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1. Club Sega in Tokyo, Japan
Gaming giant Sega owns multiple arcades across the world, and this one in Tokyo’s Akihabara district is the largest. It has six floors of nonstop games, including classics like Tekken and Virtua Fighter.
IMAGE: FLICKR, BO NEILSEN -
2. Funspot in Laconia, New Hampshire
Guinness World Records named Funspot the largest arcade in the world in 2008. It has literally hundreds of games, from Pac Man to skee-ball, and is dedicated to preserving classic games for arcade fans.
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3. Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, Nevada
Opened in 2009, the Pinball Hall of Fame takes its title very seriously. The Vegas attraction has acquired vintage pinball machines from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and beyond, and currently boasts a collection of about 150. You can go on a virtual tour of the gaming haven here.
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4. Barcade in Brooklyn, New York
Barcade prides itself on two things: providing delicious craft beer and classic video games. The first venue opened in 2004 in the notoriously hipster neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. There are now three other locations in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Available games include Donkey Kong, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and more, a full list of which you can find here.
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5. Joypolis in Tokyo, Japan
More than just an arcade, Joypolis is essentially a theme park. Once you’re done with the bumper cars and the indoor roller coaster, make your way over to its coterie of arcade games.
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6. Game BAR-A Button in Tokyo, Japan
Not all arcades have to be behemoths. The tiny but beloved A Button in Tokyo’s Akihabara district is a testament to that. Its walls are jam-packed with games and vintage decor, including old school gaming consoles.
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7. The 1up in Denver, Colorado
Sporting two locations in Colorado, The 1up has more than 45 games in its nostalgia-ridden basement location, including pinball and skee-ball lanes. On top of that, it serves beer, food and tunes from a jukebox. You can find a full list of available arcade games, from Mortal Kombat to Mario Bros., here.
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8. King of Kong in Orlando, Florida
Most self-respecting arcade lovers have probably seen the documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. It told the tale of gamers Billy Mitchell and Steven Wiebe as they battled against one another to get the highest score in Guinness World Records for Donkey Kong. In the doc, Mitchell, top-ranked arcade player, came off looking…well, kind of like a villain. “No matter what I say, it draws controversy. It’s sort of like the abortion issue,” he says at one point.
Well, that same Mitchell opened up an arcade called King of Kong in the Orlando International Airport. Within its Donkey Kong-themed walls are a neat array of fun games. One curious fact is that its namesake, a Donkey Kong machine, is nowhere to be found. Maybe Mitchell doesn’t like the idea of having someone beat his high score in his own house?
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9. Ground Kontrol in Portland, Oregon
This barcade in Portland’s Chinatown neighborhood has a lite-brite setup that feels like you’ve stepped into Tron. Under speakers blaring metal, users can play a laundry list of vintage games with original cabinets, a list of which can be found here. There’s also a huge list of pop culture-themed pinball machines, like The Addams Family and The Lord of the Rings. Plus, its bathrooms are just killer.
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10. Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines in St. Petersburg, Russia
History buffs in search of rare, likely unheard-of games should book a flight to St. Petersburg. The Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines tracks down rare games produced in the mid-1970s. Not all the games are propaganda-pushing vehicles, according to Venture Beat, and you can play them during the museum’s open hours.
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11. Chris Kooluris in Manhattan, New York
Did you ever dream of having your own arcade? Well, Chris Kooluris of New York City took your dream one step further and built an enviable arcade comprised of rare games and pinball machines — all in his Manhattan apartment.
The diehard gamer, a PR firm vice president by day, originally built the arcade when he moved out of his Manhattan apartment and into his fiancee’s Brooklyn apartment. His old place wasn’t selling fast enough, so he converted the bedroom into an arcade. Fast forward a bit, and he’s no longer engaged, but he does have a full-fledged apartment devoted to gaming, according to a Wired profile. He told the magazine he’d love for gamers to just come check out his place, so hit him up to see if the offer really stands. See more images of his home arcade here.
