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Clacton-on-Sea & Walton-on-the-Naze Arcade Update

October 4, 2016, 8:43 am
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We had a couple of days away at a caravan park in Clacton and once again checked out the arcades.  There have been a couple of changes since our last visit, with some interesting new additions.

Clacton-on-Sea
Lost Land Adventure - 2014



This cool shooting game from Bandai Namco Entertainment is a new addition at the arcade/bowling alley just across the road from Clacton pier. The game reminds me of Let’s Go Jungle!, but with a bit more of an Indiana Jones vibe.  The game utilises dome screen technology similar to Star Wars Battle Pod, but with a larger dome screen.  The game was good fun and the puzzle elements made a nice change.



Operation G.H.O.S.T. - 2012



It was good to see Sega’s sequel to Ghost Squad still present.   I’ve only ever seen it in a couple of arcades.



Walton-on-the-Naze


I really like Walton-on-the-Naze.  On a nice summers day the beach is great, provided you catch it at the right time with the tide out.  Walton pier has fairground rides, a reasonably priced chip shop, and quite a few videogames.

I had a couple of credits on OutRun2 SP DLX.  On my last visit, the rear projection screen was in very poor condition, making the game virtually unplayable.  Since then the cab has received a LCD upgrade.  The game played well and was proving popular on the day.




Shh…!  Welcome to Frightfearland! - Panic Museum 2 - 2011




A new addition to Walton pier.  Developed by Gamewax and Taito, this is a fun shooting game with a cool theme, and one which is rarely seen.



It was also cool to see Rapid River, another new addition since my last visit.



This Tokyo Cop cab looked in a bit of a sorry state, tucked away in a corner.



Here are some more pics of the Walton pier arcade.





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Article 0

November 28, 2016, 7:15 am
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LincolnshireCoast 2 Coast

During the summer hols, we had four nights in a caravan in Skegness.  We checked out the nearby seaside towns.  This resulted in lots of arcades, ice cream and fish n chips!  The arcades had some nice surprises, both old and new.

Day 1 – Imgoldmells


Planet Fun had a great selection of modern dedicated cabinets. 


Some pinball tables on the first floor.


Hopping Road – 2009




Hopping Road must have had a very limited Western release.  I’ve only ever seen it in a couple of arcades, including the Trocedero shortly before it closed.  The game released in 2009 on Taito Type X2 hardware.



Hopping Road was a definite hit with my wife and daughter.


It was also nice to see Afterburner Climax SDLX and two Sega F355 Challenge DLX triple screen cabinets.



The other arcades along the strip weren’t as good, but it was nice to have some credits on The Lost World.



P’s Attack, a gun shooting game by Korean developer Uniana.


FantasyIsland had a nice four player Daytona set up, although unfortunately the seat movement wasn’t working.  I love how the intro is split across the four screens.


There were also a couple of pinball tables.


Day 2 – Cleethorpes


Severely hung over, we headed to Cleethorpes.  Hangovers definitely seem to be getting worse the older I get.  Fortunately it was a nice sunny day and I had a couple of hours chilling on the beach to get over it.  I had a nap and found my wife and daughter had been keeping themselves entertained by covering me with sand and putting crabs on me.  After an ice cream I was fully recuperated and we headed for the arcades.

Cool Riders - 1994


There weren’t a huge selection of videogames, but it was nice seeing Cool Riders, a pretty obscure Sega game I had never seen before.  With a light hearted tone, eight selectable motorcycles and a choice of routes, the game has a similar premise to OutRunners.  There is even a radio giving the player a choice of tracks, including ‘Born To Be Wild’ and ‘Theme of Love’ from Hang-On!


The game uses digitised graphics and is the only game to run on Sega System H1 hardware.


Unfortunately the steering was slightly off and the monitor was in need of a bit of adjustment, but the game was still playable and good fun.


There was a nice Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga 20 Year Reunion cabinet amongst the fruit machines and grabbers.



Every self respecting seaside arcade should have OutRun2!



We also enjoyed a couple of credits on Let’s Go Island.


We rounded off the day nicely with fish n chips at the ‘Leaking Boot Restaurant & Chippie’ on the seafront.

Day 3 - Mablethorpe
We had a nice morning having a look round The Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary and Wildlife Centre, and checked out the beach and arcades in the afternoon.

There was an awesome OutRun2SP DX set up.  The game was one pound per credit, the monitors were good and the sound was cranked up nice and loud.  We had a few credits on this.  Or more accurately, I played it until I finally beat my wife!


Luigi’s Mansion Arcade


Luigi’s Mansion Arcade was a nice surprise.  It was the first time I’d seen one of these.


Who you gonna call?


I’m not familiar with the Gamecube version, but the game was fun and certainly different.


Some old classics reinvented.



It was cool having a couple of credits on RainbowIslands in an arcade in an English seaside town, even if it was emulation. 


Whilst not my favourite in the series, this Sega Rally 3 DLX set up in a nearby holiday camp was impressive.


Day 4 – Chapel St. Leonard’s
There wasn’t much old or noteworthy in the main arcades.  The best finds were these tucked away in the back corner of ‘The Happy Days Club’. 


These were the oldest machines we came across during our holiday.  It was cool to see Final Lap 3.  Unfortunately the Electrocoin cab wasn’t working.


We stopped by the little café next door to ‘The Happy Days Club’ for some breakfast, and then checked out a few of the local holiday camps.  Golden Palm Resort arcade had a very nice selection of modern games, including After Burner Climax, Chase H.Q.2, OutRun2 and Star Wars Battle Pod as well as a couple of pinball tables.




Chase H.Q.2 - 2006



It was great to finally play the 2 player linked battle mode.  Select the stage and compete to capture the target car first.  The player who does the final damage to the target car wins, great fun!


