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Dance!

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    Dance!

    I can't help but feel for some games, home consoles simply can't emulate the thrills gotten in the arcades. A good example was today, when I went bowling with my PE class. They had, of course, a Dancing Stage Euromix (2?) cabinet thingy at the alley, and naturally, I showed off my home-practiced skills on difficult mode and was the life of the party. Dancing games are all the same. Oh, and I was wearing a bright blue hawaiin shirt. Very fitting.

    But the thing is, even though I can play the game for free at home, for as long as I like, I still couldn't resist sticking in a quid and having a quick go on a proper dance 'mat'. The flashing lights, coupled with buttons which don't sag when you step on them, and the booming music, was great. And I had fun playing the game, even if I get bored of my own dance mat and games. It's this kind of spontaneous, total immersion that you simply can't get at home, which I think will keep the arcade from dying out altogether. I just can't resist wasting my money on pointless arcade games.

    I say pointless, but in all honesty, I'd rather have 40 goes on various arcade machines in an arcade, than spend ?40 on an arcade conversion at home which I won't get the same amount of enjoyment out of. You know what I mean. Arcade machines have come a long way since the joystick/6 button cabinets (don't know what they're called), and as long as machines get more imaginative I think arcades will stay alive. I hear the naysayers singing the arcade's death, but it won't happen.

    Though consoles can pretty much match the graphics of arcades now, they can't, however, match the atmosphere, nor the peripherals. I don't see a huge sniper rifle joining Silent Scope 3 for release, nor do I see the perfectly balanced and (IMO) well designed standing-styled Crazy Taxi and 18 wheeler cabinets. All there is to offer on home consoles are bright blue light-guns (no foot pedal, though), and poorly constructed steering wheels.

    What am I getting at? Well, really, I just enjoyed my little 'dance' earlier today that I had to say it. But I don't think arcades are going down. Sure, they are nowhere near as popular as they once were, and the big gangs of townies barricading Sega Park are a turnoff, but as long as there are huge plastic replica tank-turrets, and flashing traffic lights, I will, at least, keep going to the arcades.

    #2
    Exactly why I am a big fan of arcades and spend far too much time in them.

    One of the key arguments against arcades seems to be that the home consoles can now perfectly recreate the visual aspects of the arcade, so therefore the arcades no longer have a place. Well I'm sorry but that is bull****. The appeal of arcade games, for me personally, has never been the fancier graphics that the home consoles couldn't replicate. It's more the whole arcade 'experience'. The fancy, extravagent controllers and cabs, the constantly evolving and varied challengers and the crowd awareness of knowing when you are watching someone special, and equally knowing when you have earned some respect from those watching you who are impressed with your skills.

    Admittedly, many have attempted to take the varied controllers into the home, and whilst marginally successful, still can't compare to the 'real' thing. Dance games, as you point out, are a good example. When I still played DDR (moved onto PIU now) I started at home, and the mat controller (Official Konami DC one) seemed pretty good, and I assumed that the problems I had wth the game was my poor moves. However, as soon as I played at Namco Station, I realised the home mat was letting me down. The 'stage' in the arcade was so much more responsive, and somewhat slidey helping transition to one step from another. I couldn't play at home again. (On a related note the official PIU PC mat is very good, but still doesn't quite reach the level of it's arcade brother).

    Similarly with other types of games. Home Time Crisis had some awesome conversions from a technical point of view, but the experience wasn't the same, due to the lack of a recoil and pedal. And as for the 2 player mode of TC2, split screen? What was Namco thinking? HOTD3 is another title that worries me. Sidez says the XB version is pretty good with the standard pad, but I can't imagine playing it without the overly extravagent pump action shotgun that's chained to the cab. Similarly, Namco probably didn't convert Crisis Zone to PS2 as they realised the use of a standard lightgin would limit the appeal somewhat.

    Like yourself, I don't see arcades going anywhere for the time being. However, all it takes is the last few major developers who are involed in arcades to pull out and thre won't be much left.

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      #3
      I need a good arcade near me does any one live in the coventry area please?

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