Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with arcade

How to unlock all of the songs in a DDR Supernova 2 arcade machine?

wooh — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 10:21:19 -0800

How to unlock all of the songs in a DDR Supernova 2 arcade machine? At work, we now have a DDR Supernova 2 machine, and want to try and unlock all of the songs. I'm not sure how! We have access to the machine, but the debug menus don't seem to have an option? Would love help on this!

How to pick a table clamp for an arcade controller?

inthe80s — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 09:28:57 -0800

What kind of clamp would you use for holding a small control panel on a table firmly? I don't have the space for a full-scale MAME project in my home, so I was going to build a couple smaller purpose built panels for use in my office. I've got a trackball setup and a spinner set that I am planning on making small dedicated cases for. These kinds of controls generally don't play well unless they are fixed in place (the trackball especially). So I want to design a case that I can affix to the desk in a manner I can easily remove it, but so it won't move around during game play.

So far, the only thing I can find is a clamp like the ones you find on swing arm lamps. It seems like it would work, but the part that hangs down would interfere with the keyboard tray.

Shoot-em-up

fearfulsymmetry — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 12:52:36 -0800

Looking for a name of a novel, but can only remember one scene, where a guy is recruited for some sort of mission in a video arcade. So I read a novel a while ago and I'm a bit hazy on the details - I'm guessing it was some sort of Tom Clancy-ish techno-thriller. One guy (I'm thinking probably the antagonist) is recruiting people for some sort of mission (possibly a crime caper). The one scene I remember is where he recruits a guy from a video arcade. This guy is, I think, a Vietnam vet (he may have been wearing his old uniform or a generic surplus one) and, I think was helicopter door gunner (or at least skilled with heavy weaponry). He was playing a video game with a gun controller and getting a mega high score. One odd detail is that I'm fairly sure he only had one hand. Be grateful if anyone has got any ideas as it's been driving me mad these last few days.

Need lots of win7 arcade Games for 3rd world, non-english, non-computer savvy 10 year olds

DetonatedManiac — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 01:26:28 -0800

Where can I download lots of win7, laptop compatible arcade-ish games for non computer savvy, non English speakers with no internet. Can't you buy a bundle of like 400+ classic arcade games from somewhere? I am giving a new windows 7 laptop as a gift. I want to fill it up with lots of games. I have already cherry picked some of the great free games I can think of (Minecraft, Free Indi Games, free games from GoG, etc). But I want more variety, both of genre and difficulty level.

Imagine you were going to give games to non-computer savvy, non-English speaking 10 year olds who have never played any sort of digital entertainment in their life and will be playing w/o a mouse and no internet access on a laptop keyboard that only accepts 2 key inputs at a time (IE most laptop keyboards apparantly). That is who I am giving this to, literally (well some of them are older than 10 and have used a computer before, but you get the picture).

Simple, non text based, visual but not too complex, key driven. Classic arcade games, platformers, tetris/brick-breaker clones, etc would be perfect. I would do emulation but DosBox is too complex since they need something that is just click and play (I won't be around). Trying to find legitimate game downloads one by one is... difficult

Any thoughts? I could have sworn you could buy "Arcade bundles" of 400+ games at one time, but I cannot find anything that does not look like a rip off. Willing to put a bit of money behind this if needed.

What is the name of an old comic book arcade game?

atmu — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 13:32:30 -0800

Trying to find name of an old arcade game with Marvel superheroes, including Captain America. I could've sworn I used to play this arcade game during my childhood (15-20 years ago), but I can't find it using Google. It was a top-down view game, e.g. Diablo 2, where you could use Captain America and others (possibly iron man). I remember you could throw Cpt. America's shield. Any idea on the name of this arcade game???

Are multi-game Jamma boards okay?

Monster_Zero — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:35:55 -0800

Arcade cabinet owners; do you have any experience with multi-game boards? Do they work well? Feel authentic enough while playing? As a most excellent wedding gift, my friends restored an old coin-op arcade game and set it up in my house. The game they found (X-Men: Children of the Atom) is fun but I'd like to diversify a little and since the cabinet has Jamma support I'm told this is easy.

I'm not a "serious" collector so the prospect of something like a 60-in-1 board like the one linked above is very tempting. I want it for Juno First, my brother would love to come over and get his 1943 on again, and we can do that all for far less than actually trying to get the original boards (or, for that matter, converting to a MAME cabinet).