Star Wars BattlePod Flat Screen Edition - 2015


This is the first time I’ve seen the Flat Screen Edition.  With a 42” LCD screen and cool aesthetics, the game still feels very immersive.  However it does seem easier than the regular pod version and I managed to finally complete Vader’s Revenge without too much trouble.



Sonic returns to the arcades!


Day 5 – Skegness


The arcades along ‘Skecvegas’ seafront had the usual selection of modern games, including Operation G.H.O.S.T. and OutRun2SP DX.  I had hoped to find an old classic tucked away in the corner, but there was nothing old.  Not even the seaside town staple that is Daytona USAcould be found.  The oldest videogames were at the backend of the pier, and included 500 GP, Alien Extermination, Star Wars Trilogy and Thrill Drive 2. 


Skegness Pier also had these pinball tables.


World’s Largest Pac-Man - 2016
The World’s Largest Pac-Man in the PleasureBeach arcade was pretty cool.



Galaga Assault – 2016


Wow a new 2D shooter in a modern arcade!  Sort of. 



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December 23, 2016, 5:31 am
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Arcade Club


We recently made another visited to the awesome Arcade Club.  The arcade has a lot of new additions since my last visit, including quite a few titles I had never played before.  Here is a walk round video of the main floor.


My gaming highlights, in no particular order.

Moon Patrol – Irem - 1982


This is one I’d never played before.  The controls are great and I love the physics of the buggy.  The game feels entirely fair and has that ‘one more go’ quality.  Awesome cabinet art as well.


Mechanized Attack – SNK – 1989


It’s been years since I’ve played this.  I enjoyed a run through, and saw the ‘You are dead!’ message quite a bit!  The visuals are great, with awesome Terminator inspired enemies.


Total Carnage – Midway - 1992


It was great to have a few credits on this Smash TV sequel.  I only ever saw this in one arcade back in the day, The Majestic, Great Yarmouth.



Vendetta – Konami – 1991


A fun scrolling beat-em-up with lots of nice touches.  I particularly liked the bucket.  Not a conventional weapon, but kick the bucket and it will land on an enemy’s head, causing him to roam about like a headless chicken!



These four-player dedicated cabinets were everywhere in the nineties, but it’s the first time I’ve seen a dedicated Vendetta.

Monkey Mole Panic – Taito – 1992


Basically a videogame version of Whack-a-Mole.  It’s the first time I’ve seen this Electrocoin cabinet.  Great fun, especially in multiplayer. 


Mercs – Capcom – 1990


I don’t recall seeing this game in the arcades, but remember renting the Megadrive version from the local video shop.  Awesome game, I love the control panel art.



Zaxxon -  Sega - 1982


Another arcade first for me.  I enjoyed playing this isometric shooter, but the more I played, the worse I seemed to get.  The joystick did feel a little clunky.  Yes that’s right, I’m blaming the joystick for my poor performance!



BurgerTime – Data East – 1982


Great fun and addictive, but never have fried eggs and hot dogs been so infuriating!  I love the control panel and side art.



Tapper – Bally Midway – 1983



Serve beer and collect empty glasses and tips, much more fun than it sounds!  Another title I’ve only played at Arcade Club.



I love how the cabinet is designed to look and feel like a bar, with possibly the best control panel ever!


Osman – Mitchell Corp - 1996
It was great to see this rare and beautiful spiritual sequel to Strider.  The artwork really is stunning, but the game is punishingly difficult if you stick to the one credit rule.  I actually have this game, and really need to get this in a cab and spend some time with it.


The awesome line up of Electrocoin cabinets takes me right back to how I remember arcades back in the day.


Some more pics of Arcade Club.









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EAG International Expo 2017

January 18, 2017, 1:03 pm
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This was my first visit to EAG Expo, the annual trade show for the amusement industry, held at the ExCel London Exhibition Centre.  The show encompasses all aspects of the industry, including gambling and redemption.  But it was the video games I came here for, and there was a decent selection of new releases on display.  Best of all, all the games were set to free play.

Daytona Championship USA - Sega


Without doubt the game I was most excited about.  The cabinet itself is very striking, with its 47” LED screen, video billboard marquee, engine under the seat and cool lighting effects.





The game was great fun and proved popular throughout the show.  The music is a slightly reworked version of the original and just as catchy!


The game has six tracks - two beginner, two advanced and two expert.  The two expert tracks were not available for play at the show.  This build was 75% complete.




Below is some game footage.

Daytona International Speedway– Beginner


LakesideCastle– Advanced


DinosaurCanyon– Advanced ‘Classic’


The game currently uses an ‘up / down’ gear shifter.


Whilst the game feels more like a reboot and doesn’t stray too far from the original, I can’t wait to see Daytona back in the arcades.  I hope it’s a success and paves the way for the return of more Sega franchises.


The Walking Dead – Play Mechanix / Raw Thrills



The game was great fun and proved very popular.  I’m not familiar with the show, but this didn’t hamper my enjoyment.  The cross bow controller complete with reload feature is very cool and worked well.  As the player progressed, there was a selection of weapons that could be picked up, including hammer, nail gun and stilson.  I liked the mixture of being inundated by zombies and the relentless shooting, and ‘bullet time’ action events requiring precision shots.


Cruis ‘n Blast – Raw Thrills / Nintendo




This is definitely more of a fantasy racer.  Pressing the tunes button reveals the ‘hidden’ vehicles, which include a London bus, helicopter and a triceratops.  One level saw me racing a triceratops through Londonon top of a train whilst avoiding the London Eye.  Yes really.



Space Invaders Frenzy – Raw Thrills


Whilst the game keeps the Space Invaders theme, the gameplay of the original is exchanged for relentless shooting.


