Love that you found this video and posted it. Was great to hear all the audience experiences, and your own, with so many arcade classics. Happy new year!
Happy New Year to my good friend Scarlet. Glad to see you making a nice hour+ video on video game arcade history. I have to have my tuna fish sandwich and potato chip lunch to listen in on what you have to say Scarlet. Will be a pleasure to listen in for sure. 8^) Anthony..
Long time watcher of your channel first time commenting. Really enjoyed this, absolutely fascinating listening to your stories and from the audience. It’s funny our passion for retro games and the hobby has taken us on such a journey. Who would have thought you’d be doing a talk on all this. I revealed a unreleased game in Atlanta many years ago and I found myself on stage with Walter day and billy mitchel, I had to pinch myself because I couldn’t believe I was in the USA with these guys talking about a game I’ve got no nostalgia for. I love this hobby and the community and channels like yours. Keep you the videos they are great 😎👊
I grew up in Chester PA and about a quarter mile down the road from our house was a strip shopping center and they had two locations that had arcades. The first one was the Diner (which got torn down probably before I was 8yo) but you could see what arcade they had just by looking through the window. We never went there to eat and I was never in a position at that age to just stroll in, but I remembered they had Krull (a movie I loved as a kid) and the only Return of the Jedi cabinet I saw in the wild (you’d always see Star Wars and Empire). The second location was an actual arcade. The place was kinda scary because it was dark and filled with smoke. It also wasn’t a great neighborhood but my brother used to take me in there. At this strip mall they had a Rite Aid (where I bought my $.25 packs of baseball cards and my mom did last minute Christmas shopping at) and next door was a mom and pop shoe store I can smell just by thinking about it where my mom bought our “Bo-Bo” sneakers. One of which was called “Kangaroos”… the sneaker with a pouch to keep things. So… I’m the front room of our house my mom had a Folgers can that had change in it… since I was young and too innocent to know better, my older brother would have me pick the quarters out, stick them in my Kangaroo sneakers and he would take me to the arcade and we would each get to play a few games. The games I remember playing there was Karate Champ, Elevator Action and Moon Patrol. On the other side of the street were a few businesses including a beverage store that was connected to a Pizza/Cheese Steak shop… and they had an arcade. We would go there for Penny Candy but I remember they had Zoo Keeper and Food Fight. Every where you went there was a good chance you’d find an arcade machine and both my brother and I were obsessed even that young. We had an Atari but nothing did it for us like an arcade. We would rather simply hang out at an Arcade and just watch the Attract Modes than be at home playing our 2600. It’s always been a dream of mine to own an arcade even as a young kid. I’d watch the sit com “Silver Spoons” where the kid had line 3-4 cabinets on his living room and thought… “I want to be this kid!”.
Thanks for taking the time to share this. I almost forgot about Silver Spoons, you’re totally right and I can picture where those were setup along the wall in the back right of the set/room. I always wanted that train to drive through my house too!
Great video as always. Made me think back to my early days (early 80s) at the arcade I went to called Fun N Games to play Phoenix 🐦🔥. Kind of an obscure game but I loved it.
That ‘89 TMNT game from Konami was probably the start of my arcade wonderment. There were older games that would take my quarters later (Rampage, Centipede, Galaga), but TMNT got me through the door.
That and GI Joe were the goto Chuck E. Cheese games. In fact, any time anyone mentions the former they always note that they played it at CEC. With regard to TMNT, I was so thankful that the NES game was actually good and representative of the arcade. Especially after they caused trauma with the difficulty of that first offering.
My dad would drop me and my two older brothers off at a neighborhood arcade back in 89. I was only 5 and not really tall enough to play well but it was such a magical fantastical experience it was embedded as a hallmark memory for me that instilled a lifelong love for gaming and the theatrical experience of the arcades. One older kid(like 13) would help me play street fighter 1 by using his hands over my hands. We actually beat the first two guys like this! Also the version of street fighter one we played had a retsu(Japan first opponent)that would throw a fireball at you that looked like a sun. It had an arcing trajectory. It wasn’t until I grew up that we realized this version is completely undocumented and for all intents and purposes does not exist.
Amazing, Thank you so much for the upload mate! It's so important to preserve these moments. They inspire me to fire up my MiSTer and really deep dive into a random arcade game. PS - You're current camera setup and production is really impressive mate. What equipment and software do you use/recommend? I'd like to do something similar for my automotive channel
It's funny you ask that. I JUST switched to a Panasonic Lumix GH7. The intro to this was filmed with it but I'm still working out a lot of settings. I'm also bouncing between Vegas and Final Cut Pro for editing. The goal is to be completely free of Vegas by mid 2025. I just can't edit as fast or do the things I normally do in Final Cut yet as I'm still learning.