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12. The Heart of Gaming in London, England
Affectionately known as the HOG, gamers flock to this London spot for late-night gaming (you can pay for literal overnight sessions). Hundreds of people can sit comfortably and play games like Street Fighter II. What it lacks in trendy decor it makes up for in culture, as it’s home to numerous events like a monthly, 36-hour gaming marathon called Ultimate Clash. There’s also 3rd Impact, where players duke it out for the high score in Street Fighter III.
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13. The Galloping Ghost in Brookfield, Illinois
Where do you begin when you’re at an arcade that has more than 400 games? It’s currently the largest video game arcade in the U.S., and players can easily get their paws on Galaga and Frogger.
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14. Sega Republic in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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15. YESTERcades in Red Bank, New Jersey
Built on pure nostalgia, the kitschy, kiddish YESTERcades looks like your average, run-of-the-mill game center. People really love this place and its plentiful offerings of consoles, from Atari to Xbox.
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16. Anata no Warehouse in Kawasaki, Japan
This place must go on your bucket list. While Tokyo is a mecca for all gamers, the Anata no Warehouse is unlike any other arcade in the world. Intentionally built to look run-down and abandoned, Anata is grim and creepy, inspired by the design of China’s back streets. It has eight stories, each modeled after the arcade of your nightmares. Enter at your own risk.
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17. Feng Yun Zai Qi Game Center in Shanghai, China
If you’d prefer to actually play games in China, head to the Feng Yun Zai Qi Game Center. Set in a 1930s underground mall (a fun fact itself), it has rows upon rows of colorful gaming options and DDR.
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18. Taito in Tokyo, Japan
Back in the arcade capital of Tokyo, Taito is one of the area’s best stops for gaming fans. It has all the games you would expect, and boasts a particularly dense collection of shooter games, according to CNN.
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19. Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum in Farmington Hills, Michigan
A surreal wonderland of mechanical goods, Marvin’s is packed with weird artifacts. Items picked by founder (and mechanical and electric gaming expert) Mark Yagoda surround you as you play pinball andDonkey Kong. It’s also been named one of the most unusual museums in the world.
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20. Super Potato in Tokyo, Japan
Let’s end this list in Tokyo, at the incredibly named Super Potato. Known first and foremost as a top retro gaming store, fans of video games, anime and manga can get their hands on Sega consoles, Famicom games and collectible items. You’ll find a vintage arcade on the fifth floor, where shoppers can drop their bags and get straight to gaming.
Category: Classic
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20 Arcades You Need to Visit Before you Die
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1. Club Sega in Tokyo, Japan
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2. Funspot in Laconia, New Hampshire
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3. Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, Nevada
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4. Barcade in Brooklyn, New York
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5. Joypolis in Tokyo, Japan
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6. Game BAR-A Button in Tokyo, Japan
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7. The 1up in Denver, Colorado
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8. King of Kong in Orlando, Florida
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9. Ground Kontrol in Portland, Oregon
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10. Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines in St. Petersburg, Russia
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11. Chris Kooluris in Manhattan, New York
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12. The Heart of Gaming in London, England
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13. The Galloping Ghost in Brookfield, Illinois
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14. Sega Republic in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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15. YESTERcades in Red Bank, New Jersey
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16. Anata no Warehouse in Kawasaki, Japan
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17. Feng Yun Zai Qi Game Center in Shanghai, China
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18. Taito in Tokyo, Japan
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19. Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum in Farmington Hills, Michigan
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20. Super Potato in Tokyo, Japan
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Guy Beats Mario 64, Zelda, And Goldeneye Simultaneously In 51 Minutes
Goldeneye 007, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64 — all staples of the N64 that many of us have spent countless hours playing. Now let’s watch this dude blaze through all three at once like it ain’t no thing.