Ghost Busters – ICE / Play Mechanix / Raw Thrills


Shoot ping pong balls at ghosts and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.  I love Ghost Busters, and this was something different and good fun.


Mario & Sonic At The Rio 2016 Olympic Games Arcade Edition – Nintendo / Sega


A bit like track and field, but were you actually have to run!

Electrocoin
Sadly there were no videogames on the Electrocoin stand, but they did have some nice new pinball releases on display.


Heighway Pinball
I was looking forward to playing Alien pinball, but unfortunately it had some teething problems.





The show even had a couple of classics.





Please Zoltar, I’m really happy to see a new Daytona, but can we have OutRun3?


There seems to be a boom in gaming aimed at the really young. 


I’m sure my four year old daughter would have loved it here and kind of regret not bringing her along.  One such game was ‘Let’s Go Safari’, by Sega.  The player drives and learns about animals, and even had a button to set off fireworks!


Some freebies I managed to grab.  Check out that Daytona water!


Some more pics of the show.





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Weston-super-Mare

February 16, 2017, 4:13 am
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On an unusually warm Christmas Eve, we ventured down to Weston-super-Mare.

Grand Pier

“The ultimate 21st Century indoor theme park”, proclaims the Grand Pier website.  In addition to amusements, there are various fair ground type rides and attractions, giving it an almost Sega Joypolis vibe.


The pier has a good selection of modern games, as well as a surprising number of dedicated cabs from the nineties which was great to see.  All the machines I played were in nice condition and fully working, although the pinball table playfields looked pretty dirty.







Tank! Tank! Tank! – Bandai Namco – 2009


It was great to see this four player Tank! Tank! Tank! set up.  The pseudo sequel to Namco’s awesome Tokyo Wars, the game is great fun.



F1 Simulator – Cruden B.V.


It was the first time I had seen F1 Simulator.  This motion based simulator has been developed by the Dutch company Cruden B.V., a designer and manufacturer of driving simulators for the automotive, motorsport and marine industries. 


I would love to tell you how awesome it was, but the game didn’t go down all that well after just having an all you can eat Chinese buffet in town.

The House of the Dead, THOTD2 and THOTDIII – Sega AM1 / WOW Entertainment – 1996, 1998 and 2002 respectively


Far more palatable was this House of the Dead trio. 


It was great to see these cabs side by side, and I had a few credits on the original.  The game played well and the sound was nice and loud.  With its gruesome visuals and cheesy voice acting, the game is still loads of fun.  However I couldn’t help thinking that they really need to add the fourth game to the line-up.

Something old, something new.


There were two of these Space Invader cabs on site.  Both machines had received LCD conversions.

The pier has a nice range of attractions and we really enjoyed our afternoon there.

There are two arcades along the road opposite the pier.  They didn’t have anything of note videogame wise, but they did have these two new pinball tables.


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Let's Do the Timewarp Arcade Again

March 2, 2017, 9:29 am
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Timewarp Arcade in Bridgwater, Somersethas a great selection of titles from the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s as well as some pretty obscure gems.  To quote Timewarp Arcade, “Our aim is to provide a nice mix of known classics as well as those unusual and slightly random games that didn’t get home conversions or you won’t find on Mame.” 




My gaming highlights include Club Kart: European Session DLX, Crazy Taxi, League Bowling, Ninja Baseball Batman, Rave Racer, Rolling Extreme, SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time and Terra Diver.




Rolling Extreme / ROLLing eX.tr.me (Street Luge) – Gaelco - 1999


It was the first time I had ever come across Rolling Extreme. Developed by the Spanish company Gaelco, the game has the player racing on a street luge, leaning the seat to steer and punching opponents out of the way.  The game is a lot of fun and certainly different!


Vapor TRX – Atari Games – 1998


I really want to play Vapor TRX.  A futuristic racer, the game and cabinet seem heavily inspired by S.T.U.N. Runner.  The later Atari games are pretty rare these days.  The game is currently out of order and awaiting repairs. 


As well as arcade machines, the arcade also has pool tables, air hockey, pinball tables, a dance machine, and retro and modern consoles. 


The entry price is £6.50 per person and all the machines are on free-play.  With a welcoming atmosphere, great value and something for everyone, I had an awesome time at Timewarp Arcade and am already looking forward to my next visit.

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New Arrival – Chase H.Q.2 Upright

March 16, 2017, 9:48 am
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About The Cab
Chase H.Q.2 was released in 2007.  The game had a fairly limited release, and it wasn’t until 2013 that I finally played it, having stumbled across a machine in the departure lounge at Lutonairport.  It then took me another couple of years to track down a nice Chase H.Q.2 upright cab in fully working condition.  I’ve seen quite a few sit down machines over the years, but the upright is more scarce.  I have heard that just twenty of the upright cabinets were produced.  The game is great fun and an awesome modern update of the original.



Here are some pics of the internals.



A look at the Taito Type X+ hardware.  I like how the mobo sits on its own shelf which slides out easily. 




The Good
-The cab is fully working!
-The cab is solid, well built and in excellent condition overall.
-No someone hasn’t scrapped the monitor and fitted a LCD, it was like that from factory.  It’s a 23” Happ TFT LCD.  Because of the LCD the machine is fairly compact.


- I love how the cabinet design is similar to the original classic, right down to the flashing pursuit lights.
-Overall the side artwork is very nice.  I love how Taito pays homage to their history!


-The force feedback steering works perfectly.
-The cab is nice and clean inside.   
-It came complete with keys
-Take a look at Nancy.  What’s not to like!

