Ahhh yes. Arcades. Back in the day, they were the place to be. I could easily drop 20 bucks a day in one and there were a hundred people just like me doing the same every day. Real gold mines in the 80's.

If you want to go back even further, I remember waiting in line for hours to play pinball machines at the swimming pool in the 70's.

Today, there is one pinball machine at the local bowling alley and two arcade games at the pizza inn (a table model Galaga and a Ms. Pac-Man).

I wonder if companies like Bally Midway, Taito and Williams (who used to be some of the coin op giants) are even making many coin op arcade games these days?

We have an arcade in our town. we used to have a few, but they started closing up years ago. We have an indoor theme park type thing called "hollywood connections" andits got a sizable arcade in it. but game rarely change, i think the newest game is one of them dance games.

At one point in the 90's London did have the largest gaming arcade in europe & Sony did take over it for 4 years during the early years of the PS1. To date it's still there but small. If you had around £80 & were skilled you could have spent all day there playing till your eyes bleed.

There are still "micro & mini" arcades in the North East of England but mainly SEGA cabinets and the odd CAPCOM ones along KONAMI.

Time like these I wished I still had the space for my Arcade MAME cabinet that took a year to build

Wow, got any pictures of that? I wish I was talented enough with electronics to build an arcade machine.

By arcade game, I simply meant a box with a screen in it that plays video games and often includes a joystick.

Skeeball is a wooden table with holes in it. But yes, it is in every "Arcade" that's left.

OH YES! Thats Skeeball which I'm the champ of!!!! That is Arcade Gaming along with pinball tables, air hockey, mini golf, pool.

I can still remember that on the sea front where I live was an arcade (now a snooker hall) and they had Black Cat Alley. All it was were a night skyline with black tin cats popping up & a gun mounted to the cabinet. It was only 5p ago & I spent hours on it. When the owners felt the decline of the business they turned it into a snooker hall & all those machines were dumped outside in a skip to rust away

When were down the east coast (Whitby, not that chav scum filled Scarborough) Jane drags me into the arcades along the marina & tucked away in the corner is a perfect condition Space Invaders cabinet. Up the main church street bank is a clothing shop & in the back is a cocktail table space invaders. Been trying to get the girl for years to sell it to me & last year she threw it out to make space for more stock. I was f'in gutted!

Gives a shout when you want to go to Whitby & We'll meet up. Just ask Jane, I know every single street & back alley better than where I live right now. Have eaten in every single fish & chip shop & had a drink in every single pub. I've been there every year since I was born & we like to go there for the day (50 miles down the road) just to chill out for a stroll along the streets & beach front. I don't think there's a bit of building I've not photographed apart from Bram Stokers memorial stone in the headlands (it's hidden well but there's another one for public show)

BTW - Best fish & chips in the UK, no question!!!

I've had an holiday at Scarborough before when I was little, couldn't say I liked it much, but love the first week there on the North side where the water park is & Peasome Park? Do they still have the big ass model battle ships fighting in the lake?

So far as I know, just up until this past (2006) Spring, there is still quite a nice "real" arcade just a few miles up the road from me. My son and his date, and the whole crew, went there for a couple hours before their Senior Prom, and he brought home some cool video footage of the place. They not only have all the "classic" arcade games (ie: skeetball, air-hockey tables, pinball machines.. you name it) but they also have a quadruple sized DDR floor as well. He video'd his date and his friend's date DDR'ing in their formal gowns, they looked soooo sweet!!!!! Well, in a "I'm a Mom" sorta way! < =D

So, at least here in my little Southern Maryland, USA, part of the world, the true arcade is still alive and kicking,.. and thriving!!