Yeah, this was fun to watch. I'll add my story : In 1989 my family took a cross-country trip. My dad thought he was Clark Griswald. 🤦♂️😂 I was in middle school & my sister was IIRC in 5th or 6th grade. A bunch of things stand out as memories : - Listening to Metallica "Garage Days Revisited" - As we got further south we could get Cherry Pepsi. That wasn't available in the northeast yet & I think the south was their test market. I loved that! - Notably every hotel we stayed at had a few arcade machines. That was great! The real amazing one though was when we got to Vegas. My parents wanted to go gamble at Circus Circus & they didn't let anyone under 21 out on the gambling floor, so, to entice parents, they had _unbelievable arcades_ so kids had something to do while their parents lost all their money gambling. Circus Circus had the best one with over 300 cabs. It was the most nuts arcade I've ever seen & my local mall had not just one but _two_ arcades (we had a bunch of arcades locally with one really good one having ~100 cabs). My parents gave me & my sister $20 each & we were in arcade bliss. Every arcade since has seemed small. I'll never forget that...
Man that’s such a great story. It’s a great case of how those arcade memories almost always seem to tie back to some family or friend event. Love that you had that experience and I’m sure your sister thinks fondly of that time as well. Thank you for sharing.
I guess my first arcade experiences were with games like Outrun and Afterburner, probably in some bowling alley rather than the arcade. It wasn't until Mortal Kombat that the arcade really began to register (in terms of graphics at least). And how could you not be wowed by games like Virtua Racing and especially Daytona USA back in the day. The closest I came to an arcade experience at home was the Neo Geo CD. It was so cool and niche, even if half the time was spent watching the loading screen. 😂 I remember buying it with my mom back in late '94 (or early '95), around the time my parents split up. Back then, all I could think about was the next hot game or latest tech. But of course, in the end it's about who was there with you or who you shared the experience with. Thanks for the vid, looking forward to more in 2025. Happy New Year!
It really was awesome. I was soooo tempted to get the Neo Geo CD and my friends kept making fun of me telling me I was wasting my money. I never got one because I caved to peer pressure haha. That’s awesome that you got that back in the day. Those are actual arcade games coming home which was always the dream.
@@ScarletSprites the machine itself did cost a lot of money, but hey, I now owned a Neo Geo. So in a weird way it made me feel like one of the rich kids. That's snobbishness for you. 😆 But yeah, games like Samurai Shodown 2, KoF '95 and Pulstar sure made an impression. It was a great time.
I don’t think that 3D was the death of arcades… it was when playing an arcade at your house became possible and affordable at the same time… …the very games that were the lifeline of arcades… MK3, Virtua Fighter… were playable at homes less than a year later.
Maybe it wasn’t clear, but I think we are kind of saying the same thing. The start of 3D gaming is about the same time that gap began closing. Kind of like Chris Pronger taking a stick to the eye. That wasn’t the single thing that caused the death of the Flyers, but it marks the start of an awful decline if you had to pick a moment.
@@ScarletSprites Yeah, by the time 3D became mainstream (think PS1 / N64) there wasn't as compelling a reason to go to arcades for the latest tech. Arcades still limped along for a few years after but the ability to play nearly equivalent games at home made both our parents & us happy. But we did lose that unpredictable social component. It was only whoever was invited over, not any random person for better or worse.
This was uploaded at the perfect time brother. I hope one day I'll catch ya at a retro event. I hope I'll be healthy enough to travel. 😂 Just stop you know I watched from start to finish. I love your history in collecting... That MVS games before you had a way to play then is legendary. You had foresight without knowing it. ✊💯 I appreciate you brother Happy New Year and wishing good health for your family. 🙏
Love that you found this video and posted it. Was great to hear all the audience experiences, and your own, with so many arcade classics. Happy new year!
Thanks for taking the time to check in, it’s greatly appreciated. Happy New Year to you as well!
Happy New Year to my good friend Scarlet. Glad to see you making a nice hour+ video on video game arcade history. I have to have my tuna fish sandwich and potato chip lunch to listen in on what you have to say Scarlet. Will be a pleasure to listen in for sure. 8^)
Anthony..
Long time watcher of your channel first time commenting.
Really enjoyed this, absolutely fascinating listening to your stories and from the audience.
It’s funny our passion for retro games and the hobby has taken us on such a journey. Who would have thought you’d be doing a talk on all this.