Minor differences in play from the original boards are fine; I've actually never played Juno First in the wild. But my brother was a 1943 fanatic in his teens, so will he notice anything 'off'? Will the board itself work okay?

Replace Super Puzzle Fighter arcade CRT power supply?

doteatop — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:16:51 -0800

I love my CPS2 JAMMA Super Puzzle Fighter arcade cabinet. The power supply for the CRT spontaneously caught fire (I think it's the CRT's PS). Help me save it! I cut power to it and everything seems fine, if smoky. It doesn't seem to burn more when I turn it back on, and the audio works, indicating that the game itself is unharmed. I bet the CRT is fine too and it's just some capacitor in this 16-year-old obviously-handmade circuit bundle that reached the end of a long road.

Pictures:

A close-up of the back of the CRT and the specific ganglia of electronics that caught fire. The flames were in that big black bit on the right.

A different perspective on the same parts.

Some perfectly healthy if dusty bits that did not catch fire.

Options as I see them:

Replace just the CRT's power supply - just have to source a supplier for something that would work. Can anyone recommend a supplier or know which parts I want? There seem to be a lot of options.

Replace the CRT and power supply - a bit more involved. Even better would be to replace the CRT with a much lighter LCD! Is this feasible? Not sure if the video signal would be compatible. Anyone done this?

Anything I'm missing? Thanks!

What device is used to regulate power over several circuits?

rwheindl — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:55:45 -0800

A friend of mine has 20+ old arcade games in his basement. He has essentially set up a small arcade museum at his house. It's pretty sweet! The games are split between several circuits in the house but power is becoming a concern. These old electronics are sensitive to spikes and low voltages and we want to keep them running as long as possible - most of the circuit boards are not made and difficult to replace or repair. What should we consider for 110v line conditioning? I'm familiar with individual battery backups for computers, I've seen power distribution boxes used by musicians in their equipment racks and I've heard electricians talk about whole house surge suppression but I'm not sure where to start here. I'm not familiar with large scale power distribution for say a data center.

That said, I'm not convinced it makes sense to invest in a whole bunch of Uninterpretable Power Supplies (~$200 ea.) per set of games whatever the number may be and if it comes out to 1 game per UPS, that doesn't seem like a desirable solution on many levels - current draw while all are recharging comes to mind as a potential problem.

We're planning to put a meter on the games to see how much current each draws next week, it's essentially a CRT TV plus a light bulb in each game in terms of power draw. While estimates are great, the ammeter will determine the actual capacity of some such device or devices that we want to get.

What is that mystery device we want to get to protect these electronics during day to day use that will ensure they get regulated clean power and won't cost us too much of an investment to install (or perhaps will cost an investment but maybe is modular - can be moved)?

The plan is to continue adding more games and perhaps move them to a business location in maybe 5 years so we're looking for an interim solution. Right now, when not in use, we usually switch off power strips and/or unplug the games so issues like lightening going through the neighborhood power grid are not currently much of a concern.

Shotengai of the World

any portmanteau in a storm — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:29:49 -0800

Japan has shotengai (covered shopping arcades). We don't have any in Toronto (probably because of the climate). Where else do they have shopping arcades? Are there any in places with climates similar to Toronto? Links and pictures would be appreciated. I've seen pictures of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan and I've been to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul so I know they exist outside of Japan.

What I would like to see are examples of other shopping arcades, especially ones that aren't such famous attractions in themselves or ones in places that have real winters.

What are the best plug and play arcade games available?

therubettes — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 02:12:23 -0800

My nephews (6 and 8) love old arcade games and I am looking for a Plug and Play game for their Christmas gift. Any games from Pacman to Sonic would be fine. What are the best options? Also are there any two player plug and play games in the market which are worth buying?

Highway crossing frog, where are you?

ulotrichous — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:19:57 -0800

What relatively current console games contain a port of the original arcade frogger? I'm putting together a distributed high score tournament, and I'm trying to put together a list of released titles for wii, ps2, ps3, xbox, pc, or mac that contain a port of the original arcade frogger. Are you aware of any titles that people could relatively easily get their hands on at gamestop or mail order that have the original frogger unlocked by default, or is easily unlockable? I know it's pretty easy to find for MAME, but many of the places participating in the event are libraries and they tend to be too skittish to use ROMs.

I did find frogger.net, which is a crappy flash remake, but the scoring and patterns appear to be pretty legit, so that's a good fallback. Players who report scores will include what version they played, so small differences between versions are ok.

