airport run earlier this year but it was shut! Got some nice yellow label reductions from Morrisons over the road though. We did have an idea of going with another mate once the schools have gone back after Christmas though, something to look forward to in bleak January.

[Tobal]

I've got an arcade opening near me with loads of great cabs.
It's taking forever to open and the owner says some of the cabs are playing up, but I'm really excited that an arcade with some great cabs is on my doorstep.

I'll be there as soon as it opens and take loads of pics of the cabs! Can't wait!

Is this the Walsall one? We (friend and i) spoke to a guy opening an arcade at the freshly returned retro revival june2024 event at the Wolverhampton race course.

[QualityChimp]

Is this the Walsall one? We (friend and i) spoke to a guy opening an arcade at the freshly returned retro revival june2024 event at the Wolverhampton race course.

YES!

I went to Retro Revival in 2019 and it was amazing. Easily the best of these things I've attended (Play Expo in Manchester went downhill, IMHO).
There was a massive break because of Covid, and the 2024 event was the first one since. Sadly I was driving back from London after seeing the Pumpkins, so had to skip.

Basically Craig Turner was one of the organisers and he's been tyring to get a permanent retro cafe going for a while.
This should have opened in the Summer, but we're approaching Christmas and they're still having to organise the cabs and fire regs etc. so it's a big task.

Overjoyed something like this is opening on my doorstep and can't wait to go along and support it and play dem sweet sweet cabs.

[QualityChimp]