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Escape Dead Island – Unraveled Trailer
The mysteries of the island of Narapela beg to be unraveled, but at what cost? Can you survive the island and still maintain your sanity
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Men Arrested For Smuggling Cocaine In Xbox Consoles
Four young men have been arrested after they allegedly smuggled “kilos of cocaine” into the US stuffed inside some Xbox consoles.
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P.N. 03 Papillon Suit on Dolphin Emulator 1080p
Test play of P.N 03 on the dolphin emulator for PC. Using cheats to show off emu/game, this suit is a 1hit kill so I’d just die using it. Also using infinite energy to show off specials. Only beaten the game on easy so far, no cheats.
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Shovel Knight Review
How I feel about today’s shooters is probably how others feel about the deluge of nostalgia-influenced platformers. There are always exceptions to the rule, though. Shovel Knight is one of them, a game that feels as though a historian unearthed a long lost cartridge from the late ’80s, as game developers were making the NES perform tricks never thought possible. The debut game from Yacht Club Games feels like an unearthed relic, one I’m happy has been found. Shovel Knight feels both old and new, mining our collective memories for the right reason: making a good video game. And Shovel Knight is a very good video game.
Shovel Knight feels like a game that fell out of a worm hole. In a good way. Shovel Knight has a story insofar as any of these games have a surface-level justification for what’s happening. Shovel Knight and Shield Knight have long protected the realm, but the world is soon corrupted by The Order of No Quarter (which just might be the best name for a group of enemies since…well, forever), lead by The Enchantress. Shovel Knight is separated from Shield Knight, and it’s up to Shovel Knight to start digging to victory. In practical terms, this means players are running around as Shovel Knight, and occasionally navigating an overworld map that gives limited agency over which major enemy you’ll tackle next.
The problem with many of these kinds of games is they’re often unsure which master to serve, and get caught up praying at the altar of the past. Shovel Knight could not exist without the 8-bit classics, sure, but it’s not explicitly beholden to its conventions, either. It’s a decidedly modern game leveraging gaming’s history as a starting point. It’s a means to an end, not the end itself. That’s where so many of these games get it wrong.
DuckTales and Mega Man fans will feel right at home with Shovel Knight. The character’s weapon–yes, a shovel–is used to attack enemies, destroy objects, and bounce on stuff. Most of Shovel Knight’s attacks, even when he begins acquiring magical relics in each stage, require him to get very close to obstacles in his path. With rare exceptions, Shovel Knight is incapable of standing on the other side of the screen and slowly clearing a path forward. Being able to pogo stick on top of enemies gives players flexibility in their tactics, allowing them to play a cautious form of offense that provides room to breathe. Understanding the physics of one’s shovel-assisted jumps is crucial to finding the game’s myriad secrets, as well. Most are hidden behind both marked and unmarked walls that must be destroyed, and others require deviously timed jumps that let you cover great distances, both horizontally and vertically, that would be impossible otherwise.
The secrets are half the fun in Shovel Knight, too. They’re everywhere, making every screen more than just a set of hazards to navigate. The secrets often contain plentiful treasure, the currency used to purchase upgrades for Shovel Knight. Both health and mana upgrades are available in limited quantities, in addition to armor with certain bonuses (i.e. dropping less treasure after dying) and new shovel attacks (i.e. shooting a ground-level fireball while at full health). Shovel Knight can acquire a host of magical abilities, as well, which can be purchased by finding a vendor within a level or completing the stage and finding that same vendor back in town. Unlike Mega Man, weapons aren’t explicitly linked to bosses, even though stages are themed around the last encounter.
Part of what makes Shovel Knight stand out is what doesn’t stand out. The controls feel right. While playing, the character always landed where I wanted him to. The controls are tight, responsive, and do exactly what you want. That may sound simple, but without this, Shovel Knight wouldn’t work. We often focus on games that get this wrong, not games that get it right. When it feels right, you don’t notice it. That means the developer nailed it. When it doesn’t feel right, it’s terribly obvious. Super Meat Boy is a fantastic game for many reasons, but Super Meat Boy works because the player feels in control. It’s why I’ve never enjoyed LittleBigPlanet beyond the charming aesthetic and wonderfully curated soundtrack. A sequence of tricky jumps is an entirely worthy task to ask of a player when they can reliably know the coming deaths will be entirely their fault.