So, any discs people can get their hands on that have frogger hidden within?

How many arcade games are imported into the United States?

cyphill — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 11:08:20 -0800

I'm trying to find out how many video arcade games (think coin-operated) are manufactured within the U.S. and how many are imported. Historical data would be very helpful too. I'm aware that many classic arcade cabinets were manufactured both abroad and within the United States. But I'd like to see if I can find any information about what percentage of these games are/were manufactured in the United States. It seems like in my searches that modernly many cabinet video games are imported, but I'm having difficulty finding hard numbers, or even anything rising above the level of anecdotal data. I've looked at a few trade magazines, but they have been unhelpful. I've also tried a few generic video game history books without success. Can anyone think of any sources I've overlooked?

Can you identify this 1980s arcade game featuring a tank?

kenaman — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:09:22 -0800

Can you identify this 1980s arcade game featuring a tank? Scant detail but here we go:

I played it in an arcade and not on a console, I dont know it it was ever on console, I certainly never saw it outside of the arcade I played it in.
We used to call it the 'Tank Game', but maybe that was just me and my buddies.
The view in the game from from above looking down i.e. it was 2D.
You could upgrade your firepower and when you did the shells that you fired turned into red glowing shells.
At some point in the game you were faced with a train which had lots of guns on the back.
There were lots of other tanks to fight.

Thats all I can reliably remember, other details are only quarter remembered, like the terrain was green and brown and that you progress scrolled vertically mostly but at times you would have to follow a path horizontally.

I would LOVE to find a rom of this game that I can play on mame.

Help me identify these half-remembered video games.

Faint of Butt — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:43:24 -0800

Please help me identify two half-remembered arcade games from the early to mid-'90s. The first was a fantasy-themed platformer, and I think it incorporated some RPG or character-upgrading mechanics. I believe the main character was a wizard. I remember exploring a cavern and finding a mermaid in a cave who asked me to help her.

The second was a one-on-one fighter, probably part of the Street Fighter copycat invasion. It was set in a Roman-style gladiatorial arena. I distinctly remember that one character was a naga, with a humanoid torso and the body of a snake.

Any ideas?

Wizard needs Gauntlet badly

You Can't Tip a Buick — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 20:22:26 -0800

[BayAreaFilter]. I want to play Gauntlet. Where should I go to do that? Okay, so that thread on the blue about marathon Joust has made me really, really want to play old arcade games. And Joust is fine and all, but the one I think I could spend a few good stupid hours on is Gauntlet. I'm in Palo Alto, and will go just about anywhere in bike distance or near Caltrain to get me my Gauntlet on. Where should I go?

Where can I find a Whac-a-Mole game near San Francisco?

espertus — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 11:44:50 -0800

Where can I find a full-fledged Whac-A-Mole arcade game in the Bay Area? Near San Francisco, on the Peninsula, or near Oakland would be ideal.

What's a small town arcade like these days?

alicat — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 11:01:17 -0800

What is an arcade like in 2010? I'm looking for details about particular games and how you pay (coins or tokens). I'm doing final edits to a children's novel, and I have to update the arcade scene from 1984 to 2010 (too bad, because I did some awesome research on Defender).

I need to know:
- the names of some racing and shooter games (esp. alien/space games) that would be in an arcade
- whether you pay with coins or tokens
- how you get change or buy tokens (person or machine?)
- whether it would be open on a weekday
- any other impressions about the atmosphere

The novel is set in Ithaca, New York, but info about any smaller town arcade will do.

I'd call the Ithaca laser tag/arcade on State Street but the number is out of service -- I guess they closed. I would visit an arcade in my hometown but I just got a full request from an agent and I want to finish this today!

Where can I find the classic arcade game 'Burgertime' in Vegas?

frggr — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 02:01:49 -0800

I'm looking for a place to play the arcade classic 'Burgertime' in Las Vegas - does anyone know where to find it? I'm traveling through and would love to track it down. I've checked previous questions, such as this one but there was nothing specific to NV or Vegas (Dave and Busters aren't there yet!

DIY Joystick Links?

jabberjaw — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:55:16 -0800

I'm building my own arcade joystick, and I could use some internet resources. I'd like to build my own arcade joystick - primarily for use on a PC MAME system. Unfortunately, I'm having problems finding decent resources on the internets. I know of suppliers - Happ & Lizard Lick for parts - but am otherwise shady on do-it-yourself instructions. Lots of links I've found on old MAME forums are old and broken.