The Not So Good
-Unfortunately the steering panel overlay is missing.  I’m also on the lookout for the pop card/topper and instruction manual.
-There are a few areas where the side art edges have some wear.
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Interview with Maasaki Kukino

March 28, 2017, 7:34 am
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Chase H.Q. is one of my favourite arcade games. I remember playing the sit down cabinet down the seaside with my Grandparents back in the late eighties. There had been a number of semi sequels and spin offs, but it wasn’t until 2007 that a true sequel was released, almost two decades later.


Produced by Gamewax, Chase H.Q.2 is great fun and an awesome modern update of the original. The game was designed by Maasaki Kukino, a true veteran in the arcade industry.


Chase H.Q.2 at the ATEI 2007 show in London.



Mr Kukino worked for Konami between 1986 and 2003, and his portfolio includes Haunted Castle, Crime Fighters, Asterix, Run and Gun, and Silent Scope. In 2003 Mr Kukino joined Gamewax and directed/designed Valve Limit, Akuma, and Chase H.Q.2. In 2007 Mr Kukino joined SNK Playmore and produced King of Fighters XII and XIII, left in 2011 to work for a Chinese games developer Wahlep Tec, and in 2013 returned to SNK Playmore. In 2015 he left the company again to work for video game developer Sotsu.

I recently got in touch with Mr Kukino and he has kindly agreed to answer some questions regarding Chase H.Q.2 and his time in the industry.

Dear Japan, Arcades & Gaming 

My name is Masaaki Kukino. 
Sorry for my late reply. 
I am pleased to answer you! 
Please check to the following answer.

What are your memories of the original Chase H.Q. arcade release?
I was working for Konami when original Chase H.Q. arcade was released. It's game concept was so amazing! It was not only a racing game, it was "a car chase game". Chase H.Q. was a threat to our game.

What led to the decision to make a sequel to Chase H.Q.?
TAITO decided. TAITO asked it to GAMEWAX.

How long was Chase H.Q.2 in development and how large was the development team?
It took approximately six months. But we were under development, TAITO largely changed the game design. The development team was 3 artists and 2 programmers.

Was there any input or involvement with developers of the original Chase H.Q.?
No.

Do you have any sketches or concept art for Chase H.Q.2 that you would be willing to share?
Sorry,Because we were given development in trust, TAITO owns all copyrights.

Were there any ideas which didn’t make it into the final game?
I had lots of ideas. I would like to make it more exiting and I want more impacts. But we had no time..... And when it was under development, I left GAMEWAX. I still regret it.

What was the most challenging aspect of making Chase H.Q.2.?
Car action such as the film.

I have read that there were different versions of Chase H.Q.2 released. Please can you verify this and tell us about the differences?
Sorry,I don't know.

How did you find living and working in London during your time with Gamewax?
When I worked for Konami, we planned making a video game studio in London. And a Japanese guy founded the company. I'd like to live in London again. Because London is so exciting and beautiful city for me. I love everything of UK. Even bad weather!

What are your favourite arcade and console games?
Hahaha! my games. SILENT SCOPEs, Crime Fighters, Asterix, Run and Gun, Winding Heat, Racing Jam...everything!

Of all the games you have produced, which one are you most proud of?
SILENT SCOPE!


Finally please can you tell us a little bit about the projects you a currently involved with.
I am making a mobile game. It is the 80s arcade beat'em-up style game with my pixel art. We will release it in Christmas! (2016)

This is the article about my new game. http://mag.mo5.com/actu/96357/enter-the-kaiju-la-revanche-du-beat-em-up-16-bit-sur-mobiles/


Regards,

Masaaki Kukino
Many thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. And many thanks for producing so many excellent titles which I’m sure will be enjoyed by gamers for many years to come.
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The Four Quarters East

April 18, 2017, 8:23 am
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I recently checked out the new branch of the Four Quarters in Hackney Wick, East London.  Located by a quiet canal, it’s a stark contrast to the busy streets of Peckham. 


The new venue has a nice selection of arcade titles.  Like the Peckham branch, the arcade games are set at one quarter per credit, with quarters available from the bar priced at four for a pound. 


The bar is well stocked with a good selection of draft beers and cocktails.  I even spied some quality Japanese whiskies. 


Here are my gaming highlights.

Donkey Kong – Nintendo - 1981
Donkey Kong cocktail on a Donkey Kong cocktail cab! 


I have recently picked up a Donkey Kong cab which needs a bit of work, so it was great to get some practice in.  Unfortunately Donkey Kong’s Tropical Punch didn’t improve my game, but it did contribute to an impressive hangover the next day.

Narc – Midway – 1988


Take to the streets and kill all the digitized bad guys as you take on The Drug War.  This couldn’t be further from the pixel perfect precision gameplay of Donkey Kong, and seemed far more agreeable after a few beers and cocktails.  I had wanted to play Narc ever since seeing it in Shredder’s layer in the original Turtles movie.



Lucky & Wild – Namco - 1992


Chase H.Q. meets Operation Wolf in this fantastic Namco classic. 


Super Hang-On – Sega AM2 – 1987


It was great to play this Yu Suzuki ‘Super Scaler’ 80’s classic.  I love the cabinet design.


The Electrocoin Neo Geo MVS cab had a nice selection of titles, including Aero Fighters 2, Fatal Fury 2, King of Fighters ’98, Metal Slug X, Neo Turf Masters and Pop ‘n Bounce.



The Nintendo, Sega and Sony console booths proved popular.


The venue also has some cool pinball tables.



With a fantastic selection of arcade games, a great vibe and friendly staff, and an excellent range of beers and cocktails, I had an awesome time at The Four Quarters East.

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Dorset Coast 2 Coast

May 7, 2017, 10:42 am
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This time work took me to Portland, and I had a chance to check out some arcades during my time there.

