Seaside arcades

[Rygarman]

I don't think you have ever done a whole feature on the phenomena that was the 80s and 90s ..well 70s too I guess... arcade amusement parks. I loved the feature where people wrote in about old machines still existing among the new, and the damn fruit machines !... The way it is now makes me so sad.

What I would really love to see would be photos of them... my memories of going in them and seeing the moving, talking Space Harrier machine at the front that I never dared go on and walking in the slightly dark place full of electronic noise and lights and all those amazing games that just needed a ten pence coin to come alive ! Wow ... that is some retro nostalgia.

I have google image searched but it is almost impossible to find photos of the arcades, especially UK ones.... maybe readers have some they could send in??... them as kids on holiday in the arcades??... wish I had some.

Another thing I would like is photos of arcade machines... even just a gallery of them... with some info of company / dates etc... and/or the advertising fliers.

As you may tell... I love the arcade roots of gaming in general and would like more coverage of the machines.

Thanks !!
Stephen Westwood.

[Rygarman]

ahh.. lookin' round my computer (and photoshop) I found what seems to be a photo of a seaside arcade... though perhaps one from a different dimension? Or my shelf?!

[Darran@Retro Gamer]

Seaside arcades are crop now. Was in Weymouth at the weekend and it's a shadow of its former self.

[oldtimer]

most are just full of penny pushers and grabber machines now,

[markopoloman]

Seaside arcades are crop now. Was in Weymouth at the weekend and it's a shadow of its former self.

I've not even bothered looking at Bournemouth seafront for the past ummmm 20 years.... but is the arcade still at the front of the pier AND what ever happened to Happyland Arcade???

[Fishsta]

I always post these photos whenever a topic like this comes up.

Bonus points if you can name the arcades these pictures are taken in.





Oh, and have to agree about the Space Harrier game near the entrance. I LOVE that sound as you walk in, "Welcome to the fantasy zone, get ready...... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaargh!"

[Wol]

Went to Blackpool for the day on Sunday, checking out the arcades, not really a great deal there which I was disappointed about, maybe I have to find some back street ones (if they still exist) because the sea front ones (the ones I went into) were pretty much teddy grabbing, 2p and gambling machines.

I went into Coral Island hoping for a good selection of games, apart from the above which did take up 2/3 of the place, there was a proper gaming section it was full of the usual suspects, HOTD, Time Crisis etc, however I still love Outrun 2 SP however was hoping to find some scrolling-beat-em-ups but no such luck.

They had Guitar Hero arcade in there but I think thats a bit of a con, what happened to the days when you carried on until you failed. Guitar Hero 1 song 1 quid, regardless of how well you did, bit of a rip.

Well Blackpool was good but was hoping for more, arcades not as good as I remember, London next.

[Fishsta]

Funnily enough, I went to Southport at the weekend, and into Silcock's Funland. A hell of a lot of machines there are the type that dispense tickets, with which you can go and claim "prizes". It's a little bit of a rip-off in terms of value, but I have to admit it does actually bring back a little bit of amusement back into the phrase "Amusement With Prizes".

Otherwise, video game wise, it was as Blackpool in the above post... HOTD (one of them, can't remember which), Time Crisis 4, Daytona USA (Which I suppose is suitably Retro now!)... and a game I actually quite liked... Can't remember what it was called, but basically you hunted dinosaurs with a rifle and a touch screen. It was probably called Dinosaur Hunt, but that's a bit too obvious. First go, and second place in the high-score table? Thank you very much. Lasted about ten minutes, too, which isn't bad these days.

Wol, did you go in Mr B's / Mr T's? It's the one across the road from Coral Island. They used to have a section of 10p/20p video games, but I'm not sure if they still do. Gems like Track N Field, Kung Fu Master, Asterix etc all used to adorn the back section near the bingo, as well as a six-player Daytona USA with cameras.

Otherwise, along the sea front there's an arcade called "Slots of Fun", which still had an OutRun and a Beast Busters in there last time I went, and in the Pleasure Beach they had an original Donkey Kong near the Log Flume.

I have no idea if any of these are STILL there, but it would be nice if they were.

Oh, the arcade at the far end of the Pleasure Beach, which probably isn't there any more now that they've made it compulsory to pay just to get in, used to have all sorts of classics, including a Hard Drivin'.

[Wol]

Didnt see that one across from Coral Island as mainly stayed, stayed pub/arcade side of the sea front, not the pier/beach side, which is a shame because that was the type of stuff I was looking for.

Unfortunately Slots of Fun was completely closed down when I went, and looking at the state of it, its been that way for a while.

[Fishsta]

Sorry, not across the road as in towards the beach, across the road as in this:



Oh, that first picture of me playing The Simpsons Arcade Game? That was taken in Mr B's. Which, clearly, is now called Mr T's. AKA The Golden Mile Centre.

*edit* Right click and "View image" if you can't see it all because of the forum settings.

[fatkitty]

not strictly a seaside I know ...
Starlight rooms in Leeds...any forum members remember this place?



Spent many a saturday afternoon in there in the 80`s

[bobturnip]

The OP has a fantastic idea for an article. Or a website. For years I had some pics from the pier Arcade at Brighton, but they've gone now.

If I were a rich enough, I would open an arcade full of retro games, somewhere like Bournemouth. I would charge £5.00 entry, and inside I would have all the classic cabinets available in there set at 10p a go - rows of restored Pac Man, Robotron, Paperboy, Defender, Gauntlet, etc, all turned up loud and ready to play... I bet the place would be packed out with adults and kids alike.

I cannot believe this hasn't been done by someone.

Until I win the lottery, though, a regular 1 or 2 page feature of a different arcade cabinet each month and its design etc would be great to see in the mag.

[cardinaluk]

Yeah I agree - and it would be one of the first things I'd do if I struck big time cash. Get a decent building, create an 80s/90s arcade with blue neon, dark lights and that slight smell of dampness and chips. I'd also put in a bar with 80s food and stay open late - of course the music would be a mix of British/US 80s pop, and a couple of open minded fair but firm bouncers on the door. Points leagues and event nights with a large projector showing legacy events and nostalgia for those who don't want to game. An all round great atmosphere for all ages, oh and drinks holders for each machine. Also smoking allowed on certain nights for that true 80s atmos.

Does anyone know of anything like this in the UK? I agree with the post above that there has to be money made by a business like this, but I suppose getting hold of and restoring old machines is increasingly difficult.

[Fishsta]

Also smoking allowed on certain nights for that true 80s atmos.

Good luck with that.

I mean, I do remember smoking being allowed in arcades, ashtrays on the sides of machines, I remember a cinema in Wigan where you were allowed to smoke on the back two rows... but you'd never get that passed now.

[cardinaluk]

Maybe a secret room that you can only get access to if you can play and survive 5 levels on Donkey Kong.