Details on wiring, setup, design, parts - all of that would be super helpful. Although I am not mechanically or electronically inclined, but I'm good at following diagrams. Note that I am considering mapping the joysticks a USB board, but the keyboard PCB seems to be the standard.

If you have any knowledge on the topic, or can show me where to find it - deepest gratitude. Thanks for your links and help!

Name of the 80s soccer arcade machine?

n3rt — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:59:44 -0800

Does anyone remember the name of the 80s soccer coin-op arcade machine? It was of a similar size to a Gauntlet box, was up to four player and was a world cup type tournament. Sort of cartoon-y / manga-lite type of players; and my overriding memory of it is the scissor / bicycle kick. If it then exists in a PC/PS2/ROM collection so much the better! Thanks all.

Should I buy an Xbox 360 Arcade?

teem — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 05:46:47 -0800

Should I buy the Xbox 360 Arcade, or would a different model Xbox 360 be a better option for me? I want to play games. Based on the games I want to play and what other features I want from a console I've narrowed it down to the Xbox 360. However I've been out of the console loop for a long time and don't know which Xbox 360 model to buy. The Arcade is cheap (plus I can get a couple of free games with it -- regular games, not the bundled arcade games), but there must be downsides.

What I want to do with my console is, not surprisingly, play games. GTA IV, racing, FPS, and action/adventure games are my cup of tea. I'm not likely to use it for online gaming, and I'm not interested in my console being a media centre. That is, I won't be downloading movies or music onto it. I just want to buy games, play them, saving every now and then. Multimedia I can live without, but I'd hate to find that the cheaper model can't play certain games now or in the future.

As an aside, I used to be a big PC gamer and feel much more comfortable with the keyboard/mouse combo for games such as GTA or FPSs, so the possibility of buying and using those peripherals would be great. That said, I'll survive if it can't be done.

Any advice would be great, keeping in mind that I really have no idea about how things work on the Xbox 360.

Don't make me lie to a kid fer cryin out loud

shothotbot — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:04:14 -0800

Are there any arcades in NYC? My daughter loves the video games in the lobbies of movie theaters and I promised to take her to an arcade. Um, are there any in NYC? I heard about Barcade but she is only five. One that had Pacman and one of those awful use-the-claw-to-grab-the-doll games would be perfect.

The Cost to Play Pong?

nikkorizz — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 09:19:29 -0800

Arcade filter: How much did it cost to play the original Pong? How much did it cost to play the original Pong arcade machine back in the early 70s, United States?

Did you get a certain amount of "lives" per coins inserted?

Recommend a MAME Classic!

l33tpolicywonk — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:29:38 -0800

Recommend an awesome vintage arcade game for me to play on MAME! I'm looking to get back into MAME and do some great 80s and 90s gaming, but I have no idea what's good beyond some of the more obvious classics. I've read this thread but I'm looking for less of the modern stuff, more of the 2D simple arcade classics. I'm a big platformer and racing fan, but I also enjoy top-down flying games like 1941/2/3. Quirky, little-known arcade games welcome and appreciated.

If it matters, I'm running a 2 yr old Linux machine that ought be able to handle most graphical challenges.

Thanks MeFi!

Shooting Gallery

Oriole Adams — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:58:42 -0800

OldArcadeGameFilter: I'm trying to find a video/arcade game that my mom used to love back in the mid-1980s. About twice I year I used to take my 60-something mom to the Niagara Falls, Canada, area to visit friends/relatives and to just relax for a few days and get her away from household chores. One of her favorite things to do was to go the the video arcade at Maple Leaf Village. She particularly enjoyed a game which was technically a video game (I guess) since it employed a large screen (sort of like a big screen TV). It was a shooting gallery-type game, though, and instead of a joystick or similar control, the player held a toy rifle and aimed and shot at the animated characters on the screen. The graphics were not quite as crude as "Boot Hill," but not as sophisticated as, say, "Paper Boy." The game consisted of various types of animated creatures (some of which were bird-like) wandering across the screen. You shot at them. If you missed, a graphic saying either "Missed, turkey!" or "Missed again, stupid!" would momentarily pop up. The character worth the most points was a road runner, which dashed across the screen quickly (much like the submarine in "Sea Wolf"). At the end of the game, a MIDI file of "The Party's Over' played, unless you'd achieved a high score, in which case it would play "A-Hunting We Will Go."

Does this game ring any sort of bells with the hive mind?