Bournemouth Pier Update


The pier has an excellent selection of modern titles, including Dark Escape 4D, JurassicPark, Moto GP, Star Wars Battle Pod, Storm Racer G, Terminator Salvation, The House of the Dead 4 and Time Crisis 5.  The arcade was very popular, with a lot of families visiting the arcade.  I enjoyed a couple of credits on Storm Racer G, Time Crisis 5 Mastermind Edition and Ghost Busters pinball.


Since my last visit, Star Wars Battle Pod had been replaced by two Flat Screen Editions set up for multiplayer.


It was the first time I’ve seen Storm Racer G, by Wahlap Tech. 


  
MotoGP, by Raw Thrills is another new addition since my last visit.



The arcade still has an impressive selection of pinball tables. 


The line-up has altered slightly since my last visit, with the excellent Ghost Busters replacing X-Men.






Swanage
Funworld arcade on the seafront had a fair selection of modern games.


Weymouth

The Pier Bandstand


I visited this arcade a couple of times after work, only to find it was closed.  I phoned them up and enquired about the opening hours, and was told it closes between half five and six depending on how busy they are.  I finished work a bit early to check it out.

In the window was this very clean Pac-Mania cab.  The Op said it was working as well, so not to sure why it wasn’t running?  Update: Since my visit, the Pac-Mania ‘window display’ is now back with an arcade collector, the same person who originally sold the cab to the arcade.


In the arcade I had a couple of credits on The House of the Dead, THOTDIII and Alien Extermination.  The calibration of THOTD gun was way off and I got killed by the first zombie, but the other games played well and in good condition. 




It was the first time I’d seen a Pac-Man Battle Royale cocktail cabinet outside Japan.



Harry’s Amusements
Lucky & Wild and Ridge Racer 2 were nice surprises.


The Ridge Racer 2 was in excellent condition for its age and played well.


The arcade also had some pinball tables.


Royal Arcade Amusements
It’s always good to see an OutRun2.  The LCD conversion was horrible, but the game was still perfectly playable.


FantasyIsland, Bowleaze Cove
Other than Sega Rally 2 DLX and The House of the Dead 4, there was not much to report here.


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New Arrival – Bally / Midway Mappy

May 17, 2017, 5:59 am
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THE ULTIMATE CAT-AND-MOUSE GAME!


About The Cab
Mappy is a bit of an odd one.  I never played it back in the day and the cabinet wasn’t on my radar, but Mappy is now one of my favourite cabs in my collection. 

 



Mappy was developed by Namco in 1983 and distributed in the US by Bally / Midway.  The cab even has all the original license stickers from when it was on site at Illinois.

 

“The player takes the role of a police mouse called Mappy.  You must retrieve stolen goods from a mansion of crooked cats, Mewkies and their cat crime boss Nyamco.  Mappy can use doors, bells, and even microwaves to slow them down.  How can Mappy and the cat crime syndicate move between floors?  Why trampolines of course!  The house is full of them.”  I would have loved to be at Namco HQ when the idea was pitched!  It sounds a bit crazy, but the game is great fun and very addictive.

 

The cab is a bit of a beast and the design borders slightly on ridiculous, but I absolutely love it.  Just Jr. Pac-Man shares a similar cabinet design.  The artwork is great and the oversized marquee gives it a really unique look.


I really like the mix of cartoon style and pixel artwork.


The Good
-It’s a US Mappy!
-The cab is in nice original condition, solid and fully working.
-The monitor is a Wells-Gardner K4600 and the picture is great.
-I love the cabinet design, artwork and oversized marquee.
-The glass bezel is in great condition with very little flaking.
-The cab has nice side art, and good T-moulding.
-The cab is extremely clean inside.


-The coin door paintwork is in good condition.
-It came complete with keys.

The Not So Good
-The monitor has some light burn, although this is not visible through the perspex screen cover.
-The back door lock is missing, and is currently secured by screws.
-There is rust on the transformer block / fuse holder.
-There are some small marks from general wear and tear, and some slight wear on the edges of the side art.
-The marquee and bezel are a little faded.
-Hey, come on, this cab is over thirty years old!
-In fact scrap ‘The Not So Good’, I love it!

Now here is the mystery part.  When I was wheeling the cab into my games room, I tipped the cab back on the sack barrow and my wife noticed this artwork on the bottom.

 

I had read that Bally / Midway used to recycle cabinet parts.  After asking on Ukvac, it turns out that the art is from Solar Fox, a cool looking space shooter and a Pac-Man type game all in one.  Released in 1981, it seems the game is pretty uncommon and wasn't all that popular. 


A massive thanks to Muddymusic (Ukvac) for this awesome cab.
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Daytona Championship USA Hits The Arcades!

July 2, 2017, 9:00 am
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A local arcade in Great Yarmouth, The Golden Nugget now has a Daytona Championship USA twin set up.  It’s great to see the new Daytona hitting the arcades and I have dropped plenty of gold coins into it to give it a thorough testing. 

Below are my thoughts on the game and some general observations.

Cabinet Design
The cabinet is very striking, with its video billboard marquee, engine under the seat and cool colour changing LED lighting. 




The 47” HD LED screen provides a very immersive experience, although it does seem susceptible to glare and light reflections.

A pic of the cab shortly after arrival.


The cabinet utilises some parts from older Sega cabinets.  The gear shifter and foot pedal assembly are identical parts to those used on my OutRun2.



Graphics and Sound
Although the visuals don’t break new ground, the game does look good.  With bright, vibrant visuals and blue skies, the game is unmistakably Sega.


Three-Seven Speedway still features Sonic engraved into the side of the cliff face.  The slot machine banners are now absent.


The Jeffry statue on Seaside Street Galaxy has now been replaced with Akira.

The music is good with some nice remixes of the original Takenobu Mitsuyoshi tunes.