I revealed a unreleased game in Atlanta many years ago and I found myself on stage with Walter day and billy mitchel, I had to pinch myself because I couldn’t believe I was in the USA with these guys talking about a game I’ve got no nostalgia for.
I love this hobby and the community and channels like yours. Keep you the videos they are great 😎👊
Really cool story! What was the game? Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment and share today, much appreciated !
@ It was Nintendo Sky skipper
I grew up in Chester PA and about a quarter mile down the road from our house was a strip shopping center and they had two locations that had arcades.
The first one was the Diner (which got torn down probably before I was 8yo) but you could see what arcade they had just by looking through the window. We never went there to eat and I was never in a position at that age to just stroll in, but I remembered they had Krull (a movie I loved as a kid) and the only Return of the Jedi cabinet I saw in the wild (you’d always see Star Wars and Empire).
The second location was an actual arcade. The place was kinda scary because it was dark and filled with smoke. It also wasn’t a great neighborhood but my brother used to take me in there.
At this strip mall they had a Rite Aid (where I bought my $.25 packs of baseball cards and my mom did last minute Christmas shopping at) and next door was a mom and pop shoe store I can smell just by thinking about it where my mom bought our “Bo-Bo” sneakers. One of which was called “Kangaroos”… the sneaker with a pouch to keep things.
So… I’m the front room of our house my mom had a Folgers can that had change in it… since I was young and too innocent to know better, my older brother would have me pick the quarters out, stick them in my Kangaroo sneakers and he would take me to the arcade and we would each get to play a few games.
The games I remember playing there was Karate Champ, Elevator Action and Moon Patrol.
On the other side of the street were a few businesses including a beverage store that was connected to a Pizza/Cheese Steak shop… and they had an arcade. We would go there for Penny Candy but I remember they had Zoo Keeper and Food Fight.
Every where you went there was a good chance you’d find an arcade machine and both my brother and I were obsessed even that young.
We had an Atari but nothing did it for us like an arcade. We would rather simply hang out at an Arcade and just watch the Attract Modes than be at home playing our 2600.
It’s always been a dream of mine to own an arcade even as a young kid. I’d watch the sit com “Silver Spoons” where the kid had line 3-4 cabinets on his living room and thought… “I want to be this kid!”.
Thanks for taking the time to share this. I almost forgot about Silver Spoons, you’re totally right and I can picture where those were setup along the wall in the back right of the set/room. I always wanted that train to drive through my house too!
Great video thanks for sharing this. Really cool to hear all the stories about arcade games. Reminds me of my own adventures and childhood. 10/10
Thanks for stopping by again man!
Great video as always. Made me think back to my early days (early 80s) at the arcade I went to called Fun N Games to play Phoenix 🐦🔥. Kind of an obscure game but I loved it.
Nice! I know the game but I never played much of it. I’ve seen cabinets in warehouses with the marquee quite a few times in the last five years.
That ‘89 TMNT game from Konami was probably the start of my arcade wonderment. There were older games that would take my quarters later (Rampage, Centipede, Galaga), but TMNT got me through the door.
That and GI Joe were the goto Chuck E. Cheese games. In fact, any time anyone mentions the former they always note that they played it at CEC. With regard to TMNT, I was so thankful that the NES game was actually good and representative of the arcade. Especially after they caused trauma with the difficulty of that first offering.
My dad would drop me and my two older brothers off at a neighborhood arcade back in 89. I was only 5 and not really tall enough to play well but it was such a magical fantastical experience it was embedded as a hallmark memory for me that instilled a lifelong love for gaming and the theatrical experience of the arcades.
One older kid(like 13) would help me play street fighter 1 by using his hands over my hands. We actually beat the first two guys like this! Also the version of street fighter one we played had a retsu(Japan first opponent)that would throw a fireball at you that looked like a sun. It had an arcing trajectory. It wasn’t until I grew up that we realized this version is completely undocumented and for all intents and purposes does not exist.
Great content, never stop never stopping!
Thanks, I’m always trying to make something new!
Amazing, Thank you so much for the upload mate! It's so important to preserve these moments. They inspire me to fire up my MiSTer and really deep dive into a random arcade game. PS - You're current camera setup and production is really impressive mate. What equipment and software do you use/recommend? I'd like to do something similar for my automotive channel
It's funny you ask that. I JUST switched to a Panasonic Lumix GH7. The intro to this was filmed with it but I'm still working out a lot of settings. I'm also bouncing between Vegas and Final Cut Pro for editing. The goal is to be completely free of Vegas by mid 2025. I just can't edit as fast or do the things I normally do in Final Cut yet as I'm still learning.
Good to have you back.