Some enemies are small, some enemies are big, and some enemies will take up the whole screen. It’s the little things in this game, too. The delightful idle animations for the world’s many characters, an elaborate dance sequence by a giant fish for no reason, the discovery of a hidden boss in a room full of hats, using a fishing rod to find off-screen treasure. These touches extend beyond the caretakers of the game’s visuals, too. For example, you can jump higher than what the game is currently showing on the screen at any time. If you’re at the top of the screen during a forced scrolling sequence, your head doesn’t butt up against an invisible barrier. You can actually leap into the blackness of the UI. It’s a small touch, but one that actually proves useful.
That said, there was a cocktail of emotions when the credits rolled on Shovel Knight. I was upset the game had come to an end, since I’m now left waiting for the hopefully inevitable sequel. But I wondered if Shovel Knight played it too safe. One cannot speak of games gone by without acknowledging how brutally difficult they were. If you, like me, were a kid granted one, precious game every few months, you milked those games for all they were worth. One reason that worked was because the games were so god damned hard. (My mom actually called a customer support line to complain after my brother and I finished Turtles in Time in two hours.) The challenge wasn’t always earned, and often it was cheap, but you had to legitimately cross the finish line.
That’s not the case in Shovel Knight, an especially easy game by classic standards. I died a handful of times, a few spots gave me some real trouble, but I wouldn’t call Shovel Knight hard. It’s a very accessible platformer for its type, which might come as a disappointment to some. Rather than embrace this facet of its influences, Shovel Knight asks players to accomplish other forms of herculean tasks, such as finishing the game without dying or health upgrades. For some, that will prove a worthy goal to chase, a reason to spend potentially hundreds of hours with Shovel Knight. But not for me. I wanted the game to ask more of me upfront, as I’m far less interested in masochistic challenges (the game’s achievements are called “feats”) layered on top of the game. Instead, I breezed right through Shovel Knight, and was left wishing the game had pushed me much, much harder.
My questions about the game’s difficulty wouldn’t matter if were talking about a lesser game, though. I simply wanted to love Shovel Knight even more than I already do. Shovel Knight is an exceptionally well-made action platformer, one worthy of being celebrated far beyond the nostalgic foundation it’s built upon. Shovel Knight won’t be the last old school game made in the modern age, but it’s unlikely many others will be as much fun.
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Halo Light reviews are in from the customers who bought them!
#1 COOLEST THING FOR GBA EVER
Wow! What a light! This is the coolest thing for gameboy advance ever. Definite buy. any night time gamer has to have this.
PROS:It is EASY to install, takes about 5 minutes!
The top piece is easily removed in like 5 seconds (when the top piece is removed it looks like an ordinary unmoddified gameboy!
The passthru port on the flat part of the top piece allows you to use your e-reader, wormcam, and most other devices.
!!! Better than the Afterburner in light quality (Doesnt distort or washout colors) !!!
!!! Lights the screen BRIGTHER than the Afterburner !!!
CONS: Battery usage not so great. With 2 new Alkalines you can expect about 6 hours, with a rechargable battery pack youll get about 4 hours 🙁 Bottom line is this: This is ABSOLUTELY the best light (even better than the afterburner)! but it comes at a cost of battery life, but if you have a few rechargable packs this shouldnt interrupt your gameplay!
#2 FINALLY MORE FOUND MORE INFO.
I finally found what the Halo Light looks like all around and how to install it. YES, it does have a link port on top of it and it is as good as the afterburner light I’ve heard so much about, but difficult to setup, well, this cost a little more, but looks well worth it to me, no hassles. It should fit right into your pocket or any case you got, heard you are able to take the top off, so if you think you can’t, you can. A must-buy for any Gameboy Advance user.#3 THIS IS BETTER THAN THE NEW GAMEBOY SP AS FAR AS LIGHT
I saw the new gameboy spa at gamecon and it didnt impress me at all..escpecially the light..this type of light has been available on the net for some time-afterburner but was a pain to install..now this does the same and is easier to install..its worth it for me..#4 PEOPLE?
i’d like to clear up a few misconceptions about this light. first of all there is no problem with it taking up the link port. it has a pass-thru port just like many other lights. also, the new Gameboy Advance SP doesn’t have a backlight. it has a frontlight. the SP can not light up like a TV, as the Halo Light does. the frontlight will be just like any old light you can buy in a store, but its inside the SP. please get all the facts before you start bashing a product. if you don’t beleive me read online reviews on the GBA SP.#5 DOES NOT VOID YOUR WARRANTY.
Despite my being disappointed with the constant shipping delays, I have to clarify that replacing your screen cover does NOT void your warranty. The GBA is designed to have the plastic screen cover replaced easily. Nintendo sells replacement screen covers and kits to remove your old one. This is not considered a warranty-voiding alteration. To do that, you have to actually open the GBA by unscrewing the tri-wing screws on the back. You don’t do that with this kit. This is a simple screen cover replacement. One more thing- The Sega Nomad was a backlit system, and I don’t know why anyone would remove the screen cover on it, but the LCD in a Nomad was NOT meant to have the screen cover removed… Maybe that would explain why it was never the same again? Once again- With this product there is no risk of voiding your warranty, and the adhesive on Nintendo replacement screens is very durable, and made for removal and replacement of the screen.HALO LIGHT MOST IMPORTANT ADDITION FOR GAME BOY ADVANCE ANALYSIS:
PROS:
* It is EASY to install, takes about 5 minutes!
* The top piece is easily removed in like 5 seconds (when the top piece is removed it looks like an ordinary unmodified gameboy!)
* The pass thru port on the flat part of the top piece allows you to use your e-reader, worm cam, and most other devices.
* Better than the Afterburner in light quality (Doesn?t distort or washout colors!)
* Lights the screen BRIGTHER than the Afterburner!
CONS:
* With 2 new Alkaline you can expect about 6 hours, with a rechargeable battery pack you?ll get about 4 hours.HOW THE NEW GAMEBOY SP COMPARES TO GBA HALO:
I saw the new Gameboy SP at GameCon and it didn?t impress me at all..escpecially the lighting, which has been available on the net for some time as an after market product called the Afterburner. They have incorporated similar technology which does not go far enough to upgrade critical optical shortcomings for the new platform.TECHNICAL ISSUES:
The pass-thru port allows multiple hook ups for the port. Also, the new Gameboy Advance SP doesn’t have a backlight screen. The SP can not light up like a TV, as the Halo Light does. The GBA is designed to have the plastic screen cover replaced easily. Nintendo sells replacement screen covers and kits to remove your old one. This is not considered a warranty-voiding tion. The Halo Light is a simple screen cover replacement. -
Did You Know Gaming looks back at the Game Boy
The video game historians at Did You Know Gaming have returned with a look back at the history of Nintendo’s wildly successful, beloved Game Boy handheld.From the classic, green-screen LCD brick to the Game Boy Advance, Did You Know Gaming explores…
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Don’t be fooled! Video game April Fools’ 2014 joke round-up
From the too ridiculous to be believed, to things that make you cry when you learn they’re a lie, April Fools’ Day is a day when it’s impossible to trust anything you read. To help you separate fact from fiction, we’re rounding up the best jokes we find:
Get a job at Google as a Pokemon Master
This one’s half true. You can catch Pokemon on your iOS or Android device using the Google Maps app right now. However, you’re probably not going to get a job at Google just for finding Pokemon on a map.
Diablo III goes mobile with Happy Reaper
This Blizzard take on Flappy Bird isn’t a real game, but if it was, it would let you “take on the role of Malthael, the Angel of Death, who’s recently returned to Sanctuary with a vengeance.”
Blizzard fighting game: Vengeance of the Vanquished
It’s not playable, but Blizzard went all-out with the screens, character bios, and description for their fake fighting game (which you should read). It also includes a controller with a built-in credit card reader: “Speed up your in-game purchases and give your character some extra punch with this convenient credit card swipe strip right there on the controller!”
Renamed modes in Call of Duty: Ghosts
Maybe you’d like to join a match of “PEW PEW,” “YOLO, “Bro,” or “Do u even cap?”
Play as a Dragon in Cryptic’s Neverwinter game
A developer diary shows how Cryptic is balancing dragons as a new playable race for their Neverwinter MMO. Watch the video above to see OP dragons wearing hats and riding mounts.
Vlambeer’s rougelike Nuclear Throne becomes an FPS
In a Steam Community statement, developer Vlambeer announces they’re taking their upcoming game in a new direction: first-person shooter.
Arma 3 gets kart DLC
The first “official premium DLC for Arma 3” mimics the Van Damme “truck splits” commercial to introduce the game’s upcoming kart expansion.
A Mass Effect Garrus Vakarian body pillow
Cuddle up with Garrus Vakarian in this one-of-a-kind body pillow available on the BioWare store. “This therapeutic companion pillow provides comfort and protection when your guard is down.”
Sony Power Food offers edible charging
Charge your phones and batteries by plugging them into cakes and cereal (editor’s note: don’t actually do this). Sony says “By creating an enzyme that enables the chemical energy of organic matter to be transferred directly into gadgets, we’re bringing about the next step in electronic evolution. Voltaic Enzyme.”
Wargaming launches online F2P (browser) game: World of Tank: The Crayfish
You can actually play this new game from World of Tanks developer Wargaming, but it’s slightly lower-budget than the actual WoT game. The Crayfish is a flash game where you fight off an endless army of killer crustaceans.
im back! FEZ II is back on!
— PHIL FISH (@PHIL_FISH) April 1, 2014
Fez sequel Fez II is back in development
This isn’t confirmedto be a lie…but it’s pretty unlikely. Game designer Phil Phis tweeted that Fez II is back on!
Guild Wars 2 Bobblehead characters
The size of the heads of all characters in Guild Wars 2 have been increased 200%. But don’t worry, the change is temporary.
Titanfall get Optimus Prime DLC
A fake trailer for the content also says that the game also features “Prime Time,” a new song by Linkin Park.
World of Warplanes gets UFOs
A press release says that all players will get a free “Tier 5 German Kampfflugplatte Sleipnir I UFO.”
New Smash Bros. character: Nester
Remember Nester from the old Nintendo Power magazine cartoon Howard and Nester? A spoof site (with incredibly terrible art) will try to convince you that the the red-headed protagonist is in the next version of Smash Bros. The art is pretty terrible, but the page layout mimics the official Smash Bros. site well.
War of the Vikings introduces god powers
The new trailer for War of the Vikings shows off Thor-like hammer throwing abilities, the ability to fly, and “God-like Fury,” which rains death down from the heavens.
Tim Burton is making a Killzone puppet movie
From the official Sony Killzone blog comes a movie direct by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. The site says, “The movie focuses on the events depicted in Killzone: Shadow Fall after the Helghast settle on planet Vekta.”
Blizzard continues HotS naming convention with next StarCraft expansion
This one goes pretty deep with multiple joke layers, but it’s a funny read.
….
Here are a few other sample headlines that might not have been written yet, but that you’ll probably read somewhere before the end of the day tomorrow:
- Video game company X buys video game company y (i.e. Microsoft buys Nintendo)
- Game publisher known for one type of game makes a game using that IP in a new and ridiculous genre (i.e. Battlefield kart racer)
- Anything at all related to Half-Life 3
Justin Haywald is a senior editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @JustinHaywald. Find a great April Fools’ joke we missed or got a hot news tip? Email news@gamespot.com Powered by WPeMatico
