This is for the older folks here, though the rest of you can take part too (see below).
Many of us love video games. Some people have some very fond memories of their first console, be it SNES or PS1 or whatever.
But some of us go back even further, and remember vividly the time when the arcade was the favorite hangout for masses of kids. Back when it wasn't Chuck-E-Cheese, but Showbiz Pizza.
And back when they had video games there instead of just Skeetball and Dance Dance Revolution (or whatever the hell they have there now...do they even have a few video games?).
Back when Aladdin's Castle was king.
And Dragon's Lair was the cutting edge.
I grew up on coin-ops, playing them even more than my Atari 2600.
I have a lot of fond memories of hanging out for an hour or two at the local arcade at the mall, playing tons of different games. Dig Dug, Donkey Kong, Missile Command and Space Invaders, and so many others.
But my fondest coin-op memory is not actually from an arcade.
It's from where I worked in high school.
My senior year of high school, I worked at Ganzo's, a Mexican restaurant in Davenport, Iowa. As an aside, if you're ever in Davenport and have a hankering for Mexican food, you have to stop in there...it's delicious, and I stop in there whenever I'm home.
Anyway, there was always a couple of video games in there (still are, actually, with Galaga last time I was there), and I would go in to work sometimes an hour early and play one game in particular: Operation Wolf.
This game was so awesome, and it was one of those that would let you continue if you put another quarter in before 30 seconds was up after you lost. I played that thing almost to the end, pumping numerous dollars into it. It was really hard to stop and go to work at the allotted time, but I was a conscientious kid. I couldn't play after work because I was in high school and had to get home, but I loved that game to death.
So what are some of your favorite arcade (or just coin-op) memories?
And so you young whipper-snappers don't feel left out, what about your favorite console memory?
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Don't know what to write about this week. I knew 2 of the songs,number 2 & 5. I knew what you were going to write about 5 even before I read it. You used to like country but now you never seem to say anything nice about them. I know they are sappy but they sure beat those rap songs.
ReplyDeleteI will miss you next week. That's what I look forward to every Sunday. You deserve a rest I guess. Hope I know some of the 2000 songs. We'll see.
Did you mean to leave this on the one-hit wonders post? :P
ReplyDeleteYes that's where I thought I sent it. Don't know what happened.
ReplyDeleteTwo fond memories... Aladdin's Castle in the local mall playing Warrior wit my best friend and Price Chopper's lobby when they used to have a stand-up of Rampart.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember playing those games, but I'm sure I saw them when I was hanging out at the arcade. Lots of great memories.
ReplyDeleteThanks for leaving a comment and getting me to re-read this post! I'd almost forgotten about it.