Thanks man
It’s incredible. What a huge impact our childhood have on us.
I love hearing the family/friends stories and how it all ties back.
I'm never tired of hearing about neo geo haha. Glad tou found the vid I was bummed I didn't get to the show
Thanks for checking it out man!
Always
Yeah, this was fun to watch. I'll add my story :
In 1989 my family took a cross-country trip. My dad thought he was Clark Griswald. 🤦♂️😂 I was in middle school & my sister was IIRC in 5th or 6th grade. A bunch of things stand out as memories :
- Listening to Metallica "Garage Days Revisited"
- As we got further south we could get Cherry Pepsi. That wasn't available in the northeast yet & I think the south was their test market. I loved that!
- Notably every hotel we stayed at had a few arcade machines. That was great! The real amazing one though was when we got to Vegas.
My parents wanted to go gamble at Circus Circus & they didn't let anyone under 21 out on the gambling floor, so, to entice parents, they had _unbelievable arcades_ so kids had something to do while their parents lost all their money gambling.
Circus Circus had the best one with over 300 cabs. It was the most nuts arcade I've ever seen & my local mall had not just one but _two_ arcades (we had a bunch of arcades locally with one really good one having ~100 cabs).
My parents gave me & my sister $20 each & we were in arcade bliss. Every arcade since has seemed small. I'll never forget that...
Man that’s such a great story. It’s a great case of how those arcade memories almost always seem to tie back to some family or friend event. Love that you had that experience and I’m sure your sister thinks fondly of that time as well. Thank you for sharing.
Great video. Thanks for sharing.
Kind of loses a little in video form but I selfishly wanted to be able to reference it without digging around on my computer.
I guess my first arcade experiences were with games like Outrun and Afterburner, probably in some bowling alley rather than the arcade. It wasn't until Mortal Kombat that the arcade really began to register (in terms of graphics at least). And how could you not be wowed by games like Virtua Racing and especially Daytona USA back in the day.
The closest I came to an arcade experience at home was the Neo Geo CD. It was so cool and niche, even if half the time was spent watching the loading screen. 😂 I remember buying it with my mom back in late '94 (or early '95), around the time my parents split up. Back then, all I could think about was the next hot game or latest tech. But of course, in the end it's about who was there with you or who you shared the experience with.
Thanks for the vid, looking forward to more in 2025. Happy New Year!
It really was awesome. I was soooo tempted to get the Neo Geo CD and my friends kept making fun of me telling me I was wasting my money. I never got one because I caved to peer pressure haha. That’s awesome that you got that back in the day. Those are actual arcade games coming home which was always the dream.
@@ScarletSprites the machine itself did cost a lot of money, but hey, I now owned a Neo Geo. So in a weird way it made me feel like one of the rich kids. That's snobbishness for you. 😆
But yeah, games like Samurai Shodown 2, KoF '95 and Pulstar sure made an impression. It was a great time.
I don’t think that 3D was the death of arcades… it was when playing an arcade at your house became possible and affordable at the same time…
…the very games that were the lifeline of arcades… MK3, Virtua Fighter… were playable at homes less than a year later.
Maybe it wasn’t clear, but I think we are kind of saying the same thing. The start of 3D gaming is about the same time that gap began closing. Kind of like Chris Pronger taking a stick to the eye. That wasn’t the single thing that caused the death of the Flyers, but it marks the start of an awful decline if you had to pick a moment.
@@ScarletSprites Yeah, by the time 3D became mainstream (think PS1 / N64) there wasn't as compelling a reason to go to arcades for the latest tech. Arcades still limped along for a few years after but the ability to play nearly equivalent games at home made both our parents & us happy. But we did lose that unpredictable social component. It was only whoever was invited over, not any random person for better or worse.
This was uploaded at the perfect time brother. I hope one day I'll catch ya at a retro event. I hope I'll be healthy enough to travel. 😂 Just stop you know I watched from start to finish. I love your history in collecting... That MVS games before you had a way to play then is legendary. You had foresight without knowing it. ✊💯 I appreciate you brother Happy New Year and wishing good health for your family. 🙏
That's really kind of you man, I appreciate you taking the time. Hope you feel better in 2025!
🔥🔥🔥
Scarlet, i'm waiting for you BackBit Review .... please :) will it come this weekend ?
Probably Monday, Tuesday at the latest. I’ll caution that it’s just a preview; the cart I have is a prototype and still in development.
@@ScarletSprites i have pre order one
Great comeback. 2025 will give you 365 new opportunities. Hopefully 10% will be hobby related. 🤜🏻🤛🏻
Thanks man! ✊🏼