Video Billboard Marquee
A ‘Live-TV’ inspired video board allows spectators to see what’s happening in the race.  It also incorporates a live camera feed.  The billboard is a nice feature and really makes the cab stand out.


Gear Shifter
The cab still has the ‘up / down’ shifter as shown at EAG.  It looks as though Sega have made allowances in the design so that a four speed H-type shifter could be fitted. 


Tracks
Despite the all new cab and graphics, the game feels instantly familiar.  In addition to the three updated tracks from the original, there are three new ones.  The game now features two beginner, two advanced and two expert tracks.  Beginner comprises of eight laps, advanced six laps and expert one lap.  The new beginner track is Daytona International Speedway.  The track is very similar to Three-Seven Speedway and based on the newly renovated Daytona track. 


The new advanced track is Lakeside Castle Speedway.  The track is a mirrored version Dinosaur Canyon and features a picturesque moated castle, a purple sky sunset and fire works. 

The new expert track is Metro City International Raceway.  The track is Seaside Street Galaxy mirrored and features a cityscape, giving it a bit of a Ridge Racer vibe.

Gameplay
In single player there are two modes of play - Quick Race and Championship. 


On Quick Race, the aim is to beat the fastest time of the chosen track.  On Championship, the player must get in the top three in order to qualify for the next race.  This is no mean feat and so far I haven’t managed to get beyond the first race.

Overall
Daytona Championship USA is bound to divide opinion.  The game is more of a reboot, and those hoping for a fully fledge sequel may be disappointed.  The game has a strong nostalgia factor and is fun for casual and more serious gamers alike.  Personally I’m really enjoying it and happy to see Daytona back in the arcades.

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New Arrival - Atari Klax Cabaret

July 17, 2017, 6:21 am
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IT IS THE NINETIES AND THERE IS TIME FOR...

About The Cab
It seemed like this cab was for sale forever on Ebay and on Jamma+ and Ukvac arcade forums.  In the end I decided to buy it mainly for my wife, with Klax being one of her favourite games.  Plus I thought it would be cool having an Atari cab and would bring something a bit different to my collection.  When the cab arrived, I was short of space and it ended up behind the TV in the lounge for a while.  Then we moved house and all my cabs were put into storage during the transition.  Finally Klax takes pride of place in my new games room. 


The cab was made in Ireland, Tipperary town. 


Interestingly it looks like the cab has been operated in Germany, with Deutsche Marks on the coin inserts.

The Good
-The cab is fully working!
-There are some small marks from general wear and tear, but the cab is generally in excellent condition.


-The monitor is a Wells-Gardner, Model No. 19K7901, and the picture is great with no noticeable burn.


-Being a cabaret, the cab is nice and compact.
-The cab is funky, with nice side art and chrome T-moulding.
-The bezel is in great condition.
-The cab is extremely clean inside.  Other than a bit of a hoover up inside the base, I haven’t had to do anything to it.


-The instruction card is intact and attached to the rear door.
-It came complete with manual and keys
-With the cab being Jamma standard there is always the option to put other one button puzzle games in there as well.  

The Not So Good
-There is some slight cigarette burn on the left hand side of the control panel.
-A small section of side art on the right hand side has started to peel away.
-The coin door key is missing and one of the locks is missing the latch.
-My wife is very good at the game, and I’m not.

A massive thanks to Danscu (Ukvac) for this cab, I’m really pleased to add it to my collection.
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Broad Farm Touring Caravan Park & Campsite Re-visit

August 13, 2017, 4:21 am
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We recently went down to Broad Farm in Fleggburgh, Norfolkto check out a band and see if there had been any changes to the arcade.


Something has survived!  On my last visit The Lost World was out of order, it was nice to see it up and running again.


For some reason the shooter line up and Dirty Harry pinball table were switched off.




The ‘arcade graveyard’ section remains largely unchanged, although the Crazy Taxi cabinet has gone.





It turns out there is another arcade next to the bar area.  This comprised mostly of fruit machines, but the awesome Virtua Racing was a nice surprise.


Unfortunately the left monitor wasn’t working and the machine was a little worn around the edges.  However Sega Model 1 machines are a rare find these days and it was great to see one still being operated.





I can’t comment on the band.  My daughter was getting pretty tired and grumpy, and we ended up going home before they had even finished setting up.


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Arcades in Herne Bay, Kent

August 31, 2017, 9:39 am
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During the holidays we travelled down to Kent and spent a few nights in a caravan at Romney Sands.  On our way down to Romney, we stopped off at Herne Bay and checked out the arcades.

Caine’s Amusements


Located close to Herne Pier, this arcade has a good selection of the latest releases as shown at EAG Expo 2017, including Cruis‘n Blast, Space Invaders Frenzy and The Walking Dead.


It’s great to see Space Invaders back in the arcades.  Although it’s more of a ticket redemption game, I love the frantic gameplay and can’t resist a go whenever I see one.



It was the first time I’ve seen After Dark DLX, a fun fantasy-themed shooter released by UNIS / Universal Space in 2013.


With two gun turrets and a steering wheel for steering / dodging events, the set up is almost identical to Namco’s Dead Storm Pirates.  This deluxe version also features a motion seat.


Here is a video of the game.


Talk of the Town


The first machines you encounter in this arcade are Sega Rally 2 and Le Mans 24.  I enjoyed a couple of credits on Le Mans 24, a Sega game you don’t see very often.  I had a race with my four year old daughter, who ended up driving the wrong way around the track whilst on fire.


Next up was The House of the Dead III and Time Crisis 3, the latter was switched off.


As we headed towards the back of the arcade there were some awesome surprises.


I could hardly believe it, an OutRun DLX!


The machine had been converted to Turbo OutRun.  I love the marquee topper and have never seen one of these before.


