Ive always loved arcades. Its always fun to play in a crowd.

When i lived in Helsinki (capital of Finland), there was an arcade in a mall. With cool games like Metal Slug & Bubble Bobble, i couldn't pass a change for a game or two.

Then, i moved to smaller city. There's no arcade here. :tai:

However, every summer i go to Helsinki to visit my grandfather. I always go to local amusement park and play some games in the arcade.

Here are some of my greatest arcade memories:
Dancing Stage- A neat dancing game. I always get audience when i dance.
Aliens- Great game. Shoot aliens with a huge machine gun.
Pinballs- Everytime when i see a pinball machine, i get a great urge to play it.
Metal Slug- A rare gem from far-east. Shoot, Shoot, Dodge, Collect and Shoot! I only got a change to play it once, but i later bought it for my PSX.
I also remember a fun SEGA game, where you had to crush Cockroaches\flies or moles with a real rubber hammer. I was a pro in this game.

Sweet memories......

The only arcade I have ever seen, was on one of my holidays in Spain. Had some good games there, although I can't recall them all. They had Time Crisis 2, this Jurassic Park shooter, House of the Dead 1 & 2, and some weird game about vampires, that was really cool too.

And the most funniest: There was this machine, where you could take a picture of you or your friend. Then you had to punch as hard as you could at some kind of sack and the face got deformed accordingly XD

There's no arcade I know of in my city (though there probably is one, it's a pretty big city). Every time I go on a school trip by ferry we always end up playing Time Crisis in the arcade though, I even managed ot get on the high scoreboard once (next time you're taking a ferry from Dover to Calais look out for "Hav & Sim" on the high-score board :D ).

here is my situation: there used to be arcades (at least one) in our city in the begining of the 90s, and I even was in it once. however I haven't seen any lately. so how should I vote?

allso I think that arcades are a waste of money to anyone who has a decent computer and isn't totaly devoid of friends yet.

Ever since I was 7 I've spent some lunch money on arcade on regular bases. At that time pacman, phoenix, crazy kong, scramble and space invaders were only arcade games available. (OMH, I'm old... :blink: )

Since I started with high school rarely I played an arcade, mostly for the reason that there was none in my surrounding. Then in Germany we had Final Fight and Pang! in nearby bar that I used to visit regularly. We spent a lot of money to complete both of those games. (Which were set on hard level after we figure figured them out)

Since there is no arcade place near me, I play those games in MAME from time to time. It's not the same as when you're in arcade, but it is better to have something then nothing. :) Also there is a neat program called tickle that plays well some basic arcade games.

When I was young, arcades in Germany were "strictly not for minors", because there usually were always lots of money-gambling-machines as well (the profit from normal games usually wasn't that high), so I just had the opportunity to play in places like public indoor-pools, inns etc. or when on vacation (besides, there isn't an arcade near my place anyway :D ;) )... I must say I never liked the big arcade thing when I was in france or england, it's just too much of everything. Today I'm old enough to go, but I don't have any desire to do so, I prefer to play by myself (in fact, allthough all my friends are more or less regular players, we seldom play together or against each others... there's so much better opportunities to spend your time with your buddies...). But I loved many of those games, that's why I'm so ever-thankful to the guys that made "MAME"... :angel:

I have never been to an arcade but Im almost sure theres some sort of arcade in my town.

Speaking of MAME, is it legal? I mean, the 24-hour thing. :whistle:

No, it's not legal, and there is no such a thing called 24 hours.

There are couple of games that author allowed for distribution, and that's 'bout it.

I believe he refers to the dislaimer they will give you at emulation sites: that you can download stuff, but you mus delete it within 24 hours unless you own the original cartrige.
and I'm pretty sure there's a game called 24 hours: it's too cool a name. :D

I know, but still there is no 24 hour thing and that entire disclaimer is just a hoax.
But this is not topic about legality of arcade games, so we better talk about arcades and if they still exist around us.

I just remember that local Chuck E. Cheese has some arcade games. But I have to wait couple of years till my daughter asks me to take her there. :blink: :wall:

And there is one in movie theater that I am not visiting that theater anymore as there is better and closer one. But I never played any of the games there as all of them suck. :eeeeeh: