Lights, Bells and Whistles: The Arcade Experience

There once was a time when the arcade represented something important to the lives of youngsters: time away from parents, getting lost in a story, the thrill of competition. We had to take advantage of every opportunity to play. Nowadays a game machine in the corner is nothing more than an ironic piece of novelty art . Simply put, people these days don’t look at arcades the same way they did 20 years ago. But they still have a lot to offer today’s gamer.

I live in north New Jersey; the last genuine arcade within a reasonable traveling distance closed down about two years ago. The next stop for gamers in my area are places like Dave and Busters–places where the primary source of income is not the machines, but the bar, and where you have to be 21 (or chaperoned by an adult) to enter. The crowd is mostly made up of people between 20 and 30 years of age. Being above the legal age, some friends and I occasionally go to the nearby Dave and Busters to scope the scene, play the best of what the enormous arcade has to offer, and possibly down a few in the process.

It’s a far cry from the neighborhood hangout where you and your friends could drop by after school. With high-end technology getting more affordable and children getting access to expendable income, consoles have taken over the gaming scene. But, while most mom-and-pop arcades have fallen off the map, some like D&B are still around. Which led me to wonder, what do old-school arcades have to offer that can compete with the home experience?

Light-gun Shooters:
Classic shooters like House of the Dead and Time Crisis kick ass even today, especially on a really big screen. Perhaps the coolest arcade shooter is the Silent Scope series. With the full size rifle attachment and screen in the scope, it takes immersion to another level–plus, because of it’s elaborate setup, it never got translated to a home version. But aside from the newer versions in the genre, there’s still plenty for the old school gamer. Maybe you find the need to kill Mad Dog McCree for old times’ sake. Just steer clear of the Undertaker.

Racing Games:
The Daytona series and other gems like Hydro Thunder make sitting in the driver’s seat more fun than ever. If really wanted to, you could practically recreate the entire driving experience on your console (get your little cousins to shove your chair around for added realism), but it would probably cost you less to just buy the actual machine–or, better yet, just go to the arcade. Besides, it is just much more gratifying to rock Cruisin’ USA the right way.

Fighting Games:
Hell yeah! Fighting games are the bread and butter of the video arcade. It’s the ultimate in competition: two strangers stepping up to a Mortal Kombat II machine and yelling at each other because sitting there blocking is for pansies. The Soul Calibur and Tekken series still rock with their 3D take on classic fighters. And any red blooded gamer will eventually make his way to Street Fighter II, or one of its many siblings. Hopefully Street Fighter IV will grace your local video arcade upon its release and revitalize the scene.

Dance Dance Revolution and Rhythm Games:
I myself never play games like DDR and the like. I guess they are not my cup of tea, but they definitely keep crowds coming back to the arcade. These games are popular at home with their own pads, but it is only in the arcade where the sickest DDR players can truly show off their skills. Good players attract tons of spectators, which makes these games a real moneymaker.

Retro Games:
Not much to say here; these games are pure nostalgia. Galaga, Donkey Kong and Pac-Man will never go away. There are console collections that feature upwards of 20 games on one disc, or flash versions online that can be played for free. Even then, these games are just not as fun from home. The real experience is worth having your quarters eaten up.

At D&B there are miles of other random games strewn. The place gets pretty packed on a Saturday night. People rampage through the crowd like savage beasts to get on high-demand machines. Meanwhile, the other half of the arcade is carnival games like Skee Ball, basketball, the “knock-the-coins-over” game and more. These games give out tickets that, in turn, can be exchanged for the classic, ridiculously overpriced prizes.

Altogether, our little adventure was fun. We end up spending a lot more money than we thought we did back 15-20 years ago, but that’s okay – growing up means growing up. Have arcades died out? Definitely not; they offer an experience that’s completely different from home consoles. But they’re also not the same as we older gamers once knew. Hopefully, arcades will continue to adapt to the landscape of gaming. If they can do that, they’ll remain a part of every kid’s childhood.