Although it was great to see an OutRun Turbo DLX, it was also a little sad to see it not working and unloved, gathering dust and being used to prop up fire extinguishers. 


The machine had some cosmetic wear and tear.  At some point in time ‘Jilly T’ had felt the urge to inscribe her name on the seat. 


Despite this, I’m sure that with a bit of tlc the machine could be restored back to its former glory.


Well I never thought I’d see Thunder Cross II in an English seaside town arcade in 2017!


This Sega Super Megalo 2 had a bit of an identity crisis, with Virtua Striker 2 side art, The King of Fighters ’98 instruction strips and Thunder Cross II installed in the cab. 


Unfortunately the rear projector screen was damaged and the colours washed out, rendering the game barely playable.


There were two Electrocoin Duet cabinets with Cosmo Gang the Video and Wonder Boy.


The Dr Who and Fish Tales pinball tables were both switched off.


Overall Talk of the Town was a cool arcade with some interesting game titles and machines that you just don’t see anymore, but it was a shame some of the machines were in a bit of a sorry state.
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Arcades in Deal, Kent

September 7, 2017, 3:22 pm
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On day two of our holiday at Romney Sands, we ventured down to Deal.  The first arcade we checked out was Pier Amusements on the seafront. 


The arcade featured mostly coin pushers and redemption machines.  However there was an OutRun2 twin as well as a Europa Jamma cabinet which had been converted into Lethal Enforcers II: Gun Fighters. 


After having fish n chips on the seafront, we went to Royal Leisure Centre. 


The arcade had some real classics.  There was a row of four Electrocoin Duet cabinets with a line-up of Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter II’ Championship Edition and Hyper Fighting and Track & Field.




Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker, The Simpsons and WF WrestleFest.


Four Trax, released by Namco in 1989.


A cool game I don’t recall seeing before.



The machines were in pretty good condition for their age.  The monitors were good and the games played well.  The only issue I had was the Moonwalker cab not accepting coins.  Towards the back of the arcade was a fruit machine graveyard.  There appears to be a N-Sub machine at the back behind them, a cool Sega game from 1980.


With Electrocoin cabinets complete with ashtrays, games 20p per credit, vintage arcade signs and the familiar sounds of Street Fighter II’ and The Simpsons, it really felt like re-visiting a nineties arcade.  



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Arcades in Dymchurch, Kent

September 14, 2017, 1:50 pm
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On day three of our holiday we ventured to Dymchurch, a small seaside village with a children’s amusement park, shops, cafes and sandy beach.  The journey from Romney was made on a one-third full size steam locomotive, part of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch railway collection.

 

Deck Amusements


The arcade has a nice selection of videogames, including some I had never seen before.


Behind Enemy Lines: Coalition Against Terrorism – Sega / Real3D – 1998


Virtua Cop meets Operation Wolf in this awesome shooter.  I was really happy to play it, having never seen one before.  The game runs on Sega Model 2C CRX hardware, and the cabinet design is very similar to Gunblade NY with two mounted gun turrets. 



Here is a video of the game.


Operation Thunderbolt – Taito – 1988


Another awesome shooter, but from a different era.  It was great to see this classic.  Besides the broken grenade buttons on the Uzi’s, the cabinet was in excellent condition.




Side By Side – Taito – 1996
A forerunner to the Battle Gear series, the game has a strong Initial D vibe with the player selecting Japanese sports cars to race downhill.  Another arcade first for me.



A video of the beginner course.


The Electrocoin Goliath, running Tekken looked in great condition.

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Bexhill Arcade, East Sussex

September 25, 2017, 1:50 pm
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On day four of our holiday we travelled down to Bexhill.  There is one arcade in Bexhill, mostly comprising of pushers and fruit machines.  The arcade is quite peculiar, with a large graveyard of classic machines stacked at one end of the arcade and just two videogames switched on.


Daytona USA twin and Operation Thunderbolt were the two workers.  Both were in great condition.




There was also Time Crisis on the arcade floor, but it was turned off.  I haven’t seen a working Time Crisis for a long time.  The cab looked in very good condition.




Games in the graveyard section include Championship Sprint, Hang-On, Lethal Enforcers II: Gun Fighters, OutRun, Racin’ Force, Speed Up twin, various Jamma cabinets and a couple of ‘interesting’ cab conversions.













The OutRun looked in nice condition and the side art looked almost perfect, but there was some serious cigarette burn on the bezel around the map.


Initially I thought this was originally a Street Fighter cab, but going by the shape it seems to be more like a converted X-Men cab.



An Atari System 1 cab converted to Mortal Kombat, complete with instructions!



Two pinball tables at the back behind the arcade machines.



In the building next door there are some even older machines.  The room is dilapidated, the machines seemingly sat untouched for years.  It looks like something out of a horror film and the term arcade graveyard is even more apt.  The below pics were taken through the window.



There is an Asteroids up against the window as well as Gorf.  There also appears to be an arcade machine to the left of Gorf and another at the end of the row of fruit machines, but it’s difficult to see what they are.


Gorf is another classic which has been mutilated with two joysticks on the control panel and a ‘New Video’ marquee.


I spoke to the employee in the arcade about the machines and he said they’ve been there for many years and that the owner may be selling some in the future.  So if you see anything which takes your fancy it might be worth getting in touch and making an offer!
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Norfolk Coast 2 Coast - 2017 Update

October 15, 2017, 3:13 pm
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Great Yarmouth


There have been a couple of new additions this year including Cruis ‘n Blast, Daytona Championship USA, Space Invaders Frenzy and The Walking Dead.

   






As well as the new Daytona, the original can still be found at Britannia Pier along with Sega Rally Championship.
   

