Best Arcade in the UK

Wil · Post by **Wil** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:29 am

carmel1 wrote:I haven't been to an arcade since the last time i worked in the west end (London)
an OK'ish one in leicester square, same end as the old WB (now vue) cinema

That's probably the (in)famous Crystal Arcade as frequented by EMAP games journos and plenty of 'puffy' jacketed fellows back in the day. I used to play Food Fight there a lot.

C=Style · Post by **C=Style** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:54 am

Last decent arcade I went to was in the Trocadero in London. They had some Metal Slug/KOF cabs, a few shmups, Daytona and stuff like that. Was a little while a go now though. I did try and look for the Sega World arcade but I guess that's not about anymore?

My personal favourite arcade is Thomas Showboat and Leisure in Hunstanton as they have a quality retro room which features all the same old arcade machines I used to play on as a kid. One of the other arcades opposite it has the Daytona 2 machine, Initial D, Sega Rally, Outrun 2, Prop Cycle, F355 Challenge, Virtua Cop 3, Virtua Tennis etc. SEGA HEAVEN!! I love Daytona 2.

woody.cool · Post by **woody.cool** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:07 am

Overheat wrote:Well, we have a list of the Top 25 arcade machines now - so does anyone know an arcade with at least 5 of them in? I don't...

There's an arcade in Blackpool, on the promenade, near the Pleasure Beach (but NOT Pleasure Beach Amusements) but a bit further down (by the Watson Road under-pass section) - he has lots of retro games, and I would say at least 5 of those mentioned in the top 25 feature this issue are in there. But there's just one problem ..... the last few times I've been there, it's been closed!

Overheat · Post by **Overheat** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:21 am

they're always blooming closed

Went to bridlington recently for a week and the only games that were any good were Outrun 2 SP (stunningly good btw) and Sega Rally 3 (just because I didn't realise it existed - lol)

ShadowMan · Post by **ShadowMan** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:31 am

Overheat wrote:they're always blooming closed

Went to bridlington recently for a week and the only games that were any good were Outrun 2 SP (stunningly good btw) and Sega Rally 3 (just because I didn't realise it existed - lol)

Man, I had no idea that game was even made until now (did I miss all the hype or what?)

I just hope by some small miracle a Street Fighter 4 arcade machine makes it to the UK (the closer to London the better!), I just can't stand waiting for the console release.

Kaede · Post by **Kaede** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 12:09 pm

ShadowMan wrote:
Overheat wrote:they're always blooming closed

Went to bridlington recently for a week and the only games that were any good were Outrun 2 SP (stunningly good btw) and Sega Rally 3 (just because I didn't realise it existed - lol)
Man, I had no idea that game was even made until now (did I miss all the hype or what?)

I just hope by some small miracle a Street Fighter 4 arcade machine makes it to the UK (the closer to London the better!), I just can't stand waiting for the console release.

I hear on the grapevine that Casino MAY be getting it in. But Capcom are bullying arcade owners in to buying a minimum of two units and they are around Â£2k each. Troc will probably get it.

ShadowMan · Post by **ShadowMan** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:24 pm

Kaede wrote:
ShadowMan wrote:
Overheat wrote:they're always blooming closed

Went to bridlington recently for a week and the only games that were any good were Outrun 2 SP (stunningly good btw) and Sega Rally 3 (just because I didn't realise it existed - lol)
Man, I had no idea that game was even made until now (did I miss all the hype or what?)

I just hope by some small miracle a Street Fighter 4 arcade machine makes it to the UK (the closer to London the better!), I just can't stand waiting for the console release.
I hear on the grapevine that Casino MAY be getting it in. But Capcom are bullying arcade owners in to buying a minimum of two units and they are around Â£2k each. Troc will probably get it.

That would rock if true (that Casino gets the game, not the Capcom bullying thing!). I could see myself spending so much time and money playing that game to death!

mikeb · Post by **mikeb** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:47 pm

I havn't found a really good UK arcade since about '95 when I worked near Leicester Square...

A place on Bournemouth seafront was the last bastion of my arcade youth - Alien Vs Predator, Raiden DX, Eco Fighters and a few more until about 3 years ago when they were all mysteriously replaced by penny-waterfalls and a Dance Dance Revolution machine

Only decent ones I've been in recently have all been on holidays in SE Asia - mainly Singapore/Malaysia.

http://blog.retrogamer.net/general/arca ... -malaysia/

Worth the trip - they're just like being back in the nineties

hahnchen · Post by **hahnchen** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:00 pm

Overheat wrote:Went to bridlington recently for a week and the only games that were any good were Outrun 2 SP (stunningly good btw) and Sega Rally 3 (just because I didn't realise it existed - lol)

Bridlington's a censored poor town. If you want arcades, take a day trip to Scarborough.

SirClive · Post by **SirClive** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:02 pm

Scarborough isn't much better any more. Brid is terrible (been a couple of times this year), but Scarborough is mostly fruity's now.

Mr L · Post by **Mr L** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 3:23 am

I blame the Credit Crunch. Oh, and the smoking ban...

TheShend · Post by **TheShend** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 4:06 pm

There's 2 in Manchester:

A Namco Station in the Trafford Centre which has recently got Tekken 6 in and has a plethora of titles around driving (Initial D, Sega Rally) or shooting (HotD, Time Crisis) ^_^

The other is Jenny's aka Piccadilly Amusements in the town centre. If I ever get the opportunity I go in there because this mainly fruit machine/gambling den has several arcades tucked away at the back. They include:

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike - Best set-up in the UK now thanks to moving the board onto a better cab and having Seimitsu buttons and a Sanwa stick, simply devine.

Tekken 5 Dark Ressurection - A dedicated cab with a dedicated following!

Virtus Striker 4 - Err yeah!

plus 2 x Namo DX Cabs loaded with ROMs! Garou, KOF, SF Alpha's, SFII's, Darkstalkers plus puzzle and side scrollers galore!

Supertim · Post by **Supertim** » Sun Aug 17, 2008 4:00 am

My dream would be to buy a small bar and turn it into a Bar/Retro arcade. Fit it out with Defender, Pac-Man, Robotron, Stargate, Space Invaders and other classic games. Have monthly tournaments. Have a big screen showing all the high scores and award prizes.

I for one still play those old games in original format (on Playstation)...they are just great.

richyrich · Post by **richyrich** » Sun Aug 17, 2008 5:13 am

Southend still has a good number of machines spread out down the Seafront. Sadly the decline of the industry is clearer there then anywhere else, but certainly further down you can still play some old games. Simpsons, Turtles, SF2. Only in the last few years have some classics disappeared like the moving Space Harrier and Outrun machines.

Ababo · Post by **Ababo** » Sun Aug 17, 2008 8:40 am

Glasgow has an amusements in the city centre called Booth's which used to have some great games downstairs. They had Neo Geo cabinets, pinball machines, a whole bunch of Sega machines, a fantastic Fist of the North Star punching bag game, and best of all my favourite, Crisis Zone! Has anyone else had a shot at that? I'd love to own a Crisis Zone machine.

There were even more games than the ones listed, but sadly they slowly started disappearing to make way for gambling machines until there was only a sole Virtua Striker machine left, and then it disappeared!

I'm not sure if there are any places in Glasgow with arcade games anymore, except for maybe one of the tenpin bowling alleys. What a shame.

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