  


   

Airline Pilots – Sega – 1999


A cool game and one you don’t see very often.  The game runs on Naomi hardware and the cabinet has throttle control, flaps and landing gear buttons.  There is also a DLX triple screen cabinet.  They had one on Southwold Pier, but I think it’s gone now.  Here is a video of my wife taking off a Boeing 777 and flying above Tokyo.


Aliens Extermination – Global VR – 2006
Having recently watched Alien Covenant, I was in the mood to blast some xenomorphs.  The game is good fun and really captures the feel of the Aliens movie, and the ammo counter on the guns is a nice touch.  I actually prefer it to the more recent Aliens Armageddon.


Some more pics taken along the seafront.

   


Pleasure Beach
The Pleasure Beach still has the oldest games along the seafront. 


   


I was pleasantly surprised to find that after many years Ridge Racer has finally been fixed!


The Simpsons – Konami – 1991

The oldest and one of the last few remaining traditional joystick games along the seafront.  I still remember the summer when the cabinet was first sited, with a crowd of people waiting patiently for a go.  The game has done well!



Sonic Blast Man, another game you don’t see very often anymore.




Carousel Amusements – Hemsby
It was great to see my favourite OutRun Midi cab still going strong.



Hermanus - Winterton-on-Sea

S.C.I.-Special Criminal Investigation – Electrocoin / Taito – 1989


I was really pleased to see Special Criminal Investigation cockpit cabinet still up and running.  I had a few credits and the game was fully working and played well.  I didn’t really notice before is how good the sound is on the cockpit version with the speaker positioned above the players head.  Here is a video of the game.


Sadly all the games were out of order except for The Simpsons upright, which has had a pretty poor LCD conversion.  I really hope S.C.I. doesn’t suffer the same fate.

Castaways Holiday Park - Bacton
The venue has been refurbished since my last visit.  Generally refurbishment doesn’t bode well for older games, but fortunately my concerns were unfounded with only Silent Scope EX disappearing from the line-up.


It was great to see my old favourite Chase H.Q. still up and running.  Unfortunately there were some graphical glitches, particularly round the black Porsche, but the game was still playable.



The Electrocoin Bar Line wasn’t working on my last visit, but has now been repaired.  The cab had a nice selection of Neo Geo MVS titles, including Aero Fighters 2, League Bowling, Puzzle Bobble, Shock Troopers, Tecmo World Soccer ’96 and Top Player’s Golf.


Unfortunately Street Fighter II’ was out of order.


Castaways seem keen on continuing to provide classic gaming with a modern multicade cocktail cab added to the line-up.


Grays Amusements – Mundesley


On my last visit most of the machines had faults and I was pleasantly surprised to find that some of these have been rectified.  At the back of the arcade they have Crisis Zone, Area 51, Tokyo Wars, Sega Rally 2, Star Wars Trilogy, Soul Surfer and Alpine Surfer.  All the games were working, except for Crisis Zone which was switched off.  The Sega Rally 2 twin has replaced the original Sega Rally.  It was great to see both monitors now working on Tokyo Wars and Star Wars Trilogy back up and running, although the controls were a bit off on the latter. 



Area 51 – Atari Games – 1995


You hardly ever see the later Atari games these games.  The game was good fun and played well.  I remember seeing this in all the arcades back in the day.  I was never a big fan, preferring to spend my money on Sega’s output, but appreciate it more now.  Here is a video of the game.


Soul Surfer – Sega Rosso – 2002


This is the only Soul Surfer machine I’ve ever seen.  The colours were pretty washed out (no pun intended!) on the rear projection screen, but the game was still playable.  It’s a Japanese import, complete with 100 Yen stickers!  The game runs on Sega Naomi 2 hardware.



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New Arrival - Donkey Kong: Part 1

October 26, 2017, 12:49 pm
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About The Cab


I love the look of these early Nintendo cabinets and Donkey Kong is an all time classic.  I had wanted one for a while, but unfortunately they rarely come up for sale on these shores.  I don’t think Nintendo distributed their early cabs in Europe, and I never saw Nintendo cabs back in the day other than the PlayChoice-10 and Nintendo Super System.  Here in the UK we had Crazy Kong, by Zaccaria as well as various bootlegs.


I purchased the cab from Ken / Fatsgt (Ukvac), a seller in the US, and the cab was shipped over.  This is an awesome service currently being offered by James / RGP.  The cab was sold as not working with the monitor not powering up.

I was surprised to see on the nameplate that the cabinet was made in Japan.  I have since learnt initially Donkey Kong was made in Japan only.  As Donkey Kong become more popular, Nintendo started making cabinets in the US to keep up with demand.  Interestingly Japanese built cabs were built with 9/16inch plywood, and the US version used 5/8inch particle board.


The Good
-It’s a Nintendo Donkey Kong!
-The cab is complete and in nice original condition with a few battle scars.  Just how I like my cabs!
-The Donkey Kong board looks in nice, clean condition.


-The bezel is in great condition with few scratches.
-The control panel is in good condition, just in need of a good clean and some new buttons.


-The sides are in very good condition.
-Although the side art has some small damaged areas, it’s 90% good and I’m inclined to leave it as is.

Right hand side

 

Left hand side

 

-The cab is very clean inside.


-The cab came with coin door and back door key.
-The adjustments sheet is still present on the back door.


The Not So Good
-It doesn’t work!
-A small section of plastic has been fitted to the front of the cab adjacent to the coin mech door, possibly to cover some damage?
-There are some small damages to the art and a couple of scrapes on the sides.


-The metal work looks a bit tired.  The coin door and marquee glass retainer strips will need re-painting.



-The coin mech faces are heavily scratched.
-There are some minor indentations on the T-moulding.
-There is an additional power cable going to the marquee light for some reason?

My aim with this restore is to return the cab to fully working condition, and to tidy it up whilst retaining originality as far as possible.
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